Ads key as publishers move online

Magazine publishers are still trying to figure out how to monetise their digital content. The solutions are still fairly traditional, however. Five years from now, cost-per-thousand impressions will still be the norm, according to 39 per cent of top-level media executives who responded to a survey by Accenture in the first quarter of 2007.

Cost-per-action, or cost-per-transaction, was the second choice, favored by 21 per cent. Cost-per-click, a model that has come under much more scrutiny in 2007 in light of advertisers’ concerns about click fraud on the major search engines, was still anticipated as a viable business model by 12 per cent of respondents.

Exposure time, also known as stickiness, was proposed by nine per cent of the media executives, indicating that they took online content seriously enough to make it the basis of their business model.

When it comes to advertising online, these respondents overwhelmingly chose the mainstream media portals (86 per cent) as one of the top three areas on which they will spend the majority of their digital ad budgets.

The next two choices, user-generated content and social networking sites (41 per cent and 38 per cent, respectively) indicate these executives grasp what it means to be on the internet and that interaction with content is key for visitors.

Emerging platforms such as mobile and video gaming received stronger votes of confidence in this survey than in ones taken in other industries.

Xbox Live to sport ESPN content

ESPN is the latest media company bringing its content to the mostly young male aud of Microsoft's Xbox Live.

Disney-owned sports net is bringing a broad array of sporting events and programming to the service, through which users can download video onto the Xbox 360 vidgame console.

Content going to Xbox Live includes college football and basketball games, Summer X Games, "The World Series of Poker" and videogame reality show "Madden Nation."

All of the programming also is available for download on Apple's iTunes. A small portion of the video, including NCAA games, will be available to download in high definition via Xbox Live, which is the only digital download service with high-def content.

"Establishing this relationship with Microsoft on Xbox 360 provides an innovative way to reach our target demographic," said Matt Murphy, senior veep of digital video distribution for Disney and ESPN Media Networks.

ESPN sibling the Walt Disney Studios started making its movies available for digital rental on Xbox Live this summer. Other media companies on the service include CBS, MTV Networks, New Line, Paramount and Warner Bros.

ESPN, Nielsen Make Foray into Cross-Media Measurement

ESPN and Nielsen have joined to work on a measurement system that tracks audiences across platforms, reports Advertising Age.

The program builds a snapshot of how audiences move between media platforms, and how exposure to ads on one drive people to others.

How a call-to-action on TV drives traffic to the internet, how ads on mobile platforms push people to the internet, and other engagement factors, are all going to go under the microscope.

ESPN is Nielsen's test case in building the total-audience measurement offering.

The sports media brand has a vested interest in that sort of data since it has embraced the idea of offering its content in a variety of places, based on the multiplicity of media consumed by sports fans.

The program will also give advertisers a glimpse at unduplicated audience figures, providing a more accurate snapshot of how many people are being exposed to content and ads.

Time Warner Creates UK Advertising "Council" For Media Units

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- U.S. media giant Time Warner Inc. Tuesday announced plans to set up a "council", to make it easier for advertisers to negotiate with all its U.K. media properties.

Time Warner's U.K. media businesses include AOL U.K., IPC Media, the U.K.'s largest consumer magazines publisher, Turner Broadcasting and Warner Bros.

The company said the U.K. council would mirror an earlier system in operation in the U.S., with clients including Unilever and Mercedes.

The Time Warner U.K. Advertising Council includes Michael Steckler, managing director of AOL U.K., Caroline McDevitt, managing director of IPC Advertising, and Simon Cox, vice president of Turner Media Innovations.

The council will meet on a monthly basis, Time Warner said, to consider ideas and proposals.

Google's Market Value Surpasses Media Giants

Google's stock price on Monday passed $600 for the first time, giving the company a market cap greater than the three biggest traditional media companies -- Time Warner, Disney and News Corp. -- combined.

IAB: First-Half Internet Ad Revenues Of $10B Up 27%

IAB President/CEO Randall Rothenberg calls it the "Oh my God, it happened" year for major marketers as the shift of marketing budgets to online channels marches on. Search continued to account for the highest dollar spending, at 41% of the total. Still, Rothenberg says, more efficiency and simplicity are needed for spending to really take off.

Read the whole story...

Clear Channel Unveils Spectacolor HD Billboard — with Free WiFi, Ad Ops Galore

CNN is joining the ranks of Reuters, breaking ground with a giant Times Square-based digital display.

This isn't just any billboard. CNN, now the content provider for Clear Channel's new Spectacolor HD billboard, will not only boast the highest quality of any digital billboard in the US; it's also packed with outdoor advertising options galore.

Going up on the corner of 47th and Broadway, the billboard will run multiple ad spots in conjunction with streaming news, weather forecasts and HD broadcasts from CNN.

Advertisers can buy Bluetooth downloads that allow visitors to bring "a piece of the billboard with them home," as well as interactive content via short code that will turn people's phones into a remote controls.

Finally, the board will serve as Time Square's first free public Wi-Fi spot.

Nielsen Chief: Media Landscape is Changing

Conventional wisdom these days has it that television is dying. Like most conventional wisdom, it's dead wrong.

By almost any measure, television is alive and well. The number of TV households keeps growing - particularly among Latino, African American and Asian Pacific American audiences. Household viewing remains near an all-time high of more than eight hours a day. And television consumption continues to eclipse any other medium by a wide margin; with 90 percent of it still done at home where, on average, there now are more TV sets than people to watch them.

People will continue to watch more television in the future, not less, writes Nielsen Media Research chief Susan Whiting. "But they will do it in new and different ways." Still, "the opportunity to target specific audiences and truly engage them will be unprecedented."

SFGate has the story.

Microsoft Plans to Become a Media Company

Within the next four to 10 years, says Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer, as much as 25% of the software giant's revenues are likely to come from advertising. Microsoft can already deliver advertising to new platforms such as in-game promotions and mobile-phone campaigns.

Business Week has more.

Nokia signs video deals with CNN, Sony and others

HELSINKI (Reuters) - The world's top cellphone maker Nokia ( has signed partnership deals with seven companies including CNN and Sony Pictures to bring video content to its top-of-the-range multimedia phones.

"Consumer desire to watch Internet videos on mobile devices is growing all the time and we want to help users discover and access the best content in the simplest way possible," Harri Mannisto, director at Nokia's multimedia unit, said on Tuesday.

Nokia said it would also bring video content from India's IBN news channel and videos from Jamba, RooftopComedy, ROK and Versaly Entertainment to its N95 models.

It has previously signed similar deals with Google's YouTube and Reuters.

ESPN STAR Sports to Air Special Olympic World Summer Games

SINGAPORE, October 1: ESPN Star Sports will broadcast the 2007 Special Olympic World Summer Games in Shanghai, China, across the Asian region, beginning tomorrow.

It will be the first time the summer games will be held in Asia, and only the second time outside the U.S., and more than 30,000 athletes and officials from 175 countries are expected to take part.

ESPN STAR Sports will feature highlights of the Games on its ESPN and STAR Sports channels throughout Asia, including a ‘live’ broadcast of the Opening Ceremony on October 2 on STAR Sports. Daily highlights of personal triumphs will be shown every weekday on SportsCenter Asia news bulletins at 10 p.m. HKT on ESPN and a one-hour post-Games highlight special will air on October 18 on STAR Sports. ESPN, in the U.S. will provide coverage of the 2007 Special Olympic World Summer Games across various platforms, including its television channel, ESPN360.com and ESPN.com.

Special Olympics is the international non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics athletes of all ability levels will compete in 25 different Olympic-type and demonstration sports. Since 2006, ESPN STAR Sports has been closely involved with Special Olympics as part of its “Engage with ESPN STAR Sports” corporate social responsibility efforts. Over the last year, ESPN STAR Sports has organized various initiatives such the production and broadcast of the first Special Olympics International Cricket Cup in Mumbai last year, in which 272 athletes and more than 600 volunteers, coaches and officials from nine countries participated. In addition, ESPN STAR Sports staff has been working actively with Special Olympics athletes through volunteer coaching programs, fundraising activities and family days. The network has also run public service announcements to increase awareness of people with intellectual disabilities.

Manu Sawhney, the managing director of ESPN STAR Sports, said: “ESPN STAR Sports has shared a unique relationship with Special Olympics and we are pleased to continue our support and commitment to this cause. The dedication and commitment of Special Olympics teams and athletes is a story that needs to be told. With 17 networks across 24 countries, ESPN STAR Sports is well-positioned to deliver the Special Olympics’ message of acceptance and inclusion of its athletes and bring greater awareness across markets in Asia."

Murdoch: Internet Is Bigger Than News Corp

Despite its vast media holdings, News Corp. is dwarfed by the enormity of the Internet, says chief Rupert Murdoch. "We don't dominate anywhere," says the media mogul. News Corp. remains "a tiny fraction" of the media universe, with the public well able to find differing opinions elsewhere.

Marketwatch has the story.

A Sign of Things to Come?

São Paulo's Billboard Ban Made History. Now Other Markets Could Be Next


RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AdAge.com) -- São Paulo made history by banning ads on billboards, neon signs and electronic panels, and now Rio de Janeiro is considering a similar measure. Outdoor giant JCDecaux has been garnering street-furniture contracts in markets such as Paris by cleaning up billboards in exchange for bicycles, and made headlines with a similar offer in Moscow. In the U.S., Vermont, Maine, Hawaii and Alaska all have long-standing policies forbidding outdoor ads, and legislators in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco have explored similar bans. The backlash comes despite (or maybe because of) the growth of outdoor advertising.

Read the full article on Adage.com

EuroNews partner of Euro Effie Awards 2007

EuroNews, Europe’s leading PETV news channel*, is delighted to announce its sponsorship of the 2007 Euro Effie Awards. Organised by the European Association of Communications (EACA), the Euro Effies are awarded to advertisers and agencies whose advertising campaigns have proven their effectiveness by increasing sales.

The 11th edition of the Euro Effie 2007 Awards ceremony took place on September 26th in Brussels. Over 300 key people from Europe’s leading agencies and advertisers were present to see the winners of three of the coveted Gold Euro Effies collect their prizes: Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam received the Euro Effie Grand Prix and Gold Euro Effie for NIKE’s Women’s Dance Campaign 2006 “Tell Me I’m Not an Athlete”, 180 amsterdam with ‘adidas +10’ and kempertrautmann GmbH for Audi’s Audi Q7 Launch campaign.

For the third year in a row GREY emea has landed the coveted Agency Network of the Year Award.

The Long-term Effectiveness Award was given to Callegari Berville Grey for Procter & Gamble’s Boss Bottled ‘Dressing Ritual’.

As official broadcast partner of the Euro Effie for five years, EuroNews produced all the on screen interviews and reports shown during the awards ceremony.

Olivier de Montchenu, Sales and Marketing Director of EuroNews said: "Partnership with Euro Effie 2007 is a perfect fit for EuroNews, Europe’s most accountable and effective PETV news channel."

Oprah earns four times more than other TV stars

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When it comes to what pays on U.S. television, talk doesn't come cheap -- nor apparently does a loud mouth.

Financial magazine Forbes on Thursday published a list of the highest-paid TV celebrities, with daytime talk show host Oprah Winfrey leading the way by earning an $260 million between June 2006 and June 2007. Nobody else came close.

Second in the list was Jerry Seinfeld earning $60 million.

Winfrey was joined at the top of the list by another talk show host, David Letterman, who landed at No. 4 by raking in $40 million in the same period from his "Late Night with David Letterman."

Simon Cowell, the arrogant and harshly critical judge on top-rated talent show "American Idol" earned $45 million to land at No. 3, and Donald Trump, whose boisterous exclamation "You're Fired" from reality show "The Apprentice" became part of the pop culture lexicon, was No. 5 with $32 million.

The list shows that in the media arena, it pays to own and produce either all or part of your shows, like Oprah.

That notion becomes abundantly clear in the No. 2 slot, where Jerry Seinfeld sits with $60 million earned mostly from reruns of his co-owned 1990's sitcom "Seinfeld."

Despite the fact that prime-time TV shows win awards and critical acclaim, Forbes Senior Editor Lea Goldman noted that daytime TV and news is where stars rake in the dough.

"Daytime personalities dominate our list of TV's top earners, with most competition among morning and afternoon talk show hosts," said Goldman.

Barbara Walters, another star who owns and co-produces her daytime show "The View," landed at No. 18 with $12 million.

The remaining top 20 is as follows;

6. Jay Leno, $32 million

7. Dr. Phil McGraw, $30 million

8. "Judge" Judy Sheindlin, $30 million

9. George Lopez, $26 million

10. Kiefer Sutherland, $22 million

11. Regis Philbin, $21 million

12. Tyra Banks, $18 million

13. Rachael Ray, $16 million,

14. Katie Couric, $15 million

15. Ellen DeGeneres, $15 million

16. Ryan Seacrest, $14 million

17. Matt Lauer, $13 million

18, Barbara Walters, $12 million

19. Diane Sawyer, $12 million

20. Meredith Vieira, $10 million

Microsoft to Battle Google in Advertising

Brian McAndrews, the head of Microsoft's recently acquired Internet advertising company aQuantive, says he intends to beat Google's DoubleClick. Microsoft aims to provide advertisers with a log of all the online locations where people see ads before going to advertisers' Web sites.

New York Times has more.

Trump Magazine back in print

New York Business reports that Donald Trump and Ocean Drive magazine Chairman Jerry Powers will announce a new partnership and the relaunch of the eponymous title at a press conference on Sept. 25 at the Trump Tower. The luxury quarterly will make its comeback in late November and will focus on fashion and home design.

The Donald has been down this road before--first with the short-lived Trump Style, which was distributed in Mr. Trump's hotels, then with Trump World, which was later relaunched as Trump Magazine.

That title ceased publication in the spring. According to an industry insider, Trump Publisher Michael Jacobson had gone to Mr. Powers with a plan to revive the title, but was forced out of the arrangement.

Messrs. Jacobson and Trump could not be reached. Mr. Powers declined to comment.

One former Trump executive says that, despite being a billionaire, The Donald has too much of a nouveau riche image for the magazine to succeed. "Luxury advertisers just avoid him like the plague," he says.

'We will crush the FT' says News Corp

PETER Chernin, the president of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, promised the media giant will "crush" the Financial Times after acquiring its big rival in America, reports The Scotsman.

In his first public comments since agreeing to spend $5bn (£2.5bn) on Dow Jones, the owner of the Wall Street Journal, Murdoch's right-hand man fired the first round in the battle to establish the Wall Street Journal as a global financial-news brand. His comments pitch News Corp squarely against Pearson, owner of the Financial Times.
Click to learn more...

After addressing the biennial conference of the Royal Television Society at Cambridge University last week, Chernin told Scotland on Sunday that Murdoch had no ambition to buy the FT or collaborate with it to accelerate his goal to create a global brand.

The Financial Times dominates the European market and the Wall Street Journal is stronger in North America.

Chernin said: "We don't want to buy the FT. News Corp will crush it."

He dismissed the notion that even a crushed FT would be attractive at a discounted price. "We don't want it," he said.

He also said there was space within the media giant for both the Fox Business Channel, which launches next month, and CNBC, owned by NBC Universal, which has a contract with the Wall Street Journal until 2012.

"The two will compete against each other," he said. "In many ways competition among News Corp businesses has proven to be a healthy thing."

During the conference Chernin told broadcasting delegates that there were big rewards for those that innovate, and that those who did not would be "toast".

He said media groups with established brands were best-placed to guide viewers through the maze of content.

He said: "No one else has the power and no one has as much experience in packaging content to appeal to consumers."

Journal Starts Monthly Magazine

The Wall Street Journal will announce today that it is launching a monthly glossy magazine called Pursuits, designed to explore "the world of wealth," according to the Journal's publisher, Dow Jones & Co.

Aimed at building the Journal's consumer advertising revenue, including from luxury-goods and travel advertisers, the new magazine is expected to launch next September, distributed with the Journal's Saturday edition. Its content will be made available free online, outside the Journal's paid subscription wall.

Plans for the new magazine were completed last week at a meeting between Dow Jones executives and Rupert Murdoch, chief executive and chairman of News Corp., which has agreed to buy Dow Jones for more than $5 billion.

The Journal has used the Pursuits name as the title of the lifestyle section of its Saturday edition since launching the Saturday paper two years ago, but it dropped the name this past weekend. The name Weekend Journal now appears on the lifestyle section of the Saturday paper, in addition to the Friday edition.

The Journal didn't name an editor for the magazine, but Robert Frank, the paper's wealth reporter and author of the book "Richistan," about lifestyles of rich people, has been heavily involved in its conception and is expected to play a senior role in the magazine.

Innovate or die says News Corp. chief

CAMBRIDGE, U.K. — News Corp. topper Peter Chernin has urged British TV chiefs to adopt innovative, risk-taking strategies and embrace new media -- or risk extinction.

Speaking at the Royal Television Society’s Cambridge Convention, president and chief operating officer of News Corp., said that traditional media companies must embrace digital media or risk extinction

News Corp. No. 2 exec Peter Chernin added that, "To dismiss user-generated content as crap and blogs as unauthoritative is not only unproductive, but a waste of time."

Chernin said the world of multi-platforms had created a truly Darwinian entertainment industry where only those fleet of foot would thrive.“There are huge rewards for those who innovate and death to those who do not,” he said.

“There has been a fundamental shift that has completely democratized our business,” he said. The News Corp. chief said there was a “golden opportunity” for media companies to make money from this new consumer-driven model.

“We possess the world’s most recognized and loved brands, and have the opportunity to leverage them in new ways.”

He added, “To dismiss user-generated content as crap and blogs as unauthoritative is not only unproductive, but a waste of time.”

Nokia to acquire Enpocket to create a global mobile advertising leader

Enpocket to provide Nokia with a platform to accelerate scaling of its mobile advertising businessEspoo, Finland - Nokia and Enpocket today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for Nokia to acquire Enpocket (www.enpocket.com). Enpocket is a global leader in mobile advertising; providing technology and services that allow brands to plan, create, execute, measure and optimize mobile advertising campaigns around the world. By acquiring Enpocket, Nokia will accelerate the scaling of its mobile advertising business, leveraging Enpocket's platform and strong partnerships with advertisers, publishers and operators. In addition to key assets, through this transaction Nokia is gaining a team with strong expertise in global mobile advertising across disciplines.

"Nokia has already announced its intention to be a leading company in consumer Internet services and we believe that mobile advertising will be an important element in monetizing those services for our customers and partners. Enpocket's mature leading edge platform and people expertise are a strong fit with Nokia existing capabilities in the mobile advertising market," said Tero Ojanperä, Chief Technology Officer, Nokia. "This acquisition is a game changing move to bring the reach and depth of Nokia to organize the market across the world, and make it easier for an ecosystem to develop."

Enpocket is a privately-owned company, established in 2001 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The innovative technology that drives the Enpocket platform is a mobile advertising campaign management and delivery system distinguished by advanced consumer insight, targeting, and measurement. The platform can deliver mobile advertising across multiple formats including SMS, MMS, mobile Internet advertising, and video. Enpocket is powering mobile advertising for leading mobile operators and publishers across the globe and has an ad sales force that is working with large brands.

"Effective interactive advertising on the mobile device can create tremendous value for the mobile industry while bringing new Internet services to people around the world," said Enpocket President and Chief Executive Officer, Mike Baker. "Enpocket and Nokia are combining to provide the leadership needed to define, build and standardize globally the business of mobile advertising so that brands can easily and efficiently engage consumers on their personal devices."

The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2007.

Ericsson and Endemol sign global partnership

Ericsson and Endemol International B.V. today announced a global partnership agreement to develop interactive TV and user-generated content via Ericsson's 'Me-On-TV' solution.

The Ericsson 'Me-On-TV' solution was developed in partnership with Endemol, a global leader in TV and digital entertainment, and Dutch technology company Triple IT.

'Me-On-TV' is a network and device-independent technology, allowing consumers to upload, publish and share live or pre-recorded video content via any mobile device, from anywhere to any screen around the world. Consumers can transmit to websites, TV broadcasts, or stay in contact with friends in a community. It also allows broadcasters, internet sites, and mobile network operators to directly manage live and on demand content via state-of-the-are editorial management tools.

Jan Wäreby, Senior Vice President and Head of Ericsson's multimedia business, says: "This global partnership flags Ericsson's commitment to establish a leading position in multimedia. It shows our partnership approach with innovators in complementary fields to develop consumer solutions for multiple screens that can benefit media companies and operators alike."

William Linders, Executive Director of Digital Media at Endemol International, says: "We're delighted to be working with Ericsson on this exciting new technology. The market for digital content is rapidly evolving and 'Me-On-TV' could have a significant impact on the way consumers interact with TV and digital media."

'Me-On-TV' will be offered as a white-label service to content aggregators such as broadcasters, internet sites, and network operators. It will be delivered as an end-to-end service, fully integrated, hosted and managed by Ericsson.

Endemol will act as a distributor for 'Me-On-TV', licensing the technology as an integrated service in existing and newly developed TV and multimedia formats. 'Me-On-TV' is already being used by Endemol in the Netherlands. Last season's Big Brother TV series saw ex-housemates using the technology to communicate with the house, and this week Endemol in the Netherlands launched the "Ik op TV" format on TV and the internet, in which 'Me-On-TV' is used by citizens to broadcast live and recorded content from their mobile phones, as well as to broadcast live interviews to the program.

Google Set to Test Limits of Society

Television, newspaper and book execs feel that Google is growing by using their content without paying for it, observes The Economist. The Internet giant is now turning into a custodian of a wide range of intimate data on its users. Google is set to "test the limits of what society can tolerate."

You can read the complete story on The Economist website

Inc. Expands Size of Inc. 500 Tenfold, Plots Social Networking Foray

Inc. Magazine's September 2007 issue will cover the annual Inc. 500, a list of private businesses in a number of industries that grew the fastest in their respective classes.

Meanwhile, Inc. Online boasts an unexpectedly larger list: the company's first Inc. 5000.

The magazine profiles private-sector companies for the knowledge development of other entrepreneurs.

A complete list of the Inc. 5000 can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000. Red Ventures out of Charlotte and HydraMedia, Beverly Hills topped charts for the Marketing and Advertising sector.

This October the company also plans to unveil IncBiz.net.com, a site where private enterprises can network and exchange information.

Development of niche professional social networks like this one is building in popularity, per a recent Wall Street Journal article, which noted the blossoming of the following niche networks:

* Sermo.com for medicine
* A Reuters social networking destination for finance
* INmobile.org for wireless
* AdGabber.com for advertising

E! Network to Produce Daily Online Show

Variety announced today that E! is boosting its online news efforts, greenlighting a new broadband skein dubbed "E! News Now."

Cabler will produce at least 12 daily editions of the online skein, which will be hosted by thesp Valery Ortiz ("What About Brian?") and former MSNBC reporter Ashlan Gorse ("The Hot List"). Each seg will run between one and two minutes in length and focus on a single breaking story or general topic.

In addition to distributing the segs via its own website, "E! News Now" will be available via mobile phones and yet-to-be announced distribution partners.

"'E! News Now' will allow us to bring (breaking) stories to our users as quickly as possible," said John Najarian, senior VP of new media and business development for E! parent Comcast Entertainment Group.

Lagardere agrees to sell Swedish Elle to Allers

PARIS, Aug 27 (Reuters) - French media to aerospace group Lagardere said on Monday it had agreed to sell its Hachette Filipacchi Sweden unit to Swedish publisher Allers Forlag. It gave no financial details but said the sale was part of a rationalisation plan.

The Lagardere unit publishes the Elle, Elle Interior and Cafe magazines in Sweden.

NYTimes.com Gets Its Rapt on

The New York Times' advertising infrastructure is getting swallowed by Rapt, in a new deal where the nytimes.com adopts Rapt's advertising yield-management platform.

According to DM News, Rapt will "provide strategic advisory services and activate its entire software suite in support of NYTimes.com’s advertising sales operations."

Other Rapt clients include MTV Networks, CNET Networks and Fox Interactive Media.

Murdoch's Dow Jones Deal Makes FT Owner a 'Loser'

Financial Times owner Pearson is being downgraded by Deutsche Bank, saying its business news unit is "the main loser" in recent deals like News Corp.'s planned buyout of Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones. If Pearson tries to sell the FT it will be in "a position of weakness."

MarketWatch reported yesterday.

Britain Abandons Old Media in 'Digital Boom'

BBC reports today that the Internet, mobile phones and MP3 players are revolutionizing how British citizens spend their time, according to the new annual report from Ofcom, the regulator for U.K. media industries.

It reveals that older media such as TV, radio and even DVDs are being abandoned in favour of more modern technology.

It also shows that women, in some age groups, are the dominant web users and older web users spend more time online than any group.

Among children it showed that web and mobile phone use is growing at the expense of video games.

The 330-page report takes a comprehensive look at the way Britons use new and old media and reveals a nation in love with its media, gadgets and hi-tech gear.

The average Briton now spends 50 hours per week on the phone, using the net, watching TV or listening to the radio. However, the mix of how much time is spent on each one has changed radically over the last few years.

Daily mobile phone use is up 58% on 2002 and, over the same period, net use has grown 158%. By contrast Britons spend far less time watching TV, listening to the radio or chatting on a fixed line phone.

The report, the fourth annual survey from Ofcom, revealed big differences in the technologies that different sectors of the population prefer.

* Among Britons aged 25-34, women account for 55% of the time this group spends online

* 16% of Britons aged 65+ spend 42 hours per month online - more than any other age group

* More than 75% of 11 year olds have their own TV, games console and mobile phone

* 15% of 13-15 year olds and 7% of 10 year olds have their own webcam

Young people now spend as much time on their mobile phone as they do playing computer and console games. Proving more popular among younger people are mobile music players and using the net.

Declining among younger people was listening to the radio and playing video and computer games.

Ofcom's report echoed this observation and said Britons were getting increasingly sophisticated in their use of communications technologies.

Older men playing video games, BBC
Older people are keen consumers of modern technology

For instance, a teenager playing an online game might take a picture of a high score or achievement unlocked while they play then text or e-mail it to friends or add it to a website or Facebook page.

The report also revealed that patterns of use could change again as the latest technologies come into wider use.

It revealed that the UK now has about 450,000 subscribers to high-definition services. Of those questioned by Ofcom, 43% said they watched more TV since getting HD. A minority of that group, 36%, said they now watched six or more extra hours of TV every week.

Ownership of a Digital Video Recorder also seems to have a significant effect on viewing habits. Ofcom found that many prefer to watch programmes saved on their DVR rather than a DVD.

YouTube Introduces Video Advertising

NEW YORK, August 22: YouTube today introduced video advertising on the site, opting for “overlays” as opposed to pre-rolls where ads are featured at the beginning of a clip.

The overlay ad appears at the bottom of a clip 15 seconds after the video begins and disappears within 10 seconds if the user doesn’t click on it. The user can also opt to close the ad. If the user clicks on the campaign, the video clip they were watching automatically pauses and the full ad appears.

“What we have come up with is a user-controlled ad format that is engaging,” said Eileen Naughton, Google’s director for media platforms, in the New York Times. “We want our users to be able to accept and choose what type of advertising they engage in.”

Shiva Rajaraman, the product manager for YouTube, told the AP that based on internal research, more than 70 percent of people give up when they see a pre-roll. By contrast, less than 10 percent decide to close an overlay.

Initial video advertisers on YouTube include 20th Century Fox and New Line Cinema; about 50 companies have signed up for the new service, Reuters indicates. The clips that advertising will be featured in have all been legally licensed to the Google-owned site; no ads will appear in user-generated content. Revenues from video advertising on YouTube will be shared with the content owners. Advertisers will be charged $20 for every 1,000 times the ad is displayed.

Wallpaper* Founder Eyes Growth for New Title

Wallpaper* magazine founder Tyler Brule is at the sixth-month point of publishing a Monocle, a high-end, glossy newsmagazine focusing on "global affairs, business, culture & design." The London-based title is now opening its fourth bureau in Sydney, joining New York, Tokyo and Zurich.


The New York Observer writes that in the opinion of Tyler Brûlé, the ever-stylish Wallpaper* founder, the suits are looking at today’s media landscape completely backwards.

These days, he said, news executives and big-time publishers are foolishly closing foreign bureaus, cutting trim size, reducing paper stock, overdoing local news and swapping editorial authority for user-generated content.

“We’re not in the business of trying to build a galaxy of bloggers and churn out copy all day,” said Mr. Brûlé, who earlier this year launched Monocle, a high-end newsmagazine.

While Time redesigns, refashions and rethinks its business model—and crowns “You” person of the year—Mr. Brûlé is now at the sixth-month point of publishing a glossy 225-plus-page “briefing on global affairs, business, culture & design” stuffed with original photography and a “manga” comic book.

And as major newspapers like The Boston Globe shutter their foreign bureaus this year, Mr. Brûlé sees opportunity: next week, he said, Sydney will open as the London-based Monocle’s fourth bureau, joining New York, Tokyo and Zurich.

Mr. Brûlé, now 38, said that for years he’s considered launching a newsmagazine in the tradition of the “confident, robust newsstand weekly” he found in Germany, packed with “60 pages of foreign reportage.” In 1994, while freelancing for one such German magazine, Mr. Brûlé was struck by a sniper’s bullet in Afghanistan.

But the idea for Wallpaper* was also percolating during his recovery in London, and that’s the one that took off first, in 1996—clearing a market for aspirational cosmopolitans (yuppie-porn, to some). The category has skyrocketed since, with upscale shelter mags clogging the magazine racks at Barnes & Noble.

The following year, Mr. Brûlé sold the magazine to Time Inc. for $1.63 million, and founded a design agency, Wink Media (later Winkreative), in 1998. Mr. Brûlé remained editorial director until 2002, before leaving amid gossip about private jet expenses and disagreements with corporate higher-ups.

Before leaving Wallpaper*, Mr. Brûlé was already quoted in the press about his desire to launch a newsmagazine.

“That didn’t make them very happy at Time Inc,” Mr. Brûlé said, laughing. “Norman Pearlstine got so angry at me. I remember being screamed at on the phone in Hamburg.”

ESPNU Scores More Fans, Via Time Warner Deal

ESPNU, the 2-year-old network launched in response to College Sports Television (CSTV), will double its distribution this month, thanks to a sprawling deal between parent company Disney and Time Warner Cable.

TWC will make the channel available on its digital basic tier to 10 million of its subscribers by Sept. 1, taking ESPNU's availability to 20 million homes in time for football season, when it promises 70 games.

The rollout includes homes in New York by Aug. 30 and Los Angeles by Aug. 31.

ESPNU also stands to gain TWC subscribers quickly, since its deal gives it promised distribution to all TWC customers with digital basic--and more customers from a lower basic tier are upgrading. So far, 68% of TWC's 14.6 million customers have digital basic.

ESPNU's distribution bump is an outgrowth of a broader deal with Disney that gave TWC the rights to carry its owned-and-operated ABC stations and other benefits, such as providing a Disney Channel subscription VOD offering. In exchange, Disney received promises for distribution for a slew of cable channels, including ESPNU. The deal also included a renegotiation of the sub fees TWC would pay Disney for carriage of ESPN and ESPN2.

ESPNU launched in some 3 million homes in 2005.

MTV, AP Study: Internet Makes Young People Happy

Cellphones, the Internet and other technologies are integrally woven into the lives of today's 13- to 24-year-olds, according to a study on happiness and young people by MTV and the Associated Press. Half of those young people polled say the Internet alone helps them feel happier.

PR Newswire has more details about this study.

Facebook Goes Mobile on Apple iPhone

Facebook is launching a mobile version that works on the Apple iPhone. The new mobile edition of the social-networking site will allow users to access and update profiles, track friends, and find maps and driving directions for events scheduled on Facebook.

Red Herring has published a more detailed story here.

IAB and Lead Generation Committee Release Best Practices for Lead Generation

The Lead Generation Committee and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) have today released the Lead Generation Data Transfer Best Practices.

At the most practical level, the document will help standardize the transfer and reception of data between advertisers and lead generators.

Two major considerations served as guidelines for the final product:

* Security - lead generation data should be encrypted
* Common format and set up - the data must move in a common format through mainstream, secure internet technologies

"The committee encourages advertisers and publishers to implement these best practices and comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations to responsibly support the continued growth of this very important category," said SVP Gayle Guzzardo of Product Management at Q Interactive. She is also the Lead Generation Committee Chair.

Per the IAB/PwC 2006 Full Year Internet Advertising Revenue Report, lead generation revenue totaled $1.3 billion out of all 2006 advertising revenues ($16.9 billion), up from a (now seemingly paltry) $753 million in 2005.

Big Media Web Acquisitions Disappoint

Several traditional media companies are busy acquiring Internet start-ups. But more than a few of the recent deals are viewed as letdowns. Conde Nast purchased Reddit last year, only to see it eclipsed by rival Digg. Even News Corp.'s buy of MySpace is "showing signs of uncertainty."

CNet has more.

Size Matters in the UK

Audiences for print, online and events will be listed together for what is allegedly the first time ever in this week's Audit Bureau of Circulations release.


The Guardian reports that the average circulation of magazines proffered by the BBC and IPC Media will be featured alongside audience figures for other platforms, which common practice among newspaper publishers but unheard-of in the magazine world.

CEO Chris Boyd of the Bureau pointed out, "It has never been so important for media owners and buyers to consider full brand reach when making decisions […] The report enables media owners to offer agencies and advertisers verified, cross-platform data in an increasingly complex market - something that will become ever more important."

BBC Magazines will be the first to make the move. The firm also audits event attendance, in addition to online and print.

Its report, which will cover the period between January and June, will include circulation for seven magazines, attendance figures for four events, and user data for two online platforms.

Conde Nast Seeks Journalists, Actors for Webcast

The Web site of Conde Nast's business magazine Portfolio is planning a Rocketboom-like business news Webcast to be presented by either journalists or actors. The magazine is looking to hire Web hosts who are "intelligent, charismatic and humorous."

New York Times has the full story.

TVB Planning Cross-Media Buying Platform Rollout

The Television Bureau of Advertising is preparing for the fall launch of its ePort cross-media sales platform, reports MediaPost.

ePort will let members, ranging from TV stations to ad agencies, send and request proposals for ad buying on TV as well as online and on other digital media. The TVB has 21 broadcast groups and two sales rep firms already signed on and is hoping to bring the rest on board before the fall launch.

Spot Buy Spot, a Chicago-based technology firm, will manage the platform. The TVB is also planning a November initial launch for ePort, with more functionality and services, coming online in March of 2008.

Nokia announce new Global Network Marketing Agency

Espoo, Finland - Nokia today announced that it has chosen JWT as its global network marketing agency. The announcement is part of Nokia's marketing renewal that focuses on streamlining marketing planning and increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of all marketing activities. The marketing agency review has been an integral part of the marketing renewal process.

In July, Nokia announced Wieden + Kennedy's appointment as the global lead agency for Mobile Phones. Multimedia will continue to use Interpublic Group (IPG) for Nokia NSeries creative support and Enterprise Solutions will continue to use WPP as their global creative agency.

JWT will support the lead creative agencies in the implementation and localization of global campaigns. Also, as a strategic global partner, the agency will support local marketing activities in over 80 markets worldwide.

''Working together with JWT will help us to align our marketing efforts. With one global marketing network partner, we believe we will be better positioned to reach our goal of becoming the most loved and admired brand by people in the world",says Pekka Rantala, Senior Vice President, Nokia.

In the network marketing agency selection, a strong emphasis was put on choosing an agency that is best positioned to support Nokia's long term marketing strategy and business requirements locally. Additionally, a diverse repertoire of knowledge and experience was a key priority.

Transition to the new marketing mode will begin during the fall and will be fully operational by January 1, 2008.

Internet Ad Spending Set to Overtake Newspapers

Financial Times reports online advertising will overtake U.S. newspaper advertising in terms of size by 2011, according to a new forecast from Veronis Suhler Stevenson. Consumers are shifting to digital alternatives and migrating away from newspapers, broadcast television and other media.

NY Times Launches In-Flight Video Magazine

The New York Times and JetBlue Airways are launching "Times on Air," an in-flight video magazine offering content from the newspaper's TimesTalks events, which feature interviews of newsmakers and cultural leaders, as well as material from NYTimes.com.

Editor & Publisher reports today.

Murdoch Deal to Send Ripples Through Media World

Under Rupert Murdoch, a more aggressive Wall Street Journal could pose a greater threat to BusinessWeek, Forbes and Fortune, as well as the New York Times and the Financial Times. The Journal could develop a dominant online financial-news portal, or a MySpace-like social-networking site.

Wall Street Journal has the full story.

Rupert Murdoch's Victory

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Rupert Murdoch's victory in winning approval for New Corp.'s acquisition of Dow Jones and its flagship Wall Street Journal is a historic event with far-reaching implications for journalism, the media business, the competitive landscape and advertisers, says Ad Age media reporter Nat Ives in this video interview. The changes are likely to be most significant for the Journal because, he says, "Rupert Murdoch is going to come in as a purpose-driven, hands-on manager with an agenda. The Journal and Dow Jones for years have been almost drifting. ... The Bancroft family that controls the company has certainly been hands off and unsure about the quality of their own executives and now we have someone who really has a vision coming in to take control."

AdAge has published an online videoreport, which can be viewed here.

ESPN, MediaFLO USA, Verizon Align for New Mobile TV Channel

SAN DIEGO/LOS ANGELES/BASKING RIDGE, July 26: ESPN, MediaFLO USA and Verizon Wireless have teamed up for the delivery of the first mobile TV channel dedicated to action sports, EXPN, on Verizon’s V CAST Mobile TV, complementing X Games coverage.

EXPN will carry exclusive mobile coverage of competitions, behind-the-scenes action and commentary from X Games 13. The new mobile TV channel will be available for the duration of X Games 13. The new dedicated channel will feature live coverage of events provided by ESPN for eight hours each day from August 2 through August 5, everything from practices to qualifying events to event finals, a daily "Best of the X Games" segment that will show viewers all of the extreme highlights, and an ESPN debut of a double box segment during the rally car races that will give fans the opportunity to see the race from each driver's viewpoint as they compete side-by-side. Highlights of previous years' X Games also will be shown on the EXPN from July 22 through August 1, and "Best of the X Games" and X Game 13 replays will air August 6 through August 7.

"X Games fans want to see the action as it happens,” stated John Zehr, the senior VP of digital media production at ESPN. “By teaming with MediaFLO USA to offer this channel through Verizon Wireless, ESPN is reaffirming our commitment to our fans by showing all the extreme action while expanding our multi-platform approach. Through this dedicated channel, X fans will see Travis Pastrana's practice runs or Shaun White grab big air during the skateboarding finals even if they aren't near a big-screen TV."

Cuban: The Internet Is Dead; Cable Is King

HDNet chief Mark Cuban, who was made a billionaire by his Broadcast.com, now says: "The Internet's dead. It's over." Cuban asserts that cable and satellite have become superior to the Internet as platforms for interactive services. In effect, he says, cable networks are "intranets."

Multichannel has the full story.

Bancrofts to Consider Murdoch Bid, 'Close Vote' Predicted

The Bancroft family will meet today to consider News Corp.'s $5 billion bid for Wall Street Journal parent company Dow Jones. "It is going to be a close vote," says Ken Doctor, an analyst with research firm Outsell. "This is the decision of a lifetime for the family."

The New York Sun has the full story.

WSJ Ad Sales Team Sold on Murdoch

Advertising sales execs at the Wall Street Journal are said to be more welcoming of Rupert Murdoch's advances than their colleagues in editorial. Sales staffers are hoping Murdoch will add some much-needed marketing dollars. "It's a good marriage," said one Journal sales exec.

Advertising Age has more.

Web and TV to Converge in 2011

A new study from eMarketer finds TV and web video may converge in 2011, reports Business Week.

Video ad sales are expected to climb from $775 million this year to $3.1 billion in 2010 and then a jump to $4.3 billion in 2011. However, this still only accounts for $1 of every $10 spent on Internet advertising.

Ultimately, eMarketer believes over the next few years video advertising will enter a grand experimental phase. It is after 2011 that TV and web advertising will really start to converge. Among the current experiements:

Major media companies like Sony are already starting to blur lines. Recently launched Crackle touts high-quality video and has the goal of finding high-quality talent to fill the netwaves.

Yahoo is testing animated window-shade ads that users can pull down over a video and graphical ads that appear during a video in the same way TV networks show ads at the bottom during programming.

Startup VideoEgg is experimenting with overlaid graphic ads that appear within content. A good move, considering 77 percent find current video advertising, such as pre-roll, too intrusive.

Cost is also a major reason why video is growing. Startup TurnHere produces internet videos for as little as $500, pulling from a network of 2,000 independent filmmakers who can shoot for local businesses.

European Online Marketing Spend to Hit 16B Euros, 2012

Spend on online marketing in Europe will double in the next five years, from around 7.5 billion euros in 2006 to more than 16 billion euros in 2012, according to a new Forrester report, "European Online Marketing Tops €16 Billion In 2012," reports MarketingCharts.

Online marketing - email, and search and display advertising - will account for 18 percent of total media budgets in Europe in five years, according to the projections.

The reason for this shift in spending is that audience and attention are moving online, according to Forrester:

Newspapers Suffer Most in Ad Dollars Lost to Internet

Newspapers more than other media are losing ad dollars from leading national advertisers, who are shifting budget away from traditional media to the Internet, according to a new report from Wachovia Equity Research, via Editor & Publisher.

By category, in 2006 only financial services advertisers increased spending in newspapers, which have seen less money from the automotive, retail, telecommunications, general services, media, and tech/Internet categories, according to Wachovia.

Additional findings from Wachovia:

* Of the seven categories considered, only one - financial services - increased spending in newspapers in 2006.
* Television, however, had more money flowing in from four of those seven categories: telecommunications, automotive, media and tech/Internet.
* Among the seven categories in the aggregate, newspapers lost 14.3 percent in advertising dollars, and TV gained 4.4 percent. Internet ad spend increased 17.8 percent. Spend in other measured channels decreased 1.1 percent.
* The top telecommunications advertisers shifted the most ad spend away from newspapers: In 2005 they spent 31.6 percent in newspapers, but in 2006 they spent 24 percent.
* In 2005, the top auto advertisers spent 9.2 percent, but just 4.6 percent in 2006, on newspapers.
* Retail advertisers spent 29.8 percent on newspapers in 2005 and 28 percent in 2006.

Internet ad spend growth would need to be 15 percent per year over the next decade to reach the level of ad spend going to newspapers, according to Wachovia.

GroupM: Internet Driving U.K. Ad Spending on Other Media

A new study from the agency GroupM says online ad spending is actually helping stem losses from other media, reports MediaPost.

The report from GroupM predicts losses at traditional media outlets will either level off or drop only one percent this year. The increased dollars spent online have been, it's believed, contributing to that decline as traditional media outlets find they can't demand the same price increases they once could.

Overall, and largely driven by online spending, GroupM believes ad revenue in the UK will grow by four percent in 2007.

MarketingCharts provides detailed coverage of GroupM's UK forecast.

Global Entertainment, Media Industry to Hit $2 Trillion in 2011

According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the global entertainment and media industry will increase at a compound annual growth rate of 6.4 percent to $2 trillion in 2011, with the Internet, TV platforms and video games as the fastest-growing sectors, and Brazil, Russia, India and China as key markets for rapid growth.

The PricewaterhouseCoopers' Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2007-2011 predicts double-digit growth for digital and mobile spending during the next five years, rising to $153 billion by 2011. Furthermore, the spending on the distribution of entertainment and media on convergent platforms will exceed 50 percent of global spending by 2011. Within the next five years, nearly half of the total industry growth is expected to be generated through online and wireless technologies and, during the same period, broadband households will grow by 300 million to 540 million subscribers and wireless subscribers will increase by 1.1 billion to 3.4 billion.

"Content, distribution and technology companies need to aggressively seek out new relationships to accommodate the shift towards convergence,” said Jim O'Shaughnessy, the global chairman of the Entertainment & Media practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers. “Furthermore, companies will need to test new business models to address increased fragmentation and intellectual property in a digital era. Deal activity across the entertainment and media sector is accelerating, driven by the migration to digital formats."

Global advertising will increase at a 5.4 percent CAGR to $531 billion in 2011 from $407 billion in 2006. The Internet will remain the fastest growing advertising medium, with a projected 18.3 percent CAGR to $73 billion in 2011, comprising 14 percent of the global advertising market.

Spending on convergent platforms will grow faster than other platforms and will account for 72 percent of the total entertainment and media growth during the next five years. Asia Pacific will be the fastest growing convergent platform region, with a projected 13.5 percent increase. Double-digit growth is expected in Latin America.

Economic expansion and a surging entertainment and media market are driving significant growth in Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC). Led by India and China, E&M spending in BRIC will increase by a 14.7 percent CAGR to $251.5 billion in 2011, accounting for 24 percent of global E&M growth during the next five years. "The surge in broadband and wireless adoption is generating new digital revenue streams across multiple segments," said Marcel Fenez, the global managing partner for the Entertainment & Media practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers. "Broadband growth is driving online advertising while the proliferation of next-generation wireless devices designed to play digital music, video games and receive TV programming is fueling mobile distribution. For example, Asia Pacific spending on distribution of television programming on mobile phones is expected to reach $6.5 billion in 2011 from just $26 million in 2006."

The U.S. remains the largest but slowest growing E&M market, with a 5.3 percent CAGR, reaching $754 billion in 2011. EMEA, the second largest market, will expand at a 5.5 percent CAGR to $617 billion in 2011. Led by Saudi Arabia/Pan Arab and South Africa, Middle East/Africa will continue to be the growth region, averaging 8.5 percent CAGR during the forecast period. TV distribution, Internet advertising and access spending and video games will be the fastest growth segments. Asia Pacific will remain the fastest-growing region. Spending in Asia Pacific will average 9.6 percent annual growth, increasing from $297 billion in 2006 to $470 billion in 2011. India will be the fastest growing during the next five years at 18.5 percent CAGR, followed by China with a 16.8 percent CAGR. Latin America's E&M market, the second fastest-growing region, is projected to rise at an 8.9 percent CAGR to $68 billion in 2011. Canada is projected to expand at a 5.6 percent CAGR to $47 billion in 2011.

The global Internet market rose 21.8 percent, the fastest-growing segment in 2006. Advertising rose 37.9 percent and access spending increased 18.8 percent. Globally, Internet advertising and access spending is expected to grow from $177 billion in 2006 to $332 billion in 2011.

The global television distribution market, the second fastest-growing segment, increased by 9.4 percent in 2006, an improvement compared with the 6.5 percent increase in 2005. Aggressive rollout of Internet protocol television from telephone companies is stimulating competition and fueling subscriber growth. Globally, the television distribution market will increase from $161 billion in 2006 to $251 billion in 2011.

The TV network market rose 6.2 percent in 2006. Globally, spending will increase from $172 billion in 2006 to $228 billion in 2011. Sports increased 12 percent. Spending in the sports segment is expected to increase from $96 billion in 2006 to $124 billion in 2011. Filmed entertainment rebounded in 2006 with a 2.9 percent advance following a 2.6 percent decline in 2005. Globally, filmed entertainment spending will rise from $81 billion in 2006 to $103 billion in 2011.

Europe Online Ad Spend Nearly $11B in 2006

Online advertising spending in Europe reached 8 billion euros ($10.8 billion) in 2006, up from 4.6 billion euros in 2005, according to figures released Monday by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (Europe), writes MarketingCharts.

The UK led the 13 countries covered by the IAB's report, accounting for 39 percent of total online ad spend with 3.1 billion euros. Germany (1.7 billion euros) is second with 22 percent; France (1.1 billion euros) is third with 15 percent; followed by the Netherlands with 7 percent.

Search accounted for 45 percent of all online ad spending in Europe, followed by display ads at 31 percent; classifieds, 22 percent; and email, 1.6 percent.

Online's share of total ad expenditures exceeded 10 percent in three European countries: the UK, the Netherlands and Denmark.

Advertisers spent an average of 82.46 euros for each U.K. web user in 2006, compared with roughly 60 euros for U.S. web users - and more than double the 39 euro average for all 13 EU countries measured by the study.