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THE NFL will allow NBC and CBS to simulcast Saturday night’s Patriots/Giants game. This will be the first tri-network simulcast since Super Bowl I. NBC and CBS will carry the NFL Network feed of the game, featuring announcers Bryant Gumbel and Cris Collinsworth. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said “We have taken this extraordinary step because Continue Reading →

FACEBOOK made further concessions in its war against user privacy. Mark Zuckerberg publicly apologized on the company blog for “a lot of mistakes” surrounding Beacon — admitting the company did a “bad job” with its release. Most importantly, he announced that users will now be able to completely opt-out of Beacon. VERIZON has rolled out Continue Reading →

FACEBOOK has been forced to change Beacon’s default behavior due to mounting criticism and user unrest. Previously a transaction would broadcast to a user’s network automatically if he did not choose to prevent it. Under Beacon 2.0 transactions will not be published until a user actually agrees to it. Ignored requests will greet a user Continue Reading →

KEVIN MARTIN conceded defeat yesterday for his suggestion that the 70/70 rule is in effect. He withdrew a report that contained the 70/70 claim as justification for further cable regulation and will re-submit his proposal without it in the coming months. Martin’s plan to lower channel lease fees for independent networks was passed and will Continue Reading →

NBC has launched NBC Direct, a service that allows consumers to download NBC content. Users can subscribe to shows and have them automatically download when new episodes become available. However, they must watch them within 48 hours of downloading. NBC Direct has some other major drawbacks: it requires a proprietary player, Windows Media 10 and Continue Reading →

THE WRITERS GUILD negotiating committee has announced a unanimous recommendation to go on strike, perhaps as early as this Monday. The committee announced its decision Thursday night and drew an enthusiastic response from the meeting of 3,000 Guild members. The final decision is expected to be made at a meeting of the East and West Continue Reading →

THE WRITERS GUILD contract expired this morning and no new agreement has been signed. A strike could be ordered at anytime. Last night, in last-minute meetings, the companies and producers told the WGA to withdraw its demand for higher residuals from DVD sales. WGA negotiators rejected the order and halted the negotiations. The Guild has Continue Reading →

GOOGLE will announce plans for Google-powered phones within the next two weeks according to The Wall Street Journal. The company has been approaching handset makers and aims to bring the phones to market by mid-2008. Google will offer an open operating system that encourages developers to create innovative new applications for phones and aims to Continue Reading →

APPLE found its next commercial for the iPod Touch on YouTube. A lively spot was created by 18-year-old Nick Haley and uploaded to the video-sharing site, where it received a few thousand views. Apple employees saw the ad and had TBWA/Chiat/Day contact the young student. The agency collaborated with him to create a professional, broadcast-ready Continue Reading →

WARNER MUSIC has lost MADONNA from its stable of artists, in a high-profile deal that only adds to the record industry’s woes. Madonna has signed a deal worth $120 million with LIVE NATION, the concert promoter. The arrangement includes rights to three new studio albums, merchandising, and concert tours. The news follows a recent uptick Continue Reading →