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The Wall Street Journal clarified reports that it will charge for mobile content, noting that content delivered on smartphone applications will be a mix of free and paid material. Despite CEO Rupert Murdoch saying every iPhone and BlackBerry user would have to pay for the WSJ, the company changed its stance after much scrutiny from both critics and subscribers. The Journal’s mobile apps will instead operate in a similar manner to WSJ.com.
Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg told a conference that the communications company is no longer interested in the landline telephone business. Rather than rely on a soon to be obsolete market, Verizon will boost its efforts to sell video over its FiOS fiber optic network. In regards to the future of Verizon, Seidenberg said “Video is going to be the core product in the fixed-line business.”
Vivendi, which owns 20% of NBCU, is currently deciding how to handle the future of the company. The company is currently demanding that Universal inject billions of dollars into NBCU, or it will cash in and sell its share of the company in an IPO. While an NBCU IPO has been rumored for years, Vivendi Chairman Jean-Bernard Levy said “an IPO is possible; if we do exercise the put option, we go and prepare for an IPO unless GE uses a preemption right and buys us out at a price.”
Palm, which had hoped its Pre smartphone would increase business, reported a massive quarterly loss. While Palm would not disclose how many Pre’s it sold, (analysts believe approximately 500,000 were sold) the company lost over $164.5 million during the quarter, compared to $41.9 million this time last year. Palm hopes that making the Pre and other likeminded smartphones available on other wireless networks may help its currently struggling business.
New York newscaster Ernie Anastos made a serious blunder the other night when he uttered a four letter word and then some on WNYW’s 10 p.m. news show. Anastos, a famed New York broadcaster, let the phrase slip while chatting with WNYW’s weatherman. While WNYW, a Fox affiliate, and Anastos have apologized for the er in judgement, the clip has become popular on the Internet, with many making the unutterable phrase a new catch phrase.