Lost Remote

Briefs: Lots of interesting stuff this time

Cory Bergman — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:31:31 +0000

- Three top online execs ousted from SignonSanDiego.com
- Analyst predicts upfront sales will drop somewhere between 2-14%
- Going to Olympics? Watch the hand, foot and mouth virus
- Beet.TV taps into TurnHere’s national videographer network
- First NBC, now ABC teams with J-schools for multimedia
- High-quality (but not quite HD) YouTube clips coming to your TV
- Online video economics nearly as good as TV, says Move Networks
- Is your site down for everyone or just you? Sweet.

Covering the news with Twitter

Cory Bergman — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:25:40 +0000

WCNC just used Twitter to cover the North Carolina primary. “It was incredibly successful,” says WCNC’s Kayla Castille, who said reporters and anchors “really got into it.” Of course, Twitter has been gaining popularity in media circles, from the New York Times to CNN to the Seattle PI. But there’s a difference between using Twitter as another distribution path for news updates and actually leveraging it as a distributed coverage tool. WCNC created different Twitter accounts for the station’s reporters and anchors covering the story, then it aggregated all their Twitter messages on a single page on WCNC.com. The end result was real-time, unmoderated updates delivered from multiple mobile devices covering the same story. Plus, it doesn’t force you to sign up to Twitter to follow the coverage. Pretty smart. (Full disclosure: just like my employer KING, WCNC is a Belo station.)

SNL launches politics microsite

Cory Bergman — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:06:34 +0000

Elections SNL ‘08 is the NBC equivalent of Comedy Central’s Indecision 2008. “Hooray, SNL finally understands the internet!” says the Huffington Post.

Citizen journalism at Disney World

Cory Bergman — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:52:28 +0000

On Twisney.com, people walking around Disney World upload short messages and photos from their cell phones of their experiences, which are mashed on an interactive map. “If you want to understand how citizen journalists armed with cellphones are going to change the world–and create challenges and opportunities for businesses–spend a few minutes at Twisney.com,” writes WSJ.com’s Tom Weber.

Announcing my own industry move

Cory Bergman — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:43:34 +0000

After seven terrific years at KING-TV and KING5.com in Seattle, I’m excited to announce I’ve accepted a job as director of business development at MSNBC.com. I’ve always admired the innovation mindset at MSNBC.com, and the opportunity was simply too good to pass up.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at KING. I’ve told my family and friends over the years that it’s the best TV station in America, on TV and the web. I can’t thank everyone enough.

In recent months, I’ve come to believe that the media industry needs business innovation as much or more than it needs content innovation. As a geek journalist with an MBA, that’s why I’ve decided to make the shift to the business side of the online media world.

Yes, Lost Remote will continue. What, you think I can kick this blogging habit after 9 years?

Grand Theft Auto IV earns $500M in first week

Michael Gay — Wed, 07 May 2008 23:55:17 +0000

Grand Theft Auto IV sold 3.6 million copies on the first day, and earned $500 million in the first week. To give you some context, the largest opening weekend for a movie worldwide was Spider-Man 3 at $381.6 million. I’ll post this so Cory doesn’t have to say, I told you so, “As I’ve written off and on over the years, video games are becoming interactive movies, and they’ll ultimately replace most of the traditional Hollywood movie industry.” Grand Theft Auto appears to be the first to realize that possibility.

Will Facebook be Microsoft’s silver medal?

Don Day — Wed, 07 May 2008 21:38:38 +0000

With Microsoft out of the hunt for the Yahoo! prize — will Facebook be its consolation prize? The Wall Street Journal reports today that Microsoft put out feelers to the hot social networking site to see if acquisition talks made sense. Neither MSFT or FB officials are talking. The software giant already has a $240 million take in Facebook - which tags the overall value at about $15 billion. (Here’s a Reuters write-up of the WSJ piece.)

I can just see it now: Soft Face. No?

The new new media

Don Day — Wed, 07 May 2008 21:32:35 +0000

If you’re still calling the Internet business “new media” — stop. The “new” new media is placed-based — gas stations, malls, stores - etc. The local Albertsons now has “CheckOutTV,” the mall has a big TV ad kiosk - and even many gas stations are now using services like PumpTopTV. There’s big opportunity for advertisers here, because you can provide your existing (or repackaged) content - and perhaps even sell the surrounding ads. Part of the WNBC restructuring (below) is an increased focus on placed-based TV.

WNBC overhauling local news operation

Michael Gay — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:49:45 +0000

NBC Local Media is starting a 24-hour local news channel in New York, and rebranding WNBC as a “content center,” according to the NY Times.

NBC’s plan calls for rebuilding Channel 4’s newsroom and melding its content closely with the coming news channel, the existing local Web site, and out-of-home video displayed in locations like gas pumps and back seats of taxicabs. NBC will even take WNBC’s name off its local news Web site, simply calling it NBC New York.

The report says John Wallace, president of local media, says there will be no layoffs because of the new strategy, but that’s doesn’t mean there won’t be major changes for employees:

Among other things, Mr. Wallace planned to tell the employees that the moves NBC was initiating would not entail layoffs but would mean many producers and other staff members would have to undergo extensive retraining, and would likely be working different shifts.

“We look at our content and we believe it’s relevant content,” Mr. Wallace told the Times. “It’s just not convenient because of the way people’s lives have changed with technology.”

Wallace told TVWeek ‘that In order to remain successful, local stations must put the appropriate weight on the additional platforms beyond their core television station. Consumers are demanding relevant content, round-the-clock, on the platform of their choice.’

Webby winners announced: Colbert is Webby Person of the Year

David Johnson — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:27:19 +0000

Stephen Colbert picked up a special award for innovative use of the Web to engage fans. The New York Times, The Onion, National Geographic and PostSecret were also big winners (full list here). HBO Voyeur and the Discovery Channel’s UK videogame site got the nods in the Television category. As usual, congratulations to all.

NBC shows now available on Zune

Cory Bergman — Tue, 06 May 2008 05:11:42 +0000

Last year, NBC didn’t renew its contract with iTunes over a disagreement on flexible pricing, so the network pulled its shows off the download service. Now “The Office” and “Heroes” are appearing on Zune Marketplace for $1.99 each — the same price they sold on iTunes. But in this case, the Zune deal includes a provision for flexible pricing, although there are no “concrete plans” to do so.

KARE experiments after ‘OnLive’ cancelation

Cory Bergman — Tue, 06 May 2008 05:00:08 +0000

After the end of KARE-TV’s convergence show, OnLive, the ~~TV station~~ “information center” is experimenting with novel ways to add value online. For example, they recently webcast an expanded newscast that answered “viewser” questions about an investigative piece that had just aired.

‘Gossip Girl’ tops iTunes chart

Cory Bergman — Tue, 06 May 2008 04:22:47 +0000

You may not be able to watch free streams of “Gossip Girl” on The CW’s site anymore, but you can certainly buy ‘em on iTunes — where it currently ranks as the most downloaded show. For the record, the show’s TV ratings the first week after the online episodes were yanked are up a notch. But it’s still early, and as I wrote before, I think pulling the shows off the web after building up a loyal online audience will only reduce the show’s changes of long-term survival.

ABCNews.com has ‘unprecedented’ April

Cory Bergman — Mon, 05 May 2008 21:12:55 +0000

ABCNews.com says traffic is continuing to grow at a record pace. In April, the site saw 221.7 million page views, up 37% from the previous year — which makes four consecutive months of record page view growth. Press release…

PRESS RELEASE — ABCNEWS.com continued to achieve record high traffic in April 2008, with 221.7 million page views, up 37% from the previous year. April marked the site’s fourth consecutive month of record page view growth. In April, ABCNEWS.com reached nearly 22 million uniques, an increase of 43% compared with the same time last year, according to ABC’s measurements. Video views for the site increased by 50% compared to the same time last year, according to ABC.

Multiple sections on ABCNEWS.com attracted triple digit growth for the month. ABC News’ Investigative Unit’s “Blotter,” which celebrated its second anniversary, increased page views 453% from the previous year, according to ABC’s measurements. Other sections that saw considerable page view growth compared with the previous year included the Money (418% increase), Health (358% increase), Politics (211% increase) and Technology (168% increase) sections.

In April, ABC News’ mobile site, m.abcnews.com, increased page views 81% versus the same time last year, according to ABC’s measurements.

MSNBC.com debuts news ‘laboratory’

Cory Bergman — Mon, 05 May 2008 21:06:28 +0000

Called Newsware, it’s MSNBC.com’s “laboratory for news-infused games, tools and other experimentation.” For example, this is Spectra, a “customizable kaleidoscope of news” which allows you to navigate on a 3D plane…

More tools explained in the press release below…

Redmond, Wash. – May 5, 2008 – Delivering on its promise to provide consumers with “A Fuller Spectrum of News,” msnbc.com today launched NewsWare (

“Msnbc.com thrives on digital experimentation,” said Catherine Captain, vice president of marketing at msnbc.com. “Now, NewsWare gives us a laboratory for games, tools and other innovations. It makes perfect sense for the msnbc.com audience. Our news explorers love to engage with news in multiple ways while absorbing msnbc.com’s range of rich, interactive experiences unlike any other news organization.”

With the launch of NewsWare, msnbc.com combines its existing tools such as podcasts, RSS feeds and mobile applications with the unveiling of its latest news-infused digital innovations including Spectra, NewsBlaster and NewsScroller, intended to excite the imagination of msnbc.com’s news exploring consumers. Building on the success of msnbc.com’s breakthrough interactive offerings, including the NewsSkimmer screensaver, NewsBreaker online game and NewsBreaker Live, the first-ever interactive cinema crowd game, NewsWare provides a one-stop-shop where consumers can access all of msnbc.com’s customizable news tools.

Spectra: Customizable Kaleidoscope of News

Spectra, a news visualization tool, gives consumers an alternate way to navigate msnbc.com in a three dimensional viewing state. Spectra offers comprehensive, up-to-the-minute news coverage, user customization, dynamic browsing and human body interaction. Developed with SS+K [New York] and Fluid Dynamic Media Design [Amsterdam], Spectra’s alluring design displays msnbc.com’s news headlines, fueled by RSS feeds, as colorful, graphic whirlwinds of movement and continually updated live headlines. Users can choose the news categories that interest them most, save stories to Spectra’s NewsCollector for later reading, filter their news by keywords and select various viewing states. In one viewing state, viewers with webcams trigger movement of the content and categories of headlines based on the motion of their body and the color of their clothes.

NewsBlaster: Smash Orbs to Capture Headlines with Online Game and Facebook Application

NewsBlaster, inspired by the rapid-fire nature of online news, is msnbc.com’s latest RSS-fed online game involving a race against time to smash orbs holding live msnbc.com news headlines. To play, consumers use precise aim to match colors and capture falling headlines to gain bonuses, extra lives and awareness of current events. The NewsBlaster game, created by SS+K with Fuel Industries [Canada], is also available as a Facebook application to share and compete with friends.

NewsScroller: Build-Your-Own News Ticker

NewsScroller is msnbc.com’s latest news widget. This animated, portable, build-your-own news ticker enables consumers to fully customize their news headlines and color scheme to fit their preferences. Consumers can simply “grab it” and embed NewsScroller anywhere on the web from their blogs to their personal homepages or their favorite social network profile. With NewsScroller, news enthusiasts decide what’s most important to them, choosing the stories that interest them most.

“We’ve coined a phrase, ‘news infusion,’ to capture the essence of what msnbc.com is accomplishing with NewsWare,” said Captain. “We constantly challenge ourselves to surface msnbc.com content in new ways that are surprising yet meaningful for our audience. NewsWare is our platform to achieve this, a place for msnbc.com to innovate; a place for our users to explore.”