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.