I'm Tanja Barnes, the creator of the Writers’ Strike Chronicles podcast that was recorded and uploaded from November 2007 to February 2008.
Archos TV is introducing a new set-top box at CES next week.
"In an unusual act of solidarity emerging from the screenwriters’ strike, two of television’s late-night hosts, Jay Leno of NBC and Jimmy Kimmel of ABC, will appear on each other’s shows on Thursday. The appearances were confirmed by two representatives associated with several of television’s late-night shows. The two hosts and their networks will announce the arrangement on Monday, said the representatives, both of whom asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak for the hosts."Read all about it here.
ABC Cuts 3 From Presidential Debate
By David Bauder
NEW YORK (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich filed a complaint with the FCC on Friday after ABC News excluded him, fellow Democrat Mike Gravel and Republican Duncan Hunter from its prime-time debates on Saturday.
Kucinich argued that ABC is violating equal-time provisions by keeping him out of the debate and noted that ABC's parent Walt Disney Co. had contributed to campaigns involving the four Democrats who were invited.
"ABC should not be the first primary," the Ohio congressman said in papers filed at the Federal Communications Commission.
If someone wants to pay you to watch your weird little films on a cell phone or a DVD or a flipbook, just smile and take the money. Short of inviting every potential viewer to sit and watch it in your personal viewing chamber, there is no “ideal” viewing experience. There’s just content and people. People want the content, we give it to them.
"In a sign of the emerging power of TV outside the home, NBC Universal will hold what media buyers are likening to an "upfront" presentation for its digital out-of-home assets Jan. 16. The media company is hoping to get more advertisers to consider NBC for placing ads on TV screens in supermarkets, near gas-station pumps, in taxi cabs and arenas, among other places. Set to be held in Studio 8H, the NBC presentation will address approximately 200 advertisers and media buyers."Entire article here.
1.) something not from one of the major sites we all get news from (Variety, Nikki Finke, Defamer, LA Times. United Hollywood will have a separate page for them);
2.) can be either about the strike directly or about the future of content online (ah, my favorite topic!);
3.) not "breaking news" but interesting background or analysis.
While there is no doubt that social media sites are a genuinely groundbreaking innovation that is changing the way we communicate in many significant ways, past experience with similar Internet phenomena shows that the hyper charged atmosphere of excitement cannot last indefinitely. The industry is currently characterized by easy capital, plenty of media attention and widespread user curiosity-all of which directly boosts creativity-but all that will come to an end eventually.What I find most interesting is this snippet regarding the long tail of Facebook:
This does not mean that there is no future for social media sites. On the contrary, the future is just as bright as ever and at this relatively early stage of the game, it is hard to predict just how huge the whole industry can get. What companies and investors should do however is to adapt their approach to be prepared for the changes that will inevitably come in the future.
The founder and chief executive of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, has officially stated that his despite his company’s spectacular growth, Facebook is still many years away from flotation.OK, so math is not my forte, as evidenced in some mistakes I've made in reporting figures and numbers in my podcast. But...this past fall, Microsoft purchased a 1.6% share of the company for $240 million. So like, I just don't get what he means by that.
Clip from Art Film Talk #23 Marshall Herskovitz, Quarterlife used with permission by David Tamés.
As mentioned in this episode: "Viewing American class divisions through Facebook and MySpace" by Danah Boyd
More photos from yesterday, courtesy of BeastandBean.
Great set of photos from Damon, who jokingly referred himself as the WSC staff photographer.
As I explained in a post on the Citizen Media Law Project's blog two weeks ago, the legislation substantially reforms the Freedom of Information Act and expands the definition of who is a "representative of the news media" under FOIA. This change would significantly benefit bloggers and non-traditional journalists by making them eligible for reduced processing and duplication fees that are available to "representatives of the news media."This is deep! So like blogging and podcasting makes one a journalist 'cause like Shrub signed off on this! Who would have thunk? Like Dubya does...er...think...right? Just sayin...
In this 30 minute video produced for FeedBurner's podcast, writer/producer Dean Whitbread looks at the new world of RSS, social networks and shared media, and asks what impact they have on creative people and "non-creative" people - and what is the difference between them anyway?
In another Internet rabbit hole, on a different social network, and using an alt identity I have thousands of friends and I post to a personal blog that serves as a salon for my community to share thoughts and ideas. One single post usually garners at least 15 comments so it kinda bums me out that there's no comment love here on this blog. I know there's readers here. I see my stats. But boy, are you guys are shy or what? Speak up! I need some feedback! Comments please!
I was surprised at this suggestion. MySpace? I've got an account on Facebook, isn't that enough? I mean, I think both of these networks are kinda lame and boring. Often times on my oh-so secret social network I'm bitching about privacy rights in cyberspace and how both MySpace and Facebook are the worst offenders. Not only that, but like Microsoft has a major stake in Facebook and MySpace is owned by Rupert Murdoch, right?
Writers Guild of America strike will fuel broadband video proliferation.
As the Writers Guild of America strike slogs on, it is inevitable that many TV writers and producers (especially below the top tier) are going to look upon broadband as an attractive new medium to ply their trade. The signs are already there. Ironically, the strike, which is centered on reallocating "new media" revenues, is going to stoke more interest in broadband productions.
I can't say exactly how the writers’ strike will unfold, but I can say with confidence that a lot of the smart money is eager to invest in broadband video content. Writers and producers with track records and plausible plans will get funded. Quarterlife, Next New Networks, and FunnyOrDie are all pre-strike examples of this.
- Jack Kyser representing the Los Angeles Economic Development Office;
- Jerry Nickelsberg, an economist from the UCLA Anderson Forecast;
- Steve MacDonald, president of FilmL.A., Inc. – the private, nonprofit corporation that contracts with the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Unified School District and other local jurisdictions to facilitate on-location motion picture, television and commercial production;
- Rex Oliff, finance specialist for the City Administrative Office;
- Pam Elyea, co-owner of North Hollywood-based prop house History for Hire;
- John Bowman, WGA Negotiating Committee Chair;
- Pam Fair, Deputy National Executive Director of SAG;
- Betsy Thomas, writer and producer of the TBS show “My Boys”;
- Tim Day and “Love Rocket” representing below-the-line crew members;
- The final recording, which takes place on the steps of city hall just after the hearings includes a speech by Los Angeles City Council president Eric Garcetti followed by John Bowman of the WGA.
Citizen journalism film released online
By: Oliver Luft
Cambridge Community Television (CCTV) - a US based electronic media public training forum - has released online an educational video about the history of citizen journalism.
The 15-minute documentary Citizen Journalism: From Pamphlet to Blog is a guide to US citizen journalism through the ages - from Thomas Paine in the 18th century to the more modern hows and whys of being an anti-establishment news hound.
The film features interviews with talking heads from the blogging world - including Ethan Zuckerman of Global Voices - discussing, among other things, how newspapers have gone through major cost-cutting exercises as their revenues are leeched by sites like Craigslist.
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The Writers' Strike Chronicles by Tanja Barnes • Banner photo by Eric Appel
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