Mediagazer: Murdoch's iBlunders (Mike Shields/Mediaweek)

10:00 AM ET, December 20, 2010

Top News:

Dylan Stableford / The Wrap:

Newspapers in 2010: Another Bad Year, But the Bleeding Slows — The newspaper industry, devastated during the recession, had another bad year in 2010. — Overall, circulation for newspapers in the U.S. declined 5 percent during the six months ended Sept. 30, according to the Audit Bureau …

Thomas E. Weber / The Daily Beast:

Cracking the New York Times Popularity Code — Just how many people does it take to propel a story onto the Times' influential most-emailed list? And can it be gamed? Thomas E. Weber finds the answers. — The most-emailed articles list on the New York Times website …

Discussion: The Huffington Post

Chris Rovzar / New York Magazine:

The New York Times Pay Wall: A Goodwill Membership? — The New York Times pay wall will go up in early 2011, possibly as early as January. Last week, Slate.com asked readers how much they thought the Times would charge per month, with choices between $5 and $25.

New York Times:

Google TV Faces Delays Amid Poor Reviews — Google TV has just enacted its first programming cancellation. — The Consumer Electronics Show next month in Las Vegas was meant to be the great coming-out party for Google's new software for televisions, which adds Web video and other computer smarts to TV sets.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Guardian, Post Tech, Beyond Search, SlashGear, Digital Trends, ConceivablyTech, CNET News, Examiner, Electronista, VentureBeat, Engadget, Daring Fireball, SAI, MediaMemo and Technologizer, more at Techmeme »

Suzanne Vranica / Wall Street Journal:

Targeted TV Ads Set for Takeoff — DirecTV to Pioneer Commercials Keyed to Each Household; Concerns About Privacy, Technology Linger — After years of promises and false starts, TV commercials targeted at individual homes may finally be ready for prime time.

Brian Stelter / New York Times:

Afghan War Just a Slice of U.S. Coverage — As the Obama administration conducted an Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy review this month, the news media did too, and the coverage came peppered with question marks. — The same week that ABC News scheduled a series of segments titled “Afghanistan …

Discussion: Yahoo! News

Russell Adams / Wall Street Journal:

Online Ads Pull Ahead of Newspapers — This year, for the first time, advertisers will have spent more on Internet ads than on print newspaper ads, according to new estimates from eMarketer. — The digital-marketing research firm says U.S. spending on online ads will hit $25.8 billion …

Discussion: VentureBeat, more at Techmeme »

Sam Schechner / Wall Street Journal:

CNN's New Chief Dives In — As Network Loses Ground, Ken Jautz Moves to Inject ‘Passion and Personality’ — Ken Jautz, the new head of CNN's U.S. network, is getting his hands dirty. — Since taking over in late September, Mr. Jautz has started shuffling programming and personnel …

Jason Deans / Guardian:

Kate Reardon appointed Tatler editor — Catherine Ostler to step down at Condé Nast magazine but will still write for the publisher's titles — Condé Nast today appointed Kate Reardon to become editor of Tatler, replacing Catherine Ostler. — Ostler is stepping …

Discussion: Press Gazette and WWD Media Headlines

Mike Shields / Mediaweek:

Murdoch's iBlunders — When it comes to the Internet, it would be hard to call News Corp. timid. The conglomerate has as rich a history of online business endeavors as any other media company out there. Unfortunately, it's a prolonged history of failure.

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest

Andy Plesser / Beet.TV:

Blip.tv Readies HTML5 as its Standard Player, Replacing Flash — While most of the the major video sites and online video services providers are providing HTML5 support, primarily for Apple iOS devices, Blip.tv is going to adopt HTML5 as its standard player for the Web and other platforms …

Katy Bachman / Mediaweek:

(Ad) Apocalypse Soon — The Federal Trade Commission wants to take out the mashers and grifters it sees lurking in online ads, but in the process it might slaughter that business in its crib. — Evoking the Do Not Call telemarketing program, the FTC's Do Not Track concept has goosed Congress …

Brooks Barnes / New York Times:

A Hollywood Brawl: How Soon Is Too Soon for Video on Demand? — LOS ANGELES — Perhaps the biggest fight on Hollywood's horizon involves where and when consumers can watch movies. — Studios want to offer new movies on video-on-demand systems in living rooms about 45 days after the movies arrive in theaters.