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- MTV Networks Buys Babunga
MTV Networks recently acquired Babunga, a network of baby and family websites including BabyNamesWorld and 3DPregnancy. Babunga claims to have 1.9 millionm monthly visitors. Mediaweek.com reports that MTV's Nick division will use the network to establish a family ad network using a community they acquired in 2006 called ParentsConnect.com.
Nick plans to use those acquisitions to establish a parents-centric ad network anchored by ParentsConnect.com, a community site the company launched in 2006. As part of the venture, the company will sell ads on a handful of smaller, non-Nick-owned sites, including ParentPreviews.com and Smartmomma.com, mirroring a recent trend wherein traditional media players aim to sell ads across the Web's long tail.
With advertising continuing to move to the Internet media companies are trying to acquire properties and establish niche advertising networks. MTV Networks is trying to set-up a niche to capture lucrative baby and parenting ad revenues.
At the heart of Nick's parent trap is a revamped ParentsConnect.com, a site MTVN created as a Facebook-like environment for moms and dads. The new version of the site retains community elements but now offers more portal-esque navigation and editorial with a distinct Nick voice. The site's tagline is "We're not perfect, we're parents."
Steve Youngwood, executive vp, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids & Family Group, said that since ParentsConnect.com went live, the company found that facilitating community was not enough to keep parents engaged: "We learned that content is the spark to build community." The site features polls designed to start a dialogue between parents, with questions ranging from "Were you raised to respect different races?" to "What would you do if your partner got you a blender for Valentine's Day?"
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Tue, 4 Mar 2008 18:00:00 EST - Reed Elsevier to Cut 1,000 Jobs. Sell RBI Unit
The Telegraph is reporting that Reed Elsevier plans to cut 1,000 jobs. Reed Elsevier publishes scientific, health and legal information - they own LexisNexis. They also publish a number of business-to-business titles under Reed Business Information including Variety, Broadcasting & Cable and Publisher Weekly. Reed Elsevier plans to sell this business unit leaving employees at the publications somewhat uncertain about their future. The Telegraph article says the job cuts will take place over the next couple of years.
The company, which owns the LexisNexis information service and the medical journal, The Lancet, is understood to be preparing to cut the jobs over the next couple of years as it centralises functions such as procurement, human resources and IT across the group. Analysts expect the job cuts - the majority of which will take place outside Britain - to contribute to a restructuring that will shed as much as £100m from Reed's annual costs bill. It is unclear whether the cuts will be acknowledged formally in its annual results announcement on Wednesday.
This news follows the company's recent $4.1 billion purchase of ChoicePoint, a U.S. risk-management information business. It seems they just want to get out of the b2b print magazine business. Some other articles on the story can be found here, here, here, here and here.
Reed, which is listed in London and Amsterdam, employs nearly 37,000 people around the world. The proposed job reductions are thought to be focused on functions that have previously operated separately across the disparate parts of Reed's empire, which includes units specialising in science and medical, legal, and business publishing, the last of which includes a large exhibitions division.
Sir Crispin Davis, Reed's chief executive, told analysts last July that the cost cuts would be "fairly spread" across the group and that the efficiency programme, dubbed "One Company", would continue for the next two to three years. He said at the time: "We've taken the low and mid-hanging fruit. It's why we put in [train] this programme and I think it's been very effective in identifying new areas. Over the last six months we've taken that a step further... with the objective of continuing to deliver meaningful cost reductions across the business."
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Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST - New York Times To Cut 100 Jobs
The New York Times plans to eliminate about 100 newsroom jobs this year. Executive Editor Bill Keller said the publisher plans to offer buyouts but layoffs will occur if needed.The cuts will be achieved by "by not filling jobs that go vacant, by offering buyouts, and if necessary by layoffs," said the executive editor, Bill Keller. The more people who accept buyouts, he said, "the smaller the prospect of layoffs, but we should brace ourselves for the likelihood that there will be some layoffs."
This new follows closely on news that the L.A. Times is also going to be reducing jobs. It also comes shortly after news that the media work force has hit a 15-year low. If cuts like these continue it will shrink even more in 2008.
The Times has 1,332 newsroom employees, the largest number in its history; no other American newspaper has more than about 900. There were scattered buyouts and job eliminations in The Times' newsroom in recent years, but the overall number continued to rise, largely because of the growth of its Internet operations.
Shares in The New York Times Company rose almost 5 percent Thursday after the newsroom staff reductions were reported, closing at $18.84, up 86 cents.
The Times Company has made significant cuts in the newsrooms of some of its other properties, including The Boston Globe, as well as in non-news operations. Company executives say the overall head count is 3.8 percent lower than it was a year ago.
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Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST - L.A. Times to Cut 100 to 150 Positions
The L.A. Times reports on job cuts of 100-150 positions at its newspaper in a recent article. The article follows the discovery of an email that broke the news of job cuts to L.A. Times employees.Tribune Chief Executive Sam Zell broke the news in one of his frequent "Talk to Sam" e-mails to all employees. The job cuts are focused on the corporate staff and the company's nine newspapers. Besides The Times, they include the Chicago Tribune, Newsday in New York, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel, the Baltimore Sun and the Hartford (Conn.) Courant.
40 to 50 of the cuts will be from the Times newsroom. The cuts are part of larger job cuts at the Tribune Company of 400 to 500 positions.
The decision was reached in meetings of senior executives Monday and Tuesday at Tribune's Chicago headquarters, said Hiller, who was among them.
For now, Tribune's broadcast division, consisting of nearly two dozen stations around the country, including KTLA-TV Channel 5 in Los Angeles, will be spared. Fox TV veteran Ed Wilson, hired last week to run the broadcast operation, will be given time to evaluate his business and make his own personnel decisions later, according to a Tribune executive familiar with the situation.
The job cuts will come swiftly. Hiller said all the people affected would be out of the company by the end of March. The Times has 3,544 employees, 887 of them in the newsroom.
Posted in Editorial Dead Zone
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Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST - CNN to Launch iReport.com
CNN is going to expand its citizen journalism website onto a new web property called iReport.com. The website is not yet live but Mediaweek previewed the website. They say that the website will be wide-open for "Wannabe Anderson Coopers" to upload anything they want.
That's all about to change. Time Warner's CNN this week will enter YouTube territory with the launch of iReport.com, a new Web site built entirely on user-produced news. And unlike CNN's own properties-where only iReport submissions that have been handpicked by editors and checked for accuracy ever make it online or on air-the new site will be wide open, allowing users to post whatever content they choose, CNN said.
This does create some new competition for YouTube which is home to millions of user-generated videos. YouTube also has lots of California wildfire videos as well as citizen coverage of other newsworthy events. CNN may be hoping that some of these people might decide to upload their video reports to both YouTube and iReport.com - or just drop YouTube in favor of CNN's citizen journalism brand. CNN started the iReport service back in 2006.
The new site looks and feels much like YouTube and other video-centric destinations. Wannabe Anderson Coopers can upload videos, photos and audio files through an easy-to-use interface. Visitors to the site can search for specific clips or sift through various news categories, such as politics or weather. Users also can rate and share clips, and even embed them on personal Web sites.
CNN executives acknowledge that iReport.com's openness is something of a departure for a news organization that prides itself on accuracy and editorial judgment. But iReports have become increasingly popular, and in many cases have even proved beneficial in the reporting of breaking news. Some of the most compelling footage from last April's shootings on the Virginia Tech campus came from the 420 user-gen video clips CNN received, while last year's California wildfires yielded more than 11,000 submissions.
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Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST - New West Publishing Launches Quarterly Print Magazine
New West Publishing LLC is launching a quarterly print publication called The New West. The magazine will focus on the big story of growth and change in the mountain landscapes and high plains of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Washington and Oregon. New West Publishing is also the publishing team behind the successful online website at NewWest.net, which has been online since 2005 and has won awards for its online journalism.
Features in the preview edition of The New West include "From Rubble to Riches," an in-depth look at how Western communities are turning old industrial sites into vibrant neighborhoods, and "The LEED Shade of Green," which examines the mounting controversy over sustainable building standards. Regular departments of the publication include Project Watch, which spotlights notable new developments; Design Showcase, which features innovative design solutions; and Metrics, a fascinating compendium of development-related data.
The editor of The New West is Robert Struckman, an award-winning reporter and editor with more than a decade of experience covering Western issues for national and local media. Marshall Hibbard is the Design Director. Contributors for the Preview Edition include well-known Western journalists such as Richard Martin, Dan Whipple, and Bill Vaughn, and photographers Anne Medley and Chris Lombardi.
"Ever since we launched NewWest.Net back in 2005, our community has been asking us for a print magazine," said Jonathan Weber, founder and CEO of New West Publishing. "The New West, with its tight focus on the big story of growth and development in the region, is a logical complement to both NewWest.Net and our growing conference series."
New West produces the annual Real Estate and Development in the Northern Rockies conference, which takes places in the fall in Missoula. The company recently announced its second major conference, Designing the New West, which is scheduled for April 25 in Bozeman, MT.
NewWest.Net, a local and regional online publication, covers the culture, economy, politics and lifestyle of the Rocky Mountain West. With a wide range of writers from around the region and an active community of commenters and contributors, NewWest.Net was the winner of the 2006 Online News Association award for general excellence. "Wild Bill" Schneider, NewWest.Net's outdoors columnist, was honored with the 2007 Online Journalism Award for best commentary.
New West Publishing was founded in 2005 by Jonathan Weber, who was the co-founder and editor in chief of The Industry Standard, and before that a reporter and editor at the Los Angeles Times. Courtney Lowery, a former writer and editor with the Associated Press and Lee Newspapers, co-founded the company. New West Publishing is backed by a group of angel investors, including Boulder-based venture capitalist Brad Feld, former Microsoft CFO John Conners, and television personality Maury Povich.
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Sat, 2 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST - FCC Fines ABC Over NYPD Blue Nude Scene
Reuters reports that the FCC has fined ABC for an NYPD Blue scene that repeatedly showed a woman's nude buttocks. The actress was Charlotte Ross and the scene was from five years ago.
The Federal Communications Commission on Friday said it plans to fine the Walt Disney Co's ABC network $1.4 million for airing an episode of "NYPD Blue" in 2003 that showed a woman's nude buttocks.
TV Guide reports that part of the ruling include the FCC stating that "buttocks are a sexual organ."
The company said it opposes the fine and plans to appeal.
In a notice filed on Friday, the agency said 52 television ABC stations in the Central and Mountain time zones had aired the scene at 9 p.m. in violation of federal restrictions against broadcasting "obscene material" between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
The agency said it received "numerous complaints" about the scene, in which a young boy walks in on a nude woman about to take a shower.
Stations in the Eastern and Pacific time zones were exempt because they broadcast the February 25, 2003, episode at 10 p.m. local time.ABC - which unsuccessfully argued against the FCC's contention that buttocks are a "sexual organ" - has responded to the ruling by noting that NYPD Blue came with parental warnings, was V-chip-enabled, and because it had been on the air for a decade at the time, "the realistic nature of its storylines was well-known to the viewing public."
ABC is going to oppose the fine and we will see where this goes. Meanwhile, people are searching YouTube for the NYPD Blue scene which is from five years ago. There are several versions currently on YouTube if you search for Charlotte Ross.
"ABC feels strongly that the FCC's finding is inconsistent with prior precedent," says the network in a statement, "and we intend to oppose the proposed fine."
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Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST - Mansueto Ventures Plans to Launch New Business Publication
Mansueto Ventures, the publisher of Inc and Fast Company is planning a new publicatio nfor entrepreneus called Upstart. MediaWeek reports that Adam Platzner will be the magazine's publisher.Mansueto Ventures-Inc. and Fast Company parent company-seems to think so. It is working on a new magazine, aptly titled Upstart, aimed at entrepreneurs, sources there confirmed. Publisher of the new title is Adam Platzner, who has held sales positions at music Web site SpiralFrog.com and the defunct Cargo, published by Conde Nast. Heading up the editorial side is Scott Medintz, product development editor, who was formerly a senior editor at Time Inc.'s Money.
With two business-oriented titles already it seems like Mansueto will be competing with its own publications by launching Upstart. The Mediaweek article said a launch date for Upstart has not been set.
Once scheduled for a May newsstand debut, the title's launch date is undetermined. Mansueto, which bought Inc. and Fast Company in 2005 from G+J USA, has also been spending money to build up its digital offerings. It announced plans for FastCompany.tv, an online video network, to go live in March.
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Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:00:00 EST - DEC Launches Conservationist for Kids Magazine
New York State has launched a new nature magazine for kids called Conservationist for Kids Magazine. The magazine includes photos, articles and tips on activities designed to encourage children to reconnect with the outdoors and the natural world.
Conservationist for Kids will be published three times annually. It is written for students at or around fourth-grade level, an ideal time for children to develop an interest in the outdoors and experience it first hand. The magazine will be sent to fourth-grade classes in public schools statewide. Conservationist subscribers also received copies of the first edition.
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis said, "In a world full of iPods, Xboxes and 500-channel digital cable, our youngsters are spending more and more time indoors on the couch, disconnected from the natural world. Conservationist for Kids gives children across the state a reason to venture outside, offering fun and informative activities that we hope will spark a connection and concern for nature that lasts a lifetime."
The magazines's website at www.cforkids.org includes additional resources for teachers. Newsday has an article about the publication that says the spring issue of the magazine will tackle climate change.
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Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:00:00 EST - Oprah and Discovery to Launch OWN
Oprah Winfrey is getting her own television network in a partnership with Discovery Communications. Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications have announced plans to create the OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. OWN will debut in 2009 in more than 70 million homes, on what is currently the Discovery Health Channel. The press statement says Oprah Winfrey will have full editorial control over the joint venture and will be responsible for OWN's programming, branding and creative vision. Winfrey will serve as Chairman of The Oprah Winfrey Network, LLC and the venture will be 50/50 owned by Discovery and Harpo.
Discovery Communications will contribute to the venture the Discovery Health Channel as well as handle distribution, origination and other operational requirements for the proposed venture. Both organizations will contribute advertising sales services to the venture.
The companies said the search for OWN's Chief Executive Officer to oversee day-to-day venture operations will begin immediately.
Photo: Discovery Communications President and CEO David Zaslav and Oprah Winfrey
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Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:14:00 EST - Twitter and Politics
Politics are a big topic on Twitter just like they are on social networks, forums and chat rooms. Hopefully, they don't have as many flame wars on Twitter as web forums have. A new website called Politweets is showcasing some of the political tweets with Democrats on the left in Republicans on the right. This may help measure candidate popularity -- think of it as a political buzz tracker. Politweets was created by Character140, the people who created Twittertale.com.
Politweets rose up from all the great publicity twittertale got (and is still getting). We knew we had to take the same technology and use it for something a little more practical. Dan Croak of thoughtbot reached out with an idea to track the presidential election. This was one of the many ideas we had come up with but now that people were asking for it, we put it on top of the priority list. There was a definite need and I wanted to be the one to help provide that solution to the twitter users. Dan also offered his rail's expertise to help us get it out the door quickly (in time for the New hampshire primary). In three short days we came up with the concept, designed and delivered a product that we are all very proud of. This evening we made some minor tweaks, one being a better iphone experience (in case any one out on the trail needs up to date info), another in preparation for next steps/features.
The tweets posted on the PoliTweets come from any Twitter user who mentions one of the candidates names. There are also many news Twitters dedidicated to politics such as Politics, RedState, techRepublican and PolitcalLunch.
Some of the candidates themselves also have Twitters including Barack Obama (6,667 followers), John Edwards (4,148 followers), Fred Thompson (816 followers), Ron Paul (685 followers) and Joe Biden (120 followers). Hillary Clinton's campaign has a possible Twitter here but it isn't active. John McCain doesn't have a Twitter but there is a Blogs4McCain Twitter. Mike Huckabee doesn't have an official Twitter (yet) but there is a Huckablog supporting him. John Edwards' has thousands of Twitter followers but oddly hasn't updated his Twitter in a month. A relatively unheard of candidate named Keith Sprankle also has a Twitter account at sprankle2008.
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Thu, 10 Jan 2008 19:35:00 EST - AllGreen Magazine Debuts
AllGreen Group LLC has announced the launch of AllGreen Magazine (CT Edition) and a new website at AllGreen.com. The new magazine and website provide environmental news, events and information. The quarterly publication will be printed on recylced paper.
The quarterly magazine-printed on a blend of recycled paper-is Connecticut's first definitive consumer guide dedicated to eco-friendly living. "Connecticut has the potential to be a leader in guiding the world toward solutions for a better planet," says editorial director Heather Burns-DeMelo. "There is a buzz in the air. From universities to government to corporations to small businesses and nonprofit organizations, there isn't a sector that's not bubbling up with innovative green initiatives. AllGreen Magazine aims to be a galvanizing force and to bring eco-friendly living into the mainstream."
The premiere issue can be read online here.
The inaugural (Winter) edition of the magazine is currently being distributed to homes and businesses throughout Connecticut. Subsequent editions will appear in the spring, summer and fall, with a total circulation of approximately 100,000 copies per issue, and an estimated readership of 250,000 per issue. The Web site, currently in its beta version, will officially launch in the coming weeks.
AllGreen Group LLC's publisher is Michael J. Guinan, managing partner, who is also the principal of Hartford-based Marketing Resource Consultants (MRC), co-publisher of Hartford Magazine and publisher of CT Business Magazine, Home Living CT and The Greater Hartford Charitable Events Guide. AllGreen's senior editor is Carol A. Latter, who also serves as editor of CT Business Magazine and oversees several of MRC's other publications. AllGreen's creative director is David E. Frith, who heads up creative for MRC.
The new eco-friendly magazine is produced and published under the direction of MRC, and will be mailed quarterly with Hartford Magazine and CT Business Magazine. It will also be distributed to government officials, legislators, town chambers, hotels and eco-friendly businesses statewide, and will be available at prominent consumer events, including Sun WineFest, the Original Connecticut Home & Remodeling Show and two AllGreen-sponsored expos, scheduled for 2008 in Hartford and Fairfield County.
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Tue, 8 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST - Few Watching Fox Business So Far
The New York Daily News reports that a mere 6,000 people a day are watching Rupert Murdoch's Fox Business News cable channel during the work day. At prime time the number climb to about 15,000 viewers. These very low numbers are not bothering Fox Business News anchor Neil Cavuto.
"It's so early, I don't know what to make of them," FBC anchor Neil Cavuto said. "We're just coming out of the gate. Going in, I had so low expectations."
Cavuto might be right that it is still early but Fox Business News is unlikely to be given as much time to develop as the Fox News Channel was.
Cavuto said the numbers reminded him of 11 years ago, when he joined the then fledgling Fox News Channel. "For years after I left CNBC, it was as if I had entered the witness protection program," he said.
It took FNC several years to make a dent in the ratings and more than five years to beat CNN.
The FBC's audience peaks at 27,000 viewers at 8 p.m. weeknights, the data show. Another high point has been 2 p.m. weekdays, when 17,000 check in.
"I'm not a stranger to this sort of thing," Cavuto said. "I'm a realist. These things take time. It's tough to rate this kind of thing with an audience so small."
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Sat, 5 Jan 2008 15:00:00 EST - The Weather Channel on the Block
The New York Times reports that the Weather Channel has been put up for sale. There should be a lot of interest in the Weather Channel. The site is Tivo-proof because people are primarily intersted in the current forecasts. The Weather Channel also runs the 18th most popular site on the Internet at weather.com.
The sale of the Weather Channel, once written off as a dull network for weather buffs, could become especially heated as it is one of the few remaining basic cable channels available for sale. One potential suitor approached by Landmark described the Weather Channel as "beachfront property."
The times says the Weather Channel could sell for as much as $5 billion. A brief press release about the sale can be found here.
Its audience has mushroomed as the channel has expanded its coverage of hurricanes and others storms around the world and created programming about climate change, taking an aggressive and sometimes controversial role in the global warming debate.
The channel is also a godsend for advertisers. Like live sports, it is largely immune from TiVos and other digital video recorders. The channel has 800 employees; 125 are meteorologists.
Perhaps more appealing for some big media companies may be the Weather Channel's Web business, which was started in 1995. Weather.com ranks as the nation's 18th-largest media site by traffic, with more than 32 million unique users in November, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. That is bigger than CNN and Facebook.
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Thu, 3 Jan 2008 15:00:00 EST - Apple Rumor Site To Close
A website called Think Secret that published rumors about the Apple company is closing its doors after settling a lawsuit with the innovative tech company.
Think Secret, an Apple rumor site that's sat at the center of a controversy over Apple product plans since 2005, is going to cease publication, according to a statement published on the site. The decision is part of a settlement that Think Secret reached with Apple.
You can also read the statement here on the Think Secret website.
"Apple and Think Secret have settled their lawsuit, reaching an agreement that results in a positive solution for both sides," reads a press release posted on the site. "As part of the confidential settlement, no sources were revealed and Think Secret will no longer be published. Nick Ciarelli, Think Secret's publisher, said 'I'm pleased to have reached this amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits.'"
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Thu, 20 Dec 2007 21:05:00 EST
