| CBS to offer TV programs free online
CBS Corp. made a broad push further into online distribution yesterday with a series of deals with Internet companies to carry CBS shows such as The Late Show With David Letterman, shown at right, for free to viewers willing to watch commercials. CBS already distributes many of its shows online through Yahoo Inc., Apple Inc.'s iTunes online music and video store and its own website. The new deals represent the latest effort by traditional broadcasters and other media companies to harness the power of the Internet to show video and to combat the unauthorized viewing of television shows on video-sharing sites such as YouTube, which is owned by Google Inc. CBS said it would begin distributing current shows as well as other programs from its television library through online partners including Microsoft Corp.'s MSN; Time Warner Inc.'s AOL unit; CNET Networks Inc.
ALONG Mobile Technologies Inc. Commences Trading on the OTC ...
Mr. Li Jianwei, Chief Executive Officer of Along stated, ''We are pleased to have made the move from the Pink Sheets to the OTC Bulletin Board and view this as an important corporate goal and next logical step in the development of our business plan. We believe this elevation to the OTC Bulletin Board will further expand ALONG's visibility in the United States marketplace as well as enable greater access to the Company's common stock by shareholders and potential shareholders in the United States.'' Forward-looking statement Certain information contained in these materials is "forward-looking" information, such as projections, estimates, pro formas, or statements of intentions, expectations or plans. All forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of the control of the company.
Norway welcomes DRM-free music downloads
MacNN managed to write down the swift reaction by someone from the Norwegian Consumer Council to the plan by EMI and Apple to start selling DRM-free music downloads. Senior advisor Torgeir Waterhouse thinks that today will go down in history as an important date on which "two of the really big market players finally took responsibility that follows from the position and made an interoperable solution available to consumers." He encouraged "all the other contenders in the digital music business to make the same important move." For some time now, various consumer-oriented officials of several European countries and the European Union (of which Norway isn't a member) have been criticizing Apple for its use of FairPlay, its proprietary digital rights management (DRM) solution, on music tracks bought from the iTunes Store.
Lindsay Lohan: I'm Not An Addict
(CBS) NEW YORK Lindsay Lohan said she felt safe being in rehab earlier this year, but she doesn't consider herself an addict.The 20-year-old actress told Allure Magazine during an interview that appears in its May issue that she decided to enter the secluded Wonderland Center, an addiction treatment facility, at the suggestion of her therapist."It's so weird that I went to rehab. I always said I would die before I went to rehab," Lohan said.Her room was "all white, with a parquet, and it was different! I just felt safe," Lohan said. "I thought, I'm going to stay here tonight. And I stayed there. For a month. It was great."Lohan said in January that she had checked into the center. Her publicist Leslie Sloane Zelnick confirmed in December that Lohan was attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.Still, the star of "Mean Girls" and "Freaky Friday" told Allure, "I don't know that I'm necessarily an addict."As for her fractured family past, Lohan laments that she had to intervene in fights between her mother, Dina, and father, Michael, who are now divorced, while growing up.Her estranged father was released from a New York state prison last month after serving almost two years for driving while intoxicated and other charges."I feel like a second parent in the sense that I helped raise my family," she said of her younger brother, Michael, 19, sister, Ali, 13, and brother, Dakota, 10.
Music World Entertainment Releases Statement on Billy Joe Shaver's ...
HOUSTON, TX. (Top40 Charts/ Compadre Records) - Music World Entertainment, who recently acquired Compadre Records, released a statement on behalf of their country artist, Billy Joe Shaver, in response to reports of his alleged involvement in a recent shooting in Texas. "We support Billy Joe Shaver as a member of the Music World / Compadre Family. At this time, no charges have been filed and Billy Joe is expected to honor all scheduled concert performances and his promotional schedule for his new album release, Billy Joe Shaver's 'Greatest Hits,' from Music World Entertainment /Compadre Records on April 3, 2007," states Mathew Knowles (President, CEO of Music World Entertainment). About Billy Joe Shaver .
Roots rocking reggae
Welton Irie (left) poses with a friend after ashow.-File and Burning Spear performs at Tru-Juice Rebel Salute 2006, held at Port Kaiser Sports Club, St. Elizabeth, on January 14. Photo by Herbert McKenis/Freelance Photographer Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; None but ourselves can free our mind. - Marcus Garvey. For most people, Jamaica is synonymous with reggae music. Reggae music captured the essence of a country in strife and the need for unity. Lyrically, it deals with issues of poverty, politics, oppression and Rastafarianism. This spiritual emphasis placed upon reggae through Ratafarianism made it different from its predecessors of ska and rocksteady. The traditional form of reggae music was 'roots reggae', which is predominantly associated with Bob Marley, who carried reggae music to the international arena.
Pope Benedict XVI, turning 80, gives Vatican staff the day off
Vatican City - Pope Benedict XVI quietly turned 80 on Monday -- which for the Vatican staff meant a day off and a bonus -- as tributes poured in from around the world. The German pontiff had little on his official agenda besides a luncheon with the college of cardinals and a classical music concert in his honour to be attended by the 72-year-old actress Sofia Loren. Loren, who lives in Geneva, told the daily Corriere della Sera: "I wish him another 80 years." The spiritual leader of the world's 1.1 billion Catholics marked the occasion, as well as the second anniversary of his election as pope, which falls on Thursday, with an open-air mass on Sunday attended by some 50,000 pilgrims. Among many tributes, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alessio II praised Benedict on Monday as "a sincerely and deeply devout Christian who speaks from the heart." Benedict has yet to travel to Russia despite warming relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Holy See.
Ad Supported P2P Music… Anyone?
Today, there are two stories - one in The New York Times and one on Business 2.0's website that look at the idea of P2P music downloads that are going to be advertising supported. Given that music industry has basically lost the battle over file-sharing networks, the logic behind alternative ways to monetize P2P music is understandable. Still, it is hard to imagine people enduring ads for free downloads, but then that just might be me. Why wouldn't they move to another network, which is ad free? That hasn't deterred some start-ups who believe that there is money to be made (or lost) in this business. Business 2.0, focuses on an Atlanta-based company, Intent Media Works, that also claims "that 60 percent of users are willing to endure the resulting pop-up ads." The New York Times is focusing on Qtrax, which used to be an illegal file sharing network, but has gone legit and signed up Sony BMG.
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