January 30, 2008

BET

BET's 'American Gangster' series under scrutiny

Black Entertainment Television (BET) has won higher ratings and critical acclaim for its "American Gangster" series on the rise and fall of Black criminals. But in the wake of the docudramas and a hit movie of the same name, many are concerned about the portrayal of Blacks and images they believe help inspire youth to destructive behavior.

http://media.www.districtchronicles.com/media/storage/paper263/news/2008/01/29/ArtsAndEntertainment/Bets-american.Gangster.Series.Under.Scrutiny-3171869.shtml

CW NETWORK

The CW is extending its relationship with Tyra Banks and Ken Mok

The network has greenlighted an untitled fashion magazine reality series from the duo behind the CW's No. 1 show, "America's Next Top Model," and a trio of producers behind Bravo's reality hit "Project Runway."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i9ec32f006d17a91cc7e4cc40ada63c7b

FOX

MySpace enters jobs market

AUSTRALIA'S fastest growing employment website, CareerOne, and the country's largest social networking site, MySpace, have joined forces to launch a new careers channel, MySpace Jobs.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23133205-953,00.html

MySpace Launches Platform for Developers

News Corp.'s MySpace, the world's largest online social network, will launch its program to court outside software developers on Feb. 5 in a bid to widen the gap against rival Facebook. It is also promoting MySpace business development exec Amit Kapur to a new role as COO.

http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN3063853720080130

MySpace Launching its Developer Tools Next Month

MySpace, in an attempt to tap into outside developers (similar to Facebook), is launching its pre-announced developer platform on Feb 5th. Programmers and other companies will be able to develop applications/widgets on top of the MySpace platform, similar to Facebook apps.

http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-myspace-launching-its-developer-tools-next-month-new-coo/

MySpace names Amit Kapur as chief operating officer

Kapur joined MySpace in 2005 as the company's first business developer and in 2006 he was promoted to vice president of business development. In the new role, Kapur will be responsible for spearheading the development and implementation of all global business operations for MySpace.

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/newstex/AFX-0013-22635349.htm

NY AG pushes e-safety bill, Facebook, MySpace back it

New York's attorney general and state legislative leaders presented a bill on Tuesday aimed at protecting people from sexual predators on the Internet, as Facebook, MySpace and Yahoo backed the effort.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/30/AR2008013001191.html

MTV

Makena Technologies Helps Create New Virtual Skatepark in MTV Networks' Virtual Worlds

Makena Technologies, creator of the popular social virtual world There.com, and MTV Networks today announced the unveiling of a new Virtual Skatepark inside MTV Networks' virtual worlds tied to MTV's two popular on-air shows, "Rob and Big" and "Life of Ryan."

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/AQW01630012008-1.htm

MTV videos take look at Holocaust

The 30-second spots use contemporary images and scenes to teach young people about the Holocaust, the state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by the Nazi regime.

http://news.bostonherald.com/business/media/view.bg?articleid=1069410&srvc=home&position=recent

UNIVISION

MLS, Univision Revisit 'Sueno'

From a marketing perspective, MLS said the initiative was driven in part to further build upon the Hispanic fan base for the league. When "Sueno MLS 2007" launched, it attracted viewers from several countries who watched the program on satellite TV, including Africa, England and South America.

http://www.adweek.com/aw/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003702873

VIACOM

Viacom :Brown Johnson Named President Of Animation At Nickelodeon

The New York media company said Johnson will oversee the development and production of all animated programming on Nickelodeon. Most recently, Brown served as executive vice president and creative director for Nickelodeon Preschool and general manager for Noggin.

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200801281311DOWJONESDJONLINE000539_FORTUNE5.htm

Viacom Chief Says Company Is `Recession-Resistant'

``So far we are not really seeing any impact of all the talk of the economy,'' Dauman said in an interview with Bloomberg Television today in New York. ``We have the benefit of good ratings and a shortage of inventory in the ad sales marketplace.''

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aGsFL1Eqcxx4&refer=home

Viacom's College Network MtvU Adds 2.6 Million Subscribers

Viacom Inc.'s (VIA) 24-hour college network, mtvU, added 2.6 million subscribers in partnership with distributors Charter Communications Inc. (CHTR). Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ), Suddenlink Communications, AT&T Inc. (T) and 70 others. Viacom said it will launch mtvU on Feb. 2 in more than 700 college communities. The channel is currently broadcast to more than 750 U.S. college campuses.

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200801291433DOWJONESDJONLINE000693_FORTUNE5.htm

Viacom's Top Priority: Product Placement

Integrated marketing is a high enough priority at Viacom for chief Philippe Dauman to have mentioned it more than once in recent talks with Wall Street analysts as a vital source of revenue growth. MTV, with its savvy young audience, is seen as a pioneer in blurring advertising and content.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mtvads28jan28,1,6219002.story

AFRICA

Botswana: Yoli Plans HIV/Aids Tests At Varsity Games

Youth For Life (YOLI) will next month embark on an aggressive Intervarsity life testing and HIV/AIDS campaign. YOLI, which has a branch at the University of Botswana (UB), is an international non-profit making organisation that educates people on issues affecting the youth such as HIV/AIDS, passion killings and unemployment.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200801281496.html

Kenya: HIV Positive Teachers in Central Form Lobby to Fight the Scourge

Teachers infected with HIV and Aids in Central province have formed a lobby group aimed at educating their colleagues and other Kenyans on the scourge. At least 400 teachers, mostly in primary schools, have already joined the group. The teachers want to stem the spread of the HIV virus.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200801300119.html

Sex and the City star visits SA

Sex and the City star Kristin Davis is visiting South Africa as an Oxfam Global Ambassador. Davis, who played the role of uptight Charlotte York in the hit TV show, arrived in Johannesburg on Tuesday and is scheduled to meet Women's groups and Community based organisations whose work focuses on HIV and Aids, during her four-day visit.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Entertainment/Celebrities/0,,2-1225-2108_2261552,00.html

Uganda: Merging Health Services Can Reduce HIV Infections

IMAGINE going to a health centre where you can enrol for HIV prevention, testing and treatment programmes, family planning and other reproductive health services. This is the approach that experts at the recently concluded fifth African Population Conference in Arusha, Tanzania want governments to adopt.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200801280675.html

CARIBBEAN

Caribbean dance icon establishes academy in St Lucia

Well-known, St Lucian and Caribbean dance icon, Christine Angela Samuel, has finally seen her life-long dream materialise, that is the establishment of a permanent home for the Christylights Dancers.

http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-5732--20-20--.html

February officially declared as Reggae Month in Jamaica

Sir Kenneth read the formal proclamation, which will also provide for the annual celebration of the music genre, for which Jamaica is known around the world.

http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/entertainment/entertainment.php?news_id=5710&start=0&category_id=24

Guyana stabilising HIV epidemic, says minister

Guyana’s aggressive response to HIV/AIDS has seen the epidemic stabilising over the past three years as it pursues the goal of having no child born with HIV.

http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/health/health.php?news_id=5661&start=0&category_id=42

ASIA

Charting the battle against HIV/AIDS

In the three years since the program was launched in January 2005, with joint funding from the Chinese government, UNAIDS and British and Norwegian governments, CHARTS has sponsored a series of projects toward its aim to improve China's strategic capacity to deliver an effective and coordinated response to HIV/AIDS.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2008-01/29/content_6427363.htm

Feminization of HIV/AIDS a serious threat to Nepal

In 2008, the growing and continuing challenge of defeating AIDS has become more concentrated in women in the developing worlds, particularly countries in South Asia, such as Nepal, where increasing rates of infection have shown more women innocently succumbing to infections...

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/50403

OTHER HIV/AIDS NEWS

GLBT communities also face "enormous challenges" with HIV/AIDS

Like the rest of the Black America, Black gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender (GLBT) communities face many challenges; the most urgent of these is the continuing enormous challenge of the AIDS epidemic.

http://www.insightnews.com/health.asp?mode=display&articleID=3788

NYU HEALTH | More gay men test positive for HIV

The NYU Student Health Center saw an increase in HIV-positive test results among gay students under 30 in the last two years. But, according to Dr. Donald Kreuz of the center, the absolute number of positive tests remains low.

http://media.www.nyunews.com/media/storage/paper869/news/2008/01/30/Citystate/Nyu-Health.More.Gay.Men.Test.Positive.For.Hiv-3176680.shtml

UVC professor asserts HIV/AIDS epidemic has reached a 'state of emergency' among African Americans

"African Americans remain disproportionately affected by high rates of HIV/AIDS," observed Dr. Laurencin. "The intention of our report was to heighten awareness among healthcare providers and community leaders and to provide information that will help urgently combat this crisis. To be effective, prevention strategies must address the risk factors, community beliefs and healthcare access issues of African Americans."

http://www.insightnews.com/health.asp?mode=display&articleID=3796

OTHER MEDIA NEWS

Advertising Targeting African Americans Tops $2.3 Billion, Nielsen Reports

The Nielsen African American ad-spending analysis covers more than 22,000 national, regional and local advertisers, across more than 130 media vehicles, with the first-year report spanning Oct. 1, 2006 to Sept. 30 last year. Local radio reported the greatest amount of spending on African-American targeted media at $805 million, comprising 35% of total spending, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6526705.html

Blogs, Social Media: 'No Election Impact'

New-media pundits had predicted that 2008 would be the year that traditional media would take a back seat to new media as the decisive force in shaping U.S. public opinion on the election, writes Andrew Keen. "So far, there's little evidence that bloggers have had a decisive impact."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/andrew-keen-on-new-media-774800.html

Ethnic Nets Get Political

African-American targeted networks Black Entertainment Television and TV One, for instance, are planning significant, multiplatform coverage of the historic presidential run of African-American Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Meanwhile, several Hispanic-targeted networks and the Asian-American-geared ImaginAsian TV are developing grass-roots campaigns to encourage their audiences to register and vote.

http://radio.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=291127

Lance Armstrong Teams with Ex-MySpace Chief

The Lance Armstrong Foundation and a startup led by former MySpace chief Richard Rosenblatt are launching a social-networking Web site focused on health and fitness. The for-profit site, LiveStrong.com, will launch later this year with wellness resources, including blogs and videos.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2008/01/28/daily2.html

NATIONAL BLACK HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAY TO HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE ON FEBRUARY 6TH

The organizers of the National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) will conduct a special press conference on Wednesday, February 6, 2008. The conference, set from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m., takes place at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

http://www.blackprwire.com/display-news.asp?id=3852

New Ad Network Targets Young Men

Break, a popular web site for young men, launched on Monday three related sites and formed an advertising network with other web publishers aimed at 18- to 34-year-old males, a highly-sought-after demographic group.

http://www.redherring.com/Home/23600

NYT Launches Text-Messaging Service

The New York Times is rolling out a free service that will send users the opening text of articles on their cell phones and other mobile devices. Users can then choose to continue reading on the Web site, or extend the article one or two sentences at a time.

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080125/FREE/726726739/1084

Survey: Google, Murdoch Are 'Media Sensations'

Search giant Google, its mobile developer platform Android, and rising News Corp. exec James Murdoch are the "media sensations to watch" in 2008, according to a survey of media execs by the Guardian Media Group. Of those canvassed, 44% say they read a print newspaper every day.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/30/digitalmedia.googlethemedia

WSJ's Web Site Adds Facebook Function

The Wall Street Journal, aiming to tap into the buzz of online social networks, is adding a feature to its Web site that will allow readers to see which stories are popular among that user's Facebook friends. The new "SeenThis?" feature is powered by a company called Loomia.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080130/ap_on_hi_te/apfn_wsj_widget