Mediagazer: Green Delivers With ControlTV (Mike Shields/Mediaweek)

9:50 AM ET, October 25, 2010

Top News:

Against Odds, Web Site Finds Niche — Something odd showed up last week in the mailbox of Choire Sicha, a veteran blogger who lost his job and started a Web site with a few pals two years ago: a paycheck. — In September 2008, Mr. Sicha, Alex Balk and David Cho all found themselves laid off from Radar …

Discussion: The Hairpin

Steve Fishman / New York Magazine:

Newsboy — Looking for one last turn in the spotlight, 92 year old Sidney Harman paid his dollar for Newsweek. And Tina Brown was all set to dance. So why did it fall apart? — Tina Brown has always had a thing for older men—years ago, she'd married one.

Discussion: Romenesko

Jay Rosen / Pressthink:

NPR News Analyst: How Juan Williams Got Fired — “The term ‘analysis,’ as NPR is using it here, means something so obscure, tendentious and peculiar to the culture of professional journalism that the vacuous and tautological statements I've quoted are probably the network's better option.”

Discussion: The Politico, The Atlantic Online, New York Post, Free Press and main page collection

Farai Chideya / The Huffington Post:

What Everyone Is Missing About NPR's WilliamsGate — “juan, gettin ugly. wonder if it will result in him severing ties, or mutual” — That was my note at the top of an email I sent back in September of 2007 to a colleague at NPR. In full disclosure, I am a former employee of NPR …

Discussion: Free Press, WBUR and NPR and Media Decoder

Noam Cohen / New York Times:

Blurring the Line Between Apps and Books — STEPHEN ELLIOTT, a 38-year-old from San Francisco, just introduced his first piece of software for sale: an app for the iPad and iPhone called “The Adderall Diaries.” — He's not exactly a programmer — better to call him a writer.

Discussion: New York Observer

Jon Orlin / TechCrunch:

Internet TV and The Death of Cable TV, really — Yes, you heard this before. The Death of Cable TV. Yet, it hasn't happened. But now, so many disruptions are happening in the video space, cable tv is really stepping towards the cliff. Don't expect the cable industry to just give up.

Discussion: Online Video News

Chad Catacchio / The Next Web:

Will Instapaper and other “read it later” services change the way online content is written? [TNW Media] — Perhaps it's the iPad or the large screens on smartphones. Maybe it's the increasing attractiveness of reasonably-priced ebook readers. It could just be that the constant river …

Georg Szalai / Hollywood Reporter:

PBS Making Digital Push With New Website, iPad Application … PBS is beta-launching Monday a new website at PBS.org, which will offer local content from member stations alongside national content and offer auto-localization features. — The public broadcaster also is launching PBS for iPad …

Discussion: ReadWriteWeb, more at Techmeme »

Mike Shields / Mediaweek:

Green Delivers With ControlTV — Seth Green and Digital Broadcasting Group may have a budding Web video hit on their hands. — It's early, but the high-concept series ControlTV—which allows viewers to both watch and (sometimes directly) influence a 25-year-old guy's life live via the Internet—is steadily attracting viewers.

Discussion: MediaPost

Julie Bosman / New York Times:

Self-Publisher Comes to SoHo — To make a book using an online publishing service, you create the design, add text or images, pay the fee, and in a few days or a week, the finished product is delivered to your door. — But there is the nagging question: Will it look homemade?

Jon Slattery:

Raymonds News Agency goes into liquidation — Raymonds, one of the country's biggest regional news agencies, has gone into voluntary liquidation and ceased trading, adding to the crisis over the lack of coverage of courts by the media. — Raymonds which is based in Derby …

Roy Greenslade / Guardian:

Will the arrival of i mean newspaper readers will desert the Independent? — Heavily subbed stories feature in Simon Kelner's latest revamp — It is tempting to call Simon Kelner the king of relaunches. In his 12 years as editor of the Independent - including a short hiatus …

Discussion: FleetStreetBlues

John Koblin / WWD:

Style.com Moves to Fairchild Group — NEW YORK —The Condé Nast Web site Style.com is becoming part of Fairchild Fashion Group, effective immediately. The editorial team at Style.com, including editor Dirk Standen, will now report to Fairchild editorial director Peter Kaplan.