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WARNER BROS. may lay off up to 1,000 workers as a result of the writers strike. The company issued 60-day warnings on November 12th in compliance with government regulations. With that period expiring, a Warner spokesperson confirmed that “some studio divisions will have to lay off employees.” In related news, a major Hollywood payroll company Continue Reading →

FRONTLINE WIRELESS has reportedly shutdown operations following a failed attempt to bid in the upcoming wireless spectrum auction. The company missed Thursday’s deadline for submitting the $128 million auction deposit after being unable to acquire funding. A company spokesperson released a statement saying “Frontline is closed for business at this time. We have no further Continue Reading →

COMCAST CEO Brian Roberts will deliver this morning’s CES keynote and reveal a plan to increase on-demand titles from 1,300 to 6,000. Roberts will also discuss the company’s plans for Fancast.com, a guide to video that helps users find content online and offline. Fancast will let users search for any content in any format. A Continue Reading →

BILL GATES opened CES with a clear statement of purpose, declaring that “All media will be software driven.” Gates handed the stage over to Microsoft president of Entertainment & Devices Robbie Bach to describe the company’s digital media initiatives. Bach announced that Xbox Live will gain content from MGM, Showtime, The Disney Channel and ABC. Continue Reading →

CHINA has issued draconian new rules restricting the broadcast of online video to state-owned and state-controlled sites. The regulations go into effect on January 31st and major online video companies are waiting to see how tightly the government will crack down on independent video sites. A YouTube spokesman called the developments “a cause for concern.” Continue Reading →

THE TVB announced that ePort is now live, allowing media-buying agencies to place electronic orders with TV stations. 644 stations are participating in 186 markets, reaching 97.8 percent of the country. The system can currently handle orders, confirmations and makegoods. A full range of features will be rolled out in the coming months. THE NTIA Continue Reading →

THE NTIA is now accepting requests for coupons toward the purchase of the digital-to-analog converter boxes that will be required to use analog TV sets after the transition to digital in February 2009. 22 million coupons will be distributed on a first-come first-serve basis. Over ten million coupons have been reserved for households that only Continue Reading →

WAL-MART has shutdown its video download service less than one year after launching. This marks Wal-Mart’s second failure in new distribution paradigms for video. The retailing giant canceled its online DVD rental service two years ago. WARNER MUSIC will join the march away from DRM by offering its tracks protection-free on Amazon’s MP3 download service. Continue Reading →

THE NFL will allow NBC and CBS to simulcast Saturday night’s Patriots/Giants game. This will be the first tri-network simulcast since Super Bowl I. NBC and CBS will carry the NFL Network feed of the game, featuring announcers Bryant Gumbel and Cris Collinsworth. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said “We have taken this extraordinary step because Continue Reading →

NEWS CORP. will sell 8 owned-and-operated FOX stations to private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners for $1.1 billion. The deal includes stations in a mix of large and mid-sized markets including Cleveland, Denver and Milwaukee. After the sale, News Corp. will be left with 27 O&O’s. Oak Hill recently bought nine other mid-sized stations Continue Reading →