archives

o Vivendi Universal Unites Online Music, Games, Entertainment Units
o Sonicblue Prepares Defense in Copyright Case With TV Networks
o Technology Publisher Red Herring Lays Off 27% of Staff
o Motorola Acquires Synchronous, Unveils Two New Set-Top Boxes
o ArtistDirect Gets Investment From, Distribution Deal With BMG
o Keen Gets Investment, Releases 100-Hour Personal Video Recorder Device
o Report: Weak Economy Not Hampering Video Game Industry
o Interactive TV Firm Rachis Raises Second Round Funding
> Digital Media Wire Directory Launched
o Briefly Noted: Sundance Online Film Festival, Nokia - MMS, Olympics.com,
OpenTV patent, In Demand - Hallmark Entertainment - Crown Media,
Springtoys - Eircell, Adelphia SVOD, Sprint PCS - Kalador Entertainment,
Zingy - Pepsi
_____________________________________________

> Job Postings: Online Ad Sales Mgr., Web Research Assistant,
Web Designer

> Events/Services: "Music Videos and Movie Trailers on CD-ROM,"
"Avail. for Hire," "Shortspan Film & Video Festival,"
"Office Space - L.A.," "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 Vivendi Universal Unites Online Music, Games, Entertainment Units

New York -- Vivendi Universal announced on Monday that it will consolidate
its online music, games, entertainment and education units into a single
U.S.-based division, called Vivendi Universal Net USA Group. The company
has appointed Robin Richards, chairman and CEO of recently-acquired music
site MP3.com as CEO of Vivendi Universal Net USA. Websites under
Richards's direction will include MP3.com, EMusic.com, GetMusic.com and
RollingStone.com; games sites Flipside.com and Uproar.com; and sweepstakes
sites IWin.com and VirtualVegas.com. Vivendi Universal said the new unit
will provide online applications and infrastructure technologies to
promotional sites serving record labels, filmmakers, studios, games and
education.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/011119/192736_1.html
_____________________________________________

o Sonicblue Prepares Defense in Copyright Case With TV Networks

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Sonicblue, the manufacturer of a personal video
recorder that lets viewers pause and record live television, said on
Monday that it has hired legal representation and is preparing its defense
against TV network allegations that its product infringes on copyrights.
The networks claim that features of the ReplayTV 4000 that allow consumers
to skip commercials automatically and send TV programs to friends who
missed them contribute to copyright infringement. Santa Clara-based
Sonicblue has hired the law firm of Fenwick and West LLP as its legal
counsel. The company will use the Supreme Court's "Betamax" decision,
which said that substantial non-infringing uses of the VCR countered
potential copyright infringements by users, as part of its defense. "The
networks are trying to undo that decision 17 years later -- claiming that
consumers who choose to skip commercials, or who send a show to someone
else who missed it, are copyright infringers," said Laurence Pulgram of
Fenwick and West. "But if dodging commercials is against the law, you'd
have to strap people in their chairs and snatch the remote out of their
hands."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/011119/192213_1.html
http://www.replaytv.com/partners_products/replaytv.htm
_____________________________________________

o Technology Publisher Red Herring Lays Off 27% of Staff

San Francisco -- Red Herring Communications, publisher of technology
magazine Red Herring and producer of industry conferences, has laid off 27
percent of its staff, or 38 of its 140 employees amid the advertising
downturn. The company said that the layoffs will affect its conference
division the most heavily. San Francisco-based Red Herring told CNET that
it has postponed all conferences for the first half of next year,
eliminating employees responsible for organizing the events.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-7898129.html?tag=owv
http://www.redherring.com
_____________________________________________

o Motorola Acquires Synchronous, Unveils Two New Set-Top Boxes

Horsham, Pa. -- Motorola announced on Monday that it has agreed to acquire
Synchronous, a provider of fiber optic transmission systems for video and
high-speed data in an all-stock transaction valued at $260 million. San
Jose-based Synchronous' technology and 70-member staff will become part of
Motorola Broadband's Transmission Network Systems, which the company said
will increase the efficiency, quality, and distance of signals sent over
fiber optic cable. Motorola separately announced on Monday the release of
two new advanced set-top boxes for interactive television. The DCT2500
offers increased memory, added processing power, improved graphics,
program guide enhancements and the ability to watch TV and surf the
Internet simultaneously; the DCT2600 offers all of these features as well
as personal video recorder functionality. Motorola said the new set-tops
were developed in response to cable TV companies' requests for "additional
interactive capabilities, faster performance and increased functionality
in a low-cost set-top."
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/011119/hsm004_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/011119/hsm021_1.html
http://motorola.com/broadband
_____________________________________________

o ArtistDirect Gets Investment From, Distribution Deal With BMG

Los Angeles -- ArtistDirect Records, the record label joint venture
between music merchandising and fan club network ArtistDirect.com and its
CEO Ted Field, announced on Monday an undisclosed equity investment from
major record label BMG Entertainment, giving BMG a minority stake in
ArtistDirect Records. The company also announced that BMG will distribute
ArtistDirect releases in the U.S. and license them in other territories
throughout the world. Singer/songwriter Custom's album "Fast" will be the
first to be released through the partnership; albums from NAAM Brigade,
The Blood Brothers and Pokafase are scheduled for release next year.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/011119/192414_1.html
http://www.artistdirect.com
_____________________________________________

o Keen Gets Investment, Releases 100-Hour Personal Video Recorder Device

Irvine, Calif. -- Keen Personal Media, a subsidiary of Western Digital
Corp., announced on Monday that it has received an undisclosed investment
from set-top box manufacturer Scientific-Atlanta, in the form of the
purchase of a convertible bridge note and warrants to purchase shares of
Keen. The company also released a PVR device that can hold up to 100 hours
of recorded TV shows, which it will market directly to cable TV operators.
Under the agreement with Scientific Atlanta, Irvine-based Keen will
license its PVR technology to the company, and the two will jointly
develop both basic and advanced features for Keen's devices. The 100-hour
capacity PVR also features 1394 compatibility, which means that users may
further increase their recording capacity by connecting a storage drive
via the Keen PVR's 1394 port.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/011119/lam042_1.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/011119/lam040_1.html
http://www.keenpm.com
http://www.sci-atl.com
_____________________________________________

o Report: Weak Economy Not Hampering Video Game Industry

Port Washington, N.Y. -- Despite the weakening U.S. economy, retail dollar
sales of video game hardware, software and accessories have increased 33
percent so far this year, over the same period last year, according to a
report published recently by marketing information firm NPD Group. The
total U.S. video game industry generated over $4.3 billion in revenue
during the first nine months of this year, while sales during the same
time period last year were just over $3.2 billion. "When we consider that
the fourth quarter typically makes up 50 percent or more of the annual
dollar sales volume for the video games industry, and then add in the
launch of two new console hardware systems, a new record for the video
game industry looks likely," said Richard Ow of NPD Group.
http://www.npd.com/corp/content/news/releases/press_011119.htm
_____________________________________________

o Interactive TV Firm Rachis Raises Second Round Funding

Maynard, Mass. -- Rachis, a provider of consulting services and products
for interactive television, announced on Monday that it has raised an
undisclosed amount for its second round of venture capital funding.
Venture Investment Management Company led the round, which
Massachusetts-based Rachis said was "at a significantly higher valuation
than its first-round funding that closed in the first quarter of 2000."
Rachis provides operating system support for interactive television
middleware, including products provided by Microsoft TV, Power TV, and
Liberate. The company will use the funds strengthen its position in the
home entertainment device market, and to further advance its
infrastructure.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/213232385&ticker=
http://www.rachis.com
_____________________________________________

> Digital Media Wire Directory Launched

Dear Digital Media Wire Reader:

Digital Media Wire just launched the Digital Media Directory, an online
directory and RFP engine that facilitates the search and negotiation
process between buyers and sellers.

Register as a provider in the Digital Media Directory at
http://digitalmediawire.newmediary.com/dmw111301nl
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Los Angeles) The Sundance Institute has announced the accepted
submissions for the 2nd Annual Sundance Online Film Festival, featuring 21
projects in three categories: Animation, Live-Action and New Forms.
Sponsored by AtomFilms, the projects will be available online to view
beginning on Dec. 20, and will be showcased at the 2002 Sundance Film
Festival in Park City, Utah. A complete list of the online entries and
their creators is available at the link below.
http://www.sundance.org/jsps/pag_ex_news.jspresource=pag_ex_programs
_festival_pr&sk=srauMTWAjh9NHzDk  

(Barcelona) Nokia on Monday introduced a new cell phone with a built-in
digital camera and color screen, in addition to greater support for MMS
(multimedia messaging service) for all of its phones. MMS allows users to
combine audio, graphic, text and images in one message and send it to
another MMS-capable phone or to the recipient's email address. The Nokia
7650 will begin shipments in Europe and Asia in the second quarter of
2002.
http://press.nokia.com/PR/200111/840889_5.html

(Salt Lake City, Utah) Coinciding with the lighting of the Olympic torch
in Olympia, Greece, the official website for the 2002 Winter Olympics in
Salt Lake City, Utah was launched on Monday. MSNBC.com is producing the
site, which will be promoted throughout NBC's television coverage of the
games on NBC, CNBC and MSNBC and on the Internet through Microsoft's MSN.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/213232206&ticker=
http://www.olympics.com

(Mountain View, Calif.) OpenTV, a provider of interactive software and
services, announced on Monday that the U.S. Patent Office has granted the
company its 37th patent, covering technology that delivers Internet
content over cable and satellite networks to cable set-top boxes. Mountain
View-based OpenTV holds a total of 74 patents worldwide, and said it has
330 applications pending.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/011119/192363_1.html
http://www.opentv.com

(New York) In Demand, a provider of pay-per-view and video-on-demand
technology and programming to cable TV operators, said on Monday that it
has reached an agreement to offer programming from the libraries of
Hallmark Entertainment and Crown Media. Cable TV operators such as Cox and
Comcast, which use New York-based In Demand's services, will now be able
to offer subscribers on-demand programming that includes series such as
"Noah's Ark" and "Moby Dick," animated children's series including
"He-Man" and "She-Ra," and specials such as "Fat Albert Christmas."
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/011119/192435_1.html
http://www.indemand.com

(Helsinki, Finland) Wireless entertainment developer Springtoys announced
on Monday that it will provide mobile games to Ireland-based wireless
network operator Eircell. Under the agreement, Helsinki-based Springtoys
will provide a range of interactive single and multiplayer WAP and
SMS-based games to Eircell Vodafone's 1.6 million customers.
http://www.springtoys.com/news/releases/release13.htm
http://www.eircell.ie

(Maynard, Mass.) Cable TV operator Adelphia announced on Monday that it
has launched a new service for its subscribers in Cleveland that offers
three different subscription video-on-demand services (SVOD). The system,
which uses interactive TV developer SeaChange's technology, will offer HBO
on Demand, Showtime on Demand and Starz on Demand. Each service lets users
view select programs from each respective network at their own leisure for
an additional monthly fee.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/011119/192427_1.html
http://www.adelphia.com
http://www.seachange.com

(Kansas City, Mo.) Wireless network operator Sprint PCS announced on
Monday the launch of developer Kalador Entertainment's games on its
wireless network. Vancouver, B.C.-based Kalador is providing two
multiplayer, networked games to Sprint PCS subscribers.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/011119/va300_1.html
http://www.kalador.com
http://www.sprintpcs.com

(New York) Zingy, a wireless entertainment portal, said on Monday that it
is providing ringtones and logos for mobile phones to Pepsi for its
Pepsistuff.com promotion. Included in the promotion are ringtones based on
songs from singer and Pepsi promotional partner Britney Spears.
http://www.zingy.com
http://www.pepsistuff.com

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

> Internet Advertising Sales Manager, gantthead.com, Fairfax VA

Are you passionate about the Internet as a B2B advertising medium? We have
too many leads to pursue and need you if: you have 2+ yrs exp. selling
Internet advertising (required); BA/S degree; B2B agency/account contacts;
you can identify, pursue, and close deals. Creative, autonomous work
environment. Generous package: salary, commission, benefits.
Please send resume to: gina@gantthead.com. EOE, M/F/V/D.
For more information, see http://www.gantthead.com/Gantthead/jobs
______________________

> Katrillion, Web Research Assistant - Fort Lee, New Jersey

CityConnect, the first national city event guide for teens available on
all web and wireless platforms, is looking for an events-locating
super-sleuth to find content for posting on the web. The ideal candidate
must be -- able to find current information that may not be readily
available, a recent college grad, and possess a passion for pop culture
and teen trends. Internet savvy plus strong writing skills are essential.
Send resume and salary requirements to: ccstaff@katrillion.com
http://www.katrillion.com/cityconnect.com
______________________

> Bookspan, Web Designer - Long Island, New York

BOOKSPAN is seeking a Web Designer with preferably 1-2 years experience
for a freelance position (possible temp-to-hire). Work with a Sr. Designer
on the design of all-new web sites from top to bottom. PhotoShop,
Illustrator, hand-code HTML, and aptitude to learn proprietary
content-management software are an absolute must. Send resume in plain
text with URLs of your work, and list the three best-looking content or
e-commerce based sites you can find to: jgiannetti@booksonline.com
http://www.booksonline.com

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

> Music Videos and Movie Trailers on CD-ROM

Arista, Atlantic, Warner Brothers and Columbia Pictures are participating
in the November launch of BestPreviews – a FREE CD-ROM that contains music
videos, movie trailers and software. RFM Broadcasting developed an
innovative marketing platform that enables Internet users to view
broadcast quality video. The company seeks angel investors. Send Inquiries
to andrew@rfmitv.com
or visit http://www.rfmitv.com.
______________________

> Available for Hire - Tech-Experienced Copy Writer/Marketing Manager

Marketing professional with over two years high tech experience within a
London marketing agency. Moved to DC seven months ago to set up first US
branch of UK business - seeking opportunities for full-time, part-time or
freelance marketing/communications projects.
Contact timdatwilsonharvey@hotmail.com
______________________

> SHORTSPAN Film & Video Festival, FINAL 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. The remaining dates on the tour include:

ATLANTA, GA: GSU Cinefest Theatre, Nov. 2-3, 10:00 PM
AUSTIN, TX: The Alamo Draft House, Downtown, Nov. 7-8, 9:30 PM
PITTSBURGH, PA: Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Nov. 16-18, Time TBA
NEW YORK CITY, NY: The Anthology Film Archives, Dec. 7-8, 9:30 PM
BIRMINGHAM, AL: WorkPlay, Dec. 20, 9:00 PM

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

> 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 323-822-0344.
______________________

> 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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