Cynopsis: DIGITAL
02/24/10

Good morning, it’s Wednesday, February 24, 2010, and this is your first early morning digital briefing.

In a letter addressed to FCC Chair Julius Genachowski, ISP’s Verizon, Time Warner and AT&T warned that “far-reaching and destructive consequences” would follow if the FCC starts regulating U.S. internet services more heavily. The FCC is considering moving high-speed internet service from a lightly regulated category to the Title II common carrier classification – one that requires stricter controls. Qwest and several industry group officials also signed the letter. (Comcast, which is seeking government approval for its merger with NBC, did not.) Meanwhile, the FCC released a survey on barriers of entry to bring broadband access to the home and, surprise surprise, affordability led the list. Nearly half of the survey’s 5,000 respondents cited cost as the reason they don’t have broadband. According to survey respondents, their average monthly broadband bill totals $41.
 

 
Call it American Idol meets LG 15. Hulu set March 2 as the premiere date of If I Can Dream. The franchise is an original weekly made-for-the-web reality/game show created by Simon Fuller that tracks the path of a group of young hopefuls trying to make it in Hollywood. Online users can watch and interact with contestants as they go through the public audition process.
 

 
Look for chipmaker Intel’s Intel Capital fund and other VC firms to pour $3.5 billion into technology start-ups over the next two years to help spur innovation and U.S. based job growth. The Invest in America Alliance plan will target key innovation and growth segments such as clean technology, information technology and biotechnology. The program was unveiled yesterday at a speech given to the Brookings Institute by Intel CEO Paul Otellini.
 
Online video platform Ooyala unveiled a new video sharing platform that enables users to grab specific scenes or segments from videos to share or embed elsewhere.
 
OfftheBookshelf.com is a new online bookstore template launched by NBC copyrighter Scott Weisenthal to help unpublished authors sell books to readers in a PDF-based eBook format. The site facilitates publishing of eBooks, audiobooks and print-on-demand paperbacks taking a flat 80 cents per eBook or audiobook rev share plus an additional 6% for “banking fees.”
 
ErGo Media Capital has launched a new VC fund targeting film, video game, music and new media start-ups. The fund is headed by former Cinetic Media co-founder Matt Littin.
 

 
The digital research initiative The Pool, led by Publicis’ VivaKi unit, named Hulu‘s Ad Selector model as the online video format the industry should back over the much maligned pre-roll. According to extensive research unveiled at the IAB Annual Leadership Conference, Ad Selector – which allows users to pick from a selection of brand messages – led to 106% higher click-thru rates and 290% higher online ad recall rates than standard pre-roll ads.
 
Pointing to data culled from its proprietary Market Map technology, Adify found significant CPM growth across select vertical ad network sites last year, including a 64% increase in the Beauty & Fashion category and a 57% increase in the Business vertical. Adify also said that 83.5% of top 10 ad networks’ total impressions stem from comScore 100 sites.
 

News Corp. acquired a 9.09% stake in diversified Saudi media group Rotana Media for $70 million with the option of doubling its stake in the future. Rotana, whose digital assets include the largest Arabic film and music libraries and an online music VOD site modeled on Hulu, already shows programming from News Corp’s Fox channels in Saudi Arabia via its terrestrial broadcast station.
 
Apple attracted waves of protests from developers by initiating a ban on iPhone apps that feature suggestive, adult themed material. Among the victims of the purge are the puzzle game SlideHer, in which users rearrange a photo to reveal the image of a bikini-clad girl. Indie developers cried foul, complaining that apps from large media concerns such as SI‘s Swimsuit Edition app were left on the platform.
 
Looking to add to its gaming portfolio, Warner Bros. has acquired a 70% stake in London-based Rocksteady Studios, developer of the popular Batman: Arkham Asylum game.
 
Two of the larger iPhone game developers Ngmoco and Freeverse have joined forces. Freeverse has focused on paid apps such as Skee-Ball and Flick Bowling while Ngmoco has pursued “freemium” games that make money by selling in-game content. Ngmoco, the larger of the two, just completed a $25 million round of financing to help pull off the deal.
 
Microsoft and Amazon signed a cross-license agreement giving both companies access to each other’s patent portfolio. The deal covers a broad range of products, including Amazon’s Kindle and Amazon’s use of Linux-based servers.
 

 
Americans’ media behavior is most greatly affected by their stage in life, rather than demographic or economic factors according to the new “Life Stage” study conducted by E-Poll and USC’s Entertainment Technology Center on behalf of Hallmark Channel. For the purposes of advertising, media consumption and technology adoption, audiences should be categorized into Teens, College Students, Recent Grads, Single No Kids, New Nesters, Established Families, Married No Kids and Empty Nesters:
 
Affinity for Media Technologies – “Importance”
Product / Service        Important                      Less Important
Laptop Computer   College Students-80%  Established Families – 54%
Smartphone            Single No Kids – 64%         Empty Nesters – 32%
TiVo/DVR                Empty Nesters – 63%                     Teens – 21%
iPod with video                    Teens – 51%  Established Families – 24%
HDTV                       New Nesters –  44%                       Teens – 13%
iPod with/out video  College Students-40%         Empty Nesters – 18%
HD Channels          Married No Kids – 33%                      Teens  – 9%
DVD Player                 New Nesters – 32%                       Teens – 16%
Netflix, etc.              New Nesters – 30%               Recent Grads – 11%
Handheld Game Sys.  Single No Kids- 30%            Recent Grads  – 3%
Video Game Console College Students-29%           Recent Grads – 16%
Home Theater System   Single No Kids-26%                     Teens – 8%
VOD                             New Nesters – 19%                      Teens – 7%
Source: Life Stage: Its Impact on the Future of Traditional and Emerging Media, 2009
 

 
One of the more ambitious movie-themed iPhone apps was released yesterday in Disney Interactive Studio’s “Alice in Wonderland – An Adventure Beyond the Mirror.” The $4.99 app features multiple levels of puzzles, challenges and games using imagery from the upcoming Tim Burton release. The games utilize the phone’s GPS, camera and photo library to advance and unlock hidden items.
 
Telemundo‘s Television Station Group has launched the first set of iPhone apps for local Spanish-language TV stations with mobile partner LSN Mobile. Spanish-language news, weather, sports, entertainment, lottery and horoscope content will be offered on individual apps tailored for each of Telemundo’s “A La Mano” (On hand) markets, named for a mobile initiative with LSN launched in 2007.
 
Discovery’s TLC also has its own iPhone app now, featuring sharable video clips from the network’s top shows. The network worked with Zumobi on the app, which also links to full episodes available for purchase on iTunes.
 

 
MTV announced a digital ad sales reorganization heading into this year’s upfront. Suzanne McDonnell was named SVP, Digital Fusion and Heather Hopkins was tapped to lead Marketing and Sales Development. Heather will also continue to lead the Tribes vertical ad network. Both will report to Kevin Arrix, who was upped to EVP/Digital Advertising Sales.
 
Online video ad firm YuMe has appointed Michael Hudes, former Interpublic Group executive, as EVP. He will focus on corporate development and the adoption of YuMe’s ACE video advertising platform.
 
Former Fox executive Jonathan Ross has joined 3D technology and services firm XpanD as the company’s first worldwide President, Content & Distribution. He is charged with growing XpanD’s 3D Content business in Theatrical, Home Entertainment, Corporate, Gaming, and Educational markets. Jonathan previously managed international digital-cinema deployment and operations for 20th Century Fox.
 
Social targeting company Media6Degrees has appointed Claudia Perlich as Chief Scientist following a five-year stint at IBM Research.

New York-based digital design firm Zemoga has hired former KIT Digital director Kamron Hinatsu as Client Strategist.
 
Kirby Ferguson was added as Videographer and Editor of the MAC Group.
 
Erik Wemple has been named Editor of the local news startup soon to be launched by Allbritton Communications in the Washington region. Erik spent 8 years as Editor of Washington City Paper.
 

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM concrete5

 
The web is yielding some innovative applications that are making the job of monitoring the temperature and Ph balance of the watercooler a lot easier. Digital tracking platform Trendrr has come up with a new real-time dashboard aimed at TV networks, film studios and record labels that allows producers to track and aggregate buzz surrounding their properties by location, gender, volume, sentiment and influence. A page put together for the Olympics tracks volume of postings by time of day, top individual markets and regions and demographic split. As users mention the Olympics on over 50 top sites including Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and eBay, marketers can watch to see where the needle is moving. Speaking of the needle, there’s also a tool – illustrated by a voltage meter – that measures what % of chatter is positive, negative or neutral. Although some of Trendrr’s research is free, the entertainment dashboard is part of the Trendrr Pro service.
 
Check www.cynopsis.com for the current primetime broadcast schedule, as well as Sports, International and more general industry news … and a new discussion board – join the conversation!

Later – Wayne
Wayne Karrfalt for Cynopsis: Digital
[email protected]
02.24.10

Check www.cynopsis.com for the current primetime broadcast schedule, as well as Sports, International and more general industry news … and a new discussion board – join the conversation!

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

JOB OPENING: CREATIVE DIR/FOX Sports MKTG. Lead/manage LA based creative promo campaigns for multi-sports networks. Strong VFX; 5+ yrs on-air promo exp-related commercial/agency/trailer exp. Resumes to www.foxcareers.com FNG18628 (3/3)

JOB OPENING: INTERNATIONAL TV PRGRM SALES EXEC/LA:5+ yrs min w/reality,specials, series, formats. Team player, major mkt exp, salary plus incent. Send industry ref, salary to: [email protected] (3/3)

JOB OPENING: LINE PROD/ Silver Spring: Contract thru agency mng major new series. Sprvs budget, sched, legal req’s, & deliverables. Seeking a career prod mgr, pref exp at DIR/EIC level.  [email protected]    (3/2)

JOB OPENING: PR ASSOCIATE TELENEXT MEDIA, Inc/NY:- PR and promotion of several entertainment properties, including a television show & websites. 3-5 yrs exp. necessary. Full details: http://telenextmedia.com/#/career-opportunities/ (2/27)

JOB OPENING: ACCT MGR DIRECT RESPONSE-BET NETWORKS:Bachelor Degree, 5+yrs exp. in advertising industry, knowledge of broadcast cable/DR industry, strong mathematical & interpersonal skills. resume: [email protected] (2/27)

JOB OPENING: ACCT MGR/MSA Media/NYC:  Relationship mgmt, consulting, product mgmt, project mgmt, bus development, mktg, third party mgmt – Gabriel/other SW. Min 5 yrs exp. Send resume/Salary to: [email protected] (2/27)

JOB OPENING: SALES ASST/Cablevision Norwalk, CT:   Min1 yrs exp in Ad. Mktg, Sales or Bus related field. Support Ad Sales team. Prof in Word/Excel/Ppt. See full posting and apply to www.cablevision.jobs req 10644BR (2/27)

JOB OPENING: BROADCAST PUBLICITY ADMIN/CBS Communications/NY: Work with CBS Broadcast Publicity staff promoting CBS & CW Programs to Broadcast & Online outlets. Apply to http://www.cbscorporation.com/corp_careers.php Position number 4741 (2/27)

JOB OPENING: RESEARCH ANALYST/ABC FAMILY/CA: min 1 yrs exp in TV research, apt at Nielsen, strong written & analytical skills, college degree pref. Apply at: www.disneyabcjobs.com (ID 228606 (2/26)

JOB OPENING: SR OFFLINE MKTG MGR/Vonage/Homdel NJ: Dvlp/implement off-line media plans. Work w/agency & cross functionally w/in mktg from strategy, exec to analysis. Exc knwldg of media req’d.Resume: [email protected] (2/26)

JOB OPENING: DESIGN DIR/(Syfy)/NBCU/NY: Will work under VP Creative to art dir, maint & grow the “look & feel” of Syfy brand, on-air, & also extending onto new media platforms & into adjacent bus. as req’d. www.nbcjobs.com 1147114 (2/26)

JOB OPENING:  DIRECTOR, BUSINESS & LEGAL AFFAIRS at The Hub/LA. Must have TV acquisition and development experience. Apply at:  http://careers.discovery.com/ req # 9490   (2/25)

JOB OPENING: SALES ASSISTANT/Gameshow Network/NYC:  Report to VP Sales and Operations. Data entry in Dealmaker system. Please send resume and CL to [email protected]  (2/25)

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

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] .

SPRING INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY:  GSN The Gameshow Network/Graphic Design Unpaid Internship: Proof of school credit req. Send resume and Cover letter to [email protected] (2/26)

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: EXEC BIZ DEV/STRATEGY/CONTENT PARTNERSHIPS/NY: expert Lego builder. 10 yrs TV exp building awesome spaceships. Harvard MBA. 2009 40 Under 40. Your next right hand. [email protected] (3/3)

SITUATION WANTED: PRODUCER/EDITOR/VIDEOGRAPHER:NYC/NJ based Producer with 15 years of broadcast TV experience. Specialize in producing weekly magazine programs – Contact [email protected] (3/3)

SITUATION WANTED: EIC/LINE PRODUCER with 10+ yrs exp. Variety, Docu-Reality, Game Show, Scripted, Competition/Elimination- Mngd biz of Prod. Co’s. for major TV & cable nets. Looking for next project. [email protected] (3/3)

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]  (3/3)

SITUATION WANTED: Seeking FT position at advertising agency or TV network (3 yrs exp at children’s ad agency with responsibilities ranging from asst buying, traffic, clearance, & finalizing invoices). Plz email me: [email protected] (3/2)

SITUATION WANTED: Hard working, organized PRODUCTION MANAGER (NY) with Field Producing and Post Supervisor experience seeks challenging new position. Past companies include HBO, MTV, A&E, Thirteen & Nat Geo. [email protected] (3/2)

SITUATION WANTED: PRODUCER/WRITER/DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT: NYC based Producer with over 8 years of reality, doc, music programming, and news experience. Domestic and international Field and Post network credits – [email protected] (3/2)

SITUATION WANTED: DIGITAL MEDIA/CABLE/BUSINESS AFFAIRS ATTORNEY Broad in-house exp in content prod & distribution, new media, operations, cable affiliate & ad sales. Avail for project/consultant/FT. Contact [email protected] (2/27)

SITUATION WANTED: DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION (NYC)Highly experienced CD working concept through completion. Portfolio: www.baerdavis.com Email: [email protected] (2/27)

SITUATION WANTED: Creative COPYWRITER. Award-winning, all media, affordable. [email protected]. For FREE samples, visit https://freebeaaron.wordpress.com (2/27)

SITUATION WANTED:  Need a Video or Spot? Need to engage an audience? See my Reel SPOT DIRECTOR Seeking Representation, Freelance or Staff gig. Major Credits, Effectiveness & Awards. [email protected] (2/27)

SITUATION WANTED: DEVELOPMENT PRODUCER/LA: To dive in, develop, and create presentation materials for your unscripted/factually based ideas-from concept to pitch. Email: [email protected] (2/25)

E-mail [email protected] or call Trish Pihonak at 203.926.9878 for rates and specs for Job Openings.

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

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