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Friday, 5/31/13  
Recent Headlines Media news by sector GO TO: MAGAZINES & NEWSPAPERS TELEVISION & RADIO INTERNET & DIGITAL MEDIA ADVERTISING & MARKETING MEDIA COMPANIES MAGAZINES & NEWSPAPERS Hearst Names Millstein Special Assistant to CEO SFGate Lincoln Millstein will become SVP of Hearst and special assistant to new CEO Steve Swartz, the company announced. Millstein worked under Swartz when he was head of Hearst's newspapers. Millstein will function as a senior adviser when Swartz becomes CEO Friday. Tribune Protesters Seek to Block Koch Brothers Chicago Tribune About two dozen protesters staged a rally in front of Tribune Tower in Chicago as part of a "national day of action" to dissuade Tribune from selling its newspapers to brothers Charles and David Koch, conservative billionaire industrialists who are reportedly potential suitors. Conde Nast: Former Publisher Rumored to Return WWD Whenever people asked Connie Anne Phillips, former publisher of InStyle, if she would ever return to Conde Nast, her response was always a variation of "Never in a million years." But situations change. Speculation has intensified that Phillips may mount a comeback. Newsweek Sale Sought After Barry Diller 'Seduction' Bloomberg IAC chief Barry Diller said he is exploring a sale of Newsweek after concluding he erred in merging the now online-only magazine with the Daily Beast website. "I got seduced into Newsweek. It belongs in a diversified publishing company that has publishing assets." The Economist Raises Eyebrows with BuzzFeed Ad Boing Boing The Economist, regarded as a fierce advocate of intelligence in journalism, has authored a listicle on BuzzFeed, as part of the viral news site's advertorial program. "9 Things You Didn't Know About Some Of The Biggest Stories Of The Year" serves up "amazing things." New York Times, BuzzFeed Talk About Native Ads Bloomberg The New York Times is said to be considering letting advertisers sponsor more stories on its website. Outside execs such as BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti have been brought in to talk about creating successful "native ads," which often take the form of sponsored stories. Wall Street Journal Names Emerging Media Editor Jim Romenesko Liz Heron, who left the New York Times last year to lead the Wall Street Journal's social media team, has been promoted to emerging media editor for the Journal and Dow Jones. "In this newly created role, Liz will unite the social media and mobile journalism staff into one team." Huffington Post, Civil Beat Partner in Hawaii Site Associated Press The Huffington Post and subscription-based news website Honolulu Civil Beat have announced plans to partner in a new site dedicated to Hawaii news. HuffPost Hawaii is expected to launch in the fall. "We want to bring that to Hawaii to encourage a robust conversation." Thomson Reuters Nabs Economist CEO Rashbass Politico Thomson Reuters has named Andrew Rashbass, group chief executive of The Economist Group, to lead the company's news and media business, in the new role of CEO. Rashbass has worked for The Economist for 15 years in a number of roles, including publisher of The Economist. Newsweek for Sale as Owner Sends Out Inquiries Variety Newsweek appears to be on the block — again. Owner IAC is said to be sending out inquiries to prospective buyers who may be interested in purchasing the 80-year-old title, which ended weekly publication of its domestic edition last year in favor of a digital-only format. Hearst Magazines to Jump on Trend of Native Ads Adweek Hearst Magazines is the latest publisher to join the native ad gold rush, with new products that will let advertisers run their messages into editorial real estate and, if desired, incorporate edit-produced content. Five new units are now being rolled out to the market. Veranda Editor to Depart Hearst Shelter Magazine min Dara Caponigro, editor in chief of Hearst's upscale home-and-shelter bimonthly Veranda since April 2010, will step down during the fall. The reason she gave in a statement was a desire to spend more time with her family. Caponigro will help in the search for her successor. Dwell Hires Yahoo Commerce Head to Run Digital Folio Dwell Media has brought on former Yahoo VP Brandon Huff to head its growing digital operations, including e-commerce efforts. The new hire comes as the home design and decor publisher announces it will launch its own integrated commerce unit in 2014. New York Times App to Add Sponsored Content New York Observer The New York Times has entered the world of sponsored content, integrating a Citi Bike section into its mobile listings app The Scoop. The app, which works something like Yelp, is officially sponsored by Citi. The app will now allow users to locate nearby Citi Bike stations. Financial Times Launches 'Fast' Online Service Guardian The Financial Times has launched an online service called fastFT. Its aim, as the name suggests, is the speedy breaking of market news along with informed comment. It is available across every device — desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone — to FT.com subscribers. Wall Street Journal to Launch LinkedIn Competitor Times The Wall Street Journal is expected to launch a social network in the coming months that will compete with LinkedIn as a platform for "like-minded people" to share ideas. Also, a new Dow Jones personal messaging system is in the works to take on Bloomberg. Washington Post Taps Forbes Alum for Revenue Adweek The Washington Post has filled its long-vacant post of chief revenue officer, naming Forbes veteran Kevin Gentzel to the position. Gentzel will oversee the Post's print and digital ad teams, its conference business, targeted products and special sections. Boston Globe Reporters Plan Book on Bombing New York Times Scott Helman and Jenna Russell, reporters for the Boston Globe, have entered a deal to write "the definitive book" on the Boston marathon bombings. Publisher Dutton expects to release the book next April to coincide with the first anniversary of the incident. IHT's Suzy Menkes to Sell Her Own Clothes Online Reuters Suzy Menkes, doyenne of the fashion press, said she plans to auction off part of her own label-strewn wardrobe at a two-week online sale in July. The longtime International Herald Tribune fashion editor will open bids for 80 lots of clothes in a Christie's sale. Village Voice Veteran Michael Musto Lands Gigs New York Post Village Voice columnist Michael Musto — whose departure from the weekly this month caused outrage from devotees — said he is starting a slew of new gigs. They include a weekly interview feature for Gawker, as well as columns for the Advocate magazine and Out.com. Sports Illustrated to Launch Daily Live Web Show Adweek Sports Illustrated readers are getting a new way to combat the mid-day slump: Starting June 3, the weekly sports mag is launching a new web series, SI Now Powered by Ford. The live, half-hour talk show will be hosted by Sports Illustrated Video anchor Maggie Gray. Vogue, Bazaar See Bump in Ad Pages in First Half WWD Memorial Day weekend could not have come soon enough for the magazine industry. With less than two months to go before the make-or-break September issues close, the pressure is on to enter the last stretch of the year on a strong note with advertisers. New York Times CEO Talks Future of Media Business WWD Mark Thompson was at a panel convened by the website I Want Media to discuss the future of the media business. The New York Times CEO used the panel to clarify some of the Times's new digital products, which will include games. "It's not going to be 'Angry Birds.' " Washington Post Names Managing Editor for Digital Washington Post Emilio Garcia-Ruiz has been named the Washington Post's managing editor for digital, video and presentation departments. Garcia-Ruiz most recently served as editor for strategic projects. He said he would try to "help find a way out of the industry's predicament." Bild Top-Selling German Tabloid Plans Web Paywall Associated Press Europe's top-selling newspaper said it will introduce a paywall for part of its online offerings starting next month. Main news stories will remain free online, but a subscription will be required to view features, interviews and other exclusive content, German tabloid Bild said. PR Pros Flummoxed by Evolving Media Landscape PR Week Media relations pros are being challenged by the pace of the evolving media world. Journalists and bloggers are more often rehashing what has already been reported. "What's an exclusive anymore?" A news outlet "might have the story exclusively for five minutes." New York Times Nabs Top Journalist from Politico Politico Jonathan Martin is leaving Politico after nearly seven years to serve as national political correspondent for the New York Times. Martin will take on what Times political editor Carolyn Ryan describes as "a storied and special" job. "Jonathan is a natural for the role." San Francisco Chronicle Seeks to Redefine Brand AllThingsD Hearst has hired two senior execs — Demand Media's Joanne Bradford and former Los Angeles Times CEO Jeffrey Johnson — in a move to turbocharge and jumpstart its flagship but long-suffering newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle and its SFGate.com site. Financial Times Moves Into New Pearson Division Telegraph FT Group, which publishes the Financial Times, will be subsumed into a new division in a reorganization intended to put growth markets at the top of parent company Pearson's agenda. The FT will become part of a new "professional” unit in a yet-to-be-decided structure. Guardian Unites Web Editions Under Single Domain Mashable The Guardian's international editions are proliferating, but before the U.K.-based newspaper launches an online edition in Australia later this year, it is uniting all of its websites under a single domain, theguardian.com. "We now have one domain we can rally behind." Daily Mail: Digital Ad Growth Exceeds Print Decline Press Gazette Mail Online has reported revenue for the first half of this year up 61%. Digital advertising growth now exceeds print ad decline. "This is a significant inflection point." Still, the increase in digital revenue at the world's top newspaper site does not offset declines in print. Zinio's New App Offers 5,500 Magazines to Users CNBC A new version of Zinio's magazine reading app, designed for Nokia's Lumia Windows Phone 8, makes the most of that phone's capabilities. Zinio aims to make the best of magazines available to consumers on the go, by presenting recommendations based on user interests. Newsweek Digital Redo Includes Ad Sponsorships Adweek Baba Shetty, CEO of the Newsweek Daily Beast, is interested in pursuing an ambitious sponsorship model for Newsweek's website. Newsweek will feature one advertiser per article, in glossy, attention-grabbing spreads. Shetty said he was inspired by NPR's sponsorship messages. Tribune Taps Yahoo Veteran to Run Digital Ventures AllThingsD Shashi Seth, a former top product exec at Yahoo, has joined Tribune as president of Tribune Digital Ventures. Seth will report to CEO Peter Liguori and be based in Silicon Valley, apparently to set up a brand new digital arm of the Chicago-based media company. I Want Media Panel: Top Trends in Digital Publishing Folio From Tumblr to live events, a few of those who are shaping the future of media discussed what they see ahead at a panel discussion. I Want Media's Patrick Phillips moderated an Internet Week New York session at NYU's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. >> MORE TELEVISION & RADIO CBS Mulling Business Model for Live Mobile TV Variety CBS at some point plans to extend its on-demand video apps to live local TV, but it hasn't yet determined if it will mimic ABC's "TV Everywhere" approach in making live feeds available only to subscribers of participating pay-TV providers. "We need to figure out the business model." Dish Tops Sprint's Bid for Clearwire Ahead of Vote Associated Press Dish Network has raised its bid for Clearwire, valuing the wireless network operator at $6.9 billion, in an attempt to outbid Sprint two days before Clearwire shareholders meet to vote on a deal. Dish's bid of $4.40 in cash per share is 29% higher than Sprint's bid of $3.40 per share. HBO Liberace Movie Is Network's Biggest Since 2004 Associated Press A healthy number of HBO subscribers were curious about Michael Douglas' performance as Liberace in "Behind the Candelabra." The 2.4 million people who tuned in to the TV movie's premiere represented HBO's biggest audience for one of its original films since 2004. OWN Wins Record Ratings from Tyler Perry Drama Zap2It Tyler Perry's drama series "The Haves and the Have Nots" was hammered by critics who watched its premiere on OWN, but it brought pretty good ratings to the channel. The show scored the biggest series premiere in the Oprah channel's history, with 1.77 million viewers. Esquire Network to Premiere with Magazine Special Associated Press The G4 channel will become the Esquire Network as of Sept. 23. The new network is the namesake of Esquire magazine and aims to draw a similar audience of upscale males. The channel's debut will include a two-hour special on Esquire magazine's 80th anniversary. NBC 'Today' Show Sought Return of Katie Couric Radar Katie Couric, during an appearance on Howard Stern's show on Sirius XM, divulged: "There were some possible overtures for me to go back to the 'Today' show, but they evaporated. For me, that was the best job." Couric said of her former co-host Matt Lauer: "I had a little crush." Fox News 'Mole' Writes Behind-the-Scenes Book Daily News Joe Muto, the Fox News producer who was outed in April 2012 for leaking the news network's unused video to Gawker, was uncovered and fired 36 hours after the first leak. Now, Muto has written a book, "An Atheist in the FOXhole." "I'm guessing they’re not thrilled." CNN: We're Held to Higher Standard Than Rivals Hollywood Reporter Jeff Zucker has inferred that he might be willing to cede the political commentary ground to MSNBC on the left and the Fox News Channel on the right, while CNN focuses on "much more" and is "held to a higher standard." Said Zucker: "We're trying to cover the news." ABC, Hyperion Tie Up for TV Series, Digital Books USA Today "CSI" creator Anthony E. Zuiker has found a new way to thrill audiences. After announcing a new ABC mystery reality TV series titled "Whodunnit?", Zuiker is creating an interactive book series with Hyperion based on the show. It will give audiences more backstory on the TV series. TBS's TruTV Taps MTV Veteran Linn as President Los Angeles Times Chris Linn, who as an EVP at MTV played a major role in making Snooki a household name, has been named president of TruTV, a cable channel owned by Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting System. The hiring of Linn is a sign that TruTV is looking to get a little younger and hipper. CNN Veteran Larry King to Join Russian Channel Politico Larry King has joined RT, the Russian-based 24-hour cable news network. The new show, called "Politics with Larry King," will debut in June. RT will also host "Larry King Now," the show King launched on Hulu last July. King spent 25 years as host of CNN's "Larry King Live." Comcast Defeats FCC's Order on Tennis Channel Bloomberg Comcast's decision to carry the Tennis Channel as premium programming was a business judgment that didn't discriminate against programming owned by others, a U.S. appeals court ruled, overturning a regulator's order to include the channel in lower-cost packages. ESPN Layoffs: Already Feeling Heat of Fox Sports 1 Bloomberg David Bank, analyst at RBC Capital Markets, discussed the planned mass layoffs at ESPN: "They are getting ready for the first time to have a competitor in the space, being Fox Sports 1. They are getting ready for the disruption that could bring in the bidding for sports rights." ABC, CBS Up Ante in Battle for Summer Viewers New York Post Broadcasters have learned they can't afford to cede the summertime to reruns. During last year's Memorial Day weekend, History Channel lured 14 million viewers with "Hatfields & McCoys." More competition for eyeballs will come from Netflix's "Arrested Development." Aereokiller Block Sought by TV Broadcasters Variety Fox, NBC, ABC and Allbritton have filed a lawsuit in an effort to stop Aereokiller from offering streams of their signals in the Washington D.C. market, in the latest effort to challenge the legality of a bevy of services seeking to provide over-the-air television on the Internet. Fox Sports Mishap Injures Fans at Auto Race Associated Press Ten fans were injured at the Coca-Cola 600 and three of them were taken to the hospital after a nylon rope supporting a Fox Sports overhead TV camera fell from the grandstands and landed on the track surface. Fox said it still has not determined why the cable snapped. Fox Reality Chief Exits Amid 'Idol' Ratings Slide Bloomberg Fox said its reality-TV chief Mike Darnell has decided to step down after 18 years at the broadcast network, as audience ratings decline for "American Idol," its most-watched program. Darnell said in a statement he will depart in June when his current deal expires. Al Jazeera America Shifting Focus to U.S. News New York Times Al Jazeera America, postponed to launch in August, now aims to have virtually all of its programming originate from the United States. The news channel plans to cover domestic affairs more often than foreign affairs. It will, in other words, operate much like CNN and Fox News. ITV News Twitter Feed Hacked by 'Syrian Army' Bloomberg ITV, owner of the U.K.'s biggest commercial TV station, has suffered a Twitter account hack, with postings attributed to the "Syrian Electronic Army," a name also used when the Financial Times's social media accounts were infiltrated with links to war atrocity videos. Fox News Chief Responds to Federal Investigation Washington Post Fox News chief Roger Ailes has sent a memo to his colleagues at the leading cable news network, in connection with the federal investigation into an alleged leak to reporter James Rosen. "The administration’s attempt to intimidate Fox News will not succeed." CNN to Premiere Late-Night Talk Show on Fridays Advertising Age CNN is starting a late-night Friday talk show hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos, a longtime host on Canada's CBC. The show, "Stroumboulopoulos," is the latest program under CNN boss Jeff Zucker, who has been expanding CNN beyond traditional news. Discovery to Launch Its Own Online Video Network Wall Street Journal Discovery Communications plans to launch its own online video network, with original series available for free. Dubbed TestTube, the service will run 15 online shows, available via YouTube, Xbox and its own website. The series will be aimed at a young, male audience. CBS: A Hedge Fund Darling as Stock Goes Higher BuzzFeed CBS shares have gained 1,500% over the last four years, and some Wall Streeters think the stock can go higher. More precisely, hedge funds appear to have fallen in love with CBS. "There has been an overall reevaluation of content based on all new revenue streams." FCC Proposes to Allow More Sex, Profanity on TV Fox News The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is proposing changes to its rules that would allow more racy content on television during hours when children could tune in. The agency is launching a review that may end the prohibition of expletives and certain images of nudity. DirecTV, Time Warner Cable Chafe Over Channels Bloomberg At least six channels are changing their names and programming to attract more viewers, ad dollars and higher subscriber fees. DirecTV and Time Warner Cable complain they have no control over the changes and are wary the networks will demand more money for unproven shows. ESPN's Costly Studio Complex Eyed in Job Cuts Deadspin A recently laid-off ESPN source has provided more details about the sports network's massive job cuts, the first significant staff reduction in four years. ESPN "doesn't have enough money to pay for the equipment and integration resources" for its huge new digital studio complex. CNN Tell-All Book Due From Host Piers Morgan Associated Press Piers Morgan is going behind the scenes. The CNN host has a deal with Gallery Books for "Shooting Straight: Guns, Gays, God, and George Clooney." Morgan promises a "warts and all" account of life at CNN and said the book would be like "'The Newsroom' on steroids." NBC, Blake Shelton Plan Oklahoma Benefit Show Associated Press NBC and Blake Shelton are putting together a benefit for Oklahoma tornado victims. Shelton told reporters about the fundraising effort after this week's episode of "The Voice." Shelton, an Oklahoma native, said the benefit would be held soon in Oklahoma City. >> MORE INTERNET & DIGITAL MEDIA Report: Big Opportunities Ahead in Internet, Mobile AllThingsD Mary Meeker, a partner at Kleiner Perkins, has released her annual Internet trends report. Meeker said she sees a $20 billion opportunity in Internet and mobile advertising. The average smartphone user, she said, reaches for his or her phone 150 times per day. BuzzFeed Launches 'Fresh' Web News Aggregator NewStatesman BuzzFeed has launched Fre.sh, a microsite promising to display "the fastest rising stories from the best sites on web." The rank is determined by how fast a story is spreading, so the link at the top is the fastest rising story; The size of the text reflects how much traffic it receives. CNET Founder Halsey Minor Files for Bankruptcy CNBC Halsey Minor, founder of tech news site CNET and an early investor in Salesforce.com, has filed for Chapter 7 personal bankruptcy protection. Minor founded CNET in 1994 and sold it to CBS in 2008 for $1.8 billion. Said Minor: "If you win some you are going to lose some." Huffington Post Offers 'Men Of' Calendar for Charity Huffington Post The Huffington Post has released the first-ever "Men of HuffPost" calendar, benefiting the RaiseForWomen Challenge, a fundraising project for female-focused charities. The calendar "gives you a peek into the diverse, hunky and awkward group of men at HuffPost." Roku Raises $60 Million from Hearst, News Corp Associated Press Roku, the streaming video device maker, has raised $60 million in its sixth round of funding. Hearst and an unnamed institutional investor joined existing backers such as News Corp. and its subsidiary BSkyB in the round. The funding brings the total raised to $140 million. Aereo Eyes More Markets, Original Programming VentureBeat Aereo plans to offer its service in additional cities in the next six to eight months. It is also open to offering cable network content, not just broadcast over-the-air signals. In the future, Aereo might even produce its own, independent programming, according to backer Barry Diller. Facebook COO Sees More Teens on Tumblr, Twitter Bloomberg Facebook is facing competition for younger users from Twitter and Tumblr, according to COO Sheryl Sandberg. While more teens are turning to rival social networks, Facebook usage is still growing among that demographic, she said. "Teenagers are using other things more." Twitter CEO Won't Talk IPO, Keeps Focus on Growth MarketWatch Twitter CEO Dick Costolo said the company remains focused on its effort to build out a "global town square," but does not intend to move into the news business. Twitter sees itself as "complimentary" to news outlets. He also refused to discuss whether the firm is planning an IPO. Hulu International Chief Quits Ahead of Potential Sale Bloomberg Johannes Larcher has resigned as head of international operations for Hulu, whose owners are weighing offers for the company. Larcher had led the online video service's 2011 expansion into Japan. Hulu is losing senior execs as its owners move forward with an auction. Netflix CEO Says Company Better Off Independent CNBC Despite many who would like to see a larger partner buy Netflix, CEO Reed Hastings said it is better off on its own. When asked whether an acquisition is possible, Hastings responded, "Netflix is really best independent because we are on so many platforms." Amazon Picks Five Original Series to Vie with Netflix CNET Amazon plans to produce five full series for its Prime Instant Video service, giving the online giant a foothold in the market for online original content. "The success of this first set of pilots has given us the push to try this approach with even more shows. This is just the beginning." Facebook Ads Pulled Over 'Offensive' Site Posts Financial Times Major advertisers have suspended Facebook marketing campaigns after their ads appeared alongside offensive posts, highlighting the risks of a new form of "targeted" advertising. The cancellations follow complaints from women's rights groups over content on the site. Twitter Looks to Hire Head of Music Partnerships VentureBeat Twitter has posted a job listing seeking a head of music partnerships to lead the team in Los Angeles. The new position will lead the company's music strategy, just launched in April, which includes making Twitter valuable to both the talent and the music labels. Circa Taps Reuters Social Media Head for Editor AllThingsD Circa, a mobile-focused news startup, has named Anthony De Rosa as its new editor in chief. De Rosa has been the social media editor for Thomson Reuters for the past two years, aiming to grow the company’s social presence with his active Twitter and Facebook presence. Medium to Serve the Next Generation of Bloggers Mashable Medium, a self-publishing platform launched last October, aims to serve the next generation of bloggers. "Medium is a beautiful space for reading and writing — and little else," said founder Evan Williams, who also co-founded Blogger and Twitter. "The words are central." Report: Tablet Devices to Overtake PCs by 2015 Bloomberg Global shipments of tablets will eclipse personal computers in 2015, as consumers flock to lower-priced and smaller alternatives to the Apple iPad, according to IDC. PC shipments may decline 7.8% this year, the worst annual drop on record, the market researcher said. Google to Polish Image in Movie from News Corp Reuters When "The Internship," a comedy starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, hits movie theaters on June 7, Google will be taking more than a little interest. In an unusual collaboration, the Internet giant was closely involved with the film, a $58 million 20th Century Fox production. Apple CEO Says Game Changers in Development Bloomberg Tim Cook, seeking to quell concerns about Apple's ability to innovate in consumer electronics, said his staff "has several more game changers" in the pipeline. He singled out TV and wearable computing as areas of interest. Apple hasn't released a new product since October. Netflix Stock Sinks on Mixed Reviews of 'Arrested' Associated Press The hoopla surrounding the return of "Arrested Development" on Netflix has quickly dissolved into a letdown on Wall Street. Netflix's stock fell by more than 6% as investors reacted to critics' mixed reviews over the weekend of the first new "Arrested Development" episodes. Hulu Former CEO Re-Emerges at New Stealth Startup TechCrunch Former Hulu CEO Jason Kilar and CTO Richard Tom are said to be working on a new stealth startup. While details of their plans are still a little fuzzy, the two have secured office space in Los Angeles and are actively hiring engineers for their new venture. Survey: Brits More Willing to Pay for Online Content Financial Times Britons are spending fewer hours watching TV and browsing social media sites than in previous years, according to a survey from KPMG. They are also increasingly willing to pay for content. "Consumers are increasingly prepared to spend money, especially for digital." Gawker Raises $200,000 to Buy Video of Mayor CNET Gawker's "Crackstarter" campaign on Indiegogo has reached its goal of raising $200,000 to purchase a drug dealer's video allegedly showing Toronto mayor Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine and post it online. The mayor has repeatedly denied the allegation. Google to Build Wireless Networks in Africa, Asia Wall Street Journal Google has begun work to build and help run wireless networks in emerging markets such as sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, as part of a plan to connect a billion or more new people to the Internet. Google has also considered helping to create a satellite-based network. Yahoo Joins Growing Number of Bidders for Hulu Dow Jones Yahoo has submitted a bid to acquire Hulu, as the Internet giant tries to add more online video that can appeal to advertisers. At least seven companies have submitted bids for Hulu, including DirecTV, Time Warner Cable, Guggenheim Digital Media and the Chernin Group. YouTube to Unveil CNN-BuzzFeed Video Channel Wall Street Journal BuzzFeed has accelerated its efforts to become a news destination for young adults, joining with CNN and YouTube to create a new, online-video channel. The "CNN BuzzFeed" YouTube channel, launching Tuesday, offers content designed to be shared over social media. Netflix 'Arrested' Expected to Use Up Bandwidth Huffington Post Netflix has made the fourth season of "Arrested Development" the most highly anticipated original show ever to premiere on the media service. "Arrested" was expected to use up more than 5% of the streaming site's bandwidth on Sunday, the day of its return. Twitter's New Authentication Can Be Abused IDG News Twitter's new two-factor authentication feature could be abused to lock users who don't have it enabled out of their accounts if attackers gain access to log-in credentials, according to researchers. The two-factor authentication is intended to make hacking more difficult. Tumblr Millionaires to Reinvest in New York Tech Crain's New York Yahoo's $1.1 billion deal to buy Tumblr will create a cluster of instant millionaires, some of whom will use their new wealth to become angel investors and entrepreneurs. "We're going to see a pretty significant infusion into New York's tech ecosystem." Automattic's WordPress Firm Attracts $50 Million Reuters Automattic, the company that operates the blogging service WordPress, has announced a $50 million investment from hedge fund and private-equity investor Tiger Global. WordPress powers the blogs at companies such as CNN.com and TechCrunch, said a spokeswoman. Huffington Post Tablet Mag Struggling for Ads Adweek When The Huffington Post's weekly iPad magazine transitioned from a pay model to free last August, advertising was intended to sustain the tablet-native title, as consumers had resisted paying for it. Almost a year postlaunch, it looks like advertisers are rejecting it, too. Hulu Online Video Site Auction Attracts Four Bidders Reuters Former News Corp. president Peter Chernin and private-equity fund Guggenheim Digital Media are said to have placed bids for Hulu, triggering a tug-of-war for the online video service. DirecTV and Time Warner Cable also are believed to have submitted offers. YouTube Tops Again in Online Unique Video Views LA Biz YouTube is going to be tough competition to beat. With 154 million unique video views in April, the social video site is the top spot once again on the Internet for online video consumption, according to a new report from comScore. Facebook came in at a distant second place. Tremor Video Ad Network Files for Public Offering AllThingsD Tremor Video, a video ad network that has been eyeing a public offering, has finally decided to go ahead with one. The New York-based firm has filed its S-1, and should be headed out on a road show within the next month. Tremor's ads run on some 500 websites and apps. Yahoo Snagged Tumblr; Who's Next On the Block? USA Today Following Yahoo's buy of Tumblr, other acquisition targets could include the likes of Pinterest, Kickstarter, Yelp and Etsy. For tech and media companies looking to buy into social media, the formula will likely be to target sites whose users are young and mobile. Tumblr Employees Hit the Jackpot in Deal with Yahoo Daily Mail While Tumblr founder David Karp will receive some $253 million and a small amount of Yahoo stock from the deal with Yahoo, his colleagues won't go away empty-handed. The first 30 employees from Tumblr's early days stand to make an average of $3.6 million each. Google Mulls Acquiring Waze Presaging Bidding War Bloomberg Google is said to be considering buying map-software provider Waze, setting up a possible bidding war with Facebook. Waze is believed to be fielding expressions of interest from multiple parties and is seeking more than $1 billion. The startup might also remain independent. Facebook Looks to Relocate Offices in New York City Crain's New York Facebook is said to be considering taking 160,000 additional square feet of office space in Manhattan. The social networking giant is negotiating to lease the seventh and eighth floors at 770 Broadway, a building that houses offices for AOL and Guggenheim Digital Media. Twitter Cozies Up to Television with New Ad Products Wall Street Journal Twitter has rolled out advertising products aimed at showing it wants to be TV's friend. The social networking site unveiled a new capability to let advertisers send follow-up ads on Twitter to people who have just seen their ad on TV. Television companies will not get a cut. Netflix to Revive 'Arrested Development' on Sunday USA Today More than six years after Fox canceled "Arrested Development," the cult-comedy favorite returns with 15 new episodes exclusively on Netflix, available for streaming all at once, Sunday at 3:01 a.m. ET. And diehard fans can't wait, if activity on social media is any indication. >> MORE ADVERTISING & MARKETING Report: Online Video Ads More Effective Than TV Mashable Advertising pros admit the tide of ads is changing. Some 75% of ad agency execs said that online video ads are more effective than traditional TV ads, according to a report from eMarketer. Consumers have a "seemingly endless demand for online video." PR Pros Flummoxed by Evolving Media Landscape PR Week Media relations pros are being challenged by the pace of the evolving media world. Journalists and bloggers are more often rehashing what has already been reported. "What's an exclusive anymore?" A news outlet "might have the story exclusively for five minutes." Nielsen's Slow Shift to the Web Hinders TV Networks Bloomberg Broadcast and cable networks like CBS and Nickelodeon are failing to get paid for surging web audiences because those viewers are almost invisible to Nielsen. The dominant ratings measurement firm has been accused of being slow to count audiences on tablets and smartphones. TV Ad Sales Threatened by Fragmented Audience New York Post The rapid rise of time-shifted viewing — driven by DVRs, video-on-demand options and mobile devices — has decimated TV ratings in the first quarter and threatens to drag down the annual ad-sales season. Total primetime commercial ratings fell 8% across the board. Nielsen Gets Digital to Track Online TV Viewers Wall Street Journal Nielsen is testing a tool to measure online viewing of TV shows. TV networks are expected to use the tool to track viewership of programs on their own websites. The new technology is hoped to become the standard to measure viewing on sites like Hulu, YouTube, Yahoo and AOL. ZenithOptimedia: Online Video, Social Ads to Grow Financial Times Global advertising markets will grow 3.9% in 2013, according to the latest benchmark analysis from ZenithOptimedia. Internet advertising will remain the fastest-growing medium this year, propelled by rapid rises in online video and social media ads, the media buying agency said. WPP Chief Eyes Tech Deals Amid Media Change Beet.TV WPP is eyeing investments and acquisitions in technologies that power media buying, according to CEO Martin Sorrell. "We're not just 'Mad Men,' we're maths men as well," he said. "We're starting to get involved with the chief information officers and chief technology officers." Report: TV Regarded as Most Effective Ad Medium World Screen Television accounted for 62.8% of the total global advertising dollars taken in for 2012, according to Nielsen's quarterly Global AdView Pulse report. TV was again dominant, while spending on newspapers and magazines took a hit. Display Internet ads showed growth. Study: Public is Tired of 'Bad Ads' on the Internet BtoB A large number of U.S. Internet users are fed up with "irrelevant" ads and will ignore a company completely as a result, according to a study by marketing analytics firm InsightOne. Some 88% of U.S. Internet users said they have been "flooded" with online ad spam. Advertisers Embracing 'Brand Publishing' Trend Washington Post Dozens of companies, including Boeing, General Electric, Pepsi, American Express and Verizon Wireless, are becoming their own publishers, creating and distributing "content" — articles, videos, photos — that would be right at home in a traditional newspaper or magazine. Report: Digital Ad Revenue Climbs to $36 Billion Reuters Digital advertising revenue in the United States increased 15% to $36.6 billion hitting a record, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau. Advertisers turned mostly to search ads, the format that dominated almost half of total spending representing 46.3% at $16.9 billion. TV Ad Market Outlook Muted by Lower Ratings Wall Street Journal Broadcast-TV ratings have dropped sharply this season. And that, combined with the weak economy and competition from other media, augurs badly for the spring ad-sales market. Some analysts predict broadcast networks' take will be steady to slightly lower. WPP, Ford Apologize for Ads Showing Bondage CNBC Ford Motor and WPP, its advertising agency, have apologized for ads in India depicting women in bondage. One of the ads features scantily clad women gagged, bound and crammed into the back of the Ford Figo. The ads "should never have been created," said WPP. Advertisers Launching Branded Online Magazines ClickZ More and more marketers and ad agencies are launching their own online publications to directly compete with traditional magazines. Degree deodorant's The Adrenalist website offers content on the "coolest adventures, extreme sports, speed, gear and gadgets." Nielsen: Cord-Cutters Are 'Zero TV' Households LA Biz Nielsen is working hard to track the cord-cutters. The TV ratings service is calling them "zero TV" households, but it's a bit of a misnomer. While most of these households do own a TV, the set is not connected to a cable or satellite service but to the Internet. >> MORE MEDIA COMPANIES Time Warner Starts Year-Long Push for Superman Hollywood Reporter Warner Bros. Entertainment and DC Entertainment have unveiled a new 75th anniversary logo for Superman, and announced that a new animated short from Zack Snyder, director of "Man of Steel," is in production — all part of a year-round push to keep the character in the public eye. News Corp to Delist from London Stock Exchange Reuters Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. said it will cancel its listing on the London Stock Exchange, citing low levels of trading volume. The company said the volume of its stock traded on the exchange was less than 1% of the total globally. The effective date of the delisting will be June 28. Viacom CEO: TV Bundles Aren't Going Anywhere Home Media Arizona Sen. John McCain recently introduced the Television Consumer Freedom Act of 2013, which would allow pay-TV providers an opportunity to offer a la carte programming. Viacom president and CEO Philippe Dauman scoffs at that idea: "There's nothing new there." News Corp CEO Admits to 'Spectacular' Mistakes Dow Jones Rupert Murdoch, talking to investors, said he had made "some spectacular" mistakes while building News Corp. and presented the pending spinoff as "the chance to do it all over again." He admitted that some of the company's print businesses face "challenges." Comcast Makes NBC 'All Business' in Makeover BuzzFeed Roughly three years into Comcast's ownership of NBC Universal, and CEO Steve Burke has dispatched with all but a tiny vestige of the old Peacock network regime. "All the heat and passion is gone," said one exec who recently left the company. "He's all business all the time." Viacom Midway Done with Upfront Negotiations Advertising Age Viacom is said to have completed deals for 50% of the ad inventory it intends to offer as part of this year's upfront negotiations for the upcoming TV season. It isn't clear what kind of price increases Viacom is seeking, but media buyers said the company has shown flexibility. 'British Invasion' Seen in U.S. Media Marketplace Washington Post The British are coming — actually, they're already here. And they're running some of America's top media and entertainment companies and peddling their shows, newspapers and magazines to the former colonies. U.K. media have a "more acute tabloid sensibility." Murdoch Tweets About Islam, Quotes Koran Verses Washington Times Rupert Murdoch left some people outraged and others scratching their heads when he took to Twitter to quote verses from the Koran. "Get real. Koran says(1) 'whoever killed a human being ... it shall be regarded as having killed all mankind,' " the media mogul tweeted. Comcast's 'Fast 6' Sets Record for Memorial Day Associated Press The movie industry enjoyed its most robust Memorial Day weekend ever, with Universal Pictures' "Fast & Furious 6" speeding to the top spot at the box office, raking in some $316 million. The record-breaking weekend take bodes well for the summer movie season. Time Warner, Comcast Ask Google to De-List Mega Next Web Warner Bros. and NBC Universal have contacted Google to request that Mega, the file storage and sharing service founded by Kim Dotcom, be removed from all of its search results. Dotcom has hit back at the action: "The requests are censoring our entire homepage." Viacom Chief Marks 90th with Bump in Net Worth Los Angeles Times Sumner Redstone celebrated his 90th birthday on Monday, and Viacom's chairman had plenty of reasons to celebrate. Just last week, Viacom stock hit an all-time high. Redstone also received an early birthday present from Viacom's board — an extra $3.7 million in the coming year. News Corp to Take Charge of Up to $1.4 Billion Reuters News Corp. will write down the value of its publishing assets by up to $1.4 billion, as the company prepares to split up its newspaper and entertainment operations. The charge will be taken in the quarter ending June 30 and could effectively wipe out News Corp.'s profit. News Corp Board Approves Murdoch's Split Plan Forbes News Corp. directors have moved forward CEO Rupert Murdoch's plan to split the company. The board also approved a $500 million stock repurchase program. The June 28 spinoff will create two companies, with Murdoch and sons Lachlan and James taking board seats on both. Time Warner CEO Questioned About Obama, CNN Hollywood Reporter Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes at the media giant's annual shareholder meeting touted the company's performance and outlook, while addressing questions about the objectivity of CNN on the issue of gun control and the company's relationship with the White House. CBS Shareholders Angry Over '60 Minutes' Report Hollywood Reporter One of the most venerable TV franchises in history came under assault at the CBS shareholder meeting, where activists who dominated the question-and-answer period accused "60 Minutes" of airing a misleading segment in 2012 that amounted to anti-Israel "propaganda." Disney Stock Takes a Hit After Staff Cuts at ESPN Wyatt Research Disney shares are falling after bad publicity at one of its cash cows. ESPN is reportedly planning to let go hundreds of people to offset a slipping profit margin. The firings are a blow to the sports network's image, and its parent company's stock is feeling the brunt of that blow. Viacom Shows Removed from Netflix as Deal Ends paidContent Netflix has removed "Spongebob Squarepants," "Dora the Explorer" and other Nickelodeon fare from its streaming library, as its licensing agreement with Viacom expires. Netflix had announced in April that it wasn't planning to renew its deal with the media giant. Sony to Consider Spin-Off of Entertainment Business Reuters Sony said it plans to assess a proposal from its biggest shareholder, billionaire Daniel Loeb's Third Point hedge fund, that the company should sell up to a fifth of its music and movies business, which includes artists such as Adele and hit franchises like "Spider-Man." Viacom Study Reveals Social Media's Deadly Sins Blog.Viacom Viacom is unveiling findings from multi-country research on the interplay between TV and social media, looking at not just how but why viewers engage in TV-related activities on social media. The study helped researchers create a list of social media's "deadly sins." Cox Pledges $1 Million for Tornado Relief Efforts Atlanta Business Cox Enterprises and the James M. Cox Foundation have announced $1 million for the relief efforts of the communities affected by the tornadoes in Oklahoma. In Oklahoma, Cox Enterprises runs News Talk KRMG, Fox23, My41 and News Talk KRMG, among other properties. Tribune Taps Yahoo Veteran to Run Digital Ventures AllThingsD Shashi Seth, a former top product exec at Yahoo, has joined Tribune as president of Tribune Digital Ventures. Seth will report to CEO Peter Liguori and be based in Silicon Valley, apparently to set up a brand new digital arm of the Chicago-based media company. FCC Chief Reflects on 'New World' of the Internet USA Today Julius Genachowski's stewardship of the Federal Communications Commission has ended — after more than four years dealing with issues such as broadband and media consolidation. "One of the most important things the FCC can do is preserve the openness of the Internet." >> MORE |
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