February 21, 2008

FOX

Facebook, MySpace See Drop in Traffic

Facebook is suffering its first ever drop in unique users after 17 months of growth. New figures from Nielsen Online reveal a 5% drop in U.K. numbers between December 2007 and January 2008. Rival social network MySpace also saw a drop, which some blame on the holiday season.

http://www.nma.co.uk/Articles/36983/Facebook+users+fall+over+Christmas.html

MTV

MTV Preps Launch of Jackassworld.com

Viacom's MTV is allowing the boys of "Jackass" to take over the network for 24 hours straight, starting Saturday at noon ET. The special is intended to drum up interest in the launch of Jackassworld.com, where the "Jackass" gang will take the act full-time with "uncensored" video clips.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2008/02/21/2008-02-21_jackass_dislocating_mtv_sked_for_a_day.html

AFRICA

Anyware Mobile Solutions Helps Geneva Global Fight HIV/AIDS in Africa

Geneva Global, the world’s leading international philanthropic adviser, has deployed mobile technologies from Anyware Mobile Solutions to improve the collection of demographic and behavioral data in the effort to improve HIV/AIDS care and prevention in Ethiopia and Ivory Coast.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/anyware-mobile-solutions-helps-geneva-global-fight-hivaids-in-africa,288171.shtml

Botswana: Get the HIV-Aids Facts Right MP

The MP for Selebi Phikwe East, Nonofo Molefhi, officially opening the media workshop on HIV/AIDS reporting held at Crystal Palace Hotel yesterday, has implored the media to be more careful when reporting on issues of HIV/AIDS pandemic because the subject is complex and needs cautiousness.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200802211077.html

RWANDA: Cutting Edge HIV/AIDS Prevention Presents Challenges

ertain medical workers in Rwanda have expressed concern about the country's campaign to promote male circumcision as a means of curbing the spread of HIV. They fear that in a country with low levels of knowledge about sexual health, people could mistakenly believe the procedure offers complete protection against the virus.

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41301

SAfrica Announces Increase in AIDS Funds

South Africa's finance minister said Wednesday the government will spend more than a quarter of a billion dollars over the next three years to double the number of people receiving AIDS medication.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gKk_swr1LFFcSE4cJD5E7T2UDYZgD8UUEU2G0

ASIA

Asian health officials warn TB must be tackled alongside HIV

Health officials from nine Asian countries on Wednesday met to discuss ways of curbing the high and increasing toll of tuberculosis (TB) for people living with HIV/AIDS. In conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO) the participants voted to implement measures including increasing the rates of HIV testing among TB patients, TB screening among HIV patients and early access to antiretroviral therapy.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/187012,asian-health-officials-warn-tb-must-be-tackled-alongside-hiv.html

CARIBBEAN

A Caribbean daughter in the finals of American Idol

Amongst some 100.000 contestants from across the country and even the world, a daughter of the Caribbean, Joanne Borgella, 25, is one of the 12 female final contestants.

http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-6192--6-6--.html

First Caribbean's 'Unsung Hero' gives back to Cayman community

Jacqueline Ebanks, one of the finalists in First Caribbean International Bank’s (FCIB) 2007 Unsung Heroes programme, donated her prize money of $5,000 to the Save Our Youth Foundation

http://www.caymannetnews.com/news-5491--1-1--.html

Newly formed group to take Caribbean tour

TWO musical forces in St. Kitts have met, blended and created a hit Duo called Unity and have set out to make a splash in the music industry.

http://www.sknvibes.com/Entertainment/News.cfm/831

MOBILE NEWS

T-Mobile Wants Into Home Phone Market
T-Mobile USA is launching a test of an Internet calling plan designed to replace home phone service in two markets today--Seattle and Dallas. Available only to its cell phone customers, participants must buy a $50 Internet router from T-Mobile and pay $10 a month for unlimited local and long-distance domestic calling. They can connect any home phone to the router via a traditional phone cord.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120355981816281903-email.html

OTHER MEDIA NEWS

ABC Oscar Show Attracts Big Ad Dollars

In the aftermath of the Hollywood writers strike, advertisers are counting on television-starved viewers to make Sunday's Academy Awards show on ABC a ratings winner. Marketers are paying an average of $1.8 million for a 30-second spot, up from $1.7 million last year.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02212008/business/award_waiting_98658.htm

'Baltimore Sun' Launches Youth-Oriented 'b'
The Baltimore Sun is planning to launch a new free tabloid targeting younger readers called "b." The first daily issue is set to appear on April 14. With a mix of typical tabloid fare and lifestyle content, the newspaper plans to freshen its pages by inviting readers to submit their own stories, photos and video to the newspaper and its Web site.

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=76851&Nid=39588&p=917272

Facebook Fights Application Spam

RESPONDING TO WIDESPREAD COMPLAINTS, FACEBOOK is now allowing users to directly block unwanted application invites. The measure is intended to ban applications on Facebook that force members to invite friends as a condition of use.

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=76922&Nid=39586&p=917272

Google Expands AdSense For Video, Sets Deals With Tremor, YouMe, Others
In a bid to accelerate its role in the burgeoning online video advertising marketplace, search giant Google this morning is announcing a slew of deals expanding its AdSense for video beta.

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=76941&Nid=39586&p=917272

Mags Dizzy With Digital Deals
It's all about online now for magazines. This week, Hearst, Conde Nast, Time Inc., the Bonnier Corp. and Hachette Filipacchi announced new partnerships with Internet media companies, reflecting the growing awareness that online partners can help magazines create new forms of digital content, reach a wider audience and scale up ad revenue.

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=76912&Nid=39588&p=917272

NBC Looking For Good Programming

FOR ITS UPFRONT SEASON, NBC want to develop some good vintage grapes. NBC, by all accounts, will look for fertile ground, offering up its fall schedule with solid programming weeks before any other network.

http://blogs.mediapost.com/tv_watch/?p=886#comments

Newspaper Web Sites Draw Younger Audiences
Newspaper Web sites are reaching elusive younger readers, a new analysis by Scarborough Research indicates, giving a much-needed boost to the ailing newspaper business. The growth in online audiences is offsetting losses in print readership, at least somewhat.

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=76916&Nid=39588&p=917272

New WildTangent PC Platform Connects Advertisers With Core Gamers
Advertisers will have a new platform to target the core 18- to-34-year-old male gamer in the coming months, as WildTangent launches WildTangent Orb, a PC-based application offering premium games. Sprint is the first major sponsor.

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=76919&Nid=39586&p=917272

ONESite Acquires Social Platform, Aims To Increase Presence In Entertainment And Tech
Seeking new talent and a larger sales force, ONEsite, a white-label social networking platform, has acquired rival software provider Social Platform. With the deal, ONEsite is aiming to extend its footprint in the West Coast and increase its presence in the entertainment and technology sectors.

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=76917&Nid=39586&p=917272

Rochester Ranks #1 in Local Print and Web Newspaper Penetration

According to The Scarborough Newspaper Penetration Report, highlighting newspaper audience ratings for newspapers and their websites across the 81 local markets measured by the company in 2007, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle ranks number one in local market adult penetration for print audience and Integrated Newspaper Audience (the weekly net unduplicated audience of the printed newspaper and its website).

http://blogs.mediapost.com/research_brief/?p=1645#comments

TV Ads Are Less Effective, Survey Says

A majority of marketers believe that television advertising has become less effective, says a survey from the National Association of Advertisers and Forrester Research. Over 50% of marketers report that when half of all TV households use DVRs, they will cut spending on TV advertising.

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/media/e3ica0ebb59d5d28e8ccae6ffe141014d55

TV ADVERTISING HIT BY DIGITAL COMPETITION

TV advertising isn't as potent as it once was--especially in the last two years. A recent survey by the Association of National Advertisers and Forrester Research says 62% of marketers believe TV is less effective since 2006. Not surprisingly, many TV marketers are interested in exploring new digital platforms for video commercials.

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=76900&Nid=39588&p=917272

Widgets As Branding Vehicles
Marketers would love to live to see the day when consumers proudly wear brands like badges on their social-networking profile pages. Widgets, those little embeddable software programs you see all over sites like Facebook, provide a means to do that (sort of).

http://gigaom.com/2008/02/21/companies-can-make-money-with-widget-ads/