AdNet Weekend

Post Chronicle Zillow.com and newspaper consortium launch advertising network CNET News, CA - Sep 8, 2008 Zillow.com and a consortium of newspapers added a new twist Monday to their partnership, unveiling an advertising network. Zillow, which in November teamed ... Nearly 300 Newspapers and Zillow Form Online Real Estate Ad Network Editor & Publisher Zillow, newspapers start real estate ad network Reuters Zillow.com, newspaper publishers form advertising network DM News WebProNews - Bizjournals.com all 111 news articles » Business Wire (press release) Intergi’s Video Game & Entertainment Advertising Network Has ... Business Wire (press release), CA - Sep 11, 2008 Intergi is a leading online gaming and entertainment advertising network and representation company offering broad and unparalleled access to the $25 ... Politico.com targets wealthy through ad network BizReport - 21 hours ago Luxury brands will want to investigate a new advertising network from Politico.com. The political news hub has launched a vertical advertising network ... Canada.com Google Expands Ad Network to MSNBC, CNBC International Business Times, NY - Sep 9, 2008 By Henry Wilson Google announced a deal on Tuesday that expands its advertising network further into cable television with channels such as MSNBC and CNBC. ... NBC agrees to use Google TV ads for networks Times Online Google strikes NBC Universal ad deal guardian.co.uk Google to sell commercials for some NBC Universal cable networks Los Angeles Times NetworkWorld.com - Washington Post all 326 news articles »  GOOG - GE Ad Infuse Leads in Mobile Video Advertising With GoTV Partnership MarketWatch - Sep 10, 2008 Through this partnership, GoTV(TM)'s multi-platform mobile network will be ad-enabled and will offer cross-carrier, cross-platform mobile video advertising ... GoTV Networks Announces Mobile Advertising Partnerships Earthtimes (press release) CTIA and NeuStar Commemorate Fifth Anniversary of Common Short ... MarketWatch all 28 news articles »  NSR - OTC:CMTX - LON:HIP Siliconrepublic.com New Microsoft service to sharpen TV-ad targeting Seattle Times, United States - 15 hours ago Another asset Microsoft gained via Navic is a targeted TV-advertising network called Admira. In the future, Mediaroom service providers could place their ad ... Microsoft Mediaroom Unveils Next-Generation Advertising Platform ... MarketWatch Microsoft Improves Mediaroom IPTV Washington Post Microsoft aims at IPTV future Siliconrepublic.com all 81 news articles »  MSFT - YHOO WorthPoint Corp. Announces Innovative Advertising Network to Reach ... MarketWatch - Sep 8, 2008 This first-of-its-kind centralized online media network will help companies, agencies and media buyers market to leading online art, antiques and ... A Turn Key Vertical Market Advertising Network Solution NewDesignWorld (press release), UK - Sep 10, 2008 Andrew Nester, President/CEO, states "While there are several online advertising networks, few focus entirely on one specific market. ... Customer Insight Group’s President and CEO Sallie Burnett at ...Newswire Today (press release) all 2 news articles » ProLink Network to Host Advertising Upfront Meetings, September 22 ... MarketWatch - Sep 11, 2008 "With digital out-of-home attracting an increasing share of advertising dollars, the ProLinkNetwork is leading the way by integrating multiple platforms ...OTC:PLKH - OTC:CMTX Crisp Wireless Launches Mobile Advertising Initiative with ... MarketWatch - Sep 8, 2008 "We are pleased to include Crisp Wireless' top publishers in the Nokia Media Network," said Tom Henriksson, head of Nokia Interactive Advertising. ... AdMob Sees Explosive Growth in iPhone Advertising Business Wire (press release)

Social Media Weekend

Wall Street Journal Blogs

Social Networking Sites Spring Up For Business Owners Wall Street Journal Blogs, NY - 2 hours ago Social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are so massive that it’s often hard to effectively connect with like-minded people with similar interests ... One in five employers uses social networks in hiring process Computerworld Employers Use Social Networking Sites to Research Job CandidatesGovernment Technology Social Networks Help Employers Make Hiring Decisions RedOrbit Reuters - PC Advisor all 44 news articles »

Elgan: Mobile social networking goes mainstream Computerworld, MA - 2 hours ago The tipping point for business social networking via cell phones happened this week. Did you feel it? By Mike Elgan September 12, 2008 (Computerworld) Two ...

The Money Times

Get ready for mobile social networks Computerworld, MA - Sep 11, 2008 By Matt Hamblen September 11, 2008 (Computerworld) SAN FRANCISCO -- Mobile social networking is a small part of the way people use their cell phones, ... Yahoos "Connects" Iphone users with social networks Marketing Shift.com Yahoo! wants to aggregate your social networks iPhone Matters CTIA: Yahoo updates Blueprint, launches iPhone social network TelephonyOnline TMCnet - dBTechno all 147 news articles »  YHOO - GOOG

Social networks no threat to online forums: PEX ABS CBN News, Philippines - 11 hours ago The rise of social networks such as Friendster and Multiply poses no threat to online forums, according to the general manager of one of the oldest online ...

TechRadar.com

MySpace and RIM Usher in New Era of Mobile Social Networking FOXBusiness - Sep 11, 2008 MySpace for BlackBerry smartphones integrates MySpace's main social networkingcomponents with the BlackBerry platform to provide instant, ... RIM Inks Multi Media Deals - NEW mediacaster BlackBerry Smartphones to Offer MySpace and Maps NewsOXY RIM announces 'lifestyle' apps for BlackBerry CNET News CIO - ITProPortal all 179 news articles »  RIMM - MSFT - TIVO

LinkedIn Social Network Hugs CNBC to Friend Financial Buffs eWeek,  NY - 23 hours ago By Reuters LinkedIn, the social network that professionals also use as a messaging and collaoration tool, joins forces with financial news site CNBC. ...

'Spore' Gets the Social Network Treatment PC Magazine - Sep 11, 2008 It's a social network that collects tons of data from the games you play, and then presents your accomplishments in aggregate to the world -- via the Raptr ...

NewBay Debuts Aggregated Mobile Social Networking Solution TMCnet - Sep 11, 2008 By Anshu Shrivastava NewBay Software (News - Alert) has announced the availability of its LifeCache social networking v2.0 solution, which is a combination ... 'Big deal' a first for networker NewBay Irish Times Move over Facebook Siliconrepublic.com all 6 news articles »  AMS:NOKA - NOK - USM

Canada.com

Women enjoy better pay with their social network Canada.com, Canada - Sep 11, 2008 “I was expecting that males would be getting a much higher return for their social networks, but the study actually shows quite the opposite,” says Michael ...

Online Dating Meets Social Networking at TechCrunch50 Start-up MIXTT Beet.TV, NY - 3 hours ago MIXTT, which has dubbed itself "The Social Network for you Social Life," isn't another Facebook or MySpace, according to founder and CEO Eve Peters. ...

Blog Weekend

Wired News

Google Buys Foothold In Korea With Acquisition Of Blog Platform TNC Washington Post, United States - 3 hours ago Google has acquired TNC (Tatter and Company), a Korean blog platform company that compares itself to Automattic, the team behind WordPress. ... Google Buys South Korean Blog Company TNC InformationWeek Google buys Korean blog platform TNC CNET News Google Acquires South Korean Blog Platform Provider PC World WebProNews - Wired News all 23 news articles »  GOOG - EPA:MLACO

Times Online

Storm chaser's blog Toronto Star,  Canada - 2 hours ago My name is Mark Robinson and I'm a stormchaser. And right now I'm in Galveston, Texas chasing Hurricane Ike. This storm is a very large, very dangerous ... Video: Galveston Evacuating As Ike Nears AssociatedPress Storm Chaser blog: Parts of Bolivar Peninsula already under water KHOU Search this blog ScienceBlogs WLNE-TV (ABC6) - Orange Leader all 6,184 news articles »

MTV.com

Kanye West Speaks Out On His Blog Following Airport Arrest MTV.com - 5 hours ago The rapper also seems to be back to work on his blog. By the time the update was put on hisblog early Friday (September 12), he had already put up 12 posts ... Kanye on the hot seat? Chicago Tribune all 3 news articles »

Yes, we have yet another blog Dallas Morning News, TX - 4 hours ago He will attempt to engage you in discussion about the personalities and philosophies the media uses to cover sports in our area on our new sports media blog ...

Washington Times

Running Mate Blog: 9-09-08 "Change is in the Air" ABC2 News, MD - Sep 9, 2008 By Karin Caifa in Washington In the 19 months since he entered the presidential race, Barack Obama has campaigned on a consistent theme: change. ... environment blog New Scientist (subscription) all 972 news articles »

The Associated Press

On the Net: Celebrities blog about the election The Associated Press - 22 hours ago _ Jessica Alba: The actress has been blogging on MySpace (http://blog.myspace.com/jessicaalba) and recently posted about her "eye-opening experience" at the ...

LeBrun Blog ESPN - Sep 11, 2008 My very first blog posting for ESPN.com in what is actually my first blog, period. Perhaps the pertinent question is why the heck the world's biggest sports ...

Roanoke politics is something to blog about WDBJ7.com, VA - 4 hours ago "This is a big problem," Rosen wrote in his blog last week. Since then, Rosen has met with the city manager and city attorney and says there is no ...

Airmen share information via new blog Air Force Link, DC - 1 hour ago However, due to firewall restrictions, some Airmen may not be able to access the blog from a military computer. "We intend to empower every Airman to share ...

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Feature Highlights Recent Blog ... Kaiser network.org, DC - 7 hours ago "Blog Watch," published on Tuesdays and Fridays, tracks a wide range of blogs, providing a brief description and relevant links for highlighted posts. ...

Microsoft: Forget Canoe, We Have Targeted TV Ads Figured Out

Microsoft: Forget Canoe, We Have Targeted TV Ads Figured Out

Microsoft (MSFT) is showing off its new targeted ad platform for Internet TV providers, just in time for AT&T's (T) U-Verse in 2009: The system is called Mediaroom Advertising Platform, and as Multichannel News reports, it includes pieces of two recent acquisitions: aQuantive's Atlas AdManager and Navic Networks' interactive TV technologies.

Multichannel News: The software giant's Mediaroom Advertising Platform will provide the ability to deliver targeted, interactive TV ads to individual set-tops or other IP-based devices, and to track responses to those ads.

The advertising system runs on top of Microsoft's core IPTV platform, and comprises two main pieces: a campaign manager to manage and schedule ad inventory; and a decision-making engine that places ads based on business rules, such as an individual subscriber's demographic or behavioral information.

'This is a complete platform to insert ads into traditional linear TV, video-on-demand, interactive third-party applications, the guide and other operator-owned assets," said Terri Richardson, Microsoft Mediaroom group marketing manager for advertising.

The first adopters of Microsoft's TV ad platform are AT&T (T), British Telecom, and Deutsche Telekom (DT). Richardson says the system will be ready for deployment in 2009.

How does this compare to Canoe Ventures, the joint venture of six U.S. cable operators? Canoe has a staff, a cable channel, and a built-in customer base once they get a system up and running. As yet, though, it has no technology.

Microsoft Improves Mediaroom IPTV

Microsoft announced that it has improved its Mediaroom IPTV service to bring more show producers and IPTV networks to its platform.

According to Microsoft, its plan for increasing the value of Mediaroom IPTV contains three parts: increase advertising opportunities, make it easier for IPTV networks to port shows to the platform, and make IPTV more interactive.

The improved Mediaroom platform will let service providers using the service offer targeted, interactive advertising spots and have access to better data in order to target ads to specific groups. Microsoft didn’t elaborate on how that would be possible, but claimed more would be coming soon.

To make it easier to switch from another platform, Microsoft started the Mediaroom Migration program, which should give IPTV providers the tools they need to switch. According to Microsoft, before those providers switch, it will provide them with business and technical workshops to review set-top box portability, network compatibility, and audio-visual interoperability.

Microsoft is also trying to make Mediaroom IPTV more interactive, so the company will show how BBC shows can have a news, sports, and weather overlay during viewing so users can do more than just watch shows while using the service. So if you’re watching a show from the BBC and your wife comes in asking what the forecast will be tomorrow, Mediaroom will now let you pause the show and access BBC weather information, which will be displayed over the paused show. And while you’re at it, you can see what’s going on in the world by accessing the News section by clicking on the widget to the left of the weather widget.

Microsoft has been hard at work trying to improve Mediaroom and its newest additions should help a bit. But these improvements smack of desperation as Microsoft tries to increase the service’s presence. And in a hotly-contested market like IPTV, it will take more than some new ad-targeting and migration tools to make that happen. It will take broader adoption of IPTV, which is in the hands of Microsoft’s partners.

YouTube Thanks ABC For A Great Sarah Palin Interview

YouTube Thanks ABC For A Great Sarah Palin Interview

It's been a big week for GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, who gave her first solo network interview with ABC's Charlie Gibson, and quickly went from Wikipedia curiosity to YouTube phenom.

Consider: Over the past week, videos mentioning Palin -- including her acceptance speech, pirated news clips and dozens of parodies, including this by Web comedienne Lisa Nova, have been getting more views than either Barack Obama or her running mate, according to Web analytics firm TubeMogul:

Palin: 38 million
Obama: 29 million
McCain: 25 million

ABC News' Charlie Gibson landed the biggest get of this presidential cycle, but he didn't reap all the benefits on the Web. More people have watched clips of Gibson's interview on YouTube (2,821,305) than on ABCNews.com (600,000).

Sarah Palin Thinks Barack Obama Will Regret Not Picking Hillary Clinton

John McCain's Vice Presidential Candidate Talks With Charles Gibson in Exclusive Interview

By RUSSELL GOLDMAN
Sept. 12, 2008

Gov. Sarah Palin says Sen. Barack Obama just might regret not picking Sen. Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate.

In an exclusive interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says Barack Obama may regret not picking Sen. Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential running mate.

(Graphic pic image of Sen. Hillary Clinton and Gov. Sarah Palin)
More Photos

"I think he's regretting not picking her now, I do. What, what determination, and grit, and even grace through some tough shots that were fired her way -- she handled those well," the Alaska governor told Charles Gibson in her third and final exclusive interview with ABC News.

View excerpts of Charles Gibson's exclusive interview with Gov. Sarah Palin in Wasilla, Alaska, by clicking here.

And Watch Gibson's exclusive interviews with Palin tonight on "World News" at 6:30 p.m. ET, a special "20/20" at 10 p.m. ET/ 9 p.m. CT, and "Nightline" at 11:35 p.m. ET

Palin, 44, took the mantle of the campaign's only female contender after Obama defeated Clinton for their party's nomination and picked Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., as his Democratic running mate over Clinton and others.

Palin has praised Clinton on the campaign trail, and when she was first introduced as Sen. John McCain's running mate last month in Ohio...

New Media: The Problem is Monetization, The Solution is $50.00+ eCPM

The global reach, near zero capex, and on-demand services of the Internet has spawned innovation among publishers, blogs, and web 2.0 applications. The problem is that over 90% of the new ventures depend on advertising to pay the bills. Fortunately, the bills are low, but $1.00 minus eCPM's stymy this renaissance of innovation.

How do we solve this problem?

Identifying the Problem

Low capital expenditures to develop and maintain information or other service websites leads to endless supply of providers. Whereas high printing and circulation costs limited the number of legacy publications, anyone with a computer can innovate and compete. 

Is oversupply the problem? 

No. The explosion of services provides the richness that excites the 1 billion and growing daily users of the Internet. Does the Mom in Indonesia want to share parenting experiences with the Mom in Boise? No. They don't share the same religion, nor speak the same language. Does the Dad in Michigan share work experiences with the Dad in Kyoto? No. Different economics drive the daily work flow. The world needs the diversity from millions of websites - and the services from their passionate owners.

The Internet continues to gain share of time - mindshare over other media formats. For example, Google still grows at 40% year over year on views. Thus, new media growth is exponential - bountiful to share among millions of providers.

What is the problem?

The problem is low eCPM's. And the common wisdom that this trend cannot be reversed.

Jeremy Liew, venture capitalist at Lightspeed Ventures, challenged entrepreneurs to create $50-million businesses that are ad supported. Mr. Liew states that at average eCPM's of $1.00, over 4 billion views per month would be needed to become fundable. The assumption is that $1.00- eCPM will continue, if not decline. Hundreds of analysts share this view.

Analysts further like the bigger is better model. Consolidation limits competition. It's an opinion that disregards the core history of publishing - which is to deliver value to a segmented group of readers. 

If the goal of every website is to reach 100 million viewers and 4 billion views - this forces entrepreneurs to reach for untargeted audiences. Techcrunch dominates start-ups in Silicon Valley. Now they need to write about politics and sex to reach broader audiences, but the result would be a less targeted audience that cannot be distinguished from hundreds of newspapers. The latter group is trying to change from regional dominance to world impact. 100 websites each with 100 million viewers would drive eCPM to near zero value.

The city of Santa Clara has 100,000 residents. The local weekly has 70,000 circulation reach. If the publisher is forced to reach for millions of viewers, then the paper and it's website would no longer be a targeted product. The limit is 70,000. 

Thus, the goal must be higher eCPM's for a constrained target audience. This axiom applies to local, B2B, vertical - all publishers.

The world can sustain 1 to 3 global providers that sell at $1.00 minus CPM's. This has worked for search, email, and video viewing. The world needs millions of targeted publishers, but they can't survive on $1.00 minus business model.

That's the problem - promoted by analysts who ignore the long, proud history of publishing.

The Solution is $50.00+ eCPM

To be continued... Link to Part 2

Why Startups Should Quit Silicon Valley

Ed: Funny. Silicon Valley rules. 

Why Startups Should Quit Silicon Valley

from Xconomy by Robert Buderi

Robert Buderi wrote:

I couldn’t help but notice that Yankee Group founder and Xconomist Howard Anderson, in a blatant act of disloyalty (just kidding, Howard), has blogged today for GigaOm, penning a post entitled: “5 Reasons to Move Your Startup Out of Silicon Valley.” The post is vintage Anderson, quippy and pointed—just the way he teaches at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. But the really great thing about it is that instead of complaining about how bad things are here compared to Silicon Valley, he is out there making the case that things are better here (and elsewhere) than in SV. He even turns our bad weather to advantage (read on).

Anderson talks to Valley entrepreneurs about the possibility of moving overseas. But, he says, “If you want to stay stateside, I’m partial to Boston, my home town, but there are plenty of other cities to consider, too. My top non-Silicon Valley cities are: Boston; Pittsburgh; Philadelphia; Austin; Research Triangle Park, N.C.; Minneapolis; Tallahassee; Toronto; and Basking Ridge, N.J.” (Um, Howard, Toronto is not part of the United States.)

Here are his five reasons (and we quote):

1. The weather sucks in some of these towns (not Tallahassee) so your people will actually work instead of bugging out at 5:15 to train for a marathon, triathlon or Ultimate Frisbee.

2. You can recruit better outside the fishbowl. Every technology company hits the wall—some multiple times. In the Valley your employees will bail at the first sign of trouble and jump to a better job in the next parking lot. That means you will have to spike salaries to rebuild your team. Other places in the world aren’t quite so spoiled—or they come to you already cynical and stay through the rough times.

3. You won’t get lost in the startup maze. In the Valley, every VC has a portfolio company in each flavor—their own LP’s can’t tell them apart.

4. In my experience, other startup communities aren’t as pre-occupied with the “exit” as Da Valley. SV VC’s have attention spans measured in picoseconds and will sell/merge your company at the first sign of trouble. I can say that in Boston, at least, we are used to gutting out long “winters.”

5. Academics make great board members. Each of these cities has a rich educational environment and are great places to recruit sartorial advisors. And unlike at Stanford, you won’t have to give up 1 percent of your equity just to put the provost’s name on your board!

You can read Anderson’s full post here.