Television--and particularly television news--is changing so rapidly that Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw, both gone from the airwaves only a year, seem almost like characters out of the medium's distant past. And yet both may have represented a TV-news golden era. The two spoke movingly about their medium this week at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in Las Vegas. As more platforms and outlets for news develop with new technologies and devices, broadcast news will have to work hard to stay relevant, Brokaw told the industry crowd. "I believe the great challenge for our industry now is to develop …

Given all the ink devoted to the antics of shock jocks and hip-hop music stations, one could easily be led to believe that radio is a medium devoted only to the tastes of the young. But in fact that's not the case. But Harvey Nagler, CBS Radio's vice president of news, told a National Association of Broadcasters panel yesterday that "radio absolutely has to embrace the younger demographics. Radio must also embrace new technology to attract a younger audience." Nagler also stressed the importance for radio to "get as much of your material out there on all of the various …

A good piece here on how Shanghai's major newspapers have moved aggressively into the mobile-handset space, launching a series of mobile papers for its commuting, time-starved readers. One such service has been branded News365 and offers readers constantly updated headlines. (Longer stories are available on other services, but they are thought to be less desirable for mobile users.) Next week the mobile-newspaper business gets busier in Shanghai, when an English-language version is launched. According to this story on CRIENGLISH.com, two shortcomings of the current system in Shanghai are that it does not support the delivery of exclusive-for-mobile news and the …

A study by research firm NPD Group on the use of celebrities to help sell services and merchandise reveals a host of surprises. NPD asked which of 87 named celebs, all of whom have appeared in advertising in the last year, left a positive impression. And which, alternatively, left consumers with a negative impression. The best celeb endorser, according to the study, is Ty Pennington, host of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." Also having a positive "purchase impact" in the study was James Denton of "Desperate Housewives." On the other hand, celebs who were a turn-off to consumers includes a …

Malibu, California-based CurtCo Media is putting itself up for sale, reports The New York Times. CurtCo, led by president Bill Curtis, owns The Robb Report as well as a number of loosely related titles (Worth, ShowBoats International, Robb Report Luxury Homes, and others) that cater to a small but elite audience of the ultra-rich. Lately, the super-luxe sector has been soaring. According to a recent study, there are more than five million households in the U.S. with a net worth of $1 million or more. The housing boom has helped to build wealth around the U.S.--and CurtCo Media has profited …

Pity the plight of local TV stations. Until recently, most felt cosseted by the network or group with which they were affiliated, secure in the knowledge that they were an integral part of a machine intended to serve audiences and advertisers. Now, it's no wonder many feel practically abandoned. Look around: the network are busy selling their content to Yahoo, posting it on their own Web sites, making it available for download via Apple's software. Where do the local stations fit in in the age of the World Wide Web? That's the topic taken up this week in Las Vegas, …

Reveling in the results of a successful ratings season, BET is extending its franchise onto the World Wide Web. BET On Blast, a broadband channel, will be available through BET's existing Web site; it will feature streaming video, music, news, and clips from current cable programming. "The network said it chose to launch the site, among other reasons, because its target African-American 18- to 34-year-old audience is more likely to watch TV and surf the Internet simultaneously," reports Broadcasting & Cable. "We are connecting with our audience in new ways every day," says BET Chairman and CEO Debra Lee. The …

Citing a study sponsored by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, which showed a migration of ad dollars from conventional media to the Internet--especially search sites--Red Herring reports that the shift may well be irreversible. "As the concept of a mass U.S. audience fades further and further into history, advertisers are casting about for new formulas that go beyond traditional media such as television, radio, and print," says Red Herring, a site that covers the business of the Internet. "Numerous studies commissioned by the advertising industry tout the growth and importance of new media such as the Internet, cell phones, digital video …

Magazine Enterprise 360, a brand-new blog devoted to magazine publishing, the other day took on the question that's on the minds of many: are magazines dead? Hershel Sarbin, an industry legend and the blog's cofounder, argues definitely not. The medium is changing in response to the Web, but the essential character of magazines remains intact, Sarbin says. In some ways, they're as valuable as ever. What's essential at this moment is that magazine editors--not readers --lead the way. "Where I come from editors lead! They often make readers reach for Excellence," Sarbins writes. "Of course we write differently, or reshape …

Adam Lashinsky and a team of Fortune reporters do an excellent job of explaining how the latest Internet boom--a legit boom this time around--is affecting the valuations of old-media companies, even where, according to Lashinsky, the impact is not warranted. Just look around at today's hot companies: Pixar Animation, Apple Computer, Google, Electronic Arts. Small fry just a few years ago, each is now a major player on the worldwide stage. But are they worth investing in? Lashinsky asks. Are they overvalued? Some are, some aren't. And, as this piece points out, one can still get burned by investing in …