Netflix is teaming with LG Electronics to market a device that would allow you to watch movies on your TV. Currently, Netflix subscribers who pay the standard rate of $17 a month can stream movies to their PCs, and sources tell the WSJ.com the same model will likely apply to the LG set-top device. The device is also rumored to play both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said he’s also exploring other hardware partnerships, which include video game consoles, to also offer the movie service. (WSJ sub. req.)
Wow. Landmark Communications is looking for a buyer for The Weather Channel and Weather.com, which some analysts say could fetch $5 billion. So who want a quickly-growing basic cable channel along with the top weather destination on the internet? NBCU, News Corp. and Comcast are all interested, reports NYTimes.com. Imagine, for example, the scenario of NBCU with its Weather Plus digital channels and WeatherPlus.com, etc, etc. Instant synergy. Stay tuned on this one…
It debuted on Leno tonight (though it’s been on YouTube for a week) — and I’m sure it will be all over the feeds tomorrow.
On a side-note, JibJab doesn’t seem to be allowing embedding of their videos from JibJab.com anymore, and the version they put up on YouTube also has embedding disabled (the version above is a rip). Why?
Howard Owens is offering a challenge to “non-wired” journos: get with the program. He offers a plan for this journalists that many newsroom manager could offer (especially if it has some sort of incentive attached). The ideas include starting a blog, buying a digital camera, posting to Flickr, Twitter and YouTube, getting on LinkedIn, MySpace and Facebook and use RSS and SMS. Newsroom managers would be smart to use Owens’ plan as a template for old-school journalists to invest in their own future - and the future of their newsroom.
The editor of the now-defunct Cincinnati Post issued an edict to his staff just five days before the newspaper shut down: don’t bring booze to your final shift. From Mike Phillipps’ memo: “…tempting as it may be …please do not bring any alcoholic beverages into the newsroom. Let’s go out like the professionals we have been these last, difficult weeks.”
Seems an odd thing to worry about when you’re closing up your business. Slate’s take is classic:
Philipps’ memo brings a couple of questions to mind: 1) Since when is it considered unprofessional for a journalist to take a drink? and 2) If Post staffers, who were all scheduled for dismissal, did bring flasks to work, what was Philipps going to do if he caught them? Fire them?
Bear Stearns analyst Spencer Wang crunches the numbers and determines that WSJ.com would need a 12x increase in traffic to offset the loss in subscription dollars if it moved to a free model.
Adds Rocker in comments: “Lame analysis. $6 (CPM) is absurdly low for this site. WSJ.com at X traffic is worth a multiple of what Yahoo Finance is worth at the same level of traffic. Plus going free opens up syndication/broader distribution options beyond direct site traffic that will expand the footprint and revenue potential, advertising and otherwise. All in all, this is eminently achievable for a company like News Corp.”
Seriously, it is for real. When shares of Google (I mean, Google for heaven’s sake!) plummet $11 dollars on a mere rumor that Mountain View is pushing farther into the print advertising business, there can be no other explanation.
Netflix is teaming with LG Electronics to market a device that would allow you to watch movies on your TV. Currently, Netflix subscribers who pay the standard rate of $17 a month can stream movies to their PCs, and sources tell the WSJ.com the same model will likely apply to the LG set-top device. The device is also rumored to play both Blu-ray and HD DVD discs. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said he’s also exploring other hardware partnerships, which include video game consoles, to also offer the movie service. (WSJ sub. req.)
