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Top Stories
o FTC Launches Probe into Marketing Practices of XM Satellite Radio
o Nintendo Renames Next-Generation Revolution Console "Wii"
o Microsoft, Wallop Partner on New Social Networking Technology
o Streaming ABC TV Shows to Feature Interactive Ad Breaks
o The Tube Music TV Network Raises $2.45 Million in Private Placement
o Discovery Communications Acquires Antenna Audio
o Contextual Advertising Firm Kontera Raises First Round Funds
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Briefly Noted
o mtvU to Launch Student-Developed "Darfur is Dying" Online Game
o Sirius Satellite Radio to Launch Scandinavian Music Show
o Poll: Air Travelers Interested in Downloading iTunes In-Flight
o AOL Debuts Stock Blogging Network
o Brightcove Launches Free Preview of Internet TV Service
o Sling Media Launches "Placeshifting" Software for Windows Mobile Devices
o AT&T Announces Festival Lineup for Blue Room Broadband Music Site
o LiveDigital.com Launches "Spitcam" Web Rapper Battle Tournament
o mDisney to Publish "Pirates of the Caribbean Multiplayer" Mobile Game
o iEntertainment Launches iMagic Mobile Games Unit
o NY Times: MySpace Members Mourn Deceased Friends Online
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Washington - Shares of XM Satellite Radio fell 5.5% on Thursday after the company released first quarter results and revealed that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched an investigation into its marketing practices. The company said that it received a letter on Tuesday stating that the FTC is looking into whether its marketing activities comply with various acts, including the FTC Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule, the Truth in Lending Act and the CAN-SPAM Act. The letter requested information about such practices as free trial periods, rebates and telemarketing. The company has launched its own internal review. Separately, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said that one of the company's satellite radios, the Delphi XM SKYFi2, is not in compliance with federal emission limits. The company said that it's conducting an internal probe into that matter, as well. XM said it ended the quarter with 6.5 million subscribers, up 72% from the 3.8 million it reported in the same period a year ago, and still expects to count 9 million subscribers by the end of the year.
http://biz.yahoo.com/e/060427/xmsr8-k.html
http://www.xmradio.com
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o Nintendo Renames Next-Generation Revolution Console "Wii"

Redmond, Wash. - Japanese video game maker Nintendo on Thursday announced the official name for its next-generation video game console -- "Wii" (pronounced "we") -- that will compete with Microsoft's already-launched Xbox 360 and Sony's forthcoming PlayStation 3. For over a year, the company had been referring to the next-generation console by its codename, "Revolution". Nintendo said the console's official name "sounds like 'we,' which emphasizes this console is for everyone," and "has a distinctive 'ii' spelling that symbolizes both the unique controllers and the image of people gathering to play." The Wii console will feature an original one-handed controller design from Nintendo, instead of the industry standard two-handed configurations found on past Nintendo controllers and the Xbox and PlayStation. Nintendo plans to release the Wii console in the fourth quarter of 2006.
http://tinyurl.com/mv7vn (CNET)
http://www.nintendo.com
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o Microsoft, Wallop Partner on New Social Networking Technology

San Jose, Calif. - Microsoft is looking to enter the lucrative social networking space populated by MySpace, Facebook and Friendster through a joint venture with San Francisco-based start-up Wallop, which is utilizing technology from Microsoft's own research labs. The company is headed by former Microsoft employee and entrepreneur Karl Jacob, and has raised an undisclosed amount of first round financing from Bay Partners. The company said its social network will "solve the problems plaguing current social networking technologies… Wallop departs from the friend-of-a-friend model common in all social networks today and the root of many of their problems," the company said. "Instead, Wallop developed a unique set of algorithms that respond to social interactions to automatically build and maintain a person's social network." The company plans to launch the service later this year.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060426/sfw040.html?.v=57
http://www.wallop.com
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o Streaming ABC TV Shows to Feature Interactive Ad Breaks

Los Angeles - When Disney's ABC network starts offering streaming versions of several of its TV programs next week, they will each feature long-form interactive ads from a single sponsor, instead of the typical collection of shorter spots during each commercial break, Reuters reported. Each episode of "Desperate Housewives," "Lost," "Alias" and "Commander in Chief" will open with a 10-second sponsorship message from a single advertiser, followed by a single, interactive ad from the same sponsor during three of the five regularly scheduled commercial breaks in a half-hour show. ABC.com users will have to click through the advertisements -- some of which feature online games -- to get back to the programming. ABC vice president of interactive sales Alan Ives told Reuters that advertisers on the Web-based shows will include AT&T, Cingular, Toyota, Ford, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, General Electric, Universal Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures.
http://tinyurl.com/pwr8m (Reuters)
http://www.abc.com
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o The Tube Music TV Network Raises $2.45 Million in Private Placement

Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. - The Tube Media Corp., a new music television network, announced on Thursday that it has raised $2.45 million through a private placement of its shares with several institutional investors. Florida-based Tube Media recently announced national distribution agreements with Tribute Broadcasting Company and Sinclair Broadcast Group, and is available in 2.9 million homes through Raycom Media's network of digital TV stations. The company claims to be a "pure music network" that will not air reality shows, award shows or game shows.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060427/nyth116.html?.v=51
http://www.thetubetv.com
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o Discovery Communications Acquires Antenna Audio

Silver Spring, Md. - Discovery Communications, the media company behind such cable channels as the Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet, said that it has acquired U.K.-based Antenna Audio, a developer of audio and multimedia tours for more than 350 museums and cultural sites. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Discovery said that the business will become an "integral part" of its newly formed Travel Media group. Last year, Antenna sold over 20 million audio and multimedia tours in 20 countries.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060426/dcw046.html?.v=86 
http://www.discovery.com
http://www.antennaaudio.com
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o Contextual Advertising Firm Kontera Raises First Round Funds

San Francisco - Kontera, a developer of contextual advertising technology, announced that it has raised an undisclosed amount of first round financing from Sequoia Capital. The company's ContextLink technology finds contextually relevant keywords on a publisher's Web pages in real-time, and automatically matches them to relevant ads presented as sponsored keyword links. San Francisco-based Kontera will use the funds to accelerate product development and expand its sales and marketing efforts.
http://www.kontera.com/default.aspx?id=16

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 Musicane Empowers Content Owners to Market!

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2006 Digital Entertainment & Media Directory - 1,000+ Company Profiles

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o mtvU to Launch Student-Developed "Darfur is Dying" Online Game

New York - MTV Networks' mtvU college TV network on Thursday announced plans to launch "Darfur is Dying," a Web-based game created by students at the University of Southern California. The game won the network's "Darfur Digital Activist" competition, aimed at halting the genocide taking place in Sudan. The free online game will be launched on Sunday during an mtvU event in Washington called "Save Darfur: Rally to Stop Genocide".
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060427/nyth141.html?.v=47
http://www.mtvu.com
http://www.darfurisdying.com
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o Sirius Satellite Radio to Launch Scandinavian Music Show

New York - Sirius Satellite Radio, a provider of subscription radio programming with 4 million subscribers, announced on Thursday that it will launch a Scandinavian music program, hosted by Radio Stockholm's Viktor Petrovski and produced by Per Gessle, a record producer and member of the band Roxette. The weekly show will make its debut on Sunday.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060427/nyth027c.html?.v=1
http://www.sirius.com
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o Poll: Air Travelers Interested in Downloading iTunes In-Flight

London - A recent online poll taken by Reed Business Information's Flight magazine found that over one-third (38%) of site visitors would download songs from Apple's iTunes Store if they were available as part of an in-flight entertainment system. The poll was conducted in response to recent talks between Apple and in-flight entertainment providers on licensing iTunes for use in aircraft by passengers who could use frequent flyer points to download music and videos onto their iPods. The poll attracted a total of 750 participants.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060427/ukth018.html?.v=27
http://www.flightglobal.com
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o AOL Debuts Stock Blogging Network

Dulles, Va. - AOL and recent acquisition Weblogs on Thursday launched a new blogging network that will feature blogs offering daily commentary on the most-watched and widely-held public companies. Each blog will feature a team comprised of financial professionals and analysts, current and former journalists and investing enthusiasts who will cover companies including Time Warner, Google, Yahoo, Apple, eBay, Microsoft and Wal-Mart.
http://tinyurl.com/l2edw
http://www.bloggingstocks.com
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o Brightcove Launches Free Preview of Internet TV Service

Boston - Brightcove on Thursday announced a free, open commercial preview of its Internet TV service for video content owners and broadband programmers, in advance of the service's full commercial release this summer. Programmers that have already created broadband channels using Brightcove Premium Services include Discovery, National Lampoon and Oxygen. The company plans to offer both free and paid standard services to smaller and programmers, which will generate revenue for them through an advertising network or through the sale or rental of video content.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060427/sfth047.html?.v=54
http://www.brightcove.com
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o Sling Media Launches "Placeshifting" Software for Windows Mobile Devices

San Mateo, Calif. - Sling Media, a developer of "placeshifting" software that allows users to access their premium cable channels and recorded TV shows from any Internet-connected device, on Thursday launched its SlingPlayer Mobile. The $29 application will allow owners of its Slingbox set-top box to view their home TV from any mobile phone or PDA running Windows Mobile.
http://www.slingmedia.com
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o AT&T Announces Festival Lineup for Blue Room Broadband Music Site

San Antonio, Texas - AT&T announced on Thursday that its online music portal AT&T Blue Room will this year offer exclusive interviews and live performances captured at U.S. music festivals including Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. Launched a year ago, AT&T Blue Room has since delivered more than 1,000 video music clips.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060427/20060427005184.html?.v=1
http://blueroom.att.com
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o LiveDigital.com Launches "Spitcam" Web Rapper Battle Tournament

Los Angeles - LiveDigital.com on Thursday announced the launch of a freestyle rap "battle" tournament that will take place via webcam. Amateur rappers can submit a 60-second video of their emcee skills, and site visitors will then vote on their favorites, with the winner taking a $1,000 prize. The Spitcam competition will be hosted by Jin the Emcee, who appears regularly on BET's "106 & Park".
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060427/lath037.html?.v=50
http://www.oversee.net
http://www.livedigital.com/contest/spitcam
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o mDisney to Publish "Pirates of the Caribbean Multiplayer" Mobile Game

North Hollywood, Calif. - Walt Disney Internet Group's mDisney, a unit that publishes mobile entertainment content, on Thursday announced plans to launch "Pirates of the Caribbean Multiplayer," a cross-carrier, real-time multiplayer mobile game. Developed by Floodgate Entertainment, the game will be released in beta in mid-April, with the official version to be released alongside Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" movie on July 7.
http://tinyurl.com/gexpr
http://www.floodg.com
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o iEntertainment Launches iMagic Mobile Games Unit

Cary, N.C. - Game developer iEntertainment has announced the launch of a new company called iMagic Mobile, which will develop massively multiplayer mobile phone games. The new company is backed by venture capital firm Lighthouse Partners, iEntertainment said, without disclosing specifics of the arrangement. iMagic Mobile will develop its own massively multiplayer mobile phone games, license other new multiplayer mobile phone games, and develop some new unique mobile phone properties that will also be launched on video game platforms.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/060427/20060427005777.html?.v=1
http://www.ient.com
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o NY Times: MySpace Members Mourn Deceased Friends Online

New York - The New York Times on Thursday reported on how social networking sites like MySpace, Xanga.com and Facebook.com are treating situations when one of their often young members dies prematurely, from an accident, suicide, murder or medical problem. Many use the deceased's profile to eulogize in the comments section and grieve with other friends. "MySpace handles each incident on a case-by-case basis when notified, and will work with families to respect their wishes," MySpace president Tom Anderson told The Times, adding that the site doesn't allow third parties to take over accounts of users after their deaths. An unaffiliated site, MyDeathSpace.com, has documented over 100 profiles of MySpace members who have died.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/27/technology/27myspace.html
http://www.myspace.com
http://www.mydeathspace.com

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