Cynopsis: DIGITAL
O1/03/09

Good morning, it's Thursday, January 3, 2008, and this is your first early morning digital briefing.

Online and DVD-by-mail service Netflix is partnering with LG Electronics to develop a broadband enabled set-top box that will deliver HD movies from the PC to the TV. While similar devices made manufacturers such as Apple and Vudu have failed to catch on, none have had such a large and dedicated subscriber base to market to. Netflix has 7 million subscribers who have collectively watched more than 10 million movies and TV shows via its "Watch Instantly" online feature. The service has cataloged more than 6,000 titles in its streaming library so far.

~ MULTIPLATFORM CONTENT NEWS ~

TLC is building in an online voting component into the Miss America pageant, the first time in the event's 87-year history viewers will help determine the winner. Fans can visit tlc.com beginning tomorrow (following the premiere of TLC's new reality series Miss America: Reality Check) to vote for their favorite contestant. The top vote getter will join the 15 finalist selected by the pageant's judges.

MTV Networks Music Group says it delivered more than 1.2 billion video streams in 2007 via MTV.com, VH1.com and CMT.com, a 30% increase from 2006. Videos accounted for nearly half of its video streams. Britney Spears' live performance of "Gimme More" was the most viewed clip.

Oxygen launched a widget to promote Season 2 of their hit series The Bad Girls Club. The fully embeddable widget allows users to choose their "Inner Bad Girl" and learn about the irreverent and unapologetic cast. NYC based digital agency Wiredset developed the application.

~ INNOVATORS & START-UPS ~

Web TV platform Revision3 announced it delivered more than 100 million video clips in 2007 from a selection of 11 million different shows. The company says more than 46 million clips were delivered in 4Q alone, a 440% increase from 1Q 2007.

New York-based Fader Films and Born & Bread Productions unveiled a web series chronicling the sophomore and junior seasons of high school basketball prodigy Lance Stephenson. BornReady.tv will distribute new episodes each week via a dedicated website and iTunes.

~ TECHNOLOGY DEALS, MERGERS AND SKIRMISHES ~

Online video service CinemaNow announced a major integration effort with Macrovision's Connected Platform technology to make video downloads swappable across multiple platforms and devices. The latest effort to try and solve the "last 10 feet" problem of getting video content from the PC to the TV will focus on developing seamless integration between multiple software and hardware solutions. Having CinemaNow as a partner – which distributes content from many of the Hollywood majors – should help Macrovision attract device makers to join the platform in the coming months, according to Richard Bullwinkle, Chief Evangelist of Macrovision.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin will join the Industry Insider Series of panelists at CES next week, joining CEA CEO Gary Shapiro in a one-on-one discussion about the upcoming 700 MHz spectrum auction and broadband deployment. For the first time ever all 5 FCC commissioners will appear at the conference, forecast to attract 2,700 exhibitors, 140,000 attendees and take up 1.85 million square feet of exhibition space.

The Recording Industry of America has drawn a new line in the sand for digital music users claiming that the act of ripping a purchased CD onto a PC is illegal, according to lawsuit covered in The Washington Post. The RIAA is seeking legal fees from an Arizona man who simply transferred a collection of 2,000 CDs onto his computer.

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A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM YPULSE

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Ypulse College Mashup
Reaching Today's College Students with Technology
Thursday, January 31 - February 1, 2008 | Sheraton Delfina, Santa Monica, CA

Ypulse.com, the leading resource for youth media and marketing professionals, offers a conference focusing on how college students use technology and what brands and media companies are doing to reach them.

Register at www.mashup.ypulse.com . Save 10% (even on early adopter rates) by using code CYNOPSIS.

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~ DIGITAL ADVERTISING ~

The Television Advertising Bureau announced its ePort electronic ad fulfillment platform powered by Harmelin Media went live last month, transmitting orders to Continental Television Sales on behalf of its client, Gray Television-owned WOWT-TV in Omaha. 644 stations in 186 markets, including the top 100 markets, have now committed to the platform.

~ TRENDS, RESEARCH, ETC. ~

About 58% of Generation Y (13-25) viewers reported watching "about the same amount" of TV since the writers strike began in a new online survey conducted by Peanut Labs. Some 47% denied watching more online video with the strike on. The survey, carried out among 1,175 Gen-Y respondents active on leading social networks, examined Gen-Y's preferred movies, TV shows and resolutions heading into 2008.

~ EXECUTIVE MOVES ~

Former Warner Bros. Entertainment CTO Christopher J. Cookson was named President of Sony Pictures Technologies. In his newly created position he will oversee development and implementation of the studio's technology policy and processes. Chris will also serve as Sony Pictures' chief liaison with other Sony Corporation businesses in the area of technology.

Gary Bembridge joined CBS Television Stations Digital Media Group as VP/National Ad Sales, responsible for developing and executing sales strategy for the group's 29 local station web sites and other digital media platforms. He reports to Jonathan Leess, President and GM, and Aaron Radin, SVP/Sales & Business Development.

Donald D. Perry will step down as President and CEO of Clear Channel Television, a post he has held since Jan. 2006. Craig Millar, SVP/Southern Region, will assume Don's duties on an interim basis until a replacement is named.

Former Microsoft Director of Creative Marketing Chris Di Cesare was named the first Director of Marketing for YouTube. Chris was with Microsoft for the past 12 years, helping to launch the Xbox and Xbox 360.

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~ WEBSITE OF THE DAY ~

NextNewNetworks also claimed the 100 million views milestone for 2007, led by the popular animation portal ChannelFrederator, which averaged 2 million views per month throughout the year and broke 4 million views in December. The consistent quality of this granddaddy of all cartoon podcasts continues to impress.