CNM Short Takes

CHUM TV, Mobile Media introduce music video serviceCHUM Television and Mobile Media have partnered on a fully-automated, all-request music video service assoicated with PunchMuch. The service is being powered by Mobile Media’s Viz/Response interactive TV technical platform, and the interactive ground operation will be managed by MyThum. The PunchMuch channel (www.PunchMuch.com) will allow music fans everywhere to request videos, participate in on-screen SMS chat and polling via their cell phones. PunchMuch’s weekly playlists will be available onscreen and online. PunchMuch is the rebranded Category 2 music video digital TV channel formerly known as MTV2 that CHUM acquired from Craig Media. MyThum and CHUM have a long prior relationship, including working together on the m-commerce application developed for CHUM’s licensed Habbo Hotel property (CNM, June 10/05). Fidelity offers new parental controls from NetSweeperGuelph ON-based NetSweeper Inc. has won a deal from MO-based Fidelity Communications to provide the ISP’s residential customers with new filtering tools. A media release did not publicize how much the parental controls will cost subscribers. The same release touts the NetSweeper product as one that "provides highly accurate web filtering, does not over block, and allows for time-based blocking of important applications like instant messaging and P2P file sharing applications." Bell ExpressVu adds new trivia channel to iTV offeringsBell ExpressVu on June 14 said that it had added BuzzTime Trivia to its lineup of interactive television (ITV) offerings. The service, available on channel 550 to over 900,000 households across the country, lets viewers answer questions from a wide variety of categories using their remote controls. BuzzTime Trivia, from NTN Trivia – which delivers similar interactive trivia games to bars and restaurants across North America – features on-demand access to 160,000 questions and multi-player capabilities. BuzzTime Trivia costs $3 per month, or $1.50 for all-day play. "Look for Bell ExpressVu to offer more on-demand information and entertainment services that help our customers simplify their lives, interact with on-screen content and enhance their TV viewing experience," said Bell ExpressVu president Gary Smith. Legend of Zelda seen topping Canadian video game chartsNintendo of Canada Ltd. says its newest Legend of Zelda title is poised to capture honours as the hottest video game for the 2005 holiday season. "We’re incredibly excited about the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. This is the must-have game of 2005, and we expect to sell tens of thousands of units at launch," said Nintendo VP of Canadian operations Jim Tyo in a media release. TSX reviews Hip’s listingThe TSX is reviewing the common shares of Hip Interactive Corp. with respect to meeting the requirements for continued listing, according to a TSX media release July 5. The review is being conducted on a expedited basis, the release notes. Video-game peripheral maker Hip did not file its financial statements by the end of the day June 22 as required by law, the company announced It attributed the delay to the need to resolve some non-cash accounting issues. It currently anticipates that it will show an EBITDA loss of approximately $2 million to $3 million. The company says in a media release that it is experiencing cash-flow problems, and that it is looking to borrow additional funds. It currently has $35.2 million outstanding under a previously arranged $55 million credit facility, but is experiencing difficulties borrowing against it due to a lack of eligible collateral. Cyberplex chosen to support Atlantic Lottery Corp. onlineThe Atlantic Lottery Corp. (ALC) has hired Toronto-based Cyberplex Inc. to provide application management for the gaming authority’s online operations. ALC currently offers an online sales outlet for its products launched in August 2004 dubbed PlaySphere. A media release notes: "This high-volume, large-scale application needs to always be up and running. ALC wanted a proven partner with deep expertise in application support and management with whom they could partner to ensure the continued success of this new sales channel." The release notes that Cyberplex will provide 7/24 application support, as well as ongoing upgrades and enhancements to the PlaySphere application. No further details about the terms of the deal were disclosed in the release. Besides its headquarters in Toronto, Cyberplex has offices in Atlanta, Austin and Halifax. OMDC issues call for games market support applicationsThe Ontario Media Development Corp. (OMDC) is offering up to $2,000 to assist a maximum of two Ontario game developers to participate in the Canadian delegation to the TIGA Content Market being coordinated by the Canadian High Commission in London. Developers participating in the market will receive a private meeting space and list of influential publishers to meet. A maximum of eight one hour meeting slots are available per day over the two days of the event. Approximately 30 publishers from the U.S. and Europe have been invited to the event, including confirmed attendance by Atari, Buena Vista Games, Capcom, EAP, Konami, Midway, Namco, Oxygen, Sci/Eidos and Ubisoft. Further details about the possibility of OMDC assistance are available online at www.omdc.ca under "Programs/Market Access Program." iUpload incorporates Google Maps to corporate blog toolBurlington ON-based iUpload, a corporate blogging application provider, will incorporate Google Maps into its product. The integration was made possible by Google Maps’ free new API toolkit that allows developers to overlay graphics over the maps, including markers, and display shadowed information windows. An iUpload media release notes that, "iUpload is the only blogging application that allows users to easily integrate additional data sources into their posts, ultimately making content available for the masses from a variety of communities." The company has also integrated third party apps into its blogging tools available from Yahoo, eBay, salesforce.com, Plaxo and Tribe. Scotiabank, McAfee offer rebate on virus softwareScotiabank Ltd. has teamed with McAfee Inc. to offer its banking customers a discount on McAfee’s virus scan and firewall software. "Amidst growing consumer concern petaining to online banking activity, it is critical to provide customers the tools necessary to better safeguard their personal data. By partnering with Scotiabank, we can offer Scotia Online customers proven, best-of-breed security solutions and encourage confident and safe computing practices," said McAfee senior VP of worldwide consumer sales Todd Gebhart in a media release. PhotoChannel inks Bell Mobility camera phone dealVancouver-based PhotoChannel Networks Inc. has signed a potentially lucrative deal with Bell Mobility to offer the cellco’s customers printing services integrated with its camera phone service. Customers would be able to have their prints done at any of PhotoChannel’s retail partners, including Wal-Mart Canada and Black’s Photo. Terms of the deal were not announced in a media release. Inter-carrier multimedia messaging services were recently announced, however, which would increase PhotoChannel’s potential customer base by roughly three times over Bell Mobility’s alone. DTI licenses games to NTN subsidiary BuzztimeMontreal’s DTI Software has licenced part of its games library to CA-based Buzztime Entertainment for use on interactive television platforms. The licence agreement gives Buzztime the option to license up to 27 single and multiplayer games from DTI over the next three years. The licence grants Buzztime worldwide, perpetual use of the licensed game content on iTV networks including cable TV, satellite TV, and the NTN iTV Network. Buzztime is a subsidiary of NTN Commuications Inc. This is the second time Buzztime has licensed DTI content. The first agreement was for rights to develop and distribute some of Buzztime’s trivia game shows for the in-flight entertainment market, in which DTI is particularly active. Podcasting forecast is bright: The Diffusion GroupDallas-based The Diffusion Group predicts demand for podcasts will grow from less than 15% of portable audio device owners in 2004 to 75% by 2010. The prediction is made in the firm’s report Podcasting: Fact, Fiction and Opportunity. If the prognostication holds, that would represent a compound annual growth rate of 101%. "Major media producers from satellite to radio to magazines are announcing new podcast programs daily just to appear hip and appeal to young people. But don’t be deceived by the hype. The fundamental growth, driven by the boom in portable digital music players, is similarly huge and very real," said Marc Freedman, CEO of PR firm RazorPop and a contributing analyst for the report.

CNM Short Takes

Broadcast | July 8, 2005

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