Archive for January 18th, 2008
Lin TV has launched politics sites in each of its 17 markets, such as MichiganPolitics.tv, but that’s just the beginning. The media group has bought up similar .tv domain names in each of the 50 states and the top DMAs, such as NYPolitics.tv and NewYorkPolitics.tv. The idea is to partner with other media companies to roll out the same site templates in their markets. Each of the sites features content from the partner TV station, AP stories, candidate bios as well as aggregated political news and blog posts (that include even “competitive” information sources.)
Not bad at all, and a smart way to expand reach beyond just 17 markets — assuming, of course, they’re able to ink deals with media partners. Press release below… (Thanks Steve for the tip!)
Read the full post January 18th, 2008
As an anonymous reader tipped in the post above, the New York Observer is rolling out a network of political sites similar to Lin TV, one for each state. For example, PolitickerNJ.com for New Jersey. So far, besides New Jersey, they’ve launched sites for Nevada, Maine, Oregon, Maryland, Arizona, Vermont and Colorado. Four more are coming in February including Washington, Kentucky and New Hampshire.
January 18th, 2008
Video game industry sales hit $17.9 billion last year with sales up “an astounding” 43 percent, reports research group NPD. Nintendo DS and the Wii are the top sellers. “By the end of 2007 we were sold out of virtually all hardware, and much of our stock of software and accessories was sold out as well,” said Cammie Dunaway, the EVP at Nintendo of America.
I’ve said this before, if you’re a media exec and you don’t own one of the top video game consoles, go buy one. It’s just as important as owning a TiVo in the early days to understand how the TV business is changing. I believe that video gaming is just scratching the surface — beyond the fact that game consoles are becoming the de facto media centers for young people — because gaming will soon transform into virtual reality communities. For example, would you rather watch a History Channel special on the Aztec Ruins or explore them yourself, in high-def, replicated in minute detail from the real thing? With Aztec history buffs? With your friends? As televisions have been windows to the world, video games will become interactive portals to social virtual experiences, both “real” and imagined.
January 18th, 2008
Who said there’s money in this web thing? The Yankee Group is projecting online advertising in the U.S. will more than double last year’s spending to hit $50 billion three years from now. Why so much growth? Because the internet currently accounts for 20 percent of all media consumption in the U.S. but just 7.5 percent of advertisers’ budgets. So by 2011, the Yankee Group predicts that 25 percent of media consumption will be on the internet with 15 percent of advertising spending. Reads the report, “Steady growth in online advertising will require publishers to invest extensively in new media and advertising product development.” With that kind of money out there, I don’t think you’ll have that much argument on that point.
January 18th, 2008
