Glam Media hires Yahoo! Exec and gives him a looong title

-SDH Former Yahoo!-an Dr. Kiumarse Zamanian wanted to glam up his career so where better to do this than at Glam Media. The media company geared towards women said that the good Dr. will join their team as vice president of Glam Evolution Advertising Platform. Zamanian isn't fully disconnected from Yahoo! though. He is co-holder of three U.S. Yahoo! patents which could mean big bucks for him if Yahoo! decides to sell itself. Dr. Zamanian's significant contributions at Yahoo!, driving key innovations in advertising media platforms and smart display ads, make him the ideal hire as Glam revolutionizes display advertising by better managing brand engagement online," said Fernando Ruarte, co-founder and CTO, Glam Media. "The expansion of Glam's technology team will help strengthen the Glam Evolution premium display advertising platform across highly-targeted audiences and vertical channels." Glam Media Hires Yahoo! Veteran Dr. Kiumarse Zamanian as Vice President of Glam Evolution Advertising Platform [PRNW]

Who will win the war to control CNET, and could a sale be on the horizon as well?

-SDH Some investors (Jana Partners LLC,) in CNET Networks aren't too happy with the company's performance and are building a coalition of the willing to boost their influence to take control of the company. But CNET isn't taking it lying down and has vowed to squelch the uprising. Sure the company's family of Web sites attracted 130.6 million visitors worldwide, making it the ninth largest Internet audience, but investors believe revenues should have seen a spike far greater than the anorexic 7% it saw in 2007. So what does all this mean for CNET? Jana Partners LLC is trying to control more seats on the Board which will no doubt increase their influence and maybe even result in changes in management. If they are successful, they may even push for a sale of the company which currently has a market cap of $1.2 billion. Who would cut a check for CNET? One name comes to mind, Barry Diller. However we’re sure there are others who would be interested. The Jana group sued CNet Monday in an effort to overcome the company's resistance. The complaint, filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery, seeks an injunction that would override CNet and enable Jana to present its proposal to shareholders. Jana will need the backing of other shareholders to pull off its coup. The group, which also includes venture capital firm Spark Capital and former Internet executive Paul Gardi, holds a roughly 16 percent stake in CNet, including derivatives that can be converted into stock. Investors vie for control of CNet board [AP]

Media big wigs gear up to hunt at the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas

In search of their next digital delivery method, media and entertainment execs will hop on their corporate jets and head down to Vegas for The Annual Consumer Electronic Show. During breaks from gambling and boozing, they will no doubt prowl and brown nose the techies to hopefully get in on the next big thing, where they could possibly push their content in our faces. Newly appointed Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes apparently just found out that we are moving rapidly into a digital way of life. -SDH "This company has to move fast," Jeff Bewkes, Time Warner's newly appointed chief executive, said on the company's latest quarterly conference call with analysts. "The world is changing fast. It's going digital. It's going global." Media moguls are looking to annual tech extravaganza in Las Vegas as they try to keep up with change [Marketwatch]

Media companies know when you're eating

-SDH Do you spend your lunchtime sitting in your dingy cubicle watching videos on the web while stuffing your face, -AKA- "Video Snacking" then chances you are one of the individuals some major media companies are banking on to make their lunch time web videos successful. However we find it a bit disturbing that you wouldn't want to spend your lunch time doing something more useful, like smoking a joint or chick watching. Hell you can get laid in an hour too, assuming you do get an hour for lunch. In 2007, a growing number of local television stations, including WNCN in Raleigh, N.C., and WCMH in Columbus, Ohio, began producing noon programming exclusively for the Web. Among newspapers, The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk, Va., and The Ventura County Star in California started posting videos at lunchtime that have young journalists as hosts and are meant to appeal to 18- to 34-year-old audiences. Noontime Web Video Revitalizes Lunch at Desk [NYT]

Will web viewsers touch MC Hammer's Dancejam.com?

-CHUCK CARLINVILLE- TECH & MEDIA CONTRIBUTOR The biggest rapper of all time back in the 90's MC Hammer who burned through millions of dollars supporting everyone in his hood, is now trying his luck via the Internet with a new start up called DanceJam.com. The former rapper who serves as Chief Strategy Officer already landed $1 Million in start up capital. Hammer may be on to something here. Rupert Murdoch may one day take notice and want to slap DanceJam together with K-solo.com, the karaoke website News Corp swallowed a little while back. The Web site, scheduled to debut in mid-January, will try to upstage YouTube and become the Internet's hub for sharing and watching dance videos. DanceJam then hopes to make money by grabbing a piece of the rapidly growing Internet advertising market, which is expected to rake in $27.5 billion in 2008, according to eMarketer. MC Hammer's next act: Tech entrepreneur [AP]

HULU getting some love so far

It looks like NBC Universal and News Corp's little web venture Hulu.com is a hit right out the gate. Or so says NBC Uni CEO Jeff Zucker. But shouldn't HULU CEO Jason Kilar be the one being all giddy in the press? Anyway, we have to say we were some of the lucky few who got a username and password to test the thing out and we hate to say this but we were impressed as well. Speaking at the UBS 35th Annual Global Media and Communications conference on Monday, Zucker said online critics who had initially mocked Hulu as "Clown Co." had been forced to eat crow after being impressed with the site's user-friendliness and picture quality following its beta launch in October. "Advertisers tell us they're looking for a place to have commercials run in a safe environment," said Zucker. Consumers just want ease, and that's what Hulu really offers." NBCU's Web Video Portal 'Hulu' Impresses Critics [Media Post]

Does anyone want to run CMP Media?

-MARTY It’s been almost a month now since Steve Weitzner stepped away from the CEO gig at Long Island based media firm CMP Media. We thought by now a new CEO would have been announced but nothing, not even a blip, at least as far as we know. This can mean several things, but we will only mention a few. -perhaps no one wants the gig. -Maybe they have someone but they put a low ball offer on the table leaving that deal up in the air. -United Business Media doesn't think that any of the executives still in office are capable of leading the company. Or one of them would have at least been named acting CEO or Weitzner’s duties would have been split between two individuals until a new CEO is named. You know the usual media industry way. We can go on and on but we won't, because sooner or later UBM Chief David Levin will pull a new CEO out of the hat, perhaps someone from the past. Or maybe Levin likes to see his picture on the management page of CMP's website. We already named possible internal candidates mainly one, we think can take the wheel based on his background, but we won't be shocked if UBM forces someone from corporate to take over. And where is Steve Weitzner? Is he in India or something working on his first deal in his new demoted roll? Wonder what’s Weitzner's predecessor Gary Marshall’s take on this? We smell another shake up on the Horizon and it doesn’t smell good, especially if an outsider comes in. He/she will want to bring in their own team.

CMP Technology's next CEO could be...

-BY MARTY With the amicable demotion of CMP CEO Steve Weitzner, the CEO gig is wide open. For now David Levin, CEO of parent company United Business Media is acting Chairman until a search is completed successfully. But we wonder why the search for a new CEO is so hush hush. Usually during a time like this most companies welcome the extra media coverage and interest, but not CMP or its parent company for that matter. Being our usual curious selves, we wanted to know how the search was going and who are some of the names being thrown around, inside and outside the company? An email sent by us to CMP’s chief communicator, Alix Raine regarding our curiosity was then forwarded to Peter Bancroft, Director of Communications at parent company United Business Media who told us “We can't help you at all since we will be making no comment at all regarding the search.” Hey Pete, it pays to talk to Mediawiredaily.com!!! This raised more red flags for us. Why was a simple question that was sent to CMP then forwarded all the way across the ocean for someone to tell us that? Does United Business Media still have some tricks up their sleeve regarding CMP? Why not leak a couple of names to ad a touch of glitz and mainstream tones to the company? Anyway being that we were politely told to fuck off, we decided to throw around some names on our own, but they are all from inside CMP. Hell some of them could be gone before the end of the year, because something tells us, there is more to come, or go for that matter. When the news first broke we mentioned that former CNet CEO Shelby Bonnie would be ideal for the CEO gig, but we don’t know what the hell we were thinking because like a commenter said, Shelby Bonnie did lose his job because of his involvement in some backdating at CNet. So let’s go ahead and write him off because the last thing United Business Media needs is a tainted head of its technology media business. CONTINUE... We came across the four individuals (above) who all hold important rolls within the company already, but again some of them will probably be headed for the exit as you read this, because Long Island based companies whose parent companies are overseas are very unpredictable. The four individuals are made up of one CFO (as if there would be two) and three are heads of business. All three are (we think) capable of leading CMP on its new road but they may not have that extra oomph David Levin seeks. Nevertheless its possible CMP’s new CEO will come from inside either CMP or parent company United Business Media. Let’s take a look at our four picks (as if we had a choice) for possible CMP CEO candidates. Who: Adam Marder Current Job: CMP’s CFO, you know, the money man. Why Him: He has his feet firmly planted at CMP, at least for now, and he knows the company. Why Not Him: May not be able to let go off of managing the company’s money, and does not look approachable. May even scare some employees. May not be able to lead in this digitally saturated world we live in. Verdict: Adam Marder should continue to manage CMP’s money if David Levin will have him Who: Robert Faletra Current Job: President, CMP Channel Group Why Him: Nah, this guy doesn’t have a shot in hell Why Not Him: Robert Faletra is a journalist. Once a journalist always a Journalist. Verdict: See “Why Not Him” Who: Tony Uphoff Current Job: President CMP’s Business Technology Group Why Him: Tony Uphoff out of the four, would be our pick to run CMP. He carries the DNA of a both a technology and media executive and he is responsible for the success of one of CMP’s biggest publications Information Week. On top of that, the guy has movie star good looks which could work well in the company’s favor Why Not Him: Because of his movie star good looks, being CEO may go to his head resulting in loss of focus on the strategy set forth by his rulers at United Business Media Verdict: Uphoff does have the very experience David Levin mentioned in a statement. But they may be looking outside and may over look the fact that they already have their man. Who: Paul Miller Current Job: President of the CMP Electronics Group Why Him: Our man Tony Uphoff has some serious competition on his hands, Paul Miller knows this internet shit with is being managing director of one of CMP’s online networks. He too would be a good choice from inside to lead the company forward. Why Not Him: We have no idea. The guy would be on our short list.

CMP Technology CEO Steve Weitzner strategically demoted

CMP Technology, the Long Island based media company, announced that it's CEO of two years, Steve Weitzner will step down and take on the roll of head of international M&A and business for the company, a clear cut demotion. With CMP's new direction, perhaps Weitzner isn't the man to lead after the recent restructuring. The company is looking for their new man/woman and according to David Levin, Chairman of parent company United Business Media, he/she had better have a passion for technology with an understanding of media business models. Wietzner replaced Gary Marshall who was abruptly replaced over two years ago. He has not been heard from since. Weitzner sent out an email to the troops explaining his move. “When I joined CMP 23 years ago it was still 10 years before the commercialization of the Internet. The only “events” CMP organized were thank you parties for our many loyal print advertisers. In the past two years we have diversified the product mix and made events our single largest line of business through acquisition and organic growth. We've also launched many new online communities and products while simultaneously making our online business profitable. I am going to turn my attention to a part of the CMP growth plan that has recently begun to heat up—our international expansion in India, China, Europe and elsewhere. Our portfolio has changed radically and that offers us many new opportunities to grow overseas. I look forward to watching CMP blossom on the growth platforms we have all worked so hard to establish.” David Levin, if you read this, and we doubt you do, Former CNet CEO Shelby Bonnie may be a good fit for the gig. But he may want to move the company to Manhattan. CMP’s Weitzner Transitions out of CEO Role into New M&A Position [Folio]

That media savvy iPhone you love so much, could cause you to shoot blanks, or so says a recent report

A recent report suggests that those white ear bud cords you use for your iPhone could cause you a shot at making kids. Sure for some of you this is a dream come true but for most, this is a red alert, or is it? When the first ever iPods came out, didn't they use a similar white cord ear bud as well? Weren't those harmful? Anyway it looks like the best thing to do is , put your self at risk for brain cancer (allegedly) by placing the phone to your ear than risk your shot at making babies. The Mac maker’s popular phone contains a number of substances—internally and externally—at levels prohibited for use in young children’s toys by San Francisco, which has its own environmental standards, and by the European Union, Greenpeace said. “There is no reason why the iPhone could not have been made without toxins like vinyl plastics and brominated flame retardants as Nokia is already doing,” Greenpeace’s Rick Hind said in the report. Can iPhones Make You Sterile? [RH]

OK Bertelsmann, but what about blabber mouth employees?

German media behemoth, Bertelsmann -AKA- Bertie is going the extra mile to help prevent leaks and sneaks. The company has started encrypting the computer work, including some e-mails, of its high-level executives. That’s all good and dandy but how do they plan to stop leaks via word of mouth and all other communication avenues? Basically Bertie has put in place its own Bush Administration style domestic spy campaign probably because they may have a gut feeling that there is a rogue exec in their midst, or there are major changes coming and they want to keep it top secret until it happens. Anyway Investor's Business Daily sat down with Bertie's spy chief, another dude with a funny name, Tom Goschutz who explains why. I know we always go back to this, but some how some way, we think incoming CEO Hart Ostrowski, is already calling the shots from behind outgoing CEO Gunter Thielen, another guy with a funny name, and this is Hart's doing. Soon phone taps will be put in place, if it hasn’t been already. No more porn surfing on company time. IBD: What kinds of leaks? Goschutz: It's not so much what we usually hear in the press, what you might usually hear in the U.S., about any breach notifications and privacy laws and so on. That's not the issue. It's more at a strategic level -- that things we've been discussing on our company strategy, in terms of mergers and acquisitions and so on, have been discussed in the media even before we've decided. This is why the business side, and actually the board, has driven this initiative and not the IT (information technology department). Oh dam, there goes our source!! We Kid We Kid!!! Encrypting Exec E-Mail Addresses Security Issue [IBD via Yahoo! News]

Morning Wire: CMP Media tries to see into the future | Berner and Co.go digital

Our favorite girl in the magazine game, Mary Berner is whipping Reader's Digest into digital shape via underling Jackie Leo, editor-in-chief of Reader’s Digest. The magazine will make available, never before seen and/or read content for Sony's new e-book store, Connect. Not ground breaking, but its a good move in the right direction we think. As far as Ms. Leo not expecting any kind of revenue from the arrangement, makes clear that the goal is to promote the brand, or is it because Ms. Leo knows that most people wont shell out $6.36 or $9.56. Hell we would rather spend that over at iTunes or something, but that's just us. [Folio] In other News, Long Island based CMP Media is already spending the money they saved after their recent mega layoff, and why not, that was the plan right? The company is taking a psychic route with their latest launch called Internet Evolution which the company says will help them “investigate the future of the Internet.” The site is made up of the usual smusual. [Folio]

Old man Sumner Redstone's famous phrase still relevant, even in this here digital media era

Well at least they are big enough to admit it. It’s not all about a pretty website with videos and graphics and all that. Apparently it seems that is what the digital media folks at MSO thought was the key to killer traffic to their site. However they are now slowly seeing the light and realizing that it’s all about the content first, then you can slap on all the pretty shit later on. Old man Sumner Redstone said it best when he coined the phrase "Content is King" especially if the users control it. Executives at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia took great pains earlier this year to make certain the company's redesigned Web site looked flawless before rolling it out to the public. After all, this is a media company whose magazines, books, products and programs feature ideas about attractive and tasteful lifestyles. Why not a beautiful Web site? "That was a big mistake," Wenda Harris Millard, the company's president of media, said this week during a panel discussion at Advertising Week. "We put beauty before utility." Execs admit plenty of missteps in new media world [Reuters]

NO. An air strike on the Time Warner Center will not be necessary to eliminate the threat

The U.S. Army has reportedly blocked some Time Warner owned websites that are potentially harmful to army computers. Apparently there was some kind of breach related to emails and some websites, which prompted the pentagon to block them resulting in no internet access for some of our men and women in uniform. On a related note, we hear Jeff Bewkes has been moved to an undisclosed location. While Dick Parsons works his diplomatic skills on our military brass. According to Gordon VanVleet, a public affairs officer for Network Enterprise Technology Command in Arizona, the Army's block will remain in place until the Army can guarantee the network is secure.Jeff Unaitis, spokesman for Time Warner in Syracuse, said the block went into effect last Tuesday, but he didn't learn about it until a week later. Feedback: Army Blocks Some Time Warner E-mails & Web Sites Over Security Breach [7News]

Are old media guys really looking to drop their old media assets?

Paul La Monica at CNNmoney.com asks "Will major media conglomerates soon unload some of their biggest assets?" We think the answer is a definite yes because media execs are constantly battling to become and/or remain relevant in the media business and to be relevant today is to be heavily invested in digital media. Some of them are even buying up web businesses with blind folds on praying that it works out in the long run and for some it does. Among the questions raised at Merrill Lynch’s media conference in California and Goldman Sachs’ Communacopia in New York: Will Barry Diller’s IAC (IACI) unload its struggling Home Shopping Network division? Will CBS (CBS) spin off its thriving outdoor advertising business? And if so, would it package in its slower-growth radio unit as well? Will News Corp. (NWS) sell off any more assets once its $5 billion purchase of Dow Jones closes? News Corp. disclosed plans earlier this summer to sell some local Fox TV stations and an international billboard business. Big media enters the spin zone [MediaBiz via CNNmoney.com]

Hearst buys website that tries to convince old people that they are still young

In a move to further fluff up their digital offerings and ad dollars, Hearst has snatched up consumer-health media company Realage.com. Hearst Magazines queen Cathy Black is very pleased with this one especially because she can milk drug advertisers for her rulers at the top of the Hearst Tower. But we have to say...good catch Cathy, good catch. Now make it work. “Over the last eight years, RealAge has succeeded in establishing itself as a credible brand in the health space and has built a sizeable consumer and advertiser following,” said Cathleen P. Black, president, Hearst Magazines. “By acquiring RealAge, Hearst will gain immediate entry into the growing health and wellness categories and will do so with a solid customer base and strong ties to highly profitable online pharmaceutical advertisers.” Hearst Magazines to Acquire RealAge, Inc. [Marketwire via Yahoo Finance]

Time Inc hunts for a digital ad czar. Still has no corporate website

Time Inc is looking for a stiff to oversee its print and digital business in an effort to drive ad revenue across its brands within its new FortuneMoney Group. Lets hope Time Inc boss lady Anne Moore lands herself a winner, so she can go out on top. Time Inc is creating an executive position that will be responsible for all print and digital ad revenue in the group, which includes Fortune and Money magazines, the Fortune Small Business magazines and the CNNMoney.com Web site. On another note. Why does one of the world's biggest magazine publishers lack a corporate website? You want to milk the digital ad business but you don't even have a website to showcase your brands and the people behind them. Let’s go Time Inc. Launch an official Timeinc.com website. Time reshuffles business magazine ad sales group [Reuters] Earlier: The digital strategy set forth by Time Inc Queen Ann Moore is gaining traction

Philippe Dogman Dauman would pimp Viacom to Apple

Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman is open to opening up Viacom to a content licensing deal with Apple because Apple is in bed with Youtube and Dauman wants to some how join in the fun. Apple said on Wednesday that YouTube's entire video catalog will be made available on its Apple TV set-top box device, which lets consumers view media and listen to music stored on computers directly on their television screens. "We're always vigilant about protecting our copyrights," a Viacom spokesman said. "But we would welcome the opportunity to license our content to Apple as we do with all distributors," he said. Viacom welcomes licensing opportunity from Apple TV [Reuters

Les Moonves' digital build up

Media execs better keep a close eye on CBS big eye Les Moonves because the man is slowly building up CBS's digital capabilities. Last week the company announced that it purchased Wall Street video blog WallStrip.com and now about a week later they are announcing that they are swallowing LastFM.com. How CBS will utilize the site to distribute its content if at all is not yet clear but we're sure Les and company will think of something. After all there is CBS Records. CBS Corp said on Wednesday it had paid $280 million in cash for the popular music social network service Last.fm.CBS said in a statement the online service had more than 15 million active users in more than 200 countries and would fit well with its plans to attract younger viewers and transform it from a content company to an audience company. CBS buys online music network Last.fm [Reuters]

For Time Inc's Ann Moore and Hearst's Cathy Black, no new titles, at least not print anyway

-LENN HINDSMANN The two panty wearing CEOs of two of the worlds most powerful magazine publishers have no plans to launch any new titles. Instead Ann Moore and Cathy Black will focus on building their company's internet offerings, via web videos and user generated content. The days off multi-million dollar launches and over the top launch parties, may be a thing of the past as more and more magazine publishers close print titles to focus on the web. But will these two women roll out winning web strategies? Each have already failed at new launches in print and the internet. Time Inc launched an online magazine geared toward young men called "Office Pirates" but the site folded after it failed to generate the kind of buzz Time Inc was hoping far. Hearst launched the well buzzed Talk Magazine back in 1999 but the buzz went away and the magazine died soon after. Will Time Inc and/or Hearst experience this again in their push to land a seat on the digital media train? In the history of US magazine launches, the high point may have been August 1999, when Tina Brown's Talk magazine debuted. Jointly owned by Miramax and Hearst Communications, Talk came into the world with an extravagant party in which Hollywood celebrities and former presidents took over the Statue of Liberty. Time and Hearst focus on new media, not new titles [FT via MSNBC]

Can big media take on the mighty Google?

-LENN HINDSMANN When Google swallowed Youtube in a $1.6 billion deal, it set off the online video race. Big media companies knew it would take loads of cash and new technology to go up against the internet monster, so some of them teamed up and some decided to go it alone. Now it looks like there is some kind of joint goal among big media and the major internet companies who stand beside them to crush Google. But will Google CEO Eric Schmidt even give them the chance to catch up? While the big media guys are busy trying to figure out how to challenge Google’s Youtube, Schmidt has been building the company via some smart and key acquisitions quietly moving into traditional media territory. Maybe this is exactly what Schmidt wants, so while big media leaves their back door unguarded he can slip right in and catch them by surprise. One by one, the big media companies and the Internet giants have started to ante up for the big poker game over the future of the video content business. Google started it all with its acquisition of YouTube. Then GE’s NBC-Universal and Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. responded by joining forces to create “NewCo,” which Comcast, the country’s largest cable company, also just joined. Sumner Redstone’s CBS followed with the announcement of their own independent distribution initiative, called the “CBS Interactive Audience Network”. Standing alongside these big media giants are all the biggest Internet portals, including Yahoo!, AOL , and MSN. What has essentially happened, in a very short period, is that most of the existing Internet and media establishment have lined up on one side of the fence in support of each other, all against GooTube! Viacom Needs to Team Up With Google, Rather Than Sue It [SeekingAlpha]

Thank Cho Seung-Hui for your traffic spike

-NEIL YOSHIDA We were wondering how long it would have taken for someone to point out how others are benefiting from the Virginia Tech murders. Mediaweek's Mike Shields takes us through how traffic has picked up at major online news portals as the story unfolds. Why do we feel that somewhere at each of the major websites mentioned in Shields' article some sick individual is saying or has said, "If only we could get a story like this every month". But its not geometry, major events brings more traffic and/or newscast viewership. Category leader Yahoo News saw its audience swell 13 percent to more than 8 million uniques on Monday versus the previous week. Meanwhile, MSNBC.com and CNN.com experienced monster gains, as their unique audiences surged by 47 percent and 45 percent respectively. Each site continued to see its total user base grow on Tuesday as more details of the story emerged, with Yahoo and MSNBC’s unique audiences hitting 8.5 and 8.4 million uniques that day. Web Traffic Surges As Virginia Tech Story Unravels [Mediaweek]

The fight for your eyes

-LENN HINDSMANN There is a major race going on among media companies. We all know big media like to compare dick sizes, but the question is who will have the biggest dick of all in the long or short run. Google may have been called idiots for paying $1.6 Billion for Youtube, but perhaps they saw something on the horizon and jumped on it when they got the chance. For years big media has controlled what, when, how, and where you watch your favorite television programs, but with a major shift going on from old to new media, they are now begging you to take the controls. Enter search engine blinkx and other search engines fighting to become thee destination for professionally made online programming. Suranga Chandratillake, founder of video search engine blinkx, likes showing off his new remote control. It can't change programs on TV, but this mouse-controlled tool will help users channel surf the Web. Much like the on-air channel guides on cable and satellite TV, the blinkx tool provides a comprehensive list of network TV programming available on the Web. Then, it lets users call up a show—from virtually anywhere on the Web—with the click of a mouse. The Surfer's Guide to the Web TV Galaxy [Businessweek]

Barry Diller's online destination for brown people

-LENN HINDSMANN Internet mogul Barry Diller is seeking some black love and he plans to get it via a new website targeting black Americans and other ethnic minorities online. No name for the new venture has been revealed but plans seem to be in motion being that the launch is set for sometime in January 08. Diller will have to fight to get his footing as other websites targeting the same demo have been dominating for years. Though this is indeed the case, none of the currently dominating sites have done the aggressive marketing IAC sites are known for. We’re sure this launch won’t be one of those under the radar launches and will come full blast with ads via TV, online and print. However we’re shocked Diller didn’t go the acquisition route, buying an already established operation and building on it. Perhaps none caught his eyes. IAC will face heavy competition from other players that have flocked to the space as the number of African-American Internet users -- and advertisers' interest in reaching them -- continues to increase. Time Warner Inc.'s AOL Black Voices offers news, videos and blogs that highlight prominent African-Americans, such as actress Halle Berry or presidential candidate Barack Obama. The site, which attracts about 3 million unique monthly U.S. visitors, according to comScore Networks Inc., also assembles articles on themes likely to resonate with the community. BlackPlanet.com, operated by Community Connect Inc., is a social-networking site that aims to connect African-Americans over common interests and issues, such as the latest trends in black fashion and music. The site includes an online dating service and a job-search engine for employers. IAC Site to Court MinoritiesIn Push Into Growing Sector [WSJ]

At NBC we would have killed to have AOL: Randy Falco

-LENN HINDSMANN AOL Chief Randy Falco is so confident about the future of the internet giant, he says his bosses at Time Warner would be nuts to dump the company. Falco has settled into his new gig as spokesperson in chief, and according to many, has the company moving in the right direction. But anyone who looks close enough can see Time Warner CEO in waiting Jeff Bewkes's finger prints all over the new strategy "As traditional media struggles with the shift to digital, I think Time Warner is starting to realize that with AOL they have help right there in the field," he said. "I've reached out to them to identify ways we can help and give them an edge in the fight." FALCO'S FETE [NYP]

Call her the mayor of iVillage

-LENN HINDSMANN NBC Universal’s digital queen Beth Comstock may have the support of her bosses at GE and NBC but, some colleagues think she is in over her head. In usual GE/NBC practice, Comstock was handed a new title and duties even after an alleged less than stellar performance overseeing the media giant’s digital offerings under former CEO Bob Wright. According to Nielsen reports, iVillage Live, the spin off show of the popular website has fallen flat on its ass. The show is even said to be the subject of laughter among some insiders. Did NBC put the right person in charge of their digital strategy? Comstock comes from a marketing background with no previous digital media experience and is even in charge of NBC’s new $250 million investment fund. "People are beginning to question why she has been given so much responsibility relative to her performance," said one source close to the company. "The show is considered a laughingstock at the station level," said another source. "It's synergy at its worst." "iVillage is a steady build," said an NBC spokesman. "It's generating more revenue now than ever before." COMSTOCK'S LOAD [NYP]

Less cable more net: Exactly what does Dick Parsons have in store for Time Warner?

-LENN HINDSMANN Dick Parsons' contract may be up next year, but based on reports this morning, the Time Warner ruler may be planning to go out with a bang. The WSJ reported that the company may be leaning towards selling off a piece of its cable business so it can dive deeper into the web game. So is the media giant trading traditional TV for web TV? Rumors are also circulating that the company may be eyeing another major internet operation like MSN or recent start up Joost.com. Oh, the irony! The theory behind the strategy, apparently, is that cable will become increasingly commoditized and less relevant in a world with the Internet and Internet TV, etc. It was, of course, exactly this sort of thinking that led to the "transformative" AOL-Time Warner merger in the first place. Without concurring that cable will become less relevant (somebody has to plumb the pipes), this would lend credence to the idea that the AOL-Time Warner merger wasn't a colossal, bubble-headed Time Warner Considers Selling Cable, Investing in Internet [Seeking Alpha]

Jordan Levin predicts the end of mass media. Someone hand this bozo a cookie

-LEN HINDSMANN Another media exec has come forward to reveal that he has psychic powers and predicted the end of Mass Media. These predictions are past the point of redundancy is needed like we need to say another day in Iraq. Dude we get it, big media gets it, what makes it different when you say it? Mass Media is changing, due to consumers having more input, control, whatever. Tell us something we don't know like when Rupert Murdoch or Sumner Redstone will check out (Knock on wood). We're in a transformative media age. We're seeing the vanishing of mass media," Levin said. "Mass media is being replaced by customized, targeted media....The old adage 'adapt or die' has never been more pressing." "New media companies are listening to their employees, who are much closer to their customers. Traditional media companies are still listening to their financial people," Levin said. "How can creative talent thrive in an environment that is not betting on the new and different but desperately trying to cling to old business models?" Broad-based media is not going to go away entirely," Levin said. "There are still going to be blockbuster movies. But it's becoming a feast or famine business that is only going to get tougher." Please someone seriously, hand Mr. Levin a fucking cookie with frosting on top! Levin: Mass Media era ending [Variety]

Bud TV, Dud TV?

-LEN HINDSMANN We thought when Anheuser-Busch came up with the idea to launch BudTV they had all the right recipes for a successful online destination, you know beer, crazy ass videos and just all the things us men find amusing. But apparently the recipe wasn't as tasty as we thought. The traffic to the site has been in a nose dive due to its pain in the ass age verification process. Sure the site is being responsible in making sure visitors to the site are of age but at the end of the day, people just want to get in and out of your site, they don't want to feel like they are applying for credit or something. So what will Anheuser-Busch do to make the experience a little simpler? They may have to head back to the drawing board because that’s only part of the problem. In an earlier interview discussing last month's figures, Mr. Ponturo said the site's content -- a collection of mostly humor-driven digital shorts -- was still seeking a "wow factor," a breakout hit that would draw notice on YouTube and other viral video channels and bring visitors to Bud.TV. But that clearly hasn't happened; Bud.TV videos dropped into YouTube have generally been met with little interest, if their anemic number of views is any indication. Traffic Plummets at Struggling Bud.TV [Adage]