901am

New Media News Every Morning

Scripps Networks acquires Recipezaar

By

recipezaar.jpgScripps Networks has acquired Recipezaar.com, a user-generated recipe and community site featuring more than 230,000 recipes. The acquisition is part of Scripps Networks’ strategy to aggressively move its online business beyond extensions of its TV networks to become multi-branded, user-centric applications, creating communities of online consumers with shared passions.

Founded in 1999 by former Microsoft employees Gay Gilmore and Troy Hakala, Recipezaar recorded 2.3 million unique visitors in June. The site is built on an internally developed, proprietary software enabling user submission and community functionality, parsing and tagging. As a result, Recipezaar provides food enthusiasts an intuitive browsing tool, powerful search capabilities, and personalized features including “My Cookbook,” “My Grocery List,” and recipe ratings and suggestions.

Recipezaar will operate as a stand-alone brand within Scripps Networks’ online properties, functioning separate from, but as a complement to FoodNetwork.com, according to Deanna Brown, president of Scripps Networks Interactive Group. The combination of FoodNetwork.com and Recipezaar.com will increase unduplicated audience share to 19 percent, securing a dominant position in the food category over the long term, Brown added. [Read more…]

Originally posted on July 19, 2007 @ 8:30 am

Microsoft partners with Skinkers, announces live TV online venture

By

LiveStationMicrosoft launched its beta testing for LiveStation, a joint venture with London-based Skinkers which allows users to watch live, uninterrupted TV online.

Stepping up from the usual video streaming networks, LiveStation provides live content so that you can watch TV programs through your desktop or laptop even if you’re away from a television screen. “This product streams live television on a computer over a peer-to-peer network, which means you don’t need to use all the traditional server infrastructure and bandwidth associated with streaming,” said Matteo Berlucchi, co-founder of Skinkers.

Originally posted on July 6, 2007 @ 3:12 pm

TV Guide to launch Online Video Awards

By

TV Guide creates Online Video AwardsGemstar-TV Guide International, Inc., a media, entertainment and technology company, announced that it will launch the TV Guide Online Video Awards, an annual awards franchise that will recognize the best and most innovative professional video programming, created specifically for the Web. TV Guide will dedicate its numerous cross-platform resources, which reach 73 million unique consumers per week, to the promotion and coverage of the Online Video Awards, making this a true multi-platform initiative.

“Some of the industry’s most creative writers and producers are now engaged in producing entertainment programming that is available exclusively on the Web. Over the past year, both the quality and the quantity of this Web-only programming have increased exponentially. During this same period, TV Guide has significantly increased our coverage and use of digital media to connect with consumers to further strengthen and extend our brand. This is the perfect time for us to step in and use our significant editorial credibility, cross-platform reach, and consumer fan base to recognize the best new programming that the Web has to offer,” Rich Battista, Gemstar-TV Guide’s chief executive officer said.

Additional information on the TV Guide Online Video Awards will be announced soon.

Originally posted on June 27, 2007 @ 4:13 pm

Internet passes radio, closes in on TV as most essential medium in American life

By

edisonresearch.jpgConsumers’ media perceptions and habits are changing as the Internet becomes an increasingly important medium for information and entertainment, according to a new Internet and Multimedia 2007 report by Edison Media Research. Consumers age 12 and older were asked to choose the “most essential” medium in their life; 33% chose the Internet, just behind television (36%), but above radio (17%) and newspapers (10%); in 2002, the Internet trailed TV on this perception by a significant margin (20% vs. 39%), and also trailed radio’s 26%.

“It is not a stretch to say that the Internet has become just as important as television as a primary source of information and entertainment in the lives of Americans,” said Larry Rosin, President, Edison Media Research. “It is entirely possible that the Internet will lead in all positive categories five years from now.”

Originally posted on June 26, 2007 @ 12:37 pm

Beauty TV launches on Joost

By

beautytv.jpgBeauty TV announced that it will bring program offerings to Joost, the world’s first broadcast-quality Internet television service.

Founded in 2006 by Latino entrepreneur Rob E. Angelino, Beauty TV is dedicated to the beauty enthusiast in the ever-growing $150 billion dollar a year beauty industry. Since its launch on January 9, 2007, Beauty TV has delivered programs about beauty, fashion and health to a global audience. With the Beauty TV network on Joost, these enthusiasts worldwide will be able to pick up trends and tips anytime through the online entertainment destination.

“Beauty TV’s business model centers around delivery of the best beauty programming through a number of different mediums, and Joost is an important part of that strategy,” said Rob E. Angelino, Founder & CEO. “Our relationship with Joost is very important to expanding the global reach of Beauty TV.

Originally posted on June 25, 2007 @ 7:45 am