Report: Yahoo buying Maven Networks

TechCrunch is reporting that Yahoo is poised to announce its acquisition of Maven Networks, which powers video for Fox News, CBS Sports, CNet, and Scripps Networks. The reported price tag is in the $150 million range.

1 comment January 31st, 2008

Heavy layoffs at Young Broadcasting

Broadcasting & Cable reports Young Broadcasting is cutting $20 million across its station group. The numbers are daunting: 10 people cut from WTEN and as many as 15 from WKRN. “The higher-priced talent was the first to go,” reports B&C. In fact, if you visit WTEN.com’s station bios page, you’ll see the message, “Please come back in a few days to check out our brand new ‘Meet the NEWS10 Team’ page!” Recently, Young said it was exploring the possibility of selling its San Francisco station. “Young keeps saying it’s not about KRON, but it’s all about KRON,” said one station consultant who asked not to be named. “They went over a bridge too far in going after KRON.”

2 comments January 31st, 2008

NY Times on local TV websites

NY Times’ Brian Stelter reports from NATPE that “the hottest topic was online syndication.” For example, some stations are now streaming the Warner Bros. sitcom “Two and a Half Men.” But the interesting part here is some of Stelter’s pointed statements about local TV sites:

“Local stations know how to use their Web sites to deliver sports scores and updates on school closings, but they have shown little ability to lure viewers with original content or to convert page views into dollars.”

“A majority of local television stations now sell video advertising on their Web sites, but in most cases they are just playing catch-up.”

“The success or failure of stations’ online ventures will ultimately rest on their promotional abilities. Viewers of local TV are often reminded to go online for weather and traffic updates, but often they go to the site of their local newspaper instead. And when they want to see television shows online, they gravitate toward the networks’ Web sites.”

Ok, Lost Remote readers, what do you think? Painful, but true?

23 comments January 31st, 2008

TiVo wins big case, CBS signs on for data

Good news for TiVo. First off, TiVo’s stock shot up as much as 29 percent after winning a federal appeals court ruling in its ongoing patent dispute with Dish Network. As Variety reports, this could bring more licensing deals to the table. Also, CBS has signed with TiVo for its “Stop Watch” service, which provides second-by-second aggregate viewing data from a panel of 20,000 subs.

1 comment January 31st, 2008