Archive for February 13th, 2008
Not likely, says this LA Times story. January was a record month for online video, according to Comscore numbers. YouTube traffic grew 12 percent from November to December. Online game playing and social networking surged. Even DVD sales, which had been in a slow decline, increased for the month. “Since the 1980s, every time viewers leave the broadcast networks for a strike, summer reruns or any other cause, they never return in the same numbers, and over the years that gradual erosion has become enormously significant,” said Jeffrey Cole, director of USC’s Center for the Digital Future.
February 13th, 2008
Fresh off launching its new design, MSNBC.com announced today that it had a “stellar month” in January with a traffic record of 1.4 billion page views, a 22% increase over 2007’s average. During the same month, MSNBC.com attracted 94 million unique users, the site’s second highest month ever. And the site’s new video player served up 32.2 million streams for the week ending February 9, its third biggest video week in history.
February 13th, 2008
In its first online video study, Nielsen Online found that women trend to favor network TV shows online, while men are drawn to user-created content. Also, online TV viewers are loyal to a particular network’s website: for example, just 16% of the viewers who watched video content on ABC.com also watched shows on NBC.com. (WSJ sub. req.)
February 13th, 2008
As promised, CNN has just launched iReport.com in beta, a site dedicated to “unfiltered, uncensored user-powered news.” You can browse submitted content by a variety of filters: most viewed, highest rated, what’s aired on CNN and “newsiest” — a calculation that combines freshness, popularity, activity and ratings. You can also browse the iReporters, which includes a section of “superstars” who consistently submit high-rated and popular content. And if anyone needs any added motivation to submit content, a box in the upper left of the site updates the total number of submitted iReports along with how many have appeared on CNN this month (915). And coming soon: a map mashup of where iReports have been submitted.
So, is this stuff pre-screened? “Don’t kid yourselves,” reads the iReport blog. “This content is not pre-vetted or pre-read by CNN. This is your platform. In some journalisitic circles, this is considered disruptive, even controversial! But we know the news universe is changing.” This is likely the reason why you don’t see a big CNN logo across the top of the site — the brand and site separation allows more flexibility.
All in all, I like the site. CNN has built up quite the following (due to a substantial on-air investment) since it launched iReport a year and a half ago, and this is a natural extension. Keep in mind it’s not a YouTube competitor — this is a different play that’s wrapped around a big-time news brand. By creating a separate site with unedited content, they’re able to scale up submissions to a grander scale while creating an environment to see unedited “news” around the world. And the uncensored element helps draw in an audience. But of course, that’s just my opinion. What do you think…?
February 13th, 2008
Last year, CBSSports.com’s March Madness on Demand streamed the NCAA tournament up until the Final Four, but this year everything goes online, even the championship game. And not only that, but CBSSports.com will not “black out” local games (if a team from your local market is playing on television), so all 63 games will be available to view live, for free. Very cool. Also, the new MMOD video player will showcase a wider screen, 640×360. Press release…
Read the full post February 13th, 2008
Over the last year, MTV Networks has created 32 websites, most of which are connected to on-air programming such as Indecision 2008 and Jackass World. The idea is to create a type of assembly line for Web sites, according to MTV’s Jeff Yapp. Explains News.com, “Those sites that find an audience will continue to be nurtured and those that don’t will be stripped down and ‘reskinned,’ or refitted for the next experiment. The company also doesn’t plan to spend wildly in promoting the sites. It has confidence in their content and the viral ability of the Web to spread the word.”
Adds Rick Ellis in comments: “I’ve long advocated that local news sites should consider this strategy. Not launching 30 vertical sites, but perhaps launching standalones for high school or semi-pro sports, local politics or anything else that someone at your station has the passion and/or expertise to pull off. It makes sense for both strategic reasons and for SEO reasons. And it certainly makes sense from an advertising standpoint.”
February 13th, 2008
- WSJ reports Google losing interest in Yahoo ad deal (free link)
- Kidnapped CBS journalists in Iraq expect to be released soon
- CSTV rebranding as CBS College Sports Network
- NBCU’s iVillage lays off 13 people out of 300
- NBC O&Os to air half-hour special on DTV conversion
February 13th, 2008
It’s over. They’re back. But will the reality shows go away? Please?
February 13th, 2008
