• Sony Reads The Google TV Tea Leaves: Not Much Flavor In The Cup
    From the no-surprise department: Sony has cut prices for its newfangled Google TV units, up to a massive 25% off certain models. This is no surprise because Google TV has been unable to secure the highest-profile content out there -- broadcast network prime-time shows. The big four networks have blocked Google from using its content on the new service to be run -- so far -- on Sony television sets.
  • Marketers Now More Accepting Of Online Make-Goods For Traditional TV Buys
    Fox is following in the footsteps of ABC -- but not from a position it necessarily likes. Fox is offering online inventory -- on hulu.com, for example -- as a make-good for a massive 20% drop in traditional TV ratings. ABC also did this a couple of years back for the same reasons: It didn't have enough -- or the right -- inventory to give back to advertisers, who are guaranteed specific gross rating points in their TV media buys.
  • Which Network Is Best On The Internet? Beats Us
    So which one of the big broadcast networks does the best job online? Your guess is as good as ours. As with everything in the Internet world, there are different measures for whatever digital pleasure you can consider.
  • Easily Distracted, Multitasking Young Video Viewers Means More Marketing Questions
    Current research says kids and young adults are actually tuning in to more traditional TV shows, TV shows online, and commercial messages than ever before. But are they actually watching more commercials -- or doing something else?
  • New Entertainment Entrepreneurs: A Romantic Story, Or Some Future Back-Biting Failures?
    Seems Jeff Bewkes, chairman/CEO of Time Warner, believes the new digital entertainment world is fertile ground for honest and hard-working entrepreneurs. (Media moguls are out.) But will those newcomers remain wholesome and nice people?
  • Is Scheduling On Network TV Less Important? Ask NBC Affiliates
    Lead-ins? Lead-outs? Scheduling? Does any of this matter any more? To 60% of U.S. TV audience -- those without time-shifting machines - timing is still a factor. But the 40% now in control with time-shifting devices are much less concerned about whether "NCIS: Los Angeles" follows the original "NCIS."
  • Man The Battle Stations, Cable Subscribers Are Going AWOL!
    Now another study says cable operators' main business -- that of providing consumers with a monthly package of traditional TV programming and video -- has been sinking. According to SNL Kagan, cable lost some 741,000 subscribers in the third quarter -- this after a 216,000 drop in the second quarter. These are the first net losses since Kagan started tracking the business in 1980.
  • Internet Video Advertising Looking More Like The TV Model? Not So Fast
    Internet ad-supported video looking familiar? To some. Media studies are showing the online video business, mostly that of TV shows online, seems to be pushing TV advertisers toward -- what else? -- a TV-like advertising model.
  • NBC Takes A New Tack Just Before New Owners Take Over The Ship: Original Programming For Everyone?
    In perhaps one last effort to kick-start its long-ailing prime-time schedule before new owner Comcast takes over, NBC is erasing the blackboard for this coming mid-season. There will be schedule changes on virtually every night of the week.
  • OMG! A 'Glee'-Themed Episode On 'The Office'! What Were They Thinking? Result: Yawn
    For all of you wondering about NBC's "The Office" special "Glee" episode on Nov. 11, here's the real news: It didn't matter.Everyone gathered around Gabe's home on "The Office" to watch a "Glee" episode. Some critics assumed this was an outrageous creative decision, like free publicity for the already high-flying Fox show. We don't know what, if any, effect this had on "Glee" as yet.
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