Week of October 31, 2005

Warner Brothers Creates Digital Content Unit

Monday, October 31st, 2005

Warner Brothers announced the creation of its Home Entertainment Group (HEG), which will bring together its online, wireless, games, and home video divisions. The division will also include its anti-piracy unit and the creation of a new digital distribution unit. The new HEG will oversee new and existing digital distribution of its content. The creation of the unit may pave the way for quicker development of digital video releases, which had been held up by Warner's home video unit, which is also its most profitable.

Microsoft Joins Open Content Alliance

Tuesday, November 1st, 2005

The Open Content Alliance, an organization aimed at providing digital access to printed books, has announced that MSM has joined. Yahoo is already a member, and the group is actively courting Google, which is far ahead in its development of its Google Print service.

Cuban Gets An Ally (And Competitor)

Wednesday, November 2st, 2005

Dallas billionaire Mark Cuban has expressed his views that the future of movie distribution is simultaneous release across every distribution outlet: Theaters, DVD, TV, and Video On Demand (VoD). He's been fighting an uphill battle against Hollywood, but now he has both an ally and a competitor in Cablevision, which will be using its Rainbow Unit content division to do at least part of what Cuban foresees: Releasing content simultaneously in theaters along with Cablevision's own VoD service. The releases will be given a limited run at the IFC theater complex in Manhattan along with the VoD release.

MTV On The Digital Forefront

Thursday, November 3rd, 2005

MTV continues to prove that it is not just on the forefront of the lifestyle of young adults today, but that it is also on the forefront in leveraging new technology and distribution channels for its increasingly complicated and broad array of products. This week, MTV announces the appointment of its first Chief Digital Officer, Jason Hirschhorn. The position is impressive and and somewhat frightening in the job Mr. Hirschhorn is being asked to do (from the press release): "Creating and implementing cross-company strategies for growing MTV Networks' existing and future brands..across all existing and emerging digital platforms."

Subscriber Digital Music Model Grows

Friday, November 4th, 2005

Real Networks just released the subscription numbers for their digital music services, including their flagship Rhapsody, and the numbers show impressive growth. In the third quarter of 2004, Real had 625,000 subscribers. That number has more than doubled in the past year to 1.3 million subscribers.

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