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May 16, 2006

Upfront's Nostalgic Look Back

Yesterday's Upfront presentation by NBC held all the the usual appeal for the 26-year-old agency employee (Watch Jerome Bettis throw a football into the balcony! Watch Regis Philbin catch another one! Watch Matthew Perry take on a serious role! Watch Jeff Zucker be self-deprecating! And, in the afterparty, get your picture taken touching the Stanley Cup while wolfing down as much in the way of free eats as you possibly can!). But beyond that, something else was happpening: the emergence of convergence, as evidenced by the importance Jeff Zucker placed on the network's online offerings. While the presentation (subscription required) was a welcome acknowledgement of reality, I couldn't help but find a weird irony in the programming schedule itself. Just as everyone concedes that the salad days of network television are finally over, the networks presents not one, but two shows based on life at.. a major network TV show! Is this wishful thinking, or denial?

Posted by Jennifer Reingold at 10:34 AM | Add Comment

March 14, 2006

When the Storytellers Become the Story

My heart went out to the employees of several Knight-Ridder newspapers this morning, when it became clear that their ongoing roller coaster ride was not yet over. Although the McClatchy Company won the bidding for the newspaper chain, it immediately announced that it had no intention to keep 12 of the 32 papers and would immediately resell them. So for employeers of such newspapers as the Philadelphia Inquirer and the San Jose Mercury News, it was back to the drawing board yet again.

We at Mansueto Ventures could totally relate. It was just under a year ago that our former parent, Gruner & Jahr USA, announced it had sold the four women's magazines to Meredith Corporation--but that it hadn't sold Fast Company or Inc. Regardless of what happened to us, we were no longer going to be on their books by the time the Meredith deal closed several weeks later. A crazy auction ensued, with the best possible outcome for us: We found a buyer, Joe Mansueto, who believed in both magazines and also believed that investing in the two neglected brands was the best way to operate going forward.

As business journalists, we spend a lot of time writing about how rapid change often outpaces many industries, about winners and losers, about the broader implications of new technologies. And more and more often, the industry most affected is, well, ours. But it's a lot harder to be the story than to write the story. It also might make it a little more difficult to do the normal coolheaded interpretation of a deal when you know that that deal might mean you can't pay your mortgage. How do you keep morale up in such a time of uncertainty? Anyone want to share experiences?

Posted by Jennifer Reingold at 3:39 PM | 3 Comments

February 23, 2006

Craigslist and the Media

Tradional media continue to grapple with new media. Last night's episode of Nightline had a segment on Craig Newmark and his Internet-classifieds Website. While the show devoted some time to smiling customers, it mostly focused on the negative aspects of Craigslist. Besides a quick mention of the shady nature of the Casual Encounter section of Craigslist, there was the complaint that the site is hurting the newspaper business, stealing away those who would buy classified ads. According to Nightline, this shift has created an annual loss of $50 million in San Francisco alone. Newmark retorted that his site is serving customers in a way that newspaper classifieds can't.

Nightline's criticism felt like a sad defense of old media by old media. Why must Newmark and Craigslist answer for the papers' failings? Craigslist has become one of the top Websites in the world (3 billion page views per month) as new features and additional cities have been added to the line-up. Users preach the virtues of the free classified service. I think Craigslist shows the value of presenting people a free service with wide capabilities (Google also comes to mind). If anything, traditional media should learn from such online innovators and adapt more quickly to the new landscape, rather than complain about it.

What do you think about this criticism of Craigslist? Are traditional media's gripes against online media legitimate or just sour grapes?

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 1:27 PM | 39 Comments

December 12, 2005

Rest High Above the Clouds, No Restrictions

The New York Times had an article (free registration required) this weekend about satellite radio coming under fire from the music industry. Both XM and Sirius are offering players that let you record off their channels, not unlike a DVR and television. Though the companies do not allow the saved music to be transferred to a computer, some industry executives are apparently complaining.

I wonder when the RIAA and the music industry are going to learn. Most agree they dropped the ball by badly handling the emergence of the MP3 years ago. Now they are going to attack people that are paying for music via satellite? Not long ago people recorded radio with cassette tapes. And people lent tapes out or made copies for friends. Well, with this satellite model, though the quality of the recording has become better, you can't even share with friends.

The television industry learned from the music biz's failures of yester-year. Now people are recording shows on DVRs, downloading episodes on iTunes, or watching them on demand. Despite the success of MP3 players and commercial download sites, it seems the music industry hasn't learned anything.

How should the RIAA and music industry be reacting?

Posted by Kevin Ohannessian at 2:38 PM | 5 Comments

October 20, 2005

Google Those Books. Stat.

As expected, Google's plan to digitize every book ever written is coming under fire. Yesterday, according to a story in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), the Association of American Publishers filed a court complaint against Google, arguing that its plan violates book publishers' copyrights.

Note to publishers: Hello! Wake up. Quit your whining. You're actually going to make a killing on this deal -- and lord knows you need the help.

Continue reading "Google Those Books. Stat."

Posted by at 11:50 AM | 4 Comments

July 11, 2005

A Message from Our New Owner

In today's New York Times, there's a full-page ad with a message from the new owner of Fast Company magazine, Joe Mansueto. Here's what he has to say about why he bought the magazine, along with Inc., from G&J USA, and what he plans to do with them.

"Of course these magazines are an investment for me. But if that's all they were, I would never have written a check." -- Joe Mansueto, CEO, Morningstar

I wasn't looking to buy a magazine. Or two, for that matter. (Being CEO of Morningstar is a full-time job, thank you). But when Fast Company and Inc. came up for sale, I jumped at the opportunity. I bought them because I'm passionate about their missions. Their past, present, and future contributions. And the true intimacy they've established with their readers -- along with the enduring value that brings to advertisers.

Continue reading "A Message from Our New Owner"

Posted by Editor in Chief at 9:51 AM | 11 Comments

June 27, 2005

Wanted: A Few Good Foul Mouths

The WSJ had a story today about how local radio stations are scrambling to fill the morning drive-time void that will be left by Howard Stern when he trades in terrestrial radio for satellite at the end of this year. While apparently there are plenty of foulmouthed jerks out there, it seems nobody has quite mastered Stern's uncanny ability to pair just the right fart joke with curse-laden sexually explicit banter. And even if they have, nobody has built a national following that can be used, like Stern's, to pay the FCC fines and still make a handsome profit.

That got me to thinking that perhaps it wasn't Stern's ribaldry, per se, that made him the self-proclaimed "king of all media." Maybe (if Stern's hagiographic paean, Private Parts is to be believed) he got to where he is because when he started he was totally fresh, totally original, and totally un-tune-outable. All of which suggests that these radio stations are wasting their time looking for the next Howard Stern. How can someone like that be topped? He can't. Love him or hate him, he's an original. And that's what radio stations should be on the hunt for: somebody that totally upends radio's conventional wisdom. How do you think local stations should cope?

Posted by Ryan Underwood at 2:44 PM | 4 Comments

June 16, 2005

Want a Book Deal? Do Something Bad or Mildly Interesting

James Thurber, quoting Benvenuto Cellini, said that a man should be at least 40 years old and have accomplished something of excellence before he undertakes setting down the story of his life. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that Regan Media has acquired all media rights to the life story of "the runaway bride," Jennifer Wilbanks.

Let's all take a moment for a collective sigh and eye roll. Anyone who has a TV knows that no one pays attention to Thurber's standards anymore. There have been a glut of books (many ghost written) and TV movies by and about individuals whose stories were overblown. All those who read Jayson Blair's novel for anything other than professional reasons please raise your hand.

The publishing industry is quick to offer these dubious celebrities six-figure deals to recount their life stories, which really just boils down to one event plus relentless media coverage. Whatever happened to stories born of the imagination? Is this where the publishing industry should be looking for authors? Do any of you plan to buy Jennifer Wilbanks' book? What's your favorite tabloid tome?

Posted by Kerry-Ann Austin at 1:36 PM | 2 Comments

June 10, 2004

TiVo Tries to Make a Move

As companies like Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard try to establish the personal computer as the primary entertainment portal at home, another company, with a totally different background, is making a move in the same direction.

TiVo, the maker of the box that allows you to digitally record and replay TV shows, wants to evolve into the provider of a veritable multimedia hub. Yesterday, the company announced several new features, including the ability to share digital photos and music between your computer and TiVo machine.

Additionally, users that have several TiVo boxes will pay full price just for the first box, paying a reduced price for the further subscriptions. This will position TiVo to be the "entertainment centerpiece in the networked home," according to a TiVo news release. Can you say, convergence?

The battle lines are now more clearly drawn between the computer and the television set. The power of the computer meets the simplicity of the television. It's a close call. But I'm not sure I'd make a bet on either one.

Posted by Magnus Hoij at 1:01 PM | Add Comment

August 25, 2003

People Behind the Pages

Not too long ago, I received a sample copy of the first issue of Scarlett magazine. Published by Vancouver, British Columbia, Company of Friends member Sonny Wong, the bimonthly is dedicated to Canadian business women.

The first issue addresses mentoring, the challenges of a female physician, the role of a husband in the success of his wife (behind every good woman?), advice on handling a toxic work environment, tips on how to get involved in boards of directors, and the power -- and perils -- of ambition.

Former Fast Company senior editor Jill Kirschenbaum now edits Working Mother, so it's clear there's a need for energetic business magazines focusing on female leaders. We'll see how Scarlett fares amidst other Canadian business magazines such as Canadian Business, Profit, Report on Business, and even BC Business.

Posted by Heath Row at 12:46 PM | Add Comment