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ArchivesHollywood Guilds to Seek Larger Residuals on Video iPod ContentAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 3:16am.
Los Angeles - The unions representing Hollywood's actors, writers and directors have indicated that they will seek compensation for video content distributed on Apple's new video iPod more in line with the pay-TV model, which would represent a larger cut than what they receive on DVDs. "Make no mistake, that formula (for DVDs, which significantly discounts the revenue streams upon which the residual is based) is clearly not applicable in this case," Writers Guild of America West President Patric Verrone told The Hollywood Reporter. Alongside the introduction of the video-playing iPod last week, Apple began selling music videos and episodes of ABC TV shows like "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" for $1.99 on iTunes. The Hollywood guilds are uniformly unhappy with their share of DVD revenues, and said in a statement that they plan to argue for a larger share of revenue from the sale of video through iTunes and other similar services. "As the representatives for the creative community we embrace new technologies that expand distribution of material featuring the work of our members," reads a joint statement from the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), Directors Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America. "We have not yet heard from the responsible employers of our members, but we look forward to a dialogue that ensures that our members are properly compensated for this exploitation of their work."
Tandberg Television Acquires GoldPocket Interactive for $78.5 MillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 3:14am.
Southampton, England - Tandberg Television, a U.K.-based developer of video delivery technologies, announced on Monday that it has acquired Los Angeles-based GoldPocket Interactive, a developer of interactive TV programming, for $78.5 million. Founded in 1998, GoldPocket employs 85 people and has created interactive TV products for clients including Disney, News Corp, Time Warner, Viacom and DirecTV. Tandberg said the acquisition will add interactive TV programming to the other services it offers network operators, which include HDTV, video-on-demand, advertising on-demand and IPTV.
Rainbow Media, Singapore Interests Invest $20 Million in HD ProgrammingAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 3:12am.
Cannes, France - Rainbow HD Holdings, a unit of cable TV provider Cablevision's Rainbow Media Holdings, announced on Monday that it has partnered with Singapore-based media firm Mega Media and the Media Development Authority of Singapore, to invest $20 million over three years on the development of high-definition television programs. The content created under the partnership will be jointly owned by the three parties, and will air on Rainbow Media's recently launched VOOM HD Networks, a suite of high-definition TV channels. "We have formed an important alliance today with a strong production partner that will help share the economic burden in bringing quality high definition programming to the world marketplace," said Greg Moyer, co-general manager of VOOM HD Networks. Rainbow Media's other properties include AMC, The Independent Film Channel, Fuse and WE.
Report: Europeans Using Their Music Phones More Than AmericansAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 3:09am.
San Francisco - Europeans who own cell phones equipped with an MP3 player are four times more likely to use their phone to listen to music than their American counterparts, according to a report from market research firm Telephia. The survey found that 14% of European wireless subscribers now own a music phone; of these, 36% listen to music on their music phones, while the same is true for just 8% of Americans with music phones. "The advanced infrastructure and the higher availability of music-capable devices in Europe are key factors behind the bigger growth in adoption. The U.S. market is still waiting for higher bandwidth networks that would support faster full track music downloads," said Telephia vice president Kanishka Agarwal. The study also tracked the most popular music phone models, and found the Nokia 6230 leading among Europeans with a 26.6% market share, followed by the Samsung SGH-D500 (11.5%), Sony Ericsson K700 (9.6%), Nokia 6630 (7%) and Sony Ericsson K750 (3.7%). In the U.S. market, the Motorola V710 led with 22% of the market, followed by the Motorola MPX200 (17%), Handspring Treo 650 (16.8%), Sony Ericsson Z500 (7.9%) and Sony Ericsson S700
Rediff.com, Akamai Partner on First Digital Music Store in IndiaAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 3:07am.
Cambridge, Mass. - Rediff.com, a provider of online news, information, communication and entertainment services in India, announced on Monday that it has partnered with U.S. content delivery network firm Akamai to launch the first online digital music store in India. The digital retail site will use Akamai's technology to enable secure downloads, along with Rediff's e-commerce payment gateway. The company said Indian singer Sanjay Maroo was the first to create an online music download site using Rediff.com's new music store portal.
Turner Launches GameTap Broadband Video Game ServiceAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 3:05am.
Atlanta - Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) on Monday announced the official launch of its GameTap broadband video game and entertainment service. The service will initially offer unlimited access to 300 games from 24 publishers, along with original gaming-themed video programming, in a subscription format for $14.95 per month. Publishers providing titles for GameTap include Electronic Arts, Capcom, Take-Two Interactive, Activision, Atari, Sega, Midway, Ubisoft and Namco.
Mobile Phone Content Market Research Firm M:Metrics Raises $7 MillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 3:04am.
Seattle - M:Metrics, a provider of market research data on the consumption of mobile content and applications, announced on Monday that it has raised $7 million in its second round of venture capital financing. Prism Venture Partners led the investment round; The Kantar Group and i-Hatch Ventures also participated. Founded in Sept. 2004, Seattle-based M:Metrics claims to be the only mobile media measurement firm, offering monthly reports to clients including Verizon, Amp'd Mobile, Zingy, InfoSpace, RealNetworks, Mforma, Warner Music Group, MTV, Yahoo and Glu Mobile. The funds will be used for international expansion and new service offerings.
Mobile Marketing Applications Firm Soapbox Raises $10 MillionAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 3:01am.
San Diego - Soapbox Mobile, a provider of mobile marketing and commerce applications, announced on Monday that it has raised $10 million in new funding from Equal Elements, a Santa Monica, Calif.-based venture fund. San Diego-based Soapbox Mobile provides applications that can be used by consumer brands, marketing, advertising and promotional agencies to target consumers with mobile phone campaigns. The company will use the funds to accelerate growth, enhance product development and expand sales and marketing efforts.
Sony Ericsson Releases New 3G Walkman PhoneAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 2:57am.
Singapore - Sony Ericsson on Monday introduced a new 3G music cell phone, the fourth to be released under its famed Walkman brand. The music phone also includes a 2-megapixel camera.
http://tinyurl.com/avymu (Reuters) Toshiba to Embed Oasis Music Content on New Music PhoneAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 2:55am.
London - Toshiba Mobile Communications Division announced on Monday an agreement to offer live and pre-recorded content from the U.K. music group Oasis on its Toshiba 803 music phone handset. A 512MB SD card containing the exclusive Oasis content will be bundled with the phone, which will go on sale in Europe this month through wireless carrier Vodafone. The video content includes live performances from a recent Oasis performance in Manchester.
MediaBay Effects 1-for-6 Reverse Stock Split to Regain Nasdaq ComplianceAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 2:49am.
Cedar Knolls, N.J. - MediaBay, a distributor of spoken word audio content, announced on Monday that it has declared a 1-for-6 reverse split of its stock, which will begin trading under the new basis on Oct. 25. The move will bring the company's shares back under compliance with Nasdaq rules; MediaBay received a notice on Sept. 8 that its shares were subject to delisting from the Nasdaq, for failure to comply with the minimum bid price listing requirement.
Zingy to Create Mobile Content for Paramount Pictures FilmsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 2:44am.
New York - Mobile entertainment publisher Zingy on Monday announced a licensing agreement with Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products, to develop a range of mobile products based on Paramount Pictures film properties. Under the deal, New York-based Zingy will create wallpapers, voice ringtones and other mobile content based on films including the "Godfather" trilogy, "Airplane," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Get Rich or Die Tryin'."
New Sony Car Stereos Feature Faceplate MP3 Player InputAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 2:42am.
San Diego - Sony Electronics on Monday introduced two new Xplod in-dash car CD receiver models, both of which include the ability to connect a portable music player directly through an auxiliary input on the faceplate. The $100 CDX-GT100 CD and $130 CDX-GT200 CD/MP3 receivers let MP3 player owners connect them to their car stereos via a standard 1/8-inch mini jack cord.
Gotuit Media Registers 1 Million VOD Plays on Time Warner CableAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 2:40am.
Woburn, Mass. - Gotuit Media, a provider of video-on-demand programming, announced on Monday that its video-on-demand products have surpassed 1 million plays since January on Time Warner Cable's New England cable system. The company's services are currently on trial with 40,000 digital cable subscribers in Maine. "Even though Gotuit products represent just 4 percent of total VOD content on this system, Gotuit delivers 65 percent of the free on demand usage, and more than 12 percent of all VOD usage," said Gotuit president Mark Pascarella.
USA Today Consumer Electronics Holiday Buying Guide Hits NewsstandsAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 2:38am.
McLean, Va. - USA Today said on Monday that its first glossy consumer magazine, USA Today Now Personal Technology, has hit newsstands. The 80-page holiday gift-buying guide focuses on the latest consumer electronics products and trends, and has a cover price of $4.95.
Rockstar Games Ships "The Warriors," Based on Cult Film ClassicAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 2:34am.
New York - Rockstar Games, the unit of publisher Take-Two Interactive that created the "Grand Theft Auto" franchise, announced on Monday that it has released "The Warriors" for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Developed by Rockstar Toronto, the game is an adaptation of the cult classic 1979 movie from Paramount Pictures about rival youth gangs in 1970's New York. The game is also slated to ship in Europe on Oct. 21.
Electronic Arts Plans New Football Game Franchise: "NFL Head Coach"Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 2:32am.
Redwood City, Calif. - Electronic Arts announced on Monday that it plans to launch a new football game franchise, "NFL Head Coach," in the spring of 2006. Developed by EA Tiburon for PlayStation 2, Xbox and the PC, the 3D strategy sports game will allow players to build and manage every aspect of a football team.
Midway Games Ships "Blitz: The League" for PS2 and XboxAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 2:31am.
Chicago - Midway Games on Monday shipped its "Blitz: The League" football game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox to retailers. Chicago-based Midway said it plans a multi-million dollar marketing campaign for the game, which features NFL legend Lawrence Taylor as cover athlete.
Nintendo Releases "Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance" for GameCubeAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 2:29am.
Redmond, Wash. - Nintendo of America on Monday shipped its "Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance" title for GameCube to retailers. Nintendo said previous installments in the Fire Emblem franchise released for Game Boy Advance have sold a combined more than 600,000 units in the U.S.
Harrah's, AOL to Create Co-Branded Poker Site on AOLAuthored by Mark Hefflinger on October 17, 2005 - 2:27am.
Las Vegas - Casino operator Harrah's announced on Monday that it has partnered with America Online, to create a co-branded online poker games site for AOL users. The AOL site will offer World Series of Poker-branded free-play poker games, private poker rooms and tournaments, and reports from World Series of Poker live events.
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