The launch of local sports site ESPN New York is company's strongest to date. The debut is timed to the start of the 2010 Major League Baseball season, which will kick off Sunday night on ESPN2 and its live video site with a meet-up of bitter rivals The New York Yankees and The Boston Red Sox. Other sites have launched in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles. "It's been our strongest launch in terms of ad revenue," among the local sites, Horine added. Local advertisers for the New York site include Brooklyn Brewery, Tri State Land Rover Dealer …

David Shuster, an MSNBC anchor on MSNBC, recently participated in a test of a new CNN show. And that has MSNBC executives highly displeased. They learned of the shooting through a New York Observer article and promise, if true, an appropriate punishment. The Observer said CNN's "in-house team shot a pilot for a news show featuring David Shuster of MSNBC and Michel Martin of NPR as co-anchors." Sources claim that Shuster's contract is set to expire at the end of this year. Shuster refused to all comment.

WorldNow Mobile CMS, a new content management system, lets allows its station partners build and better control their mobile sites. The new publishing system offers the ability to generate customizable interactive forms to build consumer databases, collect and utilize user generated content, and push breaking news to mobile consumers. WorldNow provides technology, video and sales solutions to partner stations. Media outlets are boosting their mobile presence to connect with users via their smartphones. The mobile template is shaped to fit local needs. Partners pay either a license fee or agree to a revenue share for the new mobile …

Gannett Broadcasting is deploying Bitcentral's Precis and Oasis systems as a means of streamlining news production and exchanging news across the 23-station TV group. "It's value will be in collaboration and sharing," said Jeff Johnson, VP of technology for Gannett. Fred Forcher, president-CEO of Bitcentral, said that Gannett has recognized the long-term cost and operational advantages of bridging its news operations over open, IP-based technologies. Johnson said it may take a few years to deploy the new system throughout the group, but that five stations will get the upgrade this year. All stories and video clips are stored in …

The ad "Wonder-Full," from Leo Burnett in Chicago, began running in 3-D in cinemas last Friday before the DreamWorks animated movie "How to Train Your Dragon." The ad is part of Samgung's first push for its new line of 3-D televisions and carries the brand message "Dedicated to wonder." "Wonder-Full" is one of two 3-D commercials that Samsung is running in theaters. But others are getting into the act. Marketers as unexpected as packaged-goods client Purina and even the Air Force are using 3-D to tap into the growing consumer interest fueled by Hollywood. Advertisers that are making early …

Univision and CBS' GameSpot are teaming up on a new videogaming site. The arrangement will give users access to videogame information, including Spanish-language content, such as news, reviews, editorials and videos about the top-selling games worldwide. Univision indicates that Hispanic gamers are twice as likely to purchase games in the next 30 days compared to their non-Hispanic counterparts. For CBS Interactive, it's an opportunity to reach one of the fastest-growing segments of the videogaming community. Univision will translate GameSpot content into Spanish, and GameSpot will also produce exclusive weekly Spanish-language content appearing on Univision.com. GameSpot editor-in-chief Ricardo Torres will …

The first quarter of the year weren't good news for ABC's evening newscast, "World News," which dropped to the lowest numbers the program has had in a first quarter since the People Meter was introduced by Nielsen in 1987. The same situation hit CBS, where the "Evening News" also hit a new low for the months of January through March. The good news was all for NBC, where "Nightly News" scored its best first-quarter numbers since 2005. Over all, the numbers were: 9.92 million viewers for NBC; 8.27 million for ABC and 6.45 million for CBS. Viewers are stitl …

Three instances of product promotion had fans buzzing this week as shows on ABC and Fox took integration to new levels. ABC on Wednesday night plastered one of the final episodes of "Lost" with a near ever-present countdown clock for the return of alien-invasion drama "V," Fox's "American Idol" had a stunt promoting "Clash of the Titans," and ABC's "Modern Family" wrote an episode around getting the Apple's new iPad. "Idol" is no stranger to product placement, and its viewers have come to expect a certain level of product huckstering. But ABC's "Modern Family" turned heads with a story …

When Apple's iPad arrives at market on April 3, it will have access to all manner of content -- some 12 million songs and 10,000 music videos, 8,500 movies, 55,000 TV episodes; e-books, magazines and newspapers from a growing list of publishers; and 150,000 apps, including 1,000 specifically designed for its more powerful specs and increased screen real estate. Broadpoint.AmTech analyst Brian Marshall notes that the iPad will include providers of e-books, magazines and newspapers -- The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and will also include most major book publishers and a lengthening list of their …

Aegis Group's Carat has upgraded its global and U.S. ad-spending forecasts for 2010, and projected modest gains for 2011 as well. The new estimates are that global spending will climb nearly 3% this year, up from the 1% gain it had forecast in October 2009. Next year, global spending momentum should continue with a 4% increase, the first projection Carat has made for 2011. Carat now predicts U.S. spending this year will have a tiny uptick of 0.2% rather than shrink by almost 3%. Next year, U.S. spending will climb 1.4% the shop said. Western Europe will also show …