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Today's Headlines
Tuesday, 02/09/10
FCC: Traditional Media Won't Get Bailouts
Broadcasting & Cable
The decline and fall of U.S. newspapers and broadcasters is fine as long as their function is replaced by something else, says Steven Waldman, senior advisor to the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. "Saving any particular industry is not our job."
Media Investors Hunt for Bargains in 2010
Associated Press
The number of media merger and acquisition deals fell by 49% in 2009, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The deals continued to favor online media. Going forward, investors will be "bargain hunting" in broadcasting and certain publishing businesses.
Viacom in Talks to Buy Murdoch's Fuel TV
SportsBusiness Journal
News Corp.'s Fox Cable Networks is said to be in advanced talks to sell its action sports channel Fuel TV to Viacom. Fuel TV, which focuses on extreme sports such as skateboarding and motocross, is seen as a good fit with Viacom's portfolio of cable channels like MTV.
Disney, Google Eye Stake in Chinese Media
Reuters
A Disney-led consortium is in advanced discussions to buy into Bus Online, China's largest in-bus digital media and advertising company. Google, which threatened to quit China last month over censorship and hacking, is said to be among investors in the consortium.
Google Preps Attack on Facebook, Twitter
Wall Street Journal
Google is preparing to expand Gmail to include social-networking features such as status updates and media sharing -- offerings similar to services from Facebook and Twitter. But whether users will want to blend sending email with browsing friends' content is unclear.
Google Eyes Language Translator Phone
Times of London
Google is developing software for the first phone capable of translating foreign languages almost instantly. By building on existing technologies in voice recognition and automatic translation, the Internet giant hopes to have a basic system ready within a couple of years.
Apple CEO Scolds WSJ Editor Over Tweet
Gawker / Post
Apple CEO Steve Jobs reportedly went "ballistic" when Alan Murray, the Wall Street Journal's online executive editor, tweeted about the iPad after a private presentation of the new device. Murray's tweet has been deleted. Earlier: "Don't be stupid" with Twitter, Murray says.
CBS: Super Bowl Most Watched U.S. Show
Bloomberg
CBS says the Super Bowl was seen by an estimated 106.5 million people, becoming the most-watched program in U.S. television history. The broadcast of the New Orleans Saints' victory over the Indianapolis Colts surpassed the 1983 season finale of "M*A*S*H."
ABC: Toyota Yanks Ads from Local Stations
ABC News
Toyota dealers in five southeast states are pulling their commercials off local ABC affiliates, complaining about the coverage of the automaker's safety problems by ABC News and its investigative reporter Brian Ross. The shift is due to "excessive stories on the Toyota issues."
MTV Dropping 'Music Television' from Logo
New York Daily News
MTV is unveiling a new logo, with photos of network talent, including the cast of "Jersey Shore," seen through it. For the first time in almost 30 years, the logo drops the "music television" tagline. The Viacom network says it is "definitely going in a new direction."
TV Ads Growing Less Effective, Study Says
Boston Business
Marketers' lack of confidence in the effectiveness of television spots is being reflected in smaller TV budgets, according to a joint survey from the Association of National Advertisers and Forrester Research. TV ads "have grown less effective in the past two years."
Sirius XM: Howard Stern Confirms 'Idol' Talks
New York Post
Shock jock Howard Stern admits that he is considering leaving radio to become a judge on Fox's "American Idol" next season. "There's not a better job on the planet than judging that f----ing karaoke contest,” he says to listeners during his Sirius XM radio show.
MySpace Music Experiments with Audio Ads
Associated Press
MySpace Music is experimenting with audio advertisements that users must hear if they want to listen to music for free online. The 30-second ads are impossible to avoid, unlike the visual, banner ads that can be put out of sight in background windows.
Foursquare Inks Deals With Media Brands
Mashable
Zagat, Warner Bros., HBO and the History Channel are among the media brands entering deals with Foursquare, the location-based social-networking app. Zagat.com is extending its partnership beyond Foursquare and starting an interview series with Foursquare mayors.
Video Games: Consumers Will Pay Online
Los Angeles Times
While traditional media companies struggle to find profitable business models on the Web, the games industry is experimenting with a variety of methods to generate revenue online. Digital sales are growing fast and could be the future of the video-game business.
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Media Quote of the Day
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"If all the newspapers and TV stations disappeared tomorrow, in theory that could be fine if they were immediately replaced by something else that would serve the same function. We fully expect that some of what was being done by newspapers won't be done by newspapers anymore. There is a tremendous amount of innovation going on now among former newspaper journalists, citizen journalists and local groups. We need to recognize the new media developments are in some ways not only as good as, but better than traditional media."
— FCC senior advisor Steven Waldman
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Barnes & Noble: Nook in Stores by Midweek
Reuters
Barnes & Noble's Nook e-reader will be available in most of its stores by Wednesday, ahead of Valentine's Day, ending weeks of delays. The device, which competes with Amazon's Kindle, had only been available for order on the retailer's Web site or at in-store kiosks.
Magazine Circulation Numbers Keep Falling
Dow Jones
Magazine circulation is continuing to fall, according to preliminary data from the Audit Bureau of Circulation. Better Homes & Gardens is eclipsing Reader's Digest as the most purchased magazine in the United States. TV Guide is seeing the biggest decline.
Murdoch UK Newspaper Sued by Brangelina
BBC
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are suing Rupert Murdoch's British tabloid News of the World for publishing allegations that the couple planned to separate. The "false and intrusive" charges have been "widely republished by mainstream news outlets," they say.
Playboy Shareholder Sues Founder Hefner
TMZ
An unnamed Playboy shareholder is said to be suing founder Hugh Hefner, alleging that he sabotaged two recent deals to sell the company at a decent price. "Today, the price of a Playboy magazine is far higher than the price of Playboy common stock."
Vanity Fair Sparks Online Bonfire at Yahoo
New York Times
Yahoo Shine, an online community aimed at women, posted an item last week wondering why the cover of Vanity Fair's "New Hollywood" issue depicted only up and comers who happened to be white. The item set off more than 18,000 comments, including threats.
SI Unveils Swimsuit Issue on Letterman
New York Daily News
Brooklyn Decker, the wife of tennis star Andy Roddick, is the 2010 Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover girl, revealed on CBS' "The Late Show with David Letterman." During the show, Letterman cut away to a billboard in Times Square to unveil the cover of the special issue.
Craigslist Releases App for BlackBerry
IDG News
Research In Motion is signing off on the "official" Craigslist mobile app for its BlackBerry smartphones. The app, developed by Movela, is described as "better organized and both easier and faster to navigate" than Craigslist's Web site. The app sells for $4.99.
Hearst Won't Close SF Chronicle Soon
SFGate
Despite its struggles, the San Francisco Chronicle won't be closing down anytime soon, according to Hearst exec Phil Bronstein, the newspaper's former editor. "That's just my belief and my observation," he says. "Anything I tell you could be completely wrong or change tomorrow."
Amen! Super Bowl to 'Save' Newspaper
Times-Picayune
The New Orleans Times-Picayune is seeing "unprecedented demand" for Monday's edition celebrating the hometown Saints' Super Bowl victory. The edition, with a five-inch-tall "Amen!" headline, is expected to be the best-selling issue in the newspaper's 173-year history.
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MAGAZINES & NEWSPAPERS
MediaNews to Add Fee Model to Web Sites
Bloomberg
MediaNews says it will start charging a fee for some articles on two of its newspapers' Web sites in May. The publisher plans to adopt a metered pay system similar to the one in place at the Financial Times and to a plan announced last month by New York Times.
Seattle Times Says 'We're Here to Stay'
Seattle Times
The Seattle Times Co. is entering an agreement to restructure its debt, a move that it says will ensure its long-term survival. "The Seattle Times is here to stay," the company says in a full-page newspaper ad. "We felt it important to put these rumors to rest."
SI Swimsuit Cover Unveiling Set for CBS
MarketWatch
Sports Illustrated is publishing its annual swimsuit issue this week. The swimsuit franchise has earned the Time Inc. magazine more than $1 billion in revenue since its inception in 1964. David Letterman is to reveal the name of the cover model on his talk show tonight.
Time Warner CEO: Perform or Hit the Road
MarketWatch
Time Warner boss Jeff Bewkes warns that no under-performing company unit is sacred. The Time Inc. magazines must make headway in their digital evolution and show earnings growth, he says. "If they can't, they're better candidates for private ownerships."
New Yorker Marks 85th with Special Issue
WWD
The New Yorker is marking its 85th anniversary with a special double issue featuring four different covers from four New Yorker artists. The Conde Nast title plans to take many of its old covers on the road for a three-city show. Overall, advertising is up 64% for the issue.
Vogue Top Editor Joins Tyra's 'Top Model'
WWD
André Leon Talley, editor at large at Conde Nast's Vogue magazine, is joining Tyra Banks' "America's Next Top Model" as a judge for the new season of The CW's modeling competition. Says Talley: "I just felt that it was a way to step out of the box."
Reuters Slammed for Pay Cuts, Twitter Use
Associated Press
The Newspaper Guild of New York is filing a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against Thomson Reuters. The labor union claims the news service plans to illegally impose pay cuts of 10% and restrict what workers can write on their Twitter accounts.
White House Press Corps Bash ObamaTube
Washington Post
President Obama answered citizens' questions last week via YouTube, most of them without tough follow-ups of the kind posed by journalists. NBC White House reporter Chuck Todd calls the situation a "shame," accusing the administration of trying to "control the message."
Demand Media: Plentiful Content, So Cheap
New York Times
Demand Media, a company that generates content based on Web searches and other data, pays $15 to $20 on average for an article. AOL is cutting a similar path with an initiative called Seed. "Right now," says one writer, "the price of a lot of what we do seems to be free."
Conde Nast Drops 'Publications' From Name
New York Post
Conde Nast is officially dropping "Publications" from its name. The word is being removed from the walls of the company's headquarters. The move is meant to suggest that Conde Nast is getting serious about the online world and making money from ways besides ink on paper.
Newspaper Group's New Chief Talks Future
Forbes
Mark Contreras, the incoming chairman of the Newspaper Association of America, says pay walls for most U.S. newspapers "don't make sense." Also, "we're able to sell" online traffic from Google. Plus, "we haven't had any contact" with Apple about the iPad.
Print Media Execs Talke iPad with Apple CEO
Gawker
Apple CEO Steve Jobs is said to be meeting with execs at both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, as he prepares to gear up the iPad for magazines and newspapers, having first prioritized books. Jobs reportedly held an off-the-record dinner with 50 Times staffers.
Magazine Marketing Pact to Start in April
Mediaweek
Conde Nast, Hearst, Meredith, Time Inc. and Wenner Media are collaborating on a magazine marketing campaign, which will break in April in the pages of their titles. The effort is the latest example of embattled publishing rivals teaming up to tout their vitality.
Penthouse Parent Postpones Going Public
Wall Street Journal
FriendFinder Networks, which operates adult-themed social networking sites and licenses the Penthouse brand, is postponing its initial public offering. FriendFinder is using all the cash it raises to pay off debt and fees accrued to waive defaults from its lenders.
Journalists Increasingly Use Social Media
GW Hatchet
A majority of journalists routinely use social media when researching stories, according to a study by George Washington University. Some 89% say that they use blogs for their research, while LinkedIn and Facebook are less popular. Just more than half use Twitter.
Conde Nast's Vanity Fair Unveils Oscar App
WWD
Vanity Fair's new Hollywood app will let users invite friends to make their Oscar picks and compare their selections with each other as well as editors at the Conde Nast magazine. The app also will offer exclusive coverage of Vanity Fair's Oscar-night party.
Parade, USA Weekend See Editorial Shakeups
MediaPost
The leading U.S. newspaper-distributed magazines are seeing high-ranking departures, as Parade editor in chief Janice Kaplan "unexpectedly" leaves the Advance-owned publication, and Marcia Bullard, president and CEO of Gannett's USA Weekend, retires from her post.
NY Post Preparing to Charge for Web Content?
Editor & Publisher
News Corp. will be announcing within two months its model for charging for the online content of the New York Post, Times of London and all its other newspapers, says chief Rupert Murdoch. "We're looking at various alternatives. I don't think we are ready to announce yet."
>> MORE
TELEVISION & RADIO
CBS Super Bowl Ad Biz to Punt Other Media
New York Post
Media execs are hopeful that the brisk pace of CBS' Super Bowl advertising sales will carry over to the rest of the year. However, while television and online appear poised to reap new ad business, newspapers and magazines still face "significant secular declines."
Letterman Promo Upstages Super Bowl Ads
Washington Post
CBS may have stolen the thunder from all of the costly commercials it runs during the Super Bowl with its own "Late Show" promo featuring David Letterman, Jay Leno and Oprah Winfrey. CBS chief Les Moonves gave the OK for NBC star Leno to appear in the 15-second spot.
NBC Mulls Live Emmys in Social Media Age
Broadcasting & Cable
NBC is considering a plan to air the Emmy Awards live coast-to-coast when it broadcasts the ceremony Aug. 29. The move comes as the use of Twitter, Facebook and mobile news makes winners widely public by the time tape-delayed telecasts air in the West.
TV Guide Network Chief Exits for New Post
World Screen
Ryan O'Hara is stepping down as president of TV Guide Network and TVGuide.com to take up a New York-based post that will be announced this week. His departure comes just nine months after TV Guide Network was bought by Lionsgate and One Equity Partners.
Lifetime CEO Exits Following A&E Merger
Deadline
Andrea Wong is stepping down as president and CEO of the Lifetime cable network following its consolidation last year into the A&E Television Networks group, a joint venture of Disney, Hearst and NBC. The consolidation had stripped Wong of some of her authority.
Fox, Conan Slated to Begin Formal Talks
TheWrap
Fox and Conan O'Brien are said to be doing their respective due diligence as they try to figure out how a deal might be hammered out to bring the former "Tonight Show" host to the News Corp. network. Industry insiders believe formal talks will begin within weeks.
NBC, Hulu Delete Conan's 'Tonight Show'
AllThingsD
Remember the Conan O'Brien imbroglio with NBC? Perhaps the network wishes you didn't. The company is removing every episode of the late-night show's seven-month run from NBC.com, as well as Hulu, the video site the network owns with Fox and ABC.
CBS Expects Big Ratings for Super Bowl
SI.com
Sunday's game on CBS could be the most-viewed Super Bowl ever, according to chatter among broadcasters. Pregame features include news anchor Katie Couric interviewing President Obama live. Top CBS exec Sean McManus says that "extraordinary" ratings are possible.
CBS Edits Super Bowl Anti-Abortion Ad
USA Today
Focus on the Family, the group behind the controversial pro-life Super Bowl ad, reveals that its original spot was rejected by CBS. In it, quarterback Tim Tebow's mother says she was advised to have an abortion: "Both of our lives were at risk." CBS had the quote cut out.
Comcast-NBC Venture Could Test Free TV
Bloomberg
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker are testifying in Washington, D.C., seeking to convince lawmakers that their companies' proposed union is in the public interest. Some contend that the takeover could test the future of free television.
Fox: Howard Stern Eyed for 'American Idol'
New York Post
"American Idol" producers are said to have approached Howard Stern to replace Simon Cowell as the hit Fox show's tough-talking judge. They approached the shock jock after he discussed on-air that his exclusive Sirius XM Radio deal is set to expire.
HBO Develops Series About ... Nikki Finke?
Hollywood Reporter
HBO is developing a half-hour comedy series about a "powerful female online showbiz journalist" with a "no-holds-barred style."
The project comes as several Hollywood print reporters, including Nikki Finke, Sharon Waxman and Anne Thompson, have migrated online.
Broadcasters to Lose Ads to Internet Video
Bloomberg
Online video ads are seen as the fastest-growing area in advertising, aided by their ability to show off products in a feature-rich medium and zero in on a target audience. Traditional television is already feeling the pain; 2009 was "the worst ad year since 2001" for broadcasters.
Epix to Be Carried on Charter Cable System
Associated Press
Epix, the pay-television channel owned by Paramount Pictures, MGM and Lions Gate, says it will be offered to Charter cable customers beginning in May. Following deals to be carried by Verizon FiOS, Mediacom and Cox, Epix will reach 16 million homes in the next three months.
CBS Boss: Expect Couric to Say 'Long Time'
AP / NYT
CBS News chief Sean McManus says that criticizing Katie Couric's salary is unfair at a time news division jobs are being cut and that he expects the news anchor to stay at the network "for a long time." Also: Dozens of CBS News employees are being laid off.
Sirius XM CEO 'Optimistic' Stern Will Stay
AllThingsD / TheWrap
Howard Stern, whose contract with Sirius XM Radio expires this year, is "great content," says boss Mel Karmazin. "Howard would be sought after by anyone. Having said that, we would like him to stay with us." Also: Stern says he has been offered a job in television.
>> MORE
INTERNET & DIGITAL MEDIA
Internet's 'Next Big Thing' Is Not So Clear
Vanity Fair
Steve Jobs, Barry Diller, Nick Denton and other media and tech professionals are serving up competing theories on what will be the Internet's next big thing, writes Vanity Fair contributor Michael Wolff. Google? Twitter? "Deciphering the chatter is no small talent."
Media, Tech Observers Gush Over iPad
Fortune
"The Charlie Rose Show" invited A-list tech commentators Mike Arrington, David Carr and Walt Mossberg to gush about (and find a few faults with) Apple's iPad. The new gadget, says Carr, makes the Amazon Kindle look like "something the Mennonites made 150 years ago."
Apple iPad Ideal for Execs, Middle-Aged
San Jose Mercury News
The first wave of Apple iPad users is more likely to be busy professionals than youthful first-adapters, experts say. "The sweet-spot for the device right now will be the busy traveling adult." The $499-to-$829-priced iPad is ideal for "business execs and road warriors."
Yahoo Blog to Discuss Future of Mobile
WebProNews
Yahoo may be doing a lot more in terms of mobile before long. Or at least telling more about its current mobile phone-related efforts. The Internet company is launching a blog to offer news of mobile product launches and predictions on "where the market is heading."
Facebook: New Email, Microsoft Ad Deal
New York Post
Facebook is gearing up to take on Google's popular email service at the same time the social-networking site enters a new deal with Microsoft that will give it back its display ad sales in exchange for giving Microsoft's Bing a bigger search presence on its site.
Electronic Arts Plans 'Madden' for Facebook
Bloomberg
Electronic Arts will introduce "Madden NFL" on Facebook, bringing the video game to the social-networking site's 400 million users. "We have to make 'Madden' more accessible," says EA Sports head Peter Moore. "You'll see us on Facebook going forward."
Amazon, Macmillan Close to E-Book Deal
Reuters / AFP
Amazon is resuming the sale of hardcover and paperback books from Macmillan in a sign the two companies are close to resolving a pricing dispute. E-books for the Kindle are still not available. Also: Publishers are happy to see Kindle rivals emerge.
Google's Display-Ad Sales to Top $1 Billion
BusinessWeek
Display advertising is expected to contribute more than $1 billion to Google's total sales this year -- an increase of some 40% over last year. Big advertisers have traditionally focused branding efforts on television and print, but "that will be moved online."
Google Pursues Super Bowl's Advertisers
Forbes
Google is offering Super Bowl advertisers exposure far beyond television. Marketers can upload their ads on YouTube's Super Bowl Ad Blitz page. The Internet giant is also promising marketers more exposure if they buy video, search and display ads.
Twitter Users to Rank Super Bowl Spots
Boston Herald
BrandBowl 2010, a new advertising-review site from Boston ad firm Mullen and social media monitor Radian6, will collect and analyze all worldwide tweets mentioning Super Bowl commercials and translate them into a near-real-time, top-10 ranking of each brand's popularity.
Hulu Opens Channel for ABC News Content
Broadcasting & Cable
ABC News content is being added to Hulu on its own channel. Short- and long-form programming from "Good Morning America," "Nightline," "20/20" and other shows will be available. ABC News is joining NBC News and Fox News programming on the video site.
AOL Hires Google Content Exec for Media
Washington Business
David Eun, the head of content partnerships at Google, is leaving the search giant to become president of AOL Media and Studios. He replaces Bill Wilson, who is exiting AOL after nine years. At AOL, Eun will oversee the company's 80 content sites and Seed.com portal.
MySpace Exec Hirschhorn On His Way Out
TechCrunch
MySpace chief product officer Jason Hirschhorn will soon be leaving the company, sources say. Hirschhorn, a former exec with Sling Media and MTV digital, joined the News Corp. social network last April. Sources cite a "lack of chemistry" between Hirschhorn and other execs.
Google Book Deal Criticized by Justice Dept
AFP
The U.S. Department of Justice is slamming a legal deal to let Google scan and sell millions of books online, saying it raises anti-trust and copyright concerns. Despite "substantial progress" in a revised settlement between Google and the Authors Guild "issues remain."
Amazon: Hachette Joins Battle Over E-Books
Wall Street Journal
A fight between book publishers and Amazon.com is heating up. Hachette says it wants retailers to price e-books the way Apple plans to, essentially taking sides with Macmillan in a dispute with Amazon. "This new model helps protect the viability of the book marketplace."
Perez Hilton 'Most Influential on Internet'
Telegraph
Perez Hilton is the most influential person on the Internet, according to Forbes magazine's fourth annual ranking. The celebrity blogger, whose "online fame often spills into the offline world," comes in ahead of the founders of TechCrunch, Mashable, Twitter and Digg.
Google Ranks as Most Popular Mobile Brand
VentureBeat
Google leads as the most visited mobile brand, according to a report by Nielsen. Not surprisingly, people care about weather, news, and sports when they are on the go, and Weather Channel, CNN and ESPN have succeeded in transporting their brands to mobile.
>> MORE
ADVERTISING & MARKETING
Google's Display-Ad Sales to Top $1 Billion
BusinessWeek
Display advertising is expected to contribute more than $1 billion to Google's total sales this year -- an increase of some 40% over last year. Big advertisers have traditionally focused branding efforts on television and print, but "that will be moved online."
CBS Super Bowl Ad Biz to Punt Other Media
New York Post
Media execs are hopeful that the brisk pace of CBS' Super Bowl advertising sales will carry over to the rest of the year. However, while television and online appear poised to reap new ad business, newspapers and magazines still face "significant secular declines."
Letterman Promo Upstages Super Bowl Ads
Washington Post
CBS may have stolen the thunder from all of the costly commercials it runs during the Super Bowl with its own "Late Show" promo featuring David Letterman, Jay Leno and Oprah Winfrey. CBS chief Les Moonves gave the OK for NBC star Leno to appear in the 15-second spot.
Google's Super Bowl Ad a YouTube Repeat
Bloomberg
Google ran a commercial during the Super Bowl, marking a rare use of television advertising for the Internet giant. The ad spot has been running on its YouTube site for more than three months. "We decided to share it with a wider audience," says CEO Eric Schmidt.
Social Media Steal Ads from Super Bowl
San Francisco Chronicle
Pepsi, for the first time in 23 years, declined to run a televised commercial during the Super Bowl. Instead, it will pour resources into an online social media campaign designed to interact with customers for months. The company is buying ads on Facebook, AOL and Hulu.
Super Bowl Marketers Turn to Social Media
USA Today
The nearly 40 advertisers that bought ad time in the CBS Super Bowl telecast are serving up supersized self-promotion on social media sites. "They've deputized an entire population via Twitter and Facebook to spread the news of these ads. Folks do it absolutely for free."
Mobile Ads to Get Boost from Apple iPad
IHT
Analysts say the introduction of Apple's iPad tablet device could fuel the development of the entire mobile advertising business. That is because the iPad -- a cross between a laptop and an iPhone -- looks more like the latter from an advertising perspective.
Microsoft to Test Ad Exchange Business
AllThingsD
Is Microsoft is finally ready to a launch its long-delayed advertising exchange? The tech giant is set to roll out AdECN, the "real-time" ad exchange it bought in 2007, within the next two weeks. But AdECN initially will be available to just a handful of ad buyers.
U.S. Advertising to Rise 3.5%, Barclays Says
Bloomberg
U.S. advertising sales may increase 3.5% in 2010 as marketers boost their national spending, says Barclays Capital. Ad sales may climb to $167.6 billion, up from a previous estimate for advertising to be unchanged from last year. Declines in some categories are "moderating."
Time Warner Cable Preps Interactive Ads
MediaPost
Time Warner Cable plans to have 7 million homes that could deliver interactive ads served by Canoe Ventures by the end of the year. Advanced advertising is "a focus" at TWC, says COO Landel Hobbs. TWC is part-owner of Canoe with five other cable operators.
CBS Bans Go Daddy Ad from Super Bowl
Phoenix Business
Go Daddy, the Internet domain registrar, says it has received a rejection for one of its Super Bowl commercials. The spot features an effeminate former football star named Lola who designs lingerie. The ad, CBS says, "had the potential to offend a significant number of people."
CBS Mulls Gay Dating Ad for Super Bowl
FoxNews
CBS is said to be deliberating on whether to run a controversial commercial for the gay dating site ManCrunch.com during the Super Bowl. Reps for the site say they believe CBS has no intention of airing their spot, but do not want to officially reject it fearing a backlash.
P&G to Embrace Facebook in a Big Way
Advertising Age
Procter & Gamble, the world's biggest marketer, is opening an office in Silicon Valley to help develop digital-marketing capabilities with Facebook. P&G says that its "explicit goal for 2010 is to assure that each of its brands has a meaningful presence" on the social network.
Microsoft, Hearst Join Media Consortium
World Screen
The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement now has 21 members, following the additions of Microsoft, Hearst, Belo, Gannett and others. Formed last year, the group aims to "promote innovation" in audience measurement for television and cross-platform media.
Marketers Plan Big Shift to Social Media
BtoB
Social media is high on most marketers' to-do lists, says an international study by marketing database firm Alterian. Some 63% of marketing execs will invest in social channels this year, with 40% saying they plan to shift more than a fifth of their traditional budgets.
CBS, Hearst Expect Political Ad Boost
Advertising Age
Last week's U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn campaign finance laws is expected to open the floodgates for more political advertising. Much of the new money is likely to flow to local television stations, benefitting station group owners like Hearst and CBS.
U.S. Ad Revenue Outlook Boosted for 2010
Associated Press
The two-year slump in U.S. advertising revenue may be ending, according to Magna, a unit of the Interpublic Group of Cos., which is raising its outlook for the year. Magna expects 2010 ad revenue of $161 billion. Previously, the firm forecast a decline of 1.3%.
Twitter in Talks With Potential Advertisers
Bloomberg
A Twitter initial public offering remains on the distant horizon as the company prepares to boost revenue with a new advertising program, says COO Dick Costolo. Twitter plans to introduce "unobtrusive" ads this year and is in discussions with potential advertisers.
P&G May Sell Products on Own Web Site
Reuters
Procter & Gamble plans to introduce its own Web site this month to sell goods directly to consumers and to work on improving its relationships with established online retailers such as Wal-Mart and Amazon.com. P&G's "eStore" will be open only to U.S. shoppers.
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MEDIA COMPANIES
Media Dealmakers Address New Realities
BtoB / Folio
Much of the discussion at the DeSilva & Phillips Media Dealmakers Summit last week focused on how to cope with the near-continuous emergence of disruptive technologies. "We believe in content," says one attendee. "But we're struggling to monetize it."
News Corp's 'Avatar' Dethroned via Twitter
Reuters
Sony's romantic tearjerker "Dear John" ended the seven-week reign of News Corp.'s "Avatar" as the No. 1 North American film this weekend. The "chick flick" lured young women in droves after the first wave of moviegoers texted and tweeted favorable verdicts to friends.
Disney's Miramax Studio Eyed by Lionsgate
New York Post
Lionsgate is said to be planning to submit an "aggressive" offer for the Miramax art-house film studio, which Disney shuttered last month. Lionsgate could leverage Miramax's 600-plus film titles for its TV Guide Network and Epix movie cable channels.
Time Warner CEO: Perform or Hit the Road
MarketWatch
Time Warner boss Jeff Bewkes warns that no under-performing company unit is sacred. The Time Inc. magazines must make headway in their digital evolution and show earnings growth, he says. "If they can't, they're better candidates for private ownerships."
Media: Signs of Recovery in Earnings Reports
Reuters / FT
News Corp., Time Warner and Comcast are offering evidence of confidence that an economic recovery is on its way. Still, no traditional media company has solved fundamental problems: Establishing a digital business remains tough; advertising is "only getting less bad."
News Corp Stresses Dual Revenue Streams
ClickZ
The future of online advertising is multiple revenue streams, according to the CEO of News Corp.'s digital business, Jon Miller. He adds that News Corp. "believes in e-readers, tablets and pads," and that such devices will "redefine the consumption of content," especially news.
Fox Files More Suits Claiming DVD Piracy
New York Times
Escalating its efforts to crack down on DVD piracy, 20th Century Fox is filing six lawsuits against several dozen people that it says had sold DVDs of an unfinished version of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and other counterfeit Fox titles on Craigslist and other sites.
News Corp Plans Women's Exec Network
Guardian
News Corp. is planning to create a global network for its female execs. The effort, which could have both social and business networking aspects, is being spearheaded by U.K. newspaper division CEO Rebekah Brooks and News Corp. top exec James Murdoch.
Time Warner: All TV Is Migrating to Internet
CNBC
Essentially the entire television network world is migrating to the Internet, according to Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes. "It's very exciting. You're going to see HBO, TNT and CNN on broadband." CNN is already "the No. 1 place on the planet to get news interactively."
Viacom/CBS: Redstone Cleared In Midway Suit
Bloomberg
Viacom-CBS boss Sumner Redstone and former directors of "Mortal Kombat" video-game maker Midway Games are winning dismissal of claims brought by Midway creditors over disputed loans to the company. The defendants "hid behind the protective skirt of law."
Comcast In Talks Over Future of NBC Execs
New York Post
As Comcast prepares to take over NBC Universal, COO Stephen Burke is meeting with ex-NBCU exec Randy Falco for advice, including which NBC bosses should stay. Falco, who most recently served as CEO of AOL, "had a falling out" with NBC CEO Jeff Zucker.
Hollywood Loses Key Battle Over Downloads
AFP
Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox and other Hollywood film studios are the losers in a landmark court bid to hold an ISP responsible for illegal movie downloads. In a world-first judgment, a judge says that an ISP did not authorize downloads -- a blow to the piracy fight.
Movie Gallery Files Bankruptcy, Closes Stores
Portland Business
Movie Gallery is filing bankruptcy for the second time in less than three years. The movie rental chain says it will immediately close 760 of its 2,415 stores in a bid to remain viable as overwhelming debt and mounting operating losses hobble its balance sheet.
Time Warner to Accelerate Digital Transition
CNNMoney
In its first financial report without AOL in a decade, Time Warner is raising its dividend as it reports an increase in quarterly sales and profit that beat Wall Street's forecasts. Time Warner in 2010 will "accelerate the digital transition in our businesses," says CEO Jeff Bewkes.
Murdoch: We're on 'Cusp of Digital Dynasty'
Australian
News Corp. is reporting a profit in the fiscal second quarter, reflecting growth across much of the company's film, cable television and newspapers. Feeling emboldened, chief Rupert Murdoch declares: "Content is not just king -- it is the emperor of all things electronic."
Media's Next Top Business Model: Hybrids
Nieman
As the publishing, broadcasting, film, music, and gaming industries grapple with business model uncertainty, one concept is emerging as the next big thing: "hybrids" -- a combination of different models, like advertising plus a subscription, suggests a study by Accenture.
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