archives

o New York Times Digital Announces Layoffs, Cites Slow Advertising Sales
o Digital Audio Developer PortalPlayer Raises $22 Million in Third Round
o Content Delivery Firm Inktomi Acquires Assets of Adero
o MP3.com Asks Copyright Office to Determine Digital Music Royalties
o E-book Distribution Provider Digital Owl Raises $11.1 Million
o B2B Streaming Services Provider MShow Lays Off 25% of Employees
o Teen Site Alloy Online Acquires Assets of Girl Press
o Midwest Business News Site Eprarie Raises $1 Million in First Round
> Digital Media Wire Networking Event: Future of Music Policy Summit
o Briefly Noted: RealNetworks - Texas Instruments, NoDance, iM Networks -
SESAC - Philips Consumer Electronics, Egreetings - Warner Bros. Records,
EMusic - John Hiatt, Live365 - Kerbango, Salon.com - Intel
_____________________________________________

> Job Postings: Sr. Copywriter, Account Executive/Sr. Account Executive,
SW & FPGA Engineers, Market Technology Manager, Account Manager

> Events: Master the Technology, Potomac Tech Wire Seminar Series, iHollywood Forum

Full Job/Event descriptions listed below "Briefly Noted" section or at
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/postings.html 

To Post a Job: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/jobs.html 
To Post an Event: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/events.html 
_____________________________________________

o New York Times Digital Announces Layoffs, Cites Slow Advertising Sales

New York -- New York Times Digital, the Internet division of the paper,
announced that it will lay off 69 employees -- or about 17 percent of its
staff. "Today's action is part of [an] adaptation process and is
consistent with [the company's] goal of achieving cash-flow profitability
for the year 2002," said New York Times Company CEO Russell T. Lewis. The
company said the layoffs result from "an unexpected slackening of
advertising revenue," and will save $6 million, The New York Times
reported on Sunday. The paper also reported that the layoffs will be made
across the board, including eight producers at nytimes.com, as well as
employees of the company's other sites, which include nytoday.com,
boston.com and abuzz.com.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010107/ny_the_new.html 
http://www.nytimes.com 
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o Digital Audio Developer PortalPlayer Raises $22 Million in Third Round

Santa Clara, Calif. -- PortalPlayer, a developer of digital audio
technology for consumer electronics and PC makers, announced that it has
raised $22 million in its third round of venture financing. Vulcan
Ventures led the investment round; CIBC World Markets Corp., Earthlink,
FlatIron Partners, J.P. Morgan Partners, LSI Logic Corporation, Morgan
Stanley Dean Witter and TechFund Capital also contributed. Santa
Clara-based PortalPlayer develops silicon chips and software used by
device makers to provide music files in multiple formats with differing
encryption and digital rights management schemes. The company will use the
funds to expand its marketing and sales programs and expand its product
and services offerings. PortalPlayer also announced on Monday that it will
incorporate Berkeley-based Gracenote's music recognition technology and
song database onto its digital audio chips.
http://www.portalplayer.com/news/archive_finance.htm 
http://www.gracenote.com/press/2001010800.html 
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o Content Delivery Firm Inktomi Acquires Assets of Adero

Foster City, Calif. -- Inktomi, a provider of services that speed content
across the Internet, announced that it has acquired the assets of Adero,
also a provider of content delivery services. Under the terms of the
agreement, Inktomi will pay $23.5 million to acquire licensed software,
intellectual property and contracts held by Massachusetts-based Adero. The
software relates to billing, settlement and traffic reporting
technologies, and will be implemented into Inktomi's services. Foster
City-based Inktomi will also take over Adero's Content Bridge service,
which speeds the delivery of content across multiple service providers'
networks.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010105/ca_inktomi.html 
http://www.inktomi.com 
http://www.adero.com 
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o MP3.com Asks Copyright Office to Determine Digital Music Royalties

San Diego -- MP3.com, a downloadable music site and business-to-business
provider of digital music, announced on Monday that it has filed comments
with the U.S. Copyright Office that ask for the determination of set
royalty rates -- if applicable -- for music delivered over the Internet.
The comments ask for an expansion of a request filed by the Recording
Industry Association of America (RIAA) to convene an arbitration panel to
determine royalty rates. MP3.com wants to know if royalty rates should
apply to the streaming of music already purchased by consumers, an issue
that holds great relevance for its My.MP3.com service. "Current copyright
laws and regulations are simply incapable of dealing with new technologies
and the dynamic innovations being spawned by the new economy and its
consumers," said Robin Richards, president of MP3.com. "It is likely that
neither the Copyright Office nor the courts will be able to fully and
satisfactorily resolve these complex and far reaching issues given the way
current laws are structured," Richards continued. "Congress should be
encouraged to address the realities of the Internet sooner, rather than
later." The RIAA's earlier petition asked the Copyright Office to set
standard royalty rates to help facilitate the implementation of
subscription services by record labels to distribute digital music.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010108/ca_mp3_com.html 
http://www.riaa.org/PR_Story.cfm?id=357 
http://my.mp3.com 
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o E-book Distribution Provider Digital Owl Raises $11.1 Million

Winter Park, Fl. -- Digital Owl, a provider of secure distribution
channels for e-book publishers, announced on Monday that it has raised
$11.1 million in its second round of venture capital financing.
Noro-Mosley Partners led the investment round; Draper Atlantic and Owl
Ventures also contributed. Florida-based Digital Owl provides digital
rights management and distribution services to e-book publishers including
iPublish.com, Books.com and Kinkos.com.
http://www.digitalowl.com 
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o B2B Streaming Services Provider MShow Lays Off 25% of Employees

Highlands Ranch, Colo. -- MShow, a provider of streaming services to
business networks, has laid off 53 employees -- or about 25 percent of its
staff -- VentureWire reported on Monday. The company said it is attempting
to reduce costs as it waits for favorable market conditions for an initial
public offering. Colorado-based MShow provides web conferencing, streaming
and interactive broadcasting services to businesses.
http://www.mshow.com 
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o Teen Site Alloy Online Acquires Assets of Girl Press

New York -- Alloy Online, a teen-oriented entertainment and e-commerce
site, announced on Monday that it has acquired the assets of Girl Press,
which publishes titles for teenage girls. Terms of the transaction were
not disclosed. Pam Nelson will remain president of Girl Press -- publisher
of books including "Real Rules for Girls" and "Cool Women" -- which was
recently adapted for television and aired on AMC. "While we've achieved
significant success in the book publishing arena, we are excited about
working with Alloy's multi-media channels to expand the audience and reach
of our empowering books for teen girls," said Nelson. Future titles from
the new Alloy Online division will be published by LPC Group.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010108/ny_alloy_1.html 
http://www.alloy.com 
http://www.girlpress.com/ 
_____________________________________________

o Midwest Business News Site Eprairie Raises $1 Million in First Round

Chicago -- Eprairie, an online news site covering venture capital and
technology in the Midwest, announced on Monday that it has received $1
million in its first round of venture capital financing. Former executive
director of Blue Mountain Arts Jared Shutz Polis led the investment round;
individual investors also contributed. Chicago-based Eprairie provides
news and analysis, event listings, job postings and other resources for
the venture capital and technology community in the Midwest.
http://www.eprairie.com 
_____________________________________________

> Digital Media Wire Networking Event: Future of Music Policy Summit

Washington, D.C. -- Digital Media Wire will host its next networking event
on Wednesday, January 10, 2001 at the Future of Music Policy Summit in
Washington, D.C. The event will be for subscribers, conference attendees
and those interested in the convergence of entertainment, technology and
the Internet. Light hors d'oeuvres will be served and there will be a cash
bar.

Sponsors:
Morrison & Foerster, LLP
Coalition for the Future of Music

Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2001
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Location: Georgetown University Conference Center
3800 Reservoir Road, NW - Washington, D.C.

To register for the networking event:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/dc.htm 

To register for the Future of Music Policy Summit:
http://www.futureofmusic.org/events/summit0101/ 
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Las Vegas) RealNetworks, a developer of technology that delivers digital
media, announced that it has partnered with electronics manufacturer Texas
Instruments. Under the agreement, devices such as portable digital music
players and wireless handheld devices made by Texas Instruments will
include Seattle-based RealNetworks' audio and video software for media
recording and playback.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010107/nv_realnet.html 

(Park City, Utah) NoDance, an entirely DVD-projected film festival,
announced on Monday its slate of world premiere films and panel
discussions for its fourth annual event, scheduled for the week of January
20-26 in Park City, Utah. Shorts, documentaries and feature length
independent films screened during the festival are projected in DVD format
encoded by New York-based Zuma Digital. NoDance is one of several
festivals that coincide with the Sundance Film Festival in Park City which
give a greater number of independent digital filmmakers a place to
showcase their works. In addition to its film awards, NoDance also
presents one filmmaker with the"Most Creative Guerilla Marketing Campaign"
award.
http://www.nodance.com/year4line.htm 
http://www.nodance.com 

(Mountain View, Calif.) iM Networks, a manufacturer of stand-alone
Internet radios, announced on Monday that it has secured a licensing
agreement with SESAC, a performing rights organization. Terms of the
agreement were not disclosed. The license allows iM Networks to broadcast
songs through its device while compensating SESAC artists. Mountain
View-based iM Networks recently announced that Philips Consumer
Electronics has licensed its Internet radio device technology for a model
of its own.
http://www.imnetworks.com/about/news/release_010105.html 
http://www.sesac.com 

(San Francisco) Egreetings Network, an online greeting card distributor,
announced on Monday that it has entered into a strategic marketing
agreement with Warner Bros. Records. Under the agreement, Egreetings will
create free animated music greetings featuring Warner Bros. and Reprise
Records artists and will promote CD sales. Warner Bros. will be able to
display Egreetings.com music greetings on their label and artists' sites
and also create specialized promotions for their acts.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010108/ca_egreeti.html 
http://www.egreetings.com 
http://www.wbr.com 

(Redwood City, Calif.) EMusic, a retailer of downloadable music, announced
on Monday that an album recorded on its label by folk artist John Hiatt
has been nominated for Best Contemporary Folk Album at this year's Grammy
Awards. Redwood City-based EMusic released the album online, while
Vanguard Records simultaneously distributed the album on compact disc.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010108/ca_emusic_.html 
http://www.emusic.com/features/johnhiatt/index.html 

(Santa Clara, Calif.) Live365, a provider of individual web radio
stations, announced on Monday that it has partnered with 3Com Corporation
to include its 25,000 Internet radio stations on 3Com's Kerbango Internet
tuner. The tuner -- scheduled for release in early 2001 -- is a
stand-alone Internet appliance that lets users listen to online radio
stations without a computer.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010108/ca_live365.html 
http://www.live365.com 
http://www.kerbango.com 

(San Francisco) Online magazine Salon.com announced on Monday that it has
partnered with Intel to provide spoken word content to Intel's Pocket
Concert Audio Player, a portable digital music player. San Francisco-based
Salon.com will provide audio versions of works written by authors
including Jack Kerouac and Michael Crichton.
http://www.salon.com 
http://www.intel.com/home/audio/index.htm?iid=prodinfo2+otheraudioplayer& 

===================================================
Job Postings:
===================================================
To Post Jobs: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/jobs.html

> FCB Interactive, Sr. Copywriter - Web - New York City

Understand business needs and translate them into artistic solutions,
which are consistent with the brand goals and deliver superior value to
the customer. Work with Art Director to develop concepts and then execute
all copy treatments. Oversee all copy of freelance writers. Present the
work to the client along with the Creative Director. Must be able to
think visually as well as verbally and work with little supervision. Send
resumes to KPicariello@fcb.com (attn: KP-Sr. Copy).
http://www.fcb.com 
______________________

> GCI Group, Account Executive/Senior Account Executive - Los Angeles

GCI Group, a leading, global public relations firm, has a great
opportunity to work in our Los Angeles office as a member of the Consumer
Technology team. We are currently seeking an Account Executive and Senior
Account Executive with 2 to 3 years experience in public relations.
Excellent written and communication skills a must. Send resume, cover
letter and salary requirements to Jeri Gardner: jgardner@gcigroup.com 
http://www.gcigroup.com 
______________________

> Convergent Companies, Inc., SW & FPGA Engineers - Greenbelt, MD

We are developing break-through video compression technologies for the
Internet and are looking for FPGA and Software engineers with 1-8 yrs
experience. BSEE/CS familiarity with C++, image processing, object
programming. FPGA position, exp FPGA programming, DSP architectures esp
w/Xilinx. Check out Employment section of our website for details.
Send resumes to jobs@convergentcompanies.com 
http://www.convergentcompanies.com 
______________________

> Cambridge Technology Partners, Market Technology Manager - Los Angeles

If you're an experienced, team-oriented technical architect who has a
passion for providing leadership and mentorship to a talented technical
community, ensuring high quality project delivery and supporting business
development efforts, please send us your resume. Broad technical delivery
experience including client/server and Web architectures is required.
Send resumes to Joe Young: jyoung03@ctp.com
www.ctp.com 
______________________

> pogo.com, Account Manager - Internet Sales - San Francisco

You will be selling Internet advertising and sponsorships on the company's
network of 13 family entertainment websites. Must be creative, motivated
and organized individual who loves to prospect and build long-lasting
business relationships. This position will be responsible for agency and
direct advertiser accounts. Must have 1 to 3 years interactive
advertising sales experience, with 1 to 5 years of other media sales
experience a plus. Send resume and cover letter to resumes@pogo.com
www.pogo.com

===================================================
Event Postings:
===================================================
To Post Events: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/events.html

> Master the Technology that is Changing the World - GW Virginia Campus

The George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Science
will hold an informational session at the Virginia Campus in Ashburn from
6-8 p.m. on January 11th . This is a great opportunity to find out about
cutting edge graduate engineering degree programs including: Computer
Security and Information Assurance; Multimedia, Animation, Graphics and
User Interfaces; Software Engineering and Systems; Computer Architecture,
Networks, Parallel and Distributed Computing; Wireless and Mobile
Networks; Telecommunications and Computers. Contact: scason@va.gwu.edu
http://www.seasva.gwu.edu
______________________

> Potomac Tech Wire Seminar Series: Doing Business with Israel

Sponsor: Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue. On Thursday, Jan. 11, Potomac Tech
Wire and Jones Day will host a panel discussion on DC technology firms
doing business with Israel. Panelists include: Daniel Epstein, Executive
Director of US-Israeli Business Exchange; Emanuel Friedman, Chairman and
Co-CEO of Friedman, Billings & Ramsey; Philip Garfunkle, Former President
of Yazam; Stephan Mallenbaum, Partner, Jones Day (Moderator); Additional
Panelists To Be Determined. When: 7:30-8:00 a.m. - Registration and
Breakfast; 8:00-9:30 a.m. - Panel Discussion and Q&A; Where: McLean
Hilton.
To Register for this Event: http://www.potomactechwire.com/Israel.htm
______________________

> iHollywood Forum: How Adult Entertainment Profits From the Internet

Whatever one's attitude toward adult entertainment, one fact is
undeniable: it's the only segment of the entertainment industry that
consistently makes money on the Internet. Panelists include: Larry Flynt,
Publisher of Hustler Magazine; Gail Harris, CEO and President of Falcon
Foto; David Schlesinger, Vice President of Internet Marketing at Vivid
Video; Fred Lane, Author of "Obscene Profits: The Entrepreneurs of
Pornography in the Cyber Age" (Routledge 2000); Mike Rick, Co-founder of
Cybersynergism (Webmaster Superstore for Online Adult Entertainment) and
kSEXRadio.com. When: Wednesday January 17, 6:00 pm-10pm; Where: Santa
Monica Doubletree.
To Register: http://www.ihollywoodforum.com/new/events/jan17_2001.htm
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