Media news digest archive for January 2006

Future of TV goes 2 ways -- IBM (Jan 30)
IBM's business consulting unit has produced a report which says that the future of television is likely to split between passive and active users.
It says: Our analysis indicates that market evolution hinges on two key market drivers: openness of access channels and levels of consumer involvement with media. For the next 5-7 years, there will be change on both fronts - but not uniformly. The industry instead will be stamped by consumer bimodality, a coexistence of two types of users with disparate channel requirements. While one consumer segment remains passive in the living room, the other will force radical change in business models in a search for anytime, anywhere content through multiple channels.
See this link

National suburban agreement? (Jan 27)
The Media Alliance says: Talks for a national enterprise bargaining agreement covering all News Limited suburban newspapers will resume when Cumberland management meets with the Alliance on 9 February. The proposed agreement will cover all mastheads under the Cumberland Newspaper Group in NSW, Quest in Queensland, Leader in Victoria and Messenger in South Australia.
Media Alliance

Pick your own front page (Jan 26)
From Editor & Publisher in the USA: f you've ever wanted to pick the stories that appear on page one, the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison is about to give you the power. Under a new initiative launched Monday, the 101,000-circulation daily will let readers vote on its web site each day for the story they'd most like to see on the front page.
E&P story

Google acquiesces to censors (Jan 25)
Google has joined major competitors such as Yahoo and Microsoft in agreeing to self-censor internet search material in what has become known as China's Great Firewall.
The company has copped criticism form those who believe it should not water down free speech principles in the name of business, plus those who note the same firm has been less co-operative with the USA government when it demanded access to the search records of users.
See this analysis from The Guardian

Vatican enforces copyright (Jan 24)
The Vatican has sparked controversy by saying it will now enforce copyright for all speeches and documents produced by Pope Benedict XVI. It claims it has always owned copyright and that it will enforce the edict retrospectivley to include all the pontiff's predecessors over the last 50 years. To prove it is not simply posturing, it has already sent a Milanese publisher a bill for $US18,000 for publishing excerpts of the Pope's work. Commentators wonder if this means the Catholic faith may find it more difficult to gain recruits, if spreading the word carries a potential financial penalty.
Catholic News Service story
The Times home; Story

Google fights privacy challenge (Jan 23)
From the Wall Street Journal, via Benton: Google says it will "vigorously" oppose a US Justice Department legal motion filed late Wednesday requiring it to disclose information about consumer Web searches, the latest test of Internet companies' willingness and ability to shield information from government inspection. The standoff steers clear of some of the most hot-button privacy issues, since it involves only anonymous data about Web queries, rather than information that identifies what specific users are searching for. But the development comes amid controversy about government monitoring of Internet and telephone communications on national security grounds, and any private sector cooperation with that.
Wall Street Journal home; Story (requires subscription)
Benton

News to challenge Yellow Pages (Jan 20)
From The Australian newspaper: Rupert Murdoch's News Limited is set to unleash a challenge to Telstra's $1.6billion-a-year Sensis listings business.
News Interactive managing director Nic Jones told The Australian yesterday the media group would launch a new website within weeks that provided access to about one million local trades and services listings…
Australian home; Story

Multicasting FM starts in USA (Jan 20)
From the Wall Street Journal, via Benton: The nation's big radio companies are about to roll out their answer to satellite radio -- a new technology called "multicasting" that allows them to cram two or three stations onto FM frequencies that today carry just one. For listeners, that means dozens of new channels are coming onto the air, starting this week. But there's a catch: They need to shell out several hundred dollars for new radio sets that pull in the digital signals, which regular radios don't pick up. This week, Clear Channel Communications Inc., CBS Corp.'s CBS Radio and other major radio broadcasters are starting to spell out what formats they will use for the new stations that will be created to take advantage of the emerging digital technology. Clear Channel today will begin multicasting 10 new stations in New York and San Francisco, with 15 more rolling out in the next few days, and will detail plans for a bigger push later. CBS Radio will also unveil new multicast stations in several markets. In all, more than 250 multicast digital stations will soon be available in 28 large markets, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, the HD Radio Alliance, a trade group of major radio companies, said yesterday.
Wall Street Journal
Benton

A million little law suits (Jan 20)
From the Wall Street Journal law blog: "On January 13, 2006, Myers & Company, PLLC, (www.myers-company.com) filed a class action lawsuit against James Frey and Doubleday. The lawsuit alleges that the popular book A Million Little Pieces mislead consumers. The suit was filed on behalf of all residents of Washington who read the book and all persons who purchased the book from Washington retailers.
The lawsuit seeks not only to recover the purchase price paid by consumers but also the value of the readers’ time. Claims for statutory damages and attorney fees under Washington’s Consumer Protection Act are also sought.
"Despite numerous reports to the contrary, Randomhouse has not offered refunds."
Frey’s book, promoted as a memoir, rocketed to sales success on the back of a recommendation by the book club promoted by TV talk show star Oprah Winfrey. On discovering the title contained a fair bit of fictional license, she withdrew the endorsement and interviewed Frey on air about his alleged misdeeds.
Winfrey’s book club has since endorsed another book with an incarceration theme – the somewhat more sober Night, an account of the WWII mass murder of Jews, written by Elie Weisel.
Wall Street Journal law blog

Broadcaster to be sued over food ads (Jan 20)
Giant US broadcaster Viacom has been named in a law suit that include's Kellogs foods, claiming the two organizations are promoting products that are bad for children.
The suit is being brought by activist organizations and parents in the State of Masschusets, in the USA.
New York Times home; Story

Digital Universe, anyone? (Jan 20)
From the Washington Post, via Benton: One great thing about the Internet is how anyone can try to make it better. A group of scientists, academics and nonprofit groups is making its attempt with a new Internet directory it calls the Digital Universe. The group's goal is to provide information vetted by experts on all major topics of human knowledge in a new format allowing people to browse it in a more visual way. Released in pilot form Monday, this new directory aims to collect the best of the Web in one spot. It differs from other search engines and directories in two key ways -- by rejecting advertising and by putting its content under the editorial control of a self-organizing network of experts.
Washington Post
Digital Universe

Murdoch's $1 billion broadband push (Jan 18)
Business Week online reports: News Limited Chairman Rupert Murdoch is mulling a plan that would push cable company DirecTV into broadband. And executives have said he's prepared to spend $1 billion to get the project off the ground. The service would let DirecTV sell high-speed Internet access and Web-based phone service alongside satellite TV, putting DirecTV on equal footing with rivals. News Corp owns 34% of the pay TV service.
Apparently this is to block off what the company sees as real threats to pay TV from telephony and internet companies, now that migration of video and TV content to the internet seems inevitable.
Business Week home; Story.

Search marketing to boom (Jan 18)
From the Online Publishers Association: Search engine marketing has been all the rage, and don't expect that to slow down anytime soon, if you believe the recent comprehensive survey by the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) and Piper Jaffray analyst Safa Rashtchy. SEMPO's 2005 State of the Search Marketing Industry survey results offered a lot to chew on. SEMPO found that search engine marketing racked up $5.75 billion in sales in the U.S. and Canada last year, up 44 percent from '04, with a projected increase to $11 billion by 2010. Paid placement made up 83% of SEM outlays in '05, with search engine optimization only garnering 11%. SEMPO learned that 95% of marketers buy through Google, while 60% buy via Yahoo and almost a third buying through MSN's more recent service. ClickZ pointed out that the survey showed that more respondents were doing their SEM in-house (62%) than the year before (52%).
Rashtchy was even more bullish in his report on paid search, with global numbers estimated at $10 billion for 2005, rising 41% in 2006, and eventually reaching a nosebleed level of $33 billion by 2010. Rashtchy was even more wild-eyed in his predictions for Google, with a price target of $600, and for online advertising in general, which he had predicted would exceed $55 billion globally by 2010. "Think that's crazy?" asked Chris Sherman of Search Engine Watch, "Caris & Co. analyst Mark Stahlman makes Rashtchy seem downright conservative: Stahlman says Google is on the way to $2000 per share, making it the world's most valuable company. Stahlman said Google may one day reach $100 billion in sales as it expands beyond search and email into financial services and online health care." Paging Dr. Google!
Search Engine Watch report
Online Publishers Association

Media talk binned because of media coverage (Jan 17)
In a somewhat farcical situation, the Chinese Ambassador to Britain last night pulled out of a media speaking engagement, because he was not allowed to ‘cull’ some reporters from the audience.
The event, called Newsmakers, is a regular gig run by Reuters and this version was to be attended by a large audience including diplomats and media. Mr Zha Peixin objected to the presence of two reporters from the Epoch Times, but Reuters refused to comply with a request to have them barred.
Based in New York, the publication covers international news, with an emphasis on China. It’s website says: “A special strength of the Epoch Times is our coverage of China. Today the world is increasingly looking to China, as this troubled giant goes through tremendous changes. Business and political leaders, and also world citizens, want to understand better what is happening there. We are able to provide well-sourced stories that no one else has through the original reporting done by the Chinese-language edition of the Epoch Times.”
Epoch Times

Dial a Bobcast (Jan 16)
Greens leader Bob Brown is perhaps the world's first politician to podcast from his mobile phone, according to the political group.
The public can log on to his webstie to listen to 'Bobcasts' about David Hicks, the terror laws and Bob's court battle to save endangered species in Tasmania's Wielangta Forest from extinction due to logging.
"I am not techno-savvy, but I enjoy stopping every now and then to talk about the issue of the moment as we see it," Senator Brown said.
Brown calls up from anywhere on his mobile phone to leave a message on an internet-based voicemail service, which then digitises the message and emails it to his office to be uploaded to his website.
Subscribers then receive it on their computer, iPod or mp3 player.
Bob Brown web site

MEAA call for new jail rules (Jan 15)
The Media Alliance has called on the Queensland Corrective Services' Minister Judy Spence to repeal section 100 of Qld's Corrective Service Act 2000, which prohibits anyone from interviewing or photographing prisoners without permission. The call comes after the Brisbane Magistrates' Court gave documentary maker Anne Delaney a 12-month $750 good behaviour bond for "interviewing" a prisoner. The Alliance also wants to meet WA's Attorney General and Justice Minister about section 52 of WA's Prisons Act 1981, which contains penalties of $1500 fines or 18 months jail (or both) if journalists have contact with a prisoner.
See www.alliance.org.au

Newspapers are still good business (Jan 15)
From USA Market Watch, via Benton: Newspapers, despite all the commentary and seeming evidence to the contrary, are good investments. They are the biggest purveyors and producers of content, and their profit margins are big. Newspapers have profit margins that average between 20% and 30%. A report by the Newspaper Association of America points out that those numbers are "a bit less than Microsoft and Dell but higher even than pharmaceuticals." This is important to remember as people get inundated by the fanfare that the Internet is the future of growth and the slayer of all things print. Online news outlets are mature enough to be called distinct and separate businesses. Newspapers are still relevant, indeed even resilient. Wrappers aside, newspapers may even be fueled by the rise of technology. As George Soros may exemplify in his rumored purchase of the Dreamworks movie library -- and as Yahoo and Google are announcing with their news and entertainment alliances -- content reigns king. Newspapers aren't yet valued on their archives, essentially libraries of their articles, or on the prospects of their earnings streams. These could be giant assets whose potential will be borne out by what we're seeing now as models at The New York Times and ESPN.com -- paid-for premium content. If Google believes it can garner income from people willing to pay for second-run television shows shown on their PCs or hand-held devices, is it so far-fetched to believe people will pay for articles, columns and special reports?
Market Watch home; Story.
Benton news alert

Free trauma training (Jan 15)
From the Media Alliance: The Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma / Department of Human Services is holding free training in Melbourne on trauma and journalism. The dates for training are: 22 February, 9am - 4pm (editors and managers) in Melbourne; 23 February, 9am - 4pm - (journalists) in Melbourne; 2 March, 9am - 4pm - (editors and managers) in Northern Victoria (Shepparton). Please confirm places by 31 January by emailing australasia@dartcentre.org. More information at http://www.dartcentre.org

Gates' multi-device vision (Jan 10)
From the Washington Post, via Benton: Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates outlined his vision for the future of consumer technology in a keynote speech last week at the International Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas as he unveiled an array of new products aimed at the growing appetite for digital entertainment. During his speech, Gates painted a picture of a digital world in which many devices, including cell phones, computers and televisions, seamlessly complement one another. He demonstrated a computerized wall easel for the home that can show television images, keep track of family members and interact with an office computer. He also showed a phone that can make calls over standard phone lines and calls using voice over Internet protocol technology.
Washington Post home; Story
Microsoft transcript of the Gates speech
Benton

Gender differences in internet use (Jan 10)
From Reuters via Benton: A study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project finds that Internet users share many common interests, but men are heavier consumers of news, stocks, sports and pornography while more women look for health and religious guidance. Men log on more frequently and spend more time online. More men also have access to quick broadband connections than do women. Women are heavier users of e-mail, often going beyond the matter-of-fact responses of male correspondents to use e-mail to share stories, solve issues and reach out to a wider network of friends and family.
Reuters story
Benton
Pew Internet project

Where's the money? (Jan 10)
From Broadcasting & Cable, via Benton: Last year, the TV industry discovered a variety of new ways to deliver their shows -- on iPods, on video phones, even online. This year, they vow to figure out how to make money off of them. Programmers thrive when new distribution pipes open, but some TV executives cutting the deals say they are making it up as they go along. While it is still unclear whether consumers will pay to watch TV on a small screen, executives are already struggling to construct the proper template to make big profits if they do. With each new announcement, many say privately they fear being left behind. When Apple and ABC set the market by announcing their $1.99-per-download deal last October, it set off a flurry of number crunching, as broadcast networks and studios tried to come up with the right set of rules to make money. Now dealmakers are desperately trying to value everything from cellphone clips of 24 to old episodes of Adam 12. Some of these executives still quietly maintain that last year's announcements amount to little more than hype. TV executives say that, in the coming year, several business trends will emerge as guides for these new deals: 1) There's not much revenue yet from selling TV content to small screen (cell phone, portable media players) consumers. 2) The ability for consumers to buy on-demand, download and own both new and classic television shows could signal a challenge ahead for the red-hot TV-on-DVD market. 3) More hits will be available as copyright issues are settled. 4) As technology evolves ever more rapidly, one of the biggest challenges for TV programmers will be getting different divisions of the company on the same page.
Broadcasting & Cable home; Story
Benton

Apple to shake up TV/movie distribution? (Jan 8)
If Forrester Research is correct, Apple Computer may be on the verge of shaking up our understanding of how movies and TV programs are distributed, with the imminent release of a gizmo which connects your TV to the web and enables storage of video. The company said, in it latest bulletin, “Video is certain to be central to Apple's pitch at the Macworld Conference and Expo this year. But don't look for an Apple set-top box just yet. Later this year, Apple will create a new set-top device (call it AppleVision) that brings the Internet and video downloads to the TV set, shaking up the device world and further exploding video distribution.”
Forrester

Google-AOL deal leaves Microsoft behind (Jan 5)
From the Online Publishers Association: It was icing on top of the cake that was Google's breakout year in 2005. The search giant beat out Microsoft to make a far-reaching deal with Time Warner's AOL division, including Google taking a 5% stake in AOL for $1 billion. The New York Times' Saul Hansell said that for Time Warner, "it was Google that appeared to be the safe choice in uncertain times. Google's search technology has been the leader in innovation, its advertising network has been a volcano of cash for AOL, and its brand is the hottest of all Internet companies." Because of the deal, Google might start running graphical ads on its home page or in search results. Plus, AOL gets $300 million in free AdWords spots, and AOL's sales force can sell paid search ads that would run on AOL sites, the first such "white label" deal by Google, ClickZ reported.
Google quickly had to squelch concerns that the user experience would change for the worse. "Biased results? No way. Providing great search is the core of what we do," Google VP Marissa Mayer wrote on her blog,"Business partnerships will never compromise the integrity or objectivity of our search results. If a partner's page ranks high, it's because they have a good answer to your search, not because of their business relationship with us." The big loser in the deal was Microsoft's MSN, a laggard in search and paid search ads that was looking to become a stronger player. Microsoft chair Bill Gates made hay by announcing cash or software deals for users of its search engine, though analysts wondered if that would create more click fraud.
Online Publishers Assocaition
Other stories: New York Times, ClickZ

Fairfax grows internet portfolio (Jan 3)
Newspaper publisher John Fairfax Holdings has continued adding to its internet portfolio, with the purchase last month of Stayz.com.au and a 20% stake in Mooter Media.
Stayz is an online travel business. “Our acquisition of Stayz is a significant strengthening of the Fairfax Digital portfolio. Stayz is a market leader with a strong brand, relationships with over 500,000 customers, 12,000 properties, and a strong search engine position. Stayz is an excellent business with strong growth prospects in one of the fastest-growing online transaction markets in Australia,” said David Kirk, Fairfax CEO.
Mooter Media is a business to business outfit, developing personalised web advertising tools. According to the Fairfax statement: Mooter is a world-leading developer of business-to-business internet advertising targeting and intelligence clustering tools to optimise the relevance of internet advertising to consumers. Based in Sydney, Mooter has significant global distribution agreements with search marketing businesses and publishers including Yahoo! Inc.'s Overture.
Fairfax corporate
Stayz
Mooter Media

Delaney decision a step backward (Jan 3)
On December 22, the Brisbane Magistrates Court decided to impose a 12-month $750 good behaviour bond on filmmaker and former ABC producer Anne Delaney for "interviewing" a prisoner. The Media Alliance says this undermines press freedom in Australia. According to the organisation: The fine was brought under controversial section 100 of Queensland's Corrective Services Act 2000. It is a law unique to Queensland. Delaney had been facing two years gaol. "We congratulate Anne for the strong stand she has taken," Media Alliance federal secretary, Christopher Warren said.
Alliance story

US lobbyists under the microscope (Jan 3)
From the New York Times, via Benton: Think tanks are facing new and uncomfortable scrutiny over their links to special interest groups after the disclosure this week that the Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff had paid at least two outside writers for opinion articles promoting the work of his clients…While major newspapers and magazines usually insist that outside writers disclose conflicts of interest, editors do not routinely conduct background checks, especially for authors affiliated with credible research groups.
NY Times home; Story
Benton news briefs

Web used to shame US tax debtors (Jan 3)
From USA Today, via Benton: At least 18 states have launched websites to post the names of people and businesses that owe back taxes. Maryland calls its website “Caught in the Web.” In South Carolina, it's “Debtor's Corner.” Wisconsin on Jan. 3 will launch “Website of Shame.”
USA Today home; Story

Journo wins fight over war (Jan 3)
From the Media Alliance: Journalist wins unfair dismissal case after Iraq refusal - A London-based ABC News (US) TV correspondent, sacked for refusing to go to Iraq, has won an unfair dismissal case. Canadian Richard Gizbert alleged the Disney-owned network cancelled his freelance contract after he twice refused to go to the Middle East. The Central London Employment Tribunal ruled he had been unfairly dismissed. Gizbert had worked in Bosnia and Chechnya, but no longer wanted long assignments because of family commitments. Britain's National Union of Journalists says the decision reinforces a journalist's right to act on their conscience and protect their health and safety.
Media Alliance

No escape from cable TV (Jan 3)
From the New York Times, via Benton: A USA company has developed a gadget called Slingbox, a way to let cable and satellite television customers watch what was on their home televisions while they were on the road. The size of a shoe, it sells for $250 and unlike TiVo does not require a monthly subscription. The box can be hooked to a cable set-top box or a digital video recorder, and must be linked to a broadband line so the video can be "streamed" to a laptop or other device.
NY Times home; Story

Blaspeming journo released ( Jan 3)
From the International Federation of Journalists: The Kabul High Court on December 21 allowed the release from jail of Ali Mohaqiq Nasab, editor of the magazine Haqoq-e-Zan (Women's Rights) after reducing a two-year sentence imposed for blasphemy. Nasab was convicted on October 22, 2005 for reprinting and commenting on articles by an Iranian scholar criticising the stoning of Muslims who convert to another religion and the use of corporal punishment for offences such as adultery. The High Court ruling came even as several Afghan religious groups were calling for Nasab to be sentenced to death for blasphemy. Blasphemy laws remain the greatest threat to journalists in Afghanistan, and the inability to protect the rights of journalists through the rule of law often results in self-censorship and an avoidance of reporting on important religious issues in the region. Nasab, pictured, represented himself in court. (Pic: IFJ)
IFJ on the original arrest

Ad revenue set to rocket (Jan 3)
From Reuters, via Benton: JMP Securities on Tuesday raised its global advertising forecast for not only this year but for next year and beyond. The firm now expects the global online ad market to grow at a 25% clip annually for the next five years, up from a previous forecast in the low 20% range. In the next year the Wall Street firm expects the online ad market to grow to $26.4 billion worldwide and to $33.2 billion in 2007. Forrester Research, meanwhile, said that those who have the Internet are spending more than 30% of their media time nowadays online.
Reuters home; Story

Big pay day for TV exec (Jan 3)
How much is a top TV executive worth? According to News Corp, about US$5 million per year. The company has just signed up Roger Ailes, the head of its TV division, for a five-year contract reported to be worth US$25 million.

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