The SEC wants comments on a new Internet-based campaign to alert investors about “questionable” pitches for securities transactions. By sharing information “more immediately” via its PAUSE program, the commission hopes to help investors avoid “online boiler room” and advance fee schemes, it said. The agency seeks public comment on PAUSE before it begins. The SEC public Web site will carry details on unregistered soliciting entities triggering complaints. Comments can be filed at www.sec.gov/other.shtml or by e-mail to rule- comments@sec.gov with file number S7-24-07 in the subject line.
A compromise FCC order giving wireless carriers five years to upgrade systems before their success in locating callers will be measured at the public safety answering point (PSAP) level (CD Sept 11 Special Bulletin) landed with a thud among carriers. The FCC approved the order late Tuesday in an unusual night meeting.
Google’s YouTube unveiled its ad format Wednesday, ending speculation about how Google would make money from advertisers without alienating viewers. The ads appear on the lower portion of the video as a translucent overlay, after about 15 seconds of viewing. Viewers who click on the overlay are shown another interactive video, such as a movie trailer, while the main video is paused. Those who don’t click will see the ad disappear after a few seconds.
Google’s YouTube unveiled its ad format Wednesday, ending speculation about how Google would make money from advertisers without alienating viewers. The ads appear on the lower portion of the video as a translucent overlay, after about 15 seconds of viewing. Viewers who click on the overlay are shown another interactive video, such as a movie trailer, while the main video is paused. Those who don’t click will see the ad disappear after a few seconds.
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) unveiled a PVR for PS3, along with new PSP products and services on the eve of the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany. PlayTV is a combined TV tuner and PVR that will ship in the U.K., France, Italy, Germany and Spain early in 2008, with other PAL territories to follow “in due course,” SCEE said.
About 95 percent of U.S. TV viewing occurs live, though more than 20 percent of viewers own PVRs, Leichtman Research Group said, citing a survey it did with 1,300 adults. Two years ago, the survey showed fewer than 10 percent of viewers using PVRs, which let viewers pause, fast-forward and rewind live TV. Those functions make it easy for viewers to skip ads during programming, but Leichtman said that’s not what they value most from the devices. “While 84 percent of DVR owners rate the ability to skip commercials as very important, just 8 percent of DVR owners say it is the greatest benefit of having a DVR,” it said. Most PVR owners say they have HDTV sets. About 45 percent use their PVRs to record fewer than six TV programs a week, the study found. The group predicts more than 60 million TV households will use PVRs by 2011.
About 95 percent of U.S. TV viewing occurs live, though more than 20 percent of viewers own PVRs, Leichtman Research Group said, citing a survey it did with 1,300 adults. Two years ago, the survey showed fewer than 10 percent of viewers using PVRs, which let viewers pause, fast- forward and rewind live TV. Those functions make it easy for viewers to skip ads during programming, but Leichtman said that’s not what they value most from the devices. “While 84 percent of DVR owners rate the ability to skip commercials as very important, just 8 percent of DVR owners say it is the greatest benefit of having a DVR,” it said. Most PVR owners say they have HDTV sets. About 45 percent use their PVRs to record fewer than six TV programs a week, the study found. The group predicts more than 60 million TV households will use PVRs by 2011.
The U.K. won’t support a music industry push for longer copyright protection for sound recordings. Responding this week to a parliamentary committee recommendation that the European Commission extend protection to at least 70 years, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport sided with last year’s Gower Review on intellectual property. That Treasury Department report opposed an extension, saying it would hurt most performers, harm the trade balance and boost industry and consumer costs. The labels promised to fight on.
RealNetworks will target women with advertising-enabled, downloadable casual games in a partnership with Lifetime Television, the companies said. The Lifetime Presents titles, debuting this summer, will display targeted ads and promotions for Lifetime programming, offering players more free game play the more they view contextual ads “that appear between levels or during natural pauses in the game,” the companies said. The first game, Sally’s Salon, goes online July 25. Women are the bulk of the audience for both RealNetworks’ downloadable games and Lifetime programming, including its LifetimeTV.com Games section. RealNetworks has doubled its ad-enabled game portfolio to 24 games the past six months, tallying 9 million downloads; the Lifetime game site has tripled traffic since a November redesign, powered by original Web-based and downloadable games. The companies have collaborated since 2004 on casual games for LifetimeTV.com.
RealNetworks will target women with advertising- enabled, downloadable casual games in a partnership with Lifetime Television, the companies said. The Lifetime Presents titles, debuting this summer, will display targeted ads and promotions for Lifetime programming, offering players more free game play the more they view contextual ads “that appear between levels or during natural pauses in the game,” the companies said. The first game, Sally’s Salon, goes online July 25. Women are the bulk of the audience for both RealNetworks’ downloadable games and Lifetime programming, including its LifetimeTV.com Games section. RealNetworks has doubled its ad-enabled game portfolio to 24 games the past six months, tallying 9 million downloads; the Lifetime game site has tripled traffic since a November redesign, powered by original Web-based and downloadable games. The companies have collaborated since 2004 on casual games for LifetimeTV.com.