Wednesday, October 28, 2009
CBS Digital Boss Quincy Smith’s Not-Quite Exit Interview: “Hulu’s a Great Service. That’s Part of the Problem.”
The man who helped shape CBS’s standalone Web video strategy explains himself, for the record.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Report: Leaked Emails Zing YouTube in Viacom Copyright Suit
Viacom has been rummaging through Google and YouTube records for more than a year as part of its $1 billion copyright lawsuit. Did it get what it was looking for? Maybe.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Microsoft Apologizes for “Separate but Equal” Photo-Editing Blunder
Microsoft swaps out a black man for a white man in a promotional photo for a Polish site, and gets caught red-handed.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Pirate Bay’s Supposed Buyer Says Everything’s Awesome. So Why Are Its Allies Running?
The company that wants to buy The Pirate Bay and turn the file-sharing haven legit says its plans are moving full-steam ahead. But it seems to be having a hard time convincing its own team, including an erstwhile adviser, its would-be partner and its former CTO.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Microsoft Gags on Puke Ad
Microsoft’s first series of Web video ads for Internet Explorer 8 didn’t seem to garner much attention. But its latest one did: It features a married couple, an unspeakable porn site and a lot of vomit. Now Redmond says that was probably a mistake.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Gadget Gods Peter Rojas and Ryan Block Finally Unveil their Newest Gadget Site: Gdgt. Get it?
Does the world need another gadget site? Yes, say two of the gadget world’s biggest stars, who are launching gdgt.com today. The site is the work of Peter Rojas, who helped build Gizmodo and Engadget, and Ryan Block, who took the torch from Rojas after he moved on. Gizmodo and Engadget are the best known and most powerful of the new generation of gadget sites, which makes Rojas and Block revered by the gadget gang and able to cobble together funding. But they’re still taking on a very crowded field.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Microsoft Ready to Give Up on Its Would-Be YouTube, Too
Microsoft is willing to burn lots of cash as it stubbornly pursues its Internet strategy–it lost a staggering $575 million on its online business in the last quarter alone–but even Redmond has its limits. The company is confessing that Soapbox, the would-be YouTube it launched in 2006, is no YouTube. And it doesn’t sound that enthusiastic about keeping it going.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Apple Hits 1 Billion App Downloads; Newspapers Celebrate
Apple says its customers have downloaded one billion apps for the iPhone and iPod touch from its iTunes store. You can learn more by reading one of the many stories about the milestone or by visiting Apple’s site. Or you can visit the homepages of big Web publishers like the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal or CNET.com, all of which have once again handed over prime real estate to Apple for another intrusive/interesting ad.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
AT&T Starts Wrist-Slapping Music Pirates, Gently. But Movie and TV Thieves Will Be a Different Story.
Late last year, the music industry announced that it was going to stop suing music pirates because it had finally gotten Internet pipe companies to help it crack down on file “sharers.” One problem: None of the big cable or telco guys would fess up to joining the plan. Now AT&T finally has–in a very limited, toe-in-the-water, we’re-just-testing-this-out way.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Free Music Site SpiralFrog Finally Calls It Quits
SpiralFrog, the free music service that also doubled as an awesome money-burning machine, has finally given up the ghost. The site, which industry sources said had been shopping itself in recent months, shut down last night, and any remaining assets are being handed over to creditors.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
CBS: Things Are Bad, But We Can Pay Our Bills; Dividend Slashed
CBS had a lousy fourth quarter, but that’s not news. Wall Street expected it, and Les Moonves and company met revenue expectations while beating earnings. The real news: The company is trying to resolve a looming debt problem by slashing its dividend. CBS’s quarterly payout to investors is dropping from 27 cents to 5 cents.
Why Did Hulu Disappear From CBS’s TV.com? Because It Can.
Why have Hulu’s videos disappeared from TV.com, the Hulu-like video site CBS recently relaunched? Perhaps because Hulu isn’t pumped up about supplying its content to a competitor–especially one that won’t supply its content to Hulu.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Bruce, Britney, Beyoncé Staying on YouTube: Sony Music Re-Signs
YouTube and Sony Music Entertainment have signed a deal that will keep the music label’s videos and music on the site. The contract accomplishes what YouTube and Warner Music Group have been unable to do–figure out a way to keep the label’s music on the world’s biggest video site while sharing revenue with both sides.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
CBS Thinks Now’s a Great Time to Launch a Finance Site: Meet Moneywatch.com
CBS used to have a personal finance Web site, but it sold it after the last boom. Now the company thinks it would be a good time to start another one from scratch, with the help of its recently acquired CNET staff.
Friday, December 19, 2008
YouTube’s Music Videos: Popular, Money-Losing. For Now.
Music videos on YouTube are money-makers for the music labels, and a money pit for Google. That may change next year: Even Google can’t afford to lose money every time someone watches an Avril Lavigne clip.
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About Peter
Peter Kafka has been covering media and technology since 1997, when he joined the staff of Forbes magazine. Most recently, he has been the managing editor of the tech and media Web site, Silicon Alley Insider. Read more »
Ethics Statement
Here is a statement of my ethics and coverage policies. It is more than most of you want to know, but, in the age of suspicion of the media, I am laying it all out.
