Las Vegas - Sony Pictures Television (NYSE: SNE) announced on Monday that it has signed an agreement with Google's (NASD: GOOG) YouTube, to establish a number of ad-supported channels that will feature episodes of classic TV shows and other content. The first channel to launch is the Sony Minisode Network, which offers condensed episodes of 21 programs, including "Married With Children" and "NewsRadio." Sony added that its Minisode Network has recently begun acquiring programs from other companies, including a deal with World Events Productions, distributors of "Voltron" and "Saber Rider."

New York - The New York Times (NYSE: NYT) and CNBC (NYSE: GE) on Monday announced a Web content-sharing agreement, which will consist mainly of Times articles being posted on CNBC.com and CNBC video being posted on NYTimes.com, The Times reported. No money will change hands in the deal, which is seen as bolstering both companies' offerings in light of increased competition from News Corp.'s Wall Street Journal and Fox Business Channel. "We have agreed to be each other's primary partners on the Web, which will strengthen both," Vivian Schiller, senior vice president and general manager of NYTimes.com, told The Times.

Las Vegas - NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) announced on Monday that it has teamed with Microsoft (NASD: MSFT) to create the website for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. NBCOlympics.com on MSN will feature thousands of hours of live and on-demand video, and utilize Microsoft's Silverlight video distribution platform.

Los Angeles - Ovation TV, a pay-TV network that features a range of visual and performing arts, announced on Monday that it has acquired the International Music Feed (IMF) channel from Universal Music Group. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. IMF, a 24-hour music TV network that offers a mix of U.S. and international artists, will be added to Ovation's mix of programming related to theater, dance, opera, literature, film, visual and fine art, music, design, photography and architecture.

Las Vegas - Razer Group's Jook Inc. unit on Monday introduced its digital music standard that includes social networking features, allowing portable music players to wirelessly transmit songs to other portable players in the vicinity. Users can also create personal profiles that are stored on their portable players, connect with other listeners or broadcasters, and rate one another's playlists. As an example, the company said that joggers could all tune into one runner's playlist at the same time. The company said the Jook standard will be available to all manufacturers and developers of portable music players and audio accessories such as earbuds, headphones and other similar products.

Alviso, Calif. - TiVo (NASD: TIVO) said on Monday that it will soon add the ability for its subscribers to apply its "Season Pass" feature to Web video, enabling users to subscribe to and watch a broad range of RSS feeds. Web videos will then appear automatically in the user's "Now Playing" list alongside recorded TV shows. The new capability requires that users purchase TiVo Desktop Plus 2.6, which will retail for $24.95 when released in March.

Mind readers wanted.

Seoul, South Korea - A group of consumer electronics, technology and broadcast companies have formed dotTV, a consortium that aims to bring interactive elements like social networking and online video to the TV viewing experience.

Las Vegas - Comcast (NASD: CMCSA), the nation's largest cable TV provider, announced on Monday that it has partnered with electronics maker Panasonic, part of Japan's Matsushita (NYSE: MC), to develop a portable digital video recorder (DVR) and DVD player that can record programming from both Comcast and other cable TV providers. The AnyPlay device sports an 8.5-inch display, features 60 hours of recording capacity, and is currently slated for release in early 2009.

Las Vegas - After a 22% increase in 2007, U.S. video game industry sales growth is expected to slow in 2008, rising just 13% to $17.9 billion, according to projections from the Consumer Electronics Association.

Los Angeles - Digital music service provider Napster (NASD: NAPS) announced on Monday that it will begin selling songs exclusively in the MP3 format beginning in the second quarter.

Redwood City, Calif. - Electronic Arts (NASD: ERTS) said on Monday that it has completed its acquisition of VG Holding Corp. -- the owner of both Canada-based BioWare and Los Angeles-based Pandemic Studios.

Las Vegas - Nearly one-half (45%) of U.S. media consumers are now frequently creating user-generated content, a 12% increase from a spring 2007 survey that challenges "the conventional assumption that online content creation is limited to a niche group of technology-savvy individuals," according to a recent survey commissioned by Deloitte & Touche.

New York, N.Y. - Hakia.com, a developer of search engine technology, announced on Monday that it has raised a $5 million investment from Prokom Investments, a current shareholder.

New York - Major label Sony BMG said on Monday that later this month it will begin selling digital album cards, which will feature codes redeemable for full-length albums as high-quality MP3s paired with bonus content. "The MP3 files delivered through MusicPass play on computers, as well as on all MP3 players, including iPods. This makes them a simple, easy to use solution that will appeal to fans who already access their music on the Internet, as well as to consumers who are just getting into the digital realm," said Thomas Hesse, president of global digital business & U.S. sales for Sony BMG.

Kansas City, Mo. - Handmark, a developer and distributor of mobile games and applications, announced on Monday that it has acquired U.K.-based Astraware, a developer of games for smartphones.

New York - A group of investment funds led by Jana Partners has taken a 21% stake in technology publisher CNET Networks (NASD: CNET), and is seeking to oust the company's current directors and take a majority of its board, The New York Times reported, citing people briefed on the proposal. Other entities involved in the proposal -- which CNET has rejected, sources told The Times -- include Sandell Asset Management, Spark Capital and entrepreneur Paul Gardi.