After Conan O'Brien takes over the Tonight Show in May, Jay Leno will begin hosting a show at 10pm on NBC. The move coincides with Jeff Zucker's plan to cut the amount of programming hours with entertainment division fare. Keeping Leno on, even at a new time slot, would help the struggling NBC, currently in 4th place, leverage one of its most recognizable stars.
Sony's Bravia Internet Video Link service has doubled its subscriber base. Bravia Internet Video Link is the best way to watch online video through your Sony Television Set. In fact, you can watch MediaBytes on your Bravia every weekday. Although Sony, like every major corporation, is making hard choices about cost-cutting, their online television initiative is truly industry-leading.
Yahoo, which planned to cut roughly 10% of its workforce, will increase the number of layoffs from 1,400 to 2,000, according to All Things D. Analysts believe the increase stems from the uncertain economy, as well as Yahoo's lack of a leadership. Meanwhile, Yahoo's board, in search of a new director, has made a few recommendations, including former Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin.
MySpace is teaming with Google to help fight to login fatigue. MySpace announced that its MySpaceID will be made available to any third party site who wants to allow users interoperability with MySpace, in addition to bringing Google's Open Social to the MySpace world. The deal would help Google roll its ad network out to a social networking site, which it had failed to do with Orkut, its own social network.
Plus, today's consulting question, "I work for Tribune, what's going to happen to my ESOP?" Shelly has the answer on today's MediaBytes.
Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes 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 (2008, York House Press). Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, NY (the organization that bestows the coveted Emmy® Awards). You can join the MediaBytes mailing list here. Shelly can be reached at shelly@palmer.net