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Past Editions

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DIGITAL MEDIA WIRE -- November 27, 2001
===================================================
To Subscribe For Free: http://www.digitalmediawire.com

o Nintendo President Sells Shares to Fund Game Developers
o Networks Drop Some Charges from Sonicblue Copyright Suit
o Court Sets Hearing Date for Russian Programmer Sklyarov
o EMI Invests In, Licenses Music Videos to Newsplayer Group
o Sony Cuts Price of PS2 in Japan, Sets Launch Dates for Asian Countries
o Sirius Satellite Radio Names New CEO
o Briefly Noted: Pressplay - Billboard, Intel - set-top boxes, OpenTV -
Jupiter Telecommunications, PrediWave - SETVN, Mediabolic - Radio Free
Virgin, WorldGate - BBC America, Powells.com
_____________________________________________

> Job Postings: Technology Agent, 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 Nintendo President Sells Shares to Fund Game Developers

Tokyo -- Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi plans to sell part of his
stake in the company and use the proceeds to fund game development for
Nintendo's consoles, Reuters reported on Tuesday. Yamauchi will actually
sell his entire 10.84 percent stake in the company today, and buy back
shares to re-establish a 10 percent stake tomorrow. With the remaining
proceeds -- projected to be about $160.8 million -- Yamauchi will fund
start-ups that make games for Nintendo's GameCube and Game Boy Advance
with collateral-free loans that offer interest rates similar to banks. "I
think the president decided to financially support game developers out of
his own pocket, trying not to trouble the company," a Nintendo
representative told Reuters. "He also hopes that this will help revitalize
the game industry."
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-7992833.html?tag=cd_mh
http://www.nintendo.com
_____________________________________________

o Networks Drop Some Charges from Sonicblue Copyright Suit

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Consumer electronics manufacturer Sonicblue said on
Tuesday that the major TV networks that sued it for copyright infringement
have dropped a portion of their suit. Amendments filed by CBS, NBC, Viacom
and Disney eliminated objections to the company's dual-deck VCR device --
but left unchanged their claims that its ReplayTV 4000 personal video
recorder enables copyright infringement. The networks originally sought to
halt distribution of the dual-deck VCR; their complaints with the ReplayTV
device relate to its ability to skip commercials, and a function that lets
users share programs with one another over a network.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/011127/270097_1.html
http://www.sonicblue.com
_____________________________________________

o Court Sets Hearing Date for Russian Programmer Sklyarov

San Jose, Calif. -- A federal judge in San Jose, Calif. has scheduled a
hearing for April 15 to set the trial date for Russian programmer Dmitry
Sklyarov, who along with his employer Elcomsoft is charged with criminally
circumventing the security technology on Adobe's eBook Reader. The judge
also set an agenda for the submission of briefs related to the legality of
the Digital Millennium Copyright Act -- the law which Sklyarov is charged
with breaking -- which his defense team claims is unconstitutional.
http://www.eff.org
_____________________________________________

o EMI Invests In, Licenses Music Videos to Newsplayer Group

Guernsey, U.K. -- Newsplayer Group, a provider of online streaming video
entertainment, said on Tuesday that major record label EMI Recorded Music
has made a minor equity investment in the company, and has licensed a
selection of music videos to the company for its service. U.K.-based
Newsplayer Group will launch a streaming video service at Video.tv
sometime next year. The company also plans to develop the service for
interactive television and video-on-demand platforms.
http://www.newsplayer.com
http://www.video.tv
_____________________________________________

o Sony Cuts Price of PS2 in Japan, Sets Launch Dates for Asian Countries

Tokyo -- Sony announced on Tuesday that it will once again lower the price
of its PlayStation 2 video game console in Japan, this time by 15 percent
to $239.60, Reuters reported. The company said it does not expect its U.S.
unit to lower the game's $299 price tag this year. Sony also announced
that it will launch the PlayStation 2 in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore
and Thailand on Dec. 13, and in Taiwan on Jan 24.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-7984175.html?tag=cdshrt
_____________________________________________

o Sirius Satellite Radio Names New CEO

New York -- Sirius Satellite Radio, a provider of satellite-delivered
digital radio, announced on Tuesday that it has named Joseph P. Clayton as
its new president and CEO. Clayton replaces Sirius founder and chairman
David Margolese, who stepped down in October. Most recently, Clayton
served as vice chairman of Global Crossing, a worldwide provider of
Internet and long distance services. New York-based Sirius recently
announced that it will launch its service in three cities on Feb. 1; rival
XM Satellite Radio is already offering service throughout most of the U.S.
Sirius has recently been hit with several shareholder lawsuits, claiming
the company misled investors concerning its initially planned launch date
in 2000.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/011127/nytu038_1.html
http://www.siriusradio.com
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(New York) Pressplay, the digital music subscription service being
developed by Sony Music and Universal Music Group, said on Tuesday that it
has licensed weekly music chart data from Billboard for the service.
Pressplay has licensed 11 different charts dating back to 1955, including
The Billboard 200 and Top Jazz and Top Country Albums. The subscription
service, which will offer music from Sony, Universal, EMI and a number of
indie labels, is slated to launch yet this fall.
http://www.pressplay.com
http://www.billboard.com 

(Santa Clara, Calif.) Intel announced on Tuesday that it will provide
Flash memory products to major set-top box manufacturers such as
Scientific-Atlanta, Motorola Broadband Communications Sector, Thomson
Multimedia and Hughes Network Systems. The StrataFlash memory storage
media can be used to store system software, viewer-specific settings and
other data that cable TV operators would otherwise have to frequently
update manually. Flash memory also can retain data if power is interrupted
to the set-top box.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/011127/270281_1.html
http://developer.intel.com/design/flcomp/prodbref/298044.htm

(Mountain View, Calif.) OpenTV, a provider of software and services for
interactive television, announced on Tuesday that it will jointly develop
iTV services in Japan with Jupiter Telecommunications. The J-Com service
will offer features including on-demand news, weather, online shopping,
games and video-on-demand to 1 million cable TV households in Japan.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/011127/270201_1.html
http://www.jcom.co.jp/jupiter/index_en.html
http://www.opentv.com

(Fremont, Calif.) PrediWave, a provider of video-on-demand delivery
technology, announced on Tuesday that it has signed a $100 million deal
with Southeast Television Network (SETVN). Under the terms, PrediWave will
provide set-top boxes for video-on-demand services to digital cable
subscribers in China's Fujian Province. Fremont-based PrediWave will
initially provide services to 200,000 subscribers in March 2002 over a
one-way network. The company also on Tuesday announced the launch of its
U.S. operations, which will market its services to U.S. cable and
satellite TV operators.
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?day0/213312171&ticker=
http://www.prediwave.com
http://www.setvn.com

(San Francisco) Mediabolic, a provider of software for networked digital
entertainment devices, said on Tuesday that it has formed a strategic
partnership with Radio Free Virgin, which will provide streaming audio
content from its music genre-based channels to Mediabolic-enabled devices.
San Francisco-based Mediabolic's software includes media players for
digital music, photos and video that can be accessed on PCs, TVs and other
devices.
http://www.mediabolic.com
http://www.radiofreevirgin.com

(Trevose, Pa.) WorldGate Communications, a developer of software used for
interactive television programming, said on Tuesday that it has partnered
with BBC America to offer a video-on-demand service. The VOD service will
initially offer digital cable subscribers the ability to view episodes of
the BBC series "EastEnders" that are not yet available in the U.S.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/011127/hstu009_1.html
http://www.wgate.com
http://www.bbcamerica.com/eastenders

(Portland, Ore.) Independent bookseller Powells.com said on Tuesday that
it is the first online retailer to offer e-books in competing formats
offered by Adobe, Microsoft and Gemstar. Oregon-based Powell's Books now
offers 13,000 e-book titles, most of which it says it offers at a 20
percent discount off the paper version's price.
http://www.powells.com

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

> Ramprate - Technology Agent

Looking for people to market and manage our unique services to the
Enterprise and Major Media Markets. Streaming media, hosting, co-location,
managed services, or CDN. Duties - prospecting new business, managing
existing clients and current client overflow worldwide, Qualify business
goals. Require large deal size sales and account mgmt experience,
Bachelors degree, Target first year from 150k-1,000,000 +, FT/Half time in
our offices and or home office, Territories - LA, Austin, Seattle, New
York, DC, San Francisco. Send resumes to Scott@ramprate.com or visit
http://www.ramprate.com/about_sales.php
______________________

> 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

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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:

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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Copyright 2001 Digital Media Wire