• Reuters, Friday, September 8, 2006 11:15 AM

News Corp. needs to do a lot more of this: The media giant is putting the first seven minutes of the season premiere of the hit Fox show "The Simpsons" on the Web two days before its network premiere. News Corp.-owned sites like MySpace, Fox.com and IGNTV.com will host streaming versions. If it were smart, Fox Interactive Media would also pass the streams off to YouTube, Google Video and other online video sharing sites. And if it were really smart, News Corp. would cut it to five minutes and do the same before every show of the season, then add its other popular cartoon shows, like "Family Guy" and "King of the Hill." Viral video sites are the perfect place to dump promos for upcoming shows. If the company has to, pay for prominent placement on the home page. In addition to posting the first seven minutes of the new show online, News Corp. is fielding Homer promos across its online sites. On FoxSports.com, there'll be a section for "Homer's Week 1 NFL picks." AskMen.com will become "Ask Homer" for a day, and RottenTomatoes.com is getting a "Simpsons'-style" graphic takeover on the home page.

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