archives

o TiVo Licenses Personal Video Recorder Technology to Sony
o Veteran Webcaster NetRadio Shuts Down
o XM Satellite Radio Gets $66 Million; Launches in South
o Reciprocal Fails to Find Funding, Will Restructure
o Pressplay Licenses Independent Labels' Songs for Subscription Service
o InterTrust Expands Patent Infringement Suit Against Microsoft
o Online Ad Firm DoubleClick Reduces Media Staff
o Reality Video Site Alltrue Shuts Down, Lays Off Staff
o Briefly Noted: Music Online Competition Act, Security Systems Standards
and Certification Act, Britney Spears - AOL, "Star Wars" DVD, Xbox -
Europe, Primedia, MSNBC.com - Arabic
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> Job Postings: Vice President of Sales

> Events/Services: "Mobile Entertainment," "CTAM Broadband Opportunity
Conference," "Office Space - L.A.," "SHORTSPAN Film & Video Festival,
OCTOBER DATES," "Digital Media Revolution in the Americas"

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 TiVo Licenses Personal Video Recorder Technology to Sony

San Jose, Calif. -- TiVo, a manufacturer of personal video recorders
(PVRs) that lets viewers pause and record live television, announced on
Thursday that it has licensed its technology to consumer electronics
manufacturer Sony. Financial terms of the seven-year agreement were not
disclosed. An investor in TiVo, Sony has already created digital network
recorders and DirecTV receivers with built-in TiVo capability. "The
agreement will enable TiVo to place its service on Sony digital recording
devices thereby creating a broader market for the TiVo service and the
growth of the TiVo subscriber base," said Mike Ramsay CEO of TiVo. Ramsay
said he expects the deal to garner $10 to $15 million in its first year
for the company, establishing recurring fees from subscribers to the TiVo
service.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/011018/sfth052_1.html
http://www.tivo.com
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o Veteran Webcaster NetRadio Shuts Down

Minneapolis, Minn. -- NetRadio, a provider of streaming music and news
stations on the Internet, announced that it has ceased its service and
laid off its staff after failing to secure additional funding. A note on
the company's website reads, "In the words of Kenny Rogers, you've got to
know when to hold 'em, and know when to fold 'em. Sadly, the time has come
for folding at NetRadio." The Nasdaq halted trading of the company's
shares on the SmallCap Market yesterday after NetRadio said it did not
believe it could meet the minimum requirements for listing.
Minnesota-based NetRadio was launched in 1995, and raised $35 million in
an October 1999 IPO. Although no longer operating, the company still
exists, and management says it continues to seek strategic alternatives.
http://www.netradio.com
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o XM Satellite Radio Gets $66 Million; Launches in Southern U.S.

Washington, D.C. -- In the midst of its national rollout, XM Satellite
Radio, operator of a subscription satellite radio service, said on
Thursday that it has reached agreement on the basic terms for $66 million
in new funding. The deal includes $35 million in new debt financing with
Boeing Capital Services and $31 million in restructured obligations with
Boeing Satellite Systems International. The company said that it expects
close the deal before the end of the month. Late last month, D.C.-based XM
launched service in Dallas and San Deigo, and today launched service
across the southern half of the United States.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/011018/hsth018_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/011018/dcth022_1.html
http://www.xmradio.com
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o Reciprocal Fails to Find Funding, Will Restructure

New York -- Reciprocal, a provider of digital rights management
technologies, said on Thursday that it has been unable to find additional
financing, and as a result will go through a restructuring that will
"change its corporate and financial structure." Microsoft provided
Reciprocal with a $10 million bridge loan in March while the company
sought new investments. As of Wednesday, the loan is past due and
Microsoft is entitled to foreclose and sell the company's assets to
collect. New York-based Reciprocal said it is trying to negotiate new
financing that would involve the creation of a new company, and will
continue operations in the process.
http://www.reciprocal.com
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-7571510.html?tag=cd_mh
_____________________________________________

o Pressplay Licenses Independent Labels' Songs for Subscription Service

Los Angeles -- Pressplay, a digital music subscription service joint
venture between Sony Music and Universal Music Group, announced on
Thursday that it has licensed songs from six independent record labels for
use on the service. Madacy, Navarre, OWIE, Razor and Tie, Roadrunner and
Rounder Records will provide songs to Pressplay from artists including The
Misfits, 2 Live Crew, Kenny Rogers, Dead Kennedys and Charlie Parker. Los
Angeles-based Pressplay has also licensed music from major label EMI
Recorded Music for the subscription service, which will allow users to
download and stream a limited amount of music each month. The service is
scheduled to launch yet this year.
http://www.pressplay.com/pressrelease20011018.html
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o InterTrust Expands Patent Infringement Suit Against Microsoft

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Digital rights management firm InterTrust said on
Thursday that it has expanded its patent infringement claims against
Microsoft. The company claims Microsoft is infringing on InterTrust
technology with its .NET platform and Windows XP operating system. Three
patents have been added to the suit, which now includes 50 claims of
infringement on seven patents, and seeks unspecified damages as well an
injunction to prevent the distribution of .NET and Windows XP. Microsoft
has denied wrongdoing in responding to an earlier version of the suit, and
countersued InterTrust for infringement of its own patents.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/011018/182060_1.html
http://www.intertrust.com
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o Online Ad Firm DoubleClick Reduces Media Staff

New York -- DoubleClick, an online advertising agency and technology
provider, has laid off much of its media staff, according to a Reuters
report. The unit employed about 88 people before the layoffs, which were
blamed on the steep decline in online ad spending. The company previously
said it planned to eliminate staff in the fourth quarter. New York-based
DoubleClick recently acquired the technology assets and client list of Los
Angeles-based rival ad firm L90.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-7560575.html?tag=cdshrt
http://www.doubleclick.com
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o Reality Video Site Alltrue Shuts Down, Lays Off Staff

New York -- Alltrue Networks, which operated a reality video website, has
shut down its site and laid off two-thirds of its staff. The company will
instead focus on television production. "Thanks to the almost 2 million
viewers who made Alltrue the biggest and best reality comedy site in the
world," read a note on the company's website. New York-based Alltrue
raised $8 million in funding in 2000.
http://www.alltrue.com
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o Briefly Noted:

(Washington, D.C.) Several trade groups -- including the National
Association of Recording Merchandisers, the Digital Media Association and
Electronic Frontier Foundation -- are lobbying Congress for consideration
of the Music Online Competition Act (MOCA), Newsbytes reported. MOCA,
written by Rep. Rick Boucher, purports to level the playing field for
independent online music companies by offering them the same exemptions
given the major record labels. In a letter sent to members of Congress on
Tuesday, the groups argued that if MOCA is not enacted, "many copyright
owners will leverage the limited copyright monopoly granted by Congress to
control digital distribution channels."
http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/171236.html
http://www.house.gov/boucher/moca-page.htm

(Washington, D.C.) The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing next
Thursday entitled, "Promoting Broadband: Securing Content and Accelerating
the Transition to Digital Television." At the hearing, technology and
entertainment executives will discuss the proposed Security Systems
Standards and Certification Act, a bill drafted by Commerce Committee
chair Sen. Ernest Hollings. The legislation would mandate that federally
approved copyright protection technology be installed in all consumer
devices. Copyright holders including Disney and News Corp support the
bill.
http://www.senate.gov/~commerce/schedule.htm
http://216.110.42.179/docs/hollings.090701.html

(New York) AOL Time Warner announced on Thursday a comprehensive
promotional partnership with pop singer Britney Spears. The singer is
signed to Jive Records, a label of the Zomba Group -- not part of AOL Time
Warner. As part of the agreement, AOL members will be given the chance to
purchase tickets for Spears' upcoming tour before they go on sale to the
general public; Radio@AOL will create a dedicated Britney Spears station,
and Spears will record a version of the "You've Got Mail" slogan in
multiple languages. In return, AOL installation software will be included
on every domestic copy of the singer's upcoming album, "Britney," and
BritneySpears.com will offer information on the AOL service.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/011018/182198_1.html
http://www.britneyspears.com

(Los Angeles) The DVD release of "Star Wars: Episode I The Phanton Menace"
generated a record-setting $17 million in total sales at retail outlets on
its first day of availability, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
announced on Thursday. The DVD based on the Lucasfilm feature offers six
hours of additional footage, including documentaries and extra footage not
included in the film.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/212910388&ticker=

(Cannes, France) Microsoft announced on Thursday that its Xbox video game
console will be released in sixteen major European markets on March 14.
The price for the console will be $432 in Europe, compared with a price
tag of $299 in the U.S. A total of 1.5 million units will be stocked for
the first three months of availability.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/011017/170770_1.html
http://www.microsoft.com/europe/x01/

(New York) The New York Times offered a feature article on Thursday on
magazine publisher Primedia's retreat from its heavy investments in the
Internet. The publisher of print magazines such as "Seventeen" and "New
York" has in the past year acquired both About.com and Powerful Media,
parent company of Inside.com. It also invested in Brill Media Ventures,
CMGI and Liberty Digital. The article quotes an analyst as saying the
company is "stretched extremely thin" and "needs to sell assets."
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/10/18/business/media/18PLAC.html
http://www.primedia.com

(San Francisco) Wired News reported on Thursday on MSNBC.com's recent
launch of an Arabic-language version of its news site. The company
partnered with Arabic news site Good News 4 Me to translate MSNBC stories.
The article says some of the area's contempt for Western society stems
from the fact that "Arabic media is fraught with biases and inaccuracies
about the West," and that outlets "paint America and Israel as the source
of all evil," pointing to MSNBC's venture as a possible alternative.
http://www.wired.com/news/conflict/0,2100,47638,00.html
http://www.gn4msnbc.com

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

> Vice President of Sales - United States

We are a six-year-old E-Learning company expanding our sales presence in
the US. We are looking for a proven sales leader. Our streaming technology
is proprietary, our client base is outstanding, our track record is
extremely strong. We are in search of kindred spirits who believe that
great technology companies are built by great people not hype. If your
knowledge of technology is strong and you have a demonstrable history
(10+years) of significant sales success -- we would like to speak with
you. This position can be located anywhere in the US. Send resumes to
njwlmw@aol.com

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

> Mobile Entertainment, Oct 25-26, 2001 -- Las Vegas

"Mobile Entertainment - Developing Winning Content and Partnerships for
Survival" is coming to Las Vegas! The conference covers winning strategies
for creating successful mobile entertainment, including content
development, partnerships and international case studies. To register call
888-666-8514 or email info@srinstitute.com (mention code DX20). For
questions, please email Daphne Lee at dlee@srinstitute.com
http://www.srinstitute.com/ck105
______________________

> CTAM Broadband Opportunity Conference, Nov. 6-8 -- Tysons Corner, VA

Get the FYI on HSI and iTV at CTAM's Broadband Opportunity Conference Nov
6-8, Sheraton Premiere Tysons Corner. Keynote speakers: Maggie Bellville,
Incanta; Christopher P. Bogart, Time Warner Cable Ventures; Charles F.
Dolan, Cablevision Systems Corporation & Steve Wadsworth, The Walt Disney
Internet Group. Call CTAM at 703.549.4200.
For more information contact: tania@ctam.com
http://www.ctambroadband.com
______________________

> Office Space For Rent - Los Angeles

Prime Sunset Boulevard location. Approx. 588 sq ft. Second floor, spacious
two + offices with private bathroom. Convenient parking. Recently
renovated. Quiet, nice work environment. Other tenants in building are
primarily entertainment and new media companies. DSL-ready. Rent is $1,175
per month. For more information, please call 323-363-3620.
______________________

> SHORTSPAN Film & Video Festival, OCTOBER DATES

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.

CHICAGO, IL: Columbia College - Oct. 10 - 7PM
BOSTON, MA: Boston University - Oct. 10 - 7PM
KYONGIU CITY, SOUTH KOREA: Film & Video Dept - Oct 10
BROOKLINE, MA: Coolidge Corner Theatre - Oct. 12-18
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Lucky Bar - Oct. 23 - 8PM
SALT LAKE CITY, UT: Univ. of Utah Union Theatre - Oct. 24 - 8PM

HOLLYWOOD, CA: The American Cinematheque - Oct. 17 - 7:30PM
SAN DIEGO, CA: San Diego Museum of Art - Oct. 18 - 7:30PM
BERKELEY, CA: Fine Arts Cinema - Oct. 23-24 - 9:30PM

For more info: http://www.dreamspan.com/shortspan
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> Digital Media Revolution in the Americas, 11/29-12/01 -- Pasadena, CA

Presented by the Institute of the Americas and Annenberg School for
Communication, this 2 1/2 day forum will include Sr. Exec. Networking w/ a
special focus on Latin Americas & U.S. Hispanic markets, copyright, rights
mgmt., dist., infrastructure, digital film, iTV, streaming, device trends,
content financing. Early-bird 40% off till 9/30. Keynote Steven Bandel,
Pres. - The Cisneros Group. Sponsors: JP Morgan, Motorola, Global
Crossing, Walt Disney Company, Digital Media Wire, Cahners International
TV, iHollywood, Motion Picture Assoc., National Assoc. of TV Prog. Exec.,
National Assoc. of Theatre owners. For more information:
martin@iamericas.org
Register at: http://www.iamericas.org/events
______________________

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Copyright 2001 Digital Media Wire