Facebook Pulls Plug On Scrabulous

I'm sad; my favorite application on Facebook has been pulled. And while I am not a good player, I do enjoy the interaction with my "friends". I was in the middle of a few games and I expect to never finish them.

Hasbro has the right to their intellectual property and Scrabulous was absolutely a ripoff of Scrabble. But Hasbro needs to give Scrabulous their kudos for capturing new media interest and taking Scrabble to the next generation. It raised their brand and made Scrabble popular again.

"Earlier this year we heard the Agarwall brothers had been offered a substantial check from Hasbro and other companies with a claim to the Scrabble brand (there are several), but that they were holding out for more. We still think that in the end, they'll walk away with something, since they've got a wildly popular app on their hands. But the takedown certainly removes a whole lot of leverage, and makes it possible that they'll end up with zilch."

I hope they come to terms and I get my online game back again. I hate to lose, but I hate worse not playing.

The End of Cassette Tapes: I Didn't Realize They Were Still Here

Sorry to say, I can't remember the last time I used a cassette tape. Of course, the same holds true for VHS tapes too. Their replacements, the cd and the dvd, marked the end of their value. And while I still have cassettes and VHS tapes in the house, most are in boxes somewhere in the attic. The funny thing is I haven't the heart to completely rid myself of them. In my youth, I copied songs, radio stations and movies onto them. I probably have an old Dr. Demento tape from too many years ago.

As a kid, I stood by my cassette player, starting and pausing to capture songs off the radio. I created mixed tapes from my albums and played them at parties. As a teenager, I loved old time radio programs, and collected numerous cassettes of Jack Benny, Burns and Allen, and others. Today, everything is copied and burned. Need a mix, burn to cd rom. And soon, no burning, simply copying to a flash card device.

But new technology has made these tapes more about memories than function. And as the LP begat the tape, and the tape begat the cd, so too will the ipod and mp3 completely replace them. "Such was the case for the eight-track format as well, which was popular in the late 1960s and ’70s. It died relatively quickly with the advent of cassettes because eight-tracks were not widely used for personal recording or mix tape". Electronic download to the device of choice is the next generation and "books on tape" are simply a memory. Audible has been pushing the digital version for years.

Will Sirius/XM Merger Enable Direct TV and Dish to Merge?

So is what is good for the goose also good for the gander? Now that the FCC has approved the Sirius XM merger, will that create a precedent to allow Direct TV to merge with Dish? In the case of satellite radio, their economic survival seemed threatened when faced with the pressures of competing against a large marketplace, from broadcast radio stations, iPods, and now internet radio; competition, it could be argued, remains very much in the marketplace. Merging allowed them to remain competitive.

For satellite cable today, a merger of Dish and Direct TV also has economic consequences. But merging of cable operations is not foreign to the FCC. As cable companies like Time Warner and Comcast have grown in size, it is at the expense of the small and mid size operators. The FCC has continually approved those cable acquisitions. As a result both Time Warner and Comcast cover a majority of the country's cable footprint.

New competition, from the telcos, Verizon and AT&T, has also emerged, to have added a new level of competition in the marketplace. And it appears that this competitive threat has had more impact on cable operators today. Where satellite has pushed their superiority in HD, the telcos are coming in with a message of more variety, faster speeds, and better service.

Satellite has had a disadvantage, operating one way plants while cable and telco can employ two way technology. Direct has come up with their version of VOD to offer a two way, on demand experience. Voom tried to join the hunt and compete as a third satellite provider, pushing original HD channels, but ended up selling its satellite to Dish, instead. For customers that are not easily reached by cable lines, satellite may be their only choice. Without competition, the customer may be hurt. Unless it is proven that in each case, telco or cable can reach that same customer with a competitive product. Else, the loss of a satellite provider would create a detriment.

Lastly, one could argue that given the market, a very limited competitive market already exists. The consumer, looking for TV, can choose only one telco that serves their market, or one cable operator that serves their market, or two satellite providers. But like radio, the other choice is free TV. While not as many choices, free TV does provide an alternative to pay TV, It may not be as many choices, but you get what you pay for. Should Direct TV and Dish be allowed to merge? I say yes. The real fight is between technologies, not within them; cable vs telco vs satellite vs free TV. And as technological changes emerge, internet TV, obtained wirelessly may become even more mainstream as another competitive choice. Let the market rule.

CBS Radio Launches New Web Video Push

What do you call a radio station that shows video? A TV station! No longer satisfied to be an audio only platform, the light bulb has gone off to show video too. This is not a new concept; Howard Stern and Don Imus had been offering a video feed of their radio programs for many years. If you feel it is necessary to watch your talk show host as he or she pontificates is up to you.

"The new platform, powered by WorldNow, gives CBS 140 radio stations the ability to create personalized branded video players to feature station content, such as music videos, artist interviews, live concert performances, breaking news and original programming, and allows stations to syndicate content or embed clips to be shared via social networking."

For most of us, the radio allowed us to multi-task; to listen in the background as we engaged in other projects. For some, it may prove appealing to gain a video perspective; for others, it may prove not relevant. But radio needs to think multi-platform and multi-screen and this approach gives their content added value to advertisers if it engages more users. And while radio has been linear in nature, the next evolution may even become on-demand, allowing users to choose the music, interviews, and other bits, by accessing online what they want when they want it.

Ultimately, the content they create with both an audio and video feed has to be more interesting to the user. Like satellite radio, terrestrial radio faces increased competition and this approach may prove to be a winner. "The video platform debuted Wednesday on four of the company's New York stations: WWFS-FM (www.fresh1027.com); WCBS-AM (www.wcbs880.com); WXRK-FM (www.923krock.com); and WFAN-AM (www.wfan.com)."

FCC member votes against XM-Sirius deal

"The Wall Street Journal reported in its online edition Tuesday. Among the three votes cast in the FCC's review so far, Copps, a vocal opponent of increased media consolidation, is the first to vote against the deal, according to the newspaper."

Why is this being held up. Satellite radio will not be a monopoly as long as free radio exists. Add to that the rise of internet radio, iPods and other devices, and this merger should have been a non-issue. This vote against is really just a way to watch a company fail. The Department of Justice approved this deal a long, long time ago; this delay is simply ridiculous. Add to this the ruling that through out the CBS fine the FCC imposed for the Janet Jackson Super Bowl incident and it demonstrates that the FCC has lost control.

Tivo Says 'Charge' With Amazon

Tivo and Amazon are taking their partnership to the next level, enabling online users to instantly purchase from their TV set. It is the next step for interactive behavior and should be quickly embraced. It appeals to advertisers as it can move people from interest to purchase with simply the push of a button.

"TiVo has already been in business with Amazon since last year: It offers on-demand TV and movies to TiVo users from Amazon's Unbox store. Ultimately, TiVo says the "buy" feature will be available on TiVo-powered set-top boxes from cable partners like Comcast, as well as TiVo's own standalone DVRs."

And while Tivo's market share is still small, this added feature and benefit may encourage cable operators to make deals with Tivo to get a piece of the action. "Possible customers for its interactive ad technology include the cable and satellite companies and their consortiums, like Project Canoe, a joint effort by six cable operators to create a technology platform to sell customized and interactive ads."

Still, Tivo needs to do a better job to demonstrate why it is better than a cable dvr. To me, Tivo is the Mercedes of video recording, while the cable dvr is the VW. But if you have never experienced a Tivo, you may think the cable dvr is good enough. The challenge to Tivo is to get the consumer to experience the difference and push its appeal, like Apple so successfully has done with its iPhone and iPod.

Tivo is much more user-friendly than the cable dvr, designed to work as a user would expect a recording device to perform. It enables access across the video in 15 minute bites, allowing easier navigation inside the show. It records recommendations and has an easier search feature. And I find it doesn't have the latency issues that the dvr frequently exhibits. Gaining a bigger footprint across additional cable companies should be the win that takes Tivo to the next level; working with Project Canoe may be the impetus to make the other cable operators want to join the Tivo bandwagon.

Pandora's Success With iPhone Bodes Well for Internet Radio

The Sirius-XM merger should have been approved a year ago. The FCC's concern of monopoly is a non issue with technological change, primarily the rise of internet radio. The success of iPhone and applications from Pandora indicate that internet radio represents a clear alternative to subscription radio.

"Internet radio upstart Pandora has streamed 3.3 million songs to iPhone users since the launch of its new mobile application, making it the third most popular such application for the red hot device" The success of the next generation of iPhone is bringing more users to the app. As autos are wired for connectivity to their wireless phones, it will act similarly as a conduit to internet radio. So where does that leave Sirius; it's success remains dependent on exclusive content like Howard Stern, out of market sports, and others. The fight for great content will either make Sirius a winner or a trivia game answer in 5 years.

As for Pandora and the iPhone, internet radio seems to be a highly regarded feature that brings more value to the mobile device. And anything that brings the consumer is bound to bring new advertising opportunities as well. "This level of intense engagement is likely to excite the ad community, which has been patiently waiting for more mass buying options in mobile media."

SAG Formally Rejects AMPTP Contract Offer

Despite the "other" actor's union, AFTRA, agreeing to terms with producers, and the writers strike bringing Hollywood to a standstill earlier this year, SAG continues to believe that they deserve a better deal. True the landscape is changing in digital media, but that comment is trite, change is constant. Digital streaming remains a brand new medium and while companies are investing tons of money in it, no one is making tons of money yet. As we speak, companies are devising new ad monetization software to interface between the content stream and the user to provide relevant messages to segmented audiences. Testing continues on ad overlays, pre-rolls, ads popping in during dvr fast forwards, and other tricks to monetize the new medium.

And while dollar figures are being thrown around, the business is still very young and changing rapidly. SAG's approach should be to watch and learn; sign a short one year term deal so as to not be tied into a long term agreement that may be irrelevant in 2 years. What they should not do is even mention the word "strike" Hollywood learned that it cost them much more than they earned. The Emmy awards became all about cable as broadcast was burned by the strike; less content, less awards. There are only so many reality awards to go around.

So where are they now? It remains to be seen what happens next. I suppose it will remain business as usual in Hollywood. This fight has gone on too long already. Don't like the deal that AFTRA and the Writers Guild have agreed to, then make the term shorter and get back to work.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is Amazing

I've become a fan of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along blog. Here is the preview.


The first clips have just come up and are available on the Dr. Horrible site. It is incredibly well done, campy and a lot of run. Enjoy!