archives

o CNN to Lay Off About 130 From Online Division
o P2P Software Developer OpenCola Raises $13 Million in Second Round
o CNET: AOL Time Warner to Close Entertaindom
o NBCi to Lay Off 30% of Employees
o Analyst Firm Jupiter Media Metrix Lays Off 80 Employees
o Music.com to Launch Print Magazine with Milor Entertainment Group
o Video Software Developer NewZing.com Raises $5.25 Million in First Round
> Digital Media Wire Networking Event: New York City
o Briefly Noted: Miramax Films - SightSound Technologies, VH-1 -
CampChaos, Harper Collins - Rightscenter.com, Mediabolic, EA.com - NFL,
Digidesign - LicenseMusic.com, Hollywood Stock Exchange
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> Job Postings: Sr. Copywriter, Account Executive/Sr. Account Executive,
SW & FPGA Engineers, Market Technology Manager, Account Manager

> Events: "Interactive Gaming on the Internet"

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 CNN to Lay Off About 130 From Online Division

New York -- CNN announced that it will lay off about 400 employees from
its news organization, with about 130 of the cuts to be made in its online
division, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Further details on
where within the online division layoffs will occur were not mentioned.
The layoffs are part of a reorganization that will consolidate the
company's newsgathering into a single unit, which will then distribute the
news on television, radio and the Internet. Additionally, remaining
reporters will need to have online skills. "Correspondents whose expertise
is television reporting must know how to write for Interactive and provide
tracks for Radio -- and deliver for them as needed," CNN news executive
Eason Jordan told staffers in a memo obtained by the Journal. As another
cost-cutting measure the company will begin using smaller video crews for
its location shooting, sometimes sending reporters out with only digital
video cameras and a laptop capable of editing footage.
http://www.cnn.com
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o P2P Software Developer OpenCola Raises $13 Million in Second Round

Toronto -- OpenCola, a developer of peer-to-peer networking software,
announced that it has raised $13 million in its second round of venture
capital financing. Battery Ventures led the investment round; Mosaic
Venture Partners and Torstar Corporation also contributed. San
Francisco-based OpenCola develops software based on peer-to-peer
networking, similar to music-sharing software like Gnutella and Napster.
The company has developed software that searches the Internet for
streaming media files, as well as a file-sharing program that breaks large
media files into small chunks for faster downloading between users.
OpenCola will release its SmartFolders application at the O'Reilly
Peer-to-Peer Conference in San Francisco in February.
http://www.opencola.com/press/pressreleases/01-01-17.html
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o CNET: AOL Time Warner to Close Entertaindom

San Francisco -- AOL Time Warner will shut down Time Warner's struggling
entertainment destination Entertaindom.com on February 1st, CNET reported
on Thursday. The company's operations will be moved under the umbrella of
the Warner Bros. Online site, according to "well-placed sources familiar
with the company's integration plans." "Entertaindom is going away," a
source said. "Time Warner is no longer making a play to become an
entertainment portal because it flat out didn't work." Los Angeles-based
Entertaindom offers original programming including a 3D animated version
of the classic "Kung Fu" TV series and "The God and Devil Show," an
animated series produced by Mondo Media. The site also features news,
music and film from Time Warner properties.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-4515788.html
http://www.entertaindom.com
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o NBCi to Lay Off 30% of Employees

San Francisco -- NBCi announced on Thursday that it will lay off about 150
workers -- 30 percent of its workforce -- as part of a cost reduction
initiative to keep the company on track to become profitable by the first
quarter of 2002. The company said the cost reduction will offset the
current decline in online advertising spending. In August of 2000, NBCi
laid off 200 employees, which was then 20 percent of its staff. San
Francisco-based NBCi formed when NBC merged its Snap.com and Xoom.com
websites with its TV programming-related sites.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010118/ca_nbc_int.html
http://www.nbci.com
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o Analyst Firm Jupiter Media Metrix Lays Off 80 Employees

New York -- Internet measurement and analysis firm Jupiter Media Metrix
announced that it will lay off 80 employees, or about 8 percent of its
staff. The company also reported lower than expected revenues for the
fourth quarter of 2000. The layoffs result in part from redundancies
created by the merger between analyst firm Jupiter Communications and
Internet measurement firm Media Metrix. "The rapidly softening economy
directly impacted our revenues, and left us with expenses that were based
on previously planned, higher growth rates," said company CEO Tod Johnson.
"Moreover, unanticipated costs in our international expansion initiatives,
and several one-time costs related to our recent merger, resulted in
higher overall costs."
http://www.jmm.com/press/releases/20010117a.jsp?language=us
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o Music.com to Launch Print Magazine with Milor Entertainment Group

New York -- Music.com, an entertainment site and resource provider for the
recording industry, announced on Thursday that it has partnered with Milor
Entertainment Group to publish Music.com Magazine, a quarterly print
publication. The magazine will be accompanied by a multimedia CD-ROM that
includes song tracks and music videos as well as links to features on the
Music.com website. New York-based Music.com calls the magazine "a fully
interactive experience designed to be the one-stop solution for consumers
and professionals to learn about the latest trends and newest technologies
in the music industry, the hottest artists, and the most controversial
themes." The magazine will launch in April 2001 with a circulation of
250,000 and be distributed on newsstands and by subscription. New
York-based Milor Entertainment Group will handle all editorial, design,
distribution and marketing efforts in addition to the coordination of an
advertising sales team, while Music.com will establish an
editorially-independent staff of writers for the magazine.
http://www.music.com/music/newsandmore/2.html
http://www.milor.com
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o Video Software Developer NewZing.com Raises $5.25 Million in First Round

Palo Alto, Calif. -- NewZing.com, a developer of software for Internet
video, announced on Thursday that it has raised $5.25 million in its first
round of funding. SBVC led the investment round; Primedia Ventures also
contributed. Palo Alto-based NewZing.com develops software that can insert
advertising and other rich media into video files. The company will use
the funding for product development in preparation for its launch* and to
fund marketing efforts.
http://www.newzing.com
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> Digital Media Wire Networking Event: New York City

Digital Media Wire will host its next networking event in New York City on
Tuesday, January 23, 2001 for subscribers 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. There is no charge
for the event and registration is not necessary.

Date: Tuesday, January 23, 2001
Time: 7:00 - 9:30 pm
Location: Bar 13
35 E 13th St. - New York City

For additional details: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/dmw_event1.html
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o Briefly Noted:

(Park City, Utah) Miramax Films announced on Thursday that it has
partnered with multimedia download and file sharing provider SightSound
Technologies. The studio will release its 1999 full-length feature
"Guinevere" as a download over the Internet beginning January 22nd. The
file will cost $3.49 for a one-day rental, and will be available in a
500MB Windows Media file with added encryption, watermarking and content
management technology from Pennsylvania-based SightSound. The film is the
first of 12 features that Miramax will offer as downloads on the web.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010118/ut_sightso.html
http://www.sightsound.com
http://www.miramax.com

(Pasadena, Calif.) Music network VH-1 announced that it will air a new
animated series developed by Pennsylvania-based web animation studio Camp
Chaos. The series -- "Animal Trax" -- uses animated animals such as a band
called Chimp Bizkit to parody the recording industry, and will air in the
summer of 2001. Camp Chaos also created the "Napster Bad" parody featuring
animated members of metal band Metallica.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010117/ca_vh1_ani.html
http://www.campchaos.com
http://www.vh1.com

(New York) Publisher Harper Collins announced that it has partnered with
Rightscenter.com, an online marketplace for literary rights, to promote
the sale of the publisher's literary rights worldwide. Under the terms of
the agreement, New York-based Harper Collins will list 500 adult and
children's frontlist and backlist titles on Palo Alto-based
Rightscenter.com's online service this year. The service allows foreign
editors to view information on a publisher's catalog of titles and what
rights to the works exist.
http://www.rightscenter.com/news/20010116_rc.html
http://www.harpercollins.com

(San Francisco) Mediabolic, a San Francisco-based entertainment technology
start-up, announced on Thursday that it will demonstrate its multi-user
home entertainment server technology at the NATPE convention in Las Vegas
next week. Mediabolic's technology gives households the ability to receive
entertainment content from broadband, Internet and cable providers, and
together with CDs, photos and other digital media play them directly to
TVs and stereos in any room in the house using pre-existing wiring. The
company is providing a reference platform to manufacturers and plans to
license its entertainment infrastructure and software applications to
third parties.
http://www.mediabolic.com/www/pres/index.html

(Redwood City, Calif.) EA.com, the online division of game developer
Electronic Arts, announced on Thursday that it has signed an agreement
with the National Football League, to use its teams, uniforms and logos in
its online games. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Redwood City-based
EA.com's online football games include the popular "Madden NFL '95,"
originally made for the Sega game console and endorsed by former NFL coach
and current commentator John Madden.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010118/ca_ea_com.html
http://www.ea.com

(San Francisco) Digidesign, a division of audio and video-editing
equipment-maker Avid, announced that it has partnered with
LicenseMusic.com. Under the agreement, San Francisco-based
LicenseMusic.com will make its 50,000 licensable tracks available to
Digidesign's DigiProNet website for recording, film and advertising
industry professionals.
http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/010116/01022089_2.html
http://www.licensemusic.com
http://www.digipronet.com

(Los Angeles) Hollywood Stock Exchange, a virtual stock exchange where
users can trade stocks based on movies, music and celebrities, announced
on Thursday that it has appointed Brian Dearth as its new CEO. Previously,
Dearth was vice president of research for the company, and will now be
charged with selling the company's market research collected from
information based on the behavior of its users.
http://www.hsx.com

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Job Postings:
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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
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> 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
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> 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
http://www.ctp.com
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> 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
http://www.pogo.com

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

> DMW Panel: "Interactive Gaming on the Internet"

Interactive gaming is a $6.5 billion market with sales rivaling those of
the motion picture box offices. Forrester Research forecasts that
interactive gaming will be a $26 billion market by 2005. Which
technologies and business models will drive this expanding market? Will
entertainment companies profit from gaming on the Internet? Digital Media
Wire will hold a dinner and panel discussion: "Interactive Gaming on the
Internet: Recent Developments and New Opportunities" on Tuesday, February
15, 2001 at the Argyle Hotel in Los Angeles. Moderator: Victor Hwang, COO,
larta. Confirmed panelists: Jim Charne, President and Executive Director,
Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences; Brian Dearth, CEO, Hollywood
Stock Exchange; Chris Kantrowitz, CEO, The Groove Alliance.
For more information and to register:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/panel1.html
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