Cynopsis: DIGITAL

08/04/10

Good morning, it’s Wednesday, August 4, 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. 

RIM and AT&T are hoping to reignite slackening demand of its smartphones with the BlackBerry Torch 9800, (named after recent acquisition Torch Mobile, which designed the phone’s browser.) It’s the first BlackBerry to feature both a 3.2-in. touchscreen for on-screen navigation and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard for traditional texting and typing. It also ships (from Aug. 12) with a 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities, a 4GB microSD Flash card, 512MB RAM and 4GB of built-in storage. The smartphone will cost $200 with a two-year agreement and AT&T is offering data plans of $15/mo. for 200 MB of data or $25/mo. for 2 GB. The Torch will be first phone to run on the new BlackBerry 6 OS, designed to be more social and take full advantage of the touchscreen interface. The customizable home screen, navigated by pinching and swiping like the iPhone, can be organized to emphasize which activities you do most. A new social feeds app aggregates RSS feeds and accounts on multiple networking services including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, AOL Messenger and Google Talk.
 

 
Movie community site Flixster partnered with Roku to launch a channel on its broadband-connected streaming media players. The Flixster channel, also available on the iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry and Android, provides movie trailers, cast info. and “Tomatometer” critics scores sourced from Rotten Tomatoes.
 

 
Hollywood’s favorite place to slum it online, FunnyOrDie.com has undergone a redesign organizing new postings headline-style toward the top of the page and identifying “trending now” videos below them. A selection of archived videos that have a sizeable amount of views and “funny” ratings are also featured, along with interactive activities that can earn you badges, such as daily caption contest.
 
Skype, Kazaa and Joost founders Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom officially launched their socially-infused subscription music service Rdio (“R-Dee-Oh”) yesterday, modeled after existing services such as MOG in the U.S. and Spotify in Europe (the latter of which continues to struggle to land licensing deals in the U.S.) Pay $4.95/mo. to listen to unlimited tracks on the desktop app and $9.95/mo. for mobile access (including offline playback of songs when you’re in the subway.) The killer app here is Rdio’s social networking features, which you can utilize to help discover new bands.
 
Audience data marketplace start-up eXelate has secured $15 million in second round funding led by Menlo Ventures with participation from Israel-based Carmel Ventures, which led the company’s first $4 million round.
 
Social game and interactive app creator Watercooler has changed its name to Kabam to emphasize a renewed focus on deeper gameplay. Recent Kabam titles include “Kingdoms of Camelot” and “Epic Goal.”
 

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM WESTDOC

 
Check out this “explosive” YouTube video interview with Sylvester Stallone, plugging his new Lionsgate action movie, The Expendables – opening Aug. 13. LA-based digital media agency The Visionaire Group (TVG) produced the enhanced video in partnership with Lionsgate, which took over the expensive YouTube leaderboard this morning. Pause and FF features have been disabled to insure that viewers watch to the end, with sharing buttons helping to rack up nearly 7 million views through yesterday.
 
PointRoll’s ShopLocal retail division has created a retail marketing suite tying brands’ local circulars to corporate fan pages on Facebook, including CVS, JCPenney, Michaels and Office Depot. The marketing suite includes a product deals tab, become a fan widgets and the ability integrate the suite into the brand’s existing Facebook page.
 
RSG Media Systems is launching its new Zoox Analytics solution to aid publishers with pricing and managing inventory. The system utilizes advanced mathematical models to predict inventory availability and recommend dynamic pricing, helping publishers maximize their return on inventory.
 

 
In letters to the FCC and DOJ, Rep. Rick Boucher, (D-Va.), Chairman of the House Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, recommend approval of the Comcast/NBC merger with a number of conditions, including that programs which air on NBC today and later on nbc.com should not become the exclusive property of a walled garden or TV Everywhere property. He also suggested that Comcast be prohibited from withholding online video content from competing internet platforms, or from restricting broadband-connected devices like the upcoming Boxee Box from accessing content distributed by Hulu (which NBC is currently a stakeholder in.) However Boucher also added, given that Congress is poised to take up net neutrality legislation, that it would be “highly inappropriate” to impose further restrictions on Comcast prior to industry-wide rules taking affect. Several tech companies are meeting with FCC officials this week to try and reach a compromise in a bid to avoid comprehensive net neutrality rules.
 
Paris-based ad giant Publicis Groupe has acquired Brazil-based interactive agency AG2, which will joining the Publicis Modem digital network.
 

 
Mobile video’s audience is poised to expand by 30% to 23.9 million users in 2010 and double its size by 2013, according to new eMarketer estimates. The number of mobile video viewers, which includes users who watch via mobile browsers, subscriptions, downloads or applications at least once per month, will continue growing in the double digits for a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.8% from 2009 through 2014. While subscription and pay-per-view video are growing as categories, ad supported video will generate a lion’s share of the revenue, increasing to $901 million, a 60% jump from 2009.
 
Time spent on social networking and casual gaming sites in June 2010 officially surpassed email according to an annual survey from Nielsen, with these top 3 activities accounting for 40% of all time spent online. Of the most heavily-used sectors, videos/movies was the only other to experience a significant growth, expanding by 12% from 3.5% to 3.9%. The number of videos streamed passed the 10 billion mark in June for the first time. The average American video viewer spent 3 hours 15 minutes streaming online video during the month.
 
Top 10 Sectors by Share of U.S. Internet Time
RANK Category               Share of Time  Share of Time    % Change
                                        June 2010      June 2009    in Share of Time
1   Social Networks             22.7%           15.8%            43%
2   Online Games                10.2%             9.3%             10%
3  E-mail                              8.3%           11.5%            -28%
4  Portals                              4.4%            5.5%            -19%
5  Instant Messaging             4.0%            4.7%            -15%
6  Videos/Movies                  3.9%            3.5%              12%
7  Search                             3.5%            3.4%                1%
8 Software Manufact.           3.3%            3.3%                 0%
9 Multi-category Ent.           2.8%            3.0%                -7%
10 Classifieds/Auctions        2.7%             2.7%                 -2%
Other                                34.3%         37.3%                -8%
Source: The Nielsen Company
 

 
CBS Interactive launched a new CNET News app for the iPhone and iPod Touch, aggregating news stories, blog entries and Twitter accounts by category. Access to CNET’s video podcasts are nowhere to be found.
 
The A-Team Action Pack app is perfect companion to Mr. T’s iPity iPhone app. Shake the phone to activate a range of music, special effects and vehicle sounds, as well as catchphrases from all 4 original cast members. NBC Mobile launched it to promote the availability of season 1 of The A-Team on iTunes.
 

 
Former AskJeeves.com President and COO Adam Klein has been named the new President and CEO of online music portal eMusic. He replaces Daniel Stein effective August 23, who will retain his role as eMusic Chairman. Daniel will also remain CEO of Dimensional Associates (recent purchaser of The Orchard) and President of JDS Capital.
 
WPP’s Kantar Video hired Marc Gaccione as of SVP/Business Development. He will oversee publisher relations as the company prepares for the rollout of its Kantar Videolytics tm online and mobile video platform.
 
Tribune Interactive has upped Linda Schaible to SVP/Product Development and Operations and Shawn Gannon to VP/Product Development.
 
Susan Brazer has been named Chief Commercial Officer of graphics-as-a-service provider Chyron, effective immediately. She reports to Michael Wellesley-Wesley, Chyron CEO.
 
Kent Takano assumes the newly created role of Executive Producer of Branded Entertainment for DIY Network, reporting to Ross Babbit, VP/Programming Partnerships and Special Projects.
 

 
LiveCitizen is a new platform to enable “citizens” to engage in (hopefully civilized) debates about a variety of topics, from politics to pop culture. The site was developed by LA-based start-up Advanced Video Communications, which specializes in B to B video chat and e-commerce systems. Users can browse from dozens of current topics among several subcategories: headlines, entertainment, politics, money, technology, sports or life – leaving comments or participating in user-generated polls. (You must register, manually or via Facebook Connect, to participate.) Over 450 users participated in a thumbs up/thumbs down poll about Arizona’s new immigration law with 71% voting is support of the measure and 28% going the other way. LiveCitizen’s latest tool is LiveDebate, allowing anyone with a webcam to engage in face-to-face live video debates. A taped catty war of words about which Twilight character is hotter – Edward or Jacob – is currently featured on the homepage. LiveCitizen is on to something by providing an easy-to-navigate forum allowing users to explore contentious or passion-inducing issues. The topics for the most part are newsworthy and current and the editors have done a good job of deleting the offensive material. The LiveDebate tool is particularly intriguing if it is expanded to mobile devices such as the iPhone 4.
 
Later — Wayne
Wayne Karrfalt for Cynopsis: Digital
[email protected]
08.04.10

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

Member of Interactive Advertising Bureau (iab)

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

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM COINCIDENT TV

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: PRODUCER EDITORS/HOUSTON: The new Tribune is recruiting anti-establishment preditors to collaborate on a groundbreaking morning news/infotainment format unlike anything ever tried on local TV. www.tribjobs.com Job 15014 (8/11)

JOB OPENING: SR. AD SALES EXEC/Hearst Magazines/NY: Develop and implement sales strategy for media tablet “apps” Work across magazine platform,7-10yrs ad sales exp, be early adapter of changing media technology  [email protected] (8/11)

JOB OPENING: SALES PLANNER-MUSIC CHOICE/LA:Create integrated cross platform proposals,mng accnts,update sales materials,identify & research prospects. 2+yrs of ntwrk/agency exp pref’d. http://musicchoicecareers.iapplicants.com/ (8/11)

JOB OPENING: ONLINE RADIO EDITOR/MarthaStewart.com/NY: Mng all editorial aspects and the radio blog.For more info & to apply: https://careers.mslo.com/Pages/JobDescription.aspx?postid=57 (8/11)

JOB OPENING: WEBSITE METRICS ANALYST/Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia/NY: Resp for analysis and reporting of all key website metrics. More info & to apply: https://careers.mslo.com/Pages/JobDescription.aspx?postid=33 (8/11)

JOB OPENING: DIGITAL MKTG MGR/NYC: Provide strategy & execution of digital mktg efforts (online communities, social media, partnerships) for digital ntwrks (qubo & ION Life) of ION Media Ntwrks EOE [email protected] (8/10)

JOB OPENING: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE/OVATION/NY: Develop & mng new/existing accts. Excellent presentation + negotiation skills, solid agency/client relationships  5+ years media experience. Resumes to: [email protected] (8/10)

JOB OPENING: MGR BUS. OPS/ESPN Inc/NYC:Resp.for mgmt of ad sales support team. Min of 5 yrs exp. in ad ind.TV exp. Pref’d-dig. exp. a +. Strong analytical skills w/mgmt or supervisory exp. Resume: [email protected] EOE/M/F/D/AAP (8/10)

JOB OPENING: RSRCH DIR/SPOTLIGHT/PITTSBURGH PA: Comcast Spotlight: 10+ yrs related rsrch exp; excellent written and oral comm. skills; provide leadership & direction for rsrch team of 3; learn more at www.comcast.com/careers/ (8/10)

JOB OPENING: DIGITAL SALES AE/NYC: small TV Net sales group, 2-5 years sales exp in internet/digital req’d , build/create sales strategies & proposals , young adult exp a + , some travel to Chicago & LA [email protected] (8/10)

JOB OPENING: PUBLICIST /Fuse/NY: Support consumer/trade publicity efforts to gen awareness of Fuse brand. Write, pitch, & execute public relations plans & events. Min 2-3 yrs media rel. exp. Rez to [email protected] “Pub” in subj (8/10)

JOB OPENING: SALES ASSISTANT/THE HOTEL NETWORKS/NYC: 1+ Y.R. Related Media Exp; Organized, Detail-Oriented, Media Math Skills, Word, Excel, PPT Proficient, College Degree Pref, Resumes to [email protected] (8/7)

JOB OPENING: SR. AE/DISNEY INTERACTIVE NY: MUST have 5+ yrs DIGITAL/ONLINE sales + exceed $5mm goals annually. Email: [email protected] (8/7)

JOB OPENING: FORMAT PRODUCER-TEMP/Stamford: CT PROJECT EMPLOYEE–TEMPORARY Format Producer, History Espanol, fluent read write Spanish. Stamford: https://www.abso.com/jobboard/Default.aspx?JOBBOARDID=618&JobDetail=76587 (8/6)

JOB OPENING: AD SALES TRAINING DIRECTOR/Fox Cable Networks/NY: Develop targeted training classes, programs, curriculum for sales systems & business processes. Must have ad sales training/systems bkgrd. www.foxcareers.com, ref FNG20482 (8/6)

JOB OPENING: NTWRK DIG. CONTENT/SOCIAL MEDIA COORD/ ATL: Provide online content/soc ntwking support for on-air prog.Online content & mktg in TV req. Exp w/ MS Excel/Word req.Online content Mgt. sys & Drupal a + Res: [email protected] (8/6)

JOB OPENING: CNS-MANAGER, TRAFFIC/Orlando, FL: Overseas the daily operations of traffic dept/checks logs for errors & communicates w/ ntwrk control/5+ yrs cable traffic exp/detailed oriented www.ecentralmetrics.com/url/?u=7440381166-208 (8/5)

JOB OPENING: WEB DEVELOPER/Hallmark Channel/Studio City: 3 years web develop. & database management. See full posting and apply @ www.hallmarkchannel.com (8/5)

JOB OPENING: SALES COORDINATOR/TV Guide/ NY: Excel skills a +, Organized, Strong comm skills, Work w/AEs/Planners/Sales/Traffic/P&P Marketing. Weekly allocations, deal maintenance, daily comm w/agencies. [email protected] (8/5)

JOB OPENING: DISTRICT REP/ABC Affiliate Rels/LA: Daily client svcs/operational support to stations; enforce netwrk guidelines. Track/record clearances. Min 1 yr exp; must know TV ntwk/station roles. www.disneycareers.com #255704 (8/5)

JOB OPENING: DIGITAL SALES/Scripps Networks/AE/NY: 2+ yrs Digital Planning exp a must. Manage & grow accounts, new biz development, strong Excel & PP. Full details at www.scrippsnetworks.com & select req. #’s 1748, 1749 (8/5)

JOB OPENING: RSRCH MGR/NY: Lead client rsrch needs across all media. 4-7yrs exp media rsrch ind. ad agency. Exc in Nielsen, MRI &/or qual rsrch. Apply: www.mediacomusa.com Click on “careers“ (8/5)

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 INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: Development Company in midtown Manhattan. Good writing skills, attention to detail, and enthusiasm a must! Knowledge of FCP a plus. Start right away, for credit only. Email resumes: [email protected] (8/11)

FALL INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: Oxygen Media/NBCU(NY) DIGITAL EDITORIAL INTERN with an enthusiasm for marketing/online, strong writing/editing skills, social networking,& MS Office. work part time. Resumes to [email protected] (8/11)

FALL INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: GRAPHIC DESIGN/Embassy Row Productions/NYC: intern who is fast and talented with Photoshop or related software. Must receive school credit. Starts early September. Email resume/portfolio to [email protected] (8/7)

FALL INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: Rainbow AD SALES, MARKETING/Woodbury, NY: Unpaid, must be able to get College credit, 2 openings. See full posting and apply to www.cablevision.jobs req id 10523 (8/7)

FALL INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: Discovery Communications/NYC: Looking for bright, motivated for-credit interns working in Ad Sales/HR/ Talent/ Development/ Communications. Must be in SCHOOL. Start end of Sept. resume to [email protected] (8/5)

FALL INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: Discovery Communications/LA: Looking for bright, motivated interns working in Ad Sales/ Public Relations/ Production/ Communications. Must be in SCHOOL. Start end of Sept. resume to [email protected] (8/5)

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: Assistant – Film/Television. 13 yrs. work experience (6+ as an asst.). Internship at Participant Media. Final Cut Pro. Hold MFA, MA, and BA degrees. [email protected] (8/11)

SITUATION WANTED: CHILDREN’S PRODUCER/CREATIVE DEVELOPER Animation and live action. BBC TV trained. 200 credits as producer and 100 credits as writer of children’s and family shows. Canada-based Canadian and UK citizen. [email protected] (8/11)

SITUATION WANTED: PA/ NYC: NYU Film & TV grad seeking entry-level work. Writer/Director/SFX Makeup/Art Department/Production. Can handle both Mac and PC systems with Microsoft Office, FCP, etc. Contact: [email protected] (8/11)

SITUATION WANTED: MULTIPLE AWARD-WINNING PROMO/PSA WRITER/PRODUCER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR, SPECIALIZING IN KIDS FORMATS. OVER TEN YEARS EXPERIENCE. ALSO LIVE ACTION DIRECTOR. RESPOND TO [email protected] (8/10)

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] (8/7)

SITUATION WANTED: EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT position film/TV (NY) 7 years experience: Interned for a President, Executive Assistant to SVP/VP/film director/celebrity [email protected] (8/5)

SITUATION WANTED: PA /NY: Recent tufts grad w/ tv prod, admin. & publish. exper., strong writing skills, work ethic & enthusiasm seeks entry-level TV job; also makes delic. cookies & good at carrying heavy obj. [email protected] (8/5)

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
One Corporate Drive, Suite 724
Shelton, CT 06484
203.926.9878

All outgoing e-mails are scanned and sent out virus free. Copyright Cynopsis 2010