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Tuesday, June 15, 1999 Media Cynic | Forum | Advertising | Classifieds | Jobs National Lampoon Plans Fall Internet Launch National Lampoon, the Los Angeles based subsidiary of J2 Communications, has announced that it will launch a website, "nationallampoon.com, The Humor Network" in early fall, 1999 with online and offline consumer promotions. Describing the rationale behind nationallampoon.com, J2 President and CEO James P. Jimirro stated, "Our research tells us that we can develop a website which will be extremely profitable because of its appeal to advertisers pursuing our upscale, educated, young male demographic. Sales of National Lampoon merchandise will also be an extraordinary source of revenue." Mr. Jimirro went on to say, "nationallampoon.com will be unique. That's why we're calling it a 'network' instead of a 'website.' We are creating it as an entertainment product with an enormous variety of targeted programming designed to create a large, loyal audience." Editor-In-Chief Scott Rubin heads the team creating the site. He brings to National Lampoon a broad background in comedy writing. His material has appeared on The Tonight Show, Late Night With David Letterman, The Howie Mandell Show, and many other programs. In addition, Mr. Rubin wrote extensively for Gary Shandling, working with him to develop new standup routines. Other credits include Comedy Consultant on Columbia Pictures, feature Punchline, starring Tom Hanks. He also wrote and co-produced on CBS's Midnight Hour comedy/variety show. Richard Bressler Named Chairman and CEO of Time Warner Digital Media Richard Bressler, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Time Warner Inc., has been named chairman and CEO of Time Warner Digital Media, it was announced by Time Warner Chairman and CEO Gerald M. Levin. Bressler, who will report to Levin, will assume his new duties on July 15, when his successor as CFO will be named. In this newly created position, Bressler will be responsible for the rollout and management of Time Warner's vertical Internet hubs, the creation of a company-wide e-commerce infrastructure to support them, and the further development and implementation of the company's Internet strategy. Reporting to Bressler will be Michael Pepe, who will become president and chief operating officer of Time Warner Digital Media, and the leaders of the five vertical hubs in their online business capacities. In making the announcement, Time Warner Chairman and CEO Gerald M. Levin said, "Digital media is Time Warner's single-most important growth area. I am pleased to put an executive of Rich Bressler's caliber in charge of an area that is transforming the company. More than any other Time Warner executive, Bressler is uniquely qualified to lead our company through a revolution that is transforming both our content and distribution businesses. His values, credibility, financial acumen, track record and collegiality, as well as his close relationships throughout Time Warner, make him the right person for this crucial position." Bressler has served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Time Warner Inc. since January 1998. He has been responsible for the management of all corporate strategic and financial activities. Previously, he had been senior vice president and chief financial officer since March 1995. Prior to that appointment, Bressler had been senior vice president, finance, of Time Warner since January 1995. Millionaire Magazine Goes Monthly Millionaire.com has announced that its Millionaire Magazine is being published monthly, rather than quarterly. "Millionaire has grown in size from 248 pages in Feb., its last quarterly issue, to 352 pages in Millionaire's first monthly publication -- the July issue which features Clint Eastwood on its cover; likewise advertising revenue increased 60% in the same period," states David Strong, V.P. of Marketing. Executive Edge From GartnerGroup Tops 50,000 Readers Gartner Group, Inc. has announced that circulation of its Executive Edge magazine has surpassed 50,000 qualified readers. GartnerGroup research shows that executives will be responsible for making or influencing 60 percent of the information technology (IT) spending decisions by 2003. Executive Edge is produced bimonthly in a partnership between GartnerGroup and Forbes Special Interest Publications. "Technology strategies are now corporate strategies," said William Clifford, president and CEO, GartnerGroup. "Each issue of Executive Edge discusses major technology trends that affect corporations and have a direct impact on the bottom line. The goal of this publication is to deliver the most strategic IT information that business executives need to remain competitive." The current June/July issue examines how Sikorsky Aircraft is designing helicopters in real time; how a Consumer Financial Network is helping customers get the best insurance rates; and reviews two new e-business models. In addition, former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commissioner Steve Wallman talks about how technology is affecting SEC disclosure requirements. Julie Andrews to Publish Memoir and Children's Books Hyperion and Hyperion Books for Children have announced a publishing deal with actress, singer, and author Julie Andrews. Hyperion will publish Ms. Andrews's as-yet-untitled memoir, tentatively scheduled for Spring 2001. Hyperion Books for Children will publish Little Bo in Fall 1999. Little Bo will be a continuing series with a second book planned for Fall 2001. Future publishing projects include a picture book series with her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton and Emma's father Tony Walton. Of the acquisition, Robert S. Miller, senior vice president and managing director, Hyperion, said: "Julie Andrews is one of the most beloved members of the extended Disney family. We couldn't be more thrilled to be working with her on her memoir." "It has been a great pleasure working on my children's book as well as my memoir with The Walt Disney Publishing teams. I do hope that the books will be worthy of the Disney tradition of quality and creativity," Andrews said. FOXSports.com and Golf Digest Partner FOXSports.com and Golf Digest and Golf World magazines have teamed up to offer comprehensive coverage of the U.S. Open. In addition, the sites are giving golf fans the chance to win a golf vacation in the 'Pick The Winners' sweepstakes. FOXSports.com and Golf Digest are providing online visitors with an in-depth look at all the U.S. Open contenders, as well as the overall field of competition. Golf Digest's contributions to the site include profiles on the players, hole-by-hole descriptions of the award-winning Pinehurst course, a summary of course changes, a profile of the course designer Donald Ross, daily previews and a nightly recap of the day's events. "FOXSports.com is committed to covering golf and our relationship with Golf Digest has helped us tremendously to do that," said Danny Greenberg, vice president of FOX Sports Online. "No one knows golf better, from the game to the players to the perfect swing, than Golf Digest." iDefense Launches Online News Source for Cybersecurity Professionals Infrastructure Defense, Inc. (iDefense) is launching iPartnership, an online news source for cybersecurity professionals. iPartnership will provide breaking news and coverage of the growing cyberthreat environment. Content includes features and commentary by experienced cybersecurity writers and experts and articles gathered from multiple wire services. "The recent ExploreZip worm and the Chernobyl and Melissa viruses, as well as numerous hacks of government Web sites, illustrate that we all have a stake in safeguarding the digital pipeline," said James Adams, CEO of iDefense. "iPartnership represents a major part of iDefense's larger mission -- to help companies and industries manage their dependencies on the critical infrastructure." Yep.Com Search Engine Launches WebSideStory has launched Yep.com, a search engine that ranks sites based on quality and popularity. Yep.com, in contrast to major search engines, is capable of acquiring popularity and quality results through the real-time visitor data compiled by WebSideStory's HitBox Tracker. The HitBOX Tracker has been implemented by more than 300,000 websites, all of which are now rated by Yep.com. Yep.com popularity ratings are based on a site's average number of unique daily page visits. Quality ratings are determined by a variety of qualifying criteria based upon stats provided by the HitBox Tracker. Categories of sites cover a diverse set of topics that include, arts & literature, business & career, entertainment, finance & investing, health & fitness, home & family, shopping, sports, travel and other prevalent resources. "Yep.com is another innovative addition to the WebSideStory family of Internet sites and services. It provides more than random search results, it delivers customized and accurate content," said Blaise Barrelet, WebSideStory's president and CEO. "Like all of our sites, Yep.com offers capabilities that can't be found anywhere else. We didn't invent the concept of searching for Web sites, but we have taken the process to new heights, creating a more valuable and fulfilling experience for the end-user." 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