Project Canoe - Oprah - Paramount - VooZoo - The WB - MySpace - MediaBytes March 10, 2008

SHELLY PALMER reveals what really caused Oprah’s online video meltdown. PROJECT CANOE continues to develop as the major cable companies host monthly meetings in New York and Philadelphia. The targeted and interactive advertising initiative is bringing together Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Cox, Charter and Bright house Networks. The companies are expected to fund a new company with an initial $150 million to create a national service that allows advertisers to purchase spots across all six cable networks. The service will also offer interactive ads. PARAMOUNT will make clips from thousands of movies available online through a new Facebook application called Voozoo. Users will be able to send the clips to other users and each clip will include a link to purchase the film’s DVD. Paramount is in talks with other studios to add their content. MYSPACE has increased talks with the major music labels about offering a new online music service through the social network. SONY BMG, Warner Music and EMI are expected to sign on before the end of the month. Universal Music is holding out due to a pending copyright lawsuit with MySpace, which it wants to settle before entering into a business relationship. THE WB may resurface as an online network. The network would offer online streaming of Dawson’s Creek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and other WB classics. Talks are underway to secure the online rights to the content before a soft launch next month. FOX saw its web traffic increase 101% in January due to the return of American Idol, Prison Break and other shows. 4.6 million unique users visited the network site during the month. NBC.com and ABC.com still hold the lead, with close to 8 million unique users every month. CBS.com draws 4.5 million.

Blip | March 10, 2008

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