Media Congloms Fear Losing Control to Apple
Reuters
Apple's launch of a new version of Apple TV with shows from just two networks, ABC and Fox, underscores its struggles to win over a media industry worried about losing control over content pricing. Viacom, CBS and NBC are notably absent from Apple's roster.

Apple Unveils Social Network, TV-Show Rentals
USA Today
Apple is announcing an overhaul of its iconic iPod line of media players, a revamp of its underperforming Apple TV box, and a new social network in iTunes. Apple TV now offers first-run movies for rent at $4.99 and TV-show episodes from ABC and Fox for 99 cents.

Media Quote of the Day

Apple's 99 cent TV-show rental plan "is designed to sell iPads, iPods and iPhones. It is not a plan that is designed to appropriately value content."    — media exec

Murdoch's Paywall Gamble Dismays Advertisers
Independent
The new paywalls on the London Times newspapers' websites have led to a collapse in traffic, prompting some advertisers to abandon them. "There's no point in advertising on there." Reporters are said to be unhappy, believing "they have suffered a loss of voice online."

Disney 'Unlikely' to Yank ESPN from Time Warner
New York Post
Negotiations between Time Warner Cable and Disney are going down to the wire, as the two companies work to hammer out the details of a deal and avoid a system blackout of networks including ABC and ESPN. Still, Disney is "unlikely" to yank its signal, sources say.

Discovery TV Hostage Crisis Ends with Fatality
Washington Post
A four-hour standoff at the Discovery Communications building in Silver Spring, Md., ended when authorities shot and killed the suspect holding three hostages. The suspect's website demanded Discovery air a "commitment to save the planet." Also: Twitter broke the story.

Martha Stewart: The Next Barbara Walters?
Washington Post
Martha Stewart, whose show is moving to the Hallmark Channel, coinciding with the launch of her prime-time interview specials for the network, says she wants to be television's next "great interviewer," as Larry King and Barbara Walters head into the sunset.

Conde Nast to Revamp Website for Vogue
New York
Vogue is slated to launch a revamped website next Tuesday. Publisher Conde Nast is naming Candy Pratts Price to be the site's new creative director. Pratts Price was laid off from her position as executive fashion director of company sibling Style.com last year.

Monocle Magazine Opens Store in Manhattan
New York Times
Tyler Brule, editor of Monocle magazine, is opening a shop named for his culture and design title in New York's West Village. The outlet joins other Monocle shops in London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Los Angeles. The shop sells stationery, clothing and back issues of the magazine.

AOL, Facebook Profiles Coming in New Yorker
AllThingsD
The New Yorker magazine is due to publish major pieces about AOL and Facebook in the coming weeks. The turnaround at AOL will be assessed by staff writer Ken Auletta, while Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be profiled by the Huffington Post's Jose Antonio Vargas.

Facebook, Apple CEOs Top Vanity Fair's List
Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair's 16th annual New Establishment list of the 100 most influential people of the Information Age places Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs and the Google Guys in the top three positions. Rupert Murdoch comes in at No. 4; Arianna Huffington is No. 42; Nikki Finke is No. 93.

Sony to Launch Music, Video Download Offering
Financial Times
Sony plans to launch a music and video download service linking a range of its devices, in a challenge to Apple's dominant market position. The announcement is set to be made at the IFA tech show in Berlin on Wednesday, coinciding with Apple's scheduled media event.

Amazon Eyes Subscription Internet TV Service
Reuters
Amazon.com is said to be in talks with Time Warner, Viacom and CBS about a subscription service that gives users unlimited access to some television shows and movies over the Internet in a bid to rival Netflix. The talks are described as still in the early stage.

Lions Gate Valued at $1B in New Icahn Offer
Los Angeles Business
Carl Icahn is raising his latest bid for Lions Gate to $7.50 a share, up from the original $6.50 a share he offered in July. The raised offer values the studio at about $1 billion. Lions Gate is responsible for the "Saw" film franchise and the AMC television series "Mad Men."

News Corp: Murdoch Bested by Carey in Pay
Associated Press
News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch's total compensation fell 6% to $16.8 million in fiscal 2010, even though the company grew profits thanks to "Avatar" and a rebounding advertising market. Meanwhile, News Corp. president Chase Carey received $23.1 million in total pay.

CBS News Nears 'Collapse' as Ratings Drop
Daily Beast
With more layoffs expected this fall, CBS News is being trimmed to the bone, staffers say. Cell-phone services are blocked on company BlackBerrys for many producers, who are now encouraged to communicate by text. "There is no sense at all that you're at a network."

NBC's 'Frasier' Eyed for Revival by Grammer
WENN
Kelsey Grammer says he is interested in portraying Dr. Frasier Crane again for a new television series that would focus on the children of the characters on his hit sitcom "Frasier." The new show could have an "updated theme to be centered around social media."

MTV, Foursquare to Reward STD Checkups
Associated Press
Foursquare is offering a special virtual "badge" in September to people who get tested for sexually transmitted diseases. The badge is part of MTV's "GYT: Get Yourself Tested" campaign. MTV says the idea is to remove the stigma attached to getting tested for STDs.

AOL Acquires Mobile App Startup Rally Up
San Jose Business
Rally Up, a Santa Cruz, Calif.-based mobile app startup, is being acquired by AOL for an undisclosed amount. The company provides a location-based service that enables users to combine microblogging with location, allowing them to share text, photos and direct messages.

Facebook: Venue Motion a Ploy to 'Harass'
Bloomberg
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg claims the man suing him for 84% of the social network is using a request to return the case to state court "solely to harass" him. Paul Ceglia says the CEO's legal residence is his parents' Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., home, not Palo Alto, Calif.

MySpace Hires Former AOLer for Biz Strategy
WebProNews
MySpace is naming Tom Cox as its new senior VP of business development, responsible for crafting the overall business strategy for the News Corp. online social network. Cox is a former VP of business development at AOL, where he led the acquisition of Weblogs Inc.

Digg Names New CEO Amid Threat of Exodus
Los Angeles Times
Digg is appointing Matt Williams, a former Amazon.com manager, as its new CEO, just days after launching a major revision to the social-news website. Digg's overhaul is angering some of its most loyal users; many Diggers are staging an exodus to rival site Reddit.

Washington Post Scribe Suspended for Tweet
Washington Post
Washington Post sports columnist Mike Wise is being suspended for a month after knowingly posting false news on Twitter in an attempt to comment on the lower standards of accuracy for information shared on social media. It was "careless, dumb behavior," he says.

Washington Times Sale Price: $1 Plus Debt
Washington Examiner
The Washington Times will be passed from one Unification Church-affiliated group to another for $1 plus debt, an internal memo confirms, again giving Rev. Sun Myung Moon control of the newspaper. The deal is similar to the recent sale of Newsweek for $1 plus debt.

Tribune Near Deal to Name Eisner Chairman
TheWrap
Michael Eisner is ready to cross the finish line. An announcement on the former Disney CEO becoming the chairman of Tribune is imminent, according to a person familiar with the talks. "It's going to be Eisner." The appointment could come as early as next week.

Philly Newspapers' Sale Deadline Extended
Philadelphia Inquirer
The formal sale date of the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News is being extended for two weeks to permit the prospective new owners more time to resolve contract issues with the newspapers' five unions. The closing deadline for the sale had been Tuesday.

Deseret News to Cut Jobs for Digital Future
Deseret News
The Deseret News, Utah's second largest daily behind the Salt Lake Tribune, is laying off 57 full-time and 28 part-time employees as it retools for a "more digitally focused future." The newspaper will make use of external writers and editors to "complement" staff journalists.

Financial Times: We're Essential for Business
Media Week
The Financial Times is rolling out a global advertising campaign to promote the FT subscription as an essential tool for businesses. The ads, which introduce the tagline "Some tools aren't a luxury," are part of the newspaper's wider "We live in Financial Times" campaign.

Newsweek Pakistan Launch Seen as No Risk
Express Tribune
A Pakistan edition of Newsweek is launching despite facing ongoing losses in the international market. The editor of Newsweek Pakistan, Fasih Ahmed, says the localized version will have double the print run of the international edition. "We are not taking a risk."

Rolling Stone 'Botches' Stars of TV's 'Mad Men'
Jezebel
Rolling Stone is said to have "botched" the stars of AMC's "Mad Men," who appear on the cover of the magazine's new special television issue, with poor Photoshopping. The retouched cover image gives the series' lead actors "misshapen limbs and new torsos."

NY's Gossip Pages in Upheaval Amid Web Glut
Village Voice
Page Six, the Daily News and even Gawker are experiencing tidal shifts, yielding gaping holes in the spirit of New York's gossip industry. "Gossip is now everywhere," gripes scribe Michael Musto. "Everyone on earth is a gossip columnist, and everyone has a blog."

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MAGAZINES & NEWSPAPERS
 
Google, AP Bury the Hatchet in License Deal
San Francisco Business
Google and the Associated Press worked out their differences in a new deal permitting the Internet giant to carry the news cooperative's stories. A license between AP and Google ran out earlier this year, and the two sides spent months hammering out new provisions.

NY Times Lets Users 'Log In' with Facebook
PaidContent
The New York Times is adding a social layer to its website with its "Log In With Facebook" feature, which enables users to link their NYTimes.com and Facebook accounts to recommend and comment, and see the activity their friends choose to share on the Times site.

Dallas Morning News Planning Paid Website
News & Tech
A.H. Belo's Dallas Morning News plans to convert a portion of its website to paid access within the next six months. Wire service-generated stories will continue to be free and breaking news stories with fewer than 150 words will also remain free, at least initially.

Conde Nast to Resurrect Gourmet as Specials
New York Times
Conde Nast is bringing back Gourmet as three "special edition" magazines built around recipes that were published in the food title before its demise last year. The first, called Gourmet Quick Kitchen, will be 128 pages and sold at newsstands for $10.99.

French Vogue Boosts Price for 90th Birthday
WWD
French Vogue's October issue, marking its 90th anniversary, weighs in at 622 pages, with 276 traditional advertising pages, plus 104 pages of congratulations from top designers. The issue will come polybagged with a portfolio of photos on thick paper and ready for framing.

Murdoch British Tabloid Sued by Soccer Star
Press Gazette
British soccer star Wayne Rooney is launching a libel action against the Sun over two stories suggesting he confirmed a holiday booking after figuring that England would be knocked out of the World Cup. Rooney claims the stories depict "a shameful lack of professionalism."

Fox News Host Beck Launches News Website
Mediaite
Glenn Beck is expanding his media offerings with the launch of The Blaze, a news and opinion website likely to be seen as a conservative counterpart to the Huffington Post. The site will be "a place where you can find breaking news, insightful opinions," says Beck.

Huffington Post Seeking 'Sex Tape' of Beck
New York Observer
Huffington Post contributor Beau Friedlander, a former editor of Air America, published a post on Monday offering $100,000 for a sex tape of Fox News personality Glenn Beck. The post was removed a few hours later. An editor's note says it "didn't meet our editorial standards."

Craigslist CEO Bashes CNN Journo for 'Stunt'
AllThingsD
Craigslist boss Jim Buckmaster is lashing out at CNN reporter Amber Lyon, for a report on child sex trafficking she did focusing on the role played by the online classified giant. Buckmaster characterizes her interview with founder Craig Newmark as a "stunt" and an ambush.

Hearst Magazine Execs Work Well Together
MIN / MW
Michael Clinton, Hearst's head of magazine marketing, says he works well with newly appointed division president David Carey. "David and I were both promoted. Publishers continue to report to me." Also: I am "honest, hardworking and humorous," says Carey.

Conde Nast's Reddit Bucks Parent Company
Wired
Reddit, the social news website, is staging a mini-rebellion, running advertisements for a California pro-marijuana legalization campaign for free after owner Conde Nast ruled against taking payment for the ads. Reddit says it is "ridiculous" to reject ad money.

Time Magazine Eyes Adding Fees to Website
Washington Post
As Newsweek struggles, Time magazine, sources say, is on track to earn a profit of more than $50 million this year. Time plans to offer tiered pricing for access to its website, the magazine or something in between. "We have a product that people are willing to pay for."

Modern Luxury Sells Its Regional Magazines
Folio
After going on the block this spring, Modern Luxury Media is being sold to Atlanta-based Dickey Publishing. Modern Luxury publishes several regional titles, including Modern Luxury Dallas, Modern Luxury Hawaii, San Francisco, Manhattan, The Atlantan, and Angeleno.

Billboard Music Charts Face New-Media Rival
New York Times
Much of the music industry relies on the Billboard 200, the longtime album sales chart. But media measurement firm BigChampagne believes its new chart better captures an artist's commercial success, based on the number of songs streamed online and other factors.

Tribune Decides Against Reorganization Plan
Crain's Chicago
Tribune is deciding not to file an amended bankruptcy reorganization plan after creditor meetings last week, without giving any indication as to whether it will do so in the future. The company had told the bankruptcy court that it would file an updated plan on Friday.

SF Weekly, Bay Guardian in Mortal Combat
New York Times
The San Francisco weeklies Bay Guardian and SF Weekly are engaged in a long-running fight over anticompetitive ad pricing, despite the many pressures on print media. The ultimate winner is expected to "profoundly wound the loser, possibly mortally."

Murdoch Aussie Rival Fairfax Mulls Web Fees
AFP
Australia's Fairfax Media, publisher of the Sydney Morning Herald, indicates it will begin charging for online content in the increasingly cut-throat newspaper environment. Rival Rupert Murdoch is expected to expand his online pay-news approach to Australia.

Craigslist Adult-Ad Clash Raises Key Issues
Chronicle / Variety
Political pressure to try to pass new U.S. laws or sue Craigslist for its adult services section could end up imposing liability on the likes of YouTube and Facebook "for anything their users do." Also: The "Craigslist Killer" is set to become a Lifetime TV movie.

Freelancers Seek Help Obtaining Media Pay
Crain's New York
More than 40% of the nearly 900,000 freelance workers in the state of New York have trouble collecting payment for their work, says a study from Rutgers University. Under bills circulating in Albany, media companies and others could face stiff fines for refusing to pay up.

New York Magazine Faces $1M Libel Lawsuit
Jezebel
"Celebrity" midwife Cara Muhlhahn is suing New York magazine for $1 million for libel over a profile by Andrew Goldman. New York is filing a motion to dismiss the suit on the grounds that writing about a person's divergence from medical opinion cannot be defamation.

Glamour Magazine Spill Shuts Down Highway
CBS 13
Thousands of copies of Glamour magazine's October issue may be headed to the trash after a minor truck collision spilled the glossies onto the interstate highway near Rocklin, Calif. A forklift transported 48,000 pounds of the Conde Nast title to a dumpster.

Tribune Says Cash Flow Up by $100 Million
Chicago Tribune
Tribune is scheduled to file a revised restructuring plan Friday that may prove to be the bankrupt company's last chance to broker a friendly compromise with its creditors. Tribune points out it generated $100 million more in cash flow though July this year than it did in 2009.

USA Today to Cut 130 Jobs in 'Radical' Redo
Associated Press
Gannett's USA Today is making the most dramatic overhaul in its 28-year history, as the second largest U.S. newspaper ramps up its effort to reach more readers and advertisers on mobile devices. The makeover will result in about 130 layoffs this fall. "We'll focus less on print."

Newsweek Sees Exit of Three Digital Editors
New York Post
Newsweek is continuing to hemorrhage talent after its sale to Sidney Harmon, with at least three top editors departing. They include editorial director Mark Miller, who is head of Newsweek Digital, which is also seeing the departures of Gabriel Snyder and Geoff Reiss.

Elle Publisher Ends Hachette-Hearst Rumors
WWD
Lagardere, the French owner of Elle magazine publisher Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., is waving off rumors that it plans to off-load titles to another company, following speculation of a deal of some sort with Hearst. There is "no specific plan" to sell its U.S. magazines.

The Economist to Replicate Print With Apps
eMedia Vitals
The Economist says it hopes to replicate the print magazine experience with its new Apple iPhone and iPad apps due out later this year. Unlike desktops, tablet devices can deliver "the lean-back quality of print," which is suited for The Economist's long-form journalism.

Meredith Magazine Inserts a TV Commercial
Des Moines Register
The August issue of Successful Farming magazine, published by Meredith, includes an insert with a video commercial for the pesticide Votivo. The video, about the size of a cell-phone screen, also plays four other commercials when readers push "play" on the ad.

Playboy Offers Games with Beautiful Women
VentureBeat
Playboy is entering an alliance with German online game publisher Bigpoint to offer video games on its website. The first game posted on Playboy.com will be Bigpoint's urban crime game "Poisonville," in which players will discover "beautiful, Playboy-caliber women."

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TELEVISION & RADIO
 
Fox, ABC Slated for Apple's TV-Show Project
Wall Street Journal
As part of the Apple event Wednesday, News Corp.'s Fox and Disney's ABC are slated to be announced as offering 99-cent rentals of television shows through the iTunes store. Part of the calculus for Fox is that News Corp. wants Apple's help with other digital projects.

Disney Taps Radio Exec to Lead ABC Family
Los Angeles Times
Disney is naming Michael Riley, the general manager of Radio Disney, as the new president of the ABC Family channel. Riley joined Disney two years ago from Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting. Riley succeeds Paul Lee, who was promoted last month to ABC entertainment president.

Tribune to Launch Digital Classic TV Service
Chicago Tribune
Tribune is launching Antenna TV to supply digital subchannel programming for its local television stations. The new service will deliver a round-the-clock slate of vintage TV series reruns and movies. Tribune plans to make the service available to non-Tribune stations.

NBC: Viewership Remains Flat for the Emmys
Wall Street Journal
About 13.5 million people watched the Emmy Awards on Sunday night, relatively flat from a year earlier, in an indicator for the event's organizers as they plan the show's future. One option is being considered is moving less popular categories to a separate show on cable.

CNN: Morgan Admits to Talks to Replace King
New York Times
Piers Morgan is breaking his silence about his impending job at CNN to replace Larry King, saying that talks are almost finished. "We hope to have an announcement soon." He describes a recent report saying he is having trouble obtaining a work visa as "complete fiction."

Al Jazeera English Website Relaunch Goes Live
Next Web
Al Jazeera, the world's largest Arabic speaking news channel, is launching an overhauled English-language website. The renovated portal features a simpler design with a focus on major news topics, as well as better sharing capabilities and social networking integration.

Fox News Host Beck Launches News Website
Mediaite
Glenn Beck is expanding his media offerings with the launch of The Blaze, a news and opinion website likely to be seen as a conservative counterpart to the Huffington Post. The site will be "a place where you can find breaking news, insightful opinions," says Beck.

Time Warner Cable, Disney Near Carriage Deal
Associated Press
Time Warner Cable and Disney say they have made "significant progress" in resolving their issues in a fee dispute over the carriage of channels like ESPN. The two companies expect "a successful conclusion of these efforts prior to the Sept. 2 deadline."

'Mad Men,' 'Modern Family' Lead Emmy Awards
Los Angeles Times
The ABC comedy "Modern Family" and AMC drama "Mad Men" are the big winners at the 62nd annual prime-time Emmy Awards. While "Modern Family" is a first-timer at the Sunday-night television industry awards show, "Mad Men" is marking its third consecutive win.

MTV's 'Jersey Shore' Could Be Pulled Off Air
Daily Record
A woman allegedly assaulted by private security employed by "Jersey Shore" is suing MTV parent Viacom, the reality show's production firm and the entire cast for the assault and racketeering charges. If she wins, the show could be taken off the air permanently.

Fox News: Beck Seeks U.S. 'Return to God'
Fox News
Glenn Beck says hundreds of thousands showed up Saturday for his "Restoring Honor" rally in Washington, D.C., to express dissatisfaction with the direction of the United States under the Obama administration. "Let's try turning back to God," says the Fox News personality.

CNN's King to Return to Radio with Seacrest
New York Post
Larry King, who is expected to step down at CNN late this year, and "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest are reportedly in discussions to give King his own radio show. Seacrest is said to be in talks to create his own radio company, with King as his first hire.

Oprah: You Will See Me Every Day on OWN
TV Guide
Oprah Winfrey's new venture, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, will debut Jan. 1. "You will see me every day on the network," says Winfrey. "You will not see me very day on an hour show." Winfrey plans to do an interview show, "Oprah's Next Chapter," "two or three times a week."

Univision's Cristina Ends 20-Year Talk Run
Washington Post
First Oprah, now Cristina. Daytime television is about to lose another talk-show queen. Cristina Saralegui, one of Spanish-language media's most powerful women, is ending "El Show de Cristina" after more than 20 years. She plans to continue to host specials on Univision.

NBC: Forte to Leave 'SNL' After Eight Years
New York Times
Will Forte, the "Saturday Night Live" cast member who portrayed the incompetent adventurer MacGruber among other eccentric characters, will not be returning to the late-night series when it begins its 36th season this fall. "Will has made the decision to pursue new opportunities."

Fox News in 'Fair Use' Fracas Over Pitt Video
Hollywood Reporter
Fox News is being sued by video content provider Media2Air for airing its video clip without authorization of Brad Pitt losing control of his motorcycle. Fox News claims "fair use." But Fox owner Rupert Murdoch has been vocal in his belief that courts will bar "fair use."

FCC Appeals Ruling on 'Fleeting Expletives'
Reuters
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission wants an appeals court to reconsider its ruling striking down the policy on "fleeting expletives," saying the move could have an adverse impact on its ability to "enforce restrictions on the broadcast of indecent material."

Apple's Major TV Push Lures News Corp, Disney
Financial Times
Apple is expected to drop the price of its stalled set-top television box by about two-thirds and offer 99 cent TV show rentals from ABC and Fox. Content owners including CBS and pay-TV networks such as Time Warner's Turner are resisting the show-rental plan.

Comcast: No Plans to Pull NBC Shows from Hulu
NewTeeVee
Comcast says it has no plans to change NBC's relationship with Hulu, making all the same content that is on the online video website available after its planned takeover of NBC Universal. Also, NBC programming will not be pushed behind a TV Everywhere-type paywall.

DirecTV to Offer NFL Games on Mobile Phones
New York Post
DirecTV is making its NFL Sunday Ticket package available online starting in September for football fans who are unable to get satellite service. The satellite provider is charging $350 for the product; out-of-market games will be available for an extra $50.

>> MORE


 
INTERNET & DIGITAL MEDIA
 
Netflix Service Planned for Apple TV Product
Bloomberg
Apple, preparing to announce a new set-top box that delivers video to television sets, is expected to include programming from Netflix. The streaming service would be available on the revamped version of Apple TV, due to be introduced Wednesday in San Francisco.

YouTube Takes Major League Baseball to Japan
CNET
Major League Baseball is allowing Google's YouTube to show full-length games in Japan. The deal signals a closer relationship with one of the world's most successful sports leagues. YouTube users in Japan will be able to watch current games with a 36-hour delay.

Google Acquires Game Maker for Mobile Phones
VentureBeat
In its effort to challenge Facebook, Google has become a social butterfly. The latest proof of that is Google's acquisition of SocialDeck, a maker of social games for mobile phones. SocialDeck's games were downloaded about 1 million times in 2009, the firm says.

MySpace to Let Users 'Sync With Facebook'
Bloomberg
News Corp.'s MySpace says users will be allowed to synchronize posts and share music, videos and games with their profiles on rival Facebook. Also: MySpace is extending its search advertising contract with Google by one month as it tries to secure a new deal.

TheStreet to 'Bundle' Content with Other Site
BtoB
TheStreet.com and Bundle, a money management website, are entering a content-sharing agreement. TheStreet and its sibling website, MainStreet, will provide editorial content and multimedia tools to Bundle. TheStreet recently entered a similar deal with Newsweek.

Google, AP Bury the Hatchet in License Deal
San Francisco Business
Google and the Associated Press worked out their differences in a new deal permitting the Internet giant to carry the news cooperative's stories. A license between AP and Google ran out earlier this year, and the two sides spent months hammering out new provisions.

Apple Expected to Unveil New iPods, TV Service
Wired
Apple will hold a press conference Wednesday, where CEO Steve Jobs is likely to announce the birth of new stars in his product galaxy, possibly including new iPods and a successor to Apple TV. The company is expected to introduce a service to rent TV episodes for 99 cents each.

YouTube Plans Global Pay-Per-View Film Service
Financial Times
Google's YouTube is in talks with top Hollywood studios to launch a pay-per-view video service, putting it head-to-head with Apple in the race to dominate digital distribution of film and television. Apple is expected to unveil improvements to its TV device this week.

Netflix CEO Among Highest-Paid Media Execs
New York Post
Reed Hastings of Netflix is on track to earn close to $60 million in pay tied to stock sales. The CEO is poised to become one of the highest-paid execs in media. Hastings' compensation this year could be more than CBS boss Les Moonves' $43 million in 2009 pay.

Google Buys Angstro to Build Facebook Rival
Los Angeles Times
Google is stockpiling technology for what many believe will be a full-on assault against Facebook. The Internet giant's latest move is to acquire Internet company Angstro and hire its co-founder, Rohit Khare. Dubbed "Google Me," Google's social network is in stealth mode.

Microsoft Co-Founder Seeks Patent Payday
Bloomberg
Paul Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, is having his research business file a lawsuit seeking compensation from 11 companies, including Google and Apple, for infringing patents on his online-shopping technology. Microsoft isn't included in the suit.

Twitter, Facebook Attracting More Older Users
CNN
Internet users over age 50 who use social-networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have nearly doubled in the past year, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. Young adults' growth "pales in comparison with recent gains made by older users."

Apple TV Show Rentals Divides Media Giants
CNBC
Apple is the hot topic in Hollywood as studios continue talks with iTunes over 99 cent rentals of television show episodes. An announcement is expected at Apple's iPod event on Sept. 1. Disney and News Corp. are both on track to sign up, while NBC Universal and CBS are not.

Netflix Unveils Apps to Stream TV Shows, Films
Bloomberg
Netflix is introducing an app on Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch for subscribers to watch streaming movies and television shows. The app is free to download from iTunes and requires a subscription to Netflix, whose rental plans start at $8.99 a month.

Google Expands Search of Twitter, Facebook
San Jose Business
Google is expanding its real-time search product to help keep track of the latest conversations on social networks including Twitter and Facebook. One new feature is a "conversations view," which lets users view the retweets and replies that get sparked by a single tweet.

Yahoo Readies San Francisco News Website
Newsosaur
Moving quickly to leverage its $90 million acquisition of "content farm" Associated Content, Yahoo is recruiting writers to begin building a local news website for the San Francisco area. Yahoo is expected to be a formidable news competitor, given its vast market reach.

AOL Suspends Columnist Mariotti After Arrest
New York Times
Jay Mariotti, the caustic sports writer arrested Saturday over domestic assault charges from his girlfriend, is being suspended by AOL, where he is a columnist for its FanHouse website. Mariotti also appears on ESPN; the network is yet to take any action.

Google Hunts for Music Boss to Battle iTunes
New York Post
Google CEO Eric Schmidt is spearheading a search for a president of Google Music, the unofficial name for the search giant's alternative to Apple's iTunes expected to launch as early as the fourth quarter. Google is talking to music label execs about an exec for the role.

Apple iPad Expected to Remain Tablet King
Reuters
The iPad will not face a serious competitor until next year, and when tablet rivals do emerge, they will have a hard time matching the Apple product's customized apps, says a report from iSuppli. The iPad is expected to hold some 70% of the market in 2011 and 62% by 2012.

AT&T: Tablets Might Make Laptops Obsolete
Bloomberg
Glenn Lurie, AT&T's emerging devices president, who oversees the carrier's relationship with Apple, says tablet computers costing as much as $1,000 might soon make many laptops obsolete. "You're going to see those 10-inch pieces of glass become full-on computers."

Amazon: Kindle E-Reader Hits Record Sales
InformationWeek
Amazon says the latest Kindle models are the fast-selling ever, with the number of orders being placed during the first four weeks of availability surpassing that of previous generations. Still, Amazon isn't saying how many e-readers it has sold and isn't releasing figures.

>> MORE


 
ADVERTISING & MARKETING
 
AMC's 'Mad Men' Stars Shill for Real Brands
Fast Company
"Mad Men" actress Christina Hendricks is appearing in retro-appearing advertisements for London Fog -- a brand featured prominently in a recent episode of the AMC series. The move marks first time a "Mad Men" actor has appeared in an ad for a product hyped on the show.

Bloggers, Marketers Create New Ad Formats
WWD
Increasingly, the future of advertising online seems to be through sponsorships, contests, giveaways, product placement, widgets and games -- often with influential bloggers. "Blogs offer an intimacy that print media can't. If magazines serve up fantasy, then blogs keep it real."

Facebook Ads Exploit Children, Lawsuit Says
AFP
A lawsuit filed in a Los Angeles County court says Facebook is violating California law by using the names and pictures of young members that "Like" advertisements to endorse products or services. "Is a clear case of exploitation of children for the sake of profits."

Borrell: Online Ads to Outpace Other Categories
Mediaweek
Online advertising will continue to outpace overall ad spending, growing 14% next year to $51.9 billion, according to Borrell Associates. The fastest-growing segment of online advertising will be local online, anything targeted and everything involving social media.

WPP Profits as Ad Rise in U.S. Traditional Media
BBC News
WPP, the global advertising giant, is lifting its outlook for the year, boosted in part by growth in ad sales in U.S. traditional media. While ads continue to grow in the digital market, WPP chief Martin Sorrell says that television and print "are showing signs of strength."

Political Ad Spending to Hit Record $4 Billion
Adweek
Politicians will spend a record amount this year on advertising to sway mid-term election results, according to Borrell Associates. The robust spending is particularly good news for local broadcasters and cable operators -- businesses that suffered during last year's recession.

Online Video Upfront Season Seen Emerging
New York Post
Online video ads may be coming of age with the current advertising renaissance. In fact, a so-called online video upfront season is emerging, says Jason Glickman, CEO of online video rep Tremor Media, who notes that more advertisers are looking to lock in long-term deals.

Facebook Advertisers Boost Spending 10-Fold
Bloomberg
Facebook's biggest advertisers are said to have boosted spending by at least 10-fold in the past year as the social network grows. "You can't ignore the reach." Also, the company plans to make more acquisitions in areas such as virtual currencies and mobile social networking.

Twitter May See Paid Tweet Disclosure Rules
Silicon Valley Business
The Fair Political Practices Commission, a California political advertising watchdog group, is proposing that online ads and paid political postings on social networking sites be regulated like they are in other media. "The same principles remain in place."

IBM Developing 'Minority Report' Ad Billboards
Telegraph
IBM engineers are developing advertising billboards similar to those seen in the film "Minority Report," which can recognize passers-by, target them with customized messages and even use their names. IBM claims that consumers will only be shown ads that are "relevant."

Diller's IAC Tops 'Intrusive' Web User Tracking
Wall Street Journal
Internet consumer tracking is becoming "more intrusive," according to the Wall Street Journal. The top 50 U.S. websites on average install 64 pieces of tracking technology onto visitor computers. The top venue for such technology is IAC/InterActiveCorp's Dictionary.com.

Global Online Ad Spending to Hit $62 Billion
BtoB
Global online advertising spending will reach $61.8 billion this year, up 11.9% over last year, according to a new forecast from eMarketer. "In some ways, the recession has propelled online advertising by forcing marketers with limited budgets to make every dollar count."

Amazon Offers $139 Wireless Kindle E-Reader
USA Today
Amazon.com is unveiling its answer to Apple's iPad and other devices seeking to replace its Kindle as the premiere e-book reader. The new third-generation Kindle is lighter, smaller and faster than the current model and also has a sharper display and twice the storage.

Twitter, Facebook Influence Buying Decisions
InformationWeek
Twitter and Facebook are emerging as important shopping tools for both retailers and shoppers, according to new reports from both Gartner and Deloitte. "Retailers' ability to influence purchase decisions beyond in-store interactions is growing significantly."

Apple iPhone Key to Study of Mobile Media
Wall Street Journal
The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement, a high-profile collaboration between the media and advertising industries begun last summer, plans to conduct a study in which participating consumers would get an Apple iPhone with an app for logging their mobile media use.

Mobile, Social Media Ads Forecast to Grow
USA Today
Global advertising spending will grow 3.5% this year, to $447.5 billion, according to a new forecast from ZenithOptimedia. By 2012 the Internet will account for 17.1% of all spending on major media -- and poised to pass newspapers which then will account for 19.2%.

TV 'Contextual Ads' Modeled After Internet
Variety
Internet-like "contextual advertising," or blurbs that have a connection to the content of the program that precedes each commercial break, is a hot topic in network and cable sales. HBO's "Entourage" lends itself to such ads because the show is steeped in pop culture.

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MEDIA COMPANIES
 
Summer Movie Box-Office Attendance Declines
Bloomberg
Summer movie attendance fell to the lowest level since 1997, while soaring ticket prices produced record revenue for Hollywood studios. "When you raise prices and perceive that quality goes down," says Hollywood.com's Paul Dergarabedian, "you have a major problem."

Apple Expected to Unveil New iPods, TV Service
Wired
Apple will hold a press conference Wednesday, where CEO Steve Jobs is likely to announce the birth of new stars in his product galaxy, possibly including new iPods and a successor to Apple TV. The company is expected to introduce a service to rent TV episodes for 99 cents each.

Murdoch May Be Key to Apple's TV Show Plan
Los Angeles Times
Rupert Murdoch is said to be ready to join Apple's pricing trial of 99-cent television show rentals because it could cement a relationship with CEO Steve Jobs and help benefit his newspapers. The iPad is a keystone in Murdoch's ambition to launch a national digital news product.

News Corp: Former HP Chief to Leave Board
Bloomberg
Mark Hurd, who stepped down as CEO of Hewlett-Packard after an inquiry into sexual harassment claims, will not be nominated for re-election to News Corp.'s board of directors. Hurd will no longer serve as a director after News Corp.'s Oct. 15 annual meeting.

Viacom: An Investor Darling Thanks to Snooki
Reuters
Shares of Viacom are up about 5% year-to-date, thanks in part to the turnaround at MTV, with smash hit shows like "Jersey Shore." "A lot of people were writing it off," says Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman of the cable network aimed at younger viewers. "They were wrong."

News Corp's Murdochs Bashed by BBC Boss
BBC News
News Corp.'s BSkyB is becoming too "dominant" in British media, warns BBC head Mark Thompson, in the keynote MacTaggart speech at the Edinburgh Television Festival on Friday. Sky head James Murdoch described the BBC as a threat in last year's speech.

Vivendi, Time Warner in Fracas Over 'Ellen'
Bloomberg
Vivendi's Universal Music labels and Time Warner are seeking arbitration in a copyright case in which the labels charged that "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" played its recordings without a license. Time Warner, which distributes "Ellen," insists it had an "implied" consent.

Disney's 'Toy Story 3' Passes $1B Worldwide
Dow Jones
"Toy Story 3" is due to cross the $1 billion mark at the global box office. Domestically, it is the ninth-highest earner in history. Disney is the first studio in history to launch two films in a year beyond the $1 billion mark -- the other being Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland."

Comcast Gets Static on Internet Video Market
Wall Street Journal
The U.S. Justice Department is said to be focusing on how Comcast's bid to purchase control of NBC Universal could affect the emerging Internet video market. "The concern is: Will Comcast's incumbent systems give them an incentive to slow down online distribution?"

Disney, Warner Bros in Piracy Website Fight
Hollywood Reporter
Disney and Warner Bros. are teaming up in a new legal effort to choke off the air supply of websites that post links to pirated movies. The studios are suing Triton Media, alleged to provide advertising consulting for websites seen as "one-stop-shops" for infringing works.

Time Warner, Disney Talks Focus on Web Fees
Bloomberg
Time Warner Cable's talks to renew rights to ESPN may be held up on a demand by the sports channel's owner, Disney, to be paid a fee of about 10 cents a month per web customer for ESPN3.com -- the only website to charge web-service providers a subscriber-based access fee.

Blockbuster Plans Bankruptcy Filing Next Month
Los Angeles Times
Blockbuster is said to be preparing to file for bankruptcy in September, after dominating the home-video rental business for more than a decade and struggling to survive in recent years against upstarts Netflix and Redbox. Blockbuster's debt load is nearly $1 billion.

Apple TV Show Rentals Divides Media Giants
CNBC
Apple is the hot topic in Hollywood as studios continue talks with iTunes over 99 cent rentals of television show episodes. An announcement is expected at Apple's iPod event on Sept. 1. Disney and News Corp. are both on track to sign up, while NBC Universal and CBS are not.

Tribune Eyes Ex-Disney CEO Eisner as Chief
Los Angeles Times
Michael Eisner, the former CEO of Disney, is among the candidates under consideration by Tribune's creditors to replace Sam Zell as chairman of the reorganized media company. Eisner could be joined by Comcast exec Jeff Shell as CEO of Tribune, replacing Randy Michaels.

Apple's Major TV Push Lures News Corp, Disney
Financial Times
Apple is expected to drop the price of its stalled set-top television box by about two-thirds and offer 99 cent TV show rentals from ABC and Fox. Content owners including CBS and pay-TV networks such as Time Warner's Turner are resisting the show-rental plan.

Viacom Named Box Office Champ of Summer
Hollywood Reporter
With two weekends to go, Viacom's Paramount Pictures enjoys the lead in the summer movie box office derby. "Iron Man 2," its top-grossing summer film, at $312.1 million, is followed by the DreamWorks Animation-produced "Shrek Forever After," which fetched $237.7 million.

Time Warner to Acquire Chilean TV Network
Reuters
Time Warner is poised to buy the television network Chilevision, which is owned by Chile president Sebastian Pinera. The channel mainly airs celebrity gossip shows, news and telenovelas. Pinera vowed to sell his main business interests before assuming the presidency in March.

News Corp Silent on Muslim Center Connection
New York
Fox News is ignoring a glaring hypocrisy as it stirs up controversy about the so-called Ground Zero mosque, says "The Daily Show's" Jon Stewart. The Muslim center's potential backer is Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a major shareholder of Fox News parent News Corp.

Disney Suspends Muslim Employee Over Hijab
NBC Los Angeles
Imane Boudlal, a Muslim woman who was told she cannot wear a hijab in her job as a Disney hostess, is being suspended by the company without pay. "She's chosen to reject over and over again all the options presented to her," says a Disney spokeswoman.

Redstone Makes $1 Million Harassment Payoff
Daily Beast
Viacom-CBS chief Sumner Redstone is said to have settled a harassment charge for about $1 million with corporate-relations VP Karen O'Rourke Zatorski. Redstone's harassment allegedly manifested itself in verbal abuse and violent outbursts such as throwing dishes.

Eisner: Traditional Media Content is Still King
Variety
Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner isn't through with "old" media. "The rust belt entertainment business is still the most important part," he says while promoting his new book, "Working Together." "Anybody who argues that content is not king is only arguing in their own self-interest."

Murdoch Son in Lawsuit Over Telecom Collapse
Sydney Morning Herald
One of corporate Australia's longest-running disputes will have its day in court as Lachlan Murdoch and James Packer face a revived lawsuit seeking $244 million over the 2001 collapse of One.Tel. Papers are also being served on the Murdoch-controlled News Ltd.

News Corp Digital Ad Exec Jumps to Twitter
AllThingsD
Adam Bain, the exec who runs News Corp.'s Fox Audience Network (FAN), is leaving to join to Twitter to head up the microblogging service's new advertising revenue efforts. News Corp. will integrate FAN into MySpace to play a part of the site's re-launch later this year.

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