April 11, 2007

360AM: Baseball Channel Very, Very Good to MLB

MLB's TV network worth $1.2 billion from Extra Innings boost; DirecTV to use Google for TV ad sales; and other Wednesday news.

By Shirley Brady

360AM — Morning news briefing for Wednesday, Apr. 11 (Updated: 8pm ET)

With Major League Baseball's TV rights tied up, MLB's 2009 debut of the Baseball Channel could include games from Japan, minor league baseball and even reality series. MLB EVP Tim Brosnan tells USA Today, "I'm a big admirer of Bravo Channel's reality shows. We could have heroes and villains." Allen & Co. banker Steve Greenberg estimates the channel—built on the deals MLB last week signed with DirecTV and In Demand—is worth $1.2 billion: "Every (team) owner woke up with his franchise worth $40 million more." MLB just extended its online freeview of Extra Innings through Apr. 30 while it continues negotiating carriage of the channel with other cable operators (including Cablevision and Charter) who are interested in launching Extra Innings this season—click here for more.

DirecTV is negotiating to use Google's TV ad sales system—similar to EchoStar's Apr. 3 deal to use Google's automated TV ad planning, scheduling, delivery and tracking—according to this Reuters report, which cites the VentureBeat blog. VentureBeat, which broke the Google/EchoStar deal last month, points readers to a Wired Q&A with Google CEO Eric Schmidt for his take on how advertising plays into the search engine's gameplan. DirecTV is also gearing up for HDVOD as early as July. [Engadget]

Philips Electronics and Dolby Labs' Ciena Inc. are working on rival technologies to insert digital watermarks into cable video-on-demand and pay-per-view content to thwart would-be pirates. Both systems will remain embedded through multiple viewings and even in a camcorder copy recorded off a screen. Philips' VTrack system is inserted as the video asset passes through a cable set-top box or cable-ready digital TV; Ciena's Running Marks watermark is inserted in the digital stream before the video leaves the head-end. Both are HD-compatible. [AP]

Comcast acquired Fandango and announced plans to integrated the movie ticketing service into the operator's entertainment portal, Fancast.com, this summer. Fancast will offer movie and television content and information on where to access video on TV, on demand, online and on mobile devices. Fandango will be integrated into Comcast.net and Comcast's other sites. Financial terms weren't disclosed. [Release] Comcast chairman/CEO Brian Roberts said the company's bundled business "is on fire" in an interview on its financial outlook with Bloomberg.

• PROGRAMMING

BODVOD, the Bollywood movies video-on-demand service, launched in Cox Communications' San Diego and Orange County markets. [India eNews]

Court TV cancelled Catherine Crier Live after seven years on the air, upsetting the former DA-turned-legal commentator's fans.

ESPN launched QuieroDeportes.com, a website to plug ESPN Deportes.

fuse named former VH1 executive Eric Sherman its new president; GM Jennifer Caserta now reports to Sherman, while fuse moves from Rainbow Media to Madison Square Garden's media holdings.

IFC brings back The Henry Rollins Show Friday night. [SF Examiner]

MSNBC will drop Imus in the Morning after Don Imus suspension starting Monday. [CBS News]

NBC launched FollowMatt.com, a website plugging Matt Lauer's annual globe-hopping on the Today Show; Hyundai is paying $2.5 million to sponsor. [New York Times] NBC/News Corp.'s upcoming TV/Web portal notwithstanding, Saturday Night Live's Lorne Michaels will miss YouTube. [New York Observer]

VH1 kicks off two new so-called celebreality series Sunday night. Flavor of Love Girls: Charm School is hosted by Mo'Nique and The Springer Hustle is an Osbournes-like glimpse at Jerry Springer's family. [Release]

• IN OTHER NEWS

Gemstar-TV Guide CEO Rich Battista received $1.6 million in compensation last year. [AP] Time Warner chairman/CEO Richard Parsons, who received $18.4 million in compensation last year, is consolidating his Tribeca real estate holdings in New York says the New York Observer, which notes that CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo and her husband just paid $6.5 million for a Manhattan townhouse.

Comcast has been overwhelmed by demand for digital set-top boxes in Nashville, TN. [The Tennessean]

Florida's state cable association launches TV spots in statewide video battle against telcos. [Bradenton Herald]

Broadcast TV stations ramp up local Web initiatives with community features and online-only exclusives. [WSJ]

Sling Media is working on Apple TV compatability. [Engadget]

Veteran media analyst Rich Bilotti is leaving Morgan Stanley. [WSJ]

Amusing read: New York magazine's Q&A with new-ish Daily Show correspondent, Brit import John Oliver.

Black Family Channel chairman Willie Gary's day job: suing the pants off companies like Motorola. Gary could earn more than $24 million (he bills $11,000/hr) if he wins the Moto suit. [AP]

Mark Cuban blogs that Web video is passé; this from the man who brought you (and sold to Yahoo) Broadcast.com.

- Shirley Brady

• Click here for 360AM news briefing for Tuesday, Apr. 10 >>