Entertainment Weekly’s ‘Best of the Web’
After a long holiday week, I sat down at my local Barnes and Noble with a cup of Chai and Entertainment Weekly’s Best & Worst 2007 issue. I nearly fell over when I saw Lost Remote listed in the magazine’s “Best of the Web” section for 2007. Cory’s passion and work for nearly a decade [...]
Viacom triggers spat with own talent over YouTube
Perez Hilton, the celeb-blogger has a show called What Perez Sez on Viacom-owned VH1. Why is that the lead line? Well, the (very) anti-YouTube conglomerate issued several DMCA takedown notices for three videos over the past year and half, according to TVWeek. After the third such notice, YouTube suspended Hilton’s account. Hilton had his lawyers [...]
Girl sings about Digg, gets dugg, talks to label
A girl who wrote and preformed a song about Digg has now been approached about a record contract, according to TechCrunch. Kina Grannis put her performance of “Gotta Digg” on YouTube – and not surprisingly – saw a huge number of diggs on Digg. She’s also trying to win a contest to get a music [...]
The LR YIR 2007
‘Tis that time of year, LostRemoters: The champagne is chilling, the orchestra is tuning up for Auld Lang Syne, and even though he’s not with us officially, Safran is trimming his BoSox memorial handlebar ‘stache and shining up his Patriots cufflinks for the big New Years Eve. Oh, and everyone in the business is kicking [...]
Video game industry capitalizing on writers’ strike
This is a great article. As the Hollywood writers strike drags toward 2008, the video game industry is hoping a lack of fresh episodes in prime-time could motivate more people to pick up video game controllers instead of remotes — especially with the millions of Wiis and copies of “Call of Duty 4″ under Christmas [...]
Warner will sell DRM-free mp3s on Amazon
Amazon.com added Warner Music Group to the growing number of labels that sell music free of copy protections in its digital music store. In the linked article, Forbes contends that Amazon is training its guns on Apple in a music download shoot-out. Only EMI sells rights-free music on iTunes.
Deloitte’s State of the Media Democracy
The Hollywood Reporter got an early shot at the new-media survey from Deloitte & Touche, “State of the Media Democracy.” About 38 percent of U.S. consumers are watching TV shows online, 36 percent use their cell phones as entertainment devices and 45 percent are creating online content like Web sites, music, videos and blogs for [...]
Wal-Mart bows out of movie downloads
Must be the last official news day of the year, because the story that leads my feeds is the yawner about Wal-Mart shutting down movie downloads less than a year after they tried to get into the business. Now, I don’t have a big pile of demographic data before me, but the gut check tells [...]
Kids like their MTV video… online
MTV Networks says it served up 1.2 billion video streams in ’07 from MTV.com, VH1.com and CMT.com. That’s a 30 percent increase over 2006. The top clip? Britney Spears’ embarrassing return performance. Duh.
‘TMZ’ on TV finds its footing
Three months on the air, TMZ is the top-rated new show in syndication. “The website was such a breakout that a lot of people were scoffing at the notion that we would, as they put it, ‘revert back to TV,’†said Harvey Levin, the managing editor of TMZ.com and the host of the series. “I [...]
Silly study about DVRs and commercials
This is a quote from a Hollywood Reporter story, “Ads A-OK on DVRs,” about a new study on the impact of DVRs on standard commercials: “Fewer than half of the people watching a DVR recording said they fast-forward through ads, meaning that DVR use does not significantly impact (commercial) ratings.” Ok, let’s do a little [...]
iTunes preparing to debut movie rentals
Apple has inked a deal with News Corp. to offer 30-day video rentals on iTunes for around $2.99, reports TechCrunch. The deal is expected to be announced on January 14th at MacWorld. Sony Pictures Entertainment, Paramount and Warner Bros. are also in talks. “Another interesting part is News Corp appearing to continue to hedge its [...]
Under pressure, NFL opens up Pats-Giants tilt
This Saturday’s Patriots-Giants game was going to have the least national distribution possible: airing only on the meek NFL Network. But under pressure for political types – the league has offered up the potentially historic game to both CBS and NBC. Now the Pats may finish the season undefeated with people watching on three TV [...]
Blog dedicated to funny CNN.com headlines
That’s right, WTFCNN describes itself as a “hilarious collection of CNN’s often ridiculous headlines.” A few of my favorites: Dismembered man’s kin explode over plea deal… Miners find kryptonite; science dudes rename it… Co-ed strips for her honors thesis, gets a B. (Via Fimoculous)
8 predictions for Google’s next moves
The first prediction in this article is Google will “move into radio and television at some point,” perhaps even buy a TV network. Hmmm, doubt it.
NBC gets feisty with strike-period promos
NBC has a new promo in rotation that fans the competitive flames and promotes its strike position. “January First, NBC gives you exactly what you want – NEW TV. NBC will have more new stuff than anybody else – with seven new premieres in the first ten days. Celebrity Apprentice, Biggest Loser Couples, American Gladiators [...]
It’s official, online video’s a big deal
Seems like everyone has a YouTube channel these days. Now Queen Elizabeth II – along with the rest of the British Monarchy – has a channel on the Google-owned online video site. The channel features about 20 videos right now – with a plethora of archive footage, a day-in-the-life of Prince Charles and more. Front [...]
Van smashes into studio during 10pm news
Talk about breaking news. A van crashed into the streetside studio of WLS/Chicago during the 10pm news last night. While you couldn’t see the impact on camera – you could certainly hear it. UPDATE: For reasons I don’t understand, ABC put in a DMCA takedown notice on the video previously embedded here. So I searched [...]
