Fox will begin interweaving Twitter into the fabric of its shows. Specifically, Fox is scheduled to air "tweet-peats" of shows like Fringe and Glee, which will feature messages from cast and crew about the show via Twitter. The move is a combination of a live chat and a streaming event, linking the content to its creators and fan base via the micro-blogging social network.
Disney announced that it will acquire Marvel Entertainment for roughly $4 billion. The cash and stock deal, which values Marvel at $50 a share, has Disney gaining the rights to all 5,000 Marvel characters. Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter will continue to oversee the Marvel empire, slating story lines for film and video game production.
NBCU is expanding its network to include Gas Stations. In a move similar to its NBC In Transit programming, Gas Station TV will air NBCU content at approximately 1,000 gas stations around the country. NCBU believes its content, and the subsequent advertising, will reach more than 30 million viewers a month by appearing at the pump.
Sony is set to package new computers with Google's Chrome browser. The distribution deal, the first of its kind for Google, is a step in the right direction in gaining a share of the browser market. Sony Vaio computers bundled with Google's Chrome are currently on sale, while Google is in talks with other manufacturers to make similar deals.
The SEC is reportedly investigating Apple for insider trading. Quoting documents obtained by through the SEC, sources say that investigators are researching stock sold and purchased that may have been done so with non-public information. The investigation centers around the period where non-disclosure of Steve Jobs health was in question by Wall Street.
Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer a daily show featuring news you can use about technology, media & entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV. Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. You can join the MediaBytes mailing list here. Shelly can be reached at shelly@palmer.net For information about Get Digital Classes, visit www.shellypalmer.com/seminars