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Wednesday, July 25, 2001 Media Cynic | Forum | Advertising | Classifieds | Jobs Publishing Industry Soundbytes · Hearst Magazines President Cathleen P. Black announced that Ellen Kunes, 42, who served as executive editor of Redbook from 1994-1998 and launched O, The Oprah Magazine as its first editor-in-chief, has been named editor-in-chief of Redbook. Kunes will start on August 13, 2001. Kunes succeeds Lesley Jane Seymour, who was recently named editor-in-chief at the U.S. edition of Marie Claire, another Hearst publication. · Penton Media and its Professional Trade Shows division have announced the launch of Total Design Show - Northeast, set to take place Wednesday, April 10 and Thursday, April 11, 2002, at the Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT. The trade show and conference will provide a forum for design engineering professionals to explore the wide range of products and services available in today's OEM market. · George de Lama, associate managing editor for foreign and national news, has been named deputy managing editor/news and James Warren, associate managing editor for Washington news, has been named deputy managing editor/features of the Chicago Tribune. The announcement was made by James O'Shea, managing editor of the newspaper. De Lama joined the Chicago Tribune in 1978. He has been a reporter, foreign correspondent, White House correspondent and associate managing editor, both in the foreign and national news department and in metropolitan news. Warren joined the Chicago Tribune in 1984. He has covered labor, media, law and politics, served as editor of the Tribune's Tempo section and has spent the last seven years as the Tribune's Washington bureau chief. · Jupiter Media Metrix, a provider of technology analysis and measurement, reports that total time spent using the Napster file-sharing application plummeted 65 percent among home users in 14 leading wired countries, from 6.3 billion minutes in February 2001, Napster's peak month in terms of both time and unique users, to 2.2 billion minutes in June 2001. According to Media Metrix ratings data, unique users of the application dropped 31 percent, from 26.4 million to 18.3 million over the same period. But while Napster usage has plunged globally, recent U.S. data reveal the early adoption of several new file-sharing alternatives. In May 2001, six file-sharing applications other than Napster appeared in the Media Metrix U.S. reports, up from five in March 2001 and up from one in January 2001. Bodetella, a client designed for the Gnutella network, held steady at around 1.0 million unique users between January 2001 and May. Audiogalaxy, the second most popular file-sharing application, had 978,000 unique visitors in May 2001, up 78 percent from March 2001, the first month it was reportable. Next was Imesh with 474, 000 unique visitors, up 11 percent from April 2001, its first reportable month. · Modern Physician announced the promotion of Joseph Conn to Editor. Conn was previously a reporter with Modern Physician, covering technology, privacy and pharmaceutical issues. Conn replaces Karen Petitte, who served as Editor since Modern Physician was launched in 1997. Prior to joining Modern Physician in August 2000, Conn was a reporter for the Post-Tribune, a daily newspaper in Gary, Indiana. · VNU, Inc., an international media and information company, recently appointed Michael Marchesano as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of VNU Business Media. He succeeds John Wickersham, who is leaving to pursue opportunities outside of VNU, including a family business. In addition, Howard Lander has been appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO) of VNU Business Media. Mike Marchesano joined VNU, Inc. in August 1999 as CEO of Bill Communications. Prior to this appointment, Marchesano was President and CEO of BPA International. Howard Lander has been with BPi Communications for nearly 27 years, rising from editorial reporter to Corporate Executive Vice President and President of the company's music and literary groups. He began his BPi career as a reporter in 1973 for Amusement Business in Nashville, Tenn. VNU, Inc. also announced that BPi Communications and Bill Communications -- its two main publishing groups -- will no longer operate as separate business units within VNU Business Media. Instead, the two companies will unite to form VNU Business Publications USA. · Pantellic Software Inc., the original creator of PhotoPoint.com, a popular photo sharing website, has acquired the PhotoPoint.com website from Sherwood Partners, Inc., the Assignee for PhotoPoint Corp (USA). The PhotoPoint.com site will continue under the new management, ensuring that members will have ongoing access to their personal photo albums. PhotoPoint.com's 1.6 million members have stored over 40 million photos, adding 100,000 more each day. The site contains a fully searchable photo gallery, the PhotoPoint Magazine of photography tips and tricks, and public forums where members can share ideas on photography, digital imaging and photo sharing. · Nicholas Snow has launched NotesFromHollywood.com, which features a column that chronicles real-life adventures exploring Hollywood, the entertainment industry, and the world at large from an openly gay perspective. A weekly print version of the column goes into syndication in late August 2001, and radio and television versions are in development. · Dow Jones & Company announced the appointment of Paul Gigot as editorial page editor of The Wall Street Journal, effective September 17. Gigot will report to Robert Bartley, editor of the Journal. Bartley, who has been running the editorial pages for the past thirty years, will turn over those responsibilities at the end of 2002, the year in which he reaches age 65, the normal retirement age for senior Dow Jones executives. · WinslowHouse International, Inc. has launched Read&Click, an epublishing technology which connects the printed word and the Internet in an educational context. Read&Click expands the theme of a book through the book's own home page in WinslowHouses' virtual library at winslowpress.com. Susan Zilber will now be heading up all licensing and business development for Read&Click. Ms. Zilber was the Director of licensing with Disney and with Paramount Pictures. Deborah L. Benaim has also come onboard as a strategic advisor to explore the company's financial alliances with Venture Capitalist and Investment banking firms. · The New York Times Company announced that Leonard P. Forman, senior vice president, has been named to succeed John M. O'Brien, senior vice president and chief financial officer, upon Mr. O'Brien's retirement at the end of 2001. Mr. Forman, 56, was previously president and chief executive officer of The New York Times Company Magazine Group from October 1998 until April 2001, when the Group was sold to Advance Publications. Previously, he served the Company as senior vice president of corporate development, new ventures and electronic businesses from May 1996 through October 1998. · Media Consortium, L.L.C., a purchasing consortium consisting of The New York Times Company, Knight Ridder and Advance Publications, Inc., announced that Dow Jones & Company has joined the group. The Consortium combines four organizations, enabling the group to create a more efficient purchasing process and take advantage of resulting cost savings. Goods and services that have been purchased at negotiated prices to date include computer equipment, production supplies, various consumables, and professional services such as temporary employees. · Online Inc.'s EMedia Magazine, a publication for digital content industry professionals, announced that it will begin using WuliWeb, a free print-to-Web service from AirClic Inc., that allows readers to save, send, and share editorial content by entering or scanning an article's bar code to create a secure online digital file. Every article in WuliWeb-enabled publications contains an individual AirClic proprietary bar code known as a Scanlet. When readers want to save, send, or share an interesting article, they can either enter the article's number via a computer keyboard, mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), or AirClicker, a small portable device that scans standard product codes or Scanlets. The article is then added to the reader's WuliWeb account. · A majority of Washington Blade employees voted against union representation, rejecting the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild's (Local 32035) request to be their collective bargaining unit, according to the National Labor Relations Board, which oversaw the election. The vote came after the Guild filed a June petition with the National Labor Relations Board, saying it represented a majority of Blade employees wanting union representation. That petition came within days after Window Media, LLC finalized its purchase of the paper. · Designer and TV personality Anne McKevitt, is planning to move her successful prime time BBC TV shows and branded Anne McKevitt Ideas product line to the U.S. Anne McKevitt Ideas includes five best selling and critically acclaimed books. To date she has already taped numerous TV shows in the US for CBS, Fox, Discovery and the Home & Garden channel. The publishing end of the business recently held meetings in New York with a number of leading publishers. · Time Warner Cable and Belo announced the formation of a joint venture, Charlotte News Channel LLC, to create a 24-hour local cable news channel in Charlotte, North Carolina. The cable news channel is expected to launch in early 2002. Time Warner Cable and Belo have agreed to a 20-year venture to program the Charlotte news channel, which Time Warner Cable has been developing since early this year, and will jointly own and operate the service. The 24-hour news operation will have its own management and newsgathering staff, as well as the ability to draw upon the newsgathering resources of Belo's WCNC-TV (NBC) in Charlotte. Ron Miller, Time Warner Cable vice president and general manager, will become the general manager of the new joint venture. · Ingram Book Group announced plans for the addition of its largest distribution center yet, in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania - the final step in a comprehensive realignment of distribution facilities. Construction is expected to begin soon on the new distribution facility that will cover more than 650,000 square feet. The staff and operations of Ingram's current Return Center in Chambersburg will be moved into the new facility and over the next year, operations at two smaller Ingram warehouses in East Windsor, Connecticut, and Petersburg, Virginia, will be consolidated at the new Chambersburg site. · eUniverse, an interactive entertainment network, has partnered with the National Enquirer, to launch GossipFlash, an email newsletter and website featuring the latest Hollywood gossip. GossipFlash will highlight the most popular articles taken from the National Enquirer's website, and deliver them directly into subscribers' inboxes once daily. · Jupiter Media Metrix, a provider of technology analysis and measurement, reported that U.S. consumer online music spending will grow from $1.0 billion in 2001 to $6.2 billion in 2006, a 43 percent annual growth rate over the next five years. According to the July 2001 Jupiter Internet Music Model, online music sales will represent seven percent of total U.S. music sales in 2001 and 32 percent in 2006. · SealedMedia, a company providing secure content technology, announced that ipicturebooks.com, a children's ebook publisher and an affiliate of Time Warner Trade Publishing, has selected its digital rights management (DRM) technology to protect multi-media interactive ebooks. With SealedMedia, ipicturebooks.com is able to ``seal'' ebooks for online sale, without worrying about unauthorized usage, including ``pass-a-long'' distribution and screen grabs. An enhanced animated storybook and interactive activity book based on Dreamworks' blockbuster summer movie hit, Shrek, is the first of the sealed books available and can be viewed at ipicturebooks.com. · FirstPublish, Inc., an Orlando-based provider of epublishing services, announced that effective July 15, it changed its name to Brekel Group, Inc. (BGI). Nicholas VandenBrekel, CEO is the founder of FirstPublish, Inc. and Brekel Group, Inc. Launched in 1999, FirstPublish originally began as a print-on-demand publisher and soon expanded into other related industries. Currently, the Brekel Group encompasses the FirstPublish author division; QuestPrint, a state-of-the-art, commercial printing facility; and Sequiam Software, a business-to- business document management system. The Brekel Group, Inc. announced its name change upon the move into its new, built-to-specification, 62,000 square-foot production facility in Orlando. · DIC Entertainment and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) announced the debut of a new children's animated series, Liberty's Kids. The story of the birth of Democracy in America, Liberty's Kids will launch Memorial Day, 2002 on PBS. This new program, told through the eyes of two young teenagers working in Benjamin Franklin's print shop, tells the inspirational stories of the American Revolution. Walter Cronkite will be portraying Benjamin Franklin. Additional celebrity voices will share their talents with this series, telling the stories of such important turning points in America's colorful history as: The Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere's Ride, The Crossing of the Delaware and The First Continental Congress. · Universal Pictures' and Amblin Entertainment's Jurassic Park III earned $81.4 million in its first five days in 3434 theaters in the U.S. and Canada. Its three-day weekend total was $50.8 million, with a per screen average of $14,785.00 for the weekend. Directed by Johnston, produced by Kennedy and Franco, and executive produced by Spielberg, the film stars Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Tea Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan and Michael Jeter. The screenplay for Jurassic Park III was written by Peter Buchman and Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor, based on characters created by Michael Crichton · The CMJ Network, Inc. and Savage Beast Technologies announced the Music Discovery Network, a joint venture to introduce music lovers to undiscovered music that fits their taste and enable new artists to find their audience. The Music Discovery Network integrates emerging and established artists through a music navigation and discovery system developed by Savage Beast Technologies. Consumers searching the system can begin with a song, album, or artist they like and quickly find similar ``under-the-radar'' music. The Music Discovery Network (MDN) will launch at this year's CMJ Music Marathon, September 13-16 in New York City. CMJ will recruit and screen artists for the Music Discovery Network and will incorporate the system into its website this fall. · International Data Group (IDG), an IT media and information services company, announced a marketing and cross-promotional agreement with eBay, an online trading community. Through this deal, users of IDG.net, IDG's technology directory, are now able to link directly to eBay and buy technology products they read about on IDG websites. The agreement encompasses promotional banner ads, print ads and website sponsorships across eBay and IDG print and online properties. · Gearing up to launch the new Business 2.0 magazine this August, Ned Desmond, editor and president of Business 2.0, announced four new members to the editorial team. Jeff Davis, James Lardner, and David Orenstein have joined the editorial roster from Imagine Media's Business 2.0. Desmond also announced that Eric Schurenberg, an award-winning financial journalist, will be contributing to the publication. · Software Magazine, a software industry resource, announced that Geanette Perez has joined the company as Western Region Sales Manager. In her new role, Perez will focus on increasing Software Magazine's visibility in the Western Region. Before joining Software Magazine, Perez held sales management positions at Earthweb.com, BackOffice CTO Magazine, and BYTE Magazine. · Dennis J. FitzSimons, executive vice president of Tribune Company, has been elected Tribune president and chief operating officer by the company's board of directors. The appointment is effective immediately. John W. Madigan, who had held the president's title and who continues as Tribune's chairman and chief executive officer, made the announcement. Madigan also announced that Jack W. Fuller, president of Tribune Publishing, has been elected to the company's board of directors, expanding the board to 13 members. · Snowball, an online network for young adults, announced that it has received a ruling from the Nasdaq listing qualifications panel following a hearing that took place on May 31, 2001. The ruling provides for the transfer of the listing of Snowball's common stock from The Nasdaq National Market to The Nasdaq SmallCap Market beginning July 25, 2001 and the granting of a temporary exception from the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement. The exception will expire on September 24, 2001. As required by Nasdaq rules, Snowball's Nasdaq symbol will be ``SNOWC'' during the exception period. · AlleyCat Information Sciences Inc., publisher of AlleyCat News, announced it has named Bill Britt, a media industry veteran and entrepreneur, as its new chief executive officer and publisher. The company also announced it has secured financing from a consortium of seasoned media experts. The group will serve as AlleyCat's new Advisory Board. AlleyCat said it already has advertising contracts in hand that are sufficient to cover operating expenses for the next year. AlleyCat plans to publish three more issues in 2001, beginning in mid-August, and resume its 11 issue schedule in 2002. AlleyCat features in-depth coverage of news and trends affecting the region's emerging-technology companies and private equity markets. Janet Stites will remain as president and Anna Copeland Wheatley will remain as its editor-in-chief. · Reciprocal, Inc., a provider of digital distribution infrastructure, and DataPlay, Inc., developer of a digital media format, announced an electronic media distribution agreement. The agreement leverages Reciprocal's services to integrate digital content across a network of retailers and distributors, including Coconuts, Best Buy, Circuit City and Target. The agreement also represents an additional direction for DataPlay, allowing pre-recorded content to be activated on a DataPlay digital media disc and making the acquisition of new content quicker and easier than by downloading. · Napster announced it has appointed Konrad Hilbers to be the company's new chief executive officer. Hilbers succeeds Hank Barry, who will remain on Napster's board of directors. Hilbers' first task will be to oversee the launch of Napster's new membership-based service later this summer. He takes over from Barry, who assumed the CEO role on an interim basis in May 2000. · E-Book Systems, Inc., has released its FlipAlbum 4.0 series of products. FlipAlbum is software that allows users to instantly create digital photo albums or product catalogs featuring E-Book Systems' 3D page-flipping interface. With this latest version, users have the ability to put multiple photos and annotations on each album page as well as linking MP3 audio files. For the first time, users can also publish their digital photo album via the Internet or on CDs. Online photo albums can be viewed using the free FlipBook viewing software, FlipBrowser. · Marleen Burford has been promoted to director of communications for Cox Interactive Media (CIMedia). She joined CIMedia at its founding in 1996 as manager of marketing services. Setting the direction for all corporate public relations efforts for both internal and external audiences will be her responsibility. Prior to joining CIMedia, she worked as manager of marketing communications for Cox Communications, Inc. · Fast Search & Transfer ASA announced the launch of a revised and upgraded version of its Internet search engine, AlltheWeb.com, which is now completely refreshed every nine to twelve days. Fast Search claims this makes AlltheWeb.com the Internet's freshest and most up-to-date search engine. The new version of AlltheWeb.com also incorporates a catalog of more than 70 million multimedia files, which are automatically integrated into the site's results page. 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. |
