Media Industry Archive

Those of us who write about the media industry spend so much of our effort analyzing private sector businesses that we sometimes lose sight of what a major role public broadcasting companies play in supplying the public with a reliable source of news and information. Every time I mention NPR , for example, my in-box explodes with reader reaction, and the “comments” posted to the...

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When not one, but two prominent voices in the media industry come out in favor of a return to a paid model for online content, it’s time to take notice. And two did today, namely Advertising Age editor Jonah Bloom (at left) and The New York Times’ David Carr. Both correctly think that the time for  an alternative, paid revenue stream has come. As Bloom says: “If you’ve...

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The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is for sale, but unlikely to find buyer — The Hearst Corporation, parent company of the Post-Intelligencer, is attempting to find a buyer for the Seattle daily. If there is no buyer found in 60 days, the Post-Intelligencer will likely close or go online-only. [Source: Editor & Publisher] Financial Times to lay off 80 — In an effort to reduce...

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When I write posts like this one, I feel no joy whatsoever. People I have worked with in the past will be losing their jobs. Their families will  be newly vulnerable to forces that are sweeping through our entire economy now, much as Hurricane Katrina did, when she devastated the Gulf Coast over three years ago. Last month, I reported about the unprecedented layoffs at NPR, one of our very...

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It goes to show you how troubled these times are that, even if most of us are addicted to the tube, nothing seems less important right now than making a nationwide transition to digital TV. It has long been scheduled for February 17. The economy is crashing, unemployment just edged above seven percent, Israel is bombing Gaza … who the hell cares about a stupid TV signal? Well, looks like...

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Well, the first estimates are coming in on last year’s newspaper advertising disaster, and try as I might, there is simply no silver lining. So let’s cut to the chase. According to eMarketer, newspaper ad revenue declined by 16.4 percent in 2008, the worst year since records have been kept. But that is not really the bad news. Another steep decline is forecast for this year, with...

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Seattle paper may close — A local Seattle television station is reporting that the Seattle Post-Intelligencer is preparing to close down after being unable to find a new owner. The report has not been confirmed by the paper’s owner or publisher. [Source: Seattle Times] Star Tribune may file for bankruptcy — The Minneapolis Star Tribune announced that if there are no...

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With the number of tech-watchers following Google’s every move, it’s almost impossible to get a scoop on the Silicon Valley darling. But one blogger has uncovered a stealth project that Google launched last summer. It was first announced at a San Francisco conference back in November — so why has no one else written about it? Because the conference was not a tech event but a...

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Time Warner posts $25 billion write down — In a surprise move, the media giant released a profit warning yesterday suggesting a loss that would be the company’s first in six years. The announcement included, among other things, an 18 percent year-over-year decline in online advertising revenue at AOL. [Source: Portfolio] The Boston Globe to sell front page ads — Much like...

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Maybe you haven’t been hankering to access MySpace on your TV, but no matter. In a deal announced at this week’s International Consumer Electronics Show, MySpace has teamed with Toshiba, Samsung, Intel and Yahoo to produce MySpace-ready TVs, part of a broader initiative by the technology providers to incorporate more computer-based experiences into a number of devices, including the...

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