November 20, 2008

FOX

Murdoch Eyes Subscription-Based Acquisitions
Rupert Murdoch believes the global financial crisis will wipe out at least half of the world's hedge funds. "I would welcome their disappearance," he said. He added that his News Corp. will continue to look for acquisitions "that are not so dependent on advertising and are more based on subscription."

MySpace to Offer McCartney, Guns N' Roses
Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and Guns N' Roses released their biggest hits on vinyl records and compact discs, but on Thursday, their new albums will debut online on MySpace. Members of News Corp.'s social network will be able to play the songs, but will not be able to download them.

News Corp Shelves Media Campus in London
News Corp. is delaying indefinitely the planned redevelopment of its east London offices due to the economic downturn. The home of the company's London newspapers was set to become the new British base for other assets, including Dow Jones, MySpace and 20th Century Fox.

MTV

Kelly Rowland Visiting South Africa

“Kelly will stop in South Africa when she returns from performing at the MTV Base African Music Awards in Nigeria this weekend to tell the girls about the documentary and her commitment to Aids awareness.

MTV Digital Exec Does Interview via Twitter
Tallahassee Democrat reporter Amanda Nalley interviewed MTV digital account exec Jeremy Winter Delaplane via Twitter prior to his appearance in Tallahassee to speak about digital media. MTV's young audience, Delaplane said, is "constantly connected" and is not "hindered by tradition."

Visibility Matters: MTV sells out gays and lesbians for ratings

As I wrote about earlier this month, lesbian visibility in TV and film is neglible, and bisexual women, while finally getting some exposure on widely watched television shows, are still usually portrayed as promiscuous, psychotic, untrustworthy, or homicidal (or all of the above). And since straight people don't usually differentiate between lesbians and bisexual women — as Shonda Rhimes so brilliantly illustrated in her statement about Brooke Smith's firing on Grey's Anatomy — that means lesbians and bisexual women are universally portrayed as crazy, lying, murdering sluts. And now, thanks to MTV, we sleep with our sisters, too.

AFRICA

Risky sexual practices among youth attending a sexually transmitted infection clinic in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Youth have been reported to be at a higher risk of acquiring STIs with significant adverse health and social consequences. Knowledge on the prevailing risky practices is an essential tool to guide preventive strategies.

South Africa: Country Called to Participate in HIV, Aids Awareness Activities

Government, in partnership with the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), has called on South Africans to participate in activities aimed at raising awareness about HIV and AIDS. Briefing media following Cabinet's regular meeting, Government Spokesperson Themba Maseko said HIV, AIDS and Tuberculosis remained national priorities requiring urgent action by all sectors of society.

ASIA

Clinton and Yao Ming to receive honorary degree for HIV/AIDS work

Former US president Bill Clinton will next month receive an honorary degree for his work in the HIV/AIDS field from the University of Hong Kong. Basketball star Yao Ming will be given an honorary Doctor of Social Sciences sometime next year for helping fight the social stigma associated with HIV/AIDS, particularly in China, said the university.

Dressing up for HIV/AIDS: Condom art

That condoms have one definite function is sure. But that they could be used in art and by a condom designer is hardly believable. We have all heard of art being created from drink cans and packaging, but imagine a studio with condoms lying around everywhere.

CARIBBEAN & LATIN AMERICA

Chile May Use Police to Find HIV Patients After 512 Not Told

Chilean health authorities may use police databases to track down people infected with the AIDS virus after the government failed to notify 512 patients that they had the illness, denying them access to treatment.

HIV/AIDS AND SEXUAL HEALTH NEWS

Despite national guidelines, private insurers, ER, federal and state agencies fail to routinely test for HIV

While the U.S. AIDS epidemic simmers largely unnoticed by most Americans, a failure to widely implement routine HIV testing continues to fuel its spread, HIV researchers and experts said today. Almost 60,000 Americans were infected with HIV last year, and, nationwide, 50-to-70 percent of new sexually transmitted infections are spread by people who do not know they are infected. Guidelines issued two years ago by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that all Americans ages 13-64 be routinely tested in all healthcare settings. Now, data show that although such testing could save years of healthy life and limit the spread of HIV, they are largely not being implemented.

More at-risk teens engaging in anal sex

The incidence of heterosexual anal sex is increasing among teens and young adults -- a sexually transmitted disease and HIV risk factor, U.S. researchers say. Researchers at the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center in Providence said these findings mirror recent data that show anal sex rates among adults doubled from 1995 to 2004.

MULTI CULTURAL NEWS

ICABA Launches a Multimedia Network for Black Professionals

Prominent business leaders, Black professionals and entrepreneurs convened in South Florida on Tuesday to witness the launch of ICABA, a new multimedia brand that seeks to identify, connect and activate accomplished Blacks around the world. During the launch reception, ICABA unveiled an integrated marketing platform that includes a multifaceted Website with a social networking component, print directories and signature events.

NBC developing sit-com from 'Making Friends With Black People' book

NBC is developing a comedy based on the book "Making Friends With Black People," a buddy comedy that will focus on the state of race relations in the U.S. Show isn't specifically about Obama's rise as the nation's first African-American president -- but "Making Friends" hopes to capitalize on how Obama's success has changed the nation's dialogue on race.

Race relations

Keith Boykin has been double marginalized. The black New York Times best-selling author, host of Black Entertainment Television’s “My Two Cents” and editor of The Daily Voice, has reported on cases of racism in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. “There is something wrong when we as an oppressed people in the LGBT community are oppressing our own who are also fighting in the struggle of equality and freedom,” Boykin wrote in 2005, responding to incidents of discrimination in San Francisco’s Castro district.

PHILANTHROPY

Awards for Bay Area philanthropy

The Distinguished Achievement Award went to the California Academy of Sciences and Contemporary Jewish Museum. The Hank Russo Outstanding Fundraising Professional is Cheri Bryant. She has served as director of development for the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California since 1990. Sheryl Wong was named Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer, as chair of the Oakland Museum of California Foundation. The award for Outstanding Foundation Professional went to Dianne Yamashiro-Omi. She joined the California Endowment in 2000 and is the senior program officer for Culturally Competent Health Systems. Youth United for Community Action was given this year's award for Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy. YUCA is a grassroots organization created, led and run by young people of color. The California Wellness Foundation was recognized as Outstanding Foundation or Community Grantmaker. Larry and Joyce Stupski were named Outstanding Philanthropists. In 1996, they formed the Stupski Foundation, with the mission of improving life options for children of color in poverty by helping public education leaders accelerate academic achievement. The Lifetime Achievement in Philanthropy award went to Janice Gow Pettey. She is a recognized fundraiser, author, consultant, professor and volunteer. The San Francisco Chronicle was named Outstanding Corporate Grantmaker.

Gucci to Shoppers: Philanthropy is Trendy

Gucci hopes charity will give shoppers a reason to spend — it’s pledging to give 25% of the sales of a new handbag and shoe collection called Tattoo Heart to UNICEF.

SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS

Study Finds Teenagers’ Internet Socializing Isn’t Such a Bad Thing

Good news for worried parents: All those hours their teenagers spend socializing on the Internet are not a bad thing, according to a new study by the MacArthur Foundation. “It may look as though kids are wasting a lot of time hanging out with new media, whether it’s on MySpace or sending instant messages,” said Mizuko Ito, lead researcher on the study, “Living and Learning With New Media.” “But their participation is giving them the technological skills and literacy they need to succeed in the contemporary world. They’re learning how to get along with others, how to manage a public identity, how to create a home page.”

OTHER NEWS

2008 Most Powerful Women in Cable: The Top 50 (1-14)

Anne Sweeney, Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks, & President, Disney-ABC Television Group - The co-winner of this year’s Distinguished Vanguard Award for Leadership (with Showtime’s Matt Blank, and presented by NCTA at The Cable Show), Sweeney is, practically speaking, a cultural leader.

Amy Poehler and Friends Launch New Digital TV Series Aimed at Young Girls and Their Parents

ON Networks(R) (ON) today announced the release of the first episode of Smart Girls at the Party - the original digital TV series that aims to help young girls find confidence in their own aspirations and talents. The series was created by and stars actor/writer Amy Poehler and friend Meredith Walker, former senior producer for Nickelodeon's Nick News, and former head of talent for Saturday Night Live. Amy Miles, recording artist and performer and host of PBS children's show LOMAX: Hound of Music, stars as the series' regular musical act.

Big Media Targeted by Writers Over Digital Pay
The Writers Guild of America, West has claimed that media conglomerates have failed to comply with the contract negotiated to end the 100-day strike by not paying residuals for writers' work that is reused in new media. The WGA has filed for arbitration over alleged nonpayment.

comScore Media Metrix Ranks Top 50 US Web Properties for October 2008

The U.S. presidential election, Halloween and the approaching holiday season were significant drivers of Internet traffic for the month. October saw a significant surge in traffic to the politics category, as Americans tuned in closely to the presidential and local congressional races. The category grew 40 percent to 28 million visitors in October, making it the fastest growing category for the month.

LONDON MEDIA SUMMIT 24TH NOVEMBER

Co-Chaired by Channel 4's Jon Snow and CNN's Becky Anderson, this year's London Media Summit asks "How can 'old' media survive?" and features the Director-General of the BBC, Chairman and Chief Executive of MTV Networks International, Editor of the Guardian, Chairman of the UK Film Council, and many more.

Media Stocks Hit New Lows in Market Meltdown
Wednesday's Dow slide pushed the shares of News Corp., Viacom, CBS and Sony to 52-week lows, and Disney and Time Warner closed near their lows for the year. With just over a month of trading to go in 2008, media biggies have lost tens of billions of dollars in market value.

Nielsen Cancels National Client Meeting, Cites Economy
A little more than a week after canceling a promising new out-of-home television audience measurement service due to concerns about the "current economic environment," Nielsen has canceled plans for its annual client meeting in 2009.

Working in health care can be risky, study hints

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that health care workers are more likely to die from bloodborne infections and related illnesses than people working in other occupations.

Yahoo Said to Continue Talks With Time Warner
Yahoo, facing dimming prospects for a takeover by Microsoft, is continuing discussions to buy Time Warner's AOL business, people familiar with the matter said. Yahoo and Time Warner execs have met in the past few weeks and continue to negotiate over terms.