AT&T continues to rollout U-verse. The IPTV service is now available in Ohio, the eighth state to gain coverage. U-verse currently has fewer than 50,000 subscribers, but At&T expects to sign up 10,000 new customers per week by the end of the year.
ABC plans to fight commercial-skipping with a “Tease ‘n’ Reveal” strategy. At the top of commercial breaks, the network will post trivia questions and other enticements, which will be “revealed” sometime during the break. Audience retention during commercial breaks has gained increased importance due to Nielsen’s new commercial ratings.
INTEL has licensed the OpenCable Application Platform from Cable Television Labs, and will include OCAP in chips designed for consumer electronics devices. The agreement is a major shift for Intel, who formerly opposed the OCAP licensing terms.
GENERAL MOTORS is expected to switch from Interpublic to Publicis for advertising two of its major brands – Buick and GMC. The switch will be a huge loss for Interpublic. The two brands spend more than $400 million on advertising each year.
iPHONE frenzy is reaching new heights. A line has already formed outside of Apple’s 5th Avenue store, in anticipation of the iPhone launch. Two men claimed their spots at 5 AM Monday morning, more than 100 hours before the phone will be released. Sales begin this Friday at 6 PM.