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DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- October 7, 2002
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To Subscribe For Free: http://www.digitalmediawire.com
o House Votes to Accept Percentage of Small Webcaster Revenue As Royalties
o Judge Rules Enhanced Bon Jovi CD OK For Release
o CNET: Liquid Audio Disputes Shareholder Vote Removing CEO From Board
o Video-on-Demand Firm CinemaNow to Distribute Universal Studios' Films
o Video-on-Demand Server Provider Broadbus Raises $12 Million
o OpenTV President Steps Down As Firm Completes $101 Million Wink Purchase
o Game Developer THQ Gets New $35 Million Bank Credit Facility
o Irish Game Software Firm Havok Raises $6.87 Million
> Digital Media Wire Event: "Interactive Marketing" | NYC | Oct. 15
> Digital Media Wire Event: "iTV Visions" | NYC | Nov. 14
> Featured Section: Online Grad. Certificate
o Briefly Noted: AOL "First Read" - Lemony Snicket, Sonicblue - CEO - Rio
players, Video games - holiday marketing blitz, Online gambling ban -
workarounds
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> Jobs: VP Product Mgmt., Senior Contract Mgr., VP of Media
> Events
> Marketplace
Full Classifieds located beneath "Briefly Noted" section below.
To post a Classified Ad:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/mainpostingpage.html
or contact David Peebler at david@digitalmediawire.com
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o House Votes to Accept Percentage of Small Webcaster Revenue As Royalties
Washington -- The U.S. House has passed HR 5469, the Small Webcaster
Amendments Act of 2002, potentially giving small webcasters the
opportunity to pay for the use of the streaming songs they broadcast with
a percentage of their annual revenues. Under the Librarian of Congress'
current plan, all webcasters would be asked to pay a per-song,
per-listener rate -- which many small webcasters have said would bankrupt
their stations. The bill, approved by both the Recording Industry
Association of America (RIAA) and a number of small webcasters that had
lobbied for it, would ask small webcasters to pay between 7 and 12 percent
of their revenues as royalties while maintaining the per-song,
per-listener rate for bigger firms like Yahoo and AOL. The Small Webcaster
Amendments Act of 2002 must now pass in the Senate and be signed by
President Bush in order to take effect.
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=internetnews&StoryID=1544763
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-961100.html?tag=cd_mh
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hollywoodreporter/frontpage/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1734577
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o Judge Rules Enhanced Bon Jovi CD OK For Release
Los Angeles -- Bon Jovi's new album "Bounce" has been cleared by a federal
judge for release on Oct. 8, Reuters reported. U.S. District Court Judge
Charles Haight rejected a software company's request an for injunction on
album's release, which claimed it originally developed technology that
Universal included on the CD, which unlocks exclusive online content. New
York-based DownloadCard sued Bon Jovi's record label, Universal Music
Group, asking for an injunction on the release of the album -- which the
judge denied on Friday -- as well as damages totaling over $750,000. While
the album will be released as scheduled, DownloadCard said it will
continue with the lawsuit, which alleges the unique serial number included
with each "Bounce" CD is essentially the same as a promotional product it
offers record labels and other customers. "We remain confident in the
merits of the suit and plan to go forward aggressively," Stephen
Kramarsky, of law firm Dewey Pegno & Kramarsky LLP, told Reuters.
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=search&StoryID=1537240
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o CNET: Liquid Audio Disputes Shareholder Vote Removing CEO From Board
San Francisco -- CNET News.com recently reported on the state of Liquid
Audio, whose shareholders apparently voted to remove company CEO Gerry
Kearby and one other member of the company's board of directors, naming
two parties in a dissident shareholder group to replace them. Redwood
City, Calif.-based Liquid Audio, which has a pending merger with CD and
DVD distributor Alliance Entertainment, has challenged the vote. James
Mitarotonda and Seymour Holzman, principals of MM Companies, formerly
known as Musicmaker.com, were apparently chosen by 80 percent of Liquid
Audio shareholders to take over seats on the company's board. The two are
vocally opposed to the merger with Alliance and would rather see Liquid
Audio dismantled and its tens of millions in assets distributed to
shareholders.
http://news.com.com/2100-1023-960903.html?tag=cd_mh
http://www.liquidaudio.com
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o Video-on-Demand Firm CinemaNow to Distribute Universal Studios' Films
Marina del Rey, Calif. -- CinemaNow, a provider of Internet-based
video-on-demand content and delivery technology, announced on Monday an
agreement with Universal Studios Pay-Per-View to launch a four-month test
of delivering Universal films over CinemaNow's system. First-run titles
like "The Scorpion King" and "Big Fat Liar" will be offered in the
traditional pay-per-view window in both streaming and downloading formats;
additional library titles like Hitchcock's "Psycho" and "Erin Brockovich"
will also be made available. Marina del Rey, Calif.-based CinemaNow is
majority-owned by Lion's Gate Films.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/021007/70109_1.html
http://www.universalppv.net
http://www.cinemanow.com
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o Video-on-Demand Server Provider Broadbus Raises $12 Million
Boxborough, Mass. -- Broadbus Technologies, a provider of video-on-demand
server systems for the cable television industry, announced on Monday that
it has raised over $12 million in an oversubscribed first round of venture
capital financing. Battery Ventures and Charles River Ventures led the
investment round; Comcast Interactive Capital, Wolf Ventures and several
other private investors also participated. Massachusetts-based Broadbus'
servers are designed to deliver more than 1,000,000 streams across more
than 100,000 hours of high-quality video and audio over cable, fiber and
other broadband networks. The company will use the funds to facilitate the
product launch of its video-on-demand server system, which cable operator
Starz On Demand has already said it will deploy.
http://www.broadbus.com/company/p100702.htm
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o OpenTV President Steps Down As Firm Completes $101 Million Wink Purchase
Mountain View, Calif. -- OpenTV, a provider of interactive TV software and
services, on Monday said that its president and COO Marty Leamy will step
down as the company simultaneously announced the completion of its $101
million acquisition of interactive TV firm Wink Communications. Former
Wink executive vice president of finance and business development Tim
Travaille has been appointed interim chief operating officer of OpenTV.
The company also said former Wink president and CEO Maggie Wilderotter
will continue working with OpenTV as a consultant.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/021007/70261_1.html
http://www.opentv.com
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o Game Developer THQ Gets New $35 Million Bank Credit Facility
Calabasas Hills, Calif. -- THQ, a developer and publisher of video games,
announced on Monday that it has amended and restated its worldwide credit
facility with Union Bank of California, "to reflect its strong balance
sheet." The new agreement provides Calabasas Hills, Calif.-based THQ cash
advances and/or letter of credit issuances of up to $35 million during the
company's peak selling season, and up to $20 million outside of the peak
season, which the company will use for domestic and international product
purchases. "Our strong balance sheet allows us to internally fund
anticipated growth. This credit facility will enable us to issue letters
of credit with key product suppliers, optimizing our cash management
activities," stated THQ CFO Fred Gysi.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/021007/70279_1.html
http://www.thq.com
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o Irish Game Software Firm Havok Raises $6.87 Million
Dublin -- Irish software firm Havok said that it has closed a $6.87
million funding round led by Trinity Venture Capital and ICC Venture
Capital in Dublin. AIB Equity, LTG International and Enterprise Ireland
also invested in the round. The company develops physics software that
makes computer games imagery more lifelike. Havok said the funds will be
used to expand its research and development operation and to add staff.
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=41497260&p=4y49784x
http://www.havok.com/news/index.html
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EVENT -- DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE Presents...
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Interactive Marketing: Where Success Lies Now and in the Future
New York City | Tues. October 15 | 6:00-9:00 PM
Produced with the New York New Media Association, in association with the
Interactive Advertising Bureau.
Sponsors: KMZ Rosenman | NYNMA | IAB
This executive forum brings together leaders from companies such as MSN,
Google, About.com, GoldPocket Interactive and others that are succeeding
in online media. Hear firsthand the strategies, tactics and technologies
that are working today and get a glimpse what is in store for the future.
For more information and to register:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/events/imarketing_101502.htm
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iTV Visions: Technology Transforming Entertainment
New York City | Thurs. November 14 | 1:30-7:30 PM
In association with the Interactive Television Alliance
Sponsors: Etronica | ITA | Filter Media | AIM
This half-day executive forum will present views on the future of
entertainment based on next generation interactive television technologies
emerging today. Thought leaders from leading edge companies that are
driving these technologies into the marketplace will gather to show how
entertainment is on the verge of yet another radical transformation.
For more information and to register:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/events/itv_visions_111902.htm
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==================
FEATURED SECTION
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Featured Section posting at:
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/featuredpostingpage.htm
Announcing a new online training program just for e-commerce managers!
"Managing the Digital Enterprise" is a new online graduate certificate
program offered by the U. of Bridgeport (CT). Specifically for working
adults, the 4 courses required for the Certificate are offered online,
available 24/7, and can be accessed from anywhere, anytime. The courses
for this program lead to an understanding of the business, management, &
technical issues that drive e-commerce and the digital economy as a whole.
More info: ubonline@bridgeport.edu or call 800-470-7307.
http://www.bridgeport.edu/scps/managdigital.htm
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Briefly Noted:
(Dulles, Va.) America Online on Monday announced its "First Read" feature,
where previews of upcoming books from popular authors will be offered to
AOL subscribers, similar to its "First Listen" service for recording
artists. The first installment of the new feature will offer the first few
chapters of children's author Lemony Snicket's "The Carnivorous Carnival,"
in addition to a live webcast of a reading by the author. The first
chapter of the HarperCollins title will become available on AOL on Oct. 7;
the book is scheduled for release on Oct. 29.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/021007/72227_1.html
http://www.lemonysnicket.com
(Santa Clara, Calif.) Consumer electronics firm Sonicblue announced on
Monday that its board of directors has appointed interim CEO L. Gregory
Ballard to CEO; likewise, interim CFO Marcus Smith has been officially
named the company's chief financial officer. The company's former CEO Ken
Potashner was abruptly fired in August, reportedly over a dispute
concerning executive loans made to board members. Separately, Santa Clara,
Calif.-based Sonicblue on Monday introduced two new MP3 players, the $179
Rio S50 and $199 S35S sport player.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/021007/70569_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/021007/70244_1.html
http://www.sonicblue.com
(Redmond, Wash.) MSNBC.com on Monday reported on the marketing blitz that
Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft plan to launch for software titles for their
respective video game consoles during the upcoming holiday shopping
season. Nintendo said Monday it plans to spend $120 million in the coming
months to market game titles including "Metroid Prime" and "The Legend of
Zelda" for its GameCube console.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/222800134&ticker=
http://www.msnbc.com/news/816676.asp?0si=-
(San Francisco) Online magazine Salon.com on Monday reported on the
growing number of foreign-based payment systems popping up to enable U.S.
citizens to gamble at foreign-based online casinos. The systems sidestep
U.S. legislation aimed at prohibiting online gambling by forbidding U.S.
banks and credit card companies from covering online gamblers' debts.
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/10/05/gambling/index.html
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CLASSIFIEDS - JOBS
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To Post Jobs: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/jobpostingpage.htm
VP Product Management - Key Management Team Member Needed
Seeking a VP of Product Management for new healthcare ASP venture. This
position will serve as the company's domain application expert and product
visionary. Extensive healthcare and claims adjudication knowledge is
required. Verbal, written, and presentation skills are key. The VP will
serve as the company's product champion, guiding all product enhancements
and new features based on market need and legislative requirements such as
HIPAA. VA based, equity opportunity. Send resumes and inquiries to
itoff@erols.com
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Senior Contract Manager - Google - Mountain View, CA
Google is seeking an experienced contract negotiator. Responsibilities
include daily review of standard contracts, limited authority to draft
contractual terms and conditions for licenses and advertising services
agreements, intensive in-house client interaction. Communicate company
policies and approval processes for contract changes to sales
professionals. 3-5 years of contract negotiation. Resume to
jobs@google.com or fax (650) 618-1796. Please include position.
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VP Media - Mosaic - Marina Del Rey, CA
Mosaic Data Solutions is a Canadian Based Fortune 500 Marketing Firm and
the World's leading Email Marketing Firm and provider of consumer data
products. We seek a VP of Media who will be responsible for selling Mosaic
Data Solutions (CustomOffers) own proprietary products to consumers via
Banners, Pops and Keyword purchases strategically placed around the
Internet. For immediate consideration, contact Thomas Geraci at:
tgeraci@mosaicdatasolutions.com
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CLASSIFIEDS - EVENTS
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To Post Events: http://www.digitalmediawire.com/eventpostingpage.htm
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CLASSIFIEDS - MARKETPLACE
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To Post Marketplace:
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Copyright 2002 Digital Media Wire, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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