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Abode announced that it will soon bring its Flash software to televisions. The software manufacturer told NAB attendees that Flash can now deliver HD video and rich-media applications to Internet-connected televisions. Adobe expects the first HD-version of Flash to be available to consumers in the second half of 2009.
Sun Microsystems has been acquired by Oracle for $7.4 billion. The deal has Oracle paying $9.50 a share for Sun, which declined an offer of $9.40 from IBM last week. Oracle hopes the acquisition will help strengthen its database reach by coupling it with Sun’s server business. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison noted that Sun’s Java is “the single most important software asset we have ever acquired.”
Robin Schwartz announced that she will stepping down from her position as President of OWN. Schwartz was named President of the soon-to-launch Oprah-Discovery channel last June and has been steadily building the networks executive infrastructure. However, with CEO Christina Norman running day to day operations, the network noted that it will not replace Schwartz, as executives will report directly to Norman.
TiVo is set to roll out Stop||Watch, a new commercial ratings system. The first commercial ratings system of its kind, Stop||Watch will provide second-by-second ratings data for both live and time-shifted television programs and commercials. Stop||Watch is the first ratings system to focus directly on local television.
SAG’s board of directors has agreed to a tentative deal with the AMPTP. The board narrowly passed a deal for a 3.5% pay increase, as well as new provisions to the new media portions of the contract. The contract, which will expire in two-years and will be up for negotiations again at the same time as the WGA, DGA and AFTRA contracts expire, still has to be approved by SAG’s nearly 220,000 members, who will receive ballots in early May.