Jackass Tests The Web With First Online Release

Jackass 2.5 will be released online this Wednesday, December 19th, in which many are calling a ground breaking venture. The movie will stream for free but will feature :15 and :30 commercials between various scenes. Jackass 2.5 will be used a barometer for web video but will also be used as a tool to drive traffic to www.jackassworld.com.

Click here to read the full article at the New York Times.

Tom Brokaw Book Tour

I just returned from listening to Tom Brokaw give a speech at the Westin Hotel this morning. He is on a tour promoting his new book titled, "Boom: Voices of the Sixties." It was very interesting to listen to a news anchor who reported through events that helped shape our country over the past 40 years.

Out of the hour that he spoke, I took away a few very interesting lines about media in today's culture. Someone asked the question about how media plays a role in how we interact and engage news. He responded by saying that over the past 40 or so years media has changed due to the fact that the news was printed and we read it and that was it. The news was read, we listened and that was it. It was always a one way interaction where we received the news in our homes and did not have a voice or a chance to engage that news.

Today of course is much different because we read the news, listen to the news, then we have the chance to interact, whether that is through a Blog, much like this one, or online message forums, etc. etc. Technology has changed the way we interact with the media and has helped to shape the voice we carry in everyday news. It provides the opportunity for media outlets to take our feedback whether they like it or not and understand our opinion and voice on a particular topic.

One other change that we have to note is the way in which we receive our news. No longer do we wait for the newspaper to be delivered or the 5pm news to come on. We now have access to news 24 hours a day. The last 40 years has provided several changes in the way our news is delivered and the next 40 will provide several more changes.

If Tom Brokaw is coming to your city on his book tour then I highly recommend taking the time to listen to his speech. I personally did not live through the Sixties, however it was still interesting to listen to his discussion on this time period.

Microsoft Begins Selling Ads For MSN Mobile

Microsoft announced today that they will begin selling advertisements on MSN Mobile. Users will find either a small graphic or a text link on their phones, dependant upon the quality and size of their phones.

Click here to read the full article at NewYorkTimes.com.

FOX Television Is Scripting A Hit With "Back To You"

FOX is getting a lot of press early for their new program starring Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton. The show, "Back to You" is about two news anchors in Pittsburgh. However the premise of the show is not what is catching many peoples attention, the real catch is the fact that FOX is historically known for shows that target A16-24, not programs that reach A25-54.

Click here to read the article from AdAge.com.

NBC Regroups To Offer Downloads

After discontinuing their contract with Apple a few weeks ago, NBC announced today that they will begin offering dowloads of their top programs.


Click here to read the article.

CBS Buys In-Store Media Company SignStorey

The owners of in-store digital networks should all be thrilled to hear this news today that CBS has purchased SignStorey for over $75 million. Click here to read the article.

Sex and Violence Increases In Prime Time Study Finds

Click here to read the article about the incresae of sex and violence in Prime Time. TGIF is gone and these days its all about what show can entertain you the best with guns and girls. Remember the good ol' days of Family Matters, Full House, Step by Step, and Family Ties? They are long gone!

Business 2.0 Shuts Down

A few weeks ago you may have noticed an article on my blog about Business 2.0 and how the magazine was struggling. Today it was announced that Business 2.0 will be shut down for good. Click here to read the article.

NBC Working A Deal With Amazon To Sell Content

NBC announced today that they are working with Amazon to sell content less than a week after they said they would not sell on iTunes. Downloads will be coming available on Unbox, Amazon's content site and will be sold for more than iTunes was willing to sell content for. This is apparently the reason NBC has decided to cancel their deal with iTunes is because they believe Apple is selling videos for too cheap.

Click here to read the article at NY Times.com.

CBS Striking Out With Advertisers Over Kid Nation

CBS is not having much luck with their new reality series, "Kid Nation." Over half of their top ten advertisers have already taken a pass on the show that is already beeing seen as controversial. Kid Nation is a program that features 40 kids between the ages of 8-15 who are stuck in a remote location where they are forced to build their own society. Does it sound like something you want your brand associated with?

Click here to read the article.