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Wednesday, May 9, 2001 Media Cynic | Forum | Advertising | Classifieds | Jobs Publishing Industry Soundbytes · bigchalk, a K-12 online education network, announced the appointment of Eric Ober to the position of president and chief operating officer. Ober will be responsible for driving day-to-day operations for the company and bringing to market the next generation of elearning solutions across the company's three divisions: Library Resources Publishing, Classroom Products and Consumer Products. · Automatic Media, the company behind Plastic.com, FEED and Suck, has entered into an agreement with Upoc, a developer of mobile community technologies, to offer Plastic content through its wireless delivery service. Upoc's technology will allow Plastic users to receive daily updates on the latest pop culture news on any mobile device or carrier and support distinct Plastic wireless communities within which subscribers can share information and commentary relating to the site's pop culture news. · James Keplesky has been promoted to vice president, advertising sales for the ABC branded properties of the Walt Disney Internet Group, including ABC.com, ABCNews.com and Enhanced TV, it was announced by Richard Glover, executive vice president, Internet media, Walt Disney Internet Group. Keplesky had been vice president of advertising sales for ABCNews.com. In his expanded role, Keplesky will be responsible for establishing and implementing all sales policies and strategies for these properties as they expand and restructure their online entertainment and news content under a new, more robust ABC.com site which will launch in September. · ScreamingMedia, Inc., a provider of content solutions, announced that Kevin Clark, Chief Executive Officer, has been elected to the additional role of Chairman of the Board and that Jay Chiat, current Chairman, was elected Chairman Emeritus. As Chairman, Clark will focus his attention on strategic opportunities, including new growth channels for the Company. He will also working with the Company and its Board of Directors to find a successor for the job of Chief Executive Officer. Spencer Stuart and Associates has been hired to assist in finding this successor and Clark will continue to serve as ScreamingMedia's Chief Executive Officer until a new Chief Executive Officer is in place. Once the position is filled, Clark will remain Chairman of the Board of ScreamingMedia. · Her Interactive, a developer and publisher of interactive entertainment for girls and women, announced a five-year renewal of the licensing agreement with Simon & Schuster for the worldwide interactive rights to super-sleuth Nancy Drew. Under the terms of the deal, Her Interactive will develop 10 new Nancy Drew interactive games across multiple platforms over the next five years. · Scott Adams announced publication of his first non-Dilbert book, available exclusively as an ebook. It's called God's Debris and customers can download it at Dilbert.com by following the links to the God's Debris download page hosted by DigitalOwl. Readers can preview the introduction for free and download the complete book for $4.95. Why publish exclusively as an ebook? Adams says, ``Traditional publishers are great at promoting things that fit into categories. God's Debris isn't like anything you'll find on the bookshelves. There's even some debate about whether it's fiction or non-fiction. With an ebook I don't have any of the constraints of working with a publisher. I can sell it at half the normal price and no one is making me promote it by flying to Bakersfield to shake hands with sweaty strangers.'' · Bolt, a communications platform for 15- to 24-year olds, and Three Rivers Press, the paperback imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., have published Tagbook - The Bolt Book of Questions and Answers. Based on Bolt's online tool of the same name, Tagbook lets young adults poll each other on any subject that piques their interest, from sex and relationships to spirituality, peer pressure and entertainment. Tagbook features more than 100 member-created questions culled by Bolt members Kate Levitt and Dennis Sarkozy, the book's teen editors who were selected in an email marketing effort that targeted Bolt members interested in Arts & Writing. · Adobe Systems Incorporated, a provider of publishing software, announced the availability of more than 200 ebook titles targeted at mobile professionals. Available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), titles include The Wall Street Journal Guide to Business Schools by the editors of the Wall Street Journal and Harris Interactive (Wall Street Journal Books, by Simon & Schuster, Inc.), 52 Weeks to Financial Fitness by Marshall Loeb (Crown Business) and You're 50, Now What? by Charles Schwab (Crown Business). · With the goal of creating entertainment product that educates, fosters curiosity and an on-going interest in learning, Cary Granat, former president of Miramax Films' Dimension label, and Anschutz have established New York-based Walden Media. The subsidiary of The Anschutz Company aims to offer audiences innovative and exciting ways to immerse themselves in the subject matter of its television, film, new media and publishing products. Walden Media has assembled a core team whose various disciplines will facilitate the company's objectives. Founder and chief executive officer Cary Granat is joined by veteran educational innovator Micheal Flaherty (co-founder and president), and their third partner Digital Planet co-founder Joshua Greer (chief convergence officer). Rounding out the company's executive team is former Miramax and Jean Doumanian Productions executive John Logigian (chief operating officer), and Emmy-award winning producer Joel Stillerman (executive vice president, film and television). · HomeSeekers.com, a provider of online real estate technology and services, has completed the sale of the remainder of its Pacific Northwest print publications, located in Bozeman and Whitefish, Montana, and in North-Central California. HomeSeekers.com had previously announced its intentions to divest its print publishing operations. The sale, to two separate privately owned companies consisted of part cash paid at closing and some future consideration. The magazines will retain the HomeSeekers name, and the buyers of the magazines have also agreed to sell HomeSeekers' Lightning Agent Websites, with links from the magazines, over a five-year period. The sale of its publishing operations is part of a strategic move on the part of HomeSeekers.com to focus on its core competency of providing technology tools, products and services to the real estate industry, and to streamline its operations while the company concentrates on driving toward cash-flow profitability. · Camelot Communications and Cambridge University Press announced their marketing alliance. The companies will share marketing and editorial resources including authors, conference participation and databases. Camelot Communications and Cambridge University Press are discussing plans to develop and publish a new series of Computer Science publications based on emerging technologies such as XML, Open Source, Wireless and eBusiness Integration. · internet.com Corporation, announced that it has created a new division that will publish research reports analyzing the Internet and information technologies sectors worldwide. The CyberAtlas Research Division shares it name with the Internet research and information-related CyberAtlas.com website of the same name. The new division is being headed by Pat Fusco who is presently serving as Managing Editor at internet.com's ISP-Planet.com. The studies are delivered electronically via PDF files and there are currently three reports available covering the ISP, Wireless and Linux markets, with a fourth covering the U.S. Backbone Provider market to be released shortly. · Hungry Minds, Inc. paid tribute to the achievements of Cliff Hillegass, 83, the 1958 founder and past president of the study guide series CliffsNotes. Mr. Hillegass died May 5 at his home in Lincoln, Nebraska. The company released the following statement: ``Cliff Hillegass created a dynamic educational tool that has helped millions and revolutionized how students learn for over 40 years. Since acquiring CliffsNotes in 1998, Hungry Minds has been proud to continue his legacy. We are deeply saddened by his passing and send our sincerest condolences to his family and colleagues.'' · Principal photography has begun in London on Universal Pictures' About A Boy, a Tribeca Productions/Working Title Films project starring Hugh Grant (Bridget Jones's Diary), Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense), Rachel Weisz (The Mummy Returns) and newcomer Nicholas Hoult. Based on the best-selling novel by Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, Fever Pitch), the film is being directed by Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz (Down to Earth), who wrote the screenplay with Peter Hedges. The producers are Jane Rosenthal, Robert DeNiro, Brad Epstein, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. About A Boy tells the story of Will, a rich, child-free and irresponsible Londoner in his thirties, who in search of available women, invents an imaginary son and starts attending single parent meetings. As a result of one of his liaisons he meets Marcus, a strange twelve-year-old boy with problems at school. Gradually, Will and Marcus become friends and, as Will teaches Marcus how to be a cool kid, Marcus helps Will to finally grow up. · 1st Miracle Group, Inc., a film and production company, announced it has secured the rights to author/screenwriter Mark Bowden's non-fiction book, Killing Pablo. Miracle Chairman and CEO Tony Cataldo will be Executive Producer. Miracle President Jason Zelin will produce the film with Gregory Nava and Darlene Caamano of El Norte Productions and Diane Sillan Isaacs and Lourdes Diaz of Green Moon Productions. Mark Bowden, whose other novels include Black Hawk Dawn, Bringing in the Heat and Doctor Dealer, will adapt the novel into the screenplay. Killing Pablo will be directed by Academy Award nominated writer/director Gregory Nava, who also wrote and directed the critical hit Selena. Nava's other credits include El Norte, My Family/Mi Familia, and Why Do Fools Fall In Love. Nava will next write, direct and produce for Disney, Zapata in which he will also team with Antonio Banderas who will star in the title role. 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. |
