Cynopsis: DIGITAL
4/2/07
Good Morning, it’s Monday, April 2, 2007 and this is your first early morning digital briefing.
News has leaked out about a ground-breaking deal between Apple and music label EMI Group to release a significant portion of the EMI catalog to iTunes without digital rights management protections that prevent easy portability of tracks purchased on the site. Apple CEO Steve Jobs sent a letter to all four major record labels advocating the removal of DRM protections. The announcement will be made live on the web at www.emigroup.com at approximately 1 p.m. local time in London or 8 AM ET here.
Apple’s iTunes Store is selling highlights from Major League Baseball games. Daily episodes of MLB.com Daily Rewind, a 25-minute highlight reel from around the American and National Leagues, and two full-length weekly “Games of the Week” are available a la carte for $1.99 each. A monthly subscription to Daily Rewind goes for $7.99, while a season pass including every “Game of the Week” retails for $19.99.
CBS’ Innertube premiered an original scripted online companion series to Ghost Whisperer, streaming free of charge at www.cbs.com/ghost . The series, produced by Slam Internet, Inc., takes place in the spirit world of earthbound spirit Zach, who meets an array of ghosts who teach him how to interact with the living. Saturn is sponsoring the webisodes, which will be refreshed every Friday. The Zach character, played by Mark Hapka, will make a special appearance on the linear Ghost Whisperer show in the season two finale.
Showtime Networks is launching a new service for Windows Media Center to create a one-stop-shop for its online/TV content. Showtime Interactive will feature download-to-own programming of original series such as Weeds and Brotherhood for $1.99 per episode, as well as provide access to trailers, video highlights and other DVD-like extras. Showtime is one of four Windows Vista Premier launch partners in the TV and movies category, selected by Microsoft for its newest version of Media Center, integrated in all Vista Premier operating systems.
ESPN is negotiating with MCA chief Lew Wasserman to carry content from his planned SportNet channel on www.expn.com , ESPN’s extreme sports site. The channel will focus on coverage of amateur events and Gen X sports such as snowboarding and skateboarding. However Wasserman Media Group is competing against other powerful interests for the action-sports rights, according to Business Week, including Fox Cable Network’ Fuel channel and the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Speaking of digital sports, Career Sports & Entertainment stuck a deal with AT&T’s Cingular Wireless unit to provide coverage of the Masters Golf Tournament to its video-capable mobile subscribers. Cingular customers can view daily video previews and recaps, player interviews and archived footage of memorable Masters moments from the past. The content will be available under the Sports video category from tomorrow.
NBCU’s planned 1,000 hours of online video coverage of the Summer Olympics in Beijing next year will feature content largely not seen before on TV, according to comments from NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol on PaidContent.org. Pending the advertising deals now in the works, the site should be entirely free to consumers.
In response to WorldNow’s announcement last week, rival local TV station web partner Internet Broadcasting announced it also recorded its highest number yet of unique users (15.4 million) in February, a jump of 12 percent over the previous record of 13.8 million user set in January of 2007. In other words, web traffic to local sites is trending up in general, thanks to enhanced features, weather happenings and popular user-generated features. Internet Broadcasting represents a network of more than 70 TV station sites, including NBC O&O’s and Hearst-Argyle stations.
Oh, and by the way, do you know what today is? It’s Cynopsis’ 10th Anniversary! 10 years ago today the very first Cynopsis was distributed – then called News of the Day, and distributed by hand and by fax to all six subscribers. Two of those six are, remarkably, still subscribers – Jack Oken, currently the GM/Strategic Measurement Initiatives at Nielsen Media Research, and then the President of MMT Sales, and my boss; and Christina Cygan of Donavan Data Systems who 10 years ago worked in the MMT Sales Research Department. Talk about reader loyalty! It’s been quite an adventure these ten years, from a half dozen subscribers to more than 55,000 and a currently daily readership with passalong of more than 144,000 worldwide. Later on this morning check your inbox for another Cynopsis email which will give you a little more detail on our ten years and how we’re all going to celebrate this year!
Calling all college students! Cynopsis Weekender College Edition sponsored by Greek, A New ABC Family Original Series coming in July, is coming back on April 26, 2007, and if your essay on television is one of the four published, you’ll be paid $350! We’re looking for 350 word editorials on the subject of television from current college students all around the world. The four most insightful, original, humorous and/or well-written pieces will be included in this special College Edition of Weekender , and only those four will be paid $350. College Professors, moms and dads – encourage your students to participate! All entries should be emailed no later than midnight on Friday, April 20th to me at [email protected], SUBJECT: Weekender College Edition. Students – be sure to include your name, age, college, college year, and major (if you know it), and how you can be contacted. Good luck!
The new online video portal being formed by News Corp. and NBCU will face strengthened competition by the time it launches this summer and has its work cut out on the digital copyright front, points out columnist Jon Fine on Businessweek.com. For one, Google should have its video ad system in place on YouTube by then. Meanwhile, Time Warner appears to be closer to striking a content deal with YouTube. A conversation I had with Mitch Oscar, EVP, director of CaratDigital, also revealed a lack of enthusiasm among some in the media buying community. The concern is that two content companies may not be enough to create a destination for consumers. Oscar was reminded of the failed MovieBeam service started by Disney, which was recently acquired by Movie Gallery for only $10 million, a fifth of its initial capitalization.
Interactive gaming company NTN Buzztime, Inc. announced the sale of its wireless division NTN Wireless Communications to HM Electronics for $2 million in net proceeds or a gain of approximately $400,000. Buzztime, which is working with cable operators on interactive set-top applications, is also looking to divest the remaining components of its hospitality division.
Whole Foods founder and CEO John Mackey announced an investment in social networking/consciousness raising site www.zaadz.com . Zaadz‘s stated goal is to inspire and empower people to reach their highest potential in greatest service to the world. To give you an idea of where they’re coming from, the site’s 47,229 members declared themselves citizens of a new independent sovereign nation yesterday, founded on the principles of “conscious capitalism, spirituality, enthusiasm, love, service, inspiration, passion, humor and teamwork.”
Google has joined Microsoft, AOL and Yahoo in the bidding to purchase internet ad-serving company DoubleClick from private-equity firm Hellman & Friedman, reports The Wall Street Journal, a development that stands to increase the final price dramatically. Google had already discussed plans to move into the space of managing, delivering and measuring online advertising.
AOL-subsidiary Advertising.com will manage the interactive ad functions of the new NBCU/News Corp. internet video joint venture. Advertising.com will use the Lightningcast‘ s video ad serving platform to deliver and swap out video and display ads on both the site and the embedded video player, revenue from which will be shared with the venture’s portal partners AOL, MSN, Yahoo! and MySpace. The venture will appoint a dedicated sales staff to sell much of the ads, but Advertising.com will help sell excess inventory not sold by the team. Charter advertisers signed for the site include Intel, Cadbury Schweppes, GM and Royal Caribbean International.
Online print syndication service Mochila introduced AdMatch Channels, a new service providing customized content feeds for web publishers. Editors and smaller publishers can use the tool to create their own constantly-refreshed news feeds from Mochila partners such as Hachette Filipacchi Media and MSNBC.com, structured around keywords or specific publications. AdMatch Channels come presold with ads, resulting revenue from which is shared with Mochila and the original content creator.
Total data service revenues in the US rose to $15.2 billion in 2006, an increase of 77 percent over 2005, according to the semi-annual CTIA Wireless Industry Survey. Wireless dataSMS messaging, MMS messaging, wireless internet browsing, etc. accounts for 13 percent of total wireless revenues. More than 158 billion text messages were sent last year, an increase of 95%. That’s a lot of American Idol votes!
Hearst-Argyle Television expanded its digital media team, headed by EVP Terry Mackin. Terry Casey was hired as Weather Product Manager, Chris Steib joins as Entertainment Product Manager and Judy Stone takes the position of High School Sports Product Manger. All three product managers will work with Michael Gay, who produces general news content for the Hearst-Argyle station websites and other digital media platforms.
Google literally “took the piss” on the City of San Francisco on its website yesterday, as the Brits would say. Google announced the launch of Google TiSP, a free in-home wireless broadband service that delivers online connectivity through your toilet. It says it’s free to any consumer with a WiFi-capable PC and a toilet connected to the local municipal sewage system. The straight-up release is a bit of an inside joke – an April’s Fools Day joke. Google has been slugging it out with city for rights to build a municipal citywide internet access system. While Google wants to make it wireless, the city is proposing to lay fiber-optic cable alongside its underground sewer system. Google goes to great lengths to explain the TiSP system at http://www.google.com/tisp/install.html . I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets several thousand orders!
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
04.02.07
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: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE II/Turner Sports Interactive, NY: Must have 5+ yrs of digital ad sales exp; AE will be responsible for PGA.com, PGAtour.com, and NASCAR.com. Apply online www.turnerjobs.com, Req# 69371. EOE (4/7)
JOB OPENING: DIGITAL TRAFFIC SPECIALIST/CNN, Ad Operations, NY: Must have 1-2+ yrs of digital ad trafficking exp; attention to detail, passion for excellence. Apply online via www.turnerjobs.com, Req# 72955. EOE (4/7)
JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR/CONSUMER MARKETING/NBCU/Bravo: 7+ years overall marketing experience. TV, cable, and consumer marketing experience preferred. Temporary assignment approx. 3 weeks. Resumes to: [email protected] (4/7)
JOB OPENING: MANAGER, DIST. & FIELD MKTING/LIFETIME NY: Manage account and state territory to drive distribution of Lifetime Networks, HD and various Lifetime VOD services. Apply at: http://www.lifetimetv.com/about/jobs.html 4/6)
JOB OPENING: REGIONAL COORDINATOR/LIFETIME/NY: Support the sales efforts of the Distribution and Field Marketing staff and service our affiliated cable systems. Apply at: http://www.lifetimetv.com/about/jobs.html (4/6)
JOB OPENING: PROMOTIONS PRODUCER/Chicago/Harpo: Create, Write & Produce promo packages and image pieces for The Oprah Winfrey Show& related franchises. Min. 5 years in Promos w/Major TV or Cable Network. [email protected] (4/6)
JOB OPENING: SALES ADMIN MGR, EMERGING MEDIA/COMCAST/NYC: manage pricing g& plnning, comm ops, sales support for VOD networks. 4+ yrs sales support exp for cable/bdcst; strong organizational skills. Apply [email protected] (4/6)
JOB OPENING: SALES PLANNER/MUSIC CHOICE/NYC: Manage proposal process; update sales materials. Manage small-scale accounts. Identify/research prospects. 2+ yrs exp. at ad agency or network. [email protected] (4/6)
JOB OPENING: SUPERVISING PRODUCER/Silver Spring, MD: Health & fitness original productions – research, talent, scripts, cut review. Collaborative envir., min. 3 yrs supv exp. Resume/ltr to [email protected] (4/13)
JOB OPENING: LOCAL SALES MANAGER/Comcast Spotlight/Guilford, CT: 5-7 yrs media exp. Oversee promotion dev’t. Manage team, rel’ship w/sales/network/clients. http://careers.comcast.com/choices/searchjobs.asp ref. 45885BR (4/6)
JOB OPENING: DESIGN DIRECTOR/RL/Columbia MD: He or she will deliver creative solutions, help direct the creative process and work with all internal departments. Please visit www.rl.tv for full job description (4/6)
JOB OPENING: ACCOUNT DIRECTOR (Western)/SCREENVISION: Dev/sell integrated media prgrms to clients/agencies. Plain, coord sell. BA req’d. 6 + yrs media sales exp. Based in Santa Monica. [email protected] (4/4)
JOB OPENING: MGR OFFICE SVCS /A&E TV, NY: Mng office svc areas staff/outsourced svcs/projects/equipment/facilities/purchasing/communications. BA + 5 yrs facility & office svc mgmt. Res w/salary: www.aetn.com/careers.html (4/4)
JOB OPENING: DIR, INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT/Scripps Networks NYC: Identify/develop new international licensing clients/grow existing program distribution business, 3yrs international prgm sales exp.Apply: www.scrippsnetworks.com (4/4)
JOB OPENING: BROADCAST SUPERVISOR /NYC: 5-7yrs exp, strategic planning & execution of TV campaigns, extensive client contact, supervise TV dept. See full posting & apply at: www.kdande.com (4/4)
JOB OPENING: WRITER/PRODUCER/Current TV SF CA: 2-3 yrs. promos exp. in TV promos, w/ shooting exp., FCP, & cpywrtng skills. To write, direct, produce, & edit original promos. [email protected] EOE. www.current.tv (4/4)
JOB OPENING: SALES & MARKETING EXECS/NY: Top-Tier Talent desired to take Sales/Marketing Lead for Cable/Broadband/Mobile multi-platform roll-out. Ground-Floor Opportunity. Respond to [email protected] (4/4)
JOB OPENING: MANAGER OF DEVELOPMENT/ LA-based production company: Must have experience in non-scripted, reality & formats.Strong writing ability essential.Fax resumes to: ATTN: HUMAN RESOURCES 818-760-1509 (4/4)
JOB OPENING: MECH ARTIST/ PROD. ART/LIFETIME NY: Assists design and production teams in graphic production for collateral, packaging, display and advertising projects. Apply at: http://www.lifetimetv.com/about/jobs.html (4/4)
JOB OPENING: STUDIO MGR/ PROJ. MGR/LIFETIME NY: Responsible for the general management of a graphic design studio. Apply at: http://www.lifetimetv.com/about/jobs.html (4/4)
JOB OPENING: VP PRODUCTION /GSN/SM: Oversee physical production on tv shows, analyze & negotiate budgets. 10 yrs exp. in tv or film, 5 yrs in production mgmt- game & reality. Send resume to [email protected] (4/4)
JOB OPENING: CREATIVE SERVICES COORDINATOR/Hallmark Channel LA: Support SVP and dept. 2 yrs. min exp. See full posting & apply at www.hallmarkchannel.com (4/4)
JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT MGM’T DIGITAL/MTV/NYC: 2-3 yrs exp. in mobile media industry; exp. in production & production mgm’t for mobile products. EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvncareers.com (4/4)
JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT/Logo/NYC: 5+yrs exp (3yrs consult/InvestBnk/M&A/BizDev), Strg financModel/Excel skils, Strng analyt thinker, MBA & NewMedia exp A+ EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvncareers.com (4/3)
JOB OPENING: SENIOR PRODUCER ONLINE/Logo/NYC: 6+yrs Digital Producer exp, Strg Visio/wireframing skills, HTML/XML , Strg interpersnl/org skills, Knwldg of Databased Content Mgmt Sys EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvncareers.com (4/3)
JOB OPENING: MGR, LICENSING/AMERICAN GREETINGS PROPERTIES/NYC:Licensing OUT sales of both new and existing AG properties; manage and grow existing licensees; 5+ yrs licensing industry exp. Resumes: [email protected] (4/3)
JOB OPENING: COMMUNICATIONS MGR/ION Media/WPB, FL: 4+yrs exp TV corp comm/PR/media relations; dev/mng corp PR strategy; strong writing/pitching skills; strong trade/biz media contacts; Res: [email protected] (4/3)
JOB OPENING: PROMO SCHEDULER/NY: Ensure accurate inventory; mgmt of all promo elements in the ProTrack database system. Exp w/ interstitial scheduling systems; fluent in Spanish & English desired. Res: [email protected] (4/3)
JOB OPENING: ASSISTANT TO ENTERTAINMENT CEO. Must be highly motivated, mature, and organized. Must be willing to be on call after hours. Salary commensurate with exp, full benefits.Email res/cover letter to: [email protected] (4/3)
JOB OPENING: POST-PROD MGR at Voom HD/NYC: schedule post-production staff & facilities for HDTV channels. Must have 3-5 yrs exp. w/ videotape post-production process in a broadcast environment. [email protected] (4/3)
JOB OPENING: DIR/VP SALES/NYC: Top 5 network media co. Lead sales team in youth segment for multi-platform sales. 3-8 yrs exp in media sales. Resumes: [email protected] (4/3)
JOB OPENING: RESEARCH ANALYST/ LA: Track ratings & provide analyses of kids’ ntwrks/blocks/radio competitive prgrmng.Degree, 1 yr synd/brdcast/cable exp; TV, Nielsen, Star Trak, ratings exp pref. Apply at: www.disneycareers.com (4/3)
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: SPRING INTERNSHIPS with Peter Greenberg, Travel Editor for NBC and AOL: Assist with research for tv/radio/online news segments. Both LA and New York office. [email protected] (4/4)
SPRING INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: PRODUCTION INTERNS/Red Moxie/NYC: Reality Show. Assist with research, logging, screening, working shoots, etc. Word & Excel. Ability to shoot mini DV a plus. Send resume and cover letter to [email protected] (4/4)
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