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May 12,
2005 --
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Main Stories
o
Napster Loss Widens, Revenue Grows on Strong Subscriber Growth
o
Microsoft's Gates Says iPod Won't Maintain Dominant Position
o
Report: Radio Listening Down 4%, Computer Music Listening Up 22%
o
Majesco Announces New Game Titles to be Shown at E3
o Navarre Completes Purchase of
Japanese Media Distributor Funimation
o Mobile Content Customer
Loyalty Firm Sennari Raises $2 Million
o
Briefly Noted: Nintendo
Revolution - mid-2006?, Xbox 360 - MTV premiere, IGN Entertainment -
holiday game wishlist, Texas Instruments - "Star Wars: Episode III
Revenge of the Sith," PhatNoise - Nickelodeon - Capcom, Yahoo -
Sonic Solutions, Smart Video - Professional Championship Wrestling,
Sony's "NBA 06" - Amare Stoudamire, Crave Entertainment - "The Bible
Game," Nival Interactive - Targem Games, FunMail - VizTones, New
game consoles - development costs
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Job/Event/Marketplace Classifieds:
--Software Product Manager
--Sr. J2EE Developer
--Director, IT Planning and Program Management - Biotech
--Telecommunications Marketing Associate
--Business Intelligence Consultants
--Video Games Producer, MTV.com
--Director - Product Marketing, Visa USA
--Online Marketing Manager
--Web Designer/E-Advocate
--Marketing Manager Software Company
--Outside Sales Manager - Digital Distribution of PC Games
--Software Engineer
--Strategic Communications Group Offers Blog Relations Counsel
--iPath Technologies, Inc. Adds Juniper Netscreen Training to
Curriculum
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o Napster Loss Widens, Revenue Grows
on Strong Subscriber Growth
Los Angeles -- Strong subscriber growth pushed fourth quarter
revenue at Napster up 188% from the previous year, to $17.4 million,
while the company ended its fiscal year with $46.7 million in
revenue and a total of 412,000 subscribers. Napster also posted a
wider net loss, of $24.3 million, compared with a $6.57 loss million
during the same period a year ago. The company recently launched its
Napster To Go service, which offers unlimited downloads to MP3
players for $15 per month, as well as a Napstertones ringtone store.
Napster CEO Chris Gorog alluded to Yahoo's recent launch of a
discounted portable music subscription service, noting that he
expects the price to increase and also that he believes consumers
will prefer an ad-free service. "It is clear that very aggressive
introductory pricing for portable subscriptions from competitors
will be at negative gross margins and we believe that consumers
should expect rapid price increases," said Gorog. Shares of Napster
fell 30%, and other digital music providers also took a hit, on news
this week of Yahoo's discount subscription service.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050511/sfw101.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/050511/earns_napster.html
http://www.napster.com
_____________________________________________
o Microsoft's
Gates Says iPod Won't Maintain Dominant Position
Frankfurt, Germany -- Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates told a
German newspaper on Thursday he doesn't believe Apple's iPod will
maintain its dominant position in the MP3 player market over the
long term, the Associated Press reported. "I don't think the success
of the iPod can continue in the long term, however good Apple may
be," Gates told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. "I think you can
draw parallels here with the computer -- here, too, Apple was once
extremely strong with its Macintosh and graphic user interface, like
with the iPod today, and then lost its position." Currently, around
70% of all digital music players sold are iPods; Apple has sold a
total of 15 million of the portable players.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/050512/germany_gates_apple.html
____________________________________________
o Report: Radio
Listening Down 4%, Computer Music Listening Up 22%
Port Washington, N.Y. -- While traditional radio remains the most
popular means of accessing music, radio listening has declined 4% in
the last year while listening to music on a computer has increased
by 22%, according to a March survey of 5,000 consumers conducted by
NPD Group. The report noted that 194 million people reported
listening to the radio in March, while 77.2 million listened on a
computer. Online radio listening increased 18% to 53.5 million, as
did free streaming of online music, which was up 37% to 46.1 million
consumers. NPD also found that the number of consumers ripping music
onto their computers increased 102% from a year ago, while
transferring music to MP3 players jumped 127% and paying to download
songs grew 93%. "The rise of digital listening and storage for music
continues unabated this year," said NPD Group's Russ Crupnick.
"Technology companies are providing new tools to consumers in the
form of powerful music-enabled PCs and portable music players, music
companies are answering the call for more content and consumers are
responding positively."
http://www.npd.com/press.main.html
____________________________________________
o Majesco
Announces New Game Titles to be Shown at E3
Edison, N.J. -- Video game publisher Majesco has announced the
titles it plans to preview next week at the Electronic Entertainment
Expo in Los Angeles. The company will offer demos of several
movie-related properties, including "Taxi Driver," based on the 1976
Martin Scorsese film; "Demonik," a collaboration with Clive Barker;
"The Darkness," from the creators of "The Chronicles of Riddick"; as
well as "Aeon Flux" and "Jaws Unleashed." Original titles will
include "Advent Rising" and "Psychonauts," in addition to a slate of
titles for Nintendo DS and Sony PSP, such as "Black & White
Creatures," "Infected," "A Boy and His Blob" and "ATV Quad Frenzy.
New Jersey-based Majesco will also display new titles for its Game
Boy Advance Video -- which allows video playback on the Nintendo
handheld -- from Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel and
others. The company will also for the first time demonstrate its
Wireless TV Arcade, a plug-and-play gaming device that includes a
wireless controller, with titles including "Frogger," "Texas Hold 'Em
Poker" and "Paintball Challenge."
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050511/nyw143.html
http://www.majescoentertainment.com
____________________________________________
o Navarre
Completes Purchase of Japanese Media Distributor Funimation
Minneapolis -- Navarre Corp., a publisher of video games, DVDs and
software, announced that it has completed its acquisition of
Japanese anime producer Funimation Productions, which it purchased
for $100.4 million in cash and 1.8 million shares. Texas-based
Funimation is the North American distributor for Japanese creations
including "DragonBall Z" and "Yu-Yu Hakusho." Minneapolis-based
Navarre also said it purchased the outstanding 20% stake in its
Encore game publishing subsidiary that it did not already own. The
company expects its purchase of Funimation will increase its 2006
revenue to between $710 and $720 million, compared with the $599.2
million it expects to report for 2005.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050511/cgw054.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/050511/navarre_funimation.html
http://www.navarre.com
http://www.funimation.com
____________________________________________
o Mobile
Content Customer Loyalty Firm Sennari Raises $2 Million
San Francisco -- Mobile content customer loyalty firm Sennari
announced that it has raised $2 million in its first round of
venture capital financing, led by Novak Biddle Venture Partners and
Blacksmith Capital. San Francisco-based Sennari provides mobile
carriers, game publishers, music and video publishers and other
entertainment firms with solutions for maintaining customer loyalty,
reducing churn and creating new revenue streams. The funding will be
used for development of the company's patent-pending customer
loyalty solution, which will be on display at the E3 Expo next week.
http://www.sennari.com/med_press_newest.html
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>DMW Events:
2nd Annual Digital Media Conference
June 17, 2005 | McLean,
VA
www.digitalmediaconference.com
Mark your calendars! The 2nd
Annual Digital Media Conference is set for Friday, June 17,
2005 at the Hilton McLean in Tysons Corner, McLean, Virginia.
This is a must-attend event for media, entertainment and
technology businesses, educational institutions and government
agencies involved in the digital distribution of media,
including information, education & entertainment products.
PANEL TOPICS INCLUDE:
- Copyrights v. Technology:
The Battle Heats Up
- Digital
Living: Entertainment for the Connected Consumer
-
The "New" FCC and the Future of
Digital Media
- Video
Games: An Industry Going Mainstream?
-
The Evolution of Radio:
Satellite, Wireless & the Internet
- The
Changing Face of Television: Exploring Digital Frontiers
-
Mobile
Entertainment: Wireless Technologies Shaping the Future of
Entertainment
- Online
Publishing 2.0: Blogs, RSS & Other Innovations Driving the
Industry
For more information
click here.
To register
click here.
REGISTRATION
Pre-Registration: $295 (until June 1)
Registration:$395 (after June 1)
Register online at:
http://kb.digitalmediawire.com/register.php?eventid=1101
Phone registration: 323-852-7130
To submit speakers or request
information about exhibiting or sponsoring at the 2005
conferences, please contact Tinzar Than, VP, Marketing &
Events, Digital Media Wire, Inc. at:
heather@digitalmediawire.com.
Past Events
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Sponsorship Materials
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Partners & Clients
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> Featured Advertisement:
> PwC Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2004-2008
PricewaterhouseCoopers Global Entertainment and Media Outlook:
2004-2008 is the leading global entertainment and media industry
forecast, including in-depth global analyses and five-year growth
projections for 14 industry segments covering every major global
region. The complete 550-page book, is available in print or
electronic format. The 50 page "Global Overview" (available in print
or electronic format)or any of the 14 individual industry segment
chapters (electronic format only) can be purchased separately for
$95. For sample content and to order,
click
here.
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o Briefly Noted: (Tokyo)
Nintendo's new "Revolution" video game console is set for release in
mid-2006, according to a Japanese memory supplier that announced it
would once again be supplying its technology to Nintendo,
GamesIndustry.biz reported. MoSys provided NEC Electronics with the
embedded memory that was utilized in the GameCube, and in announcing
it would again be the supplier for the Revolution console,
apparently leaked the device's launch date. Nintendo is scheduled to
provide concrete details of the Revolution during a press conference
next week on the eve of the E3 Expo in Los Angeles.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=8658
http://tinyurl.com/bqyek
(New York) Microsoft will officially unveil its Xbox 360
next-generation video game console during a professionally-produced
MTV special this evening, featuring Elijah Wood as host and musical
performances from The Killers. On Thursday, Forbes.com cited a
Goldman Sachs report that said Microsoft aims to ship 2 to 3 million
Xbox 360 consoles for its launch in November, and predicts
cumulative sales of 10 million units by the end of 2006. As things
stand, Microsoft will be first to market in the next round of the
video game console cycle, a position that helped Sony build an
installed base for PlayStation 2 five times larger than Microsoft's.
While Sony has not announced launch details for the next
PlayStation, a supplier intimated on Thursday that Nintendo's
"Revolution" console will be released in mid-2006.
http://tinyurl.com/7f9fq
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=8697
(Brisbane, Calif.) IGN Entertainment, a video game information
and technology services provider, said that a recent survey it
conducted indicates that Nintendo's "The Legend of Zelda," and
Electronic Arts' "Madden NFL 06" and "The Godfather" are the most
anticipated holiday season video game titles. The company's
GamerMetrics tool analyzes awareness and activity of over 24 million
gamers, tracking game content page views, file downloads and message
board posts. Other titles in the top 10 included "Final Fantasy
XII," and "Grand Theft Auto" for the PSP.
http://corp.ign.com/index/news-releases.html
http://www.gamermetrics.com
(Dallas) Texas Instruments said on Thursday that its DLP digital
cinema projectors will be utilized in premiere and charity
screenings of "Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith" in Los
Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Berlin, Madrid, Rome, Singapore
and Zurich, as well as at the Cannes Film Festival. Texas
Instruments said Asia currently leads deployment of its DLP Cinema
systems, with 166 screens, while Europe boasts 86 screens; a total
of 350 theaters worldwide have so far been equipped with digital
projectors.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050512/dath036.html
http://www.dlp.com
(Los Angeles) PhatNoise, a provider of in-vehicle digital audio
and video systems, said on Thursday that children's TV network
Nickelodeon and video game publisher Capcom have signed on to
provide content for its Mobile Digital Media Player -- to be offered
by General Motors. The device will come with a 40GB hard drive,
pre-loaded with entertainment content from providers including EMI
Music, eMusic and Audible, with additional packages selling for $20.
Los Angeles-based PhatNoise's Mobile Digital Media Player will ship
as standard equipment on the 2005 Chevrolet Uplander, and is slated
for inclusion on other sports vehicles from Saturn, Buick and
Pontiac.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050512/lath040.html
http://www.phatnoise.com
(Sunnyvale, Calif.) Yahoo has signed a multi-year agreement to
include CD and DVD burning software from Sonic Solutions with its
Yahoo Music Engine and Musicmatch Jukebox 10. Novato, Calif.-based
Sonic Solutions' AuthorScript application will allow users who buy
tracks purchased from Yahoo's new digital music store to burn them
to CD.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050511/115931.html
http://www.sonic.com
http://music.yahoo.com
(Atlanta) SmartVideo Technologies, a provider of mobile video
delivery technologies, announced that it has partnered with
Professional Championship Wrestling (PCW) to offer pro wrestling
video for cell phones. Atlanta-based SmartVideo's service offers
mobile video delivery to smartphones for customers including Fox
Sports, ABC News, NBC Universal and IFilm.
http://www.pcwwrestling.com
http://www.smartvideo.com
(Foster City, Calif.) Sony Computer Entertainment America
announced on Thursday that it has signed Phoenix Suns power forward
Amare Stoudamire to serve as cover athlete and spokesman for its
"NBA 06" title for PlayStation 2 and PSP. The game is scheduled for
release in the fall of 2005.
http://www.us.playstation.com/PressReleases.aspx
(Rancho Dominguez, Calif.) Video game publisher Crave
Entertainment said on Thursday that it plans to release "The Bible
Game," a biblical trivia title, for PlayStation 2 and Game Boy
Advance in October 2005.
http://www.cravegames.com/News/5_10_05.asp
(Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) Video game developer Nival Interactive
said on Thursday that it has acquired Russian developer Targem
Games. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Florida-based
Nival also maintains offices in Moscow, and its 180-member team has
developed recent titles such as "Blitzkrieg" and "Silent Storm";
Targem's staff of 40 is working on "Hard Truck: Apocalyptic Wars"
and another unnamed title with Nival.
http://www.nival.com
http://www.targem.ru
(Pleasanton, Calif.) Mobile entertainment publisher FunMail has
launched a new ringtone service for carriers called VizTones, which
combines wallpapers, animations and ringtones into a rich media
ringtone. Certain handsets will also be able to display a CMX
animation or MPEG-4 movie. Pleasanton, Calif.-based FunMail provides
services for Vodafone, Verizon, Sprint, NTT DoCoMo, Cingular,
T-Mobile and others.
http://www.funmail.com
(San Francisco) CNET News.com reported on Thursday on the fears
of some game developers concerning the elevated production costs
that the new generation of consoles from Sony, Microsoft and
Nintendo will have on their businesses. "The quality bar is going to
be raised," Warren Spector, of developer Ion Storm, told News.com.
"Someone is going to spend $20 million or $30 million or $40
million, and the rest of us who don't have deep pockets like that
are going to have to find some way to compete." Peter Dille, senior
vice president of worldwide marketing at THQ, said the result could
be fewer innovative games. "What happens with each cycle is that the
cost of development increases by 50 percent, and we expect history
to hold form this time around," Dille told News.com. "What we'll see
is costs will go from a range of $3 (million) to $10 million up to
around $5 (million) to $15 million." Dille added, "With higher
costs, we're likely to see fewer quirky titles, meaning those that
aren't based on a proven formula."
http://tinyurl.com/d7yvk
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>
Classifieds --
Advertise
> Software Product ManagerThe product Manager will take a
lead in managing the full life cycle of Synacor products.
Articulate and prioritize business requirements and develop
PRD's for specific verticals. Qualifications: Highly
motivated, self-starter capable of working in team and
managing the entire product life cycle. 5-7 years of
experience in Product Management. Working knowledge of
web-based application software technologies. Contact
careers@synacor.com
_________________
> Sr. J2EE Developer - Washington, DC
Senior level position providing highest level of technical
support and leadership on projects, business development
initiatives, and internal programs. Min. 5 years of
professional exp. designing and implementing enterprise level
J2EE transactional applications. Candidate must have
demonstrable expertise using the following APIs: Servlet/JSP,
EJB, RMI, JNDI, JDBC, JTA. Candidate must have demonstrable
expertise with Java application servers such as WebLogic,
WebSphere, Oracle Application Server, JBoss, etc. Applicant
must be a U.S. Citizen. Active Security Clearance preferred.
Send resumes to
sshmia@1-sc.com
_________________
> Director, IT Planning and Program Management - Biotech
Key member of IT organization, rotational assignment
intended to prepare incumbent for subsequent, major management
position within IT. Manage a staff of 3-4 professionals;
partner with CIO in managing IT planning and administration
for the organization. Prepare and track IT budget; determine
performance measures; lead program management across all
business functions; establish standards; prepare presentations
to BOD and senior management. Send resumes to
fsltd@earthlink.net
_________________
> Telecommunications Marketing Associate
Develop and execute telecom lead generation programs. Manage
and implement major promotional events. Provide strategic
guidance and marketing support to the Client Service Partners
and their teams that serve several large telecom clients.
Gather/provide client and market intelligence for our wireline
affinity group. Initiate marketing tactics and implement
activities according to plan and within budget parameters.
Require: BA degree in Mkt. 5 plus years in the
telecommunications industry. Send resumes to
sboulos@deloitte.com
_________________
> Business Intelligence Consultants
Data Management Group, the mid-Atlantic leader in Business
Intelligence consulting, is looking for great people to join
our growing team. We are looking for energetic and outgoing
self-starters with experience in any of the following tools
and applications: Cognos, Crystal Reports, Oracle, Business
Objects, J2EE, .NET. We are also looking for Top Secret
cleared candidates for positions at Fort Meade, MD. Join the
exciting world of consulting. Send resumes to
resumes@datamanagementgroup.com
_________________
> Video Games Producer, MTV.com
Video Games Producer serves as production team lead for
MTV.com's video games area & editorial coverage. Responsible
for seamless execution & creative vision for area, including
design, editorial & video production, wireframes, func. specs,
production sched, resource alloctn, must have 4-8 years of exp
building web content for major brands and/or video games
content. Ideal: knows MS Visio, HTML editing tools (Homesite)
& strong affinity to MTV brand (on-air and online), pc and
console, gaming culture. Contact
careers@mtv.com
_________________
> Director - Product Marketing, Visa USA - Foster City, CA
As a Director, the candidate will supervise staff at the
Senior Marketing Manager level who have day-to-day
responsibility for specific promotional programs for Visa Card
usage, and he/she will have overall program and budget
accountability. College degree and 10-15 years of marketing
exp., including promotions and co-marketing experience. The
ideal candidate will be a strong communicator, creative as
well as strategic thinker, flexible, resourceful, good at
setting priorities and managing complexity, a good
decision-maker. Submit your resume online:
http://usa.visa.com/about_visa/careers/jobsearch/USA_6432.html
_________________
> Online Marketing Manager - NYC
Develop and manage the execution of Internet marketing
campaigns to acquire new registered users for our media
properties and grow online revenues and profits, develop and
execute web acquisition campaigns including email, banner,
newsletter and other emerging online media tools. 2-5 years
exp. in online sales and marketing, Knowledge of performance
based marketing and email marketing. Excellent copywriting
skills and creativity. Strong quantitative /analytical skills
to analyze campaign data and provide implications,
recommendations and testing plan; solid understanding of Excel
required. BS/BA required. Email your resume as a word document
to
richardb@silvercarrot.com
_________________
> Web Designer/E-Advocate - Alexandria, VA
National non-profit highway safety group seeks Web
Designer/Manager of E- advocacy in Alexandria, VA. Experience
(3-4 yrs) online journalism or designing and developing
websites required. Bachelor's degree preferred. Competitive
salary and benefits package including 401k. Email resume to:
hiring@go21.org
_________________
> Marketing Manager Software Company
We are seeking a motivated, enthusiastic, flexible person who
is upbeat by nature and views themselves as outgoing, yet with
a strong eye for detail. Our company works with nationally
known partners and is a great small company environment for
the right person. Excellent Microsoft Officer skills are a
must; HTML skills also required; ability to create HTML
marketing materials; excellent written skills; skills in
Photoshop and Front Page and other related products, a plus.
This job will allow the right candidate to create, monitor and
analyze their own marketing campaigns, and manage product
strategy and support. We are located near Porter Square T
stop. Excellent salary and medical benefits. Please email
Carol@kmt.com
_________________
> Outside Sales Manager - Digital Distribution of PC Games
Outside sales for Trymedia, the world's largest digital
distribution provider of PC games and DRM technology. Increase
distribution of digital PC game catalog, technology, and
services to large web sites, portals, ISPs, online networks,
and cable providers. Manage entire sales cycle for warm and
cold leads. Light travel. Experience: 2 years Internet sales
creating affiliate networks. Selling content aggregation and
fully managed services in digital media. Strong Rolodex. Email
salesjobs@trymedia.com
_________________
> Software Engineer
We are seeking a highly motivated Java software engineer with
3 plus years of programming experience to work in a
closely-knit team environment. This engineer will be expected
to quickly acclimate to the dynamic environment and be able to
take ownership of software development efforts and deliver
them within specified time frames. Candidate must possess a
positive attitude and be comfortable functioning in a
multi-tasking environment. Send resumes to
careers@unanet.com
_________________
> Strategic Communications Group Offers Blog Relations Counsel
Enter the Blogosphere prepared - Enhance your sales and
marketing programs. Take advantage of blog relations and blog
technology at its forefront. As blogging matures and becomes a
prevailing force in communications, allow Strategic
Communications Group to assist you in meeting your sales,
profitability and corporate valuation goals. Contact us for a
free white paper. Send inquiries to info@gotostrategic.com or
call 301.408.4500. Visit
http://www.gotostrategic.com/blogptw.html for more
info.
_________________
> iPath Technologies, Inc. Adds Juniper Netscreen Training to
Curriculum
iPath Technologies, Inc., has added a new offering to its
Juniper networking courses entitled Implementing Netscreen
Security Gateways. INSG is valuable to network engineers,
support personnel, resellers, and others who implement
NetScreen products. For the latest course dates and locations,
please visit
http://www.ipath.net For information contact
training@ipath.net
_________________
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About Us
Digital Media Wire, Inc. is a news organization,
publisher and events company serving the digital media industry
since May 2000. Our daily newsletter delivers original briefings on
business, legal and financial developments shaping digital media and
read by over 30,000 executives and professionals.
Digital Media
Wire, Inc. is part of the Tech Wire Media Group, an international
network of publications that includes Potomac Tech Wire, New England
Tech Wire, Southeast Tech Wire, Bay Area Tech Wire, Tri-state Tech
Wire, Thames Tech Wire and European Tech Wire. The network reaches
more than 70,000 individuals from over 70 countries each business
day.
More information:
www.digitalmediawire.com,
www.potomactechwire.com,
www.newenglandtechwire.com,
www.bayareatechwire.com,
www.tristatetechwire.com,
www.southeasttechwire.com,
www.thamestechwire.com,
www.europeantechwire.com
Executive & Editorial Team
CEO &
Publisher: Ned Sherman
Co-Founder & Executive Editor: Paul Sherman
VP, Marketing & Events: Tinzar Than Sherman
Marketing & Events Coordinator: Heather Nicolaides
Editor: Mark Hefflinger
Contact Us
Questions, Comments & Suggestions
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comments@digitalmediawire.com
News Tips & Press Releases -
editorial@digitalmediawire.com
Advertising -
marketing@digitalmediawire.com
Telephone: 323-852-7130
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Copyright 2005 Digital Media Wire, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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