Archive for July 17th, 2007
YourLATV.com is a video-based entertainment site that focuses on local hot spots and events. Beyond the original video clips on the site (many of which air on the KNBC show “yourLA”), users can also upload video which may appear on the air. Coming soon, the site will feature video classifieds and more social networking tools.
After taking a brief look around, I think YourLATV.com is one of the most promising new sites launched by a local TV station. I love the idea that it’s a video city guide — a fresh angle to take on the CitySearches of the world. The design is snazzy and intuitive (except for the fact the video player is beneath the traditional fold on the home page), and the video segments are interesting and don’t appear to be ripped from TV. The one area it lacks is depth — a comprehensive events calendar, for example — but there are plenty of competitors on that front. This is the second major new site launch with a new brand for the NBC stations: DigPhilly.com debuted earlier this year.
July 17th, 2007
“It’s now down to the Bancrofts,” reports the NY Times. After months of negotiations, Rupert Murdoch and company are down to the last hurdle after the Dow Jones board agreed to go ahead with a sale. Now the Bancroft family, which controls the company, will meet on Monday to make a final decision — which could take as long as a week.
July 17th, 2007
This is useless - but cool: Brady Bunch 2.0 (via TVBarn)
July 17th, 2007
At a conference dedicated to Internet TV, Google’s head of TV technology warned that broadcast TV is dying. Vincent Bureau then softened the attack. “On the surface, television as we know it looks dead. But the future of television is actually pretty bright,” said Bureau according to The Register. Google goes on to say that audience fragmentation is good, ad skipping is a “Godsend”, and new on-air talent should be culled from the Web. The last line of this tongue-in-cheek article is pretty funny:
“To sum up, the web’s biggest name thinks the web can help television. Go figure.”
If you get a chance, it’s a good read. If anyone can find a transcript of the actual speech, let us know in comments.
July 17th, 2007
If you’ve watched Live before, you know the top of the show is usually the most entertaining. That’s the part called “Host Chat”, when Regis and Kelly tell you the news, their opinions, and their crazy lives. Well, now if you miss that part of the show, it’s being streamed online. Not too many syndicated shows stream their content online. I’ve been told it’s usually due to contracts with affiliates. It’s nice to see those walls finally coming down.
July 17th, 2007
A new survey shows that more and more broadband users are watching streaming media online. According to the study from Nielsen, 81 million of the 129 million broadband users watched TV or movies online. This is a 16% increase in just the last 6 months. According to Broadcasting & Cable, “the study found that broadband viewing does not replace traditional television viewing, giving TV viewing a net audience gain, which is good news for networks.”
July 17th, 2007
Fisher Communications here in Seattle just announced it acquired Pegasus News for an undisclosed amount. PegasusNews.com is a hyperlocal news and entertainment site that has a large following in the Dallas area. “Fisher team came to us independently with a vision for local online news that happened to look a lot like us,” blogs founder and president Mike Orren. “So when we met, there was an instant rapport, understanding and respect. They understood (among many other things) the funny pictures, the conversational voice and the obsession with all things local, both grand and mundane.” Fisher said it plans to take Pegasus’ news, information and advertising model to additional U.S. markets in the coming year. (Full disclosure: I work for KING5.com in Seattle, which is a competitor of Fisher.) Press release after the screen grab…
Update: Terry Heaton (who’s quoted in the press release below) calls it “the smartest move to date by any local media company.” He continues, “Here’s what’s so incredibly visionary about this deal: not only will Fisher likely use the Pegasus platform to enhance its online offerings in the markets it currently serves, including Seattle and Portland, but they will also be able to build franchises in any market they choose. Pegasus currently serves the Dallas market, so Fisher has now opened shop another major market. This is smart and a profound statement of clarity as regards the ability of anybody to create any form of media anywhere these days.”
Read the full post July 17th, 2007
