Cynopsis: DIGITAL
08/28/08
Good morning, it’s Thursday, August 28, 2008, and this is your first early morning digital briefing.
CSI creator Anthony Zuiker signed a deal with publishing house Dutton to create a trio of suspense/thriller “digital novels” that include print, online video and social networking components, reports Variety. At the end of each five chapters readers will receive a code they plug into a website in order to view filmed vignettes that act as a transition to the next part of the story. The first title, Sqweegel, is due out in the fall of 2009 about a retired FBI (who guessed it) forensic investigator who picks up cases on the side.
West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin chose Facebook to break the news about his newest film project with producer Scott Rudin – about the birth of Facebook. (He actually admits it was his researcher Ian Reichbach who started the group, given how technologically challenged Aaron is.) He gets points for using the medium he will be writing about to announce the deal and ping the crowd for backstories, but bloggers are already questioning his tech street cred. Now the question is – who will play the lovably geeky Mark Zuckerberg?
Multiplatform music network Music Choice launched a special Live Your Vote thematic programming feature including a politically themed video playlist hosted by rapper/activist David Banner. A special Live Your Vote edition of Rock U features contributions from politically outspoken rock stars such as Tom Morello, Serj Tankian and Three Doors Down.
Call for votes: Only two weeks remain to get your votes in for the top 20 dramatic moments and top 20 comedic moments in television history. The top five vote getters in each category will be revealed during the 60th Prime Time Emmy awards on Sept. 21. Go to ABC.com’s Emmy minisite to view and select your picks.
Social media tool and platform provider Lithium Technologies introduced a new blogging tool, extending social capabilities pioneered in Lithium’s community platform to third party sites. Lithium’s reputation and ranking system has been effective in generating online participation, helping producers and network clients recruit and engage with viewers in social networking environments. The company’s technology grew out of community tools developed by Lithium founders Lyle and Dennis Fong for the long running gaming site Gamers.com.
Video search engine Blinkx is partnering with Getty Images to help users more easily index Getty’s video and photo content. As part of the deal the company will leverage Blinkx’s AdHoc platform to place contextually relevant advertising against Getty Images’ multimedia, sharing resulting ad revenue. Getty’s digital video content includes live footage from the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.
Adding to the pool of off deck content available for mobile users, Leap Wireless‘ Cricket Communications announced a flat-rate unlimited mobile video service allowing users to view one-to-four-minute-long video clips directly from select handsets. Videos available include music videos, artist interviews, music documentaries and sports clips from Fuel TV.
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Lifetime Networks made its first-ever digital acquisition with the purchase of privately held social networking site/media technology firm ParentsClick Network. Key properties including MothersClick.com and mommy blog aggregator MomBlogNetwork will help contribute innovations and audience to myLifetime.com. Expansion plans include launching a nationwide multi-site parenting network, offering hyper-localization of profile data and user-generated content.
Tivo inked a deal with Time Warner’s Entertainment Weekly to integrate tune-in suggestions from the editorial staff on the service. (The company struck a similar deal with Chicago Trib last year.) Tivo will also allow broadband connected subscribers to download EW videos from its web site including new show round-ups and post elimination American Idol interviews. Tivo reported quarterly earnings yesterday, posting $65.2 million in revenue (up 4.1% from the previous quarter.) Things also seem to finally be going well between Tivo and Comcast. The MSO promised it would be announcing multiple additional markets to which TiVo will be rolled out next year and that it will continue to fund development work for the DVR.
Samsung launched an entertaining multiplatform ad campaign with the NFL to promote its line of HDTVs with online video audibles from Alice Cooper and Regis Philbin and a user generated component thrown in for good measure. Beginning Sept. 4 (in New York’s Columbus Circle) Samsung is sending out a mobile studio to tape fan testimonials for the NFL.com Super Ad site, one of which will end up in a Super Bowl spot. Then from mid-Sept. Alice and Regis will lend their powers of persuasion to potential buyers who are having trouble convincing their spouses to let them buy a new set; users can arrange for them to leave a customized pre-recorded call on their voice mail extolling the virtues of the Samsung HDTV line.
~ TRENDS, RESEARCH, ETC. ~
Top Visited US Broadcast Network TV Websites (Week ending Aug. 23, 2008)
Rank Network Website Market Share of Visits
1 CBS www.cbs.com 32.09%
2 NBC www.nbc.com 27.21%
3 ABC www.abc.com 21.19%
4 FOX* www.fox.com 14.08%
5 The CW www.cwtv.com 4.75%
6 MNTV www.mynetworktv.com .69%
Source: Custom report from Hitwise, *includes traffic aggregated from stand alone websites americanidol.com, amw.com, familyguy.com, thelot.com and thesimpsons.com.
Top Visited US Broadcast Network TV Show Sites (Week ending Aug. 23, 2008)
Rank Network Website Market Share of Visits
1 CBS Big Brother 9 16.48%
2 FOX American’s Most Wanted 6.11%
3 FOX American Idol 5.73%
4 NBC Deal or No Deal 4.37%
5 ABC Dancing With The Stars 4.37%
6 CBS CSI 2.67%
7 NBC Heroes 2.62%
8 NBC The Office 2.53%
9 ABC Lost 2.50%
10 CBS Swingtown 2.46%
Source: Custom report from Hitwise
ParentsClick Network founder and CEO Dietrich von Behren joined Lifetime as VP/Digital Media and Investments. Dietrich will continue to lead the ParentsClick team which includes Andra Davidson, MothersClick.com co-founder and Editor-in-Chief, and Ted Serbinski, Director of Technology.
Lifetime Networks also named Jen Duddy to the newly created position of VP/Digital Ad Sales. She will oversee all digital ad sales and working to develop customized multiplatform offerings for clients, reporting to Debbie Richman, EVP/Ad Sales.
SciFi.com promoted two of its executives – Matthew Chiavelli and Marlon Jackson – to the VP ranks, it was announced by Craig Engler, SVP/SciFi.com and Sci Fi Magazine, to whom they will report. Both are based in New York and will continue to build original online content and Channel-related fare for the Sci Fi Channel website.
Digital set-top box movie service Vudu named former eBay executive Chris Watts as its new COO and, at the same time, layed off about 20% of its 100 person staff according to reports.
ReelzChannel upped Toni Molle to VP/Content Development and Studio Relations. Toni, who is based at the network’s Los Angeles studios, will report to Bob Reichblum, VP/Programming and Production, ReelzChannel Television Network.
Video game industry veteran Geoff Keighley joined Spike TV to head up Video Game Publisher Relations for the network. He will oversee video game programming strategy as well as manage game publisher relations, reporting to Casey Patterson, SVP/Event Production and Talent Development and Niels Schuurmans, SVP/Brand Creative and Marketing.
Is this the future of comic books? Canadian writer/producer Kelly J. Compeau completed volume 1 of The Black Tower, an online interactive graphic novel about the teenage daughter of a New York billionaire who awakens from a coma to discover she is the reincarnated soul of an ancient half god/half demon. The comic deploys social networking and interactive ad tools including clickable links to product placement advertisers, music videos and live-action shorts on YouTube, MySpacetv and Wikipedia pages to help new readers get up-to-speed on what’s going on. The quality of the comic is good, with vibrant art from Donald Jackson and heady mythology provided by co-writer Jeff Mariotte (who writes books based on the universes of popular shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed). And there are some major advertisers lined up for the first edition. The trick will be to maintain that quality across platforms. An internet talk show and video game companion are next in the works.
Correction: We spoke to Brent Poer, GM of the WB.com, yesterday not Brett Bouttier, SVP/Digital for WBTVG. We regret the confusion.
Later — Wayne
Wayne Karrfalt for Cynopsis: Digital
08.28.08
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JOB OPENING: REG ACCT MGR/ NY, LA, Dallas/V-me Media, Inc.: 10+ yrs network or nat’l media sales exp; proven leader with client and agency contacts; bilingual Spanish; US Hispanic Mrkt a plus; Res to: [email protected] (9/5)
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FALL INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: PT Intern- CityListen Audio Tours. Online marketing, digital word of mouth. Flexible schedule/Work remotely. Passion for travel, enthusiastic, creative, web savvy; your own computer/access. Contact: [email protected] (8/29)
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