Media news digest archive for December 2004

Google dives into print (December 26)
From the Online Publishers Association: Google's drive to index all the world's knowledge has continued unabated, with a high-profile deal to scan and index books from five major libraries. For the University of Michigan's seven million volumes, it will take Google six years to digitize them. Scholars expect this move to bring out-of-print and rare titles better public access. Meanwhile, Internet News reported that Google had applied for a patent called "Method for searching media" which could signal that Google News will bring in money by indexing print magazines and newspapers and then charging a subscription cost for viewing them. The patent also mentions a technique for allowing publishers to serve new ads into archived pages. Links: BBC story on the library scans – click here; Internet News story on cross-media searching – click here.

Online year in review (December 26)
The USA-based Online Publishers Association has published its summary of 2004, which is worth reading for anyone interested in where this sector is heading. See this link.

Tough year for USA media (December 26)
An article on the Seattle PI web site summarises 2004 as a horror for large USA media companies. It says some of the damage was self-inflicted, citing the example of the less than happy merger of Time Warner and AOL. However 2005 could be equally challenging as major players grapple with resistance to a loosening up of media ownership laws, plus unwelcome challenges from new technology such as iPods, satellite radio and TV recorders that automatically skip ads. Click here for the story.

Telstra play for small business (December 25)
Business commentator Robert Gottliebsen has written an analysis piece for The Australian newspaper, warning that Telstra’s looming battle for the classified advertising market could make or break some print companies – or at least change the way they do business. However that may not be the main intention. He writes, “When Telstra purchased Trading Post, its main aim was not to attack Fairfax and News Corporation – publisher of The Australian – but to market a wider range of services to the 420,000 smaller enterprises that subscribe to its Yellow Pages directories. See this link.

Telstra buys Universal (December 22)
Telstra’s march towards being a significant media content provider has taken another important step with the acquisition by its Sensis directory subsidiary of Universal Publishers. Here’s what the media release had to say: Under the terms of the deal, Sensis has acquired 100 percent of the shares in Universal Publishers Pty Ltd, including its extensive, urban and regional mapping data, and a wide range of print street directory, mapping and tour guides produced and marketed under two icon Australian brands, Gregory’s and UBD. In Australia, these include 49 street directories, 101 maps for Universal Publishers, 37 maps for the RACV, 50 maps for oil companies, 6 atlases of Australia, 18 guides and 3 CD Rom products. In New Zealand, the Universal Publishers’ portfolio includes 3 street directories, 1 atlas (a second atlas will be released in 2005) and 17 maps to be released in March 2005. Sensis Chief Executive Officer, Mr Bruce Akhurst, said “This is an important, strategic acquisition that places Sensis at the forefront of Australia’s fast-growing, digital mapping industry. Universal Publishers’ extensive mapping content, combined with our own Whereis digital mapping content, means Sensis now has the largest and most up-to-date database of navigable mapping content in Australia. We have nearly 100 percent geographic coverage and, unlike our competitors, our content covers everything from urban streets, to points of interest, four-wheel drive tracks in the remote outback and smaller roads you’d never see on a normal map.”

Moronic media crazes killers (December 18)
Members of the Russian cabinet have publicly expressed concern over the negative content in media, reports Mosnews.com. The Defence Minister attributed recent murders by soldiers to inappropriate use of a library and demanded measures to stop what he described as the “moronization of the population”. Russia has recently been very aggressive in restricting media activity. Click here for the story.

PR firm sings to an awkward tune (December 18)
The Australian newspaper reports that PR company Icon has been dragged into the court case between the Kazaa internet peer file-swapping network and several major music companies. The music industry maintains that Kazaa was involved in illegal pirating of its product and has now dragged the PR firm which promoted the network into the dispute. Author Grant Montgomery writes, “While most PR companies won't find client campaigns part of a Federal Court case, the issue poses a challenge for any company taking on clients in industries that are still being legally explored.” Click here for the story.

China media lists on stockmarket (December 13)
From China Daily: “Beijing Media Corporation Limited will be the first Chinese mainland media company to launch initial public offering (IPO)…The capital raised will be used mainly for the expansion of its multi-media platform, including the development of weekend newspaper, specialized periodicals, TV industry, event organizing and acquisition of other media businesses.” See this link.

Journo detained for refusing to reveal source (December 10)
A TV news reporter from Rhode Island in the USA has been sentenced to home detention for refusing to reveal the source of a videotape from a covert FBI operation. Editor & Publisher magazine sees this as part of an increasing trend to convict journalists for contempt of court when they refuse to reveal the source of sensitive material. Click here for the Rhode Island Channel 10 story, and here for the Editor & Publisher piece.

Battle lines drawn over fourth TV network (December 9)
The Sydney Morning Herald reports, “The push by major advertisers for a fourth free-to-air TV network won its first ally among influential media buyers this week when Zenith Media broke ranks with its peers.” It goes on to outline who is for and against the proposal for a fourth free-to-air TV network in Australia, and why. Existing TV proprietors say it will simply spread audiences more thinly, while advertisers argue it will provide a much-needed boost to a sector which is sufffering atrophy. Click here for the story.

Gloves off for spinners? (December 9)
Crikey.com.au suggests that it's time spin doctors were given the same treatment by media as any other source. It says, “Perhaps it's time the media treated the public relations industry not as transparent and secondary constructs of the news, but as elements of the news that are always fair game and are appraised in the same way as all other parts of the story would be. Spokespeople should be quoted by name. If they are going to say it, then let them put their name to it. Anonymity is a privilege seldom granted to sources by the respectable press.” See this link for the debate.

Corplish exposed (December 9)
Here's a site for connoisseurs of corporate gibberish: Weaselwords.com.au.

Beeb to be jacuzzi-free (December 8)
According to the ABC, the UK's BBC is about to have its budget cut, which could mean the loss of around 2900 jobs. The report says, “BBC director-general Mark Thompson, who famously described the broadcaster as 'basking in a jacuzzi of spare public cash' when he ran rival network Channel 4, will announce the cuts.” Relations between the broadcaster and the government have been strained since a reporter accused the Blair executive of 'sexing up' a government paper on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Click here for the report.

Bloggtroversy on the rise (December 8)
From the Online Publishers Association in the USA: There have been many signs lately pointing to blogging's rise into the mainstream – including a few controversial marketing moves. On the less controversial side, Merriam-Webster announced that the word "blog" was the most researched term on its site in 2004, likely due to bloggers' notoriety during the presidential campaign, Reuters said. Plus, Microsoft jumped into the free-blog service fray with MSN Spaces, competing with Google's Blogger and AOL's Journals. Though the service is only in beta, it already has slots for future ads, with house ads running at the moment. As for controversy, critics were not happy about the hazy editorial/advertising boundaries on some blogs. MediaPost reported that a new blog called NewsBluntly included links to video news releases without properly marking them as advertiser-created content. "A blog that does not clearly disclose its sources, violates so many of the tenants we've worked to create," Laurence Moskowitz, CEO of Medialink, told MediaPost. Meanwhile, 15 independent bloggers will be mentioning Marqui's management services once per week in their blogs for $800 per month, and blogger Christopher Locke will be be touting HighBeam's customizable blog tool. Both moves show the in-roads of marketers into the previously personal space of bloggers.

Youth seeks clutter-free reading world (December 8)
We're not about to suggest that print publishers start waving the white flag, but this story from Wired magazine (itself a print title), has some interesting links regarding reading trends for younger audiences. One of them refers to a focus group exercise conducted by the Washington Post: “Imagine what higher-ups at the Post must have thought when focus-group participants declared they wouldn't accept a Washington Post subscription even if it were free. The main reason (and I'm not making this up): They didn't like the idea of old newspapers piling up in their houses.” Click here for the story.

Click go the editors (December 8)
An editorial piece by Sam Whitmore at Forbes magazine discusses a relatively new twist on using reader polling, where a Chilean newspaper makes very immediate content decisions based on what response stories receive on the internet. He writes, “It measures how many readers click on any given story on the LUN Web site, then bases its editorial decisions on those results. If a story gets lots of clicks, editors assign more stories just like it. If it doesn't, the story is killed, and similar pieces go unassigned. It measures how many readers click on any given story on the LUN Web site, then bases its editorial decisions on those results. If a story gets lots of clicks, editors assign more stories just like it. If it doesn't, the story is killed, and similar pieces go unassigned.” Click here for the story.

NY Times plays it fair (December 8)
From Greg Leech at Trader Classifieds (part of the PBL empire):“This is further to the email I sent you re Fallujah and the NY Times reporting of civilian casualties. I (and thousands of others it seems), wrote to the editor there and he responds below. A good example of people power forcing the world's press to be accountable. Hats off to them for addressing the issue, I reckon.” There was a belief trhat the newspaper was under-reporting civilian casualties in the city. An email campaign to corrrect this was organised by Fair.org and you can see its report on the issue by clicking here.

Telstra shake-up & shape-up (December 6)
Telstra chief Dr Ziggy Switkowski will soon depart in what is seen as a general shake-up of the company ahead of a final push by the Federal Government to see the 51 per cent government-owned telecommunications giant sold off into private hands. The shake-up will include a reshaping of the business, with wholesale telephone and internet access kept as a separate entity. Telstra is a significant media player with internet, pay TV and print interests, has a powerful database in the form of the national phone directories, and those entities are tipped to be rolled into one company. This all takes on greater significance when you consider that the government is also limbering up to change media cross-ownership laws.
Resources:
Backgrounder on Switkowski’s departure, from the Australian. Click here.
Overview of Telstra’s market fortunes in recent times, from the Age. Click here.
ABC story on the potential company split – click here.
News Ltd story on the new media group – click here.

Web eats into old habits (December 2)
Silicon.com says, “A new report from analyst house JupiterResearch has found that European TV watchers are spending less time watching the box and more time surfing the web. The report, Evolution of Media Use in Europe - Web Impacting Consumption found 27 per cent of Europeans are spending less time watching TV in favour of the internet, compared to 17 per cent in 2001.” Click here for the story, or here for Jupiter Research.

Muslim lifestyle channel for USA (December 1)
The ABC says a Muslim lifestyle television channel has begun operation in the USA. The story says of the founder, “A former banker and marketing executive, Mr (Muzzammil) Hassan drew up a business plan and raised backing from US investors for the channel, which he says will launch with 50,000 cable and satellite TV subscribers. He has signed a deal with Comcast, the largest US cable operator, to make it available nationwide.” Click here for the report.

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