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MediaBytes 09.14.2007

VERIZON has filed a lawsuit looking to overturn the FCC’s rules for the upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction. The lawsuit claims that the auction rules are “arbitrary and capricious,” and overstep the powers of the Commission. The auction is scheduled to begin on January 16, 2008. VIACOM is finally getting into the social-networking game. This Continue Reading →

MediaBytes 09.13.2007

HULU will acquire MOJITI, a Beijing-based startup. Mojiti allows users to annotate videos, leaving comments at specific points for others to see. Its technology will be used extensively on Hulu.com, the joint online venture of News Corp. and NBC Universal. The deal is estimated to be worth $10 million. MYSPACE has signed a deal with Continue Reading →

MediaBytes 09.12.2007

THE FCC has approved a dual must carry regulation. Cable operators will be required to carry both digital and analog channels of certain local stations for three years following the shutdown of the analog TV signal, which occurs on February 17, 2009. The regulation is considerably less onerous than Chairman Kevin Martin’s push for perpetual Continue Reading →

MediaBytes 09.11.2007

ABC is seeking partners to more widely distribute its online programming, signaling a change in its go-it-alone strategy. The network is in talks with several web sites, including AOL, Comcast, MSN, and MySpace. ABC isn’t opening up completely, however. It is insisting that all partners use its own video player, to ensure that viewers have Continue Reading →

MediaBytes 09.10.2007

WARNER BROTHERS will announce 24 new web productions today, in formats ranging from games to episodic online TV. Projects include a neurotic minivan-driving mother who starts a talk show, a puppet show for adults, and a mockumentary about a digital production studio. About 6 additional projects are in development, including an online dating game. The Continue Reading →

Thoughts about Britney

Britney Spears
By the time you read this, everyone who writes about celebs and entertainment will have had a field day with Britney Spears’s spectacularly terrible performance on MTV’s VMA 2007 show.  To the level that anyone cares about the Britney litany, people will talk about this performance for years.  It has surely marked the end of Continue Reading →
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The branch manager asked me if I had a copy of the letter with me. I didn’t. She said that I could fax or email it to her when I got back to my office. Email? Yes, the bank managers could now send and receive email. It’s 2007, wow — way to be hi-tech! OK, Continue Reading →

New iPod Video Alert

iPod Nano
Jeremy Horwitz, Editor-in-Chief at iLounge.com has written an extremely disturbing post today entitled, Apple Locks TV Out In New iPods, Breaks Video Add-ons. If you’re thinking about purchasing a new iPod, you should give it a look. Continue Reading →
APPLE wants to slash the price of TV show downloads in half, according to a new report in Variety. The company has been presenting studios with the idea of selling shows for $0.99 per episode, telling them that increased volume will make up for the price drop. However, the studios are concerned that such low-priced Continue Reading →

MediaBytes 09.06.2007

APPLE unveiled an all new lineup of iPods yesterday – including revamped shuffles and a new, squarish Nano. The company also released the iPod Touch, which is essentially a phone-less iPhone with WiFi, and announced an unexpected, massive $200 price cut for the iPhone. The iPhone and iPod Touch will be able to purchase songs Continue Reading →

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