Mercury News
Two top newspaper executives agreed this week that their industry was in choppy waters, but differed somewhat in what needs to be done for long-term survival. Gary Pruitt, chairman and CEO of McClatchy, and Gary Singleton, vice president and CEO of MediaNews, speaking on a panel at the American Society of Newspaper Editors' annual convention in Seattle, said their business was being fundamentally altered by the deployment of broadband Internet. "There is no bigger problem in our industry today," said Singleton, who added that newspapers have to find a way to make money off the content they now put online …
Boston Herald
Faced with the plain, ugly facts--freefalling circulation and consequent losses in advertising--the nearly 100-year-old Christian Science Monitor recently began a radical transition from print to online circulation. The highly regarded paper still publishes a print edition daily from its Boston headquarters, but it's been in the vanguard when it comes to understanding how to use the Web, according to the Boston Herald. "The overall newsroom atmosphere has switched from, 'Oh my gosh, what does this mean for our future?' to 'What can we do, how can we do it?'" Karla Vallance, the Monitor's online managing editor, tells the Herald. …
Detroit News
Rather than merely sponsor a reality-TV program, which it has done to good effect with Fox's "American Idol" juggernaut, Ford Motor Company said yesterday that, as part of a new advertising strategy called "Bold Moves," it will create and produce its own program. Concept: Contestants will work with Ford designers to produce a hot concept car. Ford, which has already paid for a teaser for the as-yet-unnamed show, plans to shop it around to the networks in the near future. Jim Sanfilippo, an analyst with Automotive Marketing Consultants Inc., said the show is a good way to convey Ford's new …
Reuters
Several of the entertainment industry's heavyweights gathered this week at a Milkin Institute Global Conference to discuss the future of their business and big media in general, with most agreeing that social networking, made possible by the Internet, is rapidly transforming their industry. Youthful, tech-savvy consumers clearly want video delivered 24/7, at their convenience--with sharing features always available--and this poses both a challenge and an opportunity for media makers, said the execs at Milkin. Some even seemed confounded by the durable popularity of musty clips that can be seen on various platforms. "I don't know how many times you can …
Ad Age
Magazines will increasingly find ways to interact with multitasking consumers, but don't expect the medium to stand on its head or turn itself into something unrecognizable said various industry leaders who participated this week in a Magazine Publishers of America conference. Magazines don't need to be reinvented; they simply need to find fresh ways to remain relevant in a world where young consumers are accustomed to being engaged on more than one level. Industry leaders should hunt for every means possible to reach readers and advertisers, but "they may not want to hang too much hope on the idealized 'iPod …
Financial Times
The U.S.-based News Corporation, which has been nothing if not tireless in its efforts to bulk up on media properties around the globe, yesterday accused the British Broadcasting Corporation of improperly using public monies to improve its Web site. Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, which is itself busy acquiring and developing commercial Web sites, argued that the BBC has no business reintroducing a heavily revised and more consumer-friendly BBC.com because it is, after all, state funded. According to FT.com, "James MacManus, an executive director of Mr Murdoch's News International, accused the BBC of 'blatantly commercial ambitions' and of seeking 'to create …
International Herald Tribune
Here's the best piece we've seen on the status of what the newspaper industry once regarded as the holy grail--technology that allows constantly updated stories to scroll across plastic screens thin and pliable enough to be rolled up and stuffed into a pocket. The advent of the Web has put somewhat of a damper on enthusiasm for these digital-ink papers of the future--after all, the widespread deployment of broadband has made access to news stories fairly easy these days-- but development of the intriguing technology continues nevertheless. The International Herald Tribune describes the various trials that are just now …
New York Times
Mick Jagger, the larger-than-life lead singer of the Rolling Stones, has agreed to star in an ABC sitcom currently titled “Let's Rob Mick Jagger.” The pilot has already been shot. Bill Carter, the Times' lead TV-beat reporter, describes in colorful detail how the pilot came to be. Originally, the co-writers had actor Jeff Goldblum in mind for the role, but he declined because of other commitments. Jagger's name was then tossed out as a sort of most-ridiculous-long-shot candidate, but he liked the script and said he'd do the show if a network agreed to take it. Every network, in …
Reuters via C|Net News
Next week TiVo will introduce a box that allows the recording of two television shows simultaneously, a feature not currently available on generic DVRs offered by cable companies and retailers. It will be priced at $99.99 after rebates. This represents the latest attempt by TiVo to shore up its business, which has been under attack by DVR providers that offer similar technology, sometimes at lower prices. According to Reuters, TiVo also is preparing to unveil other unique capabilities in the weeks ahead. The industry is watching to see if the embattled DVR pioneer will be able to survive in a …
New York Observer
The New York Observer's Gabriel Sherman explores the buzz--and creates some in the process--over the prospect that the New York Times Company might take itself private. It would be a huge, complex, and expensive proposition, writes Sherman, but now might be the ideal time to make the move. He cites a Times insider as saying, "In terms of going private, they'd be buying at a good share price. If you are ever going to go private, the stock has never been lower." On the other hand, the Sulzberger family's controlling stake in the media company is structured in a way …