Thursday, November 20, 2008

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.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

November 18, 2008

BET

BET names Loretha Jones and Stephen Hill co-presidents of programming

BET Networks has announced two new leadership appointments to its Programming team, with Loretha Jones and Stephen Hill both named President of Programming. Both Jones and Hill will report directly to Debra L. Lee, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, BET Networks. Hill will continue to be based in New York, while Jones will be based in Los Angeles, and both appointments will take effect immediately.

BET scores big with third season debut of original series, 'Keyshia Cole'

A total of 1.4 million households and 1.94 million viewers tuned in on Tuesday night, giving the show's season debut a 1.54 coverage rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. The third season premiere of KEYSHIA COLE posted a 10% increase in viewing among households versus last year's premiere, maintaining the series' consistent year-to-year household growth with each season premiere (1.18 million and 1.24 million households for season one and two, respectively).

CBS

CBS Rolls Out Play.it Streaming Radio
CBS's radio division is quietly rolling out its Play.it music streaming service, which allows listeners to create customized stations, play artist-themed stations or listen to over 340 traditional channels from CBS Radio and AOL Radio. Play.it runs off of a catalog of about 1.3 million songs.

Redstone's CBS, Viacom See Value Drop
Wunderlich Securities has downgraded shares of CBS and Viacom to neutral from buy, citing a "rapidly weakening" advertising market. CBS shares have fallen more than 60% since the beginning of September, while Viacom's value has been nearly cut in half.

MTV

MTV Networks Ramps Up Live Streaming with Inlet’s Spinnaker

Inlet Technologies, a leading provider of advanced encoding solutions for new media, announced today that MTV Networks (MTVN), a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B) will use the Spinnaker™ 7000 live streaming appliance to stream online events, such as episodic “After Shows,” bonus footage and tent poles. In the past, MTVN has utilized Spinnaker for the Flash live stream of “The Hills After Show.”

AFRICA

Cholera Epidemic Reaches Dangerous Levels in Zimbabwe

According to doctors in Zimbabwe, the cholera epidemic in Harare is claiming many lives and the government is massively under reporting the death statistics from this easily preventable disease. Peta Thornycroft reports that broken water pipes and sewage systems are responsible for most of the cases in Harare at a time when almost all government health services have collapsed.

GBC to implement HIV/AID work policy

Resource persons at the forum emphasized the need for Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) as a state media organization whose mandate is to educate and inform the public to have such a policy, so they can educate other organizations to follow suit.

Media praised for educating public on HIV/Aids

The Tanzania Commission for Aids (Tacaids) executive chairperson, Fatma Mrisho has praised the media for actively fighting against HIV/Aids by effectively informing and educating the public about the infection.

ASIA

Police seize fake medicines in Asia

Interpol says police in China and five countries in Southeast Asia have seized $6.6 million worth of counterfeit antibiotics, anti-HIV drugs and other medicines.

Study finds: Misconceptions "still cause AIDS stigma" in China

This situation means that many people are unwilling to live in the same household, have meals or work with an HIV-positive person, which should be a cause of concern, said Bernhard Schwartlander, UNAIDS China Country Coordinator.

HIV/AIDS AND SEXUAL HEALTH NEWS

Nursing-Home Sex Becoming More Acceptable

Nursing-home residents have sexual needs too. And now researchers are finding ways to educate staff on the taboo topic and provide accommodations for the elderly to shack up under some privacy.

MULTI CULTURAL NEWS

ANA study: Advantages of multicultural marketing still largely untapped

For the third time in eight years, the Association of National Advertisers has surveyed its membership about their multicultural marketing initiatives, and the results suggest that little has changed since the first survey was fielded.

Joint Center Media and Technology Institute will study blacks and media usage

With the goal of strengthening knowledge and generating policy development activities in a critical area, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies today launched a new institute to study how the media industry and emerging communications technologies affect African Americans and other people of color.

NO/AIDS Task Force Awarded Internship in Leadership Development

The internship prepares future leaders for lasting leadership roles within organizations that support the LGBT movement. NO/AIDS Task Force is one of the oldest and largest AIDS service organizations in the Gulf South, providing critical and compassionate services to men, women and families affected by HIV and AIDS for over 25 years. NO/AIDS has selected Eric Knudsen to be the ultimate beneficiary of the internship program.

PR Newswire doubles African American reach with Black PR Wire partnership

PR Newswire has partnered with Black PR Wire to offer the issuers of press releases the most robust distribution available to reach the African American and U.S. Caribbean media, and influential political and religious leaders, it was announced today.

SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS

Obama, the first social media president

How about social networks as a means of encouraging civic engagement, online video as a means of informing the citizenry and a Google search-minded approach to the sharing of government documents?

OTHER NEWS

Media Shares Fall As Ad Concerns Grow
Viacom, Disney, News Corp. and other media companies traded lower Monday as concerns increase about a rapidly deteriorating advertising market. Also: While media stocks may look cheap, investors should be cautious since 2009 is "still unclear," according to analysts.

Milwaukee's Teen Birth Rate Lowest In Almost 30 Years

"This news is extremely encouraging," said Commissioner of Health Bevan K. Baker. "Teen pregnancy is a public health crisis in our community and this is one step in the right direction for bringing about change."

Nielsen announces plans to return to radio ratings service

The new service, which will generate a once-a-year report based on a Spring survey of radio listeners in 50 markets, will release its first ratings estimates next August

Monday, November 17, 2008

November 17, 2008

CBS

CBS, Viacom downgraded on 'weakening' advertising market - MarketWatch

A meltdown of global financial markets since September, fueled by the subprime mortgage crisis, has dealt a crushing blow to media companies, as consumer confidence has spiraled, leading to lower revenues and cuts in spending by major advertisers. CBS shares have fallen more than 60% since the beginning of September, while Viacom's value has been nearly cut in half.

FOX

Facebook, MySpace to Battle in Bookstores
Two "tell-all" books about the world's biggest social networks are due to be published in 2009. Wall Street Journal editor Julia Angwin's "Stealing MySpace" is coming in March; Fortune senior editor David Kirkpatrick is taking a leave from the magazine to work on "The Facebook Effect."

Media Must Adapt or Perish, Murdoch Warns

With newspapers cutting back and predictions of even worse times ahead, Rupert Murdoch said the profession may still have a bright future if it can shake free of reporters and editors who he said have forfeited the trust and loyalty of their readers.

MySpace Japan Eyes International Growth
Banking on the global appeal of Japanese pop and video games, MySpace said it would more than double the number of artists on its Japanese pages to get more clicks internationally. "We are uniquely positioned to clear barriers posed by language," said MySpace Japan CEO Atsushi Taira.

MTV

Makers of Smirnoff Vodka launch 'Diageo MTV Guardian Angel'

"No one should drink and drive. I hope our 'Guardian Angels' will grab everyone's attention and will help to deliver the message in an appealing and inspirational way. We are very excited that MTV has agreed to join us in promoting this cause," said Diageo's Managing Director Asif Adil.

MTV and Beatles Come Together for New Game

MTV has a ticket to ride. The Beatles catalog, that is, in an exclusive partnership to make a "Rock Band"-like game out of the Fab Four's music. The partnership, between Apple Corps, keepers of the Beatles archive, Harmonix, creators of "Rock Band" and MTV Games, is the first time that the band’s music has been presented in an interactive format.

UNIVISION

Univision holds audiences as revs fall

Univision Communications' net revenue fell 2.4% to $511.3 million for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, continuing a downward trend that began in the second quarter. The good news is that the U.S. Hispanic media giant maintained its Nielsen ranking as the No. 3 broadcast network in the country among adults 18-34, a mantle it first claimed in the second quarter.

AFRICA

18 media houses launch HIV/Aids policies

A LANDMARK step in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Tanzania's media industry is to be marked today when 18 media houses launch their workplace policies on HIV/AIDS. By formulating the policies, the media are definitely responding to a threat which emanates from the recently released fact by the Tanzania Health Index Survey 2007/8 that, "by 2020 Tanzania is projected to lose 9% of its (in economic terms) most productive population due to HIV/AIDS".

ASIA

Media and business gearing up for AIDS awareness

On the occasion of World AIDS Day on December 1, China.org.cn, together with six domestic media, will take the lead in a media program to create public awareness on HIV and AIDS in China, a country with a population of 1.3 billion and a growing number of HIV/AIDS infections.

Media skeptical, unsure of HIV/AIDS reporting guidelines

A day after the Press Council of India formally released its guidelines for reporting on HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) cases, many of the country’s leading media organizations said they weren’t consulted. Several said they were unaware of the guidelines, which were first reported by Mint on 17 November.

HIV/AIDS AND SEXUAL HEALTH NEWS

7 Facts You Need to Know About HPV and Gardasil

As women—and soon men—gain access to the new Merck vaccine Gardasil, which targets the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stepped up efforts to identify the 25,000 or more cancers primarily associated with HPV that increase the burden of cancer in the United States each year.

Counseling on alcohol key to teens' sexual health

When health care providers are talking with adolescents about sexual health, alcohol must be a part of the conversation, conclude two researchers from the UK based on a survey of boys' and girls' attitudes about sexual relationships.

Older people more likely to have unprotected sex

People in their 30s and 40s are much less likely than teens to use condoms when having sex with someone for the first time, new research from the UK shows.

Record Number of Youth Dancing Worldwide to Take a Stand Against HIV and AIDS

More than 50.000 young people will take a stand on the 29th of November during Dance4Life events in 19 countries. The worldwide Dance4Life movement is growing rapidly. This year 150,000 extra youth were reached with Dance4Life Schools Projects and the number of participating countries has almost doubled since 2006. In 2014, Dance4Life wants to have involved at least 1 million youth (Agents of Change) in actively pushing back the spread of HIV and AIDS.

MULTI CULTURAL NEWS

Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program to Improve Health of African American Men in New York City

Today, the Diabetic Amputation Prevention (DAP) Foundation launched the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program in New York City. The program offers free diabetes and high-blood pressure screenings to African American men at more than 50 black-owned barbershops throughout the New York metropolitan area. The Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program, sponsored through a grant from the Abbott Fund, is a unique and innovative grassroots approach to health education and testing.

OTHER NEWS

A Los Angeles Mother Is the Basis of "Law & Order" HIV

Episode

The episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit that aired Tuesday, Oct. 28 on NBC attempted to take on "AIDS denialism." The story centers on a character obviously based on Rethinking AIDS board member and Alive & Well founder Christine Maggiore. Maggiore's young daughter died in May 2005 of an amoxicillin reaction wrongly declared to be "AIDS."

AOL to Shut Down Its YouTube Competitor
Time Warner's AOL is shutting down its user-generated AOL Video Uploads service this week. Users must move their videos prior to Dec. 18, when the service closes for good. AOL is shuttering a number of services, including XDrive, AOL Pictures, MyMobile and Bluestring.

Actress Charlize Theron Named UN Messenger of Peace

Academy-award-winning actress and activist Charlize Theron has been named a U.N. Messenger of Peace. Her special focus will be on ending violence against women. From U.N. headquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more. The South African actress has worked to improve the lives of impoverished women and children, especially those with HIV/AIDS, in her homeland through her foundation, the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. She has also spoken out against sexual violence against women.

Media 'Out of Touch' With American Morals

A majority of Americans say Hollywood doesn't share their moral values, according to a poll commissioned by the Anti-Defamation League. Sicty-one% of those surveyed said that religious values in America are "under attack," and 59% agreed that "the people who run the TV networks and the major movie studios do not share the religious and moral values of most Americans."

New SNL Kagan Study Identifies New Media as a Bright Spot in a Grim Economy

Media Trends 2008, a new study from SNL Kagan, shows how the Internet and emerging technologies such as Blu-ray, on-demand video and wireless data services are reshaping the media landscape.

New Media Presidency

In addition to regularly videotaping the radio address, officials at the transition office say the Obama White House will also conduct online Q&As and video interviews. The goal, officials say, is to put a face on government. In the following weeks, for example, senior members of the transition team, various policy experts and choices for the Cabinet, among others, will record videos for Change.gov. Online political observers say President-elect Obama's innovative, online-fueled campaign will likely evolve into a new level of online communication between the public and the White House

Online Video Chips Away at TV, Study Says

More evidence that online video is cannibalizing television consumption is due Monday, courtesy of an IBM study. Plus, online viewers don't mind the commercials too much. After polling 2,800 people in six countries, IBM says 76% have viewed video online and 45% do so regularly. Of those who have watched online video, 15% say that as a result they watch "slightly less" TV, while 36% said they watch "significantly less" TV.

TiVo to Offer Domino's Pizza Delivery Service
TiVo, the pioneer of digital video recorders, will launch a service to let subscribers order and track deliveries from Domino's Pizza through their televisions. TiVo has added shopping and video-on-demand features as cable and satellite companies roll out their own DVRs.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

November 5, 2008

MTV

50 Cent has business-centered reality show on MTV

50 Cent has a new show on MTV, where business-savvy contestants compete for a shot at fame and a huge cash prize. But the rapper says he's not following the path of that other famous reality show hosted by Donald Trump.

MTV Taps Quantcast For Audience Tracking

With the move, MTV will now also become part of Quantcast's Qualified Publisher Progam, giving marketers and media buyers access to audience profiles for the network's properties including MTV.com, ComedyCentral.com and VH1.com.

VIACOM

Viacom Gets Nailed; American Youth Is Bored With Its MTV

Viacom faces a number of challenges, chief among them is the fact that its cash cow networks, MTV, VH1 and BET, are having ratings problems.

AFRICA

GAMBIA: President’s herbal HIV/AIDS 'cure' boosts ARV use

President Yahya Jammeh’s traditional herbal treatment for HIV has had an unanticipated side-effect, say HIV experts in the country – rather than pulling people towards a herbal cure, it has raised the profile of conventional antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to treat HIV.

ASIA

Women’s groups launch new drive against AIDS

The project is done in co-ordination with Vijaya Mahila Sangha and Jyothi Mahila Sangha, two other organisations working for the empowerment of sex workers. The programme aims to fight against the stigma attached to these women and the discrimination they face. The project is supported by the World Bank which has granted Rs16 lakhs for technical support for 18 months.

CARIBBEAN & LATIN AMERICA

Communique Issued at the 8th AGM of Pan Caribbean Partnership

Under the theme, Leadership: Uniting Vision and Purpose, the Eighth Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) was held on 29 -31 October 2008, in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Continued health cooperation discussed in Barbados

Regional partners are meeting in Barbados over three days, to discuss a framework for Caribbean Cooperation in Health Phase III.

Voodoo priests enlisted in Haiti AIDS fight

It is no surprise that Bouvais easily reconciles his mystical explanation of AIDS with the concept that it is caused by a virus. Voodoo is a melding of the beliefs and practices of West African slaves brought to the Caribbean island in the 1500s with the Roman Catholicism of their owners, and has co-existed with organised religion in Haiti for centuries.

EUROPE

Many Africans with HIV in the UK are diagnosed late

According to the report, Sexually transmitted infections in black African and black Caribbean communities in the UK 2008, there were 2,691 black African's diagnosed with HIV in 2007.

HIV/AIDS AND SEXUAL HEALTH NEWS

New HIV-reduction initiative takes to the fields

Education has found its way onto the soccer fields of North Carolina – in the form of a social experiment that may have all the right ingredients to change the direction of Latino health in the United States.

Study: Pregnancy Rates Linked to Sex on TV

Teens who watch a lot of TV programs that show flirting, touching, sex scenes or discussion of sex are far more likely to get pregnant or get someone else pregnant, a new study shows. The study found that over the next three years those who watch the most sexual content on TV are about twice as likely to be involved in a pregnancy as those who watch the least.

MULTI CULTURAL NEWS

AOL's BlackVoices debuts new advice blog targeting black men

BlackVoices, (www.blackvoices.com), announced the launch of BV Power List, a new blog that provides men with tips on how to succeed at work, home and play in order to make their own power moves in their daily life. A key feature of the new blog, www.blackvoices.com/blogs/category/power-list, is the editors' weekly pick of the top five industry leading African-American influencers

SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS

Social networks, mobile marketing are keys to reaching Gen X

Marketers trying to reach the elusive 25- to 44-year-old Generation X segment, which is at the peak of its buying power, face several key obstacles, including splintered media consumption, a greater diversity in "lifestyles," more penny-pinching habits than baby boomers have and an aversion to traditional ads, eMarketer has found.

OTHER NEWS

Election coverage draws 71.5 million

Some 71.5 million total viewers tuned in across 14 broadcast and cable networks from 8 to 11 p.m., according to Nielsen data issued last night, up 30 percent from the 55.1 million who tuned in to the seven major broadcast and cable news networks four years ago on election night.

Media Stocks Soar On Election Day

Election day was a bonanza for many media stocks. The biggest gainers included Viacom, which rebounded from some poor third-quarter earning results the day before, to gain 9% to $21.86. Time Warner also took off, up 8.3% to $10.83.

Nielsen: More Americans Plug Into Digital TV Change

Nielsen data released Tuesday shows that the number of homes that are still unprepared for the coming digital TV transition has declined over the past month. It now stands at 7.7% of all U.S. homes--down from 8.4% in September and nearly 10% in May.