GOOGLE is working on a “next generation” social-networking site called SocialStream. SocialStream aggregates many different online networks, allowing a user to manage their many online affiliations. The service has the ability to post photos and comments to multiple blogs and photo-sharing sites with one click. SocialStream is part of a Google-sponsored project at Carnegie Mellon University.
JOOST will premiere the entire season of a new VH1 series 10 days before the broadcast premiere. The show, “I Hate My 30’s,” is a half-hour eight-episode comedy developed by MTV Networks. Viacom is an investor in Joost.
HEWLETT-PACKARD plans to bring user-generated content, movie previews, and TV shows to its MediaSmart line of Internet-connected TVs. HP will announce an extensive list of Internet-video content partners next month, to coincide with the release of new MediaSmart models. The new sets support 1080p high-def programming and include 802.11n wireless connectivity.
ABC has renewed “National Bingo Night” for a second run, despite poor Nielsen ratings. ABC’s own online metrics paint a far more positive picture for the interactive program. The show required users to visit ABC.com to download a bingo card, and helped the site more than double its unique users in May from a year earlier, to more than 14.6 million. Downloads increased by ten percent every week, reaching 22 million total bingo cards by series end. Show creator Andrew Glassman said, “It shows there are metrics other than the ratings to gauge success in television.”
YES NETWORK is making an aggressive move into online syndication. The regional sports network has signed deals to place its content on Yahoo, Amazon, Joost and ROO. YES is the first RSN to have a dedicated channel on ROO. The deal will allow over 600 ROO partners to place YES clips on their sites. Amazon will sell DVD’s of YES content, and eventually allow direct downloads. On Joost, YES fans will soon be able to watch a dedicated YES channel.