Cynopsis: DIGITAL

06/26/09

Good morning, it’s Friday, June 26, 2009, and this is your first early morning digital briefing. 

Tensions are mounting between China and the U.S. over filtering of content on the internet. China reiterated accusations that Google is spreading vulgar content across the web yesterday after Obama administration officials lodged an official complaint over the Chinese government’s plan to require filtering software on all computers beginning July 1. “China is putting companies in an untenable position by requiring them, with virtually no public notice, to pre-install software that appears to have broad-based censorship implications and network security issues,” wrote U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke in a letter signed with U.S. Trade representative Ron Kirk on Wednesday.
 

 
Turner Sports expanded and renewed its agreement with the PGA through 2019 to include licensing and a number of new media and consumer marketing initiatives. Turner will continue to manage PGA.com and continue to cover the Thursday and Friday rounds of the PGA Championship. TNT will also add coverage of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf event.
 
France’s TV5MONDE launched a kids targeted French-language online service, TIVI5MONDE PLUS in non-French-speaking Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Arab world. Designed to promote French language to kids abroad, the online TV service features programming from the French broadcaster and its broadcast partners including FranceTelevisions (France), Radio-Canada (Canada), RTBF (Belgium), Tele-Quebec (Quebec) and TSR (Switzerland).
 
Spike TV will air the 10-part web series Angel of Death starring Zoe Bell as a 90-minute movie on Saturday July 25. The series, a White Rock Lake Production distributed by Sony Pictures Television, originally appeared on Sony’s Crackle entertainment portal.
 
PC Magazine launched a digital edition optimized for Amazon’s Kindle, joining magazines such as Time, Newsweek, The Atlantic and the New Yorker. Each issue will cost $1.49/month. PCMag Digital Network blogs Gearlog, Appscout and GoodCleanTech are also available for the Kindle at 99 cents/month.
 
Scripps’ DIY Network is revamping its website from today placing a renewed emphasis on home improvement or remodeling resources. Enhanced search and navigation allows users to search for projects by time needed, topic, activity or show the segment was originally featured on. Glidden Paints has agreed to sponsor the redesign.
 

                                                                                
Listeners who like to mix it up, literally, should check out Raindrops by Basement Jaxx, billed as the first interactive single from digital distributor MXP4. Users can take out and add different instruments and elements from the song, sing along with the lyrics or remix different versions. The first MXP4 player will be a web-based widget but the company is also developing a mobile player for the iPhone for later this year.
 
Indie film site MoFilm announced the winner of its UGC ad contest at the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival, judged by Spike Lee and a group of media and marketing executives. 23-year old Hiroki Ono from Japan won $12,000 for his Feel the Globe video, which will be embedded on more than 10 million Nokia handsets as part of the competition.
 
Travel fare-tracking start-up Yapta raised an additional $2 million in second round financing led by Voyager Capital, with participation from Bay Partners, First Round Capital, Swiftsure Capital, W Media Ventures and private investors.
 

 
TV content sites such as Hulu and TV.com may have turned a corner in their ability to command high CPM’s for online shows. In fact, marketers are willing to pay higher rates for top shows on these portals than they do on linear TV because clutter is so much lower and recall has tracked so much higher, reports Bloomberg. Prime time CPMs (cost per thousand impressions) on network television cost typically between $20-$40. Yet, Hulu has been able to charge as much as $60 per thousand viewers for The Simpsons, according to a Stanford C. Berstein & Co. report.
 
Microsoft and VivaKi, the digital arm of Publicis, unveiled a broad ranging partnership involving both digital marketing and TV advertising:

• Publicis’ PBJS studio and the Vivaki Nerve Center will collaborate to create programming opportunities
• VivaKi’s Starcom MediaVest Group, Zenith Optimedia and Digitas will use Microsoft’s Admira technology to develop an automated exchange to help clients buy ads when Admira launches later this year
• Microsoft and Publicis Groupe will work together to enhance engagement, performance and return on investment in digital marketing and advertising

 
Google unveiled a beta version of its AdSense advertising partner program for mobile applications on Apple’s iPhone and Android phones. AdSense for Mobile Apps allows developers to integrate AdSense network ads into their mobile applications, enabling advertisers to bid for placement in their apps.
 

 
Internet advertising groups are redoubling efforts to develop standards and privacy guidelines to avoid the enactment of restrictive legislation pertaining to behavioral targeting and contextual advertising practices, per the WSJ. The groups involved in joint efforts include the American Association of Advertising Agencies, the Association of National Advertisers, the Direct Marketing Association and the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
 
CinemaNow announced it is partnering with Fujisoft to deliver full-length movies from Paramount Pictures to the Nintendo Wii in Japan. The Wii is the only major 3^rd generation console without a TV/movie content store in the U.S.
 

 
If you find yourself too busy to update your Twitter or Facebook accounts, you’re not alone. A new report from UberCEO.com found that most of the CEOs of the top 100 Fortune companies spend little time on social networking sites. Only 2 of the top 100 CEOs have Twitter accounts and only 13 have LinkedIn profiles. More than 80% of them don’t have Facebook pages.
 

 
Folks who are heading to theme parks with their kids this summer may want to spend $1 on the Wait Watchers iPhone app. It tracks and displays wait time for rides at many of the nation’s popular parks including Disneyland, Disneyworld and Universal Studios (Florida & Hollywood.) It relies on geo-validated postings from users inside each park.
 
3D avatar creation software developer Big Stage Entertainment has released a new plug in allowing Skype users to lip synch spoken words through a photo-realistic avatar.
 
Meanwhile King Features Syndicate launched a new tool it calls “Captionary,” a user-generated fill-in-the-caption app to add your own funny comments to its online comic strips.
 
Following DirecTV’s lead, AT&T launched a free Mobile Remote Access app on the Apple App Store enabling remote DVR programming for its U-verse IPTV service.
 
The AP and AccuWeather.com announced the joint launch of a weather information application for mobile devices. The AP Mobile app is available for the iPhone/iPod Touch and Nokia N97 via Nokia’s Ovi Store.
 

 
President Barack Obama announced plans to nominate former head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Meredith Attwell Baker for a Republican position on the FCC.
 
David J. Moore, Chairman & Founder of 24/7 Real Media, and Neil Ashe, President of CBS Interactive, were named Chairman and Vice Chairman of the IAB, respectively. David, who has served on the IAB’s Board of Directors and its Executive Committee since 2001, was elected Vice Chairman in June 2008, and became Acting Chair after Wenda Harris Millard resigned in April 2009. The IAB also announced the election of Edward F. (Ted) West, President & CEO of LookSmart, Ltd., to its Board of Directors.
 
IMAX Corporation named Gary Moss to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer, effective July 20th, 2009. He will be based in Toronto.
 

 
Watching Facebook try to keep up with Twitter is like watching a matinee of Annie Get Your Gun. (“Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better …”) Facebook launched the beta of a new version of its Publisher interface to provide users with greater control over who gets to see status updates, photos and videos they post on their profiles. At first glance, this may simply seem like a way to prevent your parents or boss from seeing those pictures of you partying hard the night before. (And it is that as well.) But what Facebook is really trying to do here is to get its 200 million users to utilize the site as a place to update their lives in real time and such controls allow you to micromanage the flow of information about you. Facebook also launched a new Live Stream Box widget allowing users to post updates around live video – a feature tried first with CNN during the Presidential Inauguration and since then for the NBA All Star Game and the Oscars. Media companies who want to ease the process of getting users to invite their friends to share their content on the web and tap into the enthusiasm they seem to have for watching and commenting on live events with a group can now put the power of Facebook Connect to work.
 
Later — Wayne
 Wayne Karrfalt for Cynopsis: Digital
06.26.09

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Cynopsis Ad Sales:
Chuck Bolkcom, Pres/COO – 646-468-6180 / [email protected]
Classifieds – Trish Pihonak- 203-926-9878 / [email protected]

To subscribe to any Cynopsis edition(s) click here . 
To unsubscribe , click here or click the button at the end of this email.

Cyn opsis CLASSIFIEDS – For More classifieds, visit the Cynopsis.com classifieds page here    .

JOB OPENING: SR RESEARCH ANALYST/VH1/Logo/CMT/NYC: 2+ yrs exp in media/market research; Exp crafting quantitative surveys; Qualitative research techniques; Analysis and presentation; B.A. EOE/M/F/D/AAP apply mtvncareers.com (7/3)

JOB OPENING: DIR SALES PLAN’G/METRO NETWORKS/NY: Exp’d media exec to lead a sales planning & yield mngmnt group. 5+ yrs Inv. Mngmnt & Yield Mngmnt/Pricing Strat exp; 5+ yrs Radio or TV exp. westwoodone .com Cvr/Res: [email protected] (7/2)

JOB OPENING: SR. DIRECTOR, LICENSING/MKTG/PLANNING/MTVN/NYC: 7-10yrs exp dev. programs/strategies to achieve licensing objectives for Adult Brands. EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvncareers.com (7/2)

JOB OPENING: PRODUCTION COORDINATOR/Classic Media/NYC: Film/TV prod/development exp rec’d; Review pitches, Spot trends, Client relations, Categorize submissions, Deal memos, Dept admin; Strong writing; Apply: [email protected]  (7/2)

JOB OPENING: ACCOUNT MANAGER/Current TV, LA, CA: Work with sales operations to manage campaigns, insertion orders, ad trafficking, optimization, & build presentations. www.current.com . 2-4 yrs. exp. [email protected] EOE (7/1)

JOB OPENING: FREELANCE MKTG/COMM POSITION/NY JETS/Florham Park NJ: Day to day brand dev & design, assist w/website – ad serving, promotions, newsletters. Mkting degree + 1/2 yrs. exp. Apply [email protected] (7/1)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR AD SALES PROMO & MKTG/Gospel Music Channel/NYC: Develop strategies, promotions, proposals, and materials that support Ad Sales & execute on same. 10 yrs indus related exp. Res: [email protected] (7/1)

JOB OPENING: MGR AD SLS PROMO & MKTG/Gospel Music Channel/NYC: Support Dir in the development/execution of promotions, proposals and materials that support Ad Sales. 5 yrs indus related exp. Res: [email protected] (7/1)

JOB OPENING: VIDEO PROD SUPR/Rainbow Media/NY: TEMP supr prod of all assets w/prog for interactive platforms. Knwldg On Demand & encoding tech, Final Cut Pro,XML, FTP or related exp needed. res: www.cablevision.jobs ref#8791BR (6/27)

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] .

SUMMER/FALL INTERNSHIPS CREDITS ONLY: Two Interns needed for WeHo Prod Co., developing a TV show with a major network prod co. that will require lots scouting locations and interviewing potential cast. Send resume to [email protected] (7/2)

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: 20+ yrs. experience in TV Broadcasting & Cable ACCOUNTING/FINANCE. Seeking FT, PT or Temporary position: immediate start. Please contact [email protected] (7/3)

SITUATION WANTED: VISUAL RESEARCHER w/ strong bkgrd in copyright for doc can help you find & clear the footage & stills your project requires. Vancouver (CAN) based freelancer w/ media contacts worldwide. Contact: [email protected] (7/2)

SITUATION WANTED: PREDITOR (NYC): bi-lingual Spanish. FCP, Avid, After Effects. Edits short format, docs and indie features. Produced BTS & dvd featurettes for Rescue Me & Damages. [email protected]. Reel: www.lasonestudios.com (7/2)

SITUATION WANTED: 3+ yrs as a dynamic, exp & results oriented SALES PROFESSIONAL w/ an extensive track record of creating new buz opportunities in North/Central America, Europe/Caribbean. MA graduate, email [email protected] (7/1)

SITUATION WANTED: 5 PRIME TIME EMMYS/ DOC. PROD, DIR., WRITER in L.A. Credits: National Geo, PBS, Discovery, History CH, TLC and MSNBC. Contact email: [email protected] (7/1)

SITUATION WANTED: PRODUCTION ASSISTANT college grad seeking full time or PT job, will travel anywhere. OK w/ run and gun. Worked w/ MTV as field PA/Second Camera, FCP savvy, references avail [email protected] (6/30)

SITUATION WANTED: AWARD WINNING MKTG/MEDIA/AD PRO with 11+ yrs exp. Mngd biz of major TV & cable nets. Passion = creative, breakthrough media executions that deliver significant ROI. Seeking FT position at respected co. [email protected] (6/30)

SITUATION WANTED: LA BASED Motion Picture and Television Exec is searching for a unique, boutique or established MP/TV Company to enhance career. Must have the philosophy of quality and not quantity. CONTACT: [email protected] (6/27)

SITUATION WANTED: CONTRACT MANAGER/ADMINISTRATOR: 10 yrs exp.in Contract/Sales Admin, avails, reporting, etc., looking to work out of home office, or locally in Rochester, NY. Contact e-mail: [email protected] (6/27)

SITUATION WANTED: EXPERIENCED GRAPHIC DESIGNER (LA) Reality-TV, Film, Commercial, Documentaries & Corporate. Creative & Flexible. Seeking Freelance or Staff Position, Remote or In-House. Reel & Contact Info: www.ChaztizedMedia.com (6/27)

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

Are you looking for a job? Post your Situation Wanted Ad here — Email [email protected] for specs.

Cynopsis Media LLC
One Corporate Drive, Suite 724
Shelton, CT 06484
203.926.9878

All outgoing e-mails are scanned and sent out virus free. Copyright Cynopsis 2009