Cynopsis: DIGITAL
3/23/07
Good Morning, it’s Friday, March 23, 2007 and this is your first early morning digital briefing.
After seven months of negotiations, the deal got done after all. News Corp. and NBC Universal announced a partnership for the digital age yesterday, planning a new jointly-run entertainment portal that will aggregate the biggest collection of TV content on the web and create “the largest advertising platform on earth.” The agreement will encompass the vast libraries of television and film content from each of the companies’ broadcast, cable and film brands. The deal also contains a distribution component that will make video content available across the leading portals of the net AOL, MSN, Yahoo and MySpace, who will share in the ad revenue and customize its delivery as they see fit.
The goal of the site, as yet unnamed, is to give consumers centralized access to and control of the content they want to see, according to News Corp. President/COO Peter Chernin. It will enable popular “web 2.0” features such as the ability to embed, mash and email clips across the web. It will also help alleviate the copyright protection dilemma, aggregating content to a safe harbor while providing incentive for all partners to share the burden of addressing piracy concerns, as each will have the financial incentive to do so. Content will be made available on the new site and on partner portals in the same window it now appears in on NBC.Com and MySpace, typically the day after it premiers on air.
Most television content will be streamed for free with ads, but iTunes sell-throughs will also be made available for purchase, as will feature films from Universal, 20th Century Fox and related studios. Finally content from other studios large and small will be accepted for the site, who will share in the revenue generated from it. Both Chernin and NBCU President/CEO Jeff Zucker promised their own company’s content would not receive favoritism that users would decide what got top billing and that both were in active discussions with YouTube and Google Video to bring them into the fold. NBCU Chief Digital Officer George Kliavkoff will take the reigns of the venture initially, with a permanent management and sales team to be announced soon.
NBC announced a series of digital announcements to go along with their big news.
- NBC.com‘s video player NBC Rewind will be upgraded to feature a larger viewer, easier navigation and additional interactive features, including access to chat options to invite friends for live online viewing parties and a companion widow that will include text-based facts about the show, live polling and trivia. The player will also break out select clips users can remove from NBC.com and embed on their own site.
- NBC.com will introduce new social networking and customization tools to allow users to register their preferences, which will be remembered each time they return. Users can upload and share their own video and photos, create personal profiles, build fan groups and access community pages from their cell phones.
- NBC is expanding its “Heroes 360” experience to give fans something to chew on during its hiatus. An online graphic novel that continues the storylines of the characters will play out this summer, as well as a video series that goes behind the scenes of the Heroes production. NBC’s current Heroes site has generated over 48 million page views, 7 million unique users and over 27 million video streams, according to the network. America’s Got Talent, Last Comic Standing and a new series starring Victoria Beckham (aka “Posh Spice) will also get companion content this summer.
Discovery Channel launched an interactive companion site to its Planet Earth HD series premiering Sunday, March 25. Planet-earth.com will feature navigable animal habitats, games, video highlights, photo essays and a Google Earth tour with stops at 22 Planet Earth filming locations around the world. The site is very well done and includes lots of nice Flash animation, but it takes time to load, so be patient. It really showcases the photography from the show nicely.
Sci Fi.com and SCI FI Magazine announced an online programming extension exclusive to Sci Fi Pulse, the Sci Fi Channel’s branded broadband player. The site will feature The Superhero After Show (working title) as a follow up the Stan Lee-produced reality show Who Wants To Be A Superhero, to be hosted by season one runner up Major Victory.
Brightcove reached an agreement with Showtime to distribute content from The Tudors prior to its April 1 premiere on Showtime. Brightcove.com will offer full-length episodes on a channel branded exclusively for the show and syndicate clips and behind the scenes content virally, allowing fans to embed the video on their personal sites. The first two episodes are already available for free on www.brightcove.com/tudors.html.
The creator of the anti-Hillary video on YouTube has been unmasked, and it turns out he did work for Obama campaign, or actually for an internet strategy firm on its payroll. Phil de Vellis admitted authorship on the blog Huffington Post but said he acted alone, claiming he wanted to express his feelings about the primary and wanted to show that “an individual can affect the process.” De Vellis has since resigned from Blue State Digital, according to The Washington Post.
MTV Network’s SpikeTV.com and Ifilm.com are planning to create a new online destination for men under the Spike brand. The new integration is part of an ongoing overhaul of the MTV’s brands to strengthen their appeal and reach on the web.
Verizon Wireless and Limbo 41414 are teaming up to produce an original game show exclusively for Verizon V CAST subscribers. The Limbo Show pairs pop culture and current events with a series of “Limbo Auctions” that give players a chance to win prizes. Players interact with the live show via text message. The program was created by former Endemol USA executives Elizabeth Sherman and Janelle Fiorito.
AOL’s media player technology provider Winamp released a mobile extension of its PC-to-PC remote streaming service, which enables users to access their entire media collection online. Pro versions of the software also enable mp3 ripping, CD burning and music and video streaming of user-generated and professional short form content on www.winamp.com . The remote feature allows users to access their collection of music and video from any internet browser.
NATAS announced the nominees for the 28th Annual Sports Emmy Awards. Three broadband awards will be given for content delivered over the internet, cell phone or personal media player at a ceremony on April 30 at Lincoln Center. The new awards have actually kicked off a tug of war between the LA Academy of Arts and Sciences and New York-based NATAS about who gets to oversee the broadband categories, according to The Wall Street Journal. Other Emmys are divided by dayparts, with the East Coast getting news, sports, daytime TV and local broadcasts and the West Coast getting primetime. This year’s nominees are:
Outstanding Broadband Coverage:
- Amen Corner Live-CBSSportsline.com
- Fantasy Football Live-Sports.yahoo.com
- March Madness on Demand-CBSSportsline.com
- Race 2 Replace-Race2Replace.com (Discovery Communications)
- TNT OverTime-Charles Barkley in New Orleans (TNT on NBA.com)
Outstanding BroadbandLong Form:
- The Real Frozen Tundra”-Barrow, Alaska (ESPN.com)
- Dew Action Sports Tour-dewactionsportstour.com
- Football In Chicago-Chicagotribune.com
- Vintage Baseball-MLB.com
Outstanding BroadbandGeneral Interest:
- “Off Mikes”-ESPN.com
- Being Stanley-beingstanley.com (Catman & Mary Productions)
- Love at First Beep-ESPN.com
- Physics of Baseball-dsc.discovery.com/mobile (Discovery Communications)
- TNT OverTime-The Sounds of NBA All-Star featuring Pharrell (TNT on NBA.com)
Starz Entertainment sued Buena Vista Television for copyright infringement and breach of contract after Disney began selling movies online licensed exclusively to Starz. Under the terms of agreements struck in 1993 and 1999, and extended by BVT in 2005, Disney is prohibited from selling films for distribution on the internet during the period of Starz’ window of exclusivity, according to Starz. The suit claims Starz paid over $1 billion for the rights. Disney, the first of the major studios to sell TV shows on iTunes, began selling movies on Wall-Mart‘s online store when it launched last month. Starz launched its own streaming and download service, Vongo, in January of 2006.
Amp’d Mobile and Motorola unveiled the MOTO Q device, designed as a mobile multimedia device for live TV, music, videos and photos. The co-branded phone will give subscribers access to 24 live TV channels including MTV, E!, Comedy Central, Adult Swim and Fox Sports as well as Amp’d originals such as Lil’ Bush and Lil’ Hollywood. Other features include a full keypad for easy text and instant messaging and Windows Mobile 5.0 software that syncs with Microsoft Office, Entourage and Calendar functions.
Here! launched as a subscription video on demand services on Rogers Cable in Canada, beginning initially in Ontario and set to roll out in other markets in the coming months. Rogers digital customers can receive the premium gay and lesbian-themed service for $7.95 a month.
Online video captures the attention of surfers much better than banner ads, according to a new DoubleClick report. A study of 300 online video campaigns by more than 130 advertisers found that users are twice as likely to play a video, or replay one that started automatically, than click on a standard banner ad. Viewers watched the clips for two thirds of their full duration on average. The video units studied were embedded in the web pages rather than placed within separate video players on the site.
Former Rocketboom host-turned ABC News and HBO videocaster Amanda Congdon is getting more work as a company spokesperson. After featuring Dove products her new video blog Starring Amanda Congdon, hosted by blip.tv, the cyberstar is performing in an infomercial for chemical company DuPont, praising products such as a substance that protects firefighters from extreme heat. She gets a laugh out of the controversy it has caused, given her newfound status as a journalist, on her blog ( http://amandacongdon.com/blog/?p=58 ).
CD Sales continue to drop like a rock, down 20 percent from a year earlier during the first three months of 2007. Although CDs still account for 85 percent of all music sales in the U.S., the sale of 100 million iPods by Apple, continued piracy and the proliferation of subscription-based music services continue to take their toll on the music industry, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
Thomas F. Frank was named President/CEO of Akimbo Systems. Thomas’ past experience includes stints at Real Networks, Dick Clark Productions and the Leo Burnett Co. Former president Joshua Goldman will remain involved in the IPTV company and maintain his seat on the board of directors.
Horizon Interactive, digital shop of Horizon Media, made several key additions to its New York headquarters. The eight hirings were made to help strengthen Horizon’s suite of digital media and relationship marketing services in the areas of strategic planning, negotiation, placement, reporting and analytics. Kristen Kelly was named Account Management Supervisor, Jim Pasqualone was hired as Senior Search Marketing Manger, Carol Song joined as Search Marketing Coordinator, Will Respecto took the role of Campaign Management Supervisor, John Poor and Jenna Beatty were appointed Media Planners, NaLene Jones joined as Email Deployment Manager and Blake Eisler became Account Manger.
RealMeals.tv (www.realmeals.tv ) is a new online cooking channel featuring short, high-quality videos of real chefs and real people sharing their recipes and cooking tips.Current NY-based chefs on the site include Shelly Everett (the Gourmet Angel), Craig Freeman (In Tent), Daniel Angerer (Klee), Odette Fada (San Domenico), Roberto Hernandez (Dos Caminos), Shane McBride (7 square) and Marc Taxiera (Beppe). Anyone can submit a short cooking video and experience their “three and a half minutes of food fame;”video submission guidelines can be found at: http://realmeals.tv/staron-realmeals.aspx . Thanks to Allison Fishman, host, realmeals.tv
A new website will be featured here everyday for you to check out. Some are TV-centric, some creative, some just plain strange. Email me your suggestions at [email protected] and if I include the site you mention, your name, company and city will be credited. Only one mention per calendar week, to make it fair.
Later — Wayne
Wayne Karrfalt for Cynopsis: Digital
03.23.07
Cynopsis Ad Sales: Mark Bohn- 203- 583-1224 / [email protected]
Classifieds – Trish Pihonak- 203-926-9878 / [email protected]
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Cynopsis CLASSIFIEDS – For More classifieds, visit the Cynopsis.com classifieds page here
JOB OPENING: NEW MEDIA SPECIALIST/A&E TV NETS/NY: Asst in day-to-day ops of VOD & other new media initiatives. 3yrs exp in proj mngnt within brcst or cable industry. Strong database mngnt. Apply: www.aetn.com Click careers tab (3/30)
JOB OPENING: THE TMZ TV SHOW NEEDS STAFF & CREW/LA: Final Cut Pro Environment. Producers, Editors, Tech Engineers, Production Staff, PrEditors, DV Camera Operators/Producers. Send resumes to [email protected] (3/30)
JOB OPENING: SR. ANALYST/ANALYST-PRGRM RSRCH MTV/MTV2: Collect/analyze data for execs; Analytical/written skills; Know Galaxy Explorer, NPower; Excel & PPt; 1+ years exp. TV research; BS or BA required. www.mtvncareers.com EOE (3/29)
JOB OPENING: GMs & SALES MGRS/Equity Broadcasting for newest Univision affiliates in Southeast, South, Midwest. Must have TV sales and/or sales mgmt. exp; bilingual a +. Email resume to Sam Smith [email protected] . EEO (3/29)
JOB OPENING: ASSOC MGR, PROMOTIONS/TURNER BROADCASTING/ATLANTA: Execution of multi-platform promotions for Cartoon Network/Adult Swim. Work with creative/production teams, 3rd party agencies. APPLY: www.turnerjobs.com (req 70179BR) (3/29)
JOB OPENING: PR MANAGER/Court TV/NY: oversee talk shows; handle select entertainment PR projects; and press for trials/anchors; strong media contacts; 5+ years; supervisory experience required. Res. [email protected] (3/29)
JOB OPENING: MANAGER, ACCOUNTING/DIRECTV/NYC: Seeking Acct. Mgr.to manage the daily A/R collection functions. For full job description& to forward res: www.directv.com/careers. Ref job # 700109 (3/29)
JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR, FINANCE/DIRECTV/NYC: Seeking Finance Director to handle all financial reporting and manager staff of 5. For full job description & to forward res: www.directv.com/careers . Ref job #600824. (3/29)
JOB OPENING: FACILITIES COORD/Oxygen Media/NY: Coord/Mng a Facilities Helpdesk & staff. Must be det. oriented & be able to multi-task in fast paced environ. Proficient: MS Word/Excel. Exc oral/written skills. Res: [email protected] (3/29)
JOB OPENING: DIR LEGAL & BUS/A&E TV, NY: Manage agreements for drama/real life/docu program; prodn & intellectual props. JD & 5+ yrs entertainment law in cable/bcast/film prodn. Resume w/salary: www.aetn.com/careers.html (3/29)
JOB OPENING: DIR BRAND MKTG/Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Min 8 yrs mktg exp in brand management, dev strong relationships w/org to gain consensus on strategy, interpret cust res/trends, please apply www.nbcunicareers.com, job #585549 (3/28)
JOB OPENING: FREELANCE PUBLICIST: NY, 2 to 5 years web, new media, music and/or tv experience. Excellent writing and pitching skills with strong broadcast, print and internet media contacts. Email resume to [email protected]. (3/28)
JOB OPENING: SR DIRECTOR/BRAVO DIGITAL, NBC Universal/NY: Oversee editorial/prod/design to develop/deliver editorial & promotional pkgs for BravoTV.com. Bachelor’s Degree w/5 yrs related exp. www.nbcjobs.com keyword job #585797 (3/28)
JOB OPENING: MKTG MGR/Court TV, NY: Initiate/track projects from Print to Video.Must: mktg or cable exp, emphasis on affil. or B2B mktg. Apply www. timewarner.com “TBS, Inc. and its subsidiaries are Equal Opportunity Employers.” (3/28)
JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR, AFFILIATE MKTG/iN DEMAND/NYC: Develop/ implement affiliate mktg strategies. BA & 5+ yrs cable affil mktg exp. Send resume: [email protected] (3/27)
JOB OPENING: CLIENT SERVICE EXECUTIVE/Nielsen, New York. Sell Nielsen products; provide service to National Cable networks. 3+ yrs research industry exp. Sales exp a must. National Cable exp a+. www.nielsen.com/careers (#737BR) (3/27)
JOB OPENING: AD SALES MKTG DIRECTOR, Fine Living: NYC: 5-8 yrs exp at a cable network or within media co./sales. Oversee promotion dev’t. Manage team, rel’ship w/sales/network/clients. [email protected] ref. 5973U (3/27)
JOB OPENING: COMMERCIAL OPS ASST OR COORD/Oxygen/NY – Copy and Log Editing responsibilities. Must be detailed oriented, traffic &Gabriel exp a +. Send resumes to: [email protected] reference job title in subj line. (3/27)
JOB OPENING: N’WORK CABLE ADMIN/Asst/BET Ad Sales NY: 2-3 yrs exp. Must be det. oriented & have ability to multi-task in fast paced environment. Proficient in MS Word/Excel/PP. Exc oral/written skills. [email protected] (3/27)
JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MARKETING/NY: BA, 8 yrs b-2-b digital marketing exp, Exp designing and maintaining Web sites 4 yrs in HTML, Java Script, Adobe, Photo Shop and Flash. Please apply www.nbcunicareers.com #584044 (3/27)
JOB OPENING: MGR, MKT/AUDIENCE RESEARCH/Thirteen/WNET/NY: Perform research pjcts, develop research-based mktg tools & sup a Coor. 5 yrs exp in media research req. See full posting & apply at www.thirteen.org/jobs (3/24)
JOB OPENING: SALES PLAN’R/CBS TV DIST/NY: Mng all asp of advertising sched, build media plans, resolve discrepancies, process sales posts, fill inventory avails & clear oversells. Res/sal req: [email protected] (3/24)
JOB OPENING: VP, DISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING/Litton Entertainment Syndication, network development, interactive strategy, corporate alliances; Apply at j sandstrom @litton.tv (3/24)
JOB OPENING: DIR, AD SALES RESEARCH/GSN/NY: Oversees & coordinates research support for sales team. BA with 5 yrs. applicable exp.. Visit www.GSN.com for complete desc. & to apply or submit your resume to [email protected] (3/24)
JOB OPENING: AD SALES MARKETING MGR/AETN NY: Dvlp mktg tools aimed at agency planning groups. Manage dvlp of events, promotions & programs to support nat’l ad sales. 2-3 yrs min agency plnng exp. Apply: www.aetn.com/careers.html (3/24)
JOB OPENING: CONTRACTS ADMINISTRATOR/RAINBOW/NYC Area: Draft agreements, coord. rights clearances re film & TV product, keep databases. Exp in clearances, paralegal or contract admin in legal dept. Resumes: [email protected] (3/24)
JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR MARKET RESEARCH VH1/CMT/Logo: BA/BS; 7 yrs exp qual/quant mkt resrch; strong analytical sk; Exp w/variety of media platforms incl digital. EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvncareers.com (3/24)
SPRING INTERNSHIPS – These positions are for credit only – nobody gets paid here. They are 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: NYC documentary company seeks PRODUCTION INTERN. Help to organize shoots, develop new projects. Also help run errands. Internship is unpaid, but credit available. Please send resume to [email protected] (3/30)
SPRING INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: Safety 4 Kids, Stamford, CT: MKTG INTERN: Assist w/Mktg. initiatives, research, and gen. office for children’s TV show. Knowledge of PowerPoint, Excel, Word required. Resume: [email protected] Subject: Intern (3/30)
SPRING INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: Broadband Network www.black20.com is seeking interns for the following departments: GENERAL/POST PRODUCTION, MARKETING AND PR. For more info, or if interested in applying, email us at [email protected] (3/30)
INTERNSHIP POSTING – CREDITS ONLY: LIME /PR INTERN: Support healthy living/”green” multi-platform brand’s PR dept in compiling press clips; research/write talent & exec bios; update media lists; and other related functions. Resume: [email protected] (3/28)
INTERNSHIP POSTING – CREDITS ONLY: Palace Digital Studios, Norwalk CT, seeking TV PRODUCTION INTERN. Screen/log tapes, org library, general office duties. Req heavy lifting (up to 50lbs) and using a ladder.email [email protected] Subject: Intern (3/27)
WINTER INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: Roger LA http://roger.tv , a motion graphics firm, is looking for an Intern three days a week. Knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects is required. Please inquire to Elaina Porter [email protected] . (3/24)
SITUATION WANTED ADS, POSTED BY THOSE LOOKING TO BE HIRED —
SITUATION WANTED: CELEBRITY BOOKER &REALITY/NON-FICTION CASTING DIRECTOR: Thousands of contacts to celebrities/experts/authors/real people/show hosts, etc. Extensive exp w/TV Talk Shows & Reality Shows. Contact: [email protected] (3/29)
SITUATION WANTED: REALITY PRODUCER / SHOW RUNNER (Competition, makeover, wish fulfillment-cable & network). Hard working, creative, strong writer and storyteller, excellent interviewer. [email protected] (3/28)
SITUATION WANTED: DIGITAL MEDIA SALES/BUS DEV EXEC-LA. Elevated digital divisions into top revenue generating entitles. F/T position w/ entertain firm positioned to leverage new media advertising platforms. [email protected] (3/28)
SITUATION WANTED: PRODUCER : Experienced in entertainment and sports news, reality, clip shows, field producing, interviewing celebrities and experts and post-production. Contact: tvprodinla @yahoo.com (3.27)
SITUATION WANTED: PROMO COPYWRITING: Uber-copywriters. Fortune 500 entertainment clients. Copy runs, tag lines that deliver a creative kick in the chest. We get things did! Contact [email protected] (3/24)
SITUATION WANTED: DIGITAL MKTG EXEC (NYC): 3 yrs Mktg exp., MBA (UK/Germany), currently doing MSc in Online Mktg at NYU and in tern at Nickelodeon. Highly efficient, passionate about multi-channel mktg. possibilities. [email protected] (3/24)
E-mail Trish Pihonak for rates and specs for Job Openings.
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