Comcast, Time Warner mull WiMax network
The two cable giants may help fund a national wireless network that would be run by Sprint and Clearwire, reports the WSJ (free AP version here). Google could also provide some funding. Sprint and Clearwire have been working for months in an effort to build a national WiMax network, and they’re trying to raise $3 [...]
What’s your favorite DVR?
Because my Comcast Motorola DVR is crap. First, it cut off the end of the Super Bowl (how does that happen?) And now its latency issue is out of control. We were watching American Idol — watching it slightly delayed to skip the commercials — and it locked up and fast-forwarded all the way to [...]
Seattle radio station expands to NYC
Radio is having a tough time these days. More people are plugging their iPods into their cars (or playing mix CDs), and the radio audience is shrinking. But public radio station KEXP in Seattle is a great study on how to jump the curve. Beginning today, it’s simulcasting in New York, and KEXP’s morning show [...]
Why TV sites lag newspaper sites
“Better reporting and writing. Simple as that,” writes Harry Jessell in TVNewsday, who points out the obvious that nearly all local TV sites lack the depth and breadth of newspaper sites. But what about video? “That’s fine. But unless the news clips contain some really compelling video, I just as soon read about it on the newspaper website. A still photo of a fire or accident is sometimes just as good as video—sometimes better,” he writes.
He’s right. A vast majority of a local TV site’s visitors are still reading text and looking at slide shows, not watching video — 80% or more, in my own experience. Strategically, video is still critically important, but TV sites will never compete with newspapers (on average) unless the quality and quantity of text coverage and photos improve… (click below)
Another local news aggregation play
You have Topix. Outside.in. And now Examiner.com in 59 cities… But instead of just aggregation and AP, some Examiner.com sites have hired their own local reporters. “We are not another online newspaper,” explains an Examiner.com job posting. “(We’re) re-creating online news venues from the ground up — in terms of both technology and content delivery [...]
ESPN.com’s ad network revolt
Wow, this is big. One of the fears of online advertising is that it’s becoming commoditized. In other words, an impression is an impression, a click is a click, regardless of where the user sees the ad. But ESPN.com believes that its premium branded content offers an audience and advertising experience that’s worth more than [...]
MTV.com debuts new video player
MTV.com has launched a larger, higher-quality show player… More details on MTV.com’s Labs Blog here. (Thanks, Erica!)
Mobile web poised to explode
Google says it has a plan for Americans everywhere to be able to surf the web on handheld devices at WiFi 2.0 speeds by the 2009 holiday season. How? By tapping unused “white spaces” in TV signals, but the FCC still has to sign off on it. And that’s not a slam dunk, because some [...]
XM, Sirius merger approved by DOJ
The satellite radio merger is one step closer. Next up: the FCC.
HuffingtonPost beats DrudgeReport?
Arianna Huffington’s politics and news blog The Huffington Post has topped Matt Drudge’s DrudgeReport according to the February comScore and Nielsen NetRatings, points out AllThingsDigital. The Huffington Post is a relative newcomer to the online media landscape, launching in May 2005. The site is made up of various news sources and columnists. According to an [...]
Forbes launching online ad network
Forbes is rolling out a financial ad network for up to 400 blogs, the latest in a string of media companies to launch online ad networks. Also, Viacom plans to launch targeted networks this spring around music and men’s lifestyles.
Some not happy with Google’s inline search
A couple weeks ago, we blogged about Google’s new inline search feature. For example, search for SeattleTimes.com, and you’ll see this: Now search for “jobs” in the box (SeattleTimes.com is hosted on NWSource.com), and you’ll see the SeattleTimes.com’s job results surrounded by Google ads for competing Seattle jobs sites. In other words, a user’s intent [...]
Web video dominates live scandal coverage
Scripps’ WXYZ.com in Detroit is live streaming today’s coverage of their city’s mayoral text-message scandal. The web stream started at 8 a.m. and had more than 10,000 views as of 10:15 a.m., IM’d website manager Seth Myers.
Update: As of noon, WXYZ.com has served 85,000 live video streams!
“Highlights” at 11…
What do you do when you can’t show the restricted sports highlights? This, apparently…
Will fans go… nuts? CBS cans Jericho
TVWeek says CBS has dropped Jericho from its lineup — again. The network previously jettisoned the show, but brought it back after fans bombarded the Tiffany Networks’ mail system with peanuts — a plot device from the show. “Without question, there are passionate viewers watching this program,” CBS’ Nina Tasler said. “We simply wish there [...]
Are you paying WSJ to read that story?
While the Wall Street Journal charges for access to much of its content – it is pretty easy to get around the pay wall to read your story of choice. Salon outlines how simple it is to get to the WSJ’s content – including a simple Google News search, to a Firefox add-on that helps [...]
AP beefs up coverage… entertainment coverage
The Associated Press is adding a total of 21 new people to cover entertainment for the organization, according to Nikki Finke. From an AP internal Q&A memo: he entertainment vertical is not about gossip, unnamed sources and innuendo or about “peephole†journalism with AP photographers becoming paparazzi. It’s about recognizing an opportunity to use our [...]
Paper pranks in Chicago
The Chicago Sun-Times ran a contest called “Zell No!”, a video contest to protest the possible selling of naming right for Wrigley Field by new owner of Tribune Co., Sam Zell. The winner of the UGC video contest would slide into home with $1,000. Well, pranksters over at the Chicago Tribune entered the contest under [...]
