Cynopsis: DIGITAL

12/18/09

Good morning, it’s Friday, December 18, 2009, and this is your first early morning digital briefing.

The backlash against the changes Facebook recently made to its privacy policies continue as several consumer groups filed a formal complaint with the FTC on Thursday, arguing that the changes violate federal privacy protections. The effort to get the FTC to open up a formal investigation, led by the Electronic Privacy Information Center, is out to convince authorities that the site’s new privacy settings disclose personal information to the public that was previously restricted and share information to third parties that was previously not available. The issue is over chiefly over control over how your background info and postings are shared; despite statements by Facebook to the contrary, the new settings actually offer less control and fewer options, say detractors.
 

                                                     
Sony has struck deals with the Wall St. Journal, MarketWatch and the NY Post to feature their digital editions on Sony’s line of electronic readers. In an effort to differentiate the e-reader from what is becoming a crowded marketplace, the deal includes an arrangement to feature the NY Post’s digital edition on the new Sony Daily Edition as an exclusive to the platform. WSJ subscribers can also pay $5 more, above the monthly $15 fee, to receive a late afternoon edition dubbed WSJ Plus.
 
Look for Avatar to be the first big thrill ride of the season (and perhaps of the year), judging from advanced ticket sales and the huge buzz surrounding the opening of James Cameron’s technological breakthrough movie. Avatar is expected to be the biggest 3D movie to date, with 2,032 of the 3,457 theaters opening the film in the U.S.  equipped with 3D projections systems, per Variety.
 
CNN is pointing to Nielsen’s November video metrics as proof that its video-centric redesign has been a success. The site racked up 89.1 million streams during the month, an increase of 6% from a year ago. CNN also remained No. 1 among Nielsen’s news sites in Time Spent Watching Video, totaling 215.5 million minutes for the month.
 
Musicians looking for new revenue streams may have found a new product in seasonal ringtones. Mariah Carey’s $2.99 “All I Want for Christmas” ringtone from Legacy Recordings has become the first seasonal ringtone to cross the RIAA Double Platinum mark with sales of more than two million units.
 

 
Simon Fuller’s 19 Entertainment, (American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance) announced a new interactive talent show planned for next year that combines mobile, internet video and social networking. The “post reality” 30 minute show called If I Can Dream documents the travails of 5 young actors as they pursue their Hollywood dreams, allowing audiences to interact with the hopefuls real time via text messaging, blogs, Twitter, My Space and Hulu comments. Hulu will have exclusive rights to the show outside of its own site and presumably throw considerable promotional weight behind it.
 
Can success help beget success? Next New Networks, the web video production outfit that initially developed (or acquired) its own shows in house, has introduced a new support apparatus to foster production talent across the web. The Next New Creators program is reaching out to video producers offering help with distribution, promotion and monetization services in exchange for a share of future revenues. Indie producers can benefit from NNN’s relationships with major partners, the use of its production facilities and the support of the company’s sales staff. Initial partners in the program include Grace Randolph’s “Beyond the Trailer,” Gregory Brothers’ “Auto-Tune the News,” Daniel Delaney’s “Vendr.TV,” Max and Rebecca Lando’s “Working Class Foodies” and LushLife NY’s “12 Second Cocktails.” NNN says musical satire series Auto-Tune the News has racked up over 35 million views after being presented to the audiences of Barely Political.
 
The Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment, co-organizers of the annual New Year’s Eve gala in Times Square, is joining with Livestream to produce a live webcast of this year’s Ball Raising ceremony at TimesSquareNYC.org, complete with live chat and social media tools. The site will feature an embeddable widget, enabling online publishers to feature the webcast on their sites for free. Viewers will also be able to access the webcast on their iPhones at iphone.livestream.com/2010 .
 

 
Online video ad firm ScanScout announced that its new “Super Pre-Roll” video ad unit, which adds interactive elements into the ads, has outperformed standard industry pre-rolls by 350% in terms of click-through engagement across its in stream ad network since being introduced in Oct. 2009.
 

 
The Blu-ray Disc Association released the final specifications of the Blu-ray 3D specification, paving the way for 3D players to hit the drawing board in the coming year. The Blu-ray 3D specification is also designed to allow PS3 game consoles to play back Blu-ray 3D content in 3D.
 
News Corp.’s photo site Photobucket.com is merging operations with mobile imaging service specialist Ontela, Inc. The newly renamed Photobucket Corp. gains access to Ontela’s popular mobile photo software, currently in use on more than 30 wireless carriers and more than 100 handsets, including Verizon and T-Mobile in the U.S. Tom Munro, Ontela’s CFO, will become President of the combined company.
 
Break Media announced an agreement with Web-based TV technology platform Clearleap to bring its guy-targeted online videos to the TV screen. Break.com will distribute a portion of its library to Clearleap’s Content Marketplace, making them available to cable and IPTV providers for use in VOD programming.
 

 
The Android is showing signs of making a mark in the fast growing smartphone space in the U.S., doubling its market share to 3.5% in the month of Oct., following the launch of the Verizon Droid, according to a new ComScore report. And like Apple iPhone users, customers who use Android-supported devices tend to over-index in terms of media consumption. iPhone users were most likely to consume mobile media, with 94% of users doing so in September 2009, while 92% of Android device users – predominantly T-Mobile G1 users – engaged in mobile media activities. That’s 12 points higher than an average smartphone user.
 
Mobile Media Consumption by Operating System (%of Operating System Users)
Three Month Average Ending September 2009 – United States
                       Operating System Penetration by Media Category
                       Mobile    Email      News/      Any App   Social      Instant
                       Media            Info Browser          Networking   Messenger
Apple                 94%      87%        80%         83%       58%         43%
Android              92%      63%        80%         82%       52%         46%
Smartphone        80%      70%        65%         59%       43%         37%
Non-Smartphone 26%      12%        14%         13%        8%         10%
Source: comScore MobiLens
 

 
Stingray Digital’s Karaoke Channel online karaoke platform has launched an iPhone app for the intro price of .99, shipping with 50 songs. The songs are played with original concept video backgrounds with an optional lead vocal guide track that can be turned on or off, if you need a little help. Full song lyrics are included on each song’s info page. Subscribe to Stingray’s full library with access to over 6,000 songs for an additional $2.99/month.
 
Popular online, iPhone and BlackBerry note-taking app Evernote has been released for Android, enabling users to jot down and catalog notes, attach files, take photos and record audio.
 

 
Former ContextWeb ad executive Robert Daniel has joined OwnerIQ as EVP/Advertising Sales, based in the company’s New York office.

 
History.com is celebrating the holidays with a template of sites documenting the history of end-of-year holidays including Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. The site is loaded with videos and little-known factoids you can spring on family members during your end of year festivities. Before it was an orgy of commercialism, the end-of-year Yule celebration in Norse culture celebrated life during Winter Solstice by cutting down pine trees and dragging them indoors. Hanukkah commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrians in 165 B.C.E. and the subsequent rededication of the holy Temple in Jerusalem. Amazing feats attempted by ambitious Jews during Hanukkah include building a 12-foot high pyramid of sufganiyot (fried jelly doughnuts) near the town of Afula in 1997. The African American Kwanzaa harvest celebration was created by CSU Long Beach professor Dr. Maulana Karenga after the Watts riots in 1966 to try and bring the community back together. Kwanzaa incorporates Seven Principles and Seven Symbols representing values and concepts reflective of African culture. Whichever holiday you celebrate, have a good one and we’ll see you all back here next year!

And a quick housekeeping note — after this Friday, Cynopsis will be off for the holiday, returning January 4, 2010.  With that said, we will continue to post information on the home page of our website www.cynopsis.com, where we have just begun posting links to the releases we did not include within the emailed edition.  That will continue thru our break.
 

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Much Later — we’ll be back on Monday, January 4, 2010 —
Happy Holidays!
Wayne
 Wayne Karrfalt for Cynopsis: Digital
12.18.09

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JOB OPENING: SR. PRINT DESIGNER/Hallmark Channel/LA: Conceptualize, design & execute print platforms, min 5 yrs exp. see full posting & apply www.hallmarkchannel.com (1/8)

JOB OPENING:  SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYST/ElectricArtists/NY: Pt time. Evaluate, measure & communicate results of our social media mktg. Familiar w/social media measurement software Radian6, BuzzMetrics etc. [email protected]    (1/7)

JOB OPENING:  CONTENT SALES MGR (3)/Thought Equity Motion/NY, LA, CHI:  World leader in video licensing. Expert ideation, consultative & relationship sales exp. More info visit: thoughtequity.com; Resumes to: [email protected] (1/7)
 
JOB OPENING:  WRITER/PRODUCER, CREATIVE SERVICES/DIY/Knoxville, TN: Develop, write & produce on air promotions & special projects. 4 yrs+ TV Station/Cable Network experience req’d.  Apply online: www.scrippsnetworks.com    job #1252  (1/7)

JOB OPENING: VP – CONTENT DIST/NYC: 7+ yrs affiliate sales & mktg exp. Manage accounts, dev strat, optimize revenue. Strong deal-negotiating/analytical/written & oral comm. skills. EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvnetworkscareers.com (1/6)

JOB OPENING: SALES EXEC/NYC: Sales Pro needed for 30 year old Entertainment Company. Cross-platform print and radio. Commission based. Unlimited opportunity to sell major known brand. Must have agency contacts. [email protected] (1/6)

JOB OPENING: VP CONSUMER MARKETING/ Nickelodeon/NYC: 10+yrs Consumer Mrktg exp from mrktg/agency or Ent/Media, Innovator, Ability to lead X-company efforts, Knwlg NICK brand, MBA A+ EOE/M/F/D/AAP Apply  www.mtvnetworkscareers.com (1/6) 

JOB OPENING:  ACCT EXEC/Plum TV/Boston: Strategic rep to generate rev for lifestyle mulitplat-media org focused on upscale market. 8+ yrs selling media, exp w/upscale market. Full posting plumtv.com (1/6)

JOB OPENING: NAT’L ACCT EXEC/Spotlight Houston: Aggressively prospect/sell to agencies & clients who focus efforts on selling products and srvcs through the purchase of advrtsng time. Cable, brdcst exp.  careers.teamcomcast.com (1/6)

JOB OPENING: SR WRITER/PROD/EDITOR/WSFL-TV/FT Laud FL: Seasoned creative team player to create on-air mktg campaigns for ent, sports & untradit’l morn newscast. Res/reel: [email protected] More info www.sunsentinel.com/employment (12/19)

JOB OPENING:  COMEDY WRITER/NAT’L DAILY TV/LA: 4-6 yrs+ of TV writing exp. Applicants should be pop culture junkies who can apprec comedic sensibilities of current pop. talk show hosts. Cover let/resume: [email protected] (12/18)

JOB OPENING:  TEMP SCHEDULING & TRAFFIC MGR/NFL Network/Culver City:  Implement & schedule daily on-air promo, track & analyze reports, Require 2 yrs broadcast exp, MSA/Gabriel & EMS/GRiP iT! a plus. Send resume to [email protected] (12/18)

JOB OPENING:  GSM/WDIV-TV/DETROIT: Hnds on GSM to ld & motivate sls tm & maximize rev by creating solutions for clients. Exp GSM & lrg mkt, exp digital media, knowledge of rtgs data, pricing & neg. skills. Resumes: [email protected] (12/18)

JOB OPENING: RSRCH MGR/DIG AD SLS/NYC/BBC: give insight on traffic patterns, track perf, monitor mrkt & industry trends, comm w/ vendors. High level strat & independent prjct mngmnt. 4+ yrs exp. www.bbcamerica.com/employment.jsp (12/18)

JOB OPENING: NTWRK OPS COORD/MD/BBC: Transmit logs, bcast materials & elements. Execute delivery of channel. 1-2 yrs exp, to apply www.bbcamerica.com/employment.jsp (12/18)

JOB OPENING:  TV SLS LAT AMERICA/NYC/BBC: sell BBC programs to Mexico, Central America & Carribean. Fully bilingual, Spanish & English required, 3+ yrs in LatAm TV Sls enviro. To apply www.bbbcamerica.com/employment.jsp (12/18)

INTERNSHIPS – These positions are for credit only – nobody gets paid here. These ads are always posted for free , and students work for school credit only. For more information on the specs for posting an Internship ad, email Trish at [email protected] .

SPRING INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: DRIVEN INTERNS, Production office/PBS documentary film company:  Strong interest in bus. administrative aspects of prod. Tech-savvy, editing and good comm skills. Min 2-3 days per wk.  Resume:  [email protected] (1/6)

SITUATION WANTED ADS, POSTED BY THOSE LOOKING TO BE HIRED …  There is no charge for placing your Situation Wanted ad … for more information contact Trish Pihonak at [email protected]

SITUATION WANTED:  PUBLICIST/EXEC ASST/ (ATL): Creative Chameleon, 10 yrs exp.  PR, Journalism, PR, Music Ent. /Celebrity Exec Asst.  Exc. Comm & Rsrch Skills. Seeks FT/PT or Temp-to-Perm. Contact: [email protected]   (1/8)

SITUATION WANTED: COORDINATOR/RESEARCH/AP/EDUCATION MEDIA/NYC: 3+ yrs. exp . PBS, CNBC, Oprah, documentaries, kids media, production, research. Highly organized & detail-oriented. Seeking FT/PT/freelance. [email protected] (1/8)

SITUATION WANTED:  FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION/CONGRATULATORY ADS: Award-Winning Creative Team with 12+ Years experience at HBO, A&E and MTV. Experts in this area. Ads as low as $1500. NY & LA. Contact: [email protected]  (1/8)

SITUATION WANTED:   ADVERTISING, BRANDING & ILLUSTRATION (NYC): 20 years experience working concept through completion. Portfolio: www.baerdavis.com  Email: [email protected] (1/7)

SITUATION WANTED: MEDIA SALES/MARKETING MANAGER/LA: 15+ years experience in educational, documentary, advertising media sales. True Closer!!!!!  [email protected] (1/6)

SITUATION WANTED: SEGMENT PRODUCER/LA: Established contacts in Disc/Hist genre, Experience w/ international shows & trade-outs, Interned at Discovery, Excellent writing & research skills. [email protected] (1/6)

SITUATION WANTED: MUSIC LICENSING (LA): 10+ Experience in Music Licensing. Clearance, Song Selection, Contracts. Resume on IMDb. Email Sean Fernald at: [email protected] (12/19)

SITUATION WANTED: PRODUCER/WRITER/DIRECTOR (NY): Ultra-creative, award winning, all formats, all genres, all major networks and major cable.  Fast, frugal and fun! [email protected] (12/19)

SITUATION WANTED:  BROADCAST BUSINESS MANAGER 10+ years experience working with Ad Agencies, Cable Networks, Production Companies and Vendors. NYC and will relocate. [email protected]  (12/19)

SITUATION WANTED: 20+ yrs. experience in TV Broadcasting & Cable ACCOUNTING/FINANCE. Seeking FT/PT or Temp-to-Perm position:   [email protected]  (12/18)

E-mail [email protected] or call Trish Pihonak at 203.926.9878 for rates and specs for Job Openings.

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