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DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- August 14, 2000
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o Akami To Partners With Intertainer
o MP3.com To Partner With Outernet For CD Creation
o Visteon To Develop Car Radios Using iBiquity Technology
o Variety: Virgin To Relaunch Radio Free Virgin Service
o Microcast To Stream MGM Content
o Reuters: Microsoft To Miss TV Software Deadline in Europe
o Streaming Services Company SeeItWork.com Raises $15 Million
o Audio Version of "The Perfect Storm" Available on Rioport.com
o Briefly Noted: CDKnet – ValueFlash.com, Microsoft – WebTV,
Sportal – acquisitions, iCast, NBCOlympics.com, International
Olympic Committee, WiredPlanet – Snowball.com, Juno – Snapfish,
LMKI – Playboy, PGA.com
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o Akami To Partners With Intertainer
Culver City, Calif. -- As part of the growing trend of content companies
partnering with Internet infrastructure companies, Akami, a company that
provides technology to speed up Internet transmissions, announced today
that it will distribute entertainment programming for Intertainer, an
entertainment content company. California-based Intertainer has a large
library of entertainment content, which includes the rights to more than
50,000 hours of programming from Dreamworks, Sony Music, Warner Bros.,
Columbia TriStar Television and other leading entertainment companies. The
two companies said the alliance will allow Intertainer to stream its large
media files over the Internet using Massachusetts-based Akamai's network.
Akami's share price rose 12% after the news was reported today
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000814/tc/akamai_dc_1.html
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o MP3.com To Partner With Outernet For CD Creation
San Diego, Calif. -- MP3.com today announced an agreement with The
Outernet, Inc., a Minnesota-based chain of retail entertainment complexes.
Under the deal, customer at Outernet’s entertainment complexes will be
able to create CDs with music from artists who post their music on
MP3.com. The companies said the agreement offers an "offline" opportunity
for MP3.com artists to generate revenue through the sales of CDs at retail
outlets. The service is expected to be available at 20 Outernet locations
by July 2001.
http://www.mp3.com
http://www.myouternet.com
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o Visteon To Develop Car Radios Using iBiquity Technology
Columbia, Md. -- Visteon, a major developer of audio systems for cars,
announced today that it has invested in iBiquity Digital, a company
created from the merger of Lucent Digital Radio and USA Digital Radio. The
amount of the investment was not disclosed. In addition to the investment,
Michigan-based Visteon said it will develop AM and FM digital radios for
cars using iBiquity's technology. iBiquity is developing technology that
allows traditional radio broadcasters to send digital signals for digital
audio reception and data content such as news, traffic reports, and
weather updates, over the same frequency that they currently use for radio
broadcasts. Other investors in Maryland-based iBiquity include Lucent
Technologies, Viacom's Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, and Clear
Channel Communications.
http://www.visteon.com/news/press/2000/00story67.html
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o Variety: Virgin To Relaunch Radio Free Virgin Service
London -- Variety reported today that Virgin Group chairman Richard
Branson plans to re-launch his company's Internet radio venture, called
Radio Free Virgin, next month. Variety reported that the radio venture,
which is based in Los Angeles, is the first in a series of new online
investments for the Virgin Group that will total $250 million. Radio Free
Virgin will include downloadable music services that allow users to
purchase songs over the Internet. The article said that Zack Zalon, the
former executive producer of Farmclub.com, is the general manager of Radio
Free Virgin.
http://www.virgin.com
http://www.variety.com/body.asp?HbkId=6348336&subcat=-1&ArticleId=1117785065
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o Microcast To Stream MGM Content
New York -- Microcast, Inc., a provider of Internet video streaming
services, today announced an agreement with MGM.com. Under the terms of
the deal, viewers will be able to view classic MGM movie clips and new
movie release trailers. "Not only does this feature enable MGM to gain the
ultimate exposure for its product line, but it also effectively advances
our efforts to create the ultimate entertainment destination for movie
fans around the world," said David Rondan, the executive director of
operations for MGM.com.
http://www.microcast.net
http://www.mgm.com
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o Reuters: Microsoft To Miss TV Software Deadline in Europe
London -- Reuters reported today that Microsoft Corporation is expected to
miss its September deadline for introducing interactive television
software in the European market. The article said that the delay will
likely cause Microsoft’s first customer, United Pan-Europe Communications,
to introduce its digital set-top boxes with only limited functionality.
Reuters reported that the delay will also likely hurt the sales of
interactive television systems during the holiday season, which is
traditionally the largest selling period in Europe.
http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/08/11/microsoft.upc.reut/index.html
http://www.microsoft.com
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o Streaming Services Company SeeItWork.com Raises $15 Million
Dallas, Tx -- SeeItWork.com, a streaming media services company, announced
today that it has received $15 million in its first round of venture
capital funding. The investment came from EFO Holdings. Dallas-based
SeeItWork.com's technology allows companies to easily provide streaming
media offerings on their web sites. Mark Bunting, CEO of SeeItWork.com,
said his company will provide services to allow sites to "provide a
broadband experience without the huge technology and content investment
normally associated with rich media."
http://www.seeitwork.com
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o Audio Version of "The Perfect Storm" Available on Rioport.com
Los Angeles, Calif. -- Following its box office success, the audio version
of the book “The Perfect Storm” is now available on the Internet. Rioport,
an Internet music application service provider, announced today that a
free, unabridged audio version of the book is available by digital
download on its web site. Two segments of the book will be released each
day for a total of 20 segments or 9.5 hours of audio. The digital release
of the book is a result of a partnership between Rioport and Recorded
Books, LLC. The free downloads are aimed at promoting audio books over the
Internet.
http://www.rioport.com
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o Briefly Noted:
(New York) CDKnet, an Internet entertainment technology company, and
ValueFlash.com, a developer of interactive marketing applications, today
announced an agreement with Blockbuster to deliver entertainment content
on computers. Under the terms of the deal, the companies will develop and
market a multimedia CD containing movie clips, video game samples, and
e-commerce links. CDKnet and ValueFlash are subsidiaries of CDKnet.com, a
New York-based Internet holding company.
http://www.vflash.com
http://www.cdknet.com
(Mountain View, Calif.) An article by CNet today reports that the main
headquarters of Microsoft has taken control of its formerly autonomous
WebTV unit. "A high-level reorganization has left Microsoft headquarters
directly in charge of WebTV's most promising businesses, a move that
sources say effectively takes much of the company's operations away from
its co-founders for the first time since the subsidiary was purchased
three years ago," the article said.
http://news.cnet.com/news//0-1006-200-2521512.html?tag=st.cn.sr.ne.1
(London) CBS Marketwatch reported today that U.K. sports web site Sportal
may possibly acquire a number of struggling Internet companies. "We want
to grow," the head of Sportal was quoted as saying. "We weren't planning
on doing acquisitions, but we're seeing some good ones coming up. We want
to grow faster than we'd planned." Sportal raised $50 million in venture
capital in December and is building an Internet-based sports network in
Europe. The company runs sites for sports teams including AC Milan.
http://cbs.marketwatch.com/archive/20000814/news/current/euronetdaily.htx?source=blq
(Woburn, MA) Fred Siegel has been named senior vice president of marketing
and corporate strategy at iCast, an online entertainment company. Siegel
was formerly senior vice president of marketing at Excite.com.
http://www.icast.com
(San Francisco, Calif.) NBC/Quokka Ventures today announced that eSynch
Corporation, a provider of software for streaming media, will provide the
media player for NBCOlympics.com, which will provide limited coverage of
the 2000 Summer Games.
http://www.nbcolympics.com
http://www.esynch.com
(Syndney, Australia) The Industry Standard reported today that the
International Olympic Committee feels threatened by the Internet and has
moved to block leading Internet sites from covering the games. "Olympics
organizers again are casting a suspicious eye on a new broadcast medium:
the Internet. The Games' organizers – primarily the tradition-bound
International Olympic Committee – and its broadcast partners have
basically shut the Net out of the Games," the article said. "There will be
no radio play-by-play. No taped video highlights of the competition,
except for a very limited number of broadband users. And certainly no live
video. Worse yet, dot-com journalists won't receive a single media
credential to cover the Games. It's the third straight Olympics that major
sites, even ESPN.com and SportsLine have been barred from."
http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,17665,00.html
(San Francisco, Calif.) WiredPlanet, a San Francisco-based streaming
entertainment provider, and Snowball.com, an online network for young
adults, today announced an agreement to create co-branded music player
software and online radio stations.
http://www.snowball.com
http://www.wiredplanet.com
(New York) Juno Online Services, Inc., an Internet access provider, today
announced a marketing alliance with Snapfish.com, an online photo
processing service. Under the terms of the deal, Snapfish will offer its
services to Juno subscribers. Juno will promote Snapfish’s services
through advertising.
http://www.snapfish.com
http://www.juno.com
(Irvine, Calif.) LMKI, an Irvine-based streaming media company, today
announced that it was the webcaster for Playboy’s Midsummer Nights Dream
Party. The event, held at the Playboy Mansion on August 5th, will be
webcast on August 15th.
http://www.playboy.com/live/midsummer2000
http://www.lmki.net
(Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) PGA.com, the official web site of the
Professional Golfers’ Association of America, has formed an alliance with
Sportsline.com to provide online coverage of the 82nd PGA Championship,
which will take place on August 17-20 at the Vahalla Golf Club in
Louisville, Kentucky. PGA.com also signed an agreement with MVP.com, a
sports e-commerce web site backed by a number of athletes including
Michael Jordan, to provide online merchandise sales.
http://www.pga.com
http://cbs.sportsline.com
http://www.mvp.com
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