archives

o Tower Records Partners With MP3.com Digital Locker Service
o DiscJockey.com Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
o Online Movie Ticket Seller Fandango Raises $6 Million
o Digital Jukebox Maker MusicMatch Partners With Iomega, Excite@Home
o Entertainment Affinity Site Fandom Acquires Creation Entertainment
o B2B Online Software Provider Filmtrust Acquires IFilm's Software Assets
o Streaming Video Firm SeaChange Raises $10 Million From Comcast Cable
o Oxygen Media Lays Off 10% Of Employees
> Today: Digital Media Wire Networking Event -- DC Area
o Briefly Noted: Tom Green - MediaTrip, Bullseye Art - Volume.com,
Vitaminic - SESAC, Ebrary.com - Taylor & Francis, Anystream - Digital
Island, Yack.com - EarthLink, GameColony.com - SINA.com
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o Tower Records Partners With MP3.com Digital Locker Service

San Diego -- MP3.com announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with
music retailer Tower Records. The agreement will allow consumers to add
CDs purchased at Tower Records' online and retail stores to MP3.com's
My.MP3.com digital locker service. Financial terms of the transaction were
not disclosed. After purchasing an album on CD at TowerRecords.com, users
can transfer the songs from that album immediately to their online locker
at My.MP3.com, and listen to streaming versions. Users must first set up
an account at TowerRecords.com. Tower Records said that it will eventually
offer the service at its 187 retail locations. "We believe this
partnership potentially represents the future of music retailing," said
MP3.com CEO Michael Robertson. San Diego-based MP3.com re-launched its
My.MP3.com, after ending lawsuits brought against it by all of the major
record labels.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/001206/ca_mp3_com.html
http://www.towerrecords.com
http://my.mp3.com
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o DiscJockey.com Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Salem, Mass. -- DiscJockey.com, an Internet radio broadcaster, announced
that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company said
that the filing will result in profitability, once the proceedings are
finished. "This is not your typical Chapter 11 filing," said Jeffrey
Schreiber, attorney for DiscJockey.com. "Unlike most so-called dotcoms,
[this] is a company with a genuine revenue stream that will actually make
money. The Chapter 11 filing will clear the way for DiscJockey.com to
erase some poor decisions and mistakes that were made in the past by a
management team which is fortunately long gone." Massachusetts-based
DiscJockey.com fired 17 of its 20 employees in October, and has closed
both its office and brick-and-mortar operations. The company said that
these cutbacks, along with the outsourcing of its sales force, will allow
it to achieve a profit in 2001.
http://www.discjockey.com/chapter_11.htm
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o Online Movie Ticket Seller Fandango Raises $6 Million

Santa Monica, Calif. -- Fandango, an online retailer of movie tickets that
is expected to launch in February 2001, has raised $6 million in its
latest round of venture capital financing, according to LocalBusiness.com.
Investors in the round included Accretive Technology Partners and General
Atlantic Partners. Santa Monica-based Fandango will also offer film
trailers and reviews through wireless devices. The company is backed by
several movie exhibitors, including Loews Cineplex Entertainment, Regal
Cinemas, Cinemark Theaters, General Cinema Theaters, Edwards Theaters and
Century Theaters. The theater companies participated in Fandango's initial
financing of $30 million.
http://www.localbusiness.com/Story/0,1118,LAX_525248,00.html
http://www.fandango.com
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o Digital Jukebox Maker MusicMatch Partners With Iomega, Excite@Home

San Diego -- MusicMatch, a developer of digital jukebox software that
plays CDs, MP3s and other formats, has increased its distribution as a
result of partnerships announced on Wednesday with storage device
manufacturer Iomega, and Internet service provider Excite@Home. Under its
agreement with Iomega, the MusicMatch Jukebox will be bundled with
software included with the company's line of storage devices, including
its Zip and Jaz drives. The software will allow users to transfer their
digital music collections onto Iomega storage discs and listen to them on
Iomega's new line personal music devices. MusicMatch has created a branded
version of its software for Excite@Home, called the Excite Jukebox, which
will appear on the broadband services provider's music page. San
Diego-based MusicMatch's product competes with other players that include
RealNetworks' RealJukebox, AOL/Nullsoft's Winamp player and
Lycos/Mediascience's Sonique player. Internet ratings firm Media Metrix
recently reported that the MusicMatch Jukebox has increased its lead as
the most actively used jukebox software program to a 61 percent share,
followed by RealJukebox with 39 percent.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/001206/ca_musicma_3.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/001206/ca_musicma.html
http://www.musicmatch.com
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o Entertainment Affinity Site Fandom Acquires Creation Entertainment

Santa Monica, Calif. -- Fandom, a genre-based entertainment site for
horror, sci-fi and fantasy fans, announced on Wednesday that it has
acquired Creation Entertainment, a producer of touring fan conventions and
manufacturer of entertainment-related merchandise. Fandom will offer a
combination of cash and equity for Glendale-based Creation, but exact
terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Creation Entertainment
produces touring fan conventions including the official "Star Wars"
convention, as well as others for "Star Trek," "The X-Files" and "Xena:
The Warrior Princess." "Creation Entertainment brings the added excitement
of live events to Fandom's already strong online and offline entertainment
base," said Mark Young, CEO of Fandom.
http://www.fandom.com
http://www.creationent.com
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o B2B Online Software Provider Filmtrust Acquires IFilm's Software Assets

Santa Monica, Calif. -- Filmtrust, a provider of online collaboration and
procurement software for the entertainment industry, announced on
Wednesday that it has acquired the software assets of IFilm, a film portal
and professional directory for the film industry. Hollywood-based IFilm
will receive a "significant preferred equity position" in Filmtrust in
exchange for the software. Santa Monica-based Filmtrust will now include
IFilm's ProductionPro, LocationPro and JobPro software assets in its own
offerings of online procurement software for film and TV studios. IFilm
will also provide Filmtrust with consulting and marketing support for the
software products. "This collaboration is a giant step to producing the
most adaptable and fully integrated platform of e-business and
e-procurement tools in the entertainment community," said Filmtrust CEO
Andrew Adelson. Filmtrust's software allows producers and directors to
search for equipment, costume and post-production vendors online, as well
as complete their transactions with the vendors through e-commerce.
http://www.filmtrust.com
http://www.ifilm.com
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o Streaming Video Firm SeaChange Raises $10 Million From Comcast Cable

Maynard, Mass. -- SeaChange, a developer of streaming media technology for
interactive television, announced on Wednesday that it has received a $10
million equity investment from Comcast Corp., the third-largest cable
provider in the U.S. Philadelphia-based Comcast also signed an agreement
to purchase Massachusetts-based SeaChange's interactive television
technology, for use in the video-on-demand cable service it is currently
developing. SeaChange develops servers and software that manage, store and
distribute digital video.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/001205/ma_seachan.html
http://www.seachangeinternational.com
http://www.comcast.com
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o Oxygen Media Lays Off 10% Of Employees

New York -- Women's entertainment network Oxygen Media will lay off about
65 employees, or 10 percent of its workforce as part of a restructuring,
The New York Times reported on Wednesday. Thirty-five of the employees
were laid off as a result of the closing of Oxygen's office in Seattle.
New York-based Oxygen said the layoffs, combined with a recently announced
$100 million financing round, will result in profitability for the company
in several years. The company operates a cable channel, as well as a
network of information and entertainment websites for women. As part of
its restructuring, the company will consolidate its 18 websites into 4.
Oxygen's backers include Oprah Winfrey, Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner and Caryn
Mandabach.
http://www.oxygen.com
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> Digital Media Wire Networking Event: DC Area

DC Area -- Digital Media Wire will host its next networking event on
Wednesday, December 6 in Vienna, Virginia for subscribers and those
interested in the convergence of entertainment, technology and the
Internet. Light hors d'oeuvres will be served and there will be a cash
bar.

Exclusive Sponsor:
Telseon

Date: Wednesday, December 6, 2000
Time: 6:30 - 8:30
Location: Clyde's of Tyson's Corner
8332 Leesburg Pike - Vienna, VA

There is no charge for the event, but attendees must register at the link
below.
http://www.digitalmediawire.com/washington.htm
_____________________________________________

o Briefly Noted:

(Los Angeles) MediaTrip, an online entertainment studio, announced on
Wednesday that it has partnered with comedian Tom Green to develop
original programming for a re-launched TomGreen.com website. Terms of the
agreement were not disclosed. In addition, Los Angeles-based MediaTrip
will produce video clips, photos and information about Green's past and
current projects. "My friend told me that within the next 15 years, over
14 percent of American households will have this Internet," said Green. "I
didn't believe him, but I'm still not taking any chances, if you know what
I mean."
http://www.mediatrip.com 
http://www.tomgreen.com

(New York) Bullseye Art, a producer and developer of online animation,
announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with Volume.com, HBO's
recently launched urban entertainment site. Under the deal, Bullseye will
license its latest program, "Makin' Moves," exclusively to Volume.com, and
becomes the site's animation provider.
http://www.bullseyeart.com
http://www.volume.com

(San Francisco) Vitaminic, a provider of online promotion and distribution
for independent artists and record labels, announced on Wednesday that it
has signed a licensing agreement with the Society of European Stage
Authors and Composers (SESAC), a performing rights organization. Terms of
the agreement were not disclosed. As a result of the agreement, SESAC
artists whose music is licensed by Vitaminic will be compensated
monetarily, according to copyright law. San Francisco-based Vitaminic has
signed similar deals with ASCAP and BMI, the other two major performing
rights organizations.
http://www.vitaminic.com
http://www.sesac.com

(Sunnyvale, Calif.) Ebrary.com, a research and information website that
allows users to pay to make home print-outs of copyrighted documents, has
signed a deal with London-based academic publisher Taylor & Francis, CNET
reported. Under the deal, Ebrary users will be able to search the
publisher's texts for articles in the sciences, humanities, social
sciences and engineering fields, with publishers receiving a percentage of
the revenue from print-outs.
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-4010787.html
http://www.ebrary.com
http://www.tandf.co.uk

(Sterling, Va.) Anystream, a developer of streaming media technology,
announced on Wednesday a partnership with content delivery firm Digital
Island. Under the agreement, San Francisco-based Digital Island will use
Anystream's encoding technology in its content delivery and network
services. Virginia-based Anystream's technology optimizes download speeds
based on available bandwidth and connection rates, and also automates the
distribution of media content. Digital Island's technology speeds content,
including streaming media, across the Internet by storing small portions
of data at points closer to end users' computers.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/001206/va_anystre.html
http://www.anystream.com
http://www.digitalisland.com

(New York) Yack.com, a provider of Internet event listings, announced on
Wednesday that it will provide its listing service to Internet service
provider EarthLink's subscribers. Under the agreement, New York-based
Yack.com will be EarthLink's default Internet program guide for users
searching for net events, live online chat and cybercasts. Atlanta-based
Earthlink will also provide live event listings to its subscribers'
individual "start pages."
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/001206/ny_yack_ea.html
http://www.yack.com
http://www.earthlink.net

(Newport Beach, Calif.) GameColony.com, a provider of online versions of
popular board games, announced on Wednesday that it will provide game
content to Chinese news and entertainment site SINA.com. Newport
Beach-based GameColony will split advertising revenue for the co-branded,
Java-based multiplayer games it provides to SINA.com.
http://www.gamecolony.com
http://www.sina.com
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