Moonves Dismisses Consolidation Concerns

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MOONVES DISMISSES CONSOLIDATION CONCERNS
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Gary Arlen]
At an executive conference on the digital revolution, CBS CEO Les Moonves spoke about all the ways his company, primarily a broadcast television network, is moving online. Singling out CBS’ recent investment in Wallstrip, an Internet-program channel, and his company’s encouragement of short-form video production for the Web, Moonves said, “It’s important to do original content.” He also cited ways in which CBS is using Web video to enhance new and existing broadcast series. For example, new CBS program Gossip Girl has already begun as an Internet site to “plant seeds” via the Web and encourage viewership. Moonves described CBS’ Interactive Audience Network: “We have a band of kids in Los Angeles who are working full-time [to create Web shows] for $50,000 apiece,” a fraction of the cost of primetime shows. “They are creating a series of shorts,” he added. “The wave of the future is getting as much distribution as we can.” Moonves noted that CBS has set up partnership with 25 companies, including AOL, Google, Joost, Bebo and other emerging Internet-distribution circuits. He described this “second generation” of network-TV involvement with Internet content (after the earlier use as a promotional vehicle) as a way to further change the way TV is used. Some of the shows may eventually emerge as broadcast-network shows and, for now, the shows “are reaching audiences that we would never reach” on broadcasting, he said.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6447690.html?rssid=196
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See also --
* No More Media Consolidation, Public Tells FCC
http://creativevoices.typepad.com/blog/2007/03/no_more_media_c.html


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