• Broadband Access Is Lacking
    A new study from the Federal Communications Commission found that between 14 and 24 million Americans lack access to broadband and aren't about to get access any time soon. The FCC pointed to the report as more evidence that the U.S. needs the broadband plan issued by the Commission earlier this year, a plan that has generated a lot of controversy. "Consistent with the findings of the National Broadband Plan, the report points out the great broadband successes in the United States, including as many as 290 million Americans who have gained access to broadband over the past decade. …
  • Salke Named President Of Fox21
    Veteran TV producer Bert Salke has been tapped as president of Fox21, the 6-year-old cable/unscripted production arm of 20th Century Fox TV. He replaces Chris Carlisle. Salke will report to 20th TV chairmen Dana Walden and Gary Newman. For the past 13 years, Salke had been partnered with producer Chris Brancato in Brancato/Salke. The company was based at 20th TV from 2003-2005 before moving to ABC Studios (then Touchstone TV). Salke started off as an executive before producing, holding gigs at Twentieth Century Fox, Lorimar and FBC. Salke had been approached for executive jobs before but said "the right …
  • NBC's 'Minute To Win' Clicks With Viewers
    "Minute to Win It," on NBC on Wednesday nights this summer, is a throwback to old-time game shows like "Beat the Clock" that were ingenious in their simplicity. It requires no extreme weight loss, no tribal alliances, no consumption of cow eyeballs. Instead, it relies on simple challenges using household staples like beach balls, M&Ms, pantyhose, Hula-Hoops, toothbrushes and toilet paper. When "Minute to Win It" quietly made its debut in March, it averaged 5.8 million viewers, acceptable by NBC's standards but not a standout by any means. Having returned for the summer, when network ratings usually dip, …
  • Comcast, GE Boost Lobbyist Spending, Per NBC Deal
    Comcast Corp., the largest U.S. cable provider, boosted spending on political donations and lobbying as it sought approval to take over the operations of General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal. Comcast spent $6.9 million to lobby the federal government during the first half of the year, up from $6.1 million during the same period in 2009, new congressional filings show. GE also increased its lobbying expenditures, to $15.4 million during the first six months of 2010 compared with $11.7 million during the same period a year earlier. "We've come to a period in which money talks with particular force," said …
  • Google Slams FTC Plan To Save Journalism
    The financial viability of the U.S. press has been shaken to its core. The proliferation of communications outlets has fractured the base of advertising and readers. Newsrooms have shrunk dramatically and foreign bureaus have been decimated. In response, the FTC has issued a document outlining the crisis facing print media in particular and expresses doubt that any new online business model will support original journalism. It outlines a number of possible policy solutions, such as reducing search engines' and aggregators' fair use rights to news content, and creating an antitrust exemption that would allow newspapers to form a paywall cartel, …
  • Verizon Bulks Up HD Nonfiction Fare
    Telco Verizon has boosted the HD offerings on its FiOS TV service with two new channels, bringing its total to 142 HD channels. The new networks are Nat Geo Wild HD, focused on nature and wildlife programming, and Investigation Discovery HD, which offers real-life investigative features on key issues. Nat Geo Wild HD is available on Ch. 632 starting today for FiOS TV customers in Maryland and Virginia and will be in all markets by the end of this week, while Investigation Discovery HD is now available on FiOS TV Channel 623 in all FiOS markets. FiOS already …
  • FCC OKs Mobile DTV Receivers Without Analog Tuners
    Last week, the FCC's Media Bureau granted waivers of the requirement that television tuners be capable of receiving both analog and digital television transmissions, but only with respect to tuners meant for mobile use. The FCC justified the waivers of the All Channel Receiver Act given the technological constraints that an analog reception chip would put on mobile receivers. This signal is being tested now to allow television broadcasters to provide mobile programming in addition to their current over-the-air broadcast signals -- a service planned for commercial rollout at the end of the year. These waivers, granted in response …
  • Facebook Ranks Low In Customer Satisfaction
    Facebook Inc. scored in the bottom 5% of a customer-satisfaction survey, below Internet rivals Google Inc. and Yahoo! Inc., as the social-networking site's frequent changes rankled users. Facebook received 64 on a 100-point scale, while Google scored 80 and Yahoo got 76, according to a report based on the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Concerns about privacy, design changes and aggressive advertising hurt Facebook's status, the report found. Facebook has grappled with user complaints this year, while still attracting advertisers and millions of new members. In May, the company simplified privacy settings to make it easier for people to protect …
  • Omnicom Sees 2Q Revenue, Profit Boost
    In another encouraging sign for the ad business, holding company Omnicom Group, parent of BBDO, DDB and OMD, today beat analysts expectations and posted strong second-quarter results, reporting a 6% rise in revenue to $3.04 billion and a 4.2% improvement in profit to $243.3 million, compared to the same period in 2009. Good domestic numbers helped propel the performance overall. U.S. revenue rose 7.4 percent, compared to a 4.3 percent gain overseas. Researchers of late have forecast an improved global ad market following nearly two years of recession and stagnation, and today's Omnicom numbers appear to support such projections.
  • M&A For Media, Marketing Heats Up
    The merger-and-acquisition market in the media and marketing services sector was jolted awake late last year and has kept pace into 2010. The first six months saw more than 400 transactions totaling $21 billion, a deal value nearly triple that of the same period last year, according to investment-banking firm Jordan, Edmiston Group. By the firm's count, interactive media, marketing and technology (including mobile) propelled deals in the sector and accounted for 74% of activity in the first half, notes Ad Age.  So far, 2010 has seen a second publisher buy its way into digital-marketing services. Hearst acquired …
« Previous EntriesNext Entries »