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.”

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.

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."

IAB Issues Digital Measurement Guidelines

THE INTERACTIVE ADVERTISING BUREAU has issued a public set of guidelines on the measurement of digital media in general, and rich online media in particular. The IAB is also inviting members of the industry to publicly comment on the guidelines through the first week of June.

The guidelines attempt to gauge the level at which an ad impression is counted in rich online application environments supported by AJAX and JSON technologies. The best-practice tips are geared to online browser or browser-equivalent-based Web activity that no longer link page content changes and ad serving.

Ajax and JSON technologies have grown increasingly popular by providing updated content to Web users without having to refresh an entire Web page. While improving the user experience, however, Ajax and JSON make traditional metrics such as page views and ad impressions less relevant and more difficult to gauge.

The IAB officially unveiled its Rich Internet Application Ad Measurement Guidelines at an IAB Leadership Forum earlier this month in New York. The IAB has now called on agencies, publishers and tech vendors to review these guidelines, and to offer ideas and criticisms up for public debate.

The guidelines state that "in instances where significant user activity (click-through and responding to mail and changing search options through clicking or typing, etc.) is present, this activity can be directly tied to ad-serving and counting provided that counting rules are defined in a consistent and fully disclosed manner."

The guidelines go on to acknowledge that "in special circumstances, due to the nature of the application, there may be no material user activity, for example, a single streaming event (e.g., financial tickers, sports game coverage, long single-stream video content). In these cases disclosure and counting must abide by the auto-refresh guidelines of the current IAB Ad Impression Measurement Guidelines.