A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM NATPE ’08

250+ industry leaders include Robert Pittman, Pilot Group LLC, Roma Khanna, NBC Universal, Garth Ancier, BBC Worldwide America, Andrea Wong, Lifetime Networks, Jim Paratore, TMZ, Jonah Bloom, Ad Age, Shelly Lazarus, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, Gayle Troberman, MSN, Jordan Hoffner, YouTube, Jose Escalante, Dori Media America, Peter Levinsohn, Fox Interactive Media…to name a few.

Cynopsis: DIGITAL

12/20/07

Good morning, it’s Thursday, December 20, 2007 and this is your first early morning digital briefing. 

Viacom and Microsoft announced a 5-year grand alliance covering advertising, content distribution, event promotion and games. Described by President of Microsoft’s Platforms & Services Division Kevin Johnson as, “another milestone in our quest to build a world-class advertising platform,” the $500 million deal:

• Enables Microsoft to license short and long form TV and theatrical content for platforms such as MSN and Xbox 360
• Makes Microsoft’s Atlas unit the exclusive ad server for Viacom’s US web properties
• Guarantees purchases of ads by Microsoft across Viacom’s broadcast and online networks
• Names Viacom as a publishing partner for Microsoft’s casual gaming platforms

 
MySpaceTV launched a new community site showcasing TV content from NBC Universal and News Corp.’s Hulu portal. MySpace PrimeTime allows users to browse from a comprehensive list of current (24, Battlestar Galactica), classic (Lost in Space, Kojack) and made-for-the-web (LonelyGirl 15, Quarterlife) titles and create forums around their favorite shows.
 
Turner signed a deal with Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder to produce a 20-webisode original series to debut on comedy portal SuperDeluxe.com. The series, dubbed The Super Rumble Mixshow, will premiere in January and have a little of every format thrown in, including short skits, mocumentaries, lectures and music performances.
 
Anime Network launched an ad supported broadband network featuring a rotating line up of full-length episodes. Theanimenetwork.com will present series such as Saiyuki and Kurau Phantom Memory in their entirety over a period of months and debut “first look” titles such as Gainax’s Gurren Lagann before they are released on DVD in the U.S.
 
Ticketmaster signed an agreement to power an online ticket resale service for the NHL. The service will serve as StubHub-type platform for fans to buy and sell seats to hockey games, accessible from both Ticketmaster.com and NHL.com.

 
PC-based interactive television platform Jacked, Inc. expanded its partnership with NBCSports.com to power “play action” features for NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcasts. Jacked users can log on access real time stats as well as commerce, fantasy and advertising widgets.
 
Veoh Networks announced its online audience grew from 2.5 million to 21.5 million unique monthly users in 2007. Users viewed a total of 30 million hours of content in November with each viewer averaging more than 80 minutes of usage per month. Veoh also reported its beta VeohTV application has been downloaded an average of 900,000 times per month over the past two months.
 
MP2P Technologies unveiled a new P2P file sharing service named Omemo, which creates a virtual hard drive in which users may save files on remote-based servers instead of their own computers. Founded by file sharing guru Pablo Soto, the ad supported system cobbles together a network by borrowing unused portions of anonymous users’ hard drives.
 

IAC signed a wide-ranging agreement with Brightcove making it the video provider for a range of IAC sites including Ticketmaster.com and Citysearch. IAC sites will use the Brightcove platform to power, syndicate and distribute video as well as integrate advertising and promotional campaigns. IAC has been a minority shareholder in Brightcove since 2006.
 
Microsoft, Google and Yahoo! were fined a combined $31.5 million to resolve claims they promoted illegal online gambling. Microsoft and Yahoo have both agreed to fund a campaign to educate younger people on the illegality of online gambling.
 
Vulcan Capital chairman Paul Allen applied to participate in the FCC’s upcoming auction for 700 Mhz wireless spectrum scheduled to begin on Jan. 24.
 
Gemstar-TV Guide signed a new multi-year deal with Cox licensing an OCAP version of the Passport IPG as well as certain interactive services of My TV Guide.
 

 
For the first time, pure play internet companies control a larger share of the local online ad market than national newspaper sites, according to a Borrell Associates report cited in the Wall Street Journal. Internet firms had 43.7% of the $8.5 billion local online ad market in 2007, compared to 33.4% for newspaper companies.
 

 
Nielsen announced an agreement with INVIDI Technologies to share demographic data and explore ways to measure personalized TV ads targeted by viewer demographics, buying habits or personal preferences. INVIDI creates software applications that track targeting ads through addressable set top boxes.
 

Tribune Chairman and CEO Dennis FitzSimons officially resigned and will leave by the end of the month after more than 25 years with the company.
 
Sprint Nextel named Dan Hesse as its new CEO, replacing Gary Forsee who stepped down in October. Dan most recently served as CEO of Embarq, a local phone concern spun out of Sprint in 2006.
 
Online video company ROO Group named JumpTV President and COO Kaleil Isaza Tuzman as its new Chairman and CEO, replacing Robert Petty. The company also announced a 21% reduction of its workforce. Robert will retain the title of Vice Chairman of the Board and Founder.
 
Comcast hired Brenda Viloria as VP/Commercial Services, overseeing business services in Washington State.

 
It’s been a dramatic 24 hours for online celebrity gossip monger Perez Hilton (aka Mario Lavadeira). After being named the top Web Celeb of 2007 by Forbes.com, Perez’s YouTube account was unceremoniously suspended over a copyright violation. The clip in question apparently showed Liza Minnelli passing out under the influence of various substances on stage in Sweden. (Perez claims he got permission to use it from the person who actually shot the video.)  He even managed to get a second account suspended after posting a video critical of YouTube’s practices. Independent producers are pointing to the case as an illustration of why it’s important to distribute your work as far and wide across the web as possible.

Later — Wayne
Wayne Karrfalt for Cynopsis: Digital
12.20.07

Cynopsis Digital Ad Sales:  Mark Bohn- 203- 583-1224 / [email protected]
Classifieds – Trish Pihonak- 203-926-9878 / [email protected]

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JOB OPENING: WARDROBE STYLIST/NY: Create/maintain wardrobe for 2 hosts for wkly show & lrg TV ntwrk. 2 wks to purchase wardrobe & work on set 1 day and/or night a wk to dress hosts for shoot. res/rate to: [email protected] (1/5)

JOB OPENING: PROP MASTER/NYC: 8 Saturdays, (every 6 weeks) to work with promos of products for TV show. Experience in commercials & ability to create steam, flames, etc… Purchase props.  Res/Rate to: [email protected] 1/5)

JOB OPENING: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE ONLINE SALES/ESPN/NYC: Need 3+ yrs online Ad sales exp.  Send resume to [email protected]   (1/5)

JOB OPENING: SR. RESEARCH ANALYST/HBO/NYC: BS/BA/3 yrs exp web traffic analy exp w/ Omniture & syndicated traffic sources (ComScore/Nielsen). Detailed/strong comm. skills/multi-tasking. E-mail: [email protected] (#91301BR) (1/4)

JOB OPENING: DIR OF SALES ADMIN/CBS TV DIST/NY: Mng ad sales admin w/ staff of 4 from order thru reconciliation. Finc’l background w/strong Excel, mngrl, & analytical skills pref’d  5+ yrs exp. Res/salary req: [email protected] (1/4)

JOB OPENING: SR PUBLICIST/CourtTV/truTVNY: Pitch primetime series/generate creative media attention/press releases/events/support anchors. 3-5 yrs cable/network/entertainment PR exp. Apply: [email protected] (1/4)

JOB OPENING:  WRITER/PRODUCER/G4TV/Los Angeles: To write & produce promos, campaigns, & interstitials. 5+yrs. exp. in On-Air Promo at broadcast or cable network. More information & to apply visit: www.cegjobs.com (1/3)

JOB OPENING:  SALES PLAN’R/BET, NY: Prepare Sales Plans, Mng mult Accts, 2 yrs exp in Cable Sales or buying a must. Detailed-oriented, org’d, multitasker, exc comm & math skills, BA req. Email resume: [email protected]  (1/3)

JOB OPENING:  INTERACTIVE, SALES PLANNER/NY: Work with the Interactive Ad Sales team for Scripps Networks. Must have Sales Planner or Interactive agency experience. Apply by going to our website, www.scrippsnetworks.com    (1/3)

JOB OPENING: SR PROMO PROD/Award winning 2C Media: Seeking high end prod for nat’l TV promo campaigns. Great writing a must, editorial a +! Send reel: [email protected] or 420 Lincoln Road, Ste 389 Miami Beach  FL 33139 (12/22)

JOB OPENING: RSRCH ANALYST/NBCU, NY: Analyze internal & 3rd party online data to support mktg & sales for NBC Oxygen properties. BA/BS, 2+ yrs exp in media, familiar w/ working data sources. www.nbcunicareers.com #784838 (12/22)

JOB OPENING:  MEDIA RESEARCH MANAGER @ RPA: 5+ yrs’ in media research. Will generate data analyses, critical media info, POVs; supervise Analyst. Nielsen, Arbitron, MRI, Scarborough, DDS, Galaxy req’d. Apply @ www.rpa.com . EOE (12/22)

JOB OPENING: RESEARCH PROJECT MANAGER TNT/TBS/COURT TV/NY: Support Ad Sales research projects/trending/positioning/reporting. 5+ yrs media research/advertising/television analysis. Apply: [email protected] (12/22)

JOB OPENING: SERIES PROD/NYC: Oversee prod of a pre-schl animated series, inc. mngng day-to-day ops, guiding creative dir, & ensuring that project adheres to sched/bdgt. PRE-K ANIMATION EXP A MUST. Apply: [email protected] (12/22)

JOB OPENING: SR SALES EXECS/US/UK/FR/Aus: Premiere distrib co. hiring Sr int’l sales execs to manage 5,000+ hrs of TV programming. Must have proven track record, client relationships, entrepreneurial spirit. [email protected] (12/21)

JOB OPENING: SR. DRTV Buyer/Active Int’l in Pearl River, NY (15 miles from NYC): Min 5 yrs exp. in planning, negotiating and buying DRTV req’d. Resumes to: [email protected]  or call 845-732-8943 (1/3)

WINTER AND 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] .

WINTER INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY:  Fox College Sports, Un-paid internship, for college credit.  Assist with running day to day operations; college sports interest & knowledge.  E-mail  [email protected]  (1/4)

WINTER INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: MEDIA STRATEGY INTERN/National Geographic Channel/Wash DC: You won’t learn this in school! Seeking detail-oriented interns with great computer and organizational  skills. Email resume to [email protected]  (12/22)

SITUATION WANTED ADS, POSTED BY THOSE LOOKING TO BE HIRED … Interested in posting your Video Resume?  Contact [email protected] for more information ….

SITUATION WANTED:  PROJ/OPS/TRAFFIC MGR/NYC: Prof. 5 yrs cable ntwk on-air promo/brand exp. Mng day-to-day ops of promo projs. Detailed, able to prioritize. Strong organiz skills. Meticulous. Temp or staff. [email protected] (1/4)

E-mail  [email protected] for rates and specs for Job Openings. 

Interested in posting your Video Resume?  Contact [email protected] for more information ….

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