Good morning, it’s Friday, September 24, 2010, and this is your first early morning digital briefing.  If you would like to read this or any other Cynopsis edition online, click here. 

As expected, the FCC approved its plan to open up unused “white space” broadcast spectrum freed up by the analog TV switch off for use by wireless devices. Representing the first significant release of unlicensed spectrum in more than 20 years, the move is expected to spur development of a new wave of communications and media devices operating on a “super W-Fi” network. Despite concern over interference from broadcasters, the commission ruled that white space devices would not have to constantly listen out for TV signals; instead they must be GPS-enabled in order to make sure they can access free channels in their area. Google, Microsoft, Dell and other device makers have been campaigning heavily for the right to utilize the spectrum.
 

 
In a further sign that international markets are becoming an important part of the mix for web producers, Michael Eisner’s multiplatform studio Vuguru struck an exclusive output deal with ContentFilm’s Fireworks International division that secures at least 10 projects over the next two years. Fireworks gains first-look options for all of Vuguru’s new productions and has already decided to pick up young adult drama “Pretty Tough,” being packaged as a series of 5-7 webisodes and a 90-minute feature this year at MIPCOM.
 
“X-Men” and “Superman Returns” director Bryan Singer and “Terminator Salvation” helmer McG have signed on to produce two new short form multiplatform series for the Warner Premiere division. Singer will produce post apocalyptic sci-fi thriller “H+,” directed by Stewart Hendler (“Sorority Row”), while McG and Wonderland Sound & Vision will produce teen action series “Aim High,” directed by Thor Freudenthal (“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” / “Hotel for Dogs”.)
 
With a Mexican quarterback now leading one of the NFL’s most talented teams, now seems as good a time as any to build up the league’s Hispanic presence online. Univision Interactive Media is huddling up with NFL.com to launch a Spanish version of the popular site, residing at NFL.com/espanol. The site features news, video highlights, live Spanish radio broadcasts and social media extensions including “Tu Pasion,” a spot where fans can share the love about their favorite teams. A WAP site for Spanish speaking fans is also in the works.
 

 
Public Television has raised $5 million in grants from The Atlantic Philanthropies, General Mills Foundation and Medtronic Foundation for a new multiplatform content initiative aimed at Baby Boomers. “Next AvenueSM” will include both professionally-produced and user-generated content, focusing on leisure and learning, health, financial security, work and careers, care giving, relationships and giving back to the community. 
 
Former Creative Director of NBC Dallas O&O KXAS Larry Watzman has joined forces with Stephen Arnold Music to start a new creative division dubbed Revnew, geared toward helping broadcasters spiff up their multiplatform offerings.
 

 
Video ad network Brightroll is diving into the mobile video ad space, allowing advertisers and third party buyers to run campaigns both online and mobile through BrightRoll’s self-service BRX platform launched in August. The system can adapt traditional television or web video creative into pre-roll ad units for a broad range of mobile devices including iPhone, iPad and Android handsets.
 

 
Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg announced his company’s plans to introduce a tiered data pricing scheme similar to AT&T’s plan that would charge heavy data customers more for their usage. He also said he hopes that Apple would be interested in launching the iPhone on Verizon’s 4G LTE network. The “Long Term Evolution” network is scheduled to begin rolling out in a couple of dozen cities by the end of the year and is aiming for cross-country coverage by the end of 2012.
 
Blockbuster unveiled a Chapter 11 restructuring plan listing assets of $1.02 billion against debt of $1.46 billion. The company says its independently-owned franchise shops will continue to operate both here and abroad, including its Redbox-style Blockbuster Express kiosks. Home video distributors remain its largest creditors.
 

 
Users are less likely to be loyal to their smartphone if the company they worked for picked it for them, according to a new Crowd Science study of nearly 2,500 smartphone users, and the BlackBerry brand tends to suffer the most from this. Only 35% of survey respondents who received a mandatory smartphone from their company said they were “very satisfied” with their brand, compared with about 60% of users who exercised at least some choice. Consequently, only 45% of all BlackBerry users said they were “very satisfied” with their phones (compared with 71% of iPhone users and 70% of Android users.) Only 30% of all BlackBerry users would buy another BlackBerry for their next phone, while 70% of iPhone and Android users would stick with their current brands.
 
Traffic to sports sites as a category picked up during Aug. as fantasy football fans began their draft research, reaching 123.5 million visitors, a 5% gain versus July, according to ComScore. Yahoo! Sports ranked #1 in the category with 48.2 million visitors (up 23% from July), with FOXSports.com on MSN ranking second with 26.2 million visitors. The NFL Internet Group doubled its audience versus July, grabbing the #4 spot with 19.5 million visitors, also ranking as the top gaining property for the month.
 
comScore Top 10 Gaining Properties by % Change in U.V. (U.S.) – Aug. ’10 vs. July ’10
                                                          Total Unique Visitors (000)
                                                  Jul-10     Aug-10    % Change    Rank by
                                                                                            Unique Visitors
Total Internet : Total Audience  213,584     212,616          0             n/a
NFL Internet Group                       9,744      19,477      100              63
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.                7,473     10,254        37            150
LIMEWIRE.COM                             7,713       9,801        27            155
GROUPON.COM                             5,302       6,508        23            219
WIZARD101.COM                          4,987       5,974        20            242
CollegeHumor Media                    10,283     12,171        18            124
Staples.com Sites                          6,874      7,986         16           195
Mattel Sites                                   6,260      7,244         16           204
Gap, Inc.                                      6,319      7,283          15           202
Nextag.com Sites                          7,578      8,696          15           177
Source: comScore Media Metrix    
                                                

 
Not one to rest on its laurels, Roku unveiled a new line of streaming media set-tops, two of which are capable of full on 1080p HD streaming. Packaged in smaller boxes (like the upcoming Apple TV,) the Roku HD ($60), XD ($80) and XDS ($100) boxes offer features such as “instant replay,” (allowing to rewind up to 10 seconds without buffering) and extended range dual band wireless N Wi-Fi connectivity.
 
Amazon has updated its Kindle app for Android introducing new features including the ability to add notes and highlights to what you’re reading, search (via voice or typing) for text within books, or look up words and phrases in Wikipedia.
 
For the golfer who has everything: Sensosolutions has come up with a digital golf glove that with an LED monitor that reads the user’s grip pressure to ensure a consistent, smooth golf swing. They’re $89 for the first one, with replacement gloves selling for $25 each.
 

 
Former Hachette Filipacchi Media technologist Tom Donohue has been named SVP/Technology for Cablevision‘s Local Media group. He will oversee tech strategy and operations for Cablevision’s local news channels, MSG Varsity’s sites, Newsday and amNewYork, reporting to Tad Smith, President of the group.
 
Current TV has hired a pair of new sales executives in Kristen Dean Hilbert and Diana Stengel, both of whom will serve as VP/Distribution, a newly created position. Both report to Courtney Menzel, EVP/Affiliate Sales.
 
Blip.tv has tapped longtime Detroit online ad sales executive Deborah Worrell as Executive Director of Detroit Sales & Business Development, focusing on auto ad sales.
 

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

 
Reboot.FCC.gov is the beginning stages of a snazzier, more visual open source FCC website, replacing a site built more for broadcast engineers than online readers. Constructed using the free “Drupal” open source content management system, it is built on a platform that relies on a network of citizen developers to keep it up to date. (A crowdsourced approach has got to be better than a bureaucratic one, right?) There’s a lot of technical data here, but the general emphasis is on creating a portal where citizens can go to learn about and engage in debates on technological issues that are crucial going forward. Lobbyists have had access to the powers that govern our airwaves and broadband “pipes”; now it’s our turn. The current centerpiece of the site is, of course, Mr. Genachowski and company’s National Broadband Plan. The site’s section on the plan breaks down the treatise by issues; includes a place to share stories about your internet access (or lack thereof); and even includes a Java-based speed test with which to test your broadband connection. That way when you call your ISP to complain you can tell them the FCC verified your speed!
 
Later — Wayne
Wayne Karrfalt for Cynopsis: Digital
[email protected]
09.24.10

Cynopsis Ad Sales:
Mike Farina – VP/Business Development & Sales – 203-218-6480 / [email protected]
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Cyn opsis CLASSIFIEDS – For More classifieds, visit the Cynopsis.com classifieds page here .

ATTENTION JOB RECRUITERS FOR THE TELEVISION AND ADVERTISING INDUSTRY – send us your contact information so we can begin to build a database for referrals.  We get people all the time around the country asking us for names of local recruiters.  Help us out – send us your contact information, name, company, address, phone, email and fax.  NY and LA are great, but we also need names of firms in Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, DC, and elsewhere.  We have people to send you!   Email your info to [email protected].

JOB OPENING:  DIR, AD SALES RESEARCH/AETN/NY: Responsible for driving Ad Sales Res initiatives for Lifetime & Lifetime Movie Net.5yrs tv ad sales research exp w/ strong quantitative skills. Apply to: www.aetn.careers.html (10/1)

JOB OPENING:  MEDIA SPRVSRS & PLANNERS/ASSOC MEDIA DIRECTOR/LBi US/NYC:  LBi is growing and is hiring at all levels! Digitally savvy AMD, Media Planners and Supervisors. Please get in touch here: http://www.lbi.com/us/join-lbi/ (10/1)

JOB OPENING:  SPEC PROJECTS MGR/Cynopsis Media/CT/NYC: Manage event coord/mktg prjcts. Strng org & comm skills. Evnt plan’g exp req. Bkgd in TV a +. Adept in MSOffice; basic design skills. Email resume/sal req:  Trish @cynopsis.com (10/1)

JOB OPENING:  SALES MGR, EDUCATIONAL DIGITAL AND MEDIA/PBS DISTRIBUTION/Arlington VA: 5 yrs sales & account mgmt; mktg B2B products to K-12, college or library mkts; new business development; resumes to [email protected] (10/1)

JOB OPENING:  MGR AD-OPPS/WWE/Stamford, CT:  WWE Mng/trblshoot campaigns to ensure full delivery. Tech skills:(HTML,Flash,Web Dev/Design,JavaScrpt,video plyrs) imprtnt! 5+yrs exp.Competitive comp&great benefits. Apply: wwe-careers.com/ (10/1)

JOB OPENING:  MGR,COMM/MTV/LA:  4+yrs PR exp within a TV Network, covering reality based programming a plus! EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvnetworkscareers.com (10/1)

JOB OPENING: SR BRDCAST DESIGNER/NY:  Resp for on air design projects w/in the Mktg dept of USA Conceptualize, design, dvlp, execute & animate projs such as ID’s, show opens, animated banners & trailers www.nbcunicareers.com Req#1232656 (9/30)

JOB OPENING: CNBC- MGR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS/NJ: Cultivate/shape alliances incl. concept, deal structure &financials. Maintain/mng relationships w/key partners & expand into new areas of opp. www.nbcunicareers.com Req# 1256058 (9/30)

JOB OPENING:  AD SALES EXEC/NYC-Midtown & Encino, LA office:  2yrs + television sales experience. 5 yrs+ advertising industry exp. DRTV Sales pref’d, Per Inquiry a plus. Send resume/salary requirements to [email protected] (9/30)

JOB OPENING:  PRODUCTION ATTY/NYC:  Temp Position Oct 2010  Feb 2011 ATTY post for LIVE syndicated show For preprod review, live on set work, clearance &  fair use transactional must send resume to [email protected] (9/30)

JOB OPENING:  WEB DEVELOPER/Hallmark Channel/Studio City: 3 years web develop. & database management. See full posting and apply @ www.hallmarkchannel.com (9/29)

JOB OPENING:  RESEARCH MGR/Comcast Networks/NYC: 5+ yrs exp in TV Rsrch, Support Ad Sales, create estimates. Nielsen, Star Media, MRI, Simmons; strong PC & interpersonal skills req. www.ecentralmetrics.com/url/?u=6149424085-264 (9/29)

JOB OPENING:  MKTG SOLUTIONS MANAGER/G4/LA:  Job respon. include ideation and execution of multi-platform integration/sponsorship programs. 3-4 yrs exp. in TV mktg/ad sales. Expert in PowerPoint. Apply  [email protected] (9/29)

JOB OPENING:  P.R. PROFESSIONAL/LA: Seeking a P.R. Professional to handle day-to-day publicity for two highly-rated nationally syndicated television newsmagazines. 10-15 years exp in TV Publicity. Resume: [email protected] (9/29)
 
JOB OPENING:  KVOA-TV/TUCSON: Looking for REGIONAL SALES MGR and strong ACCOUNT EXEC who want to join a dynamic team. 2-3 yrs sales/mngmnt exp’ is req’d & college deg’ pref’d. Email Resume: [email protected] and [email protected] (9/29)

JOB OPENING:  PRODUCER, DIGITAL MEDIA & MARKETING CREATIVE/Nickelodeon/NYC:  3+ yrs online producer or proj mngr exp./Strng org, detail-orientd, prblm slvr/Strng client mngmnt & comm skils.  EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvncareers.com (9/29)

JOB OPENING:  MANAGER, CAMPAIGN CONCEPTS/ Non-Nickelodeon-Branded Adv/NYC:  5+yrs adv or int mktg exp./Problem Solver/Strng listener & writer/Kwldge of pop culture, tv, & digi trends. EOE/M/F/D/AAP Apply www.mtvnetworkscareers.com (9/29)

JOB OPENING: RESEARCH DIR/CAFEMOM/NY: Res. studies for ad prgrms, update synd. res. reports, ad hoc reports for mgmt insight. 5 yrs exp; exp w/comScore or Nielsen NetRating data; Excel, PPoint. More at www.cafemom.com/about/jobs.php (9/28)

JOB OPENING: RESEARCH ANALYST/CAFEMOM/NY: Monitor & coordinate prop. res. studies; raw data into insights; 3 yrs exp; exp w/survey writing & analysis; Excel, PPoint, SPSS. More at www.cafemom.com/about/jobs.php (9/28)

JOB OPENING: TV SYND ACCT COORD/NYC: LOA’s/ Contracts/Signature Follow Up/Fully Executed. Prepare sales presentations TV & Cbl ntwrks. Strong PC/MS, verbal & written comm. skills. For more info & send resume: [email protected] (9/28)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR PRODUCTION COMPANY/NY & PA: 2+ yrs EXP in Promos and Commercials/ Pro. Co. looking for freelance Director with A+ reel & references, resumes to [email protected] (9/25)

JOB OPENING:  SR RSRCH MGR/Canoe Ventures/NYC: 7+ yrs. Primary/Consumer rsrch (a must). TV and/or Agency exp req’d .To apply and more job details go to: http://bit.ly/9QXL9X . Canoe voted #1 of the Top 10 places to work in Cable (9/25)

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].

FALL INTERNS CREDIT ONLY:  PRODUCTION&POST/NY: Small co w/feature doc commission seeks interns to work closely w/ prod. and dir. on final touches of prod, and all of post. You will be an integral part of the process.Send resume: [email protected] (9/29)

FALL INTERNS CREDIT ONLY:  Corporate Product Rights Intern/CBS/LA:Should have knowledge of PHP Coding and MYSQL Database Development.For credit and must be a student.Apply: www.cbscareers.com and reference #6795BR (9/29)

FALL INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: MKTG INTERN/Fans Without Footprints/NYC: Interns will work on growth strategies for 3 early-stage green marketing platforms focusing on sports, film/production and fashion industries. Resume: [email protected] (9/28)

FALL INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: INTERNS Talent Agency Theatrical & Commercial Div /LA: 2+ days/wk. Ideal for Comm/Mktg/Film & TV majors. Exc orgnztl, mktg, comm/writing skills & PC knwlg pref’d.Send resume in body of email: [email protected] (9/25)

FALL INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: INTERNS /SnagFilms (PT & FT) : Help us as our bus. rapidly expands. If you love documentaries, this is a place for you to be. Visit website www.snagfilms.com for more info. Cvr letter/resume: [email protected] (9/25)

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: ONLINE ACCOUNT EXEC/NY: 5yrs digital Media exp/goal oriented, customer service driven/top agency list/exp. with display, video, sponsorships, newsletter, integrated custom content. Contact: [email protected] (10/1)

SITUATION WANTED: Dedicated & Experienced ADV. SALES PLANNER (NY) Sales proposals, resolving client discrepancies, quarterly post analysis, special sales service projects, expert computer skills. Contact- [email protected] (9/30)

SITUATION WANTED:  EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT/COORDINATOR: 2 years experience, full time job in NYC in the television industry. Degree in International Business, very enthusiastic and hard working, email [email protected] (9/30)

SITUATION WANTED: PRODUCTION MGR 20+ yr NYC exp-live ent/news/sports/talk/mag/docs: studio/remote- hands-on- bld/guide team.Cap+op bdgt/rept/fcast. Fmr CAM/LD/TD/P-D. Contact: [email protected] 206-715-4273 (9/29)

SITUATION WANTED:  AUDIO ENGINEER FOR AUDIO POST-PRODUCTION POSITIONS in N.Y.C. 10+ years of audio production experience; expert Pro Tools operator; detail-oriented with strong mixing skills. Contact email: [email protected] (9/29)

SITUATION WANTED:  Award winning creative with major cable and network experience in on air promo, branding and marketing available to help boost ratings and revenue. Reel and resume at SethBerkman.net (9/29)

SITUATION WANTED: MEDIA SALES/MARKETING MANAGER/LA: 15+ years experience in educational, documentary, advertising, media sales,product,biz development True Closer!!!!! [email protected] (9/28)

SITUATION WANTED: EIC/LINE PRODUCER with 10+ yrs exp. Variety, Docu-Reality, Game Show, Scripted, Competition/Elimination- Mngd biz of Prod. Co’s. for major TV & cable nets. Looking for next project. [email protected] (9/28)

SITUATION WANTED: CASTING ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Indispensable researcher, interviewer. Fearless on phones. Comfortable on deadline. Wide array of contacts. NBC/ABC/NY1. News/ent/pop cult. Immed. avail. (NYC/LI) [email protected] (9/28)

SITUATION WANTED: DIGITAL MEDIA/TECHNOLOGY/CABLE ATTORNEY Broad in-house exp incontent distribution, digital media, technology licensing,affiliate & ad sales. Avail for project/consultant/FT. Contact [email protected] (9/25)

SITUATION WANTED: EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT position film/TV (NY) 10 years experience: Interned for a President, Executive Assistant to SVP/VP/film director/celebrity [email protected] (9/25)

E-mail [email protected] or call Trish Pihonak at 203.381.9096 for rates and specs for Job Openings.

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

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