[itvt] Radio Interview: Steve Shannon, EVP and GM of Product Development, Gemstar-TV Guide

In this recorded interview from [itvt]’s new talk radio show, “The TV of Tomorrow Show with Tracy Swedlow,” Steve Shannon, EVP and general manager of product management at EPG developer, Gemstar-TV Guide, discusses, among other things, the company’s EPG products and its product roadmap; new features that will be offered by its EPG’s over the coming year; My TV Guide, its new suite of cross- platform (TV, Internet and mobile) guidance solutions; its work on social TV and programming recommendation solutions; its work–via GuideWorks, its joint-venture with Comcast–on a new, graphically rich OCAP-based EPG; the future of EPG advertising; and much more.

To listen to the interview, please click here.

How to Listen and Participate

To listen to the show live, simply go to its homepage. [itvt] readers can participate in the show in a number of ways:

• By calling the show live at 1-646-595-4343.
• By submitting questions and comments via a chat application that appears on the “TV of Tomorrow Show” homepage during live broadcasts.
• By appearing on the show as a guest or co-host (if you or your company are interested in being featured on the show, please email your pitch to Tracy Swedlow at swedlow@itvt.com).
• By sponsoring the show (if your company is interested in sponsoring the show, please email Richard Washbourne at rwashbourne@itvt.com).

Archived Broadcasts

[itvt] is making past broadcasts of the show available on the show’s homepage:

Broadcast #10: Kristen Fergason is VP of marketing at Maven Networks, a company that offers a software platform which allows content providers and brand marketers to create interactive broadband VOD channels (its customers include 20th Century Fox, Gemstar-TV Guide, Univision, Virgin Records, General Motors, PepsiCo, Gannett, Scripps Networks, and A&E Television Networks). The company recently launched an advertising platform which it bills as introducing a series of new, non-proprietary formats that are significantly more engaging than pre-roll ads (the currently dominant form of broadband video advertising), make for a better user experience, and deliver higher-value ad units for advertisers. In the interview, Fergason describes the new platform and the kinds of interactive advertising it enables; outlines Maven’s product-development plans; and discusses the Internet TV Advertising Forum, an industry group that Maven and a number of other companies recently established in order to “solve the challenges and deficiencies associated with current online video advertising models” and to develop new standards and formats for interactive broadband video advertising.

Broadcast #9: Hans Fischmann is general manager of advanced media at Charter Media, the advertising arm of cable MSO, Charter Communications. Since he joined Charter Media in January, 2007, he and his team have launched over 600 interactive TV and VOD advertising campaigns. He describes the kinds of interactive TV advertising offered by Charter Media; provides statistics on the efficacy of the company’s ITV ads; describes its efforts to market its ITV advertising capabilities; provides some thoughts on the cable industry ITV advertising initiative, “Project Canoe”; discusses “Did You See It?,” a new channel Charter is launching that will be devoted to interactive TV advertising; and much more.

Broadcast #8: Peter Price, president and CEO of the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, one of two organizations that are responsible for television’s annual Emmy awards (the other is the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences), discusses, among other things, the relationship between the two Academies, and their ongoing legal dispute over the National Academy’s awards for Advanced Media (which were presented Monday at CES 2008).

Broadcast #7: Upstate New York resident, James Cawley, whose background includes, among other things, a stint as an Elvis-impersonator, is the executive producer of Star Trek New Voyages (startreknewvoyages.com), a production company that produces original episodes of “Star Trek,” based on the characters from that show’s first season (Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Uhura, etc.). Downloads of these hour-long, fan-generated broadband TV episodes have been in the multiple millions, and their audience base appears to be growing rapidly. Cawley shares his thoughts on producing original, fan-generated “Star Trek” programming for the Internet; describes the events that led to the formation of Star Trek New Voyages; discusses the company’s relationship with CBS (the owner of the “Star Trek” franchise); provides a preview of new episodes and new characters that the company has in the pipeline (including “Star Trek’s” first gay character); discusses the possibility of making the show interactive or building a social network around it; and much more.

Broadcast #6: Three high-profile figures from the interactive TV space–Patrick Donoghue, VP of ITV product management at Time Warner Cable; Bill Niemeyer, chief of analysis and research at BlackArrow; and David Preisman, VP of interactive television at Showtime Networks–provide a retrospective of the year in interactive TV, present their picks for the year’s most important ITV stories, and predict the important ITV trends for 2008. Topics discussed include the rise of user-generated content; the demise of TMG; the significance of the top-secret interactive TV advertising initiative, “Canoe”; the emergence of big-budget broadband TV programming; EchoStar’s purchase of Sling Media; DirecTV’s purchase of ReplayTV; and much more.

Broadcast #5: Three senior executives from mobile interactive TV specialist, SinglePoint–president and CEO, Rich Begert; VP of industry relations, Doug Busk; and director of marketing, Philippe Poutonnet–discuss, among other things, the company’s recent deal with NBC Universal. The deal will see SinglePoint providing mobile interactive/participation TV services for a range of NBC Universal’s programming and channels, including NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, Bravo, Telemundo, USA Network, NBC Sports, and NBC News.

Broadcast #4: Steve Rosenbaum is founder and CEO of Magnify.net, a company that provides a new Web 2.0 service which allows end-users to create video galleries/channels complete with social networks. He discusses Magnify.net’s service and the business model behind it; provides examples of how it is being used; outlines the company’s current strategy and future plans; and more.

Broadcast #3: Brian Seth Hurst, a well-known figure in interactive TV circles, was recently elected as vice chairman of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the organization behind the Primetime Emmys. His election marks the first time ever that a new media specialist has served in such a senior role at the Academy. Hurst discusses what his election says about the evolution of the Academy and of the television establishment in general; the significance of the ongoing writers’ strike for the interactive and broadband TV industries; and much more.

Broadcast #2: Jodie McAfee, who was formerly SVP of corporate development and marketing at The Media Group (TMG), a high-profile interactive TV advertising and programming company that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year, discusses that company’s demise; his new company, BoomerangiTV; the cable industry interactive TV advertising initiative known as “Project Canoe”; the current state of the ITV advertising industry in general; and more.

Broadcast #1: Louis Slothouber and Dan Levinson of BIAP discuss their company’s technologies; the challenges involved in deploying the company’s interactive TV applications (which include eBay on TV, Yellow Pages on TV, and Fantasy Football and Baseball Trackers); the company’s patent portfolio; the current state of the cable industry; ITV standards; artificial intelligence; emerging market opportunities; and more.

Originally published January 23, 2008 Issue 7.61

Don’t miss our show: http://www.thetvoftomorrowshow.com

Introducing [itvt]’s Official Design Sponsor: Method

As you can see above and to the right, [itvt]’s TV of Tomorrow Show has a new logo. The logo was created by Method, our Official Design Sponsor, which is working with us to develop a compelling new visual identity for the show. Based in San Francisco and New York, Method bills itself as a brand experience agency that helps businesses harness the competitive power of design, and that is able to draw on deep expertise in research, strategy, design and technology (its senior staff includes high-profile interactive TV industry veterans, Geoff Katz and John Gilles). It has worked on branding, communications, design, and product and service development, in both the digital and the physical realms, for over 150 customers, including such companies as Sony, Gucci, Microsoft, Visa, Comcast, Nike, Adobe, and Yahoo. Its projects to date have spanned a range of different media, including advanced television, the Web, mobile, print, broadband, and immersive environments. Additional information on the company can be found at Method.com. [itvt] is excited about the work they are doing for the conference and proud to be working with them.

Originally published January 23, 2008 Issue 7.61  Subscribe: http://www.itvt.com

[itvt] Radio Interview: Kristen Fergason, VP of Marketing, Maven Networks

Maven Networks–which offers a software platform that allows content providers and brand marketers to create interactive broadband VOD channels (its customers include 20th Century Fox, Gemstar-TV Guide, Univision, Virgin Records, General Motors, PepsiCo, Gannett, Scripps Networks, and A&E Television Networks)–recently launched an advertising platform, dubbed simply the Maven Internet TV Advertising Platform. The company touts the new platform as introducing a series of new, non-proprietary formats that are significantly more engaging than pre-roll ads (the currently dominant form of broadband video advertising), make for a better user experience, and deliver higher-value ad units for advertisers. The formats provide in-video interactivity via the use of transparent overlays and telescoping. In this recorded interview from [itvt]’s new talk radio show, "The TV of Tomorrow Show with Tracy Swedlow," Kristen Fergason, Maven’s VP of marketing, describes the new platform and the kinds of interactive advertising it enables; outlines Maven’s product-development plans; and discusses the Internet TV Advertising Forum, an industry group that Maven and a number of other companies recently established in order to "solve the challenges and deficiencies associated with current online video advertising models" and to develop new standards and formats for interactive broadband video advertising.

To listen to the interview, please click here.

Next Live Broadcast of "The TV of Tomorrow Show with Tracy Swedlow"

Date: Thursday, January 22nd, 2008
Time: 9:00AM Pacific/12:00PM Eastern
Length: approximately one hour
Show’s Homepage: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/itvt-tvoftomorrow
Call-in Number: 1-646-595-4343

This broadcast will feature a live interview with Steve Shannon, EVP and general manager of product management at EPG developer, Gemstar-TV Guide. Shannon–who earlier in his career was a co- founder of pioneering DVR company, ReplayTV–will discuss, among other things, Gemstar-TV Guide’s EPG products and product plans; My TV Guide, the company’s new suite of cross-platform (TV, Internet and mobile) guidance solutions; the future of EPG advertising; and more. (Note: this interview was originally scheduled to air on January 15th, but was postponed due to technical problems beyond [itvt]’s control.)

How to Listen and Participate

To listen to the show live, simply go to its homepage. [itvt] readers can participate in the show in a number of ways:

• By calling the show live at 1-646-595-4343.
• By submitting questions and comments via a chat application that appears on the "TV of Tomorrow Show" homepage during live broadcasts.
• By appearing on the show as a guest or co-host (if you or your company are interested in being featured on the show, please email your pitch to Tracy Swedlow at swedlow@itvt.com).
• By sponsoring the show (if your company is interested in sponsoring the show, please email Richard Washbourne at rwashbourne@itvt.com).

Archived Broadcasts

[itvt] is making past broadcasts of the show available on the show’s homepage:

Broadcast #9: Hans Fischmann is general manager of advanced media at Charter Media, the advertising arm of cable MSO, Charter Communications. Since he joined Charter Media in January, 2007, he and his team have launched over 600 interactive TV and VOD advertising campaigns. He describes the kinds of interactive TV advertising offered by Charter Media; provides statistics on the efficacy of the company’s ITV ads; describes its efforts to market its ITV advertising capabilities; provides some thoughts on the cable industry ITV advertising initiative, "Project Canoe"; discusses "Did You See It?," a new channel Charter is launching that will be devoted to interactive TV advertising; and much more.

Broadcast #8: Peter Price, president and CEO of the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, one of two organizations that are responsible for television’s annual Emmy awards (the other is the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences), discusses, among other things, the relationship between the two Academies, and their ongoing legal dispute over the National Academy’s awards for Advanced Media (which were presented Monday at CES 2008).

Broadcast #7: Upstate New York resident, James Cawley, whose background includes, among other things, a stint as an Elvis-impersonator, is the executive producer of Star Trek New Voyages (startreknewvoyages.com), a production company that produces original episodes of "Star Trek," based on the characters from that show’s first season (Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Uhura, etc.). Downloads of these hour-long, fan-generated broadband TV episodes have been in the multiple millions, and their audience base appears to be growing rapidly. Cawley shares his thoughts on producing original, fan-generated "Star Trek" programming for the Internet; describes the events that led to the formation of Star Trek New Voyages; discusses the company’s relationship with CBS (the owner of the "Star Trek" franchise); provides a preview of new episodes and new characters that the company has in the pipeline (including "Star Trek’s" first gay character); discusses the possibility of making the show interactive or building a social network around it; and much more.

Broadcast #6: Three high-profile figures from the interactive TV space–Patrick Donoghue, VP of ITV product management at Time Warner Cable; Bill Niemeyer, chief of analysis and research at BlackArrow; and David Preisman, VP of interactive television at Showtime Networks–provide a retrospective of the year in interactive TV, present their picks for the year’s most important ITV stories, and predict the important ITV trends for 2008. Topics discussed include the rise of user-generated content; the demise of TMG; the significance of the top-secret interactive TV advertising initiative, "Canoe"; the emergence of big-budget broadband TV programming; EchoStar’s purchase of Sling Media; DirecTV’s purchase of ReplayTV; and much more.

Broadcast #5: Three senior executives from mobile interactive TV specialist, SinglePoint–president and CEO, Rich Begert; VP of industry relations, Doug Busk; and director of marketing, Philippe Poutonnet–discuss, among other things, the company’s recent deal with NBC Universal. The deal will see SinglePoint providing mobile interactive/participation TV services for a range of NBC Universal’s programming and channels, including NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, Bravo, Telemundo, USA Network, NBC Sports, and NBC News.

Broadcast #4: Steve Rosenbaum is founder and CEO of Magnify.net, a company that provides a new Web 2.0 service which allows end-users to create video galleries/channels complete with social networks. He discusses Magnify.net’s service and the business model behind it; provides examples of how it is being used; outlines the company’s current strategy and future plans; and more.

Broadcast #3: Brian Seth Hurst, a well-known figure in interactive TV circles, was recently elected as vice chairman of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the organization behind the Primetime Emmys. His election marks the first time ever that a new media specialist has served in such a senior role at the Academy. Hurst discusses what his election says about the evolution of the Academy and of the television establishment in general; the significance of the ongoing writers’ strike for the interactive and broadband TV industries; and much more.

Broadcast #2: Jodie McAfee, who was formerly SVP of corporate development and marketing at The Media Group (TMG), a high-profile interactive TV advertising and programming company that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year, discusses that company’s demise; his new company, BoomerangiTV; the cable industry interactive TV advertising initiative known as "Project Canoe"; the current state of the ITV advertising industry in general; and more.

Broadcast #1: Louis Slothouber and Dan Levinson of BIAP discuss their company’s technologies; the challenges involved in deploying the company’s interactive TV applications (which include eBay on TV, Yellow Pages on TV, and Fantasy Football and Baseball Trackers); the company’s patent portfolio; the current state of the cable industry; ITV standards; artificial intelligence; emerging market opportunities; and more.

Originally published January 18, 2008 in Issue 7.60

Nominations Now Open for [itvt]’s 5th Annual Awards for Leadership in Interactive and Multiplatform Television

–Deadline for Submitting Nominations is February 17th
–Awards will be Presented at [itvt]’s TV of Tomorrow Show
–Online Nomination Form Available Here

[itvt] will present our 5th Annual Awards for Leadership in Interactive and Multiplatform Television at an awards ceremony at the TV of Tomorrow Show in San Francisco (March 11th and 12th).

The Awards, which debuted in 2004 at the NCTA National Show (see below) in New Orleans, honor industry-shaping companies, organizations and individuals. They recognize excellence in eight categories:

• "Most Significant Impact": the company or organization that has had the most significant impact on the industry as a whole over the past year (i.e. March 1st, 2007 through February 17th, 2008).
• "Most Significant Newcomer": the company or organization that was the most significant newcomer/breakthrough player of the past year.
• "Most Significant Technology, Platform or Product": the company or organization that invented the most innovative and disruptive technology, platform or product of the past year.
• "Most Significant Content Offering": the company or organization that created the most innovative and disruptive content offering of the past year.
• "Most Innovative Design or User Interface": the company or organization that created the most innovative and disruptive design/user interface/content-navigation schema of the past year.
• "Individual Leadership I": an individual who demonstrated notable leadership in the interactive, multiplatform TV industry over the past year, and whose efforts helped move that industry forward.
• "Individual Leadership II": an individual who demonstrated notable leadership in the interactive, multiplatform TV industry over the past year, and whose efforts helped move that industry forward.
• "ITV All-Star": an individual who has a long-term track record of leadership in the interactive multiplatform television industry, and who is an appropriate candidate for membership in an ITV Hall of Fame.

The winners of the awards will be selected via a two-stage process: [itvt] readers will submit nominations through February 17th (note: readers are more than welcome to nominate their own companies or organizations, their colleagues, or even themselves); then a panel of industry experts will vote to determine the winner of each award category.

To nominate companies or organizations for an Award for Leadership in Interactive and Multiplatform Television, please click here to use our online nomination form.

If you wish, you may send supporting materials:

1. as .pdf attachments in an email to swedlow@itvt.com
2. as hyperlinks in an email to swedlow@itvt.com
3. on DVD via snail mail to the following address:

InteractiveTV Today [itvt]
2959 Mission Street, Suite A
San Francisco, CA 94110

Once again, the deadline for submitting nominations is February 17th.

Thank you for your participation.

The [itvt] Staff.

Previous winners of the Leadership Awards and their companies at the time:

2004:

Dale Herigstad, Schematic
Rick Mandler, ABC
Tim Hanlon, Denuo Group
Vincent Dureau, OpenTV
Patrick Donoghue, Cablevision
Rupert Murdoch, News Corp.
Dr. H. Allen Ecker, Scientific-Atlanta

2005:

Jonathan Boltax, Cablevision
Kevin Cohen, Turner
Don Dulchinos, CableLabs
Scott Higgins, EchoStar
Scott Newnam, GoldPocket Interactive
John P. Roberts, GSN
Ian Shepherd, Sky Interactive

2006:

John Callahan, Time Warner Cable
Channing Dawson, Scripps Networks
Joan Gillman, Time Warner Cable
Brian Seth Hurst, The Opportunity Management Company
Gary Lauder, Lauder Partners
Karen Lennon, BeyondZ
David Preisman, Showtime Networks
Frank Sandoval, CableLabs
Timothy Wahlers, Vidiom Systems

2007:

Most Significant Impact (Tie): NBC/Ensequence
Most Significant Content: Time Warner Cable
Most Significant Newcomer: Brightcove
Most Innovative Technology: Tandberg
Most Innovative Business Model: The Media Group
Most Public Spirited: American Film Institute

No Individual Leadership Awards that year

Originally published January 18, 2008 in Issue 7.60
Stay Tuned for The TV of Tomorrow Show http://www.thetvoftomorrowshow.com

Jacked in Two-Screen Interactive TV Deal with NBC Sports

A Santa Monica-based company, called Jacked, Inc.–which was founded in June, 2006 and which recently secured $6.5 million in venture funding–has been tapped by NBC Sports to create a Web-based, two-screen interactive TV service, dubbed NBCSports.com Play Action, around the latter’s "Sunday Night Football" broadcasts. The service–which builds on a similar service that Jacked created earlier for NBC Sports’ broadcasts of Notre Dame football–is based on the company’s SportsTop service and its TVTop platform (for which the company has filed 10 patents). SportsTop is billed by the company as a browser-based virtual desktop that provides viewers with a dashboard of dynamic, broadcast-synchronized content widgets (including media, statistics, commerce, communication, community and advertising widgets), which they can use to customize their experience of a sports broadcast in real time by adding, deleting, mixing, matching and resizing. Jacked claims that it analyzes live broadcasts, in order to aggregate and deliver contextually relevant content online to viewers in real time. "With more than half of viewers using a PC or mobile device while watching TV, it’s clear that we don’t live inside the television box anymore," Jacked CEO, Bryan Biniak, said in a prepared statement. "Jacked is the perfect game companion, incorporating the abundance of content online to create a dynamic experience that’s relevant to what viewers are watching at that moment. This connection between the TV and PC is a powerful proposition that not only benefits consumers, but brands and networks alike, because it keeps the viewers engaged. We are thrilled to launch our brand with NBCSports.com and look forward to providing ‘Sunday Night Football’ fans with a viewing experience that will keep them coming back for more."

According to Jacked, its NBCSports.com Play Action service will offer a total of 19 widgets, including real-time statistics and scores, in-game photos from Getty Images and the Associated Press, Yahoo Flickr fan photos, player profiles, play-by-play commentary, and chat. Viewers can save their personalized dashboard for future broadcasts, the company says. Jacked, whose SportsTop service on its own Web site also offers real-time, synchronized enhancements for NBA, NFL and NCAA football broadcasts, says that it plans to extend the service to offer support for NCAA Basketball and NHL broadcasts in the coming months, and that the service will eventually enhance other programming in addition to sports broadcasts.

Originally published January 14, 2008 in Issue 7.58A
Stay Tuned for The TV of Tomorrow Show http://www.thetvoftomorrowshow.com

Fluorescent Media Partners with Embassy Row on Interactive Gameshow

Fluorescent Media, the UK-based participation-TV company that inherited the assets of Optimistic Media and The Optimistic Network (see [itvt] Issue 7.36 Part 1), says that it is partnering with New York-based production company, Embassy Row, to produce and pitch its new, interactive gameshow series, "The Empire," and that Sony Pictures Television will distribute the new format, under its partnership deal with Embassy Row. Fluorescent describes "The Empire" as a "cross-platform format where thousands of players are "projected" into a gameshow studio (via video or an Internet profile) to compete simultaneously in a live TV contest," and as "transcend[ing] conventional TV gameshow concepts, where audience involvement is often limited to voting and SMS." "We are creating a gigantic social gaming contest across the nation, set within the venue of a live TV studio," Fluorescent’s managing director, Carolyn Maze, said in a prepared statement. "Technologically and creatively, this show is pushing boundaries. It is event-TV, thrilling to play and watch. We are delighted to join forces with Embassy Row. [Embassy Row president and CEO] Michael Davies and his team not only bring prolific TV production and gameshow experience to this pioneering format, but are equally passionate about taking the successful gameshow genre to an even higher level."

According to Fluorescent, the new format uses its proprietary Phoenix participation technology system (which has also been used on the high-profile participation TV formats, "QuizNation" and "PlayMania") to bridge broadcast TV, the Internet, and mobile and landline telephony. The company says that the show will serve as "the dramatic anchor of a cross-platform game concept interconnected with a digital world, and establishes an active fan base throughout the channels." "’The Empire’ is like revealed truth," Michael Davies, who will executive-produce the show with Fluorescent Media (note: Davies produces the US version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"), said in a prepared statement. "I’ve been waiting for someone to crack the multiplatform game show for a decade and this is far beyond what I could have imagined. It is young, visual, dynamic and frankly, revolutionary. We can not wait to present to US networks, and channels all over the world, and blow their minds with this breakthrough format."

Originally published January 14, 2008 in Issue 7.58A
Stay Tuned for The TV of Tomorrow Show http://www.thetvoftomorrowshow.com

BT Vision IPTV Service Integrated with Microsoft Xbox 360

–Motorola Chosen as Lead Supplier of Next-Gen BT Vision Set-Tops
–BT Vision Download Store Trials Ad-Supported Movie Downloads
–BT Vision IPTV Service Now Available on Self-Install Basis
–New BT Vision Magazine Represents First Use of New Microsoft Browser

At CES in Las Vegas last week, UK incumbent telco, BT, and Microsoft announced a partnership that, starting in mid-2008, will allow BT broadband customers who also own Microsoft Xbox 360 gaming consoles to access BT’s Microsoft Mediaroom-powered IPTV service, BT Vision, through the Xbox 360. Existing BT Vision customers, who currently access the service through a proprietary hybrid (DTT/IP) set-top box, will now have the option of also accessing it (minus Freeview DTT channels) through the Microsoft gaming console.

According to the companies, BT Vision on Xbox will "combine the richness of the Microsoft Mediaroom-enabled TV service, with the benefits of next-generation gaming, as well as unique new capabilities that the integrated solution brings." Among other things, the partnership will see Microsoft’s Xbox Live service, which combines on-demand programming content with social TV features, integrated with the BT Vision experience: the companies say that this integration will allow BT customers to access such features as voice chat, the ability to send and receive voice messages, and the ability to access the Xbox Live Marketplace and play Xbox games, all while watching TV. "We are pleased to partner with Microsoft to deliver a truly compelling connected entertainment experience to our customers," BT Vision CEO, Dan Marks, said in a prepared statement. "For the first time, consumers in the UK will be able to experience the advantages of an advanced TV service together with the benefits of next-generation gaming. Our aim is to provide BT Vision on multiple platforms–giving customers greater convenience, control and flexibility over what they watch, when they watch and how they watch TV. It also means that we are able to potentially expand our BT Vision customer base by tapping into the popularity of Xbox 360." (Note: uptake of the BT Vision service has been somewhat anemic to date: it is believed to have attracted only around 100,000 customers since launching in late 2006.)

In other BT news:

• The company has chosen Motorola as the lead supplier of the next-generation of set-top boxes for the BT Vision IPTV service (note: the current generation of BT Vision set-tops is supplied by Philips, which is exiting the set-top business–see article in this issue). According to BT, the new Motorola version of the BT Vision V-box will be HD-capable; will sport a new look; will be more energy-efficient; will provide access to up to 40 Freeview TV channels and 30 radio channels; and will allow end-users to record an average of 80 hours of content. "Motorola has extensive experience in IPTV and particularly in working with our platform partner, Microsoft, on deployments of Microsoft Mediaroom around the world," BT Vision’s Dan Marks said in a prepared statement. "Today’s announcement will lead to the development of a new set-top box to take full advantage of the increasing capabilities of the Microsoft Mediaroom platform and of the most recent advances in chipset technology. This underpins our medium-term goal of securing 2-3 million customers for BT Vision."
• The company has begun a trial of a service that allows users of its BT Vision Download Store (note: for more on the latter–which is not to be confused with the BT Vision IPTV service) to download movies for free, in exchange for watching targeted advertisements. The three-month trial–which began at the end of November and which sees BT collaborating with Hiro Media, Intel and FremantleMedia–offers consumers three free films, "Mischief Night," "Played" and "The Punk Rock Movie." In order to view the films, consumers must first download free video software from Hiro Media, a developer of ad-supported video-download technology, and are then asked to provide what BT terms "anonymous demographic information," that will allow the software to dynamically select commercials that are suited to the answers they provide. Once they download one of the movies, it will be available to them for a month, and will present them with different ads at each viewing, during commercial breaks at various junctures in the movie. The trial also allows consumers to send the films they download to their friends via email, to be viewed on the same terms. Advertisers that are participating in the trial (via digital advertising agency, isobar) include the AA, Norwich Union and the Territorial Army. "This will be a fascinating trial: the concept of targeted TV advertisements is now a reality through the combined technology behind BT Vision Download Store and Hiro’s software solution," Antony Carbonari, BT Vision’s interactive and commercial media director, said in a prepared statement. "We believe that sympathetically placed, targeted advertising, combined with a viral film-sharing capability, will be attractive to many customers in conjunction with free or reduced content prices."
• The company has signed a new deal with Paramount Pictures Digital Entertainment that will make around 150 Paramount-distributed films available on the BT Vision Download Store. Titles covered by the deal include "Babel," "An Inconvenient Truth," and the "Star Trek" movie series.
• Via its relationship with BBC Worldwide, the company is offering "FIFA: More than a Game," a high-profile, six-part documentary series on the history of World Cup soccer, on the BT Vision IPTV service.
• The company is now offering the BT Vision IPTV service on a self-install basis. It is still charging customers who self-install a one-off £30 "connection fee," but it points out that customers will save £60 by avoiding the need for an engineer to visit their premises. The self-install option, which BT says is available in over 1,000 retail stores around the UK (including Comet, Currys.digital and John Lewis), includes a pair of Comtrend Powerline Adaptors, which plug into electrical outlets and carry the video signal from the BT Home Hub to the BT V-box across a home’s power circuit. The equipment needed to self-install BT Vision is delivered directly to the customer via courier. According to BT, installing BT Vision should take the end-user less than an hour.
• The company has launched an interactive TV magazine–dubbed "On Vision" and accessed from the EPG–for users of the BT Vision IPTV service. Designed by BT itself, and produced and hosted by Irish interactive TV company, emuse, the new magazine is billed as the first application to run on the Microsoft Mediaroom Tasman TV browser (note: BT promises that "many interactive browser applications" will launch on BT Vision over the next year). emuse’s involvement in the project stems from a deal it signed last year that sees it powering interactive advertising and sponsorship on the BT Vision IPTV service. The magazine highlights various content offerings on BT Vision, and provides information on "how to get the very best" out of the service. Its content includes sneak previews and competitions. It is created by BT Vision’s existing online editorial team, which represents a partnership of creative teams from customer publishing agencies, Future Plus and Zone: Future Plus is responsible for the magazine’s entertainment content and Zone for its sports content. "We are delighted to be working with emuse and to be the first to launch an interactive application that utilizes the Microsoft Mediaroom Tasman browser," BT Vision’s Dan Marks, said in a prepared statement. "Interactive services will form an increasingly important part of the BT Vision offering in 2008 and the Tasman browser represents an important first milestone in our planned roadmap to launch market-leading interactive services."

Originally published January 14, 2008 in Issue 7.58A
Stay Tuned for The TV of Tomorrow Show http://www.thetvoftomorrowshow.com

CloverLeaf Digital in Localized ITV Deals with Grande, Pioneer Telephone

CloverLeaf Digital, a Brooklyn-based interactive TV applications developer that specializes in building and managing localized "walled-garden" services, says that Texas-based competitive broadband provider, Grande Communications, has signed a three-year extension of an agreement, under which CloverLeaf provides it with a custom version of its walled-garden news and information service, branded as Grande Interactive TV (note: Grande is somewhat of a pioneer in the interactive TV space: in addition to the CloverLeaf-powered walled-garden service, it offers services based on ICTV’s ActiveVideo platform). Grande Interactive TV is currently available to digital cable subscribers in seven Texan cities, and includes news and sports coverage from the Associated Press; local weather info from AccuWeather; local entertainment guides; horoscopes; and a local events calendar that is published by community organizations, using CloverLeaf’s DashDaily community publishing tools. The service also features an extensive line-up of video clips (powered by ICTV’s ActiveVideo platform), including news clips from the Associated Press and Odessa CBS affiliate, KOSA, and movie trailers. "As we enter our fifth year in business, our early contracts are coming to a conclusion, and although they say imitation is the greatest form of flattery, we consider it the greatest testament of the value of our services when our customers renew their contracts with long-term agreements," CloverLeaf founder and managing partner, Lawrence Brickman, said in a prepared statement. According to Grande’s chief service officer, Chad Jones, the operator plans to launch additional interactive TV services with CloverLeaf in the future.

In other CloverLeaf Digital news:

• The company says that Pioneer Telephone, which claims to be the fourth-largest telephone cooperative in the US, has launched its DotDaily localized interactive TV service. The service is now providing localized news and information to IPTV subscribers served by 72 exchanges in Oklahoma. It features news and sports coverage from the Associated Press, local weather info from AccuWeather, local movie guides, horoscopes, and local content (including community events calendars, school lunch menus and community slide shows) published by community organizations via CloverLeaf’s DashDaily tools. "CloverLeaf’s localized walled garden contributes to our efforts to provide our customers with content and functionality that they can’t get from cable or satellite," Pioneer’s video business manager, Scott Ulsaker, said in a prepared statement. "CloverLeaf was able to localize their service for every exchange on our network, and we already have several community organizations creating local content with the community content publishing tools."
• The company has signed a deal with Digeo to provide walled-garden information services to the latter’s Moxi platform (see article in this issue).

Originally published January 14, 2008 in Issue 7.58A
Stay Tuned for The TV of Tomorrow Show http://www.thetvoftomorrowshow.com

Vitrue News:

–Secures $10 Million in Series B Funding Round
–Names Steven J. Heyer Vice Chairman, Jim Anderson SVP of Engineering
–Creates Social Video Services for Chick-fil-A, Meijer

Vitrue, the user-generated advertising/marketing company that was formed in 2006 by ex-Tandberg Television president, Reggie Bradford, has closed a $10 million Series B funding round. The round was led by Dace Ventures, and saw the participation of existing investors, Comcast Interactive Capital, Turner Broadcasting and General Catalyst Partners (note: the latter provided most of the funding for Vitrue’s launch). Dace Ventures founder and managing partner, David Andonian, has taken a seat on Vitrue’s board of directors. Vitrue, whose customers to date include Procter & Gamble, TBS, VH1 and Cincinnati Bell, specializes in creating branded, video-focused social media sites that invite consumers to create, edit and submit videos and other content. It provides brands with a "Review and Approve Module," which it claims allows them to "employ their own brand safety standards" for any content posted by consumers. "We at Dace Ventures have been diligently reviewing the online marketing and social media spaces in order to make investments in capital-efficient technology businesses that are headed for success, and we’re very excited to make this highly strategic investment," Dace’s Andonian said in a prepared statement. "Reggie is an entrepreneur with a proven track record, having built several successful companies throughout his career, and Vitrue has already assumed a leadership position in video-centric social media."

In other Vitrue news:

• The company has appointed Steven J. Heyer as vice chairman. Heyer, an investor in the company, is a well-known, though controversial, figure in the marketing world. Last year, he resigned as CEO of hotel company, Starwood, after he was accused of sexual harassment (he denies the accusations). According to Vitrue, while at Starwood, he presided over a "remarkable turnaround that helped the company more than double its market cap via innovative marketing and sales initiatives." Prior to his stint at Starwood, he served as president and COO of Coca-Cola; and, prior to that, as president and COO of Turner Broadcasting System and as a member of AOL Time Warner’s Operating Committee. While at TBS, he oversaw the launch of 14 new television networks, and led efforts to expand the company’s Internet presence, including the launches of 19 Web sites in multiple languages. His resume also includes stints as president and COO of Young & Rubicam and as managing partner at Booz Allen & Hamilton. "Vitrue is at the center of the next phase of marketing collaboration that is already underway, with major brands embracing consumer creativity and establishing mutually beneficial, one-to-one relationships," Heyer said in a prepared statement. "In a very short time, Vitrue has clearly positioned itself as the leader and innovator in video-centric social media. This dynamic company has wonderful assets and talented people, and is highly analogous to my work helping Turner embrace the power of the cable and the Internet more than a decade ago. Collaboratively, we will work to make Vitrue and video-centric social media a major part of every company’s marketing mix."
• The company has appointed Jim Anderson as SVP of engineering and product development. According to the company, Anderson has an extensive background in consumer Internet technology and in fostering in-company collaboration between development and sales-and-marketing teams. At Vitrue, he is tasked with implementing "the next generation" of the company’s "video-centric social media products and services." He joins the company after a decade at ISP, EarthLink, where he served most recently as VP of product development and where his responsibilities included leading application development, core infrastructure, QA and other teams focused on the company’s consumer-facing applications. Prior to his stint at EarthLink, he was an engineering consultant, working with such companies as Procter & Gamble and Georgia-Pacific. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
• Fast food chain, Chick-fil-A, has tapped the company to power a new, social-media Web site (chick-fil-a.com/biggestfan) that is centered on a video contest to find "the Biggest Chick-fil-A Fan." According to Vitrue, the site, which is designed to encourage the public to engage more closely with the Chick-fil-A brand, offers a suite of tools that enables consumers to create and submit videos and other content: Chick-fil-A enthusiasts are being invited to submit a video of up to a minute in length that "creatively pleads their case as to why they believe they are the brand’s most passionate fan." The deadline for submitting videos is January 15th, and the grand prize winner will receive 40 months of free Chick-fil-A "Combo Meals." Vitrue says it worked with online consulting firm, The Foundry Agency, on the development of the new site, which launched on November 13th with a video in which Chick-fil-A president and COO, Dan Cathy, appealed to fans of the chain’s food to submit their videos. The site employs Vitrue’s "Review and Approve Module," allowing Chick-fil-A to screen videos before they are posted.
• The company says that Meijer, a "big-box" retailer that operates 181 locations in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky, has tapped it to develop a "long-term, video-centric solution" that will "power the company’s social media presence." Vitrue and Meijer say they will develop online communities that encourage customers to upload their own videos about the retailer, and that these communities will be used for multiple campaigns throughout the coming year. The first such community to launch is dubbed meijerbrand.com, and invites customers to create and share videos illustrating their experiences with Meijer’s store-brand products: participants are currently being asked to submit short videos that recount how a Meijer product has changed their life, for a chance to win around $11,000 in prizes. "Our partnership with Vitrue helps us embrace our customers in a new way and harness their creativity to make our relationships even stronger," Mark Brewster, Meijer’s manager of broadcast planning/production and video services, said in a prepared statement.

Originally published January 14, 2008 in Issue 7.58A
Stay Tuned for The TV of Tomorrow Show http://www.thetvoftomorrowshow.com

Gemstar-TV Guide News:

–Teams with Comcast Spotlight on Study of EPG Viewing Habits
–New Deals with Sony, Polaroid, Cox, CZCATV, So-net, Atlantic Broadband
–Begins Patent-Infringement Litigation against Toshiba

EPG developer/interactive TV programmer, Gemstar-TV Guide (which is in the process of being acquired by Macrovision–see article in this issue), recently teamed with Comcast Spotlight, the cable MSO’s advertising sales arm, to commission a national research study by Lieberman Research Worldwide of TV viewers’ engagement with EPG’s. According to the companies, the study–which they claim is the first major study of its kind to be released into the market in the past five years (note: the study, which was conducted from June 12th through July 20th, was based on a "nationally representative" sample of 1,612 respondents, including Comcast EPG viewers, TV Guide Interactive viewers, and viewers with a consumer-electronics EPG)–shows that EPG’s are "considered a necessity for viewing and a valuable medium for entertainment marketers."

Among the study’s findings:

• Around 80% of users of Gemstar-TV Guide’s widely deployed i-Guide EPG always use their EPG to find out what to watch, and feel it is a necessity for their viewing experience.
• i-Guide users agree that their EPG makes them aware of programs they didn’t know about, is the best information source about TV programs, and enhances their overall viewing experience.
• The "vast majority" of i-Guide users pull up their EPG when they first sit down to watch TV, when a new program begins, during commercial breaks, and when they’re bored with what they’re watching.
• A quarter of i-Guide users pull up their EPG every or almost every time a commercial comes on.
• Two-thirds of TV viewers decide what to watch after they sit down to watch.
• 65% of viewers pull up their EPG, while watching a program, in order to see what programming is available on other channels.
• Around 25% of viewers use their EPG’s to check for shows airing later in the week.
• 85% of i-Guide users report turning to the EPG when a commercial comes on.
• Half of i-Guide users report noticing ads on their EPG at least once a week.
• Half of i-Guide users who report noticing EPG ads say they have clicked on an ad, and a fifth say they click on the ads at least once a week.
• Two-fifths of i-Guide users who notice EPG ads recall seeing an ad for a specific TV program or sporting event.
• Around 70% of those who recalled an ad for a TV program say they actually went on to watch the program.
• Around 40% who recalled seeing a movie or pay-per-view event advertised, went on to order it.

In a prepared statement, Comcast Spotlight general manager, Hank Oster, favorably compared consumer engagement with EPG advertising to consumer engagement with online banner ads: "IPG’s have come of age as an ad medium," he said. "They now have the substantiation and support points to show they’ve become portals to television and a true point of purchase positioning for advertisers. In contrast to the relatively low level of engagement that banner ads elicit online, these results show that a high percentage of consumers notice and take action on IPG ads. Our digital cable customers want to be guided through the myriad of choice we offer them, and entertainment marketers especially can help guide them with banner ads that provide quick and easy access to linear and on-demand programming."

In other Gemstar-TV Guide news:

• The company has signed a deal with Sony USA that will see the latter integrating TV Guide On Screen, Gemstar’s EPG for US consumer electronics devices (note: the EPG, which provides continually updated program listings, requires no subscription or phone connection on the part of the end-user), into its primary line of television products. According to Gemstar, Sony USA is its first partner to employ "hybrid integration," meaning that the Gemstar EPG will be build directly into Sony’s custom user interface and be made immediately available for consumer use. The companies say that their new agreement builds on existing licensing agreements between them that cover the US, Japanese and European CE markets; and that it represents "a natural transition to future Gemstar/Sony discussions" relating to My TV Guide, Gemstar’s suite of cross-platform guidance solutions. "This new IPG licensing agreement with Sony and the hybrid integration they plan to employ illustrates how Gemstar-TV Guide is creating additional growth avenues for our navigation technology while preserving a manufacturer’s unique interface for a positive viewing experience," Thomas Carson, president of North American IPG’s at Gemstar-TV Guide, said in a prepared statement. "As we evolve our offering to help consumers manage an ever-complex TV landscape, we will stay focused on cementing a leading market position for our brand, technology and intellectual property in wide-reaching geographies and with a range of partners."
• The company has signed a multi-year EPG product license agreement with Polaroid Labs. The agreement gives Polaroid the right to incorporate Gemstar’s EPG’s–including its newest EPG product, Data Loader–into certain of its DVR’s and digital televisions. Polaroid is the first consumer electronics manufacturer to deploy Data Loader, a version of Gemstar’s EPG that allows end-users to customize its graphical user interface. Polaroid will begin incorporating the Data Loader EPG into its DVR products early this year, and the companies say that they are "committed to looking for opportunities to include the IPG in a range of Polaroid’s TV products."
• The company has expanded its relationship with MSO Cox Communications, via a new, multi-year deal that includes product agreements covering the native Passport EPG’s of Gemstar-subsidiary, Aptiv, as well as an OCAP version of Passport (note: Passport is currently deployed on Cox’s Motorola-based systems, and the MSO says it plans to begin deploying it on its Scientific-Atlanta set-top boxes early this year), and certain features offered by Gemstar’s My TV Guide offering, including remote record. The deal also sees Gemstar granting Cox an EPG patent license. "We are happy to extend our long relationship with Cox through this new agreement," Tom Carson, president of Gemstar’s North American Interactive Program Guide Group, said in a prepared statement. "The Passport IPG solution makes sense for Cox as it will allow them a seamless transition to a single-source IPG solution throughout their systems. We’re also happy that our new agreement includes select My TV Guide features and services, like remote record, which Cox may begin to deploy in the months ahead." According to Cox, a key factor in its selection of the Passport EPG was the latter’s support for interactive TV and VOD: "We chose Gemstar’s Passport and Echo IPG because it provides an excellent user interface for our customers’ use, especially with video-on-demand," Steve Necessary, Cox’s VP of video strategy and product management, said in a prepared statement. "This is critically important today and will be even more so in the future, as our video services become increasingly interactive. This will enable all of our customers to benefit from the same user interface and take advantage of similar applications across disparate set-top box hardware environments."
• The company has entered the Chinese EPG market via a multi-year deal with Changzhou Broadcast & Television Information Network Co. (CZCATV), a cable operator that has around a million analog subscribers in the city of Changzhou. The deal will see CZCATV incorporating Gemstar’s EPG products and services into its new digital cable service. Ching Hai Technology, a Shanghai-based distributor of digital hardware and software to Chinese cable operators and consumer electronics and set-top box manufacturers, will work with CZCATV to handle client management, data collection, technical support and integration of the EPG (which is based on Gemstar’s G-Guide product) into the operator’s systems.
• The company has signed a multi-year EPG license agreement with Japan’s So-net Entertainment Corp., covering the latter’s TV program navigation and online video portal, TV Ohkoku, which features Gemstar’s G-Guide EPG. So-net, which was founded in 1995 by Sony Corp., Sony Music Entertainment Japan, and Sony Finance International, launched TV Ohkoku in June, 2006. According to Gemstar, Interactive Program Guide, Inc., its joint-venture with Dentsu and Tokyo News Services, worked with So-net to develop a syndicated version of the G-Guide for the TV Ohkoku site. The new version of the G-Guide went live November 1st.
• The company has signed a long-term multi-service agreement with top-15 cable operator, Atlantic Broadband. The deal will see the latter deploying Gemstar’s i-Guide EPG on Motorola set-top boxes; expanding its distribution of the company’s horseracing channel, TVG; launching its TV Guide SPOT VOD service; and launching its online guide application, Listings2Go (part of My TV Guide), on its Web site. (Note: in other Atlantic Broadband news, the operator recently launched Blue Highways TV as a free VOD service. Blue Highways specializes in content that showcases "the people, stories, traditions and music of America.")
• The company has convinced three German consumer electronics companies–Loewe Opta, Metz-Werke, and Kathrein-Werke–to sign multi-year EPG patent license agreements. The agreements give the companies the rights to use Gemstar’s intellectual property in their television sets, recorder and set-top boxes, deployed in Germany and the rest of Europe.
• The company says that its subsidiary, StarSight Telecast, has filed a patent-infringement lawsuit in the Tokyo District Court against Toshiba. StarSight Telecast alleges that Toshiba is infringing on one of its Japanese patents that describes techniques for providing EPG’s and for controlling recordings from EPG’s. Gemstar claims to have almost 200 issued patents and pending applications in Japan, which cover its G-Guide EPG. "We have endeavored to license Toshiba as a commercial partner for their sales of consumer electronic devices in Japan that use IPG’s covered by our patents, but to date, negotiations have shown no meaningful progress," Akitaka Nishimura, president of Gemstar Multimedia Ltd. Japan, said in a prepared statement. "While we have always worked cooperatively with all industry participants in the Japan market, we ultimately have a responsibility to our shareholders, employees, licensees and other stakeholders to protect the value of our intellectual property."
• The company has promoted Samir Armaly from SVP to EVP of intellectual property and licensing. It says that the promotion "reflects the important role Mr. Armaly plays in leading the company’s efforts to build, manage and commercialize its worldwide patent portfolio." Armaly, who reports to Gemstar’s general counsel, Stephen H. Kay, is responsible for overseeing the company’s patent portfolio and patent- licensing program. He joined the company’s legal department in 2001, though he previously served as an outside attorney for the company, when he worked at Christie, Parker & Hale and at O’Melveny & Myers. He received his law degree from UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall.

Originally published January 14, 2008 in Issue 7.58A
Stay Tuned for The TV of Tomorrow Show http://www.thetvoftomorrowshow.com