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Friday, March 9, 2001 Media Cynic | Forum | Advertising | Classifieds | Jobs Publishing Industry Soundbytes ·Film & Video magazine has announced that its parent company has acquired ShowBiz Expo, a gathering for entertainment production professionals to learn about the latest technologies. Film & Video magazine is a monthly covering entertainment production and post-production. ShowBiz Expo will feature advancements in film production, cinematography, digital cinema, special effects, editing and new media. ·Space.com, a space multimedia company, announced the appointment of John C. Ferrara to President and Chief Operating Officer. In his new position, Ferrara will execute the company's business strategy, direct day-to-day operations, implement acquisitions and oversee marketing plans to further build the Space.com brand. Ferrara, who joined the company in November 1999 as Chief Financial Officer, will continue to report to Chairman and CEO Lou Dobbs. Prior to joining Space.com, Ferrara served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Golden Books Family Entertainment, Inc.. ·CNET Networks, Inc. has announced revised guidance for the first quarter of 2001. Based on current forecasts, the company estimates that revenue for the quarter ending March 31, 2001 will be between $75 million and $80 million. It had previously issued revenue guidance of $86 million to $92 million. Based on the revised revenue guidance, the company expects a first quarter EBITDA loss of between $5 million and $12 million. CNET also recently cut about 10% of its staff. ·Deborah Dugan has been promoted to executive vice president and managing director, Disney Publishing Worldwide, it was announced by Andrew Mooney, president of Disney Consumer Products. Dugan manages a staff of more than 500 people around the world and heads all activities for Disney Publishing Worldwide. ·AOL Time Warner announced a new multi-million dollar expansion of its marketing alliance with Kinko's, Inc., a provider of document solutions and business services. Under the new agreement, Kinko's and AOL Time Warner will build upon previous relationships across various AOL Time Warner properties to create marketing programs designed to drive awareness and sales. The expanded alliance will integrate Kinko's current and future marketing efforts by creating programs that leverage AOL Time Warner's network of on-air, online and print media. ·Randall Publishing Company, publisher of Overdrive, Truckers News, Trucking Co. and its ``everything trucking'' industry information and service website, eTrucker.net, has agreed to acquire PNV.com, a division of PNV, Inc., of Coral Springs, Florida. PNV.com is a website for the trucking industry boasting 50,000 registered users. Dates for finalizing the combination of the two websites have not yet been determined. ·Abandon Ventures and its partner Mythic Entertainment announced that they would join with Beijing-based China Interactive Media Group (CIMG) to form China New Media (CNM), a new company created to bring the best interactive, online entertainment to the People's Republic of China. The announcement was jointly made by Marcus Ticotin, CEO & President of Abandon Entertainment, parent company of Abandon Ventures and Mark Jacobs, CEO & President of Mythic Entertainment. ·King Content Company, a strategic publishing firm and publisher of ecomSecurity.com, a website with security news and resources, announced the launch of SecurityGram, a free weekly electronic news bulletin providing information on the subject of esecurity. ·Mediapassage, a provider of ecommerce solutions for the planning, placement, and payment of ad media transactions, and OneMediaPlace, an online service specializing in front-end planning and purchasing functions for a range of media channels, have announced the completion of the merger of their two companies. It has also been announced that the name of the merged company will be Mediapassage. ·MSNBC.com, an Internet news site, announced NewsStand, a free service that delivers MSNBC.com headlines to any homepage. Website owners can add a variety of MSNBC.com headlines, selecting from MSNBC.com headlines including; News, Business, Technology, Sports, Living, and Travel to their website. NewsStand.MSNBC.com provides the code to place a graphic (150 pixels wide and approximately 231 pixels tall) at the top of the homepage. The graphic displays the top three headlines from one of the specialized sections. The headlines are updated throughout the day and as news breaks. Users clicking on the NewsStand graphic will be linked to the specific MSNBC.com section front. ·InformationWeek announced that Joseph E. Maglitta, a veteran business technology journalist, has been appointed to Editor of Events. Maglitta will be responsible for day-to-day management of the InformationWeek's events business from the editorial side as well assisting with long-range and strategic planning. ·Eyeforauto.com, an ebusiness and telematics information resource for auto industry executives, announced the launch of two new free print publications for senior decision makers. Telematics Update and E-Business Update will be separate magazines focusing on the latest strategic developments for auto industry executives. ·Principal partners Ethel Himmel and William Wilson of the Himmel & Wilson Library Consulting Agency have accepted positions on the UndergroundE Board of Advisors. UndergroundE's digital publishing format, the AddieBook, is an ad-sponsored interactive electronic book. The Himmel & Wilson Library Consulting Agency has worked with libraries, library systems, and state library agencies in thirty US states since their start-up in 1987. ·The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) announced the 2001 AAJA National Scholarship Program to honor outstanding Asian Pacific American students entering journalism and to encourage students who will help present fair and accurate coverage of Asian American issues. ·Bikini.com, a website elebrating the beach, has signed a book deal with Universe Publishing, a division of Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., as announced by Howard Sonnenschein, President and Co-Founder, Bikini.com and Charles Meirs, Publisher, Universe Publishing. Bikini.com's publishing debut, Bikini.com Boys: A Guide to the Cutest Boys on the Beach, will take readers coast-to-coast with teen idols of summer and surf. The book is scheduled for U.S. release in June 2001. ·A jury awarded Murray Hill Publications, Inc. of Detroit, MI, $19 Million in compensatory damages regarding a lawsuit the company filed against 20th Century Fox Studios for copyright infringement regarding the movie Jingle All the Way, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and comedian Sinbad. Murray Hill Publications, Inc. may also seek attorney fees and costs. Century Fox has not yet announced whether or not the company will appeal the decision. The suit contended that 20th Century Fox stole the script, originally titled ``Could This Be Christmas,'' after Murray Hill pitched it to Fox in mid-1994. Soon after the screenplay was rejected, Fox purchased the rights to Jingle All The Way, a screenplay supposedly written by Ed McQueen. Murray Hill's lawsuit further contended that McQueen is actually Randy Kornfield, an in-house script reader for Fox. ·Gaylord Entertainment Company has sold its stock and equity interests in five businesses to the privately held Oklahoma Publishing Company (OPUBCO) for $22 million in cash as well as the assumption of approximately $20 million in third party debt. The businesses sold were Gaylord Films, Pandora Films, Gaylord Sports Management Group, Gaylord Event Television and Gaylord Production Company. Gaylord Films, Pandora and Gaylord Event Television are located in California, Gaylord Sports Management Group is in Arizona and Gaylord Production Company is in Tennessee. ·Blockbuster Inc. announced that it has terminated its exclusive services agreement with Enron Broadband Services but will continue the development of its Blockbuster entertainment on-demand service. In regards to the four-city trial of the Blockbuster entertainment on-demand service currently being conducted in Seattle, Portland, American Fork, Utah, and New York City, Blockbuster anticipates the test will proceed as planned and expects to work with Enron to complete the end of the trial. ·Belo announced that Christopher J. Feola, 42, has been named vice president/technology for Belo Interactive, Inc., Belo's Internet subsidiary. He previously served as Belo Interactive's chief of technology. ·Ticketmaster announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Evite.com, an online activity center with one million unique users a month. ·Uncommon Media Group, inc., a provider of crossover media solutions, has named Joe Feshbach, known for his weekly financial forecasting letter, to the Advisory Board of Uncommon Media Group, Inc. ·MGM Home Entertainment Group, a unit of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. has promoted Eric Villette to Senior Vice President-Operations, it was announced by David Bishop, President of the division. In his new position, Mr. Villette will oversee all aspects of procurement, distribution, and credit for the Home Entertainment division, both domestically and internationally. He reports to Jeff Karbowiak, Senior Vice President of Finance and Operations for the division. ·Hoover's, Inc., a provider of online business information, tools, and content integration and syndication technology, announced it will consolidate Hoover's Media Technologies (HMT) operations at its Austin, Texas-based headquarters. Hoover's acquired HMT, formerly Powerize Inc., in August of 2000. The HMT offices in Reston, Va., and Linthicum, Md., will be closed by the end of March. HMT currently employs 36 people at these two offices. An undetermined, but significant, number of these employees will be offered the opportunity to follow HMT to Texas. To the extent that these offers are not accepted, new staff will be hired in Texas. ·The Harvey Entertainment Company announced that it has signed an agreement with Classic Media, LLC, for the sale of its library of Classic Characters, including Casper, the Friendly Ghost, Richie Rich, Baby Huey, Little Audrey, and the other Classic Characters as well as certain contractual rights and agreements which relate to those assets. Classic Media, LLC is a New York- based company engaged in the acquisition and management of entertainment properties. ·AOL announced that Robert Friedman has been named President of AOLTV, reporting to the company's Chairman and CEO, Barry Schuler. Friedman will set strategic direction and oversee daily operations for AOLTV, an interactive television service. ·GasPriceWatch.com is a free site that consumers use to find the lowest prices for gasoline in their neighborhood. GasPriceWatch has launched a Media Link Partner Program which allows news outlets using print, radio and television the ability to reach their audience with information about daily high and low gasoline prices in their localized markets. This free service aims to give media outlets a way to generate revenue with advertiser sponsorships, similar to traditional traffic, sports, news and weather updates. ·Dennis J. FitzSimons, Tribune Company executive vice president and Tribune Broadcasting president, announced new executive appointments within the broadcasting group. Patrick J. Mullen, regional vice president/Tribune Television, has been named president/Tribune Television. Michael Eigner, president/Tribune Television, has been named to the newly created position of president/Tribune Cable. Peter S. Walker, regional vice president/Tribune Television, has been named senior vice president/Tribune Television. John E. Reardon, vice president/general manager of KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, has been named West Coast regional vice president. ·Individual Investor Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: IIGP - news) announced that it received a Nasdaq Staff Determination indicating that the company failed to maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 as required for continued listing pursuant to Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 4450(a)(5) and that its common stock is, therefore, subject to delisting from the Nasdaq National Market. The company intends to request a hearing before a Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Panel to review the Staff Determination. ·SBI Communications announced that it has changed its name to ValCom, Inc. and has received a new trading symbol (OTC Bulletin Board: VCMI; Frankfurt XETRA: SE8). The new name reflects the recently concluded merger with Valencia Entertainment International, an entertainment company that includes television production for network and syndicate, theatrical motion pictures, new media services, automobile and antique auctions, and real estate holdings. Valencia owns 30 acres of land located on both the east and west coasts, and approximately 300,000 square feet of commercial buildings, which is the set for six film and production sound stages. Valencia currently has lease contracts with Paramount Pictures for the CBS series JAG and Saban Entertainment for the Fox Family show Power Rangers. Valencia's clients include: Warner Bros., Universal, MGM, HBO, NBC, Twentieth Century Fox, Disney, CBS, Sony, Showtime, and the USA Network. Click here to return to the homepage of The Write NewsTM Click here to subscribe to our free weekly email newsletter.  www.writenews.com Copyright © 1997-2007 by Writers Write, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
