Mediagazer: U.K. Companies Target Investor Bulletin Boards (Jason Douglas/Wall Street Journal)

9:45 AM ET, August 16, 2010

Top News:

Jeremy W. Peters / Media Decoder:

Times Paper in Mass. to Charge for Online Content — The Telegram & Gazette, a New York Times-owned newspaper in Worcester, Mass., said that it would begin charging readers to view some of the local news articles that appear on the paper's Web site. — Starting on Monday …

Discussion: Silicon Alley Insider, Worcester Telegram & Gazette and NetNewsCheck Latest

New York Times:

Hulu Is Said to Be Ready for an I.P.O. — By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN and MICHAEL J. de la MERCED — Hulu, the rapidly growing hub for online television and movies, aims to go public through an offering that could value the company at more than $2 billion, according to people briefed on the matter.

Discussion: paidContent, Guardian, MediaMemo, NBC New York, Fast Company, Silicon Alley Insider, VentureBeat and DailyFinance, more at Techmeme »

Holman W. Jenkins, Jr / Wall Street Journal:

Google and the Search for the Future — The Web icon's CEO on the mobile computing revolution, the future of newspapers, and privacy in the digital age. — To some, Google has been looking a bit sallow lately. The stock is down. Where once everything seemed to go the company's way …

Discussion: AdExchanger.com and Rough Type

Lymari Morales / Gallup:

In U.S., Confidence in Newspapers, TV News Remains a Rarity — No more than 25% say they have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in either — WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans continue to express near-record-low confidence in newspapers and television news — with no more than 25% …

Discussion: Mediaite and Gawker

Wall Street Journal:

Slow Start for Apple's iAds — Apple Inc. is facing some early challenges in its closely watched mobile advertising foray, with some ad campaigns experiencing delays as agencies attempt to learn the new system amid Apple's tight control over the creative process, according to ad executives.

Discussion: Fortune, more at Techmeme »

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:

Initial impression of D.C. local news Web site TBD; N.Y. Times skips Obama lunch — One of the most intriguing features of the new, buzz-generating local Web site TBD is an invitation to readers to add some journalistic input. At the bottom of a piece on D.C. mayoral candidate Vincent Gray is the header “Complete This Story”:

Discussion: Romenesko

Paul Carr / TechCrunch:

Murdoch's New iPaper: One Last Tragic Roll Of The Digital Dice — “Rupert Murdoch To Launch New National Newspaper”. — As headlines go, that's up there with “DeLorean To Unveil New ‘Gull-Wing’ Car”, “Freddy Laker Reveals Trans-Atlantic Airline Plans” and “Charge! says Light Brigade” …

Discussion: Journalism.co.uk, Guardian, Garcia Media and broadstuff, more at Techmeme »

Brian Stelter / New York Times:

With Summer, Big Cable Channels Keep Getting Bigger — Thirty-one percent ratings growth is the kind of history that the History channel likes to make. — The channel is having a remarkably strong summer, with an average of nearly 1.6 million viewers a night in June and July, up from 1.2 million in the same months last year.

Kara Swisher / BoomTown:

Exclusive: Facebook Snaps Up Chai Labs — In yet another small acquisition, Facebook has bought Chai Labs, several sources said. — BoomTown could not confirm the price for the purchase of the content-focused start-up, but it is likely to be around $10 million and more focused on acquiring talent.

Discussion: Guardian, VentureBeat, paidContent and Pulse2, more at Techmeme »

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:

At 92, Still Grabbing the Brass Ring — THE day after he turned 92 (yes, 92), Sidney Harman, audio industry pioneer, philanthropist, author, university professor, lover of Shakespeare and soon-to-be-owner of Newsweek, was feted at the Aspen Institute, the research organization on whose board he sits.

Discussion: On Media's Blog

Jason Douglas / Wall Street Journal:

U.K. Companies Target Investor Bulletin Boards — LONDON—Three U.K.-listed small-cap oil companies are taking or threatening action against anonymous users of investor bulletin boards, the latest stage in a long-simmering row over whether these popular sites facilitate market abuse.

The Independent:

Pied Piper of Mischief leads the red tops on a merry dance — Chris Atkins tells Paul Bignell of his disciples' desire to continue planting fake stories — Film director Chris Atkins appears to have a death wish - having already taken on the collective might of tabloid newspapers, PR guru Max Clifford and Bob Geldof.