It's nice to see even the biggest of new digital media companies still believes in the smallest of national TV media. TV Week reports Yahoo! and Twentieth Television are thinking about launching a magazine type show filled with - what else? -- user generated and other popular videos. All this seems a little quaint -- especially considering TV syndication was once considered an alternative to the broadcast networks, then replaced by cable TV programming, which, in turn, has been replaced by the Internet.

In the 24 hours leading up to this morning's OMMA Video conference in Los Angeles, I've gone through a storyline worthy of a network prime-time series -- at least one worthy of the writer's stroke-ridden schedule, or more likely on YouTube. It began when I was speaking to my best friend early yesterday. We were talking about our favorite, "must-see" network shows, when he told me how disappointed he was to miss the season finale of his favorite, Fox's "24." I said, why not go onto Hulu? He said, "Hulu who?" I found this striking because he's a media …

The accelerating shift to digitally-delivered media, high high interest in behavioral targeting, and the creation of brand advocacy through online community were some of the recurring themes woven through the weekend’s ANA Annual Meeting that kicked off with a keynote from Microsoft’s Chairman Steve Ballmer declaring that Microsoft’s business is about â€oeDigtal. Digital. Digital. Advertising. Advertising. Advertising.†On

Laura Desmond, CEO of The Americas, a Starcom MediaVest Group, spoke about letting go. In addressing the methods marketers can use to reach the ad averse and those who will listen to ads if you make them relevant, she said marketers must give up control. "Let consumers incorporate your brand in their behavior." There's a fine line between letting go and running amok, she said. But what she calls "easy advocacy," which provides a way for consumers to feedback and gives them sharing mechanisms, has benefited such brands as Jones Soda and Red Bull, for example. I always …

We heard a refreshing presentation by Jocelyne Attal, CMO of Avaya, an IT company that started out, in 2000 after transmogrifying from Lucent, as the underdog. With a thick and delightful French accent, Attal took us through her company's progress in growing its B2B customers database by changing its brand image. "From Utility to Cool," her titled presentation, showed how Avaya went from being an invisible brand (the telephone on your office desk) to providing software you can't live without. I'm a sucker for the underdog so I was really drawn into her presentation as she showed how …

Some bleary eyes over the breakfast tables this morning pay tribute to a late evening of entertainment and a silent auction. Some observations from my table mates: Al Gore could have been less hard-sell and a more about climate change and his Nobel Peace Prize. The fundraising for Care that was part of last evening's events could have been advertised more clearly and didn't feel exactly right for the occasion. Only people from client companies win the prizes. No agency people and no media. So next time, save your business cards. Last night's singer was delightful …

Here are the stories former Vice President and Current TV partner Al Gore chose to tell the ANA.

Freshly minted Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore showed up as promised Saturday morning and turned on the ad sales charm as he talked about consumer-generated media, Current TV and his status as a recovering politician.

And so we shall have it! Atlas is sponsoring an oxygen bar in the lobby outside the ballroom. The oxygen bar, with bubbling bottles of colored liquids infused with aromas and H2O, is one of the most popular booths. Eager attendees line up, slip tiny green plastic piping into their nostrils, over the ears and down to connect with a bottle.

The new advertising applications now in test or in development using Microsoft's Silverlight technology were the talk of the cocktail parties. The other "S" word popping up was swarm.