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NIELSEN has released the results of a major study of online viewing habits. The study found that women are twice as likely as men to tune into network television on the web. Men 18-34 are twice as likely as women to watch user-generated content on YouTube and other video-sharing sites. The study found that 73% Continue Reading →

THE STRIKE is officially over. WGA members voted to return to work today and contract ratification is expected to conclude on February 26th. Next up: SAG contracts expire in June. YAHOO confirmed its rumored $160 million acquisition of Maven Networks and its online video ad platform. Meanwhile, both TechCrunch and Silicon Alley Insider are reporting Continue Reading →

MICROSOFT responded to YAHOO‘s rejection of its takeover bid with a statement calling its offer “full and fair” and promising to pursue any steps necessary to close the deal at the original offer price. In related news, Microsoft will acquire DANGER INC., the company behind the popular Sidekick mobile phone. The terms of the deal Continue Reading →

THE WGA and the AMPTP formed a tentative three-year agreement that gives writers 2% of the producer’s gross for Internet streaming. For download rentals the scribes will get 1.2% of distributor’s gross and for download purchases they will receive up to .7%. According to Variety, TV showrunners will return to work today and writers are Continue Reading →

This week, Greg Sandoval posted a story on CNET about revver.com. The article says that Revver (the online video site) has fallen on hard times and the company, which raised almost $13 million in venture capital, is on the block for “$300,000 to $500,000, as well as the assumption of the company’s debt, which is Continue Reading →

NBC has asked NIELSEN to move sweeps to January next year to avoid complications associated with the transition to digital television. If accepted, the February 2009 sweeps would start on January 15th and conclude on February 14th – 3 days before all analog television signals are turned off. The impact of the digital transition is Continue Reading →

TIME WARNER will spin off AOL’s Internet access business from its web division and cut 100 jobs in the restructuring. AOL’s dial-up business is still profitable but in obvious decline. The company is also actively exploring a sale of the 84% of Time Warner Cable that it currently owns. During Time Warner’s quarterly conference call, Continue Reading →

CBS will announce a new experimental mobile advertising venture, which provides customized ads depending on a user’s location. The targeted ads will appear on the mobile versions of CBS News and CBS Sports using GPS technology from Loopt. Users with GPS-capable phones will be asked to opt-in to the service to ease concerns over privacy. Continue Reading →

SUPER BOWL XLII was the most-watched sporting event on record and the second most-watched TV program in history. Nielsen says an average of 97.5 million viewers watched the Giants-Pats contest. The most-watched program is still the M*A*S*H finale, which drew 106 million viewers in 1983. THE FCC is facing a lawsuit from six cable programmers Continue Reading →

GOOGLE CEO Eric Schmidt phoned YAHOO‘s Jerry Yang on Friday to offer some sort of help in avoiding a MICROSOFT takeover. No details of the call have been released but there is speculation that it could involve Yahoo outsourcing its search business to Google. Google has posted a reaction to the takeover bid on its Continue Reading →