archives

o New York Stock Exchange to Remain Closed Thursday
o News Sites Flooded After Terrorist Attacks; Other Sites Pick Up Slack
o Akamai Co-founder and CTO Killed in World Trade Center Crash
o Largest Liquid Audio Shareholder Recommends Sale of Company
o Urban Entertainment Raises $5.5 Million in Second Round
o Consumer Electronics Firm Sonicblue Lays Off 90 Employees
o EMI Recorded Music to Copy-Protect Singles Using Bay View Technology
o Interactive TV Technology Firm Metabyte Networks Raises $10 Million
o Yahoo to Produce Official FIFA World Cup Soccer Websites
o IFPI Offers International Webcasting License
o Excite@Home Chief Financial Officer Resigns
> DMW Panel Discussion: Microsoft vs. AOL | Sept. 28 | Los Angeles
o Briefly Noted: XM Satellite Radio, CMJ Music Marathon, "Majestic,"
MusicPlayground, Dean Koontz, TiVo, Netflix - Best Buy, THQ - Britney
Spears, Vialta
_____________________________________________

> Job Postings: Sr. Level BizDev, Media Relations Pro, Research Asst.,
Sales Asst./International, Freelance Animator,
Internet Game Tester

> Events/Services: "Hi-Tech Mission to Israel, Oct. 20-28," "SHORTSPAN
Film & Video Festival: SOUTHEAST Tour, August 24- Sept. 22"

Full Job/Event/Services 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/Service: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/events.html
_____________________________________________

o New York Stock Exchange to Remain Closed Thursday

New York -- The New York Stock Exchange will remain closed for a third
consecutive day on Thursday, as Wall Street and lower Manhattan continue
to dig out of the debris left behind by yesterday's terrorist attacks on
the World Trade Center, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Trading is now
scheduled to begin as early as Friday and no later than Monday, according
to New York Stock Exchange Chairman Richard Grasso.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-7136636.html?tag=mn_hd
http://www.nyse.com
_____________________________________________

o News Sites Flooded After Terrorist Attacks; Other Sites Pick Up Slack

Los Angeles -- Shortly after the first reports started circulating that a
plane had crashed into New York City's World Trade Center, news websites
such as CNN.com and MSNBC.com, as well as network news sites were flooded
with hits, making it progressively more difficult to log on and receive
updated news. Sites like CNN.com abandoned their advertisers for the day
and instead offered a fast-loading page so that the news could be
disseminated to more people, more quickly. Other technology-related news
sites -- such as CNET's News.com, Slashdot.org and Bloomberg.com --
contributed to the spread of information on the event by picking up wire
stories and prominently posting them on their sites, along with their
usual fare. Google.com contributed by providing links on its homepage to
cached versions of reports from sites like CNN.com and the Washington
Post's website on its own servers. Also affected by the onslaught of Web
users seeking information about the attacks were the airlines' websites,
which temporarily removed access to their online reservation systems and
instead offered only press releases regarding the hijackings and telephone
numbers where travelers and victims' families could seek additional
information.
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,46716,00.html
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-7129241.html?tag=cd_mh
_____________________________________________

o Akamai Co-founder and CTO Killed in World Trade Center Crash

Los Angeles -- Akamai Technologies, a content delivery network, said on
Tuesday that its co-founder and chief technology officer, Daniel C. Lewin,
was killed when his plane crashed into the World Trade Center (WTC) in New
York City. Lewin was aboard American Airlines Flight 11, on his way from
Boston to Los Angeles, when terrorists took control of the plane and
crashed it into the WTC's north tower, the first to be hit. Lewin is
survived by his wife and two sons. "Danny was a wonderful human being,"
said Akamai CEO George H. Conrades. "He will be deeply missed by his many
friends at Akamai. Our thoughts and prayers are with Danny's family,
friends and colleagues during this time of national tragedy and personal
loss."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010911/112407_1.html
http://www.akamai.com
_____________________________________________

o Largest Liquid Audio Shareholder Recommends Sale of Company

New York -- Steel Partners II, LLP, which owns 7.8 percent of the shares
of downloadable music distributor Liquid Audio, has sent a letter to the
company saying that it is "deeply disappointed that the Board has adopted
a business strategy doomed to failure and has not implemented a plan to
maximize stockholder value." Steel Partners says it believes the company
should be put up for sale to the highest bidder, given its last quarter
loss of $14 million and the 93 percent drop in its stock price since its
December 1999 IPO. The letter also points to the consolidation among
Liquid Audio's competitors, evinced by the acquisitions of Launch Media
and MP3.com, and indicates that Steel Partners does not believe that
Liquid Audio will be able to compete with the major label-backed services
from MusicNet and Pressplay. The letter ends with a plea from Steel
Partners to Liquid Audio, asking the company's leadership to "please
remove your egotistical motives and allow logic to prevail."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010910/102583_1.html
http://www.liquidaudio.com
_____________________________________________

o Urban Entertainment Raises $5.5 Million in Second Round

Los Angeles -- Urban Entertainment, an online and off-line film production
and distribution company, announced that it has raised $5.5 million in its
second round of financing. The AOL Time Warner Opportunity Investment Fund
led the investment round, in which first-round investor Provender Capital
Group also participated. Los Angeles-based Urban Entertainment partners
with African American content creators to produce original online
urban-themed content such as animated and live action short films that are
then migrated to offline distribution channels. The company also announced
that it has entered into first-look deals with New Line Cinema for feature
films and Warner Bros. Online for online content.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgibin/f_headline.cgi?bw.091101/212542131&ticker=AOL
http://www.urbanentertainment.com
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o Consumer Electronics Firm Sonicblue Lays Off 90 Employees

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Sonicblue, a manufacturer of digital entertainment
products, has laid off an additional 90 employees as part of an ongoing
realignment to eliminate duplicate jobs created by recent acquisitions,
according to published reports. The company laid off 500 workers earlier
this year. Santa Clara-based Sonicblue makes the Rio line of MP3 players
and recently re-launched the ReplayTV personal video recorder device line,
which it acquired in February.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-7123791.html
http://www.sonicblue.com
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o EMI Recorded Music to Copy-Protect Singles Using Bay View Technology

San Francisco -- Major record label EMI Recorded Music announced that it
will use technology developed by Bay View Systems to add copy-protection
to promotional CDs it distributes to the media. San Francisco-based Bay
View's technology allows anyone to download a primary file that plays back
sub-broadcast quality digital audio. When combined with a locked file
stored on EMI-controlled servers, the song plays in full-fidelity audio.
The technology will be implemented on an upcoming Garth Brooks single and
other future releases to ensure that high-quality promotional singles
distributed to radio stations and other media before an album is released
do not end up on file-sharing networks.
http://www.bayviewsystems.com/news/releases.htm
http://www.emigroup.com
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o Interactive TV Technology Firm Metabyte Networks Raises $10 Million

Fremont, Calif. -- Metabyte Networks, a developer of technology for
interactive television systems, announced that it has raised $10 million
in its second round of venture capital financing. Canal Plus Technologies
led the investment round, in which Scientific Atlanta also participated.
Fremont-based Metabyte's technology builds a profile of a viewer's TV
watching preferences for the purpose of delivering content recommendations
and targeted advertising. The company will use the funds for international
marketing of its technology.
http://www.mbtv.com/news/press_releases/september2001b.htm
_____________________________________________

o Yahoo to Produce Official FIFA World Cup Soccer Websites

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Yahoo announced that it has partnered with FIFA
(Federation Internationale de Football Association), the world governing
body of soccer, to produce, market and host the official websites for the
2002 and 2006 World Cup soccer tournaments. Features on the multi-lingual
sites will include real-time match updates, live broadcast video
streaming, archived video highlights and prediction games. The 2002 World
Cup Korea/Japan will commence on May 31, 2002 in Korea, while the 2006
matches will be held in Germany. FIFA reported that the website for 1998's
World Cup in France recorded over 1 billion page views during the 33 days
of the event.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010911/110023_1.html
http://www.fifa.com
_____________________________________________

o IFPI Offers International Webcasting License

London -- The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI)
announced the availability of an international license for traditional
broadcasters to stream their radio signals on the Internet. The license is
the result of reciprocal agreements between collecting agencies in 24
countries, allowing the same license to cover streaming in all of those
countries. Previously, a separate license would have to have been obtained
from each individual country. The IFPI is an international version of the
Recording Industry Association of America, representing 1,400 major and
independent record labels worldwide.
http://www.ifpi.org/press/20010911.html
_____________________________________________

o Excite@Home Chief Financial Officer Resigns

Redwood City, Calif. -- High-speed Internet access provider Excite@Home
announced that executive vice president and chief financial officer Mark
McEachen has resigned from the company to pursue other opportunities. The
company said it is actively seeking a replacement. In August, Redwood
City-based Excite@Home said that there is "substantial doubt" as to its
ability to continue as a going concern. Cable TV operators Comcast and Cox
recently announced that they would no longer use the company to deliver
high-speed cable modem service to their subscribers.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010910/sfm157_1.html
http://www.excite.com
_____________________________________________

> Digital Media Wire Presents a Panel Discussion:
"Microsoft vs. AOL: The Battle of the Internet Titans"

Los Angeles | Friday, September 28th at the Four Seasons Hotel

This panel of journalists, legal experts and others will discuss the
increasing rivalry between these two monolithic companies -- and how their
competition will affect the development of the Internet for years to come.

For more information and to register:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/LAbattle.html

FEATURED SPEAKERS:
Bob Badal - Attorney | Heller Ehrman
Mark Frauenfelder - Editor | WIRED
Jon Goodman - Executive Director | EC2 Incubator Project @ USC
Jim Griffin - Founder | The 'Pho' Group
***Additional Panelists TBA***

SPONSOR: Heller Ehrman

For more information and to register:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/LAbattle.html
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Washington, D.C.) XM Satellite Radio announced that it is postponing the
Sept. 12 launch of its satellite-delivered digital radio service in San
Diego and Dallas in light of yesterday's terrorist attacks on Washington,
D.C. and New York City. D.C.-based XM did not provide a new launch date
for the service.
http://www.xmradio.com/service_launch.html

(New York) The CMJ Music Marathon, an annual live music showcase, film
festival and conference organized by music publication CMJ (College Media
Journal), which was scheduled for this week has been postponed as a result
of the terrorist attacks on Tuesday in New York City. The event has been
rescheduled and will now be held on Oct. 13-16.
http://www.cmj.com/

(Redwood City, Calif.) Game developer Electronic Arts said on Wednesday
that it has suspended play of its online game "Majestic" because "some
elements of the game that may be objectionable to some people" in light of
recent terrorist attacks in the U.S. One feature of the game automatically
phones players, launching frantic messages prerecorded by actors. The
company told Reuters it expects to restart the game late this week or
early next week.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010912/wr/tech_electronicarts_majestic_dc_2.html
http://www.ea.com/worlds/games/pw_majstc00/hatted_jump_page.jsp

(Andover, Mass.) MusicPlayground, a developer of interactive musical
instrument technology, has announced a subscription service that lets
amateur musicians download and play along with songs using "virtual
instruments" connected to a PC via a USB connection. The $59.95 and $19.95
services let users play along to songs with a "virtual" guitar or drum
set. Massachusetts-based MusicPlayground has secured licensing agreements
for songs from publishers including BMG Music Publishing, Universal Music
Publishing, Sony/ATV and Warner Chappel.
http://www.musicplayground.com

(New York) Barnes and Noble.com announced that it will exclusively release
best-selling author Dean Koontz's "The Book Of Counted Sorrows" as an
e-book. The book of poetry is often referenced or quoted in Koontz's other
novels, and is New York-based Barnes and Noble Digital's first release.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010911/112377_1.html
http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/bookSearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=695K
R4P295&EB=Y&isbn=1401400221

(San Jose, Calif.) TiVo, a manufacturer of personal video recorders that
allow viewers to pause and record live television, announced a service
upgrade that will allow viewers with DirecTV receivers with TiVo
functionality to record two TV programs at once. The feature -- not
available on all TiVo models -- is standard on other similar devices, such
as Microsoft's UltimateTV.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010911/sftu112_1.html
http://www.tivo.com

(Minneapolis) Netflix, an online service that lets users rent DVDs through
the mail, has launched a co-branded DVD rental service with electronics
and media retailer Best Buy. The deal will make Los Gatos, Calif.-based
Netflix's service available through BestBuy.com, SamGoody.com,
MediaPlay.com, OnCue.com and Suncoast.com. In return, Netflix.com will
direct users wanting to purchase DVDs to Best Buy sites.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010911/112319_1.html
http://www.netflix.com

(Calabasas Hills, Calif.) Game developer THQ announced that Britney Brands
has granted it the exclusive rights to develop games based on teen
recording artist Britney Spears for Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo Game Boy
Advance and PC through 2005. Calabasas Hills-based THQ said the first
Britney Spears game will be released in the spring of 2002.
http://www.thq.com

(Fremont, Calif.) Vialta, a developer of digital home entertainment
products, said that it has named company president Didier Pietri to the
additional role of CEO. Before joining Vialta, Pietri was president of ABC
Pictures and senior vice president of the ABC Television Network Group.
Fremont-based Vialta develops products including a multi-functional DVD
player that plays MP3 and music CDs in addition to DVDs.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010911/latu089_1.html
http://www.vialta.com

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

> Roxio, Sr.-Level Business Development Position - Silicon Valley

Hey... are you a closer? Do you like to win? If you answered yes to these
questions and you are an experienced dealmaker, we have an MBA's (or
ex-lawyer's) dream job waiting for you at Roxio, Inc., the leading digital
media company.
Send resumes to: elizabeth@cruelworld.com
http://www.roxio.com
______________________

> The SheaHedges Group, Media Relations Pro - McLean, VA

We are currently looking for a savvy media relations pro with 8+ years of
experience who excels at verbal and written communications, understands
core business issues and can strategically advance a client's message
through all levels of media and PR avenues. Background must include
technology, agency and staff management experience. Send resumes to:
tneill@sheahedges.com
http://www.sheahedges.com
______________________

> VentureOne, Research Assistant - San Francisco

In this entry-level position you will perform secondary research through
web browsing, review of journals and other publications, plus primary
research through direct contact with venture capital firms and start-up
companies. Update profiles of venture capital firms and start-up
companies. Review company data, proofread, and enter data. Assist in
surveys, analyses and general administrative support. College degree.
European language skills a plus. Send resumes to: jobs@ventureone.com
http://www.ventureone.com
______________________

> Canal+ (U.S.), Sales Asst./International - Los Angeles

Assist Senior VP & Director of International Sales w/ preparation of
markets, including making appointments with clients, arranging travel,
sending sales materials, & follow-up w/ clients. Other duties include:
answering phones, expense reports, availability checks on computer system,
coordinating deal memo process with support sales office in France,
updating client database and other administrative duties. A 4-year college
degree preferred. Knowledge of French language preferred - Spanish
helpful.
Send resumes to: shuddleston@cplus-us.com
http://www.cplus-us.com
______________________

> CGR, Freelance Animator - New York City

CGR, New York's premier staffing agency, is seeking an animator for a
freelance assignment. Our client is a scientific publisher looking to
animate, in detail, the flow of lava through the earth and out through a
volcano. The candidate must have an in depth knowledge of PhotoShop, 3D
Studio Max, Maya, Lightwave or some other rendering & animation software.
Send resumes to: jschoch@cgr.com
http://www.cgr.com
______________________

> YaYa, Internet Game Tester - Los Angeles

Candidate should have some formal game testing experience, good written
and oral communication skills, experience using Microsoft Access and a
good knowledge of the Internet and a range of web browsers (Internet
Explorer, Netscape, AOL, etc.). Knowledge of Macintosh computers desirable
but not required. This is full-time, temporary position and will include
some night and weekend work.
Send resumes to: jobs@yaya.com
http://www.yaya.com

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

> Hi-Tech Mission to Israel, October 20 - 28, 2001 - Israel

Visit Israel's booming hi-tech industry. Discover the latest advances in
hardware, software and bio-technology. Participate in the 6th Annual
Israel Business Forum with speakers: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Marshall
Butler, Ronald Cohen, David Colburn, Michael Dell, Andy Grove, Ronald
Lauder, Gerald Levine, Morris Levy, Les Wexner and Lord Young.
For more information: tkardash@jewishla.org
http://www.jewishla.org/html/hitechmission.htm
______________________

> SHORTSPAN Film & Video Festival, SOUTHEAST Tour, Aug. 24 - Sept. 22

SHORT MOVIES! Dreamspan presents the 9TH Annual Short Attention Span Film & Video Festival. Shortspan is a non-stop two hour program of ALL NEW
two-minute-or-shorter films, including ultra-short documentaries like
"Peekaboo Sunday," a story about raising miniature horses or "Exotic
World," an inside look at the lives of some of America's first burlesque
performers-- and 57 more shorts! The tour will travel to 30 North American
cities. Southeastern tour dates include:

ATLANTA, GA: The Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center - August 24th - 8PM
ATHENS, GA: The Georgia Museum of Art - September 5 th - 7:30PM
ATLANTA, GA: Cinefest Theatre- September 14th and 15th - 9PM/12PM
ATHENS, GA: The Georgia Theater - September 18th - 10PM
SAVANNAH, GA: Trustee's Theater - September 20th - 9PM
GAINSVILLE, FL: The University of Florida - September 22nd

More info: http://www.dreamspan.com/shortspan
______________________

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