Tuesday, October 28, 2008

October 28, 2008

BET

Advertisers offer custom-tailored executions during BET Hip Hop Awards show

Nike partnered with BET Networks on a first-of-its-kind, limited edition Nike and BET Air Force 1 sneaker. As the official "kicks" of the BET Hip Hop Awards, this exclusive product will be aligned with the world's hottest hip-hop artists, whose careers have been built and nurtured by the BET brand. The sneaker will be a new type of crushed patent leather never done before by the company -- with only 250 pairs being made and not for sale in stores.

BET'S DEBRA LEE HONORED BY CENTER FOR COMMUNICATION

Richard Parsons (Chairman of the Board, Time Warner), Judy McGrath (Chairman and CEO, MTV Networks), and Philippe Dauman (President and CEO, Viacom) will celebrate Debra Lee, Chairman and CEO of BET, at Center for Communication's Annual Award Luncheon on October 28, at The Pierre Hotel in NYC.

BET founder new Barbados consul

BUSINESS TYCOON ROBERT 'Bob' Johnson will be Barbados' honorary consul to the Carolinas, United States.

CBS

Tradition Serves CBS, Says Moonves
CBS CEO Leslie Moonves says that sticking with the tried-and-true has propelled his network to the strongest season it has had since 2004. One month into the fall television season, CBS is TV's top-rated network in adult viewers 25 to 54 and 18 to 49. "Everybody was saying that the world is different, the world has changed. But ultimately, it turns out people still want to see their favorite shows," says Moonves.

MTV

MTV Launches Hulu-like Music Video Site
Viacom's MTV Networks is launching MTVMusic.com, a music-video site described as a "dead ringer" for Hulu, the joint venture of NBC Universal and News Corp. Like Hulu, the site will be free, ad-supported and provides the ability to embed clips on blogs and personal Web pages.

MTV ties with Intel for climate change drive

SOUTHEAST ASIA - MTV Networks Asia has joined forces with Intel Asia to promote 'Switch', the TV station’s long-standing commitment to combat global climate change.

UNIVISION

Univision, Zune Team for Music Downloads

Spanish-language network Univision and Zune, the Microsoft music and entertainment service, today said they were launching a music download service via Univision.com.
The new service will be branded Baja Zune Musica en Univision.com (Download Zune Music on Univision.com).

VIACOM

Viacom study redefines youth

Marketers need to take another look at who they're defining as their youth market, according to Viacom Brand Solutions International (VBSI), as people strive to stay younger for longer by continuing the pursuits of their younger years.

AFRICA

Beauty speaks up for Africa's health

Pageant winner aims to raise HIV awareness. A 20-YEAR-OLD Zimbabwean who wants to be a ‘voice’ for her compatriots in the UK, has won a beauty pageant aimed at raising money for charity and increasing HIV awareness.

Business coalition against HIV/AIDS launched today

President Ernest Bai Koroma would today launch the Business Coalition against HIV/AIDS at the Bank Complex, Kingtom. In a press briefing at the National HIV/AIDS Secretariat (NAS) in Freetown, the Information/Education and Communications Officer, Mohamed Kai Sandi noted that President Koroma as Chairman of the National HIV/AIDS Secretariat has underscored his government’s commitment in the fight against the disease.

Mobile tech targets AIDS

Non-government groups in South Africa, considered to be the epicentre of the global HIV epidemic, are launching a mobile phone text campaign, riding on the back of the medium's popularity in the country, where around 350,000 people are estimated to die of AIDS every year.

New Guidance On AIDS Drugs Poses Dilemma For Zimbabwean Authorities

Conclusions of a U.S. study recommending that the HIV-positive people begin taking antiretroviral drugs sooner than has been practiced to date has been well received by AIDS activists in Zimbabwe, where something like one in five adults are estimated to have been infected, but the government is not ready to act on the findings.

WHO: Nine out of ten children succumb to malaria, Aids in Africa

The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday released its State of the World`s Health report, which shows that Africa accounts for 9 out of every 10 child deaths due to malaria. The 148-page report, which was launched in Almaty, Kazakhstan also said Africa accounts for 9 out of every 10 child deaths due to HIV/Aids and for half of the world\'s child deaths due to diarrhoea and pneumonia.

ASIA

Chinese scientists win Gates grants

Two Chinese scientists have received 100,000 U.S. dollars each from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for their novel ideas on fighting tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS. The grants for Gao Qian from Fudan University and Chen Zhiwei from University of Hong Kong are among 106 offered to explore bold and largely unproven ways to improve global health, the foundation's China office said Monday.

CARIBBEAN & LATIN AMERICA

Caribbean Needs To Increase Efforts Against HIV/AIDS, UN Official Says

An increase in HIV/AIDS cases also is being recorded among drug users, Sealy said, adding that "perhaps the category that we have not identified is that of prisoners." In addition, she said, "We know that the spread of HIV in the Caribbean is in fact being fueled by serious gaps in gender equality," adding, "All the countries of the Americas which have homosexuality as a crime are now located in the Caribbean region."

Fifty-five new AIDS infections every day in the Caribbean

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: The Director of the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean made some startling disclosures when she addressed the 7th Annual US Chiefs of Mission Conference on HIV/AIDS in Port of Spain on Wednesday.

New HIV/AIDS alliance focusses on attitude change

Programme Officer for the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Alliance(CHAA) in Antigua, Louise Tillotson stated that focus is now being placed on promoting positive behaviour changes in the community and supporting peer outreach programmes.

The gay uprising in the Caribbean

While the plethora of homophobic reggae songs might have contributed to a subgenre of its own, it seems to underline the region's strong resentment to the gay lifestyle. But Grenadian sociologist Claude Douglas argues that the Caribbean's attitude to homosexuality is changing. Douglas, a lecturer at St George's University, says tolerance has increased significantly in recent years and partly blames the United States' cultural invasion of the Caribbean.

ADVERTISING NEWS

Nielsen: Kids Encounter Ads Less Than Adults

NEW YORK Kids and teens encounter far less advertising than do adults as they surf the Web, according to a new report issued by Nielsen Online.The data appears to buck conventional wisdom that the younger, social networking and instant messaging-loving generation is constantly bombarded by banner ads.

HIV/AIDS AND SEXUAL HEALTH NEWS

"E-cards" may aid in STD notification

In 2004, a San Francisco-area non-profit called Internet Sexuality Information Services (ISIS) developed an Internet-based program to aid in partner notification. Called inSPOT, the service uses "e-cards" to help STD patients reach their partners. Web site users choose one of six e-cards, type in recipients' email addresses and either send the postcard anonymously or include their own email addresses. The e-cards alert recipients that they might have been exposed to an STD, and also provide them with links to STD information and a map of clinics where they can be tested.

HIV alert at school gets mixed reviews

When St. Louis County health officials told the parents of 1,300 Normandy High School students Wednesday that their children may have been exposed to HIV, it was an unprecedented warning. Now, that aggressive response has earned praise from health experts who say it could stop the spread of the disease and concern from those who think it could have been handled on a smaller, less public scale.

MULTI CULTURAL NEWS

Black Heath magazine to be distributed on newsstands starting in November

Black Health Magazine, a bimonthly healthy living publication, strives to empower African Americans with the information they need to make holistic, healthy lifestyle choices. While medical healthcare is one of the primary concerns of Black Health Magazine, the publication also addresses the physical, nutritional, beauty, financial, emotional and mental care of its readers.

EbonyJet Radio starts streaming live in October with "Global Soul" format

EbonyJet.com has announced it is launching EbonyJet Radio, a new 24-hour online streaming radio station. Scheduled to go live Oct. 1, the station will offer users the latest in rare grooves and independent music rarely heard on terrestrial and satellite radio.

Forbes and UnityFirst.com partner to distribute diversity-focused business news

Forbes magazine has partnered with UnityFirst.com to distribute the diversity-focused special advertising sections produced by Forbes Custom Solutions as well as to share other diversity and business news generated by UnityFirst.com.

Heart & Soul, Meharry Medical College present black women's health conference
Heart & Soul Magazine, the nation's health and fitness information for African-American women, has partnered with Meharry Medical College to present a four-day conference to address the significant health disparities among women of color and to empower them to make healthy choices and lifestyle changes.

Honey Magazine debuts website providing content for diverse female audience

Sahara Media, Inc. has announced the launch of Honey Magazine's new social networking website for multi-cultural females, honeymag.com. The website is anchored by Honey's wide range of stories covering fashion, beauty and lifestyle, videos and a Career Center. Honeymag.com also provides the opportunity to follow the lives of more than 35 Bloggers in eight countries.

Interactive One launches Elev8 site devoted to well-being and empowerment

Interactive One, LLC, the leading African American online network, announced today the launch of Elev8, the latest in its suite of content sites powered by the BlackPlanet Universe. Elev8 is a personal empowerment website dedicated to uplifting and enriching the lives of African Americans by offering services, tools, information and community.

InteractiveOne makes BlackPlanet.com centerpiece of its digital network

InteractiveOne, LLC today announced that BlackPlanet, the African American social network will now serve as the social network connecting all of InteractiveOne's content sites and enabling a combined audience of more than 9 million unique visitors to gather, share and engage.

Tavis Smiley's State of the Black Union Returns to Los Angeles

Tavis Smiley’s State of the Black Union (SOBU), one of the most anticipated annual events for millions of African Americans during the last decade, will return to Los Angeles—the site of the first symposium—in celebration of its 10th anniversary on February 28, 2009, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Turner Patterson to represent Codeblack Interactive in brand, sponsorship deals

Turner Patterson has been named Agency of Record to represent Codeblack Interactive. Turner Patterson will work with Codeblack Interactive to pursue and secure strategic business partnerships to include product placement, brand integration and content sponsorships. Codeblack Interactive, the new digital branch of the first vertically integrated African American-owned film studio, and YouTube have partnered to distribute original, made-for-the-internet urban programming.

OTHER NEWS

A Bright Spot: Clear Channel's Online Division Takes Off

It's true that radio groups have failed--for the most part--to build substantial revenues from online operations, but there are some major exceptions to that sweeping statement: foremost, Clear Channel Radio's online division is making strides in increasing its audience and the time spent interacting with its Web sites.

Newspapers Pursue 'Consortium' To Replace AP
Top executives and editors from several major dailies in the Northeast met in mid-Oct. to hammer out a content-sharing agreement that could replace their agreements with The Associated Press.

Nielsen Delays Controversial Internet Measurement Test, Discloses Faulty Cable Universe Info

On the eve of meetings this week with its national clients in New York and Los Angeles, Nielsen made two important announcements, including a decision to delay a controversial plan to begin measuring online media usage in some households that are part of its television "currency" panel. The second announcement was a disclosure that Nielsen has been grossly misestimating the household coverage for many smaller cable networks for years because it has not been able to identify when new, "digital tier" channels are added, or removed by satellite TV households.