Articles of the Day
FTC Investigation Takes Toll On ValueClick - ValueClick chief executive of Online Marketing Tom Vadnais says the FTC investigation is casting a cloud over its lead-generation business, with both advertisers and publishers skittish about running ads that might be considered questionable. Vadnais said he sees little difference between the types of promotions people often get in their mailboxes at home and the kinds of offers presented online by ValueClick and others.
AOL Unveils Video ‘Ticker’ Ads, New Alternative To Pre-Roll - In the latest effort to find an alternative to pre-roll video ads, AOL this morning announced plans to begin offering “video ticker ads,” a graphic banner ad this is integrated directly into streaming video content.
You’ve Got Competition: AOL Enters Digital Madison Avenue - With the recent announcement that AOL is moving its headquarters from Dulles, Virginia to New York City and slashing its workforce, the company is stepping forward to present itself as a major player in the increasingly competitive world of online advertising. Despite the initial shock of the numbers, the layoffs may have been inevitable as AOL works to reinvent itself and looks for people that will advance this new path. However, the talent with the necessary skill sets and know-how that AOL needs for their evolution is few and far between.
Amid Strike, NBC Hires Web-Only Show - A Web-only show is making the giant digital leap from the Internet to network television. “Quarterlife”, the creation of “thirtysomething” producers Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick, is on its way to NBC starting in February or March, after its run on the Internet ends. Quarterlife is about a young woman who publishes a video blog to the Web that gets her into trouble with friends. It’s a 36-part series and social-networking forum, with each episode running about eight minutes.
Writer’s Strike Hinges On Uncertain Economics - Talks will resume after Thanksgiving, but the writers and TV networks still remain far apart on the issue of new media compensation. Writers feel shortchanged because they don’t make a dime from digital downloads or online ad revenue gleaned from the shows they write. However, neither do the studios. While most TV and cable networks sell their shows online or distribute them via ad-supported services or on their own sites, they do so at a loss. Both parties are trying to protect their future: Writers want Viacom and Time Warner to eat the cost as part of their overall investment in online media; these media giants have shareholders to answer to.
Strike May Give New Writers Opportunities - There are a couple of things writers should keep in mind as they continue to strike for their share of new media revenues. Some studies say that online media content is accelerating America’s ever-expanding appetite for TV. The battle for audiences, whether online or on the television, isn’t exactly a “zero-sum” game. The Web is still a long way away from replacing the traditional television set.
Google’s Expensive Mobile Ambition - Does it make any financial sense for Google to move in the mobile wireless industry? Financial analysts have expressed reservations about the search giant moving into the complicated and expensive wireless world. It shouldn’t come as a shock that Google will participate in the FCC’s wireless spectrum auction in January; after all, the company’s participation is tied to the FCC’s agreement to “open” a portion of the spectrum per Google’s request.
