Cynopsis: DIGITAL

04/13/11

Good morning, it’s Wednesday, April 13, 2011, and this is your first early morning digital briefing.  If you would like to read this or any other Cynopsis edition online, click here. 

New York entrepreneur Paul Ceglia, who claims to own some 50% of Facebook, filed an amendment to his lawsuit on Monday with a bigger law firm and a lot more evidence to support his claim. Mr. Ceglia has introduced emails between himself and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in which they discuss terms of a contract entered into by both parties. (Facebook is claiming that the emails are fake, according to a report in Business Insider, which has posted several of the emails.) Meanwhile, a federal appeals court upheld the Winklevoss Twins’ $20 million and 1.2 million share settlement after the pair returned to court, arguing they had been deceived about the value of the shares.
 

 
HBO‘s online on demand platform, “HBO Go” and Cinemax’s “Max Go” became available to DirecTV subscribers yesterday after beta trials with Comcast Xfinity TV, Verizon FiOS, Cox Advanced TV and AT&T U-Verse. The service currently offers more than 1,400 titles including theatrical movies and entire seasons of past originals. The HBO Go service, available only to paying HBO subscribers, is also launching as an iPad and iPhone app beginning May 2, according to Home Media Magazine.
 
WalMart’s HD video on demand service VUDU has launched a browser-based streaming service at Vudu.com offering instant access to thousands of new releases titles for rent or purchase. (Unfortunately, the movies will only stream in SD quality through a browser, but you can always start a movie on your browser than resume playing on a Vudu-enabled device.) Rental prices range from $3.99 for older titles to $5.99 for more recent movies.
 
PBS announced it is testing a digital-only Emergency Alert System utilizing video, audio, text, and graphics to deliver alerts to cellphones, tablets, laptops and netbooks, as well as in-car navigation systems. The system, which has received support from the LG Convergence Lab, is built upon the ATSC Mobile Digital TV broadcast standard.
 

 
Nearly forgotten social network Bebo, which AOL paid a fortune for before unloading it to private equity firm Criterion, has reemerged with a new look, a reworked Lifestream and a new notification system. The new Feed section on the homepage has been expanded to display “who commented on who” entries from your friends, complete with “Emotion Markers” to label feed items as Cool, Funny, Sorry, or OMG. The redesign was lead by Hi5 co-founder Akash Garg, Xbox co-founder Kevin Bachus and Bebo co-founder Michael Birch, who returned to the Bebo board in Dec. after pocketing $850 million from AOL.
 
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Interactive Media Peer Group has announced its April 29th deadline for entries in the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards competition for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media. This will mark the 10th year for the Interactive category, awarded in multiple genres to programs launched between June 1, 2010 and May 31, 2011.
 
The Clearlake Capital Group has headed up a recapitalization of 3D production technology firm 3ality Digital, acquiring a majority of the newly-issued preferred stock of the company to give it a majority of its voting shares.
 

 
Online video analytics specialist TubeMogul has put its expertise to use in launching a demand side ad platform for brand advertisers. Marketers can access a dashboard of real-time metrics including audience demographics, unique viewers, second-by-second engagement, city-level geographics and social network sharing to place orders for ads across a variety of video format (including pre-roll, mobile, in banner and in game video) in real time. The platform, currently being tested by trading desk Varick and brand advertisers such as Harper Collins and Prana, reaches over 90% of the top 100 ComScore sites, according to TubeMogul and integrates with third party targeting and ad serving software.
 
Video ad management platform FreeWheel announced it has landed News Corp.’s British Sky Broadcasting as a client and that it is opening a new office in London. Sky will use FreeWheel’s Monetization Rights Management product to serve video ads across web and mobile services.
 
TBG Digital has introduced two new Facebook tools for marketers: SmartPages is a multi variant landing page optimization tool allowing marketers to build web pages within the social network and Daily Deals is an app that allows companies to run Groupon-style offers without having to pay a commission to third parties.
 

 
Senators John Kerry and John McCain introduced a new online “ privacy bill of rights” on Tuesday that would require companies to instruct users when their personal data is being collected and to seek users’ permission when sharing that data with third parties. The bipartisan proposal, the first comprehensive privacy law if passed, would be enforced by State Attorneys General and the Federal Trade Commission and allow NGO’s to set up voluntary safe harbor programs to encourage companies to work with the government on compliance. Reaction to the bill was mixed – telco Verizon called it a “great start” for users while consumer groups such as the Center for Digital Democracy and Consumer Watchdog complained the bill doesn’t go far enough to protect online privacy.
 
Cisco announced that it is shutting down its Flip video camera unit as part of a larger restructuring plan, a division it acquired two years ago under the Pure Digital Technologies banner for $590 million. The company plans to cut 550 jobs from its workforce and take a pre-tax charge of about US$300 million for the overhaul. (Flip cameras were hot for a while but have become superfluous with the improvement of video cameras on smartphones.)
                                                                                
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski renewed his call for voluntary incentives auctions to free up more broadcast spectrum for wireless companies during his NAB address on Tuesday. He also questioned the wisdom of many broadcasters for not moving more content online.
 
NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith characterized the industry as being in “full battle mode” in his annual keynote to prevent the government from forcing broadcasters to give up their spectrum. “It concerns us that the FCC could forcibly relocate a broadcaster, crowd channels closer together, reduce their coverage, destroy innovation for viewers, increase interference, or otherwise degrade their signal,” said Smith.
 
Kit digital made yet another purchase, acquiring UK-based cloud-based video delivery company ioko for $79.4 million including performance-based incentives. ioko, whose clients include AT&T’s U-verse and the BBC, provides Kit with a IP video platform built to deliver video to over-the-top devices.
 
Microsoft announced a new partner ecosystem enabling partners the ability to develop industry-specific solutions based on the Windows Azure platform.
 

 
The New York Times saw decline in overall visits of between 5% and 15% during the 12 days following the launch of its paywall which limits users to accessing 20 articles/month before having to pay a subscription charge, according to a Experian Hitwise analysis. For all 12 days, there was also a decline in total page views, which ranged between 11% and 30%.
 
Major label-backed music video site Vevo dropped from second to fifth in ComScore‘s monthly video view rankings, surpassed by traditional portals AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft during March. A rising tide lifted all boats, however as total viewing session were up from 5 billion to 5.7 billion and ave. video content consumed increased from 13.6 to 14.8 hours/viewer. Hulu continued to dominate in the minutes per viewer metric, with Hulu users watching an average 215 minutes on the site for the month.
 
Top U.S. Online Video Properties by Video Content Views
Ranked by Unique Video Viewers – March 2011
Property               Total  UV  Viewing Sessions Minutes per Viewer
                             (000)              (000)
Total net aud.       174,315       5,726,413   889.1
Google Sites                  143,191       1,971,939   275.6
AOL, Inc.               57,006          284,688   39.2
Yahoo! Sites          56,361          267,688   42.1
Microsoft Sites       53,090         331,282   47.2
VEVO                     52,585          241,154    79.6
Facebook.com       48,792         185,817   19.2
Viacom Digital       48,696         180,638   73.2
Turner Digital        41,718         154,163   37.5
NBC Universal       31,052           65,973   17.3
Hulu                      27,537          143,673   215.5
Source: comScore Video Metrix
 

 
Casual game developer iWin and Endemol USA announced a partnership to bring the hit TV game shows Deal or No Deal and 1 vs. 100 to the Facebook platform starting later this spring. iWin will also develop PC versions of both games for release this fall.
 

 
Eric Petro, EVP & CFO of iN Demand L.L.C., will add Business Development to his responsibilities, and Mark Boccardi has been upped to SVP/Programming & Business Development, reporting to Mr. Petro. They are both based in the company’s New York headquarters.
                      
MaxPoint Interactive has hired Chris Kozloski as VP/Sales; Lynn Vitello as VP/Marketing; Eric Thorne as Director of Sales for MaxPoint’s New York office and Mark Ailsworth as Director of Sales for MaxPoint’s newly opened Chicago office.
 

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES

 
Him, Her and Them is a new kind of interactive film produced exclusively for Facebook by NYC studio Murmur. (Like the great R.E.M. album of the same name.) Launched as an app within the social networking platform, “Him, Her and Them” slowly reveals the story of a lovelorn 20-something living in New York then relies on contributions from viewers and friends of viewers to add context and color by posting simple text additions. The interface reveals a segment of the film shot in HD then allows you to scroll through still images that build upon the themes of the central narrative. The whole thing is more of a puzzle than a story, providing a minimal amount of structure but empowering users to fill in the blanks. You can add comments or interpretations to images that contain none, post them to your wall or add friends to a role call at the bottom of the screen to grow the audience. Like anything that relies on user interaction for content, the finished product will depend greatly on the quality of those interactions. Not bad for a first effort – thoughtful, provocative and so much more original than yet another casual game retread.
 
Later – Wayne
Wayne Karrfalt for Cynopsis: Digital
04.13.11

Cynopsis Ad Sales:
Mike Farina – VP/Business Development & Sales – 203-218-6480 / [email protected]
Classifieds – Trish Pihonak- 203-381-9096 / [email protected]

To subscribe to any Cynopsis edition(s) click here .
To unsubscribe , click the button at the very bottom of this email.

Cyn opsis CLASSIFIEDS – For More classifieds, visit the Cynopsis.com  classifieds page here .

JOB OPENING: CLIENT SERVICES SPECIALIST/PHX AZ: Rsp for Mktng/Rsch-related tasks that support ad-sales company wide. 2+ yrs exp, strng excel and rsch software a plus. Apply: www.cox.com (Job ID 36419) (4/20)

JOB OPENING: RESEARCH ANALYST/TELEMUNDO/HIALEAH FL: Telemundo Network has an exciting opportunity for Research Analyst position at their Hialeah, FL offices. More information, please visit www.nbcunicareers.com job #1542BR (4/20)

JOB OPENING:  ACCOUNT DIRECTOR/PumpTopTV/CHI:  Drive ad sales for emerging video net. Creative media sales professional with strong work ethic and established agency/client relationships a must. Apply:  [email protected] (4/20)

JOB OPENING: TRAFFIC MGR/Vme TV/NYC: Use brdcst media sftwr to mng prgrmng sched, commercial inventory & traffic instructions; coord/create/edit & reconcile logs; monthly billing; 5+ yrs exp.  Resume to: [email protected] (4/20)

JOB OPENING:  WRITER, ONAIR CREATIVE/Nickelodeon Preschool/NYC: Strong writer, big ideas, strong ‘voice’, excellent humor, strategic, 4 years writing experience, producing exp A+ EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvnetworkscareers.com (4/20)

JOB OPENING:  SCHEDULING COORDINATOR,  PROGRAMMING DEPARTMENT/GSN/SM: Report to Director. BA Degree + 1-2yrs TV exp. Send res +CL to (4/20)

JOB OPENING: KICK BUTT RESEARCH /MTV/NY: Brand new Nickelodeon International team! Ad Sales & editorial, strong ratings bkgrd. Cons prods interface/exp a huge plus. Nielsen. Apply: www.mtvcareers.com / [email protected] (4/19)

JOB OPENING: VP, DIG AD SALES New Business/MTV/NY: Dynamic leader, passionate about digital, Provide solutions for new & existing accts for MTVN’s dig brands, best-in-class ideas & service, 6yrs min exp. Apply: www.mtvcareers.com (4/19)

JOB OPENING: MARKETING MANAGER/BeautyRx Skincare/NY: Dvlp & exe innovate social, ecomm, offline cmpgns; Manage SEO/PPC (training provided if needed); Req: self-starter & 1+ yrs mktg exp; Room to grow; More @ http://bit.ly/dPMrew (4/19)

JOB OPENING: COORDINATOR, CONSUMER MARKETING & PARTNERSHIPS/Nickelodeon/NYC 2+ yrs MKTG, AD and/or research exp. Exp in developing and analyzing quantitative and qualitative info EOE/M/F/D/AAP.Apply www.mtvnetworkscareers.com (4/19)

JOB OPENING: MGR, RSRCH (PROG & MKTG)/AETN/NY:Provide Rsrch-based analysis & insight for Prgrmng/Mktg/Sched/PR. 3+ yrs cbl TV rsrch &/or ntwrk, rep firm, synd, brdcst or ad agency. Knwlg-Nielsen data reqd. www.aetn.com/careers.html (4/19)

JOB OPENING: SALES EXECUTIVE/NY-Warner Bros. TV Group Digital: Drives revenue, strong presentation skills.3 yrs min digital ad sales experience (mobile and cross platform preferred) http://bit.ly/hDTTOw (4/16)

JOB OPENING: SHOWRUNNER /NYC: Needed for home construction show. Must have recent, extensive construction show experience as EP or Showrunner. Please send resume to [email protected] (4/16)

JOB OPENING: SR MGR, DIG. MEDIA/Showtime/NYC: Daily mngmnt of Smithsonian Channel’s digital platforms & digital mktg activities. 5-7 yrs of dig.mktg exp. Apply: http://posttrak.arbita.net/cgi-bin/PostTrak.cgi?RefCode=R6477302709651 (4/16)

JOB OPENING: Licensing Coordinator/NYC: Kids Ed TV co. seeks college grad w/strong verbal & written comm skills/organiz’l & computer skills/high initiative Fax cover letter/resume to 212-764-7275 (4/16)

JOB OPENING: SENIOR RECRUITER/ MTV Networks/NYC: 5+yrs Corp Recruiting in High Vol Env. exp w/in Ent/Media, Lead in devlp Strategies to Identify Top creative Talent EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvnetworkscareers.com (4/15)

JOB OPENING: SENIOR DIGITAL RESEARCH ANALYST TEMP/CHELSEA NY: Provide top line and detailed analyses covering online properties and competitors. Omniture experience a must. Reply to [email protected] (4/15)

JOB OPENING: DIR RESEARCH/ Discovery/MD: Functions as primary network POC; fulfill needs for consumer-based &marketplace info; 7yrs+ mrktg rsrch firm or major corp exp; media exp preferred . www.discovery.com #3589 (4/14)

JOB OPENING: SALES COORD/TV Guide Mag/NY: Assist clients w/requests on sales orders/strong multitasking/prospect new leads through database. MS Office and Media or Ad agency exp pref. Res/salary reqs: [email protected] (4/14)

JOB OPENING: RESEARCH ANALYST/ABC/NY: Analysis nat’l Prime Nielsen ratings data, estimates, Strong Galaxy/NPower/Excel/PowerPoint Apply: www.disneyabcjobs.com Req#286793/ [email protected] (4/14)

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].

SUMMER INTERNSHIP  CREDITS ONLY:  ENTERTAINMENT FIRM/NYC: 15-25 hrs wkly. Fluent read/write Chinese reqd. Fluent read/write English reqd. Apply: [email protected] (put “Internship” in subject). (4/20)

SUMMER INTERNSHIP  CREDITS ONLY:   Established TV production company is seeking to fill its Student Spring Internship Program: hard worker, attentive to detail, and background/interest in TV PRODUCTION. Contact JL Rivera: Email [email protected] (4/20)

SUMMER INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY:  MKTG/ADVERTISING MAJOR/Spanish-Language Television Network/NYC Sales Department, learn marketing and all ad sales functions. EMAIL RES: [email protected]  (4/20)

SUMMER INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY:  Summer internship at Clarion New Media/Chicago, www.clarionnewmedia.com . Must be a self-starter with a passion for sales. Role involves cold calling and closing deals. Resumes: to [email protected] (4/20)

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: HIRED PEN (MA/NY) will write new words or make old ones prettier. Written for travel guides, textbooks, blogs, and job ads.Two Harvard degrees. Rates vary by coolness of project. Google me. [email protected] (4/20)

SITUATION WANTED: ADVERTISING SALES PLANNER/NY: 6 yrs exp in building/customizing client pckgs/avails, campaign posting/ADU delivery recaps, PowerPoint/Excel proficient, market updates and special sales projects. [email protected] (4/20)

SITUATION WANTED: ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING/LA:  Entertainment marketer with 8+ years of experience looking for my next opportunity. Full-time or freelance welcome. Can work locally or remote. Email for resume. [email protected]   (4/20)

SITUATION WANTED: CREATIVE MEDIA MIND Seeking to assist, Entry- Junior level positions, B.A. & Communications/Media background, 3-5 years of experience domestically & internationally. NY based. Please contact, [email protected] (4/19)

SITUATION WANTED: MEDIA RELATIONS/PRODUCER(NY/NJ/PA) : 7 yrs Exp producing TV news seeking FT position outside of the newsroom in Media Relations/PR/Producer role. Track record of success. Email: [email protected] (4/19)

SITUATION WANTED: ACCOUNTING/FINANCE – 20+ yrs. experience in TV Broadcasting &Cable. Seeking FT/PT or Temp-to-Perm position: [email protected] (4/16)

SITUATION WANTED: Jeanne Intile Burns, Voice-Over Artist, Cell: 845-721-9681, E-Mail: [email protected], Web Links to Hear My Voice: http://jburns.voices.com , http://jeanneintileburns.voice123.com and www.allegro-music.com (4/16)

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] (4/15)

SITUATION WANTED: ACCOUNTING/FINANCE – 20+ yrs. experience in TV Broadcasting &Cable. Seeking FT/PT or Temp-to-Perm position: [email protected] (4/15)

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] (4/14)

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.

Cynopsis Media LLC
65 Lantern Road
Stratford, CT 06614
Ph: 203.381.9096
Fx: 203.386.8855

All outgoing e-mails are scanned and sent out virus free. Copyright Cynopsis 2011

To unsubscribe from future mailings, please click here.