February 29, 2008

BET

BET J invites record labels to attend St Lucia music awards

"The Caribbean is filled with exceptional talent. Some of the smaller islands have fewer avenues for artistes who want to be recognized internationally. We saw this event as a perfect opportunity to utilize our company's assets and our contacts in the US entertainment industry to make it an invaluable experience for St. Lucian musicians and performers," said St. Lucian national Cybelle Brown, BET J's Vice President of Sales and Business Development

http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-6310--20-20--.html

What impact will BET Have on UK Audience?

Today's UK launch of Black Entertainment Television has raised high expectations. Finally, the black community will have a main media outlet of its own. That can only be a good thing, can't it? Well, not necessarily. BET may be promising to deliver "black cultural content to the world", but the question is "of what kind?"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/feb/29/television.race1

CBS

CBS Looks for Growth in New-Media Deals

CBS, reporting a 15% decline in fourth-quarter net income, is signaling a new acquisition push as it seeks new sources of growth to offset a slowdown in its mature broadcast businesses. Little growth in earnings is fanning concerns about the long-term prospects of traditional operations.

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB120402857528893529.html

CBS punches up primetime

Mixed martial arts is a phenomenon in the sporting world, drawing a wide and growing audience for its blend of martial arts, boxing and wrestling in caged and open rings. CBS hopes to tap into the young audience and also revitalize a Saturday night schedule replete with low-rated repeats.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i064ef4c02067f0c86b94e8b7b6079a49

FOX

MySpace drama's TV premiere flops

The TV debut of a drama that made its name on MySpace has failed to win over viewers in the US. The first episode of Quarterlife, created by the team behind 1990s hits Thirtysomething and My So-Called Life, attracted 3.1 million viewers.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7271227.stm

MySpace, Harvard Team for Web Safety

A task force is being formed in hopes of finding ways to protect children from predators online, spearheaded by News Corp.'s MySpace and headed by Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet & Society. Also participating: Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080228-harvard-myspace-spearhead-internet-safety-task-force.html

MySpace hosts dev Jam

In the spirit of Silicon Valley hackathons, iPhoneDevCamps and Facebook Developers Garages, MySpace is hosting its first developer's get together in San Francisco tomorrow.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=19&entry_id=24627

MySpaceTV Launches Hidden-Camera Series

MySpace is launching "Special Delivery," a non-scripted hidden-camera reality show produced in association with Avalon TV. MySpace users will also be able to become "friends" with the "Special Delivery" profile, allowing them to receive show updates and share episodes with friends.

http://www.worldscreen.com/newscurrent.php?filename=myspacetv022608.htm

MySpace, TMZ Team Up on Channel

Time Warner's TMZ.com is securing a partnership with News Corp.'s MySpace to bring the entertainment-news site's content to the online social network's video platform, MySpaceTV. TMZ will populate a branded channel on MySpaceTV, featuring select exclusive clips.

http://www.worldscreen.com/newscurrent.php?filename=tmz022707.htm

MTV

MTV Correspondent SuChin Pak to Lecture in Voices of Color Series

SuChin Pak, an MTV News Team correspondent, will speak at Hamilton College on MTV, Gen X and Multiculturalism on Thursday, March 6 in part of the college's Voices of Color Lecture Series. SuChin Pak has been a correspondent for the MTV News Team for seven years, and has interviewed numerous celebrities from the music industry.

http://www.hamilton.edu/news/more_news/display.cfm?ID=13571

Paris Hilton to Star in Reality Show

Paris Hilton will star in a new reality show for MTV where girls will compete to be her new best friend

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,333675,00.html

UNIVISION

Univision #4 Network in Primetime for Entire February Sweep Beating CBS and CW among All Adults 18-34

According to the Nielsen Television Index (NTI), Univision has also once again ranked as the 5th broadcast network in primetime among Adults 18-49, that’s for all viewers, not just Hispanic -- beating the other broadcast and cable networks to get there.

http://www.hispanicprwire.com/news.php?l=in&id=10794&cha=7

Univision Battle With Televisa Places Programs in Jeopardy

A long-running feud between Univision Communications and the Mexican broadcaster that provides most of its programming is headed for a showdown in a federal court in Los Angeles. If Univision loses, it could see many of its prime-time shows yanked.

http://www.labusinessjournal.com/article.asp?aID=62360389.8809757.1593046.282286.2574931.231&aID2=122533

Universal to buy Univision music division

Seeking to become el grande in the growing U.S. Latin music market, Universal Music Group on Thursday said it had agreed to buy Univision Communications Inc.'s record division.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-fi-univision29feb29,1,6522926.story

VIACOM

Viacom CEO's Job Appears Safe for Now

Viacom "comfortably surpassed" CEO Philippe Dauman's goal to generate $500 million in digital revenue in 2007, the company says while reporting its quarterly results. Chairman Sumner Redstone dismissed former Viacom CEO Tom Freston for not expanding the company's online businesses.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=al83QimVBOy4

Viacom profit rises on MTV and "Transformers"

Cable network and movie studio owner Viacom Inc said on Thursday fourth-quarter profit rose 16 percent on higher advertising sales at its MTV Networks and strong sales of its 'Rock Band' video game and "Transformers" DVDs.

http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSN2861890920080229

AFRICA

Education Can Act As Second 'Vaccine' Against Aids

Researchers, who recently took part in the third Commonwealth teacher research symposium in Maputo, have highlighted the role that teachers are playing in combating HIV/AIDS.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200802260828.html

New Study Tests Effectiveness of Women-Focused HIV/AIDS Prevention Interventions in South Africa

As part of an effort to reduce HIV/AIDs transmission in South Africa, researchers at RTI International and the Medical Research Council of South Africa will conduct a study to test the effectiveness of combining voluntary counseling and HIV/AIDS testing with women-focused behavioral interventions to prevent the spread of the disease.

http://carolinanewswire.com/news/News.cgi?database=01news.db&command=viewone&id=1453&op=t

South Africa: Mass Market Reach With in-Game Ads

In-game ad placement - the placing of ads alongside or within online games - is poised to break through into the mass consumer market in South Africa. One of the country's foremost online games suppliers, SkillPod Media, has inked a deal with Brabys Ad Sales.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200802290634.html

CARIBBEAN

'Bs' explored at Global Reggae Conference

The fourth day of the 2008 Global Reggae Conference, hosted at the University of the West Indies, Mona, opened with presentations on some of the major themes within dancehall. All were summarised in one topic: 'Badman, Bad Gyal and Batty Bwoy; Gender, Sexuality and Dancehall in the Global South'.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080224/ent/ent4.html

Home Grown Hip-Life Launched

A feature-length documentary that explores the history of hip-life music in Ghana with emphasis on the story of the one-time KORA Music award winners, Vision in Progress (V.I.P), has been launched in Accra.

http://ghanabase.com/news/2008/2040.asp

Realvibez Media CEO Presents At Global Reggae Conference

The presentation focused on basic online marketing tools, real-world cases and the new“push strategy” in regards to getting content to where people already are instead of the “pull strategy” of old. The entire presentation has been made available for free download

http://www.jamaicans.com/news/announcements/GlobalReggaeConference-02292008-08.shtml

Sexually transmitted infections in men

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are frequent complaints presented by men attending health care facilities. In the lifestyle survey (2000), one in three Jamaican men, aged 15 to 45 years, had a previous history of an STI. This problem affects young people in particular, with 25-per-cent of the 10 to 19 year olds reporting at least one previous STI.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080227/health/health3.html

St. Kitts and Nevis Cabinet takes measures to secure a healthier society

According to the National Strategic Health Plan, the Environmental Health component will stress food safety and security, port surveillance and the monitoring of water quality, while the HIV/AIDS and Sexually-Transmitted Infections segment will target the prevention, treatment, care and support of the infected as well as research.

http://www.cuopm.com/newsitem.asp?articlenumber=1593

CHINA

MySpace China to be involved in interactive Olympics site

China Central Television has partnered with MySpace China and Tudou.com to run an interactive website for the Beijing Olympics in August, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

http://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/stories/2008/02/25/daily33.html?jst=b_ln_hl

OTHER NEWS

Disney's ESPN Eyes More Internet Video

ESPN plans to get more ambitious in its use of Web video, with more Web-exclusive content and possibly long-form video. "We are going to launch a number of new, original shows only on ESPN.com," says network exec Ed Erhardt. "We think there's a huge opportunity."

http://www.forbes.com/business/2008/02/29/espn-web-video-biz-media-cx_lh_0229bizespn.html

Facebook Unveils Preview of New Redesign

Facebook first announced last year that it was working on a redesign of members' profiles. Now, the social-networking site is unveiling previews of its upcoming new look. Users won't be able to see a member's entire profile on one screen; personal data will be on one "tab."

http://www.news.com/8301-13577_3-9879858-36.html

Google Tries to Get More Clicks on Ads

Facing concerns about slowing growth, Google is quietly testing a new feature that will use up search marketers' unspent advertising budgets. The feature, called Automatic Matching, expands participating advertisers' list of keywords to include terms Google deems relevant.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02282008/business/dollar_grab_99670.htm

More Americans Turning to Web for News

Nearly 70% of Americans believe traditional journalism is out of touch, and nearly half are turning to the Internet to get their news, according to a We Media/Zogby Interactive online poll. More than half of those age 18 to 29 get most of their news and information online.

http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN2824760420080229

Nielsen Shakes Up Its Media Properties

Nielsen Business Media is naming former Variety group publisher Gerry Byrne as head of the company's new entertainment group, which includes The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard. Nielsen is rumored to be mulling a sale of its trade titles, like rival Reed Elsevier.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02282008/business/nielsen_shakes_up_with_new_publisher_99673.htm

Playboy Seeks Clothed 'Miss Mobile'

Playboy is inviting women 18 years and older to enter a Playboy Mobile competition. In a slight departure from Playboy's traditional pictorial spreads, the contest will accept and post only photos of clothed contestants, aiming to highlight "lifestyles and aspirations."

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=77443

Time Warner CEO Makes His First Cuts

Time Warner new CEO Jeff Bewkes is showing Wall Street he means business about cost cutting. He just made his first big move: folding New Line Cinema into the main Warner Bros. movie studio, a cost-cutting measure that will likely result "in hundreds" of layoffs.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/23396229