Cynopsis: DIGITAL
03/17/10
Good morning, it’s Wednesday, March 17, 2010, and this is your first early morning digital briefing.
ESPN and CBS, if he makes the cut, may have the honor of telecasting the most-watched golf event of all time. (There’s no more ad inventory to sell, but hey, it’s still an honor.) Tiger Woods announced he is returning for The Masters this year, his first competition since the #1-ranked golfer’s public fall from grace, scheduled for April 8-11 in Augusta, GA. The tournament will be broadcast in 3D for the first time this year via a dedicated channel in Comcast systems. The MSO and IBM, the tournament’s technology partner, will also offer the 3D feed via Masters.com.
Larry Charles of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm fame is teaming with Dan Lyon, author of the Fake Steve Jobs blog, to develop an original comedy for the new multiplatform channel Epix. “iCON,” produced by Media Rights Capital, is described as a “savage satire centering on a fictional Silicon Valley CEO whose ego is a study in power and greed.” Hmm – who could it be about?
Twitter CEO Evan Williams unveiled the company’s “@Anywhere” platform at SXSW this week, a plan to distribute Twitter links and data to partner sites, blogs and media outlets using simple java script. “Hovercards” will appear on third party sites that will reveal Twitter info when a user hovers their mouse over the card. The platform can also be used to register for new sites, a la Facebook Connect. Amazon, Yahoo, The NYTimes, Ad Age, YouTube and Digg will be among the participants in the launch.
Online video distribution and tracking service TubeMogul unveiled a new video ad network dubbed “PlayTime” promising to identify videos that are most likely to be watched. The service will serve targeted standalone video ads to video, social networking and gaming sites allowing advertisers to compare performance metrics before they place the buy. Precise performance of the ads will then be presented in a dashboard by site, enabling advertisers to identify the most successful outlets. Early field tests of TubeMogul’s collaborative filtering and targeting technology yielded increases in video viewing-time between 200%-300% compared to control groups, according to the company.
Rogue Pictures and Tongal launched a campaign inspiring MacGruber fans to create videos based on one-liners from the upcoming spinoff of the SNL skit. Creators will try to accumulate views by sharing videos to popular social networking sites via Tongal.com during the weeks leading up to the feature release on May 21. The most viewed video will win a “Hometown Screening” of MacGruber with the top 5 entries receiving cash prizes.
Universal digital literacy, 90% broadband penetration, a national public wireless network and a web-connected health care system are cornerstones of the FCC‘s 376-page Broadband Plan, revealed to the public on Tuesday with a stern warning. “If we don’t act, we face real risks to our global competitiveness,” noted FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski in a video address. The some 200 recommendations in the plan will need to be approved separately, with the agency planning a series of about 40 notices of proposed rulemaking in the coming months. Responses to the plan were mostly positive, although ISPs expressed some concern that increased regulation could hamper efforts to improve their networks.
Time Warner Cable launched its DOCSIS “wideband” 50 Mbps download high-speed internet service in Dallas, TX and Buffalo NY yesterday, offered to residential customers for $99.95/mo. TWC unveiled the service in New York City last year.
Dimensional Associates, a unit of JDS Capital, is acquiring the remaining portion of the online indie music distributor The Orchard it doesn’t already own in a stock deal worth $13 million. Dimensional, which also owns eMusic.com, was primary owner of The Orchard from 2003 to 2007 and currently holds 42% of the company’s shares.
Americans are growing accustomed to surfing and watching television simultaneously, with 10% or more of viewers visiting social networks, searching the web and browsing content during major TV events, according to Nielsen. For instance, of the 29% of TV households who tuned into the Oscars on March 7, more than 13% spent time on the web at the same time (up from 25.6% and 8.7% in ’09). Facebook, Google and Yahoo received a lion’s share of that traffic.
Simultaneous Viewing Summary By Event
’09 Super Bowl ’09 Oscars ’10 Super Bowl ’10 Oscars
% of Population Watching Event 49.10% 25.60% 47.40% 29.10%
TV Viewers Also Going Online 12.80% 8.70% 14.50% 13.30%
Source: The Nielsen Company
2010 Academy Awards Top 10 Domains by Simultaneous Usage
Rank Domain % of Sim. Visitors Sim. Minutes Per Visitor
1 facebook.com 39.5% 15.7
2 google.com 35.1% 3.0
3 yahoo.com 31.0% 5.8
4 msn.com 10.7% 1.9
5 aol.com 10.0% 3.0
6 comcast.net 6.6% 3.0
7 myspace.com 6.3% 9.8
8 live.com 5.9% 5.1
9 wikipedia.org 5.5% 3.9
10 youtube.com 5.2% 3.5
Source: The Nielsen Company
Video game sales plunged by 15% in Feb. according to the NPD Group – the 10th monthly decline for the industry in the past 12 months. Console sales also dropped 20% to $426 million due to discounting with the Microsoft’s Xbox 360 platform leading the way selling 422k units, an 8% y/y gain.
Video Game Sales in Dollars – Feb. 2010
Category Feb.09 Feb.10 % Change
Video Games $1.48b $1.26b -15%
Hardware $534.2m $426.4m -20%
Software $736.7m $624.4m -15%
Accessories $206.1m $204.7m -1%
Source: NPD Group
Video Game Console Sales – Feb. 2010
Console Units Sold
Nintendo DS 613.2k
Xbox 360 422.0k
Wii 397.9k
PlayStation 3 360.1k
PSP 133.4k
PlayStation2 101.9k
Source: NPD Group
Universal Music Group has launched an ambitious new iPhone app that recreates the experience of strumming a guitar. Users of the $4.99 “Six-String” are required to pluck, strum and change chords to play along with a collection of 6 included tracks including Tom Petty’s “Runnin’ Down a Dream” and Peter Frampton’s “Show Me The Way” and can post their scores to Facebook or Twitter. 20 additional tracks are also available for purchase.
Convinced that a segment of “Guitar Hero” and “Rock Band” players are ready to take the next step, “Power Gig: Rise of the SixString” from Seven45 Studios in Boston is also heading to market in the fall with a Six String device to offer a more realistic music experience. The game will launch initially for the Xbox 360 and PS3 then later the Wii.
David Lawrence’s Rehearsal iPhone app for actors is officially a hit – landing on Apple’s “What’s Hot” staff recommendation section then receiving subsequent recommendations by Apple UK, Italy, Australia and Japan. Mr. Lawrence tells us that, despite a temporary server issue, it’s been downloaded over 70,000 times thus far.
Bruce Perlmutter has joined E! Entertainment in the newly created role of SVP/News and Online, overseeing the news division across all platforms, including E! News, Daily 10, E! Online and E! News Now. Bruce reports to Suzanne Kolb, President, Marketing, News and Online for E! Entertainment and The Style Network.
FishBowl Worldwide Media has tapped former Fox comedy development executive Susan Levison as EVP/Creative Affairs, responsible for creative development across all platforms including scripted and unscripted franchises for global television, film and digital distribution. Susan will report to Bruce Gersh, President and CEO.
With the rise of foreign language translation software, professional translators are one of the more Luddite-like groups who are understandably fearful of the spread of technology. SpeakLike is a new translation platform integrating today with a new plug-in for the top blogging platform WordPress that combines automation with the principles of crowd-sourcing. The system relies on humans but makes their job easier by introducing consensus-reached shortcuts and other automations. The company operates a network of about 3,000 human translators across the globe who pick up work on the fly to translate emails, press releases, software documentation, legal documents and now blog entries. Publishers pay anywhere from 6 to 16 cents/word to have their text translated into one of 35 languages. That’s on par or cheaper than the going rates. But the real selling point is that turn around can be guaranteed within the hour and much less time for short bursts of text, according to Founder and CEO Stanford Cohen. The platform is easy to use and at once ubiquitous; SpeakLike even has a Twitter translation tool and an iPhone app that MIP-TV attendees may want to consider. Use the phone to take a picture of a sign or a menu and SpeakLike will translate it for you lickety split.
Correction : Slebisodes is the name of the Patrick Bardwell’s new online guide for web series, as in webisodes.
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WOTD
Later – Wayne
Wayne Karrfalt for Cynopsis: Digital
[email protected]
03.17.10
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JOB OPENING: COUNSEL /iN DEMAND/NYC: Contract management, copyright & trademark, standards & practices. JD plus 3 yrs cable/entertainment. Reply: [email protected] (3/24)
JOB OPENING: SUPERVISOR, PROGRAMMING/iN DEMAND/NYC: Create/Maintain/Track PPV, VOD, SVOD scheduling docs. Data gathering/delivery deadlines with program suppliers. Bachelors + 3 yrs exp. Reply: [email protected] (3/24)
JOB OPENING: DIR, BUSINESS & LEGAL AFFAIRS: Production, Talent agreements, etc. For indy producer. NY. Entertainment law experience a big plus. Great opportunity. [email protected] (3/23)
JOB OPENING: VP LEGAL/BIZ AFFAIRS for NY media company. Draft review & negotiate agreements including, ad sales, distribution, new media, programming, talent, rights and other IP. res to: [email protected] (3/23)
JOB OPENING: RESEARCH ANALYST/AETN/Los Angeles: Anlyz LT & comp rtings prfrmnce, prov anlyses/reprts fr Prog & Mrktng. Exp in TV rsrch/data anlysis. https://www.abso.com/jobboard/Default.aspx?JOBBOARDID=618&JobDetail=70005 (3/23)
JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR, MEDIA AD SALES RESEARCH/NY-Warner Bros. TV Dist: (Syndication) strong analytical and presentation skills. Adept w/Nielsen, Galaxy, Npower, + Simmons. Email: [email protected] RE: UCTC/117019BR (3/20)
JOB OPENING: DIR, AD SALES MARKETING/PRN/SF: Lead day-to-day, strategy for team that preps custom, client specific persuasive mktg materials for nat’l sales team. 7+ yrs sales mktg digital or brdcst http://jobs-prncorp.icims.com (3/20)
JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR OF SALES, POST-PRODUCTION & DIGITAL MEDIA SOLUTIONS/LA: Lead sales efforts of traditional post-production and digital media solutions. 5 yrs min. exp. req’d. Apply: www.ascentmedia.com/careers (3/20)
JOB OPENING: Sr. MANAGER SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING/Showtime/NY: 5yrs exp, develop and manage social media mrktg projects to drive series awareness. Apply at: www.sho.com/site/about/careers.do (3/20)
JOB OPENING: MANAGER, RETAIL SALES RESEARCH NICK/Viacom CP/NYC: 2+yrs database processing/analysis, Strng CP Analytical exp, Mastery w/Excel, Nielsen/IRI/Walmart Retail Link A+ EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvnetworkscareers.com (3/20)
JOB OPENING: VP OFF-CHANNEL COMMUNICATIONS/ Nickelodeon /NYC: 10+yrs PR exp, Strng Nat’l/Trade Press Relations, Stng exp CP/Digi/TV & Business, Strng Corporate Comm exp, Strng Writ/Pitch skills Apply www.mtvnetworkscareers.com (3/20)
JOB OPENING: ABC Family/NY: VP AD SALES MKTG: Oversee ad sales mktg dept, dvlpmt & exec of intgrtd client promos, dev sales collateral/presentations Conduit betw sales & internal dept 10+ yrs exp www.disneycareers.com # 232482 (3/20)
JOB OPENING: VP SERIES DEVELOPMENT REALITY/MTV/LA: 7+ yrs exp TV Prod &/or Dev; Exp w/reality based programming all formats; EOE/M/F/D/AAP www.mtvnetworkscareers.com (3/19)
JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR, SERIES DEVELOPMENT-REALITY/MTV/NYC: 5+ yrs exp TV Prod &/or Dev; Exp w/reality based programming all formats; EOE/M/F/D/AAP www.mtvnetworkscareers.com (3/19)
JOB OPENING: ANALYST, SALES PLAN’G/MTVN/NYC: Support Content Dist & Mktg Finance team; Prepare rev budgets & forecasts; Provide finan’l analysis & advice on new deals & growth strategies. 2-3yrs exp. Apply: www.mtvnetworkscareers.com (3/18)
JOB OPENING: ACCT MGR/Petry Media/Chicago: Sell commercial time on multiple cable networks & new products. 3 + yrs ad sales exp. Cable, broadcast, direct sales prefer. Travel as required. Apply: [email protected] (3/18)
JOB OPENING: DIR, DOMESTIC PRGRM DIST/HBO/NYC: Sell HBO Prgrmng – license films, movies, series & stand-up comedy to brdcstrs/cable ntwrks. Min 5 yrs sales exp. & travel 25%. Apply http://www.hbo.com/#/about/index.html – 116999BR (3/18)
JOB OPENING: PROD MGR/(WEtv)/NY: Oversees day-to-day prod ops. Responsible for reviewing& negotiating prod line-by-line budgets, schedules, cost reports& prod logistics.Min. 5 yr exp. Ref# at www.cablevision.jobs Ref: 10858BR (3/18)
JOB OPENING: MARKETING MANAGER/COOKING CHANNEL/ NY: manage integrated mktg, promo, partnerships & advertising for Food Network sister brand. 5-7 yrs. TV consumer mktg is preferred. Apply: www.scrippsnetworks.com, job #1316 (3/20)
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: AD SALES/NBCU,LA:Summer Interns needed for the West Coast National Ad Sales office of NBC Universal for both the Network and Cable sales teams. [email protected] (3/20)
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: EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT position film/TV (NY): 7 years experience: Interned for a President, Executive Assistant to SVP/VP/film director/celebrity [email protected] (3/24)
SITUATION WANTED: SHORT FORM VIDEO CONTENT PRODUCER: From conception to creation: I write, produce & direct content for online & interstitial on-air. Ten years experience, self starter, NY based but will travel. [email protected] (3/24)
SITUATION WANTED: Dedicated & Experienced ADV. SALES PLANNER. Sales proposals, resolving client discrepancies, quarterly post analysis, special sales service projects, expert computer skills. Contact- [email protected] (3/24)
SITUATION WANTED: Entry Level PR – Completed 4 Internships -Publicity/Columbia, TV Prod./MTV, Ent./RJM, Talent Cast’g/Studio Center. BS in Media/PR, Management exp. Fashion and Newspaper Adv. [email protected] (3/23)
SITUATION WANTED: Creative COPYWRITER. Award-winning, all media, affordable. [email protected]. For FREE samples, visit https://freebeaaron.wordpress.com (3/23)
SITUATION WANTED: 9x Emmy winning CREATIVE PRODUCER/ATL seeking freelance. Great w/ clients.15yr exp in promo/creative TV. Also ON-AIR HOST/EMCEE -see raycomsports.com (ROAD TRIP) [email protected] site: www.pack30productions.com (3/23)
SITUATION WANTED: EXEC ASST/NYC: Successful track record supporting the efforts of office mngmnt incl.President & CEO. Strong oral & written comm & interpersonal skills.15+ yrs exp cable & telecomm ind. Email: [email protected] (3/23)
SITUATION WANTED: EIC/LINE PRODUCER Available now.10+ yrs exp. Variety, Docu-Reality, Game Show, Scripted, Competition/Elimination- Mngd Productions for major TV & cable nets. Looking for next project. [email protected] (3/20)
SITUATION WANTED: 2D MOTION GRAPHICS DESIGNER (NY/CT) 20+ years exp. in TV & post-production. Freelance, pt. time or full time. www.DarleneRuess.com , www.linkedin.com/in/darleneruess, email [email protected] (3/20)
SITUATION WANTED: Seasoned Pro with 5+ yrs exp in media looking for Client Services/Campaign Management position in online, radio, tv, or entertainment. please email me at [email protected] (3/20)
SITUATION WANTED: ART/CREATIVE DIRECTOR (NYC): Concept through completion. Portfolio: www.baerdavis.com Email: [email protected] (3/19)
SITUATION WANTED: EDITOR/DIRECTOR 10+ years in the industry, from Film to Reality Television. Demos and resume can be seen at www.LuckyRoosterFilms.com , I can be contacted at [email protected] (3/19)
SITUATION WANTED: 20+ yrs. experience in TV Broadcasting & Cable ACCOUNTING/FINANCE. Seeking FT/PT or Temp-to-Perm position: [email protected] (3/19)
SITUATION WANTED: TALENT COORDINATOR/PRODUCTION ASSISTANT (Miami) Detail oriented, creative, 2+ yrs experience. Extensive experience in music/entertainment industry & live shows & performances. [email protected] (3/18)
SITUATION WANTED: INTERACTIVE/MEDIA PRODUCER- EDITOR- CREAT. DIRECTOR: Available Now – Boston area or work remotely. 20+ yrs exp. Clients include: IFC, Bravo, NASCAR, Comcast. Online: bglewandowski.com Email: [email protected] (3/18)
SITUATION WANTED: PARTNERSHIPS/DIGITAL MEDIA/NY: Barbie expert. 10 yrs TV exp building houses in Malibu. Harvard MBA. 2009 40 Under 40. Your next right hand. [email protected] (3/18)
SITUATION WANTED: POST PRODUCTION PRODUCER/SUPERVISOR: 8+ years exp in post production as Avid Editor and Producer. Skilled in all aspects of post production. Contact: [email protected] (3/18)
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