Media Industries Project - Carsey Wolf Center

"next week, SeaChange International (NASDAQ: SEAC) will demonstrate how cable operators can create seamless subscriber experiences across televisions, broadband-connected PCs and smartphones including Apple's iPhone."

"DataSphere is a Software as a Service (SaaS) Web technology and hyperlocal ad sales company focused on generating online profits for media companies. "

"They have the chutzpah to say that the new venture will boost quantity, quality, diversity and "local focus." I would think that "surely they jest" but, indeed, they are serious. They have filed with both the Justice Department, as well as the FCC. The $30 billion deal will also be examined on Capitol Hill in hearings beginning next week."

"The FCC Media Bureau said it would hold a media ownership workshop Feb. 23, 2010, at the South Carolina State Museum, 301 Gervais Street, Columbia, S.C. The two-panel workshop, scheduled from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m., will explore local television and radio marketplace issues as part of the commission's quadrennial review of its broadcast ownership rules."

"The academics said that there were plenty of studies out there indicating the importance of station ownership diversity when it comes to serving a diverse population. One noted that ownership for most business types does break down into percentages more in line with actual population makeup, with broadcasting being a notable exception to the rule."

"In its public FCC filing Thursday, Comcast expanded on its previous argument that buying a 51% stake in NBC Uni will not lead it to block out independent programmers and that it will actually have various public interest benefits. Those benefits fall into all areas that the FCC has promoted, such as diversity, localism, competition and innovation, Comcast argued in the filing."

This article contains a good example of Ben Silverman's strategy at NBC. He was heralded for his ability to to create a web presence for his popular primetime comedies. NBC has had successes in producing crossover content (The Office and SNL) but they have also had failures (Kathy and Kim, mentioned in the article). Overall this a good example of the extendable strategy.

A list of the top 10 mergers in recent times according to PC Authority magazine. Not all are media companies, but still a useful overview.

Google faces problems related to privacy and copyright protection in Europe. Google's most immediate challenges may be in Italy. This month a decision is expected in a trial in Milan, where four Google executives have been charged with defamation and privacy violations in a case involving videos posted on a Google Web site showing the bullying of an autistic boy.Italian prosecutors accuse Google of negligence, saying it was too slow to remove the video. But Google sees a political dimension. One of the four executives, Peter Fleischer, Google's chief privacy counsel, called the case part of "an attack on a decade of progress" for Internet companies in Italy. In Germany, German publishers have persuaded the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel to support a new kind of copyright protecting journalistic content on the Web. Analysts say the measure, which has not yet been introduced, could require Web companies like Google to buy special licenses to cite content published elsewhere.

What may result from the Comcast and GE merger that seems eminent.

Bravo is hoping to make some of its programming more interactive with viewers' phones.

Gannett's television revenues are lagging behind estimates from the experts.

Google and Verizon join forces and submit a filing that outlines the points on which they agree in regards to the FCC's proposed net neutrality rules.

Google and Verizon are stepping up their support for net neutrality regulations.

Clyburn is new to her job at the FCC, but she is championing consumer focused issues and wants to help low-income, minority and rural communities get better computer training to adopt broadband.

Update on the Comcast-NBC merger. The deal faces criticism that it could lead to higher cable TV rates, harm competition, and stifle online innovation. Comcast says it won't.

Here's an update on AOL's citizen-journalism site, Seed. "In what he hopes will be the first big demonstration of the "crowdsourcing" potential of AOL's new Seed.com service, former New York Times writer Saul Hansell says he is looking for writers who will write up interviews with all of 2,000 or so bands and artists at the SXSW music festival in Austin. The assignment will involve "real reporting," Hansell said in an interview, in which writers will have to pick up the phone and call the band or artist and write up a 1,000-word interview in question-and-answer format, as well as a 300- to 500-word biography. The price for this assignment? The princely sum of $50."

Newsday is striking back after reports earlier this week poked fun at the small number of paying subscribers that Newsday.com has attracted since the site put up a pay wall three months ago. The news organization's top executive responded via a memo to staff on Thursday explaining why the paid model is not a disappointment.

As the economy recovers, advertising spending for print, television, and online media is expected to increase this year.

Back in June , the market was flirting with the idea that Amazon was looking to acquire Netflix. Analysts largely dismissed the combination then. After all, Amazon itself is preparing for a world that is moving away from physical products like books and CDs, and is instead placing emphasis on digital delivery via the Kindle and other devices. Why would the online retailing giant want to buy a company that processed millions of scratched, misplaced, and expensive DVDs? Yesterday may mark a change in the perceptions of a Netflix-Amazon deal . In short, Netflix is becoming a lot more attractive to Amazon.

Will the Citizens United ruling impact net neutrality? This article explores the arguments on both sides, as well as the role of an ISP.