The Association For Downloadable Media (ADM), a newly-formed organization dedicated to “providing standards for advertising and audience measurement for episodic and downloadable media,” announced today the election results for the 20 positions on its board.
Podcasting News Publisher Elisabeth McLaury Lewin talked with some of the newly-elected board members and committee heads, asking about what inspired their involvement in the ADM, as well as their goals for the coming year on the ADM board. Here’s what they had to say: [More…]
I have been doing some work recently on Catholic media organizations, their size, and scope. I’d visited Grassroots Films two months ago and came across some info on a project they had in the pipeline called “The Human Experience”. It seemed intriguing, but there wasn’t enough info to know what I was really dealing with.
Well, I’m trying to finish up the work and I journeyed back to Grassroots Films. I am glad I did. What I found there touched me. They have the trailer for the film up and it seems truly amazing (if they don’t still have it on their front page, you will find the page devoted to the film on their Human Experience page).
It is a documentary film on the journeys of two brothers as they travel the world and experience (you guessed it) the human experience.
The film will be screened in several locations, mostly in New York, through December couple of weeks and once in Belgium.
The trailer is captivating and the music is haunting and you owe it to yourself to go and give this a look.
I just got off the phone opting out of Verizon’s plan to share my calling data with advertisers.
I thought the news of this was a prank, but then I saw it came from Ars Technica, a rather reputable tech blog.
This is what they had to say:
Over the weekend, a small storm erupted over new legal language that Verizon Wireless is passing quietly on to its subscribers. It appears as though the cellular provider is changing its terms of service to give the company the right to share sensitive calling data with third parties.
The entire article is worth reading, but if you are a Verizon customer and don’t like the fact that your calling data will be available for sale, read on:
Verizon Wireless has been contacting its customers via snail mail to inform them of their intent to share CPNI data with its “affiliates, agents and parent companies (including Vodafone) and their subsidiaries.” The company says that customers who do not want their CPNI data shared need to call 1-800-333-9956 to “opt-out.” Upon dialing the opt-out number, Verizon customers will be prompted for their phone number, billing ZIP code, and last four digits of their Social Security Numbers (in the case of businesses, their Employer ID numbers). Failure to opt-out will be interpreted by Verizon Wireless as “consent” to the company’s data-sharing practices.
I’m really getting fed-up with Verizon, but my business partner uses it, my phone is locked into their network, and I’m just too lazy to switch. I guess that’s what they count on.
I received an interesting press release today. It details a ‘new’ venture Jerry Usher (most notably host of Catholic Answers Live) is starting. It is an independent Catholic radio service company called Third Millenium Media.
After nearly 30 years in broadcasting and over a decade on Catholic radio, Jerry Usher has teamed-up with experts from around the radio industry to create Third Millennium Media, a for profit company that aims to provide products and services to Catholic radio stations, ministries, apostolates and others requiring a range of services from voice talent to production and programming training, with products that match their individual needs.
Catholic radio has been notoriously slow to adopt the rational model of using consultants. The difficulty seems sometimes to be an attitude of “I can do it myself” even if they can’t. The most prevalent reason, however, is the belief that everything in Catholic radio should be provided for free. The strange thing about this belief is the ones who seem to preach it the loudest are paid to work for Catholic radio. Catholic radio is really is a tough nut to crack.
Designed as a “hub and spoke” type company, Third Millennium Media has created a dragnet of professionals across the country that will provide service, on demand, using a “just-in-time” model. The company’s operational headquarters is in Omaha, NE, where Third Millennium Media’s John Lillis will coordinate sales, staff and resources for the entire country. Other members of Third Millennium Media will work with Jerry from the San Diego branch, while still others are spread about the country.
This appears to be a rebranding of NEI Radio occasioned by the partnering with Jerry Usher. NEI was an organization with very much the same mission as that of Third Millennium Media. John Lillis was the president of NEI which is also located in Omaha, NE. It will be interesting to see where this partnership goes.
The rise of Third Millennium Media is the culmination of years of work by Jerry Usher, who, behind the scenes, has been creating alliances across the industry as well as planning the acquisition and merger of many individuals and previously created institutions, respectively. Jerry’s vision is that together, the new Third Millennium Media can reach more stations and groups, more effectively and affordably.
Third Millennium Media has a tough road ahead. However, when I first read this announcement it occurred to me that is anyone could crack the Catholic radio nut, it’s Jerry Usher.
UPDATE: I received this email from John Lillis:
Jerry Usher, Program Director for Catholic Answers and long-time host of Catholic Answers Live, America’s finest and longest running apologetics radio program, will remain on the job and at his post for Catholic Answers while overseeing his new venture. Third Millennium Media’s day-to-day operations will be handled by Jerry’s new Director of Operations, John Lillis..
CAMBRIDGE, U.K. — News Corp. topper Peter Chernin has urged British TV chiefs to adopt innovative, risk-taking strategies and embrace new media — or risk extinction.Speaking at the Royal Television Society’s Cambridge Convention, Chernin, president and chief operating officer of News Corp., added that in such a complex market, creative, risk-taking strategies were more important than ever — and that it was high time the suits were regarded as creatives.
“It is a mistake to regard one set of people as creative and another as support drones. We need to treat every single person in our company as a creative.”
Chernin said the world of multi-platforms had created a truly Darwinian entertainment industry where only those fleet of foot would thrive.“There are huge rewards for those who innovate and death to those who do not,” he said.
He highlighted the move from a business where big players called all the shots to a world of infinite choice enabling audiences, users and consumers to exercise power.
“There has been a fundamental shift that has completely democratized our business,” he said. The News Corp. chief said there was a “golden opportunity” for media companies to make money from this new consumer-driven model.
“We possess the world’s most recognized and loved brands, and have the opportunity to leverage them in new ways.”
He added, “To dismiss user-generated content as crap and blogs as unauthoritative is not only unproductive, but a waste of time.” [More…]
I received this message from my friend John Lillis at NEI Radio. If you feel so lead, please consider playing the appeal on your cast or station:
OMAHA, NE — Pius IX had a vision for his favorite Sisters in Christ; namely, he wanted the Poor Clares in North America. What he didn’t know, was that 128 years later, the Poor Clares are still growing strong and today, they’re reaching out to USA’s Catholic Radio stations for help.
When Pio Nono sent two Poor Clares to the USA in 1875, he sent them to, where else, but New York City. The Archbishop there said that he didn’t think that their charism of cloistered prayer would be much help to him in the parishes and schools, so he sent them packing.
The sisters went down to Philadelphia and got the same story there. On to Cleveland they went and received similar treatment; down to New Orleans they went and found the land of Dixie had no room for them either.
Finally, in 1878, three years after their trek began, the Poor Clares arrived in Omaha, Nebraska where their presence in the US has remained for over 125 years!
Today, NEI Radio and Poor Clares of Omaha have banded together to produce an audio appeal for your help building a new monastery just outside of Omaha to the west on the grounds of Mount Michael School, founded by the Benedictine’s and run by them today.
Abbess Sr. Theresina is featured in this audio appeal which explains how the Benedictines donated about seven acres of land to the Poor Clares for their project and how the Archbishop is behind their initiative.
According to Sr. Theresina, they new monastery is to house the Lord’s promised new vocations from around the country as well as an all new visitors-welcome style chapel where members of families as well as the general public will be invited to pray with the Sisters four times per day, including Masses and on Sundays for their obligatory Liturgy.
Whether you are an individual receiving this message or a member of a Catholic Radio apostolate, we invite you to listen and download the audio here.
For more on the history and charisms of the Omaha Poor Clares, please log on to the web at www.omahapoorclare.com
If you’re involved in a Catholic Radio apostolate and you decide to air this package, might we recommend a time immediately following the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and preceding EWTN’s Catholic Jukebox. Other station formats and clocks will accommodate this ten minute package as well.
Those who run the program are invited to share with us when and how often by e-mailing radio@neiradio.com so we can share it with Abbess Sr. Theresina.
Please pray for the success of the Poor Clare’s building campaign and for their continued faithfulness to Christ and His Church.
Thanks for being a part of God’s history and may God bless YOU!!!
Conyers, GA, JULY 2, 2007 - After taking home three statues at the 2006 People’s Choice Podcast Awards during the annual Podcast and Portable Media Expo in Ontario, California, the Star Quest Production Network (SQPN.com) hopes to repeat that feat by calling on all Catholics to nominate their shows for the 2007 Awards at www.PodcastAwards.com before the nomination period ends at midnight on July 15th. [More…]
An article from vnunet.com about online viewing of video:
Daily use of online video rose by 56 per cent over the past year, according to the online Magid Media Futures survey conducted over the last week in March in the US.Nine per cent of 12 to 64 year-old Americans who used the internet in 2006 reported using online video daily. This number has now risen to 14 per cent.
Weekly use of online video has also risen over the past year. A majority of online Americans aged 12 to 64 are now using online video once a week or more. In 2006 this number was 44 per cent, rising to 52 per cent this year.
Among young adult males aged 18 to 24, 35 per cent report using online video at least once a day, and 80 per cent report watching online video at least once a week. Among females aged 18 to 24, weekly use of online video is 53 per cent. [More…]
Well, it looks like online video is on the rise. What impact do you think this will have on your podcasting. Will you move over to video? Are you likely to supplement you podcast with a video?
WASHINGTON (CNS) — St. Augustine of Hippo just got a whole lot hipper.
The fifth-century doctor of the church, perhaps known best for
“Confessions,” an autobiographical account of his conversion to
Christianity, now has a MySpace page. [More…]
This story caught my eye from the Hollywood Reporter. At first I didn’t catch the significance, but after reading the first two paragraphs again, I saw a connection with Catholic media:
Sony Pictures Television and online entertainment company Grouper are launching an online community today inspired by FX’s firefighting drama “Rescue Me.”
Dubbed “Firehouse: Sponsored by Rescue Me,” the new Web site was created to feature original user-generated videos submitted by real-life firefighters recounting their experiences in the field combined with professionally produced content from Grouper. [More…]
What an interesting experiment. I hope to be able to see the mashup of personal stories and professional production. It reminded me of something I read this morning. It is from an address by Pope John Paul the Great to the Council of the International Catholic Union of the Press in 1985.
Contemporary journalism often seeks out the hidden sinners in society, so that their crimes may be revealed and so that society may be healed. This service can indeed be salutary. But I would also hope that contemporary Catholic journalism, in particular, might seek out the hidden saints - those humble men and women who teach the young, who care for the sick, who counsel the troubled - those hidden servants of God who truly live the Gospel. In their lives they praise Jesus Christ; a greater knowledge of their hidden, humble and heroic work could well lead others to praise Jesus Christ. In a world so often divided by conflict and by hatred and so often marred by sin and selfishness, self-sacrifice and service of others in the name of Jesus are truly newsworthy; thy are facets of the good news of Christ which it is our privilege not only to proclaim but also to seek out and to make known so that others may be encouraged, inspired and even converted to faith or to fervour. [Full Text]
Though this is addressed specifically to the print press, it is definitely applicable to audio and video production as well. I especially love the admonition to “seek out the hidden saints”. We need to tell these stories.
The announcement about hos Sony and Grouper are planning to work together is a reminder of the creativity we can employ to tell these stories.
Subscribe to feed
The Association For Downloadable Media (ADM), a newly-formed organization dedicated to “providing standards for advertising and audience measurement for episodic and downloadable media,” announced today the election results for the 20 positions on its board.
CAMBRIDGE, U.K. — News Corp. topper Peter Chernin has urged British TV chiefs to adopt innovative, risk-taking strategies and embrace new media — or risk extinction.Speaking at the Royal Television Society’s Cambridge Convention, Chernin, president and chief operating officer of News Corp., added that in such a complex market, creative, risk-taking strategies were more important than ever — and that it was high time the suits were regarded as creatives.