mediaeater links for October 15th from 00:07 to 07:33:
- Paramount DVD release dates anger theater owners – A couple of years ago, Universal slotted a series of accelerated disc releases only to retrench to a more conventional posture after exhibitors cried foul. In its latest windows report, NATO shows Universal maintaining the widest theatrical window among major studios at an average of 141 days.
The industry average is now 129 days, based on NATO's tracking of DVD release dates announced through Monday for studios' 2009 theatrical releases. The most recent Paramount moves — which jump that industry average by 41 days — might prove to be an anomaly, but at least for now, exhibitor anxieties are running high.
"I view the studios as our partners, but it seems like the rules of the game are changing," Cineplex chief Ellis Jacob said. "That's a concern.
- Tutoring Older Adults in the Ways of Online Networking – According to an online survey by Knowledge Networks for the Center for Work-Life Policy in New York, older adults are actively seeking technical help from younger generations. Forty percent of the 1,595 people surveyed reported asking younger colleagues for help with iTunes, text-messaging and social networking, said Laura Sherbin, an economist with the center.
“Gen Y and boomers who are close to retirement have incredible synergy because they want the same things — autonomy and flexibility,” Ms. Sherbin said. “So they work very well together.”
- Tutoring Older Adults in the Ways of Online Networking – NYTimes.com – According to an online survey by Knowledge Networks for the Center for Work-Life Policy in New York, older adults are actively seeking technical help from younger generations. Forty percent of the 1,595 people surveyed reported asking younger colleagues for help with iTunes, text-messaging and social networking, said Laura Sherbin, an economist with the center.
“Gen Y and boomers who are close to retirement have incredible synergy because they want the same things — autonomy and flexibility,” Ms. Sherbin said. “So they work very well together.”
- No Friends of Facebook’s, in a Generation That Is – washingtonpost.com – On a broad level, there might be differences between those who tweet or issue status updates and those who don't. Pew researchers point to a new but very small study they conducted to show that resisters and adopters 18 to 29 have demographic differences: Social networkers are more likely to have an annual income of $75,000 or more, and nonusers are more likely to have only a high school education.
Yet even as the refuseniks assert a lofty stance on privacy and cling to precious — perhaps enviable — face-to-face communication, they inevitably rely on friends or relatives who are members of the very sites they protest.
Anne Kott said she is happily married to the man she met at Bucknell University, where she first joined Facebook. However, she cannot help but feel as though she in his employ.
- Exploit a Little Facebook and Twitter Arbitrage – Advertising Age – DigitalNext – This reliance on conventional ads helps explain the big mismatch between actual and potential ad revenue. According to Comscore, social networks deliver 20% of all ad impressions but account for only 3% of the ad dollars spent online. Not that the ad revenue is anything to sneeze at. Nielsen just released its social networking ad spend survey, and spending is up 119% in 2009, a year when ad spending overall has suffered double-digit declines.
Also in the Nielsen survey? Today 17% of all time spent online is on social networks. The spoils will belong to the networks — and the marketers — who figure out how to reward and extend that engagement with utility for users.