MEDIABLAB NOV 21
November 20th 2007 23:01
NOV 21
From MediaBlab news service cimpiled by Peter Olszewski for Dow Jones' Factiva
NETWORK TV NEWS JOSTLE AT THE STARTING GATE TO BE FIRST TO COVER AUSTRALIAN ELECTION RESULTS
The Seven and Nine networks in Australia are juggling schedules to be the first on air on Saturday’s election night, both looking for a ratings edge.
Both networks had originally scheduled their news coverage to begin at 6.30, but in a tit for tat move, when Nine shifted its start time to up, Seven shifted to 5.30pm, and then Nine moved again to up.
The Australian reports that pay-TV Sky News will begin its coverage at 4pm.
NEWS LTD BOSS NAMED AS NEW CHAIRMAN OF SKY NEWS
News Ltd’s The Australian newspaper today reported that News Ltd boss John Hartigan is the new chairman of Sky News.
This appointment comes months ahead of a move by the 24-hour news channel to launch a new business channel on the Foxtel and Austar platforms.
The Australian said Hartigan’s appointment came after a meeting of Sky's board last night. His new role follows last month's move by the owner of the Nine Network, PBL Media, to remove Sam Chisholm as Sky's chairman.
Sky is one-third owned by PBL Media, Seven Media and BSkyB, the British pay-TV subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.
AUSTRALIAN REALESTATE.COM ONLINE JUGGERNAUT AIMS TO DOMINATE ASIAN ONLINE REAL ESTATE MARKET
Online property classified leader Realestate.com.au (REA) has now started its campaign to be the numero uno in the Asian online real estate market, using its newly launched websites in Hong Kong and Dubai as the springboard to its expansion.
According to a report in The Australian, REA chief executive Simon Baker told the company's annual general meeting that its objective was "to become No 1 or No 2" in every market in which it operated.
The company is now the No 1 online real estate player in Australia, Italy and Luxembourg, he said, with strong positions in a number of other markets, including the UK, through propertyfinder.com.
The Asian market is now the focus of REA’s expansion plans. In September, REA, majority-owned by News Ltd, bought Hong Kong's leading English language property publication, Square Foot magazine, and last month launched a sister online property brand, Squarefoot.com.hk.
It has also relaunched a Dubai real estate website, related to a real estate magazine publisher it bought last month, as Propertyfinder.ae.
SINGTEL TO SUFFER MOBILE PHONE REVENUE LOSS IN INDONESIA AFTER ANTI-MONOPOLY ORDER
The Sydney Morning Herald and Bloomberg report that Singapore Telecommunications, which owns Optus in Australia, faces a big drop in mobile phone revenues from one of its key markets after it was embroiled in an anti-monopoly case in Indonesia.
Indonesia's competition regulator has ordered SingTel's controlling shareholder, Temasek Holdings, to sell its indirect stakes in Telkomsel or Indosat within two years.
The regulator ruled the cross-ownership of the two telecommunications companies, which service three-quarters of Indonesia's mobile users, led to Telkomsel "committing an abuse of dominant position through charging excessive tariffs".
But analysts said the biggest concern for SingTel was the regulator's order that Telkomsel, Indonesia's biggest mobile operator, cut mobile-phone tariffs by 15 percent. SingTel has a 35 percent stake in Telkomsel, which represents about 20 percent of the parent's share valuation.
GOOGLE PATENT SUGGESTS IT MAY BE READY TO ENTER THE PRINTED MAGAZINE MARKET
It was on the cards to happen, that web-only companies would evaluate their content and consider becoming print publishers.
Now, according to Tech Crunch, Google has led the charge.
TechCrunch notes that “an interesting patent was granted to Google on November 8, titled Customization of Content and Advertisements in Publications.
A number of blogs picked it up and speculated that Google may soon begin to offer users the ability to create customized, printed magazines from Internet content. And print ads included in the magazine would also be customized.
TechCrunch’s tip is that the speculation doesn't appear to be far off.
Many internet sites and blogs, such as the funky Boing Boing could easily, and probably very successfully make the transition from online to print presence. Annuals compiled from some sites would also be a natch for print success.
MOBILE PHONE MAGAZINES ABOUT TO EVENTUATE IN US
Commuters will soon be able to read magazines on their mobile phones, according Media Daily News which re[ports that Zinio LLC, a US digital publishing and distribution platform for magazines and books, has introduced a ‘Zinio Mobile Newsstand’ for Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch.
This means mobile users can access their favourite magazines, and publishers have new access to a mobile audience.
Magazines available in the Zinio Mobile Newsstand replicate the print version, but visuals are augmented by interactivity and share capabilities, and digital editions will initially be free.
Several major US publishers have signed up for the deal.
HEY-DAY OF USER-GENERATED ONLINE VIDEO CONTENT IS PROBABLY OVER
Business Week magazine suggest that the lover affair with some user-generated content may be over, simply because a lot of it is boring and poorly produced, especially video clips.
Business Week said, “The explosion of online video on the web used to be all about amateurs. Not anymore. Apparently, the average web user has become bored with clips of lip-syncing 7-year-olds and kittens falling asleep.
“Professionally produced programming surpasses amateur video as the hottest trend in online video.
“VideoEgg co-founder Matt Sanchez would know: Video Egg provides producers with tools for making and delivering ads to online videos. His sentiments are underscored by recent moves made by Bebo, a social media site, Sony, and ManiaTV, a video destination with more than 3,000 user-generated video channels.
“Bebo last week decided to open its pages to traditional media providers to boost its online video offerings. A few weeks ago, ManiaTV scrapped its user-generated channels altogether due. Earlier in July, Sony relaunched Grouper, its online video property, as a professional-grade content site only.
Business Week said the user-produced video market has reached a saturation point, as sites like YouTube continue to pull in the bulk of user-generated video content. It noted, “Professionals tend to do it better, and more often.”
BRITISH PRESS REPORTS THAT FACEBOOK WILL BUY INTO CHINA REFUTED BY FACEBOOK VIA TECHCRUNCH BLOG
London Times reports that the hot rumour is that Facebook is planning on acquiring its way into the expanding Chinese social networking market by buying Zhanzuo.com.
The UK Guardian claimed Facebook has tabled a US$85 million offer for the Chinese social network.
Zhanzuo.com has an estimated user base of seven million active members, mostly students. The acquisition would give Facebook a foothold in China, the second-largest internet market outside the US, and where rival MySpace already has a presence.
But the rumours seem to be stuff all about nothing because popular blog TechCrunch claims it has been told by Facebook’s director of communications that no acquisition in China are being considered.
ABOUT 160 JOURNALISTS ARRESTED IN KARACHI AND HYDERABAD DURING PROTEST FOR PRESS FREEDOM
Reporters Without Borders today called for the immediate release of at least 160 journalists arrested by police in Karachi and Hyderabad as they demonstrated for press freedom.
The worldwide press freedom organisation also condemned police brutality against the demonstrators in Karachi, where the vast majority of the arrests were made. Around 20 were arrested in Hyderabad.
Scores of police wielding batons charged peaceful demonstrators who had first gathered in front of the Karachi press club. They attacked as the demonstrators tried to move close to the residence of the provincial governor, injuring at least five journalists, one of whom suffered head injuries.
Around 20 journalists, including Shamim-ur-Rehman, president of the Karachi journalists' union, and Sabih Uddin Ghousi, president of the Karachi press club, were arrested in the street. At least 140 demonstrators then took refuge in the press club, which was quickly surrounded by the security forces. The protestors were arrested as they left the building.
Agence France-Presse quoted a police officer as saying that he had received orders to use force against the journalists who were gathering near the governor's residence. The demonstrators were chanting slogans against the restrictions on press freedom imposed by President Pervez Musharraf. Elsewhere, Shoaib Bhutta, editor of the Urdu-language Daily Tulou, was arrested at his office in Islamabad on November 17, by a group of eight people, apparently members of the security services. The journalist was released two days later, but the same day uniformed police seized the paper's computers. The equipment has not been returned.
US WRITERS STRIKE SPREADS TO CBS NEWS
The US writers strike has now spread to CBS, as MediaBlab foreshadowed late last week.
The New York Times reports that about 500 CBS News employees represented by the Writers Guild of America have voted to authorise a strike against the company, union officials said yesterday.
The vote enables the guild to call a strike at any time, although a walkout is not imminent.
A strike of news writers could affect CBS television and radio newscasts, both nationally and in four local markets.
The CBS news writers have been working with an expired contract for more than two and a half years.
In January, CBS offered a two-tiered pay package, a 3 percent bump in pay for national TV and network radio writers and a 2 percent increase for local radio writers in the Los Angeles, Washington DC, New York City and Chicago markets.
The guild rejected the package, objecting to the lower pay offer for local writers, and since then the sides have not talked.
CBS said lower pay for the local writers is necessary because of falling ad revenue at local radio stations.
CBS said its news operations will continue as usual if the strike goes ahead, with non-union workers taking on writing duties.
That should make for some interesting news items.
US MILITARY PLANS CRIMINAL CASE IN IRAQ AGAINST AWARD-WINNING AP JOURNALIST WHO HAS BEEN IMPRISONED WITHOUT CHARGES FOR 19 MONTHS
The US military is considering seeking a criminal case in an Iraqi court against an award-winning Associated Press photographer but is refusing to disclose what evidence or accusations would be presented, according to an AP report.
An AP attorney on Monday called the US military plans “a sham of due process.”
The journalist, Bilal Hussein, has already been imprisoned without charges for more than 19 months.
In Washington, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell asserted the military has "convincing and irrefutable evidence that Bilal Hussein is a threat to stability and security in Iraq as a link to insurgent activity" and called Hussein "a terrorist operative who infiltrated the AP."
The Associated Press contends it has been blocked by the military from mounting a comprehensive defense for Hussein, who was part of the AP's Pulitzer Prize-winning photo team in 2005.
AL JAZEERA LOOKS SET TO FINALLY LAUNCH ON A US NETWORK
Al Jazeera English will finally launch on an American network within the next six months, according to its London bureau chief.
UK Press Gazette reported that the bureau chief, Sue Phillips said the channel, which is only available online in the US through link-ups including a deal with YouTube, is overcoming “misinterpretations” about its agenda that earned it ‘the terrorist channel’ label.
Phillips, former bureau chief for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, also tackled critics who claimed it practices self-censorship in Qatar because it is financed by the country’s ruler.
Phillips said the ultimate aim was for Al Jazeera English to fund itself through subscriptions and advertising. Al Jazeera English was launched on November 15 last year with three main broadcast centres, in Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington, to supplement its central hub in the Qatar capital Doha. Al Jazeera English has a team of more than 700 staff working in 18 bureaux worldwide in addition to the Al Jazeera network’s 40-plus bureaux. A distribution deal in India could be in the offing.
CHINA EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER CBC NEWSWORLD FALUN GONG PERSECUTION DOCUMENTARY
Pro-Falun Gong global newspaper, the Epoch Times, claims that the independent producer of a documentary about the persecution of Falun Gong that aired on CBC Newsworld last night says he was told Chinese officials have approached reporters in China about the film.
Peter Rowe, writer and producer of Beyond the Red Wall: The Persecution of Falun Gong, says an executive of CBC Newsworld told him on Saturday morning about the pressure on CBC's China staff.
The documentary was initially set to air on CBC Newsworld's The Lens on November 6, but was pulled hours before its scheduled airing time to be reviewed, according to CBC spokesman Jeff Keay.
CBC officials then admitted they had received calls from Chinese Embassy and consulate officials who had expressed concerns about Red Wall. The CBC has continually denied that it was bowing to Chinese pressure by pulling the documentary.
CBC earlier told The Epoch Times that its editors and lawyers hadn't made any mistakes when they approved the film back in March. It was aired late at night without promotion and has since aired unedited in French Canada, New Zealand, Spain, and Portugal.
CBC had argued that there were journalistic issues with the film that needed to be addressed.
CBC has vigorously denied giving into Chinese pressure and has said it was not given a fair shake by the press which largely criticised the pulling of the film.
Epoch Times, said to be financed largely by Falung Gong officials, is avowedly anti-Chinese government in its editorial stance.
AUSTRALIA’S PHOTON BUYS ANOTHER UK MEDIA AGENCY
Australia’s Photon Group buying spree seems to continue unabated, and ticked off this week’s shopping list is the acquisition of one of the UK’s leading brand experience agencies, Sledge Ltd.
Photon said Sledge specialises in live brand experience marketing, bringing clients’ brands to life through a strategic mix of creative planning and execution, including live events, film, digital and print. It is a top-six agency in the UK with a range of leading brands across a range of sectors and employs 38 people based in London.
Executive chairman of Photon, Tim Hughes said, “This acquisition is another example of the Photon model successfully identifying great companies which are a natural fit for the group. Sledge is a highly creative and innovative agency which delivers fantastic results for its clients and has a history of earnings growth.”
The purchase price comprises an initial payment in cash of $9.2 million plus deferred payments tied to performance targets. The initial payment was funded from Photon’s acquisition facility.
Over the next 12 months, the acquisition of Sledge is expected to be accretive to Photon’s earnings per share.
DESTRA BUYS JUST OVER TEN PERCENT OF BEYOND INTERNATIONAL SHARES AT $1.33 PER SHARE
The increasingly major-media-profiled Destra Corporation Ltd, Australia’s leading independent digital media company, yesterday announced that it has acquired 10.03 percent of Beyond International Ltd, on market, at an average price of $1.3284.
It bought 5,988,653 shares for a total of $7,955, 350.
This last minute entry by Destra into the Beyond International bidding fray may mean that Destra, which Prime Television and Lachlan Murdoch's private company Illyria in its shareholder base will make a takeover bid of its own for Beyond.
Beyond's intellectual property includes several Australian TV series, including the Nine Network's What's Good for You, the ABC's recently screened documentary South Side Story featuring Russell Crowe, and the popular Mythbusters, which Beyond makes for the US Discovery Channel.
The Australian Financial Review reported today that Destra’s price is well above Mariner’s takeover bid price for Beyond International of $1.25 per share. Navis media also sought to acquire Beyond, offering $1.22 a share.
US PRINT GIANTS WEAKEN: GANNET’S OCTOBER FIGURES SHOW CONTINUED DECLINE
Leading US news publisher Gannet’s problems continue with its October figures, released in the US on Monday, not looking too flash at all.
Its October downturn follows news last Thursday that it would slash 45 of its 500 newsroom jobs at USA Today, a 9 percent job cut..
The October figures show that USA Today’s ad revenue dropped 6.1 percent on paid ad pages of 369 versus 419 last year. Travel, automotive, telecommunications and real estate were weak categories offset growth in other areas.
Gannett's overall newspaper ad revenue dropped 5.3 percent from last year. National and local ad dollars each fell 2.3 percent, to $78 million and $209.2 million, respectively. Classified ads plunged 9.7 percent to $173 million.
Here is Gannett’s press release:
McLEAN, VA – Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) reported today that total pro forma operating revenues for the tenth period ended November 4, 2007 declined 6.8 percent compared with the same period in 2006. For comparison purposes, the strengthening exchange rate of the British pound also affected results for the company’s UK operations. If the exchange rate had remained constant year-over-year, total pro forma operating revenues would have been down 7.9 percent.
Pro forma newspaper advertising revenues in the tenth period were 5.3 percent lower compared with the same period a year ago. Pro forma assumes all properties presently owned were owned in both periods. If the exchange rate had remained constant year-over-year, total pro forma newspaper advertising would have declined 6.5 percent.
Pro forma local advertising revenues were 2.3 percent lower in October. In the U.S., across all products, all major categories except telecommunications lagged last year’s results. On a constant currency basis, local advertising would have declined 3.1 percent.
Pro forma classified revenues were down 9.7 percent in the tenth period. On a constant currency basis, pro forma classified revenues would have been 11.8 percent lower. Real estate revenues declined 13.5 percent, employment revenues were 10.4 percent lower, and automotive revenues were down 13.4 percent. If the exchange rate had remained constant year-over-year, the declines would have been 15.6 percent for real estate, 12.5 percent for employment and 15.0 percent for automotive. Classified results at Newsquest in the UK were better than in the U.S. community newspapers. At our U.S. community newspapers, pro forma classified revenues were down 15.6 percent in October reflecting declines of 23.6 percent in real estate revenues, 17.8 percent in employment revenues and 13.5 percent in automotive revenues. Classified revenues at our operations in the UK were 1.6 percent lower, in pounds. Increases of 3.0 percent in real estate, 0.6 percent in employment and 1.8 percent in other classified revenues were offset by a decline of 20.1 percent in automotive.
Pro forma national advertising revenues in October were down 2.3 percent. At USA TODAY, advertising revenues were down 6.1 percent on paid ad pages of 369 versus 419 last year. In the tenth period at USA TODAY, growth in the entertainment, technology, financial, retail, advocacy, pharmaceutical and home and building categories was offset by declines in the travel, automotive, telecommunications and real estate categories.
Pro forma broadcasting revenues, which include Captivate, declined 23.6 percent in the period. The decline was due to significantly lower politically related advertising demand that positively impacted the same period in 2006. Excluding political advertising, net time sales revenue increased 9.6 percent in the period. Television revenues were down 24.5 percent in October as local and national revenues declined 11.0 percent and 41.7 percent, respectively. Online revenues in broadcasting were up 30.0 percent in the period.
Based on October results and pacings for November and December, television revenues for the fourth quarter of 2007 would lag last year’s fourth quarter in the very high teens. As a reminder, revenues related to political advertising were almost $58 million in the fourth quarter of 2006.
US PRINT GIANTS WEAKEN: HOW LOW CAN MCCLATCHY’S SHARES GO? ALL THE WAY IT SEEMS
Just how far can a newspaper’s shares fall, asks Geneva-based Followthemedia.
Last week it explained how much US news publisher McClatchy’s shares have fallen since it announced the Knight-Ridder purchase on March 10, 2006, and said on that day its shares closed at US$53.24.
But on Monday it reported that the shares dropped 4 percent to end the day at $15.25. Ouch. That’s a 71 percent dump since the Knight-Ridder announcement.
Followthemedia said part of McClatchy’s dud performance can be sheeted home to Gannett’s dismal figures this week which upset the market and damaged other newspapers.
And to make matters worse, yesterday McClatchy Co said its October revenue dropped 9.9 percent in part due to declining real estate and automotive ad sales. Total advertising sales slipped 9.9 percent to $181.6 million from $201.6 million a year ago.
The company, which owns 31 daily newspapers including The Miami Herald, said national ad revenue dipped 8.9 percent while classified tumbled 19.6 percent. Classified categories experiencing the most weakness were real estate, down 29.4 percent, and automotive, which was off 19.9 percent.
The real estate drop could be a residue of the sub-prime fallout.
Its online ad revenue dipped 4.1 percent to $14.6 million from $15.2 million.
ENTREPRENEUR BECOMES SOUTH AFRICA’S FASTEST GROWING CONSUMER MAGAZINE
Africa’s Businesscommunity.com reports that according to the latest South African Audit Bureau of Circulation statistics, Entrepreneur is one of the fastest growing consumer magazines in South Africa.
Sold copy circulation increased by 122 percent year-on-year to 14, 365 for the July-September 2007 period. Sales of 17, 000 plus per issue are estimated for the October- December 2007 period, an increase of 363 percent since the launch in April 2006.
Entrepreneur is published by Smart Business Solutions, a media and training company for business improvement in South Africa. Smart Business Solutions is backed by the KreditInform Group, and holds the Southern African licence for Entrepreneur magazine.
Entrepreneur is the best-selling business magazine on the newsstands in America. It is also the best-selling entrepreneurship magazine in the world (published in the US, Mexico, Russia, Hungary, China and the Philippines, with global monthly sales in excess of 800, 000 copies.
Entrepreneur.com is the biggest SMB website in the world, attracting over eight million unique visitors per month.
WORLD ASSOCIATION OF NEWSPAPERS GEARS UP TO PRESSURE CHINA INTO REFORM
The World Association of Newspapers has called on all participants in next summer’s Beijing Olympics - the International Olympic Committee, athletes, sponsors and other partners - to ‘exert serious pressure’ on China to hold the government to its promises of reform.
In a resolution issued Monday by the board of the Paris-based organisation, WAN also praised US lawmakers for their condemnation of Yahoo, which helped Chinese police persecute and arrest cyber-reporters.
The WAN campaign also includes an international conference dedicated to the press freedom situation in China, to be held in Paris on March 21-22, 2008. The event, organised by WAN, the World Press Freedom Committee, Reporters Without Borders and Human Rights in China, is entitled, ‘2008 Olympics: Winning Press Freedom in China’. WAN will also dedicate its World Press Freedom Day activities on May 3 next year to press freedom in China. It annually prepares a package of materials that are published by thousands of newspapers world-wide
From MediaBlab news service cimpiled by Peter Olszewski for Dow Jones' Factiva
NETWORK TV NEWS JOSTLE AT THE STARTING GATE TO BE FIRST TO COVER AUSTRALIAN ELECTION RESULTS
The Seven and Nine networks in Australia are juggling schedules to be the first on air on Saturday’s election night, both looking for a ratings edge.
Both networks had originally scheduled their news coverage to begin at 6.30, but in a tit for tat move, when Nine shifted its start time to up, Seven shifted to 5.30pm, and then Nine moved again to up.
The Australian reports that pay-TV Sky News will begin its coverage at 4pm.
NEWS LTD BOSS NAMED AS NEW CHAIRMAN OF SKY NEWS
News Ltd’s The Australian newspaper today reported that News Ltd boss John Hartigan is the new chairman of Sky News.
This appointment comes months ahead of a move by the 24-hour news channel to launch a new business channel on the Foxtel and Austar platforms.
The Australian said Hartigan’s appointment came after a meeting of Sky's board last night. His new role follows last month's move by the owner of the Nine Network, PBL Media, to remove Sam Chisholm as Sky's chairman.
Sky is one-third owned by PBL Media, Seven Media and BSkyB, the British pay-TV subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.
AUSTRALIAN REALESTATE.COM ONLINE JUGGERNAUT AIMS TO DOMINATE ASIAN ONLINE REAL ESTATE MARKET
Online property classified leader Realestate.com.au (REA) has now started its campaign to be the numero uno in the Asian online real estate market, using its newly launched websites in Hong Kong and Dubai as the springboard to its expansion.
According to a report in The Australian, REA chief executive Simon Baker told the company's annual general meeting that its objective was "to become No 1 or No 2" in every market in which it operated.
The Asian market is now the focus of REA’s expansion plans. In September, REA, majority-owned by News Ltd, bought Hong Kong's leading English language property publication, Square Foot magazine, and last month launched a sister online property brand, Squarefoot.com.hk.
It has also relaunched a Dubai real estate website, related to a real estate magazine publisher it bought last month, as Propertyfinder.ae.
SINGTEL TO SUFFER MOBILE PHONE REVENUE LOSS IN INDONESIA AFTER ANTI-MONOPOLY ORDER
The Sydney Morning Herald and Bloomberg report that Singapore Telecommunications, which owns Optus in Australia, faces a big drop in mobile phone revenues from one of its key markets after it was embroiled in an anti-monopoly case in Indonesia.
Indonesia's competition regulator has ordered SingTel's controlling shareholder, Temasek Holdings, to sell its indirect stakes in Telkomsel or Indosat within two years.
The regulator ruled the cross-ownership of the two telecommunications companies, which service three-quarters of Indonesia's mobile users, led to Telkomsel "committing an abuse of dominant position through charging excessive tariffs".
But analysts said the biggest concern for SingTel was the regulator's order that Telkomsel, Indonesia's biggest mobile operator, cut mobile-phone tariffs by 15 percent. SingTel has a 35 percent stake in Telkomsel, which represents about 20 percent of the parent's share valuation.
GOOGLE PATENT SUGGESTS IT MAY BE READY TO ENTER THE PRINTED MAGAZINE MARKET
It was on the cards to happen, that web-only companies would evaluate their content and consider becoming print publishers.
Now, according to Tech Crunch, Google has led the charge.
TechCrunch notes that “an interesting patent was granted to Google on November 8, titled Customization of Content and Advertisements in Publications.
A number of blogs picked it up and speculated that Google may soon begin to offer users the ability to create customized, printed magazines from Internet content. And print ads included in the magazine would also be customized.
TechCrunch’s tip is that the speculation doesn't appear to be far off.
Many internet sites and blogs, such as the funky Boing Boing could easily, and probably very successfully make the transition from online to print presence. Annuals compiled from some sites would also be a natch for print success.
MOBILE PHONE MAGAZINES ABOUT TO EVENTUATE IN US
Commuters will soon be able to read magazines on their mobile phones, according Media Daily News which re[ports that Zinio LLC, a US digital publishing and distribution platform for magazines and books, has introduced a ‘Zinio Mobile Newsstand’ for Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch.
This means mobile users can access their favourite magazines, and publishers have new access to a mobile audience.
Magazines available in the Zinio Mobile Newsstand replicate the print version, but visuals are augmented by interactivity and share capabilities, and digital editions will initially be free.
Several major US publishers have signed up for the deal.
HEY-DAY OF USER-GENERATED ONLINE VIDEO CONTENT IS PROBABLY OVER
Business Week magazine suggest that the lover affair with some user-generated content may be over, simply because a lot of it is boring and poorly produced, especially video clips.
Business Week said, “The explosion of online video on the web used to be all about amateurs. Not anymore. Apparently, the average web user has become bored with clips of lip-syncing 7-year-olds and kittens falling asleep.
“Professionally produced programming surpasses amateur video as the hottest trend in online video.
“VideoEgg co-founder Matt Sanchez would know: Video Egg provides producers with tools for making and delivering ads to online videos. His sentiments are underscored by recent moves made by Bebo, a social media site, Sony, and ManiaTV, a video destination with more than 3,000 user-generated video channels.
“Bebo last week decided to open its pages to traditional media providers to boost its online video offerings. A few weeks ago, ManiaTV scrapped its user-generated channels altogether due. Earlier in July, Sony relaunched Grouper, its online video property, as a professional-grade content site only.
Business Week said the user-produced video market has reached a saturation point, as sites like YouTube continue to pull in the bulk of user-generated video content. It noted, “Professionals tend to do it better, and more often.”
BRITISH PRESS REPORTS THAT FACEBOOK WILL BUY INTO CHINA REFUTED BY FACEBOOK VIA TECHCRUNCH BLOG
London Times reports that the hot rumour is that Facebook is planning on acquiring its way into the expanding Chinese social networking market by buying Zhanzuo.com.
The UK Guardian claimed Facebook has tabled a US$85 million offer for the Chinese social network.
Zhanzuo.com has an estimated user base of seven million active members, mostly students. The acquisition would give Facebook a foothold in China, the second-largest internet market outside the US, and where rival MySpace already has a presence.
But the rumours seem to be stuff all about nothing because popular blog TechCrunch claims it has been told by Facebook’s director of communications that no acquisition in China are being considered.
ABOUT 160 JOURNALISTS ARRESTED IN KARACHI AND HYDERABAD DURING PROTEST FOR PRESS FREEDOM
Reporters Without Borders today called for the immediate release of at least 160 journalists arrested by police in Karachi and Hyderabad as they demonstrated for press freedom.
The worldwide press freedom organisation also condemned police brutality against the demonstrators in Karachi, where the vast majority of the arrests were made. Around 20 were arrested in Hyderabad.
Scores of police wielding batons charged peaceful demonstrators who had first gathered in front of the Karachi press club. They attacked as the demonstrators tried to move close to the residence of the provincial governor, injuring at least five journalists, one of whom suffered head injuries.
Around 20 journalists, including Shamim-ur-Rehman, president of the Karachi journalists' union, and Sabih Uddin Ghousi, president of the Karachi press club, were arrested in the street. At least 140 demonstrators then took refuge in the press club, which was quickly surrounded by the security forces. The protestors were arrested as they left the building.
Agence France-Presse quoted a police officer as saying that he had received orders to use force against the journalists who were gathering near the governor's residence. The demonstrators were chanting slogans against the restrictions on press freedom imposed by President Pervez Musharraf. Elsewhere, Shoaib Bhutta, editor of the Urdu-language Daily Tulou, was arrested at his office in Islamabad on November 17, by a group of eight people, apparently members of the security services. The journalist was released two days later, but the same day uniformed police seized the paper's computers. The equipment has not been returned.
US WRITERS STRIKE SPREADS TO CBS NEWS
The US writers strike has now spread to CBS, as MediaBlab foreshadowed late last week.
The New York Times reports that about 500 CBS News employees represented by the Writers Guild of America have voted to authorise a strike against the company, union officials said yesterday.
The vote enables the guild to call a strike at any time, although a walkout is not imminent.
A strike of news writers could affect CBS television and radio newscasts, both nationally and in four local markets.
The CBS news writers have been working with an expired contract for more than two and a half years.
In January, CBS offered a two-tiered pay package, a 3 percent bump in pay for national TV and network radio writers and a 2 percent increase for local radio writers in the Los Angeles, Washington DC, New York City and Chicago markets.
The guild rejected the package, objecting to the lower pay offer for local writers, and since then the sides have not talked.
CBS said lower pay for the local writers is necessary because of falling ad revenue at local radio stations.
CBS said its news operations will continue as usual if the strike goes ahead, with non-union workers taking on writing duties.
That should make for some interesting news items.
US MILITARY PLANS CRIMINAL CASE IN IRAQ AGAINST AWARD-WINNING AP JOURNALIST WHO HAS BEEN IMPRISONED WITHOUT CHARGES FOR 19 MONTHS
The US military is considering seeking a criminal case in an Iraqi court against an award-winning Associated Press photographer but is refusing to disclose what evidence or accusations would be presented, according to an AP report.
An AP attorney on Monday called the US military plans “a sham of due process.”
The journalist, Bilal Hussein, has already been imprisoned without charges for more than 19 months.
In Washington, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell asserted the military has "convincing and irrefutable evidence that Bilal Hussein is a threat to stability and security in Iraq as a link to insurgent activity" and called Hussein "a terrorist operative who infiltrated the AP."
The Associated Press contends it has been blocked by the military from mounting a comprehensive defense for Hussein, who was part of the AP's Pulitzer Prize-winning photo team in 2005.
AL JAZEERA LOOKS SET TO FINALLY LAUNCH ON A US NETWORK
Al Jazeera English will finally launch on an American network within the next six months, according to its London bureau chief.
UK Press Gazette reported that the bureau chief, Sue Phillips said the channel, which is only available online in the US through link-ups including a deal with YouTube, is overcoming “misinterpretations” about its agenda that earned it ‘the terrorist channel’ label.
Phillips, former bureau chief for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, also tackled critics who claimed it practices self-censorship in Qatar because it is financed by the country’s ruler.
Phillips said the ultimate aim was for Al Jazeera English to fund itself through subscriptions and advertising. Al Jazeera English was launched on November 15 last year with three main broadcast centres, in Kuala Lumpur, London and Washington, to supplement its central hub in the Qatar capital Doha. Al Jazeera English has a team of more than 700 staff working in 18 bureaux worldwide in addition to the Al Jazeera network’s 40-plus bureaux. A distribution deal in India could be in the offing.
CHINA EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER CBC NEWSWORLD FALUN GONG PERSECUTION DOCUMENTARY
Pro-Falun Gong global newspaper, the Epoch Times, claims that the independent producer of a documentary about the persecution of Falun Gong that aired on CBC Newsworld last night says he was told Chinese officials have approached reporters in China about the film.
Peter Rowe, writer and producer of Beyond the Red Wall: The Persecution of Falun Gong, says an executive of CBC Newsworld told him on Saturday morning about the pressure on CBC's China staff.
The documentary was initially set to air on CBC Newsworld's The Lens on November 6, but was pulled hours before its scheduled airing time to be reviewed, according to CBC spokesman Jeff Keay.
CBC officials then admitted they had received calls from Chinese Embassy and consulate officials who had expressed concerns about Red Wall. The CBC has continually denied that it was bowing to Chinese pressure by pulling the documentary.
CBC earlier told The Epoch Times that its editors and lawyers hadn't made any mistakes when they approved the film back in March. It was aired late at night without promotion and has since aired unedited in French Canada, New Zealand, Spain, and Portugal.
CBC had argued that there were journalistic issues with the film that needed to be addressed.
CBC has vigorously denied giving into Chinese pressure and has said it was not given a fair shake by the press which largely criticised the pulling of the film.
Epoch Times, said to be financed largely by Falung Gong officials, is avowedly anti-Chinese government in its editorial stance.
AUSTRALIA’S PHOTON BUYS ANOTHER UK MEDIA AGENCY
Australia’s Photon Group buying spree seems to continue unabated, and ticked off this week’s shopping list is the acquisition of one of the UK’s leading brand experience agencies, Sledge Ltd.
Photon said Sledge specialises in live brand experience marketing, bringing clients’ brands to life through a strategic mix of creative planning and execution, including live events, film, digital and print. It is a top-six agency in the UK with a range of leading brands across a range of sectors and employs 38 people based in London.
Executive chairman of Photon, Tim Hughes said, “This acquisition is another example of the Photon model successfully identifying great companies which are a natural fit for the group. Sledge is a highly creative and innovative agency which delivers fantastic results for its clients and has a history of earnings growth.”
The purchase price comprises an initial payment in cash of $9.2 million plus deferred payments tied to performance targets. The initial payment was funded from Photon’s acquisition facility.
Over the next 12 months, the acquisition of Sledge is expected to be accretive to Photon’s earnings per share.
DESTRA BUYS JUST OVER TEN PERCENT OF BEYOND INTERNATIONAL SHARES AT $1.33 PER SHARE
The increasingly major-media-profiled Destra Corporation Ltd, Australia’s leading independent digital media company, yesterday announced that it has acquired 10.03 percent of Beyond International Ltd, on market, at an average price of $1.3284.
It bought 5,988,653 shares for a total of $7,955, 350.
This last minute entry by Destra into the Beyond International bidding fray may mean that Destra, which Prime Television and Lachlan Murdoch's private company Illyria in its shareholder base will make a takeover bid of its own for Beyond.
Beyond's intellectual property includes several Australian TV series, including the Nine Network's What's Good for You, the ABC's recently screened documentary South Side Story featuring Russell Crowe, and the popular Mythbusters, which Beyond makes for the US Discovery Channel.
The Australian Financial Review reported today that Destra’s price is well above Mariner’s takeover bid price for Beyond International of $1.25 per share. Navis media also sought to acquire Beyond, offering $1.22 a share.
US PRINT GIANTS WEAKEN: GANNET’S OCTOBER FIGURES SHOW CONTINUED DECLINE
Leading US news publisher Gannet’s problems continue with its October figures, released in the US on Monday, not looking too flash at all.
Its October downturn follows news last Thursday that it would slash 45 of its 500 newsroom jobs at USA Today, a 9 percent job cut..
The October figures show that USA Today’s ad revenue dropped 6.1 percent on paid ad pages of 369 versus 419 last year. Travel, automotive, telecommunications and real estate were weak categories offset growth in other areas.
Gannett's overall newspaper ad revenue dropped 5.3 percent from last year. National and local ad dollars each fell 2.3 percent, to $78 million and $209.2 million, respectively. Classified ads plunged 9.7 percent to $173 million.
Here is Gannett’s press release:
McLEAN, VA – Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) reported today that total pro forma operating revenues for the tenth period ended November 4, 2007 declined 6.8 percent compared with the same period in 2006. For comparison purposes, the strengthening exchange rate of the British pound also affected results for the company’s UK operations. If the exchange rate had remained constant year-over-year, total pro forma operating revenues would have been down 7.9 percent.
Pro forma newspaper advertising revenues in the tenth period were 5.3 percent lower compared with the same period a year ago. Pro forma assumes all properties presently owned were owned in both periods. If the exchange rate had remained constant year-over-year, total pro forma newspaper advertising would have declined 6.5 percent.
Pro forma local advertising revenues were 2.3 percent lower in October. In the U.S., across all products, all major categories except telecommunications lagged last year’s results. On a constant currency basis, local advertising would have declined 3.1 percent.
Pro forma classified revenues were down 9.7 percent in the tenth period. On a constant currency basis, pro forma classified revenues would have been 11.8 percent lower. Real estate revenues declined 13.5 percent, employment revenues were 10.4 percent lower, and automotive revenues were down 13.4 percent. If the exchange rate had remained constant year-over-year, the declines would have been 15.6 percent for real estate, 12.5 percent for employment and 15.0 percent for automotive. Classified results at Newsquest in the UK were better than in the U.S. community newspapers. At our U.S. community newspapers, pro forma classified revenues were down 15.6 percent in October reflecting declines of 23.6 percent in real estate revenues, 17.8 percent in employment revenues and 13.5 percent in automotive revenues. Classified revenues at our operations in the UK were 1.6 percent lower, in pounds. Increases of 3.0 percent in real estate, 0.6 percent in employment and 1.8 percent in other classified revenues were offset by a decline of 20.1 percent in automotive.
Pro forma national advertising revenues in October were down 2.3 percent. At USA TODAY, advertising revenues were down 6.1 percent on paid ad pages of 369 versus 419 last year. In the tenth period at USA TODAY, growth in the entertainment, technology, financial, retail, advocacy, pharmaceutical and home and building categories was offset by declines in the travel, automotive, telecommunications and real estate categories.
Pro forma broadcasting revenues, which include Captivate, declined 23.6 percent in the period. The decline was due to significantly lower politically related advertising demand that positively impacted the same period in 2006. Excluding political advertising, net time sales revenue increased 9.6 percent in the period. Television revenues were down 24.5 percent in October as local and national revenues declined 11.0 percent and 41.7 percent, respectively. Online revenues in broadcasting were up 30.0 percent in the period.
Based on October results and pacings for November and December, television revenues for the fourth quarter of 2007 would lag last year’s fourth quarter in the very high teens. As a reminder, revenues related to political advertising were almost $58 million in the fourth quarter of 2006.
US PRINT GIANTS WEAKEN: HOW LOW CAN MCCLATCHY’S SHARES GO? ALL THE WAY IT SEEMS
Just how far can a newspaper’s shares fall, asks Geneva-based Followthemedia.
Last week it explained how much US news publisher McClatchy’s shares have fallen since it announced the Knight-Ridder purchase on March 10, 2006, and said on that day its shares closed at US$53.24.
But on Monday it reported that the shares dropped 4 percent to end the day at $15.25. Ouch. That’s a 71 percent dump since the Knight-Ridder announcement.
Followthemedia said part of McClatchy’s dud performance can be sheeted home to Gannett’s dismal figures this week which upset the market and damaged other newspapers.
And to make matters worse, yesterday McClatchy Co said its October revenue dropped 9.9 percent in part due to declining real estate and automotive ad sales. Total advertising sales slipped 9.9 percent to $181.6 million from $201.6 million a year ago.
The company, which owns 31 daily newspapers including The Miami Herald, said national ad revenue dipped 8.9 percent while classified tumbled 19.6 percent. Classified categories experiencing the most weakness were real estate, down 29.4 percent, and automotive, which was off 19.9 percent.
The real estate drop could be a residue of the sub-prime fallout.
Its online ad revenue dipped 4.1 percent to $14.6 million from $15.2 million.
ENTREPRENEUR BECOMES SOUTH AFRICA’S FASTEST GROWING CONSUMER MAGAZINE
Africa’s Businesscommunity.com reports that according to the latest South African Audit Bureau of Circulation statistics, Entrepreneur is one of the fastest growing consumer magazines in South Africa.
Sold copy circulation increased by 122 percent year-on-year to 14, 365 for the July-September 2007 period. Sales of 17, 000 plus per issue are estimated for the October- December 2007 period, an increase of 363 percent since the launch in April 2006.
Entrepreneur is published by Smart Business Solutions, a media and training company for business improvement in South Africa. Smart Business Solutions is backed by the KreditInform Group, and holds the Southern African licence for Entrepreneur magazine.
Entrepreneur is the best-selling business magazine on the newsstands in America. It is also the best-selling entrepreneurship magazine in the world (published in the US, Mexico, Russia, Hungary, China and the Philippines, with global monthly sales in excess of 800, 000 copies.
Entrepreneur.com is the biggest SMB website in the world, attracting over eight million unique visitors per month.
WORLD ASSOCIATION OF NEWSPAPERS GEARS UP TO PRESSURE CHINA INTO REFORM
The World Association of Newspapers has called on all participants in next summer’s Beijing Olympics - the International Olympic Committee, athletes, sponsors and other partners - to ‘exert serious pressure’ on China to hold the government to its promises of reform.
In a resolution issued Monday by the board of the Paris-based organisation, WAN also praised US lawmakers for their condemnation of Yahoo, which helped Chinese police persecute and arrest cyber-reporters.
The WAN campaign also includes an international conference dedicated to the press freedom situation in China, to be held in Paris on March 21-22, 2008. The event, organised by WAN, the World Press Freedom Committee, Reporters Without Borders and Human Rights in China, is entitled, ‘2008 Olympics: Winning Press Freedom in China’. WAN will also dedicate its World Press Freedom Day activities on May 3 next year to press freedom in China. It annually prepares a package of materials that are published by thousands of newspapers world-wide
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