June 18, 2008

Global Mobile Market Makes for Strange Bedfellows

Uneasy partnerships between media and technology companies on the horizon, and more news.

By Steve Goldstein

News Briefing for Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The demands of the growing global mobile Internet market will accelerate the partnerships between big media companies and technology companies, but these partnerships initially will be uneasy, the New York Times reports. Culture clashes are inevitable. [New York Times]

Philadelphia’s endangered citywide WiFi network gets a reprieve. [Wall Street Journal]

Comcast’s lack of investment in its cable system in the San Juan County, N.M., area could lead to further defections to satellite, the Farmington Daily Times reports. Comcast’s local franchise contract is up for renewal in 2010; by then the system may belong to another operator. [Farmington Daily Times]

LinkedIn, the social network for professionals, is expected to announce that it has raised $53 million in investment capital, the New York Times reports. The company claims the network is already profitable, even though only a quarter of its revenue comes from ads. [New York Times]

Porfolio’s Tech Observer guesses that Google eventually will figure out how to make money off its YouTube investment. [Portfolio]

Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks is expected to form a partnership with Indian entertainment company Reliance ADA Group, the Wall Street Journal reports. The cash infusion from Reliance may enable DreamWorks to function independently of a large Hollywood studio. [Wall Street Journal]

Showtime’s premiere episode of the fourth season of Weeds was the premium network’s most-watched show ever, according to the Hollywood Reporter. [HR]

New York Mets cable network SNY applied the over-the-top tactics of cable news networks to its treatment of the firing of Mets manager Willie Randolph, according to the New York Times. [NYT]

Cyd Charisse, whose dancing femme fatale shatters Gene Kelly’s character in Singin’ in the Rain, passed away. [Reuters]

Late Stories
A pair of cable heavies did better today than former Mets' manager Willie Randolph did Tuesday evening. Today Rainbow named former Sundance Channel head Larry Aidem chief of Rainbow Ventures. Aidem, a release said, "will focus on identifying strategic business opportunities for Rainbow Media." He will also help transition Sundance Channel to Rainbow Media. Rainbow said yesterday that it had completed the acquisition of Sundance Channel from NBCU, CBS and Robert Redford.

    The second heavy hitter is Susanne Daniels, who will resign as President, Entertainment, Lifetime Networks to  spend more time with her children and family. "At a time of tremendous growth and momentum among all Lifetime properties, Daniels has agreed to stay in her position until she identifies a successor and will remain a part of the Lifetime family in a consulting role," a laudatory press release said.  “Susanne is one of the most outstanding executives with whom I have ever worked," Lifetime chief Andrea Wong said in the release.

Cable's communicators tomorrow will donate $10K to the Emma L. Bowen Foundation. The money was raised during the silent auction at ACC's DC Forum. Since 1999, ACC has sent  some $113K to the Foundation and its cable partners, which arrange five-year work/study programs for minority students. The students work at partner companies during summers from their junior year in high school until they graduate from college.

Tuesday's Top Stories

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