Archive for September 10th, 2007
Remember the days when the Video Music Awards aired once live… and a few dozen time via Memorex? MTV decided this year that it would not endlessly replay the awards show (which actually bums me out, since I missed it… but there’s always the Internet). That move may have helped drive the ratings up about 23% over last year - with more than 7 million people tuned in. The show’s Britney Spears buzz also helped MTV.com - with another 7 million video streams through 3:30pm Monday.
September 10th, 2007
After Apple dropped prices on the iPhone… I helped push the company over the 1-million sold mark (I actually listened to Safran’s early adopter logic… for a while). I got it Thursday, and hit the road for Seattle Friday. I flew from Boise to Seattle to see the BSU Broncos get pummeled by the UW Huskies. The phone was invaluable. On the way to the game, we checked out live traffic with Google Maps, during the game I updated the score on KTVB.COM remotely, and sent back photos to post online. Sunday we went to Seattle Center to walk around and take pictures. My dad lost his keys, so I pulled up Google Maps and searched for “locksmith.” The map pinpointed my current location (via the EDGE network), and showed me the closest businesses. The nearest hit? “Bergman’s Lock & Key.” Since we were near KING 5… I started to wonder if Cory had (another) side gig. The phone was also great when I got stuck in San Jose, CA for four hours - giving me a list of airport restaurants. I’m hooked - and totally content with the fact that iPhone 2.0 will some day make the current gadget look like an old rotary. (Photo of the Space Needle via iPhone)
September 10th, 2007
ABC News’ Brian Ross and his “Investigations” team aired its look at NBC News’ Dateline NBC - and the later organization’s To Catch a Predator series. Ross’ report centers in on Dateline’s Predator sting in Murphy, TX. The sting followed the usual pattern: Dateline teamed with Perverted Justice and the local police department, trawled the web for local pedophiles and got them to show up at an area home. The unusual part was the fallout: the death of one of the men snared in the NBC investigation.
The ABC story covers much of the ground The Dallas Morning News and Esquire Magazine went over. But just as Dateline uses its talent and know-how to make the Predator stings come alive, the equally talented folks at 20/20 helped bring the story of Kaufman County, TX Assistant District Attorney Louis “Bill” Conradt Jr. into focus (VIDEO). The local SWAT Team went into Conradt’s home with guns drawn to arrest Conradt for allegedly soliciting sex with an underage teen online. 20/20 talked with Conradt’s sister, who showed 20/20 how the police came in, and explained how Conradt took his own life.
Former Murphy, TX detective Walt Weiss summed up events surrounding Conradt’s death: “I understand he took his own life, but I have a feeling that he took his own life when he looked out the door and saw a bunch of television cameras outside.”
In an ABCNews.com webcast, Ross and his producer tackle the notion that ABC is investigating NBC for ratings gain. The pair dismiss the notion, and the producer says he began probing the store after he learned the Collin County District Attorney dropped all charges connected with the Murphy Dateline stings.
“If you want to entertain, that’s OK, but you have to get the police work done,”Collin County District Attorney John Roach said. “The police department was not in control of the entire investigation. They weren’t calling the shots, somebody else was.” Roach said evidence was compromised and lacking. Perverted Justice told ABC that Roach was deceitful and incompetent.
The Murphy PD would not talk for ABC’s story.
Dateline NBC aired a story last Wednesday (two days before the ABC 20/20 story aired) with what it called an update to the Collin County story. The Dallas Morning News says the Dateline piece “slammed” Roach. ABC’s Ross himself slammed NBC:
“There is no sense that they’re trying to learn something or do anything differently,” Mr. Ross said. “They have absolutely stood up and said we are proud of what we’ve done and we would do it again. They’re taking a position in advance of our story. Some would call it spin.”
September 10th, 2007
While it took Apple two years to sell one million iPods, it took the company just three months to sell one million iPhones. Meanwhile, Engadget reports that the new Touch iPods won’t allow you to add a new calendar entry via the device (just on a computer.) “We guess they’re doing their damnedest to draw the line in the sand between iPod and iPhone,” explains Engadget. “Still, makes you wonder what other minor, useful features Apple pulled from the touch.” (Thanks for the tip, Jake!)
September 10th, 2007
ESPN is reporting that the NFL confiscated a camera from a Patriots employee during the Jets game this last weekend. From ESPN: “The Patriots’ cameraman was suspected of aiming his camera at the Jets’ defensive coaches who were sending signals to their unit on the field, the sources said. The league also is investigating some radio frequency issues that occurred during the game.” Scandal! (Sorry Safran, but I felt compelled.)
Meanwhile, did anyone catch the yawn last night on Monday Night Football? With 6 minutes or so left in the fourth quarter — and a tight game that happened to have a dramatic ending — one of the announcers yawned over the microphone just before the show dipped to black in a commercial break. (I’m bettin’ it’s Ditka.) My sentiments exactly. It’s amazing how MNF has become a boring production compared to the Sunday Night Football folks over on NBC. (Full disclosure: I work for an NBC station, but really.)
September 10th, 2007
Angie Kucharski has been named Vice President of Media Strategies for CBS Television Stations Group, according to a press release out today. Angie has been VP and Station Manager at WBZ-TV in Boston, and served as Chairwoman of the RTNDA until April of this year. We congratulate Angie on the new gig, which will see her moving to New York City. Full press release below.
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You’ll cringe while you watch it, but in reality, it’s taking some of today’s sensational TV crime coverage (like Nancy Grace) just one step further. Don’t say you weren’t warned. Here’s “Missing Girl Probably Raped” from The Onion.
September 10th, 2007
Cleared in 98 percent of the country, TMZ.com’s new syndicated show TMZ TV is premiering today. And executive producer Harvey Levin says they’ve held a clip of “a star doing a really crazy thing” off TMZ.com so they can premiere it on TV. Which begs the question, which takes precedence, the hugely-popular website that started it all or the massively-distributed TV show? Levin says TMZ.com will continue to break stories first but “when something is not time-sensitive — and this isn’t — we’ll be smart about it.” Also, by definition, TMZ.com will continue to post things that they, um, can’t air on TV.
If you’ve watched the show, please let us know what you think in comments…
Adds Michael Gay: “Just finished watching it. I have to admit I was impressed. The show was fast, interesting, and at times pretty funny. Watch out Entertainment Tonight, TMZ was much better. I’ve been a fan of the site tmz.com, so was nervous they would ruin the image of the site by producing a bad show. They didn’t.”
September 10th, 2007
Here’s Jeff Jarvis’ take on Google now hosting content from the AP: “Google is not invading media’s territory so much as it is filling the voids media leave behind.”
September 10th, 2007
CBS is taking its Audience Network to the next level by allowing local CBS TV and radio sites to contribute content to its broad array of distribution partners, such as MSN, AOL, Comcast, Joost and Sling Media. “Consumers and advertisers continue to benefit as we add reach to our open, nonexclusive syndication strategy,” said Joe Ferreira, senior vice president and general manager of CBS Audience Network. “At the same time, CBS local sites gain direct access to CBS video content and boost engagement, while the CBS Audience Network benefits overall.” AdWeek reports that the CBS Audience Network has generated “several million dollars” in revenue over a four-month period, according to Jo Ann Ross, president of sales for the CBS Television Network.
While CBS is the first network to broadly and non-exclusively distribute its local affiliates’ content, NBC and Fox are expected to do the same with their Hulu joint venture.
September 10th, 2007
AdWeek reports that ABC is talking to AOL, Comcast, MSN, MySpace and Yahoo about new distribution agreements — the last of the Big Four networks to abandon a “go it alone” strategy and seek to distribute its content broadly. From AdWeek: “Privately, network officials concede that their previous plans simply did not generate the online revenue they believe reflects the full value of their content, and the recent partnerships are intended to drive more viewers online, thereby generating more ad revenue.”
September 10th, 2007
That’s what an ABC News staffer asks about ABC News Now, the network’s broadband news channel, which has been showing up YouTube a lot lately. And not in a good way. The most recent clip involves anchors Ryan Owens and Taina Hernandez, who handle the overnight broadcast, laughing through the story on Owen Wilson’s suicide attempt. Turns out this isn’t the first time, as a YouTube user has assesmbled a bunch of clips of the duo laughing through stories on terrorism, fires and floods. “It’s all the more puzzling that ABC News would countenance such sophomoric antics on the same channel where the division is looking to extend its hard-news brand,” writes Marisa Guthrie in B&C.
September 10th, 2007
As they try to find their niche, the MyNetwork TV stations are experimenting with local programming. The numbers the shows are drawing are small in comparison with network ratings, but respectable when compared to cable ratings. As the networks continue to go around the affiliates, the affils need to start experimenting with original programming. Check out Michael Malone’s B&C cover story - Putting the ‘My’ in MyNetworkTV.
September 10th, 2007
We’re sorry to report that 30-year-old Adam Finley, who blogged for TVSquad.com and occasionally dropped us a note, died after he was struck and killed by a school bus in Minneapolis. As he wasn’t carrying any identfication, authorities worked with Apple to identify him via the serial number on his iPod.
September 10th, 2007
ScanScout is an online video company that specializes in contextual advertising. “Time Warner is arguably the single largest publisher in the world. As the owner of so many media assets and the driver of content to so many consumers, they are an ideally suited partner for us,” said Doug McFarland, ScanScout’s CEO. Press release follows…
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