Variety & Zelnick Media brought out the media suits last week for a little chit chat

Variety and Zelnick Media hosted Time Warner's Jeff Bewkes and Viacom's Philippe Dauman Thursday for a conversation in Gotham about the digital media age. On hand were Variety president-publisher Charlie Koones, Strauss Zelnick and editor-in-chief and moderator Peter Bart . Also on hand was former Fox Interactive Chieftain Ross Levinsohn. Was he shopping something or just their for the hell of it?

Peter Levinsohn getting the hang of this interactive Prexy thing

We could be wrong but we think this is the first major push Fox Interactive Media (FIM) has announced since former FIM chief Ross Levinsohn's cousin Ross Levinsohn was handed the top job. We don't think we have ever read comments from Pete either but he recently made some at the Bear Stearns media conference. Pete sounds up beat and positive about FIM's future. MySpace, the Internet's biggest social network, currently offers episodes of News Corp.'s Fox-owned shows a day after the initial broadcast, but not much from other companies. "We're in very active negotiations with all the media companies to create the most robust video offering on the Web," Peter Levinsohn, president of Fox Interactive Media, said at the Bear Stearns media conference. Fox Interactive in distribution talks other media [Reuters]

Wonder if Ross Levinsohn would have made the same play?

-Shomari Hines Ross Levinsohn's cousin, Peter Levinsohn is getting all strategic at Fox Interactive Media. The company dropped some cash on Strategic Data Corporation (SDC), an Internet advertising technology company indicating that FIM wants to cut its share out of the Internet ad pie. But we have to ask. If Ross Levinsohn was still at the helm of FIM, would this deal have happened? Or would FIM still be busy settling Youtube under its umbrella instead? Then again Rupe probably wouldn't have dropped $1.6 Billion for a two year old company. According to FIM officials, SDC has built a proprietary technology that provides Web publishers with the ability to better optimize its ad campaigns. FIM says that once SDC’s technology has been incorporated into its network of sites, it will be able to deliver highly targeted display ads on MySpace, IGN, AskMen.com and other sites. Fox has been criticized in the past for its lack of targeting options, particularly on MySpace, where its users provide a wealth of personal information on the site while generating billions of page views each month. FIM Acquires Internet Ad Tech Company SDC [MediaWeek]

Ross Levinsohn makes his move thinking no one would notice

Former Fox Interactive Chieftain Ross levinsohn was reportedly added to the board of Napster.com sparking speculation that the music site will eventually be Levinsohnized -AKA- taken over. This is his first known move since his run ended at FIM, keyword KNOWN! Darren Aftahi, an analyst with ThinkEquity Partners, notes that Levinsohn’s tenure will only last until the company’s mid-October annual meeting. Given his role in News Corp.’s acquisition of MySpace, he asserts in a research note Friday, “an M&A scenario for NAPS has a higher probability today than previously.” He says the appointment is “not a clear signal that the company will be sold,” but nonetheless is “an interesting turn of events.” It may not be a sign of a sale but its a sign that Levinsohn is kicking the tires from the inside. Napster: Levinsohn Board Appointment Makes Takeover More Likely [SA]

You're up Ross!

OK so Tom Freston kinda resurfaced with his investment in Plum TV after being canned from Viacom for missing the Myspace boat. Now we're waiting for the man who ultimately cost Tom Freston his job former Fox Interactive Media boss Ross Levinsohn to make his next move. We're thinking something Internet related of course but we are itching to know what. There is no doubt that his former bosses at News Corp are also watching the wires closely for any big news because believe it or not they want to know what he's doing as much as we do. They may never admit but they do. Remember he was the man who got News Corp deep into the web game and they have taken the ball and running with it all the way. Being our usual generous selves we thought we would put together a list of Internet properties Ross Levinsohn should probably kick the tires on with his deep pocketed buddies if he isn't already kicking them. Digg.com- Your old boss was reportedly sniffing around this Facebook-Wait they are asking for as much as, or more than what youtube sold for Heavy.com WallStrip.com Break.com DailyCandy.com These just came to mind. We think they're pretty cool sites. If not, there is probably a gig with Yahoo! Since showing former media head Lloyd Braun the door they haven't named a replacement to our knowledge!

Rupe 2.0. How many stories like this do we have to read before they get the point that we got the point?

We don't know and we can't put our finger on it, but we're so sure we read something like the story on News Corp boss Rupert Murdoch in the current issue of Forbes already. You know about his plans to remake News Corp into this new era digital -esque media company and blah blah blah. We're sure there are some new mentions like Myspace China and News Corp's recent finger in the whole pain in the ass Tribune madness though. But in late 2004 Murdoch and Chernin, watching the resurrection of Yahoo, the rise of Google and the shift of ad dollars to the Web, jumped back in. The best way to access the power of the Internet, they decided, was by inserting yourself where users already congregate. They were heavily influenced by the success of FoxSports, a once unexceptional Web site, after it cut a deal for prominent placement on Microsoft's msn network--and then saw traffic leap from 2.2 million to 10.4 million visitors per month. The two asked a group led by FoxSports manager Ross Levinsohn to round up a list of Web properties likely to be available. He came back with three targets: MySpace, then owned by a marketing outfit called Intermix; ign; and a site Chernin won't identify. Yo Ross!, we sure hope you're getting some kind of lifetime cut out of all the money Myspace is bringing and will bring to News Corp. One thing's for sure, they (Rupe & Pete) are really enjoying your work. Murdoch 2.0 [Forbes]

Fox Interactive enjoying Ross Levinsohn's recipe

King Rupe has another reason to smile. Not only is he getting News Corp irritant John Malone off his back, but his Myspace.com is kicking Yahoo's ass. Yahoo is getting good at being No. 2. News Corp.’s Fox Interactive Media has now edged the search giant out of its long-held perch at the top position for Internet page views. The finding comes from a comScore report on U.S. Internet audience numbers for November that's due out later this week. “Fox Interactive Media is obviously driven primarily by MySpace,” comScore analyst Michael Rubin said Monday. “The bulk of their growth is from MySpace.” Fox Interactive Media’s total U.S. page views increased to 39.5 million from 38.7 million during November. By contrast, Yahoo’s page views declined to 38 million from 41.6 million. Terry Semel is so out the door, slowly but surely unless he performs a miracle. Yahoo Dethroned By MySpace [REDHERRING]

Major changes at Yahoo! Braun & Rosensweig out, Semel still sitting pretty, for now

It's Official. Some major changes are coming to Yahoo! and it doesn't include former Viacom CEO Tom Freston or anyone else for that matter. The moves include the departure of Dan Rosensweig, Yahoo's chief operating officer since April 2003, and the resignation of Lloyd Braun, the former ABC executive who ran Yahoo's media group in Santa Monica, Calif. Under the plan, Yahoo will reorganize itself into three operating units, including one focused on its audience and one on its advertisers and publishers. A third unit, focused on technology, will develop products serving the entire organization. "There is no question, our new structure will increase accountability, will reduce bottlenecks and speed decision making," Terry Semel, Yahoo's chairman and chief executive officer, said in an interview. Does former Fox Interactive chief Ross Levinsohn fit into this some how? Yahoo Aims to Become More Nimble [NYT]

Is there more to Ross Levinsohn's sudden departure from News Corp?

The question of why Ross Levinsohn resigned his post as head of News Corp's Fox Interactive unit is floating around again and some believe that he may have been canned by News Corp lifer, Peter Chernin for raising cash on the side. What did Chernin want a taste or something? Our friends at Dealbreaker.com came across an interview with Red Herring's Tony Perkins, which they say shines new light on the Levisohn departure. Here’s what Perkins tells the D7TV interviewer: “He got raising money for another deal. So the chief operating officer Peter Chernin, who works for Rupert as his right hand man—when his kids aren’t running the place, called Ross into his office and said, ‘Is this true, that you’re raising this half a billion dollar roll-up fund?...And he [Chernin] goes, ‘Are you either in or your out?’ And he [Levinsohn] said, ‘Well, I guess I’m out.” Was Ross Levinsohn Fired For Raising His Own Fund? [DealBreaker]

Weekend Wire: Big media's big bet on digital czars

Its no secret that old big media companies like Viacom, Time Warner, News Corp and others are scrambling to get with the digital times. Some companies like News Corp, are already leading the pack with the purchase of super site Myspace.com. Big media has been hiring digital execs left and right placing big bets on the heads of these individuals hoping to be lead into the digital world where advertisers are spending most of their money these days. In the last few weeks, there has been a stampede of change involving the top Internet executives at big media companies. Most significant, Jonathan F. Miller, the chairman and chief executive of AOL, was replaced at that Time Warner division by Randy Falco, a 31-year veteran of NBC Universal; Ross Levinsohn, the wunderkind who helped Rupert Murdoch snag MySpace last year, left the News Corporation two weeks ago and is being replaced by a cousin, Peter Levinsohn, a Fox TV veteran; and Larry Kramer, who built and sold the site MarketWatch, left his job as digital overseer at CBS after the arrival of Quincy Smith, a former investment banker, as his boss. Seeking Executive to Tame the Digital Future [NYT]

Morning Wire: Another media departure, Another media blitz and more

News Corp keeps it's interactive unit in the Levinsohn bloodline yet another late late announcement yesterday evening about yet another big media departure of some sorts, this one from the News Corp camp. The head of the company's Fox Interactive unit has left the building. But not to worry he will be replaced by his cousin. Hey keeping it in the family is the safe way to go we guess. Ross Levinsohn, whose deal-spotting savvy led him to convince News Corp. Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch to buy popular Internet social network MySpace and games Web network IGN Entertainment, will leave to pursue other ventures, he said in a statement. O.J Simpson is about to milk the media, and they will let him It looks like an OJ media blitz is on the horizon with all the controversy and talk surrounding the disgraced former NFL star's new book titled "If I Did It". The interviews are rolling out and the tabloid show coverage is enough to make the Juice a tabloid darling. Publisher Judith Regan will sure get her share of media coverage and death threats as well. So we would advise her to at least look into hiring armed bodyguards until this blows over, and it will. Dow Jones better get it together new Dow Jones chief Rich Zannino and his management team may need to bring in some coffee bagels, muffins and other breakfast items as they are still locked in dragged out talks with union officials. Besides a new dress-code policy, union demands include protections for the dismissal of senior employees, wage increases of 8 percent, a promise to do away with outsourcing, an extra week of vacation and additional personal days. -Shomari Hines

Wired mag’s profile on old but new media daddy Rupert Murdoch was well, not really a profile on Rupert Murdoch, kinda

On the cover, his suit looks crispy and very expensive, his hair well groomed and slicked back. Newscorp ruler Rupert Murdoch is suddenly cool. We thought Viacom’s Tom Freston was cool, and he is, but just not as cool as old Rupe. Rupe’s company kicked Tom’s company in the ass when it won the bid for hotter than hot social website Myspace.com The wired article touched on what Rupe and company are doing to eventually make the site profitable as well as the fat check the Myspace founders Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson got to stick around because basically Rupe’s crew didn’t know what to do. We are sure however when they get the hang of it the founders will be outa there. Rupe also had web guru on his team by the name of Ross Levinsohn who orchestrated the Myspace.com deal. So we wan to ask ourselves why isn’t this Ross guy on the cover or at least in the cover shot with Rupe. Anyway, from what we read it sounds like they have their work cut out for them but they seem up to the challenge. But just think how cool it would have been if Viacom had won the bid for this site which Wired refers to as the MTV generation. read...

If you build it, they will buy it. Big Media internet spending spree picking up

Big Media companies are forming groups to seek out potential internet businesses they can snatch up. That is how serious they are about taking the current web bubble by the balls and running with it. Newscorp announced today that they managed to con the owners of two upstart internet operations into selling to them. The deep pockets at Newscorp snatched up Ksolo.com an online karaoke site and Newroo Inc. Ross Levinsohn, Fox Interactive's big guy weighs in: "Fox Interactive Media's acquisitions of Newroo and kSolo demonstrate our commitment to empowering users with interesting tools that they can use to further enhance their online experience and online identity". More...

Newscorp plans to milk Myspace.com and it's members

We had bets going here on how long it would take until Rupert Murdoch and his underlings to start looking at ways to milk us on Myspace. The media giant already is devising plans to make the site even stickier and more profitable, possibly by acquiring so-called "Web 2.0" properties, enabling transactions between members and adding subscription offers. "We're looking for technologies or feature sets that give users tools to participate in the media rather than just sit back," Ross Levinsohn, president of News Corp.'s Fox Interactive Media unit, told the annual Bank of America Media, Telecommunications and Entertainment Conference here Thursday. Ok so we should all prepare to pay some kind of monthly fee people!!. [Reuters]