| Google to Connect Friends Across the Web | The Washington Post May 13, 2008 | To socialize these days, hundreds of millions of people every month visit networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook.
A new, free service from the Mountain View, Calif., tech giant will allow any Web site to become a social site.
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| Corporate News: HBO Nears Deal To Distribute Shows on iTunes | | The Wall Street JournalMay 13, 2008 | Time Warner Inc.'s HBO and Apple Inc. are close to announcing a deal to make HBO series available for download on Apple's iTunes service, according to people familiar with the matter.
The service marks an evolution in strategy for both HBO and Apple.
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| | Talks to Save Clear Channel Deal Continue | | Los Angeles TimesMay 13, 2008 | Clear Channel Communications Inc. and its prospective buyers are negotiating with banks to try to settle a dispute over whether the banks must fund promised loans for the $19.5-billion takeover, the radio and outdoor advertising company said Monday.
Clear Channel shares jumped $2.87, or 9.6%, to $32.87.
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| Walden Media Partners With HarperCollins | | Los Angeles TimesMay 13, 2008 | NEW YORK -- Walden Media, which has produced 15 films based on children's books, is getting into the publishing business in conjunction with HarperCollins.
The company, which has adapted such HarperCollins titles as "The Chronicles of Narnia," "Bridge to Terabithia" and "Charlotte's Web" for the screen, will be launching Walden Pond Press, acquiring and publishing books for children, the companies said Monday.
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| | Earnings Digest -- Media: Losses Dog Sirius, XM | | The Wall Street JournalMay 13, 2008 | Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. posted a narrower first-quarter loss as it continues to await regulatory approval for its plan to acquire rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc.
The merger of the only two U.S. satellite-radio companies is still being reviewed by the Federal Communications Commission.
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| Corporate News: Cumulus Media's Buyout Falls Apart | | The Wall Street JournalMay 13, 2008 | Cumulus Media Inc.'s $530 million privatization fell apart Monday, reflecting continuing weakness in the credit markets and the radio industry.
The investor group will pay Cumulus a $15 million termination fee.
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| | Media & Marketing -- Advertising: New ABC Show: Ad Dollars at Work | | The Wall Street JournalMay 13, 2008 | Under pressure to prove the effectiveness of TV advertising, ABC will announce today a new measurement tool for marketers that offers various details about the viewership of particular shows beyond just ratings.
While advertisers increasingly have access to assorted data about their target audiences -- including much of the information in ABC's new index -- a surprising number still make decisions the old way: based simply on the sheer number of people in a particular age range who watch a show.
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| Disney to create lab to test ads for ABC, ESPN | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 13, 2008 | LOS ANGELES - Will people remember three-second video ads on their mobile phones?
Is the sports ticker crawl distracting or does it add value to the 30-second TV spot?
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| | FCC Plan Elicits Critics | | Las Vegas Review-JournalMay 09, 2008 | May 9--WASHINGTON -- New regulations the Federal Communications Commission says will better position broadcasters to meet the needs of local communities have gotten a dim reception from members of Congress, including three Nevadans.
Several of these requirements are similar to regulations the FCC repealed in the 1980s as part of a deregulation drive by former Chairman Mark Fowler.
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| Deals & Deal Makers: Media Pros Venture Into Funding | | The Wall Street JournalMay 12, 2008 | The shift from the corporate suite to the rough-and-tumble of venture capital can be unpredictable.
Both are casualties of big-company corporate politics, pushed out of top jobs at News Corp.'s Fox Interactive Media digital unit and AOL, respectively, 1 1/2 years ago.
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| Google Stronger Than Ever After Difficult Stretch | | Chicago TribuneMay 11, 2008 | It's hard to believe Google Inc. actually looked vulnerable just two months ago.
Its stock is hot again and Microsoft has scrapped its plans to buy Yahoo, with Google playing the spoiler's role.
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| | News Corp. ends bid to buy Long Island newspaper Newsday | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 11, 2008 | NEW YORK - News Corp., the media conglomerate controlled by Rupert Murdoch, has withdrawn its bid to purchase the Long Island paper Newsday, a News Corp. spokeswoman said Saturday.
The decision to revoke the offer came just days after Murdoch confidently predicted he would clinch a deal to buy the newspaper within a week.
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| Yahoo Comes Up Short Among a Group That Matters | | Los Angeles TimesMay 11, 2008 | There's been no shortage of opinion about what went wrong with Microsoft's "failed" $47.5-billion takeover of Yahoo (I'm hedging because a lot of people still think the deal could go through, once cooler heads prevail).
But amid all the analysis and punditry since talks between the two companies fell apart last week, the one angle that's proved elusive is what avid users of Microsoft's and Yahoo's products have to say.
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| | Funding Dries Up for Strive Media: Institute Will Close Its Milwaukee Office, Reorganize | | The Milwaukee Journal SentinelMay 11, 2008 | May 11--Strive Media Institute, a Milwaukee-based nonprofit training ground for budding journalists, is reorganizing its operations and will close its offices on N. King Drive in a matter of days in the wake of shrinking grant dollars and the high cost of services.
The 18-year-old organization will officially end its in-house programming June 1.
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| News Corp. withdraws bid to buy NY newspaper Newsday | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 10, 2008 | NEW YORK - A spokeswoman for Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. says the media conglomerate has withdrawn its bid to purchase Newsday.
The decision to revoke the offer Saturday comes just days after Murdoch confidently predicted he would clinch a deal to buy the Long Island newspaper within a week.
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| | Yahoo! Launches Glue Pages Beta in India. | | AsiaPulse NewsMay 09, 2008 | MUMBAI, May 9 Asia Pulse - Betting on India, the local edition of the Internet portal Yahoo!
on Thursday chose the country for the global launch of its new search concept Glue Pages Beta.
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| Asset sales boost Clear Channel profit; Deal still in limbo | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 10, 2008 | NEW YORK - Clear Channel Communications Inc., a major radio and outdoor advertising company, reported higher first-quarter earnings Friday on asset sales but operating results were flat, reflecting weak demand for radio advertising.
Clear Channel earned $799.7 million, or $1.61 per share, in the first three months of the year, versus $102.2 million, or 21 cents per share, in the same period a year ago.
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| | Icahn Enters Fray For Circuit City; Investor to Do Deal If Blockbuster Can't | | The Washington PostMay 10, 2008 | Circuit City announced yesterday that it will open its books to Blockbuster and billionaire Carl Icahn in a step toward a possible sale of the company.
The Richmond consumer electronics retailer hired Goldman Sachs to review its potential strategies, but Circuit City's board is not pursuing a particular option, whether a sale or otherwise, said chief executive Philip J. Schoonover.
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| Panel Says Media Should Reflect Cultural Diversity | | Tri-City HeraldMay 09, 2008 | May 9--Tri-City media should be doing a better job of showcasing the diversity of races and cultures here, panelists and audience members generally agreed at a forum Thursday night in Pasco.
The William O. Douglas chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and Columbia Basin College sponsored the forum on media coverage of minorities, which was attended by about 40 people.
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| | Advocacy groups take aim at Google-Yahoo partnership | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 09, 2008 | WASHINGTON - An online advertising partnership between Yahoo Inc. and Google Inc. is facing opposition from consumer and civic groups that didn't wait for an official deal announcement to voice their discontent.
Top Google executives said Thursday they are interested in a partnership with their closest rival but didn't indicate how close they were to an agreement.
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| The New-Media Age Gives Us Power; It's Time to Create Content That Matters | | Advertising AgeMay 05, 2008 | Let's talk about three of my favorite things: content, diversity and power.
For people who don't understand our industry at all, I tell them I run an advertising firm (West Cary Group) in Richmond, Va. They've at least heard of advertising agencies, even if they don't understand exactly what they do.
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| | We Better Start Monetizing Social Media Before It's Too Late | | Advertising AgeMay 05, 2008 | Technology is a funny thing.
We are living in a time when the media we consume are undergoing the most rapid technological transformation since the advent of TV. Back then, there was a lot for companies to gain by having a TV in every home in America.
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| In a Consumer-Controlled World, Journalists Should Be Marketers | | Advertising AgeMay 05, 2008 | Jack griffin, president of Meredith Publishing, kicked up a ruckus when he told attendees at a Folio conference, "We don't hire editors anymore; we hire content strategists."
"Perhaps everybody here should focus more on delivering content that's exactly what the consumer demands than worry about what title you're assigned for your work," wrote one reader.
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| | Is Your Consumer Using Social Media? | | Advertising AgeMay 05, 2008 | Raise your hand if you believe social media is an important way to build a brand.
The question is: Where should a marketer spend to reach its consumers-and how does a marketer know if its consumers use social media?
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| News Corp: Selling Ads For MySpace Is Hard Work! | | .May 09, 2008 | News Corp. execs did more than just admit that they weren't going to hit their revenue goals for MySpace and Fox Interactive Media today.
They also fessed up to another open secret: Selling ads on social networks is a really difficult.
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| | Can Craigslist Stay Oddball? | | .May 09, 2008 | Here is a homely, text-heavy site that's among America's top 10 in monthly page views and time spent on it.
Yet to a remarkable degree it staunchly refuses to turn on any moneymaking machinery.
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| Sun-Times Media Sales Slide, Loss Widens | | Chicago TribuneMay 09, 2008 | Sun-Times Media Group Inc., hurt by declining ad revenues and eroding circulation, said its first-quarter loss deepened to $35.8 million from $4.8 million a year ago.
For the first quarter, the company said revenue dropped 11.7 percent, to $81 million from $91.7 million in last year's quarter.
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| | Google execs hope for long-term ad deal with Yahoo | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 09, 2008 | MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Google Inc.'s top executives expressed hope Thursday that the Internet search leader will be able to form a potentially lucrative advertising partnership with Yahoo Inc. - a deal that would lower the odds of Microsoft Corp. renewing its attempts to buy Yahoo.
"We share a lot of values with them."
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| Microsoft Severs Potential Yahoo Proxy Slate | | The Wall Street JournalMay 09, 2008 | Microsoft Corp. released people from their agreements to serve on a proxy slate that it would have nominated for Yahoo Inc.'s board in the event it made a hostile bid for the Internet company, said people familiar with the matter.
The would-be nominees received a short email from Microsoft's law firm on Thursday, five days after Microsoft announced it was dropping its unsolicited bid for Yahoo.
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| | Warner Music Group's Loss Widens As CD Sales Fall | | The Wall Street JournalMay 09, 2008 | Warner Music Group Corp. posted a wider fiscal second-quarter loss and suspended its quarterly dividend as it continues to struggle with the drop-off in compact-disc sales as consumers shift toward digital music.
Chief Executive Edgar Bronfman Jr. said Warner Music remains "excited about the long-term prospects for our business" despite that "an uncertain economic backdrop and evolving recorded music industry make a conservative approach to our balance sheet a prudent strategy."
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| Media & Marketing: Bertelsmann's Loss Narrows As Sales Fall | | The Wall Street JournalMay 09, 2008 | Bertelsmann AG said its first-quarter net loss narrowed sharply from the year earlier, though revenue growth was curbed by the stronger euro and a drop in sales at its book and music clubs.
The closely held German media company posted a net loss of 3 million euros ($ 4.6 million), compared with its net loss of 117 million euros a year earlier.
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| | MySpace to allow users to share data with Yahoo, others | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 08, 2008 | LOS ANGELES - Social networking site MySpace said Thursday it will soon enable users to quickly share profile data with Web sites operated by Yahoo Inc., eBay Inc. and others.
"There's this concept that social networks are walled gardens," said Amit Kapur, MySpace's chief operating officer.
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| Google looking golden again after challenging stretch | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 08, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO - It's hard to believe Google Inc. actually looked vulnerable just two months ago.
Its stock is hot again and Microsoft has scrapped its plans to buy Yahoo, with Google playing the spoiler's role.
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| | Sun-Times Media Expects NYSE to Delist Its Shares | | Chicago TribuneMay 08, 2008 | Sun-Times Media Group Inc. said Wednesday that it expects its shares to be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange because its share price doesn't meet the Big Board's minimum.
The publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times and other Chicago-area newspapers had said in late March that the NYSE had notified the company its shares were in danger of being delisted.
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| News Corp. Defends Moves | | Los Angeles TimesMay 08, 2008 | News Corp. executives worked Wednesday to bolster investor confidence for MySpace, the online social network it won praise for buying in 2005 but lately has attracted concern from Wall Street.
But he said that social networks are the fastest-growing segment of the Internet and News Corp.'s Internet business already has nearly $1 billion in revenue in less than three years.
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| | ABC Enrolls at Five Campuses | | Los Angeles TimesMay 08, 2008 | ABC News is going back to school.
The network announced Wednesday that it was opening five college campus bureaus in September at journalism schools around the country.
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| Corporate News: Microsoft Made Eyes At Facebook As Talks With Yahoo Waned | | The Wall Street JournalMay 08, 2008 | Microsoft Corp., under pressure to craft a strategy for competing online that doesn't involve Yahoo Inc., informally approached social-networking Web site Facebook Inc. to gauge its interest in selling itself to Microsoft, says a person familiar with the situation.
Microsoft's investment bankers recently contacted Facebook as it looked likely the Redmond, Wash., software company might back away from buying Yahoo, the person said.
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| | DirecTV Seeks $2.5 Billion for Stock Buyback | | The Wall Street JournalMay 08, 2008 | DirecTV Group Inc. said it plans to raise $2.5 billion in new debt to buy back stock, a sign that skittish credit markets are on the mend -- at least when it comes to well-performing companies with conservative balance sheets.
As part of the buyback plan, DirecTV's biggest shareholder, John Malone's Liberty Media Corp., agreed to cap its voting stake in the company at its existing level of 48%.
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| Media & Marketing: Entertainment Industry Wins a Round on Piracy | | The Wall Street JournalMay 08, 2008 | In what was seen as a victory for entertainment companies, a federal judge in Los Angeles issued damages totaling $111 million against an Internet company that helped users find copyright material free.
The defendant, Valence Media LLC's TorrentSpy, was one of the Web's largest " torrent trackers," meaning it helped people find movies and other material they might want to download.
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| | FCC to Test Transition to Digital TV in N.C.; Wilmington's Rollout to Begin Sept. 8 | | The Washington PostMay 08, 2008 | The switch to digital broadcasting, the biggest change for the television industry since color TV, will get a trial run in September in Wilmington, N.C.
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin plans to announce today that the agency will run the test of the transition to digital to work out the kinks before most of the country's broadcasters stop transmitting traditional analog signals and upgrade to digital-only programming.
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| Murdoch sees clinching Newsday soon; News Corp. profit jumps | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 07, 2008 | NEW YORK - News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch said Wednesday he expects to clinch a deal to buy the Long Island-based newspaper Newsday within a week, despite a higher offer from Cablevision Systems Corp.
News Corp. had been reported to be in a tentative deal to acquire Newsday for $580 million when Cablevision weighed in with an offer of $650 million.
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| | News Corp. reports $2.7B profit on Liberty stock exchange | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 07, 2008 | NEW YORK - News Corp. says its net income more than tripled in the latest quarter to $2.69 billion thanks to a boost from a stock exchange with Liberty Media Corp.
Rupert Murdoch's New York-based media conglomerate said Wednesday it recorded a gain of $1.7 billion from the exchange, which transferred DirecTV Group Inc. to Liberty.
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| AP sources give inside look at Microsoft's raised Yahoo bid | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 07, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO - Just how serious was Microsoft Corp. about raising its bid to $47.5 billion for slumping Internet pioneer Yahoo Inc.?
The answer is taking on greater importance as more outraged Yahoo shareholders threaten to sue the company's board - or try replacing the 10 directors - for the way they responded to Microsoft's sweetened offer.
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| | Yahoo Holders Turn Up Heat After Microsoft Deal Talks Fail | | The Wall Street JournalMay 06, 2008 | Yahoo Inc. Chief Executive Jerry Yang faced backlash from shareholders who were displeased that he didn't reach a deal to sell his company to Microsoft Corp. and sent shares plummeting 15% Monday.
At issue was Yahoo's stance in negotiations with Microsoft Saturday that the company was worth $37 a share, while Microsoft said it was prepared to offer $ 33.
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| Growth in media, films, parks lifts Disney 2Q profit 22 pct | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 06, 2008 | LOS ANGELES - The Walt Disney Co. said Tuesday that the weak U.S. dollar kept domestic vacationers closer to home, boosting theme park revenue while growth in the company's film studios and media networks also helped push second-quarter net profit 22 percent higher.
Disney said it earned $1.13 billion, or 58 cents per share, in the quarter ended March 29, compared with $931 million, or 44 cents per share, a year earlier.
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| | Yahoo board may face shareholder mutiny at annual meeting | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 06, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO - After fending off months of threats by Microsoft Corp., Yahoo Inc.'s directors still will have to fight for their jobs as the company's own irate shareholders plot a mutiny.
Spurred by widespread criticism about how Yahoo's board responded to Microsoft's sweetened takeover offer of $47.5 billion, an activist shareholder is trying to recruit an alternate slate of directors to present at Yahoo's annual meeting on July 3.
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| Collapse Yahoo talks leaves advertisers with less leverage | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 06, 2008 | NEW YORK - The collapse of Microsoft Corp.'s pursuit of Yahoo Inc. is leaving advertisers pining for other ways to reach mass audiences on the Web and to counteract Google Inc.'s dominance of the online ad market.
Advertisers can still distribute ads across smaller Web sites through networks that all major Internet companies run, but such an approach doesn't have the same appeal as reaching Yahoo's massive audience all in one place, something that would have been even more compelling once Microsoft's Web sites were thrown in, too.
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| Viacom's $100M Game-Changer. | | Multichannel NewsMay 05, 2008 | Viacom plans to invest as much as $100 million in the 'premium entertainment service' it will launch in conjunction with three major movie studios next year, and said it is in talks with possible distributors and additional partners.
The joint venture between Viacom's Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Lionsgate has been able 'to speak freely to potential distributors across many, many platforms,' Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman said during the company's first-quarter earnings call Friday.
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| | ACA Fights to Retain News Corp. Limits. | | Multichannel NewsMay 05, 2008 | A trade group for small cable operators had harsh words last Thursday for News Corp.'s effort to escape Federal Communications Commission competitive conditions imposed in late 2003, when the company acquired nearly 40% of DirecTV.
In a filing at the FCC, the American Cable Association accused News Corp. of 'lack of candor and manipulation of [FCC] processes' because the media company didn't seek relief until after the FCC approved the transfer of its DirecTV stake to Liberty Media Corp. in February.
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| Hearst-Argyle Down in First Quarter. | | Broadcasting & CableMay 05, 2008 | Hearst-Argyle Television reported total revenue for the first quarter was $165.1 million, down 2.6% from the same quarter in 2007.
Earnings per diluted share were $0.11 for the first quarter compared with $0.05 in the first quarter of 2007.
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| | Scuttled Yahoo Deal Adds to Stock Stress | | USA TODAYMay 06, 2008 | Stocks stumbled Monday after investors stressed over another jump in crude oil prices and the dissolution of Microsoft's bid for Yahoo.
And the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index also fell, shedding 12.87 points to 2464.12.
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| Microsoft Could Still Snag Yahoo, Experts Say | | USA TODAYMay 06, 2008 | SEATTLE -- Microsoft may yet reel in Yahoo.
That's a prevailing sentiment among Wall Street stock analysts and Internet advertising experts following Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's withdrawal of the software giant's sweetened $47.5 billion offer to acquire Yahoo.
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| | Google Triumphs As Its Rivals' Courtship Fizzles | | Los Angeles TimesMay 06, 2008 | In the now-suspended takeover fight between software titan Microsoft Corp. and Internet poster child Yahoo Inc., the winner was a heckler in the audience.
The combined companies could have created a formidable challenger to Google Inc., but the Web search king helped scuttle the deal by complaining about the potential effect on competition and by tossing Yahoo a lifeline in the form of an advertising partnership.
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| Report Says Judge Warns News Corp. | | Los Angeles TimesMay 06, 2008 | A federal judge presiding over a corporate spying suit against News Corp. said the company could lose the case worth hundreds of millions of dollars if Chairman and Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch does not testify about what he knew, ABC News reported.
The network said it obtained a transcript of an in-chambers hearing during which U.S. District Judge David Carter said, "There is a real risk" of losing the trial if Murdoch does not take the stand and "briefly say, 'I didn't do it,' and 'I didn't know about it.'
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| | Lawsuit Over Movies on Web Settled | | Los Angeles TimesMay 06, 2008 | Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures, Walt Disney Co. and other members of the Motion Picture Assn.
of America settled a lawsuit against a website they accused of illegally posting copyrighted movies.
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| Is Microsoft Aura Fading? | | The Wall Street JournalMay 06, 2008 | Who's the bigger loser, Yahoo or Microsoft?
Yesterday, Yahoo's investors punished the company's stock after Microsoft abandoned its bid for the Internet company three months after offering $42 billion.
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| | Business Technology: Microsoft Will Offer Some Music Sharing, TV Shows for Zune | | The Wall Street JournalMay 06, 2008 | Microsoft Corp., trailing Apple Inc. badly in the market for portable music and video players, is introducing a new technology that will let users of its Zune portable devices legally share portions of their song libraries with other Zune users.
The company says it will have about 800 episodes available for purchase at $1.99 each on its Zune online store, compared with thousands of episodes from 600 different shows on Apple's iTunes Store.
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| Failed Yahoo Talks Leave Google on Top | | The Washington PostMay 06, 2008 | So who emerged the winner after the three-month standoff between Microsoft and Yahoo?
Instead, it was Google, their chief rival and the dominant player in Internet advertising, that appeared stronger after Microsoft's bid to buy Yahoo unraveled over the weekend, according to analysts and the judgment of Wall Street.
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| | Stocks end lower after Microsoft pulls Yahoo bid | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 05, 2008 | NEW YORK - Wall Street pulled back Monday following Microsoft Corp.'s decision to withdraw its bid for Yahoo Inc. and as oil prices rose to a new record over $120 a barrel.
The failed deal came as a disappointment to Wall Street, as merger-and-acquisition activity tends to boost shareholder value, and also signals to the broader market that corporate America is optimistic about the future.
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| Future of Internet Usage Debated | | Pittsburgh Post-GazetteMay 05, 2008 | May 5--The Internet seems infinite -- tens of billions of Web pages and counting -- but the cables that carry the Internet to your home or office are decidedly more limited.
That's why no less than the "future of the Internet" is at stake as telecom companies, consumer groups, the Federal Communications Commission and U.S. lawmakers debate whether Internet service providers should be able to choose what content moves, and when it moves, across their networks.
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| | Media & Marketing: Amazon Sues New York State Over Tax Law | | The Wall Street JournalMay 05, 2008 | Web retailer Amazon.com Inc. sued New York state and its taxation department to contest the constitutionality of a new state law requiring out-of-state Internet retailers to collect New York state taxes.
An "affiliate" is someone who advertises Amazon on his Web site and receives sales commissions after a Web-site visitor makes a purchase on Amazon.
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| Yahoo CEO facing possible rebellion after spurning Microsoft | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 05, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO - Yahoo Inc. Chief Executive Jerry Yang is convinced that the company he started in a Silicon Valley trailer 14 years ago is worth more than the $47.5 billion that Microsoft Corp. had offered for the Internet pioneer.
Now he may only have a few months to convince Wall Street that his rebuff of Microsoft's takeover bid was a smart move - and if he can't, analysts won't be surprised if Yang is either replaced as CEO or forced to consider accepting a lower offer if Microsoft comes knocking at his door again.
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| | Web Start-Ups Seek New Ways to Click | | The Wall Street JournalMay 05, 2008 | As concerns mount that the slowing economy may hurt the online-ad market, Silicon Valley Web start-ups are developing new approaches.
Companies such as online-software venture Slide and video and social-networking site Bebo are trying to run ads that appeal to a younger audience -- one that often turns up its nose at old-fashioned online ads, such as traditional "banners" trying to promote brands.
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| Sports Illustrated to Take Fantasy Game to Facebook | | The Wall Street JournalMay 05, 2008 | Sports Illustrated Group has reached an agreement with Citizen Sports Inc. to develop and promote sports-related Web content, including a fantasy-football game that will be played on the Facebook Inc. Web site.
The move is, in part, an admission by the iconic sports brand, owned by the Time Inc. division of Time Warner Inc., that it needs to do more than draw traffic to its own Web site.
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| | Adman Swims in Digital Media Sea | | Los Angeles TimesMay 04, 2008 | Tim Spengler's first act after being named president of the media-buying firm Initiative USA was to draft a small team of what he calls amphibians.
Like creatures that can live on land or in the water, media planners must master two dramatically different environments: old and new media.
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| Yahoo Deal Falls Apart | | Los Angeles TimesMay 04, 2008 | Microsoft Corp. on Saturday yanked a $42-billion takeover offer for Yahoo Inc. that would have reordered the landscape of the Web after the companies failed to agree on how much the Internet pioneer was worth.
"We believe the economics demanded by Yahoo do not make sense for us, and it is in the best interests of Microsoft stockholders, employees and other stakeholders to withdraw our proposal," Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said in a statement.
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| | Newspaper Web Sites Bash Other Media in Local Advertising | | .May 02, 2008 | According to data from Borrell Associates' fifth annual local online revenue survey, newspaper-owned Web sites maintained a three-to-one lead over other local competitors in advertising market share last year, capturing 26.9 percent of the market.
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| | Ownership Fight Heats Up | | Television WeekApril 28, 2008 | The odds may be long against Congress overturning new Federal Communications Commission rules that make it easier for newspapers and TV stations in a market to buy each other, but the broadcasting and newspaper industries are concerned enough to attempt to forestall such action.
In the face of a Senate Commerce Committee voice vote last week approving a "resolution of disapproval" and an upcoming vote on the matter by the full Senate, proponents of the new rules are planning to fight, even though administration officials have said they would recommend President Bush veto any congressional res
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| Why Google Really is Recession-Proof | | Advertising AgeApril 28, 2008 | How do you see an economic downturn affecting online advertising and, in particular, Google?
... And we feel that Google is more like direct marketing than brand advertising.
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| | Is Media Guru Verklin Headed Over to Canoe? | | Advertising AgeApril 28, 2008 | David verklin once gave a speech in which he coined the phrase "the crackle of change" as a way to get at the digital transformation sweeping the ad business.
The crackle caught up with the loquacious media thinker last week, when he announced that he's leaving Carat, the platform from which he became one of the industry's most visible figures during the past 10 years.
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| MTV owner Viacom reports 33 pct 1Q profit rise | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 02, 2008 | NEW YORK - Entertainment company Viacom Inc. reported a 33 percent rise in first-quarter earnings Friday, lifted by stronger sales of the "Rock Band" video game.
The company, which is controlled by billionaire Sumner Redstone and owns MTV, BET, Nickelodeon and the Paramount movie studio, earned $270 million, or 42 cents per share, in the first three months of the year, up from $203 million, or 29 cents per share, in the same period a year ago.
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| | Who Would Wrangle Over a Newspaper? | | Chicago TribuneMay 02, 2008 | A bidding war for a newspaper?
Wonder how Newsday bidders Rupert Murdoch, the Dolan family and Mort Zuckerman missed all those reports about how tomorrow's newspapers are as worthless as last week's weather forecasts.
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| Geographic Wins Again At Magazine Awards | | The Washington PostMay 02, 2008 | National Geographic dominated the National Magazine Awards last night, winning three prizes, including the coveted award for general excellence.
It was the second consecutive year that the Washington-based Geographic won for general excellence among magazines in the over-2 million circulation category.
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| | Microsoft Appears to Lean Toward Hostile Yahoo Bid | | The Wall Street JournalMay 02, 2008 | Microsoft Corp. late Thursday was leaning toward going hostile in its pursuit of Yahoo Inc., according to people familiar with the matter, with an announcement likely Friday.
In an interview earlier Thursday, Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer declined to indicate Microsoft's decision and wouldn't say when the company would make a decision public.
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| Comcast Raids Its Rivals | | The Wall Street JournalMay 02, 2008 | Results at Comcast Corp., which posted a 13% decline in first-quarter profit, point to a new reality for U.S. cable-television companies: TV is less important to them than ever.
The results -- on top of strong first-quarter customer gains from Time Warner Cable Inc. -- may mean cable companies are better situated than expected to ward off competition.
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| | Microsoft CEO has price in mind for Yahoo | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 02, 2008 | SEATTLE - Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer said Thursday he knows how much he'd spend to buy Yahoo and accelerate his company's Internet play.
Ballmer did not say whether Microsoft is considering raising its unsolicited bid, worth $44.6 billion at the time it was made in early February.
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| Stamford, Conn., Firm Predicts Fast Alternative Media Growth | | The Stamford Advocate, Stamford, Conn.May 01, 2008 | May 1--If you are reading this article online, PQ Media's recent research report might be accurate.
The Stamford-based company said spending on alternative media, such as video game and online advertising, rose 22 percent to $73.43 billion nationwide last year, and the firm expects alternative media expenditures to grow 20.2 percent to $88.24 billion this year.
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| | Federal judge sets formula for Internet music royalties | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 01, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO - A federal court on Wednesday established a formula for determining the Internet royalties owed to thousands of music composers, writers and publishers by three major online services - Yahoo Inc., AOL and RealNetworks Inc.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers hailed the decision, estimating the guidelines could yield as much as $100 million in payments covering a seven-year period ending in 2009.
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| Push Coming to Shove for Microsoft on Yahoo | | Los Angeles TimesMay 01, 2008 | Microsoft Corp.'s board of directors spent much of Wednesday debating whether to escalate the company's high-stakes battle to win Yahoo Inc. or walk away, according to people familiar with the talks.
Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer has shown increasing willingness to abandon his pursuit of the Internet pioneer as Yahoo shareholders and management seek significantly more money, according to those people, who declined to be identified because they weren't authorized to discuss the talks.
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| | Time Warner to Shed Stake in Cable Unit | | Los Angeles TimesMay 01, 2008 | Answering Wall Street's calls for a slimmer and more focused company, Time Warner Inc.'s chief executive said Wednesday that the cable system operator in which it holds a majority stake would become a completely separate entity.
Jeffrey L. Bewkes did not spell out how and when the split-off of Time Warner Cable Inc. would be accomplished.
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| Warner Bros. To End Lag On Pay-TV Movie Release | | The Wall Street JournalMay 01, 2008 | In a sign of Hollywood's interest in new forms of distribution that can replace the DVD, Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. unit this year plans to release almost all of its movies via video-on-demand services on the same day the DVDs are released.
The move could have broad ramifications for Hollywood, which has relied heavily on DVD revenue in recent years, even as that market has matured.
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| | Cablevision's Bid for Newsday to Top Rivals' By $70M | | New York NewsdayMay 01, 2008 | In a bid that would leapfrog two competing offers from a
pair of New York tabloid tycoons, Cablevision Systems Corp. is expected to make a $650-million offer for Newsday before week's end, possibly with a new Long Island partner, sources familiar with the cable operator's offer said yesterday.
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| Print-Ad Business Booms in Persian Gulf | | The Wall Street JournalMay 01, 2008 | The print-ad business might be drying up in the U.S., but it's booming in the Persian Gulf, where newspaper penetration is high.
Spending on ads in newspapers and magazines in the six Arab countries that make up the Gulf Cooperation Council reached $2.96 billion last year, according to Ipsos Stat, an international media and market-research company.
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| | IAC Net Falls 13% As Breakup Looms | | The Wall Street JournalMay 01, 2008 | Barry Diller's online-commerce empire IAC/InterActiveCorp, which is preparing to break up into several companies, reported lower first-quarter net income because of continuing problems in its retailing and home-lending businesses and reduced profits at Ticketmaster.
The results are likely to be one of IAC's last report cards in its current structure.
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| Microsoft board still mulling next Yahoo move | | Associated Press/AP OnlineMay 01, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO - Microsoft Corp.'s directors met Wednesday to consider raising the software maker's $41.9 billion bid for Yahoo Inc. instead of pursuing a hostile takeover attempt, according to a published report.
The boardroom intrigue heightens the suspense hanging over Microsoft's bid since Yahoo let pass an April 26 deadline for accepting the offer.
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| | Integration missteps at AOL led to first flat ad quarter | | Associated Press/AP OnlineApril 30, 2008 | NEW YORK - AOL made key mistakes that pushed down display-advertising sales and resulted in the Time Warner Inc. unit's first quarter of flat ad revenue since it began staking its future on the boom in online ads, executives said Wednesday.
Overall, AOL revenues fell 23 percent in the three months ending March 31, compared with the same period in 2007, according to Time Warner.
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| Google unveils eclectic mix of designs by prominent artists | | Associated Press/AP OnlineApril 30, 2008 | SAN FRANCISCO - Google Inc.'s once-austere Web site is turning into an eclectic art gallery.
Hoping to spur more customization of its home page, the Internet search leader has unveiled a lineup of colorful graphics dreamed up by a mix of creative souls, ranging from fashion designer Oscar de la Renta to the rock group Coldplay.
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| | Time Warner net falls 36 pct; Will separate cable business | | Associated Press/AP OnlineApril 30, 2008 | NEW YORK - Time Warner Inc.'s first-quarter profits fell 36 percent following an asset sale a year ago, and the company also said it will spin off the rest of its cable business.
Time Warner, which also owns Warner Bros., CNN and Time magazine, earned $771 million or 21 cents per share in the first three months of the year, down from $1.2 billion or 31 cents per share a year ago.
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| Corporate News: Microsoft's Next Move on Yahoo Is Imminent | | The Wall Street JournalApril 30, 2008 | Microsoft Corp. is expected to make its next move in the three-month-old takeover standoff with Yahoo Inc. as early as Wednesday, as the two sides have failed to reach any negotiated acquisition deal.
One option Microsoft has weighed is nominating a proxy slate of directors to replace Yahoo's board, while waiting to put any acquisition offer directly to Yahoo shareholders, say people familiar with the matter.
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| | Acquisition of Gemstar OKd | | Los Angeles TimesApril 30, 2008 | Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc. said more than 90% of its shareholders approved its takeover by Macrovision Corp.
The result was expected since News Corp., which owns 41% of Hollywood-based Gemstar shares, had agreed to approve the buyout.
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| CBS Profit Jumps 14% | | Los Angeles TimesApril 30, 2008 | Led by stronger-than-expected results in its TV division, CBS Corp. on Tuesday beat Wall Street expectations and posted a 14% jump in net income for the quarter ended March 31.
Although analysts had expected results to be hampered by the labor strife, CBS said the ratings decline was more than offset by lower TV production costs and the sale of reruns for the shows "Everybody Loves Raymond" in the U.S. and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" abroad.
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| | Dallas Morning News Parent A.H. Belo Loses $8.7M | | The Dallas Morning NewsApril 30, 2008 | Apr. 30--A.H. Belo Corporation, the parent company of The Dallas Morning News , lost $8.7 million in its first quarter as an independent firm, as the company struggled with a weakening economy as well as the ongoing shift of advertising dollars away from traditional print media.
A.H. Belo also saw its revenue decline between January and March, to $160.2 million.
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| TV Licenses Complicate a Sale | | New York NewsdayApril 30, 2008 | What are the potential hurdles to Rupert Murdoch's buying Newsday?
His purchase of Newsday would also trigger a 30-day waiting period during which the U.S. Justice Department would evaluate whether the deal violates antitrust laws.
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| | Time on Murdoch's Side in Newsday Buy | | New York NewsdayApril 30, 2008 | There is little the federal government can do to stop
Rupert Murdoch from buying Newsday, despite some congressional opposition, objections from public-interest groups and a proposed deal that would violate even relaxed federal rules, media experts say.
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| Sirius and XM Delay Meetings To Wait for Merger Ruling | | The Washington PostApril 30, 2008 | The nation's two satellite radio operators said yesterday that they would delay their shareholder meetings as they await a prolonged regulatory review of their merger plan, which has drawn new criticism from lawmakers and several states.
The FCC is reviewing whether the transfer of satellite radio licenses is in the "public interest," which analysts said includes issues such as pricing for subscribers.
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| | Yahoo's embattled CEO received traditional $1 salary in 2007 | | Associated Press/AP OnlineApril 29, 2008 | SAN FRANICSCO - Yahoo Inc. co-founder Jerry Yang added the chief executive's job to his work load last year, but his salary remained unchanged at $1 - a token payment he has accepted for years because the Internet icon already has made him a billionaire.
The Sunnyvale-based company disclosed the 2007 compensation packages given to Yang and its other top-paid executives in an amendment Tuesday to its annual report.
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| No economic slowdown on Internet | | .April 29, 2008 | Internet commerce continues its robust growth, defying a sluggish economy that's teetering on recession, Google's chief economist and several analysts said Friday.
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| | Hollywood Taking Sides in Network Neutrality Debate | | Los Angeles TimesApril 29, 2008 | Hollywood believes the Internet is the key to its future.
Some lawmakers, public interest advocates and big technology companies are pushing for federal rules that would prevent Internet service providers from blocking or slowing certain content flowing through their high-speed lines.
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| Newspaper-Circulation Drop Sharpens | | The Wall Street JournalApril 29, 2008 | Most of the nation's biggest newspapers saw circulation tumble at an increased rate, a sign that the migration of readers online may be picking up speed.
The rate of decline is accelerating: ABC had reported an average weekday circulation drop of 2.1% in the year-earlier period and 2.6% in the six months to November.
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| | Corporate News: Blockbuster Is in Talks on Taking Stake in Viacom-Led TV Channel | | The Wall Street JournalApril 29, 2008 | Blockbuster Inc. is in talks about taking a stake in the new Viacom Inc.-led premium television channel that plans to compete with HBO, Showtime and Starz, according to people familiar with the situation.
As part of a deal being discussed, Blockbuster would get digital rights to the new channel's programming in return for an investment in the partnership, these people said.
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| Business Technology: Record Sales Are Expected for Grand Theft Auto IV | | The Wall Street JournalApril 29, 2008 | The latest installment in the Grand Theft Auto series is expected to shatter sales records for videogames when it hits stores Tuesday, but the game's release will also likely revive the heated debate over sex and violence in videogames.
Blockbuster success could also influence the outcome of a $2 billion hostile takeover bid for Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., the publisher of Grand Theft Auto, by Electronic Arts Inc., as it would reinforce Take-Two's belief that the company deserves a higher offer from EA.
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| | Yahoo to outsource Messenger phone calls to Jajah | | Associated Press/AP OnlineApril 29, 2008 | NEW YORK - Yahoo Inc. is outsourcing the Internet telephone functions of its instant messaging program to the startup Jajah.
The deal is a big score for Jajah, which has grown explosively since it was founded in 2005 in Austria.
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| Media co. Cox eyes online ad growth, buys startup for $300M | | Associated Press/AP OnlineApril 29, 2008 | NEW YORK - Media conglomerate Cox Enterprises Inc., betting its future on Internet advertising as newspaper and television audiences shrink, plans to spend $300 million to buy a startup that helps Web sites pool their ad space.
"We're absolutely convinced at Cox that online revenue is continuing to grow," John Dyer, Cox executive vice president for finance, told The Associated Press.
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| | Is an Era Ending? Media Mogul Sells Blogs | | The Baltimore SunApril 27, 2008 | It didn't rank up there with Alan Greenspan's famed caution about "irrational exuberance" a decade ago, before the dot-com bubble burst and wiped out trillions in paper wealth, but Nick Denton's warning the other day caused people to take notice.
The Sunday Times of London estimated his wealth last year at about $290 million.
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| Media & Marketing: New Rival for 'Morning Edition' | | The Wall Street JournalApril 28, 2008 | Since hitting radio sets in 1979, the news show "Morning Edition" has had early-morning public-radio airwaves largely to itself.
On Monday, a new morning show called "The Takeaway" launches on public radio stations in New York, Boston, Baltimore and several other, smaller cities.
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| | Viacom Chief Puts Media Giant Back in the Picture | | Chicago TribuneApril 27, 2008 | In his 17 months at the helm, Viacom Inc. Chief Executive Philippe Dauman has won over investors and halted a sliding stock price.
It's a tall order, but many investors say Viacom shares (VIA) are poised to pop.
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| Time's Up for Yahoo; What Will Microsoft Do Next? | | The Seattle TimesApril 26, 2008 | Apr. 26--Liberty Mutual's purchase of Seattle-based insurer Safeco was already a done deal when the two insurance companies disclosed their plans Wednesday.
Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer threatened three weeks ago to launch a hostile takeover of Yahoo if the companies had not concluded an agreement by today.
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| | States Urge FCC to Bar Radio Deal | | Los Angeles TimesApril 26, 2008 | The proposed merger of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. was opposed by four states that say the combination of the only two pay radio companies poses a threat to competition.
Connecticut, Maryland, Ohio and Washington urged the Federal Communications Commission to reject the merger in a letter signed by the four states' attorneys general and posted on the FCC's website.
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| Brand Needs Key to Media Allocation | | Television WeekApril 21, 2008 | One area of the media planning process that can greatly increase efficacy of the media plan is the media allocation exercise.
Most media organizations use either proprietary tools or customary practices to determine which media will be utilized for a brand effort and what resources each media type will receive.
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| | Fox Sweetens the Digital Pot | | Television WeekApril 21, 2008 | To coincide with the start of the upfront selling season, Fox is revamping how it presents full-episode videos on its Web site this week for shows such as "House," "Bones" and "Prison Break."
That's because streaming TV shows have become the top driver of traffic to the network's Web site.
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| Media Morph: Facebook Lexicon | | Advertising AgeApril 21, 2008 | What it is: Think of it as a Google Trends or Technorati for Facebook.
Last week, Facebook launched a way to help measure the buzz around certain subjects among users-that is, assuming that people tend to record on their profiles and their friends' profiles things they're interested in.
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| | Chief Yahoo Jerry Yang: Net Icon Now in a Tough Spot | | San Jose Mercury NewsApril 25, 2008 | Apr. 25--When Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang took over the reins of his troubled company last year, the blog posts and e-mails came with attachments of hope.
But even as the company cafeteria in Sunnyvale buzzed with optimism that Yang would bring back the mojo of Yahoo's early days, there were hints of a dark shadow from Seattle.
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| Newsday Suitors Wait to See If Deal Flies | | Newsday, Melville, N.Y.April 24, 2008 | Apr. 24--With media mogul Rupert Murdoch treating his reported purchase of Newsday as a fait accompli, other potential purchasers are said to be buttressing their offers or waiting in the wings should regulators shoot down News Corp.'s bid.
Were the deal to get hung up on Federal Communications Commission approval, at least one local company -- Cablevision Systems Corp. -- may consider buying the paper.
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| | The Worst of Times | | .April 25, 2008 | The New York Times' news room is bracing for a bloodbath in the next 10 days.
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| Clear Channel to Appeal $66M Patent Ruling | | Orlando SentinelApril 25, 2008 | DALLAS -- A jury awarded $66 million to a company that accused Clear Channel Communications Inc. of misusing patented technology that helps manage advertising revenue.
Clear Channel, based in San Antonio, wasn't licensed to use a system that helps maximize revenue by managing rapidly changing prices for radio ads, said plaintiff attorney Ron Schutz.
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| | Much Ado Over Murdoch's Push into U.S. Media | | Chicago TribuneApril 25, 2008 | You can't just yell "fire" in a crowded theater because of the commotion it's likely to cause.
The polarizing Australian media baron, whose global empire stretches from "The Simpsons" and topless Page 3 models to the Times of London and Fox News Channel, again triggered a frenzy Thursday among lawmakers.
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| Pay-TV Test Set for Film Venture | | Los Angeles TimesApril 25, 2008 | A partnership of Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Lionsgate to launch a movie channel and video-on-demand service is a risky test of the promise of new media.
The question is whether the joint venture will be able to yield the same enormous dividends that Hollywood studios have reaped for decades from pay-TV services such as HBO, Showtime and Starz.
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| Media & Marketing: News Corp. Bid for Newsday May Face Political Snags | | The Wall Street JournalApril 25, 2008 | WASHINGTON -- News Corp.'s bid to buy Newsday will face regulatory hurdles, but political attacks on the deal could be more of a long-term problem as News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch tries to seal the deal.
Public-interest groups and lawmakers are signaling they are ready to fight the deal on grounds that it gives News Corp. too much media power.
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| | Microsoft Presses Yahoo on Deal; Solid Earnings for Software Titan Offset By European Fine | | The Washington PostApril 25, 2008 | Microsoft yesterday reported strong quarterly earnings and warned that there is no reason to raise its bid for Yahoo and that "speed is of the essence" for completing a deal.
While Yahoo has repeatedly rejected the offer, insisting Microsoft's $31-a-share bid is too low, Microsoft's Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell yesterday chided Yahoo for harboring "unrealistic expectations of value."
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| | Yahoo-Google Test Gets Scrutiny | | Los Angeles TimesApril 24, 2008 | Yahoo Inc.'s short experiment with outsourcing some of its Web-search ads to Google Inc. has drawn scrutiny from antitrust regulators, the companies said Wednesday.
Yahoo and Google said they had provided the Justice Department with unspecified information in response to questions about the two-week test, which was designed to explore how a possible collaboration could help Yahoo thwart Microsoft Corp.'s takeover bid.
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| Media & Marketing: Amazon Stands Tall Amid Slowdown | | The Wall Street JournalApril 24, 2008 | Amazon.com Inc. hasn't been pinched by the economic slowdown yet.
The online retailer said first-quarter profit rose 30% on a healthy jump in revenue, as consumers increased purchases through Amazon's free-shipping programs and from merchants that use Amazon as an online mall.
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| | CEO Says Microsoft Could Forgo Yahoo | | The Wall Street JournalApril 24, 2008 | Steve Ballmer says Microsoft Corp. is willing to go it alone rather than buy Yahoo Inc. And he has a reason besides opposition from the Internet company: skepticism among his own employees.
Since Microsoft made its bid in late January, Microsoft's chief executive and other executives have circled the ranks of Yahoo shareholders and held informal talks with Yahoo executives in the hope that friendly talks can coax Yahoo into their arms.
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| News Corp. To Acquire Newsday | | Los Angeles TimesApril 23, 2008 | Tribune Co. has reached a preliminary agreement with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. to sell control of Newsday of Long Island, the media conglomerate's third-largest newspaper, in a deal valued at $580 million, according to people familiar with the negotiations.
The transaction would enable News Corp. to operate Newsday as a joint venture with its money-losing New York Post, saving millions of dollars in printing and circulation costs and putting pressure on its crosstown tabloid rival, the New York Daily News.
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| | Clear Channel Arbitration Sought | | Los Angeles TimesApril 23, 2008 | The banks involved in the $20-billion buyout of radio station operator Clear Channel Communications Inc. offered to enter binding arbitration with the private equity buyers to settle a dispute over funding.
The offer, which came two days before a court hearing in the dispute, was rejected by the equity buyers, Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital Partners.
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| | Comcast's Network Practices Need Scrutiny, FCC Chief Says | | The Washington PostApril 23, 2008 | Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin J. Martin yesterday challenged several of Comcast's claims about how it operates its Internet network, taking his strongest stance yet against the cable operator.
Martin's comments came during a hearing held by the Senate Commerce Committee on the future of the Internet.
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| Yahoo Reports Jump in Profit; Suitor Microsoft Is Unimpressed | | The Washington PostApril 23, 2008 | Yahoo reported first-quarter results yesterday that surpassed Wall Street's expectations, but analysts said it might not be enough to fend off an unsolicited takeover bid from Microsoft.
Yahoo co-founder and chief executive Jerry Yang used the results to underscore his previous arguments that Microsoft's $44.6 billion offer undervalues the company.
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| | Yahoo's Ability to Deal Might Hinge on Healthy Net Income | | Los Angeles TimesApril 22, 2008 | Wall Street will tune in to the Internet version of "Let's Make a Deal" today as Yahoo Inc. attempts to wrest a higher price from Microsoft Corp.
In the audience will be a cast of thousands: shareholders, employees, analysts and media, all ready for Yahoo to reveal its first-quarter financial results.
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| | Top Editor Steps Down At Wall Street Journal | | The Washington PostApril 22, 2008 | Less than five months after Rupert Murdoch took control of the Wall Street Journal, the paper's top editor, Marcus Brauchli, is resigning.
Some Journal staffers say Brauchli felt overshadowed by the paper's new publisher, Robert Thomson, a former editor of another Murdoch property, the Times of London.
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| Siblings Viacom, CBS Battle | | Los Angeles TimesApril 21, 2008 | One part of Sumner M. Redstone's media empire took aim at the other Sunday, when Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures teamed up with two studios to create a premium television channel that would compete with Showtime Networks, which is owned by Viacom's sister company CBS Corp.
But Paramount and its partners, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Lionsgate Entertainment Corp., have been under pressure to do something.
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| | Ballmer Points Out Microsoft Soft Spots | | The Seattle TimesApril 18, 2008 | Apr. 18--Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer gave a forthright public assessment of his company Thursday, confronting the huge advantage Google holds in Internet search -- even among devoted users of Microsoft products -- and calling Windows Vista a "work in progress."
Ballmer said at the outset that he was expecting to have "a little bit more wild and woolly, rockin' and reelin' kind of a discussion than I do with my average customer group."
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| Newspapers Confront The Enemy Within | | .April 18, 2008 | As Linda Grist Cunningham took the podium to talk about integrating editorial and advertising content at a newspaper industry powwow, the Rockford Register Star executive editor couldn't resist cracking a joke.
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| | Zell: No Wait 'Til Next Year to Sell Cubs | | Chicago TribuneApril 18, 2008 | Wait 'til next year" has been the rallying cry of long-suffering Chicago Cubs fans for a century, but Tribune Co. Chairman and Chief Executive Sam Zell isn't prepared to wait much longer to sell the ballclub.
The sale has been stalled, however, by efforts to work out a separate transaction with the state of Illinois for Wrigley Field, the Cubs' home, which has kept the company from releasing the ballclub's financial books to Major League Baseball-approved bidders.
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| Tribune Co. Appoints Several Vice Presidents | | Chicago TribuneApril 18, 2008 | Tribune Co. announced several management appointments Thursday, including a newly created position of executive vice president.
"Jerry is respected across the media industry for his strategic vision, depth of knowledge and ability to see opportunities and potential where others don't," said Gerry Spector, Tribune's chief administrative officer.
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| | Summer Forecast: Film Industry in a Tights Spot | | USA TODAYApril 18, 2008 | LOS ANGELES -- Hollywood desperately needs a hero, and not the kind that fights crime, or flies or wears tights.
Heading into its most important season of the year, the film industry is staggering into summer.
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| Google Profit Jumps 30% Despite Slowing Economy; Company Credits Overseas Growth, Better Ad Delivery | | The Washington PostApril 18, 2008 | The Mountain View, Calif., company attributed the performance, which exceeded analysts' expectations, to growth overseas and improvements in its formula for delivering ads alongside search results and on third-party sites.
The company's results surprised some analysts who had speculated that the economic slowdown would weaken Google because its advertising business is so enmeshed with the economy.
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| | Publishers, Ad Agencies Talk 'Magazines 3.0' | | FolioApril 17, 2008 | With dwindling newsstand and advertising revenue, slashed marketing budgets, skyrocketing postal and production costs--and, oh yeah, that recession thing--consumer magazine publishers need be innovative, perhaps more than ever before, to survive.
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| Editors at ASNE Confab Explode at AP's Curley Over Rates | | .April 17, 2008 | A recent dispute between numerous newspaper editors and the Associated Press over rate structures and other practices erupted again Wednesday morning during a heated session of the Capital Conference media convention.
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| | New York Times Company Posts Loss | | The New York TimesApril 17, 2008 | The parent of The New York Times reported a loss of $335,000 for its first quarter, as newspaper publishers battle a drop in advertising revenue that has led to an industrywide decline.
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| | BRIEF: Google's Ad Click Growth Slowed in First Quarter | | San Jose Mercury NewsApril 16, 2008 | Apr. 16--The number of paid clicks on Google's text advertisements -- a key indicator of the Mountain View company's economic robustness -- rose 1.8 percent in the first quarter compared with the same period a year ago, according to a report by Lehman Brothers analyst Douglas Anmuth.
But that was a meager increase compared with the 25 percent jump in such clicks in the previous quarter.
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| Times: 'We Expect' Layoffs | | .April 16, 2008 | The New York Times announced that it's all but a done deal that the paper will have to layoff staffers in the newsroom.
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