New Amsterdam Media | Seth Shapiro http://newamsmedia.com/blog Digital media consultants New Amsterdam Media create VOD, IPTV, Broadband TV , DVR, mobile, download and social media with some of the world's leading brands. Tue, 05 May 2009 15:34:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en This year’s Thursday premieres all down http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/09/29/this-years-thursday-premieres-all-down/ http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/09/29/this-years-thursday-premieres-all-down/#comments Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:12:20 +0000 Seth Shapiro http://newamsmedia.com/blog/?p=103 The season premieres on the traditionally leading Thursday prime-time lineup were down across the board. ABC still led (with CBS #2 and NBC third) with Grey’s Anatomy and Ugly Betty – but with numbers down 17% and 15% from last year, respectively.

Reminds me what we wrote in out DVR/VOD overview in 2006: “What’s on Thursday at 9? Soon no one may care any more.” That seemed like a strong statement to some then. Now it’s clearly the shape of things to come.

]]> http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/09/29/this-years-thursday-premieres-all-down/feed/ Emmys – good and bad http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/09/24/emmys-%e2%80%93-good-and-bad/ http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/09/24/emmys-%e2%80%93-good-and-bad/#comments Wed, 24 Sep 2008 05:39:20 +0000 Seth Shapiro http://newamsmedia.com/blog/?p=102 There was something to like and a lot to dislike about this year’s 60th Emmy Awards, broadcast this past Sunday.
The good: the best thing that can be hoped of an award, generally, is the recognition of work which is not the market leader, but which is good work. Both Mad Men and 30 Rock are great shows with mediocre numbers. Hopefully the multi-award wins of each will turn on more viewers to these shows. This is a good and heartening thing from the voting members of ATAS.

That said: how many minutes of boring and barely relevant can you pack in 3 hours? Enough to produce the worst ratings in People Meter history, with fumbling execution by a group of reality leads sharing the hosting duties, in a game they couldn’t win. Also, tributes to 40 year old shows like Laugh In and The Smothers Brothers work when they show what was great about the shows in their times – which definitely didn’t happen in the the just rotten staging of Ruth Buzzie and company, nor unfortunately in Steve Martin’s heartfelt tribute to the show that started his career.

Beyond that, the show’s running attempt to define the TV business as challenged but indomitable is just stupid. For thing, the proliferation of internet video has, more than anything, underlined the economic and creative value of professionally-produced content – which is still coming almost exclusively from the TV business.

Second, no industry is indomitable. The Academy should (and hopefullly will) roll with the new, cut the idiotic teleprompter banter, and rededicate itself to championing high-quality video, regardless of distribution channel. In a way, it started to this year.

]]> http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/09/24/emmys-%e2%80%93-good-and-bad/feed/ “The Influence of Audience” http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/14/the-influence-of-audience-conversation-saturday-july-19/ http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/14/the-influence-of-audience-conversation-saturday-july-19/#comments Mon, 14 Jul 2008 05:29:22 +0000 Seth Shapiro http://newamsmedia.com/blog/?p=101 On 7/19 I’ll moderate a discussion on “The Influence of Audience” for BLT LA, at the Luxe Hotel in LA (Sunset @ 405).  Social media has obviously increased discussion of the effect of audiences on the creation of media. But in truth (whether through market testing in TV, multiple mix releases in music, or test screenings of multiple endings for features) the community has always had a role in the birth, growth, and evolution of popular media.

It’s worth taking a look at cases where fans and haters have influenced the direction of major projects, and valuable to discuss how communities can be engaged to improve projects.

]]> http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/14/the-influence-of-audience-conversation-saturday-july-19/feed/ Mobile IPO stats http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/09/mobile-ipo-stats/ http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/09/mobile-ipo-stats/#comments Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:42:09 +0000 Seth Shapiro http://newamsmedia.com/blog/?p=99 By request: there has been one mobile IPO so far in 08 (OnMobile). There were 16 in 07, 10 of which were in the first half of the year.

]]> http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/09/mobile-ipo-stats/feed/ … and PE is still up http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/09/and-pe-is-still-up/ http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/09/and-pe-is-still-up/#comments Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:02:07 +0000 Seth Shapiro http://newamsmedia.com/blog/?p=98 Unlike the dismal IPO/venture stats we mentioned yesterday, private equity is only slightly (3%) off its stellar, record-setting 2007 total ($313B) - press release is here.

]]> http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/09/and-pe-is-still-up/feed/ ATT Dumps Dish, at least for now http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/08/att-dumps-dish/ http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/08/att-dumps-dish/#comments Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:51:14 +0000 Seth Shapiro http://newamsmedia.com/blog/?p=97 As expected, AT&T has ended its current five-year agreement with Dish, effective in this December. It did the same with DIRECTV a few months ago. Not clear what the long-term dance will be (or not be) between ATT and satellite - the acquisition speculation is not far behind us. if ATT does want a sat partner, this certainly clears the way for a year-end DTV/Dish bidding war.

]]> http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/08/att-dumps-dish/feed/ Madonna http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/08/madonna/ http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/08/madonna/#comments Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:29:00 +0000 Seth Shapiro http://newamsmedia.com/blog/?p=96 Nobody cares

]]> http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/08/madonna/feed/ No venture-backed IPOs in Q2… http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/08/no-venture-backed-ipos-in-q2/ http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/08/no-venture-backed-ipos-in-q2/#comments Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:33:32 +0000 Seth Shapiro http://newamsmedia.com/blog/?p=95 According to the NVCA, there was not as single VC-led IPO in the last quarter. Not one. This follows a slow Q1, in which there were only five.

In the first half of 2007, there were 43.

]]> http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/07/08/no-venture-backed-ipos-in-q2/feed/ SITE UPDATE http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/06/25/site-update/ http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/06/25/site-update/#comments Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:59:54 +0000 Seth Shapiro http://newamsmedia.com/blog/?p=93 We are updating the site with new features today. All bugs should be resolved by end of day. Thanks.

]]> http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/06/25/site-update/feed/ Canoe and the future of cable http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/06/22/canoe-and-the-future-of-cable/ http://newamsmedia.com/blog/2008/06/22/canoe-and-the-future-of-cable/#comments Sun, 22 Jun 2008 22:29:15 +0000 Seth Shapiro http://newamsmedia.com/blogfront/?p=84 You may have read about Canoe Ventures, a long-in-development but recently-unveiled consortium of the US cable MSOs to create a national ad sales platform for cable. The venture points underlines the need for cable to modernize its ad sales businesses and compete more effectively. It gets ridiculed for obvious reasons (cable isn’t known for its lightning business response), but the effort could really matter. Will be posting some links re Canoe soon.

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