• One For The Record Books
    ST. PETERSBURG, FL - It's refreshing to know that the best interest of the TV viewing public at large has been served at least once this year, in the waning days of 2007. It was announced on Tuesday that Saturday night's Patriots-Giants game will be simulcast on both NBC and CBS, as well as on the NFL Network. This last minute maneuver insures that the 60% of the American public that was unable to watch the NFL Network, will now be able to watch this historical game on TWO other broadcast networks. This is truly a history making TV event, …
  • Jack Myers' Think Tank: Advertising 'Strike Tax' is the Solution to Writers'/Producers' Impasse
    In the first week of the Writers Guild of America strike, I offered a solution that has been gaining momentum over the past two weeks. "It's time to think out of the box in more ways than one," I wrote on Nov. 9. So here's the solution. Let the advertisers step up and agree to pay a tax on all network television ad expenditures for the next three years, beginning in September 2008, to fund a pool for distribution to writers, actors, directors and related unions. This pool of funds will provide compensation for the writers', directors' and actors' contributions …
  • Where's The Rest?
    I had the occasion to attend the New York premiere of "The Great Debaters" last night. This story, which deals with issues that still exist today, that could inspire a whole new generation of minds to lead the charge with words and not violence, has no other digital content than a simple Web site and Wikipage. How can this be?
  • Media Love Triangle: I Love My TiVo More, But Live TV Always Gets Screwed
    I'm caught up in a bit of a media love triangle right now, and I've recently noticed some differences in how I treat the parties involved. See, live TV and I have a somewhat dysfunctional relationship: I almost never watch live TV without the company of my laptop computer. It works for us; I've been doing this for years. But I've started to notice that the computer companion is not present when I'm watching my TiVo programs.
  • The Coming Upfront: Just An Impression?
    As the Writers Guild of America strike continues unabated, a plethora of articles are focusing on the possible endangerment to the $9+ billion TV upfront market. From what I can glean from the press and repressed utterances from the national media buying community, the inflection point seems to be the March development slate. Or in this instance, the lack of one, since the writers have spent the present season with pickets in hand instead of pens.
  • A Consumer's View Of HDTV
    A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of seeing the Broadway show "The Farnsworth Invention." It was both entertaining and informative, telling the story of the invention of television. In addition to having an enjoyable evening, I left feeling grateful for the invention, since television enhances my life in so many ways. I used to love my television, but that was before I became disenchanted with the TV industry and felt personally affronted by it as of this week.
  • Jack Myers' Think Tank: Advertisers and Agencies Meet with Writers As Long Strike Seems Pre-Ordained
    Direct deals between advertisers and writers are in the works, and members of the Writers Guild of America have been meeting with media agency executives this week on fact-finding missions and to clearly outline their negotiating positions.
  • The Need For A New Buddy System
    The announcement this week by Google's YouTube that it is expanding its Partners Program should be good news to content creators. But is it?
  • Spam Is In The Eye Of The Beholder
    The fact that Facebook deserves real credit for what it has managed to build to date makes the whole Beacon farce that much more intriguing, shocking, laughable and woeful -- but never dull. From the moment of the doom-laden project's announcement (filled as it was with that wonderful mix of hubris and hype that precedes an embarrassed whimper) to the swift U-turn and mea culpa, the whole thing has -- sadly -- been a text book example of how to over-promise, under-deliver and damage the brand all at once.
  • The Beauties Of Bravo's 'Project Runway'
    In mid-November cabler Bravo began utilizing interactive TV technologist Navic's interactive voting and polling application for its popular prime-time program "Project Runway." The network enlisted carriage agreements with four cable operators -- Comcast, Time Warner, Charter and Cox -- across a variety of their markets. The interactive applications allow viewers to vote for their favorite "Project Runway" designs and contestants, as well as answer trivia questions, by simply using their television remote control. In my opinion, this is an important step in the evolution and deployment of iTV applications in the digital television realm.
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