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Written by Joyce L Chow & William Hoehne April 20, 2006

MBN

INTERNET ADVERTISING IS THE FUTURE

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SUNDAYS ARE NOW PICTURE DAY starting next sunday: Pictures that we have taken and not published during before will be placed here on Sunday of each week for your viewing pleasure

International news from Asia and Latin news in English and Spanish here now

More exciting changes coming each day.
Watch for the MBN Politically incorrect SUV

MONTEBUBBLISM: Money always wins, look no further then dog shows.

BREAKING NEWS: LA OPERA PRESS PREVIEW GRENDEL
7 preformances only May 27 to June 17.
Academy-Award wining composer Elliot Goldenthal and Tony-Award winning director Julie Taymor collaborate on Grendel, a ground-breaking operatic premiere inspired by the Beowulf legend.

Eric Owens

Over 1,000 years ago, two anonymous scribes wrote down an epic poem about a Scandinavian hero who ended the bloody reign of the monster Grendel. John Gardner’s 1971 novel approaches the classic story from the monster’s viewpoint. Estranged from nature and outcast from the world of men, Grendel is a passionate thinker trapped in the body of a beast, who struggles with his own existential conflicts and observations about humanity, and about himself.
Using projections, puppetry, masks and Goldenthal’s richly layered and highly emotional score, Taymor creates an enthralling visual landscape.

In this world of kings, queens, storytellers and warriors, Taymor and her co-librettist, J.D. McClatchy, present a Grendel that is a quintessentially modern anti-hero. With language ranging from medieval to modern, Grendel serves as a gripping theatrical allegory of the human struggle.

Elliot Goldenthal, Placido Domingo, Julie Taymor, Eric Owens.
(C) photos MBN by William Hoehne 2006
ENTERTAINMENT, ART, FASHION, TECHNOLOGY
Azteca America Executives Unveil Programming Strategy at 2006 Upfront Presentation in NYC
'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' Comes to Westchester and Calls on Alure Home Improvements for a Record Fifth Time
Creatures, Monsters and Things to Inhabit the Academy
KORN Relaunches 'THE FAMILY VALUES TOUR;' Offers Summer's Only $9.99 Festival Tickets
Recording Artists The Pussycat Dolls to Make Appearance at Verizon Wireless Store in Bensalem, PA
Bob Dylan's XM Satellite Radio Show to Debut May 3
The Beatles(TM) LOVE(TM) by Cirque du Soleil(R)
Vivendi Universal Games Announces License for Freestyle Street Basketball
VU Games to Publish Asia's Wildly Popular Online Game in North America
'ATTACK OF THE SHOW' Introduces New Co-Host Olivia Munn as the G4 Series Relaunches May 15
Production Begins in Los Angeles on Revolution Studios' Science Fiction Action Thriller 'Next'
Mariah Carey Hits Perfect Note With Pepsi
Strong Majority of Americans Believes Radio Continues to be Important in American Life
CTV Upgrades Network in 16 Cities with Aastra's VideoRunner®
In Front of the Upfront, Media Agency Evaluates Broadcasters Performance
News Corp. broadcaster relies on youth appeal
Foreign Finalists Selected for Student Academy Award
Rorke Data Signs National Distribution Agreement with Myricom
No 'Free Lunch' Line!
Mags Use New Video Platforms To Become TV Channels
Mag Sag Continues, Consumer Page Drop Mirrors B-to-B
eBay Makes Bid For Reality TV, Prime-Time Show Will Air On ABC
VH1 Sets Commercial-Free Stunt For 'So
Digital Splinters Will Have to Be Cobbled Together to Reach Mass Audience
Immersive Media Company has engineered the Telemmersion® System
AT&T Homezone TV Service to Feature On-Demand Video Content from Akimbo
Mobile Phone to Play 'Big Role' in New Entertainment Venture
``The Film Noir Classic Collection Volume 3''
Gameloft Gets Down with Paris Hilton
Shomex, Variety And The Walt Disney Company Announce More Than 4,000 People Attended Premiere Of The Entertainment & Media Career Expo
ThoughtWorthy Media Premieres Internet Search Engine
Warner Bros. Pictures Tough Guys Collection''
Soak Up The Fun With Disney Character-Themed Swimwear, Beach Towels, Body Boards, Lunchware, And More
Country Music Artist Michael Lee Austin Hits #1 on Amazon Charts
Fox Sports Joins Newly Launched My TV
All-Star Cast Secured for SUPERMAN RETURNS: THE VIDEOGAME
Fox Home Entertainment Has Something for Every Mom This Mother's Day;
Time Warner, Michael Eisner and Spark Capital Join Shelter Capital to Complete $12.5 Million Strategic Series B Investment in Veoh Networks
SightSpeed to Present in the Top Innovator Demo Program at OnHollywood 2006;
Dave Navarro's New Band!
Keynote presentation at the Sports Media and Technology Conference,
Infinium Labs Signs Itron Technology Inc. to Manufacture the Phantom(R) Lapboard SEATTLE

Software Developer Alleges ABC Was Part of Circulation-Inflation Scheme

Digital Splinters Will Have to Be Cobbled Together to Reach Mass Audience

HD DVD Launches

Chicago and Huey Lewis and the News Announce U.S. Summer Tour
Greatest Thing Since Sliced Pizza; 7-Eleven(R) Introduces P'EatZZa Sandwich(TM) Featured on NBC's 'Apprentice'
Premium Content Driving Internet Video Growth
SPORTS & AUTOS
Oakland & Dodger baseball
PinnacleSports.com Serves up Betting on ATP Champions Tour Featuring McEnroe, Becker, Noah and Wilander
Automotive Students Shift to Hydrogen at Lansing Community College
New Web Site - MuscleCarTools.com - Offers Automotive Tools at Bargain Prices for Putterers and Professionals
Big Stakes Match Play Becomes The Ultimate Game at Wynn Las Vegas in 2007; Televised Event Will Have the Richest Winner's Purse in Golf History
Airport Express Offers Motorists Tips on How to Reduce Fuel Costs
Ford Breaks $5 Billion Barrier in Sourcing With Minority Suppliers in 2005
DOD
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
A Multinational Division Baghdad soldier died yesterday
Eight of the surviving 16 "Doolittle Tokyo Raiders
National Guard (In Federal Status) and Reserve Mobilized as of April 19, 2006
NEWS And News in Spanish
'Las Vegas Homeowners Fight Back'
DiversityInc Anuncia las 50 Compañías de Su Lista de Firmas que Más Promueven la Diversidad Entre Sus Empleados y Proveedores
Discover(R) Card Offers Consumers Relief from Escalating Gas Prices with Two Distinctive Options
Are Americans Doing Too Little to Support the Environment?
MenuVantage Releases New California Car Buyer's Bill of Rights Disclosure Tool to Protect Car Dealers, Customers from New Legislation
Raven Moon's GINA D(R) to Perform 4 Shows LIVE on the Main Stage at the 'Kids Faire' Expo in Los Angeles
Bandai America Calls on Kids to Create & Direct Their Own Movies Using Their Power Rangers Toys
Southwest Airlines Begins Hot New Service in the Summertime
98 Percent of Comments to GSA Want Loopholes for Large Businesses Closed
American Women and Children Face Terror Abroad
La detección de lesiones malignas de piel se puede mejorar en un 25 por ciento en los CAPs con tres simples criterios dermatoscópicos
Compuestos de alto valor añadido a partir de residuos procedentes de la elaboración de sidra
More Baby Boomers Worried About Gas Prices and Uninsured Medical Costs Than Retirement and Other Long-Term Expenses, AICPA/Harris Poll Suggests
SBA and California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce Sign Strategic Alliance Memorandum
Remarks by President Bush on His Meeting With Governors Who Traveled to Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan
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ENTERTAINMENT, ART, FASHION, TECHNOLOGY
Azteca America Executives Unveil Programming Strategy at 2006 Upfront Presentation in NYC

Luis J. Echarte, Chairman of the Board; Adrian Steckel, President and CEO; and Carlos de la Garza, President of Sales and Marketing of Azteca America, will present the Company's new programming strategy for 2006 and 2007 on Monday, May 15 at 7:00 p.m. EDT, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

After the presentation, Azteca America executives will host a reception for clients, agencies, associates and friends.

About Azteca America

Azteca America is the fastest-growing Hispanic network in the United States. The network is a wholly owned subsidiary of TV Azteca S.A. de C.V., one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language television content in the world. Azteca America currently has presence in 43 Hispanic markets, including: Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston, Chicago, Dallas, San Antonio, San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Phoenix, Brownsville-McAllen, Albuquerque, San Diego, Fresno-Visalia, Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, Denver, Orlando, Austin, Tampa, Corpus Christi, Tucson, Las Vegas, Colorado Springs, Monterey-Salinas, Hartford, Salt Lake City, Bakersfield, West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, Omaha, Yakima, Naples-Ft. Myers, Wichita, Reno, Boise, Victoria, Oklahoma City, Charleston, Chattanooga, Amarillo, Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, Greensboro-Winston Salem, Wilmington and Philadelphia.

Source: Azteca America

Web site: http://www.tvazteca.com.mx/

'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' Comes to Westchester and Calls on Alure Home Improvements for a Record Fifth Time

ABC's Emmy-winning hit show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is back in the New York area, and once again, they called upon New York's Alure Home Improvements to handle the task of helping to rebuild the home of the Arena family, a deserving family in desperate need of some help.

Alure, led by President Sal Ferro, has already performed four major renovations for the Emmy winning show, the most recent completed only a few weeks ago in Jamaica Queens (air date: May 7th). Barely rested from the Queens Makeover, Alure was hesitant at first thought of taking on another major project so quickly, but once Ferro's friend Kathi Cline offered to help out and provide several volunteers, Ferro was much more comfortable and has once again responded to the shows request for helping out a desperate family in need.

"After hearing the Arena's heartbreaking story, I can only imagine how difficult it was for the family. Our team at Alure is committed to rebuilding this home for a very deserving family," said Ferro.

"Sal and I have spoken many times about his past Extreme Makeovers. I can see what these experiences have meant to him and wanted to be a part of the next makeover. I offered to volunteer even if I was required to use a broom. Knowing Sal's generosity and hearing about this family, I agreed to do whatever was needed. I know together we will change this family's life forever," said Cline.

Jimmy "Jimboy" Arena changed an entire community forever. Diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor at five years-old Jimboy stayed strong. He inspired hundreds of neighbors, community members, several fire departments, officials and his own family with his infectious smile and spirit. Everyone in town knew Jimboy and prayed for him. They held fundraisers, birthday parties and even a parade to welcome him home from the hospital. But on September 28th 2005, shortly after his sixth birthday, Jimboy died and the Arena Family lost their only son.

The Arena's had saved enough money to repair and add onto their small home for their growing family but, when Jimboy was diagnosed, the funds went to experimental treatments across the country, medical care and travel expenses. Now the same community who supported Jimboy wants to pay tribute to him and help his family fix their broken home. After all, it was Jimboy who touched them all so deeply and he would've wanted this for his mom, dad and all of his sisters who took care of him.

A large Italian clan the Arena's can't enjoy a dinner together even though Mom Gina, loves to cook. Their small, 1400 square-foot rundown house has seen its share of wear and tear from the kids and is literally falling apart and bursting at the seams! With SIX daughters and one bathroom, the Arena's are in desperate need of bigger and better facilities!

In this episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" we learn how one little boy changed the lives of hundreds as we help his family get back on their feet and into a better and more accommodating home.

"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA. The series is executive-produced by Tom Forman and co-executive produced by Denise Cramsey. The show airs Sundays (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET), on the ABC Television Network.

The media is welcome to attend this amazing transformation. Anyone interested in pictures and interviews should contact Seth Selesnow from Alure at 516-396-9148. The episode is scheduled to air during the 2006 season. The Peter family episode from Jamaica Queens is scheduled to air on Sunday, May 7th. Details, Directions, background info, maps, parking info, and volunteer info can be found at the Alure website at www.alure.com.

Source: Alure Home Improvements

Web site: http://www.alure.com/

Creatures, Monsters and Things to Inhabit the Academy

Aslan, Yoda, Mr. Tinkles, Audrey II, Mighty Joe, along with a T-Rex dinosaur and several aliens, will be among the fantastical creatures, unearthly characters, hideous monsters and memorable icons that will come to life at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in “It’s Alive!: Bringing Animatronic Characters to Life on Film,” an original exhibition opening to the public on Friday, May 12, in Beverly Hills.

Presenting the work of many of the film industry’s leading animatronics professionals, the Academy’s Fourth Floor Gallery will showcase numerous models, both small and large, maquettes, and animatronic creatures and their mechanisms, accompanied by video clips of the final product.

“Animatronics have played a key role in creating some of film’s most memorable and beloved characters. We are excited to be a part of this exhibit giving the public a rare opportunity to see their favorite creatures up close,” said Brian Henson, co-CEO of The Jim Henson Company, which will provide exhibits of well-known characters from ground-breaking films including “The Dark Crystal” and “Labyrinth.”

The Grand Lobby’s installation will focus on the extensive design process such characters undergo. That section of the exhibition will present concept drawings, storyboards and photographs from the workshops and sets where the characters are built and operated.

“Animatronics is a real combination of art and technology, making it possible to manufacture creatures that can perform in front of the camera and interact with actors, in real time,” said Ellen Harrington, the Academy’s exhibitions curator and special events programmer.

The films represented in “It’s Alive” will include “102 Dalmatians,” “Alien³,” “AVP: Alien vs. Predator,” “An American Werewolf in London,” “Beetlejuice,” “Cats & Dogs,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” “The Dark Crystal,” “Doctor Dolittle,” “George of the Jungle,” “Ghostbusters,” “Gremlins,” “Harry and the Hendersons,” “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” “Labyrinth,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Jurassic Park,” “Men in Black II,” “Mighty Joe Young,” “Predator,” “Robocop 2,” “The Santa Clause 2,” “Short Circuit,” “Snow Dogs,” “Spider-Man 2” and “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back.”

Lending to the exhibition are leading animatronics artists and companies including The Jim Henson Company, the Walt Disney Company, Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc., Eric Allard, Rick Baker, Dave Barclay, Lyle Conway, Richard Edlund, Ray Harryhausen, Robert Short and Phil Tippett.

With its roots in the early years of fantasy films, animatronics became widely used in the 1970s through the 1990s, making possible characters like Yoda of “The Empire Strikes Back,” Harry, the giant ape of “Harry and the Hendersons” and, most recently, Aslan, the lion of “The Chronicles of Narnia.” Even though the advent of CGI has given filmmakers a different range of options, such recent films as “Herbie Fully Loaded” and “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” have elected to use animatronics to allow for real-time performances.

"It’s Alive!: Bringing Animatronic Characters to Life on Film" will be on display through Sunday, August 20, 2006, at the Academy. Gallery viewing is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekends, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information call (310) 247-3600.

©A.M.P.A.S.®

KORN Relaunches 'THE FAMILY VALUES TOUR;' Offers Summer's Only $9.99 Festival Tickets

30-Date Trek With KORN and DEFTONES, Stone Sour, Flyleaf and Dir en gray Kicks Off July 27

Multi-platinum trend-setting hard rock outfit KORN and concert producer Live Nation will reintroduce THE FAMILY VALUES TOUR this summer with a 30-city trek through North America. The traveling festival will feature KORN and DEFTONES along with Stone Sour, Flyleaf and Dir en gray on the main stage.

Set to launch July 27 in Virginia Beach, VA, THE FAMILY VALUES TOUR marks the return of the highly successful rock festival, which KORN created and headlined in 1998. For the first time, THE FAMILY VALUES TOUR will also feature a second stage. Acts appearing on the second stage will be announced shortly.

"When Family Values first started it felt like music was fresh and exciting," says KORN frontman JONATHAN DAVIS. "We want to recreate that same feeling for our fans, and offer them a full day of fun and some great music."

KORN are touring in support of their first release on Virgin Records, SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE, which has sold over 1.7 million copies worldwide in just four months, and has spawned the major radio and video hits "Twisted Transistor" and "Coming Undone."

Through KORN's unique partnership with Live Nation, lawn tickets for THE FAMILY VALUES TOUR are being offered for just $9.99 with value-priced seating available at every outdoor amphitheatre stop on the summer trek.

"Let's face it, ticket prices suck," says DAVIS. "Kids shouldn't be shut out of concerts. We wanted to see if we could do something about it, and our new deal gives us the chance to give something back."

KORN's desire to offer value-priced tickets is consistent with their reputation as artists known for unconventional moves that challenge industry standards and expectations. The effect of their unique partnerships is not limited to concert tickets. This innovative deal expands on the unprecedented partnership KORN created with EMI Music in September 2005. Through that deal, KORN has also been able to offer their latest album for $9.99 at major retailers across the country including Circuit City, Best Buy, KMart, Walmart and Target.

THE FAMILY VALUES TOUR will hit the following cities (dates and venues TBA): Albuquerque, NM; Alpine Valley, WI; Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Camden, NJ; Cleveland, OH; Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; Darien, CT; Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; Hartford, CT; Holmdel, NJ; Houston, TX; Indianapolis, IN; Kansas City, MO; Nashville, TN; Phoenix, AZ; Pittsburgh, PA; Raleigh, NC; Sacramento, CA; San Antonio, TX; San Bernardino, CA; Saratoga, NY; St. Louis, MO; Toronto, ONT; Virginia Beach, VA; Wantagh, NY; Washington, DC; West Palm Beach, FL. For up-to-the-minute updates on this summer's THE FAMILY VALUES TOUR, check out www.familyvalueslive.com.

About THE FAMILY VALUES TOUR:

The first trek launched September 22, 1998 with a bill headlined by KORN and with performances from Rammstein, Ice Cube, Limp Bizkit and Orgy. 1999's line-up featured headliners Limp Bizkit, along with Filter, The Crystal Method, Primus, Staind, Mobb Deep, Ja Rule, and Method Man & Redman. KORN also made surprise appearances at a few dates. Beyond the live touring aspect, the debut outing of THE FAMILY VALUES TOUR spawned a gold-certified live album and platinum-certified companion home video. This was followed in spring 2000 with the second live disc and long-form home video. The 2001 trek featured Stone Temple Pilots, Linkin Park, Staind, Static-X and Deadsy. In 1998, the Los Angeles Times noted that the tour "certainly proved to be one of the rock spectacles of the year," while the New York Daily News said it "created a bold new profile for hard guitar bands."

About KORN:

Grammy-winning rock icons KORN have sold more than 25 million albums and have received widespread critical acclaim for their music. JONATHAN DAVIS (vocals), JAMES "MUNKY" SHAFFER (guitar), FIELDY (bass) and DAVID SILVERIA (drums) have redefined the parameters of heavy music, revolutionizing the genre by matching unsettling guitar textures and volcanic rhythms with jagged, introspective lyrics and intense vocal stylings. KORN are known for their extensive live touring schedule and have received widespread praise for their live performances.

About DEFTONES:

For over the past decade, DEFTONES have remained one of modern rock's most consistently innovative and influential rock bands. Their confluence of styles and experimentation has created an ever-evolving musical hybrid that has been embraced Globally. "They're perfecting a new hard-rock variation," -- Jon Pareles, The New York Times. "This is metal that crushes, then soothes; collapses, then soars. DEFTONES blows open the possibilities," -- Rolling Stone. DEFTONES' new studio album will be released this September.

ABOUT FLYLEAF:

Deemed by many as a "band to watch," Flyleaf was recently chosen for regular rotation on MTV's exciting new "Discover and Download" campaign. Their forceful guitars and intensely melodic female vocals have garnered many new fans -- as well as much critical acclaim from Metal Hammer, Kerrang!, Revolver and others. The Village Voice writes, "Singer Lacey Mosely will sometimes roar and growl among the wolves... a total livewire." Flyleaf brings their intense and new brand of rock to the stellar tour lineup.

About LIVE NATION:

Live Nation is a leading live content and venue management company focused on creating superior experiences for artists, performers, corporations and fans. Live Nation owns, operates or has booking rights for 150 venues worldwide and promoted or produced over 28,500 events in 2005. Live Nation is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Live Nation is listed on The New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol "LYV". For more information regarding Live Nation and its businesses, please visit the company's web site at www.livenation.com.

Source: Live Nation

Web site: htpp://www.familyvalueslive.com
htpp://www.livenation.com

Recording Artists The Pussycat Dolls to Make Appearance at Verizon Wireless Store in Bensalem, PA

Tour Stop to include autograph session, demos of Verizon Wireless Music on Demand service

WHO: Verizon Wireless, operator of the nation's most reliable wireless network, will host an appearance by multi-platinum- selling artists The Pussycat Dolls. The Pussycat Dolls' current album "PCD" contains #1 hits such as "Don't Cha" and "Stickwitu." The group is currently on a 36-city tour opening for The Black Eyed Peas.

WHAT: An in-store appearance featuring The Pussycat Dolls. The Pussycat Dolls, currently touring with The Black Eyed Peas, will be available to sign autographs for their fans at the Verizon Wireless Bensalem store. Verizon Wireless will also showcase their V CAST Music on Demand service, which lets consumers download full-length songs directly to their cell phones without the need to plug into a computer. V CAST Music on Demand includes tracks from The Pussycat Dolls.

WHEN: Sunday, April 23, 2006

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: Verizon Wireless store

1301 Bristol Pike, Bensalem, PA

Source: Verizon Wireless

Web site: http://www.verizon.com/

Bob Dylan's XM Satellite Radio Show to Debut May 3

'Theme Time Radio Hour With Your Host Bob Dylan' to Feature Diverse Range of Music Each Week

Bob Dylan's much anticipated XM Satellite Radio music show, "Theme Time Radio Hour with Your Host Bob Dylan" will make its world premiere on May 3, it was announced today. Each weekly show will feature an eclectic mix of music based around a theme, and host Bob Dylan will offer stories about the music and topics of interest. Dylan also will read and answer select emails sent in by fans. In addition, "Theme Time Radio Hour" will feature contributions from special guests, including Elvis Costello, Charlie Sheen, Penn Jillette, Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel.

The first episode of "Theme Time Radio Hour with Your Host Bob Dylan" will be devoted to the theme of "weather," with a song list that spans "A Place in the Sun" sung in Italian by Stevie Wonder, "The Wind Cries Mary" by Jimi Hendrix and "Keep on the Sunny Side" by The Carter Family, among many others. Song lists for future episodes will be built around themes such as "cars," "dance," "police," and "whiskey." Complete track lists from each "Theme Time Radio Hour" show will be posted on a dedicated Bob Dylan page on XM Satellite Radio's website (http://www.xmradio.com/bobdylan) that will also include a link for users to purchase select songs heard on Bob Dylan's show through Napster, XM's digital music partner, as well as photos and information on encore broadcasts. Fans also can e-mail their questions and music requests directly to Bob Dylan at bobdylan@xmradio.com.

"With 'Theme Time Radio Hour' Bob redefines 'cool radio' by combining a sense of intellect with edginess in a way that hasn't been on radio before," said Lee Abrams, chief creative programming officer, XM Satellite Radio. "Bob has put a lot of work into his XM show and it's clear that he's having a good time behind the mic."

"Theme Time Radio Hour with Your Host Bob Dylan" will debut Wednesday, May 3 on XM's deep album rock channel, Deep Tracks (XM channel 40), at its regular weekly timeslot, 10 a.m. ET. Encore broadcasts of "Theme Time Radio Hour" will air throughout the week on Deep Tracks and XM's folk music channel, The Village (XM channel 15). Complete scheduling information is available online at http://www.xmradio.com/bobdylan.

About XM Satellite Radio

XM is America's number one satellite radio service with more than 6.5 million subscribers. Broadcasting live daily from studios in Washington, DC, New York City, the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Toronto and Montreal, XM's 2006 lineup includes more than 170 digital channels of choice from coast to coast: the most commercial-free music channels, sports, talk, comedy, children's and entertainment programming; and the most advanced traffic and weather information.

XM, the leader in satellite-delivered entertainment and data services for the automobile market through partnerships with General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan and Volkswagen/Audi, is available in more than 130 different vehicle models for 2006. XM's industry-leading products are available at consumer electronics retailers nationwide. For more information about XM hardware, programming and partnerships, please visit http://www.xmradio.com/.

Source: XM Satellite Radio

Web site: http://www.xmradio.com

The Beatles(TM) LOVE(TM) by Cirque du Soleil(R)

Director - Dominic Champagne, Music Directors - Sir George Martin & Giles Martin

Preview Performances Begin June 2 at The Mirage(R) in Las Vegas

TICKETS ON SALE TODAY!

Preview performances begin June 2 for The Beatles LOVE, the latest Cirque du Soleil production which celebrates the musical legacy of The Beatles. The Gala Premiere will be held Friday, June 30, 2006. LOVE will be presented exclusively at The Mirage in Las Vegas. This joint artistic venture marks the first time that The Beatles company, Apple Corps Ltd., has agreed to a major theatrical partnership. The project was born out of a personal friendship and mutual admiration between the late George Harrison and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte.

LOVE will bring the magic of Cirque du Soleil together with the spirit and passion behind the most beloved rock group of all time to create a vivid, intimate and powerful entertainment experience.

Sir George Martin, The Beatles original producer, and his son Giles Martin have been working with the entire archive of Beatles recordings to create the musical component for LOVE. The result is an unprecedented approach to the music for a stage production. "After spending more than 40 years of my life working with The Beatles and their wonderful music, I am thrilled to be working with it once again, on this exciting project with Cirque du Soleil," said Sir George Martin. "The show will be a unique and magical experience."

Using the master tapes at Abbey Road Studios, Sir George and Giles have created a unique soundscape for LOVE. "I think we will achieve a real sense of drama with the music, the audience will feel as though they are actually in the theatre with the band. People are going to be knocked out by what they are hearing!" said Giles Martin.

Dominic Champagne directed and wrote the original concept for the show which captures the essence of love that John, Paul, George and Ringo inspired during their astonishing adventure together. LOVE evokes the exuberant and irreverent spirit of The Beatles. "When we embarked on this extraordinary adventure in 2002," said Gilles Ste-Croix, Show Concept Creator and Director of Creation, "we set out to create a timeless, three-dimensional evocation of The Beatles music. Drawn from the poetry of the lyrics, we developed a preliminary concept that explored the content of the songs in a series of scenes inhabited by real and imaginary people." The international cast of 60 channels a raw, youthful energy underscored by aerial performance, extreme sports and urban, freestyle dance.

LOVE will be presented in a custom-built theatre at The Mirage featuring 360-degree seating and advanced high definition video projections with 100-foot digital, moving images. The panoramic surround sound system will envelop the audience who will experience The Beatles music like never before ...

Apple Corps Ltd. is planning to release the album through EMI Music later this year.

Cirque du Soleil Creative Team:

Guy Laliberte -- Guide, Show Concept Creator

Dominic Champagne -- Director, Show Concept Writer

Gilles Ste-Croix -- Director of Creation, Show Concept Creator

Chantal Tremblay -- Associate Director of Creation

Jean Rabasse -- Theatre and Set Designer

Philippe Guillotel -- Costume Designer

Jonathan Deans -- Sound Designer

Yves Aucoin -- Lighting Designer

Francis Laporte -- Video Projection Designer

Hansel Cereza and Dave St-Pierre - Choreographers

Guy St-Amour -- Acrobatic & Rigging Designer

Daniel Cola -- Acrobatic Performance Designer

Nathalie Gagne -- Make-up Designer

Patricia Ruel -- Props Designer

Michael Curry -- Puppet Designer

Guest Creators:

Andre Simard -- Aerial Acrobatic Designer

Alexis Martin -- Dramaturge Consultant

Francois Perusse -- Comic Audio-clips Designer

For Apple Corps Ltd.:

Sir George Martin -- Music Director

Giles Martin -- Music Director

Neil Aspinall -- Executive Producer

Tickets to LOVE will be on sale at 9:00am April 19.

TICKET PRICES:

*$150, $125, $99, $69

All preview performances* will be discounted 25 percent.

*Preview performances for LOVE begin June 2 and run through June 29. During these performances, the creative team is in the very final stages of production. The audience's reaction and participation is an important step in this process. The artistic direction of LOVE reserves the right to interrupt the performance to make adjustments as necessary.

SHOW SCHEDULE:

Preview performances will be presented nightly at 7:00pm. In addition, there will 10:30pm performances on limited dates. Please consult the most current show schedule at www.cirquedusoleil.com . Schedule is subject to change without notice.

Following the preview period, LOVE will be performed Thursday through Monday with no shows on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Beginning July 1, there will be two shows nightly at 7:30pm & 10:30pm.

TO RESERVE TICKETS:

By phone: 702 792 7777 or 800 963 9634

Online: www.cirquedusoleil.com , www.thebeatles.com or www.mirage.com.

In person: At the LOVE box office at The Mirage or any of the MGM MIRAGE

box offices in Las Vegas.

Ownership of the trademarks: Apple Corps Limited for The Beatles (word and

design), Cirque du Soleil for Cirque du Soleil (word and design) and The Cirque Apple Creation Partnership for LOVE (word and design). Trademarks usedunder license.

Source: Cirque du Soleil; Apple Corps Ltd.

Vivendi Universal Games Announces License for Freestyle Street Basketball VU Games to Publish Asia's Wildly Popular Online Game in North America

Vivendi Universal Games ("VU Games") today announced FreeStyle(TM) Street Basketball, a fast-paced online basketball game where players meet on virtual courts to challenge each other in a dynamic pick-up game environment, featuring cutting-edge music, fashions and gravity defying basketball moves.

Developed by JC Entertainment Corp., FreeStyle Street Basketball emphasizes community play, customization and fun for all styles of gamers. The game was first launched in Korea in 2004 and since then has become one of its most popular games.

"We are thrilled to be working with VU Games to bring FreeStyle Street Basketball to North America," said Yang Shin Kim, CEO and founder of JCE.

FreeStyle Street Basketball allows players to test their skills in the ultimate street basketball game where every player you meet is an actual person with a look and style all their own. In FreeStyle Street Basketball players create a one-of-a-kind streetballer and level up through experience on the court. Players can customize their character by purchasing gear, clothing, and skills through experience points and micro-transactions.

"We are excited to be the first Western publisher to bring a successful casual online game from Asia to North America," said Bruce Hack, CEO of Vivendi Universal Games, "FreeStyle Street Basketball uniquely blends basketball and character building gameplay in a stylish multiplayer online environment."

Sierra's new online division is headed by Ed Zobrist, formerly SVP, Global Marketing. Based at the VU Games headquarters in Los Angeles, Sierra Online is dedicated to publishing games for online play and distribution on every viable platform.

About JCE

JC Entertainment is a Korean online game developer & publisher, which has been developing and servicing online game content since 1994. JCE has wide range of game development experiences including sports casual online, casual, MMO, and board games. JCE has excellent in-house development capability and success with FreeStyle, the PC online street basketball game. JCE's goal is to work with its partners to develop and provide leading worldwide online entertainment content.

About Vivendi Universal Games

Vivendi Universal Games (www.vugames.com) is a global developer, publisher and distributor of multi-platform interactive entertainment. The company is the leader in the subscription-based massively multi-player online (MMO) games category, holds leading positions in the PC, console, handheld and mobile games markets, and is an emerging player in casual online games. VU Games' two principal studios are Blizzard Entertainment(R), headquartered in Irvine, CA, the creator of World of Warcraft(R), Diablo(R), StarCraft(R), and Warcraft(R); and Sierra(R) Entertainment, headquartered in Los Angeles, which includes Radical Entertainment(R), Swordfish Studios, High Moon Studios(TM), and Massive Entertainment(R). Sierra is the owner of Crash Bandicoot(R), Spyro The Dragon(R), Empire Earth(R), Leisure Suit Larry(R), and Ground Control(R). VU Games maintains strategic relationships with industry leading content partners, including Universal Music Group, NBC Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, and Ludlum Entertainment.

FreeStyle and the FreeStyle logo are trademarks of JC Entertainment.

Source: Vivendi Universal Games

Web site: http://www.vugames.com/ 'ATTACK OF THE SHOW' Introduces New Co-Host Olivia Munn as the G4 Series Relaunches May 15

With Fresh Content, Set, Graphics, and New Interactive Elements That Let Viewers Join the Conversation Featuring the Latest and Liveliest Info on Technology, Games, Sports, Cars, Movies, Parties, and, of Course, Women, 'AOTS' Is The Go-to Show for Men 18-34

LOS ANGELES, April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- ATTACK OF THE SHOW, G4's daily trip to the digital water cooler, introduces a new co-host, Olivia Munn, who joins co-host Kevin Pereira as the series relaunches on May 15 with fresh content categories, a new set and new graphics. The new AOTS will also feature exclusive interactive components that engage the viewer across a variety of platforms. The new ATTACK OF THE SHOW will premiere on Monday, May 15, at 7:00 PM ET/PT.

New AOTS co-host Olivia Munn brings a fresh perspective to the live topical show. Munn, an actress and Oklahoma native, has done courtside and sideline reporting for Fox Sports, as well as reporting for Sports Illustrated's special college football issue. She has appeared in commercials for Nike, Pepsi, Hewlett-Packard and Frito-Lay, and will be featured in the upcoming The N series, "Beyond the Break."

As co-host of AOTS, Munn will also be reporting live from the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles May 9-12 during G4's weeklong coverage of the world's largest video game convention. In addition, Munn will co-host G4's second season of FORMULA D, the network's high-octane series about the competitive, tire-screeching sport of drifting, premiering this June.

Munn co-hosts AOTS alongside Kevin Pereira, a computer and gaming expert who has created a gaming online bulletin board, an Internet radio show ("Pointless Audio," which streamed more than 30 gigabytes of RealAudio each week), and an Internet video show, "Pointless TV." Pereira has also hosted or appeared on G4's PULSE, ARENA, and g4tv.com. Along with Munn, Pereira will be reporting from the convention floor during G4's extensive live coverage of E3.

The relaunch of AOTS adds a new, cutting-edge interactive component to the show. More than just another content category, interactivity will be the connective tissue that informs all the new segments. The show's new set will feature a video chat installation that allows AOTS viewers to join in and interact directly with the show from their computer webcams at home. Rendering viewer call-ins a relic of the past, ATTACK OF THE SHOW will check in face-to-face with audience members every day -- actually putting them on the show. Viewers' feedback will also be reflected in real time via online and cell phone SMS voting on topics and segments that come up during the show.

"ATTACK OF THE SHOW will evolve to be G4's flagship program, exemplifying the new direction that G4 as a network is heading in," said Neal Tiles, President of G4. "It's the only program on TV that embraces the new and the interesting among the male 18-34 demographic. ATTACK OF THE SHOW has found a loyal following by feeding guys a daily dose of what matters most to them."

Among the topics that the newly relaunched AOTS will cover in its daily broadcasts are:

Internet: Cool new podcasts, must-see web videos, and the websites and apps guys cannot live without -- AOTS combs the Internet and serves up the best of the web everyday.

Games: With the next generation of game consoles in hand, video games are more important than ever, and AOTS stays on the edge with up-to-the-second information and opinions.

Tech & Gadgets: If it can make a phone call, play an mp3 or locate your position on the planet, it's probably a piece of tech guys are going to want. AOTS sinks its teeth into the latest gadgets and gear with meaningful, information-filled reviews and features.

Movies & TV: Whether it's what's worth watching this week or what was on last night, these are the subjects everyone's talking about. AOTS is there with guests and inside information about the TV and movies that matter.

Sex, Parties & Women: Perhaps the most important topics of all to AOTS viewers. The series unveils new franchise segments such as "MySpace Girl of the Week" (weekly profiles of selected girls from MySpace.com) and "The Lush," in which bars and clubs send in video requests to AOTS inviting the hosts to come hang out at their bar, and AOTS viewers decide which one is worthy. Pereira and Munn then head out to party with the locals.

Comics: Filling a void not covered anywhere on TV, AOTS nails down the world of comics with the weekly franchise segment "Fresh Ink." AOTS will also offer live blow-out coverage from Comic-Con in San Diego this July.

Sports: Active participants and passive watchers alike will score with AOTS' new sports coverage.

Music: In addition to showcasing live bands every week, AOTS gets deeper into music with new record releases and reviews.

Automobiles: From reviews of the latest cars to up-close looks at auto tech, AOTS focuses on the cars guys dream of -- and the ones guys actually own.

About G4

G4 launched in April 2002 and is now available in 56 million cable and satellite homes nationwide. The #1 podcasted cable network in America and a leader in VOD, G4's programming includes breaking video game industry news, trends, reviews, the hottest games and gear, celebrity interviews and insider opinions. Targeting the male 18-34 audience and its gamer lifestyle, G4 is the last word on games, technology, animation, interactivity, the Internet and broadband. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles and is owned by Comcast Corporation. To learn more, log onto www.g4tv.com.

Source: G4

Web site: http://www.g4tv.com/

Production Begins in Los Angeles on Revolution Studios' Science Fiction Action Thriller 'Next'

Based on a Philip K. Dick Story, the Film Stars Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore and Jessica Biel

FirstCall/ -- Filming has begun in Los Angeles on Revolution Studios' "Next," a science fiction action thriller starring Academy Award(R) winner Nicolas Cage, Academy Award(R) nominee Julianne Moore and Jessica Biel, it was announced today. The film, which is being directed by Lee Tamahori, will be released domestically by Columbia Pictures in 2007. IEG Virtual Studios, an affiliate of Initial Entertainment Group, holds the international distribution rights.

"Next" is being produced for Revolution Studios by Cage and his Saturn Films producing partner Norm Golightly, Broken Road Productions' Todd Garner, Initial Entertainment Group's Graham King and Arne Schmidt. The screenplay is by Gary Goldman and is based on the Philip K. Dick story "The Golden Man." Goldman, Jason Koernick and Ben Waisbren are serving as executive producers. Dick's stories have been the basis for such films as "Blade Runner," "Total Recall," "Minority Report" and the upcoming "A Scanner Darkly."

In "Next," Nicolas Cage plays a man with the unique ability to see future events and affect their outcome. Relentlessly pursued by the FBI, which is seeking to use his abilities to prevent a global terrorist threat, he is ultimately faced with the daunting choice of saving the world or the woman he loves.

Nicolas Cage was most recently seen in "The Lord of War" and will next appear in "The Wicker Man," "Ghost Rider" and "World Trade Center." His previous credits include "Adaptation," for which he received an Academy Award(R) nomination, "The Family Man," "Gone in Sixty Seconds," "Con Air," "The Rock" and "Leaving Las Vegas," for which he won an Academy Award(R).

Four-time Academy Award(R) nominee Julianne Moore was most recently seen in the drama "Freedomland" and the psychological suspense thriller "The Forgotten." She received Academy Award(R) nominations for "The Hours," "Far from Heaven," "The End of the Affair" and "Boogie Nights." Her other credits include "Laws of Attraction" and "Magnolia."

Jessica Biel will next be seen in "The Illusionist" opposite Edward Norton. Her previous credits include "Stealth," "Blade: Trinity," "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "The Rules of Attraction" and "Summer Catch."

Lee Tamahori most recently directed "XXX: State of the Union," starring Ice Cube. His other credits include the James Bond film "Die Another Day" with Pierce Brosnan, "Along Came a Spider" with Morgan Freeman, "The Edge" with Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin, and "Mulholland Falls" with Nick Nolte and Melanie Griffith.

Revolution Studios was formed by Joe Roth in May 2000 to independently produce and finance films in partnership with Sony Pictures, Starz Entertainment Group and Fox Entertainment Group.

Source: Revolution Studios

Mariah Carey Hits Perfect Note With Pepsi

World's Top-Selling Female Artist to Produce Original Ringtones and Star in National TV Commercial for Pepsi's Summer Promotion - Pepsi Cool Tones & Motorola Phones

Mariah Carey will take center stage with Pepsi in a unique partnership this summer. The Grammy Award- winning artist will write and record original ringtones that will be available exclusively through the Pepsi Cool Tones & Motorola Phones promotion.

The Pepsi Cool Tones & Motorola Phones promotion is giving music fans the opportunity to download more than 100 original ringtones created specifically for the program by some of the summer's hottest artists, including 20 original voice and music tones written and produced by Mariah Carey. This marks the first time top musicians and producers have written music and lyrics in the ringtone format for a large scale promotion.

The consumers who participate in the Pepsi Cool Tones & Motorola Phones promotion will also have the opportunity to win their choice of Motorola phones including the Motorola RAZR(TM) and Motorola SLVR(TM). Additional information about the promotion can be found on http://www.pepsismash.com/, powered by Yahoo! Music.

"I had a lot of fun with this project. It was a great creative outlet because musically I could do things here that I would never think to do for one of my albums," said Mariah Carey. "This was a great idea by Pepsi, and I'm happy to be a part of it."

Carey will kick off the Pepsi Cool Tones and Motorola Phones promotion with a national TV commercial in May, which will be directed by Paul Hunter and created by BBDO, New York, Pepsi's long-time agency. Hunter, an award- winning director of music videos and commercials, has directed the videos for a number of Carey's chart-topping hits.

Carey's partnership with Pepsi also includes an exclusive Pepsi Smash concert this summer at the intimate Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, which will be the first stop of her highly anticipated tour. Music fans will be able to win tickets to the show, Carey's first full concert performance in over three years, via radio and retail promotions across the country.

Mariah Carey has had more number one singles than any other artist in history. She has been recognized with the most prestigious accolades in the music industry, including five Grammy Awards, eight American Music Awards, Billboard's "Artist of the Decade" Award and the World Music Award for "World's Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium," to name a few. Her current album, "The Emancipation of Mimi," was the biggest-selling album of 2005 and has been certified five times platinum.

Pepsi has a long history in music, having featured the biggest recording artists and a diverse range of chart-topping songs in marketing campaigns, concerts and commercials. Recent associations have included superstars Kanye West, Beyonce, Gwen Stefani and Green Day. West and Stefani headlined the 2005 Pepsi Smash concerts.

Las Vegas-based MEGA, INC., Pepsi's music marketing agency, facilitated the partnership with Mariah Carey.

About Pepsi

Purchase, N.Y.-based Pepsi-Cola North America (http://www.pepsi.com/) is the refreshment beverage unit of PepsiCo Inc. in the United States and Canada. Its U.S. brands include Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi ONE, Wild Cherry Pepsi, Diet Pepsi Vanilla, Mountain Dew, Diet Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew Code Red, Mountain Dew LiveWire, Sierra Mist, Sierra Mist Free, Mug, Tropicana Soda, Aquafina, Aquafina FlavorSplash, Aquafina Sparkling, Quaker Milk Chillers, Dole single-serve juices, Tropicana Juice Drinks and SoBe. The company also makes and markets North America's best-selling ready-to-drink iced teas and coffees, respectively, via joint ventures with Lipton and Starbucks.

About Motorola

Motorola is known around the world for innovation and leadership in wireless and broadband communications. Inspired by our vision of Seamless Mobility, the people of Motorola are committed to helping you get and stay connected simply and seamlessly to the people, information, and entertainment that you want and need. We do this by designing and delivering "must have" products, "must do" experiences and powerful networks -- along with a full complement of support services. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $36.8 billion in 2005. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit http://www.motorola.com/.

MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners.

Source: Pepsi

Web site: http://www.pepsismash.com/
http://www.pepsi.com/
http://www.motorola.com/

Strong Majority of Americans Believes Radio Continues to be Important in American Life

New Survey by American Media Services Shows Radio Has Strong Appeal Across the Country; 74 percent Listen Daily

Americans rate the importance and relevance of local commercial radio very highly, despite the entry of high-technology competition, a national survey commissioned by American Media Services shows.

The survey found that 78 percent said radio is important in their everyday lives, and 91 percent said radio is important in American life in general. Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) said they listen to radio at least once a day.

The telephone survey of 1,004 American adults was conducted April 13-15, 2006, by Omnitel, the weekly omnibus survey by the national polling firm of GfK NOP of Princeton, N.J. The survey is considered accurate within plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The new findings complement those in AMS' initial survey in January: 64 percent said they were listening to radio as much as, or more than, they were five years ago.

"The evidence from our polls and others is conclusive that people are continuing to listen to their local, free radio stations," said Ed Seeger, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Media Services. "Arbitron and Edison Media Research just conducted a national survey of 1,925 respondents that revealed 77 percent of Americans expect to continue to listen to their radio in the future as much as they are today."

In the AMS survey, 57 percent of men and 49 percent of women said they listen to radio at least daily.

The availability of music, news and reports on weather and traffic continues to be the most often cited reasons for listening to the radio, with 98 percent of respondents saying they listen to radio for one of those features. "Radio doesn't need to reinvent itself. It just needs to get its story out in the marketplace," said Seeger. "It continues to thrive with the same basic programming we have embraced for the past half-century."

Other findings of the survey include:

* 78 percent usually tune to a local radio station when they get in their car.

* More people had a favorite local radio personality in their localmarkets (37 percent) than a favorite television personality percent (32 percent), newspaper personality (7 percent) or personality on a local internet site (1 percent).

* When asked what about the different qualities that make a good radio personality, they ranked four as most important: 89 percent said they liked to listen to someone who makes them think, 82 percent said one who makes them laugh, 79 percent wanted a personality they could trust, and 76 percent said a good radio personality has strong ties to the local community.

* Overall, 41 percent of respondents said they liked to listen to stations that have a good balance of music, news, weather and traffic information. That rated above playing their kind of music (26 percent) or making them laugh (3 percent).

* Of those respondents who had a "favorite media personality," 37 percent said their favorite personality worked on the radio, while 32 percent said their favorite worked on television.

* 61 percent of those likely to change stations during commercial breaks do so in a minute or less.

Results of the survey, including a complete breakdown of demographic information such as income level, region of the country, and age brackets are available on the AMS website, http://www.americanmediaservices.com/.

AMS is a full-service radio brokerage, engineering and developmental engineering firm, and its developmental division leads the country in successfully implementing station upgrades by moving them into larger markets, dramatically increasing their value. Since its founding in 1997, AMS has increased the value of 21 stations across the country by $205.1 million, and more than $200 million in proposed rulemakings are currently pending before the FCC.

Source: American Media Services

CTV Upgrades Network in 16 Cities with Aastra's VideoRunner®

New terrestrial infrastructure provides one of the longest video/data domestic networks in the world
Aastra Technologies Limited (TSX-AAH) today announced CTV Television Inc., one of Canada's leading broadcasters, has chosen its VideoRunner® MPEG networking platform for a major new national network deployment. VideoRunner addresses CTV's complex demands for a converged, fully managed, real-time video and data networking solution that seamlessly integrates into their existing legacy network.

Traditionally, data transport between separate locations, along with video file sharing and live joint production across geographic regions has become manageable in a broadcasters distribution network. However, offering real-time video feeds, such as live news or sporting events often extends a broadcasters transmission network in various directions, escalating the service providers cost of video, voice, and data. VideoRunner resolves this common problem by converging real-time video collection and video file delivery simultaneously within common transport facilities, reducing cost of services dramatically.

This is one of the longest video/data domestic networks in the world stretching from Victoria, British Columbia to Halifax, Nova Scotia. The 16 unit VideoRunner shelf deployment, interconnected with OC3/DS3 network facilities allows CTV to precisely manage and partition bandwidth to meet their changing needs.

With its ability to schedule and transport MPEG real-time permanent and occasional use video in point-to-point or point-to-multipoint configurations, VideoRunner has increased CTV's aggregate data bit rate from 25 megabits to 45 megabits, and has enabled the company to compensate for latency in its IP services, improving the efficiency of the network by 40%. Video services are now approximately 350 milliseconds from London, England to Vancouver, British Columbia.

"We chose Aastra's VideoRunner because of its flexible, modular design and the assortment of application cards which can be installed to meet our intercity MPEG SD and HD video and data networking needs," said Albert Faust, Director, Media Technology Systems, of CTV. "We also utilize Aastra's Service Managerä automation engine to provide scheduling and immediate automatic turn-up of live video services from any point in our Video Express Network while transporting video clips through our Video Gateway network simultaneously. Aastra's strong understanding of our business, coupled with their on-site support in designing and building out our network played a significant role in our decision to implement VideoRunner."

CTV will also deploy VideoRunner for confidence monitoring within each market, allowing technicians to view real-time picture quality and network connectivity between local market and uplink facilities. Aastra's Vidiemä Element Manager provides CTV with real time visibility to their entire network with SNMP traps.

"Aastra offers the most versatile platform to meet the current and future needs of our customers," said Tony Shen, Co-CEO of Aastra Technologies. "VideoRunner has proven itself worldwide as a reliable, scalable and feature-rich video networking platform to broadcasters like CTV, TBS, NFL and DIRECTV. We pride ourselves on continuing to meet customer needs and market demand."

About Aastra Technologies Limited
Aastra Technologies Limited (TSX - AAH), headquartered in Concord, Ontario, Canada, develops and markets products and systems for accessing communication networks over the PSTN and the Internet. Aastra serves clients across North America and Western Europe. For more information on Aastra or its products, please visit the website at www.aastra.com/digitalvideo.

About CTV

CTV, Canada's largest private broadcaster offers a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming. It has the number-one national newscast, CTV News With Lloyd Robertson, and is the number-one choice for prime-time viewing. CTV owns 21 conventional television stations across Canada and has interests in 17 specialty channels, including the number-one Canadian specialty channel, TSN. CTV is owned by Bell Globemedia, Canada's premier multi-media company. More information about CTV may be found on the company website at www.ctv.ca.

In Front of the Upfront, Media Agency Evaluates Broadcasters Performance

It's report card time! In anticipation of May's upfront, media agency MediaVest last week released a mid-season TV review, tallying the ratings numbers through the first quarter of 2006 and showing which major networks made the grade.

ABC: Fair

ABC's 'According to Jim' has fallen 37% in ratings this season.
ABC has four of the top 10 most popular broadcast network programs with "Desperate Housewives" (ranked 4th with 15.3 homes rating), "Grey's Anatomy" (6th most watched, 12.7 rating), "Dancing with the Stars" (8th, 12.1) and "Lost" (9th, 11.7). However, overall the ABC schedule lacks depth. ABC could be in trouble if the bloom is truly off the "Desperate Housewives" rose. The suburban soap has declined in popularity since its ratings peak in fall, although current ratings are slightly better (plus 2%) than at the same time last year. In addition, this year ABC has struggled with its comedies. Ratings of "According to Jim" fell 37% this season.

CBS: Kept up the good work

CBS kept its momentum, hanging on to their gains from a year ago. While reality programs "Amazing Race" and "Survivor" declined in the ratings (23% and 28%, respectively), CBS' overall average household rating was virtually unchanged from a year ago with a value of 8.4. Declines were countered by the success of new series. "Criminal Minds," "Ghost Whisperer" and "Close to Home" are all doing well for CBS. Midseason series "The Unit" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine" are the fourth and fifth highest rated new broadcast programs among adults 18 to 49.

Fox: Improved

Led by "American Idol," Fox earned an average weekly household rating of 5.3, an improvement of 7% over a year ago. It seems nothing can stop the "American Idol" juggernaut. Ratings are up for both Tuesday and Wednesday night episodes (12% and 10%, respectively). New viewers of "Idol" are mostly adults age 35 and older. However, Fox's programming strategy -- in which "Idol" dominates its short-run season (January to May) -- can skew ratings analysis. MediaVest reports that much of the year-on-year gain is the result of early-season premiers that helped the network in the fourth quarter of 2005. Consequently, fourth quarter 2006 might be a relative disappointment unless there is a break-out new show or two on the development slate.

NBC: Needs work

My Name Is Earl is one of NBC's bright spots.
NBC was saved from a failing grade by the mid-season hit game show "Deal or No Deal" and white-trash sitcom "My Name is Earl." Those shows are the season's top two new broadcast network programs. Returning reality show "Fear Factor" declined 44% in the ratings, blown out of the water by "American Idol." "Friends" spinoff "Joey" has also underperformed, demonstrating a ratings decline of 42% from last year. NBC desperately needs a solid development slate for fall. The buzz suggests NBC has at least one solid new show: "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," an ensemble drama starring Matthew Perry.

UPN/WB: Incomplete

UPN and WB will fold into the CW in the fall. UPN's most popular series, "America's Next Top Model," is slightly up in the ratings for its two editions this season, earning a 4.5 rating among women 18-34. "ANTM," "Everybody Hates Chris," "WWE Smackdown" and "Veronica Mars" will probably make the cut and earn a spot on the CW roster. WB's "Gilmore Girls" is still delivering strong ratings, especially among young women. "Gilmore Girls," "Smallville" and "Beauty and the Geek" will likely migrate to the new network. WB's "Charmed" has been canceled while "Everwood," "Supernatural" and "Reba" are on the bubble. If "Everwood" and "Supernatural" don't make the fall schedule, they could be solid mid-season replacements. "Reba," on the other hand, has no likely companion in the CW schedule so the network may have trouble finding it a timeslot.

News Corp. broadcaster relies on youth appeal

With the annual TV market selling event just weeks away, Fox finds itself just a tenth of a rating point behind ABC in the all important 18-49 year old demographic. Here's Advertising Age's weekly look at one of the major broadcast networks and how they are positioned for the 2006-2007 TV season.

Fox Broadcasting

Jon Nesvig, president-ad sales

Through April 9, Fox is just a tenth of a rating point behind ABC in the 18-49 year old demographic. Fox pulled in 5.17 million viewers in the demo with a 4.0 rating against ABC 's 5.3 million viewers and a 4.1 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. Fox, however, has "American Idol," which ranks as the nation's top show with a 13.4 rating in the demo on Tuesday night and 12.5 rating on Wednesday. This year Fox has demonstrated much greater depth: "House" is gaining in popularity and "Prison Break" is a hit.

According to MediaVest's research on broadcast network performance, Fox is projected to end the season on May 24 with a 4 rating in the key advertiser demo. That would make Fox the leader in 18-49 bracket for the second straight year.

Fox is gunning for ad budgets against the 12-24 year old demographic and will be hammering home its ratings success in that demo. The network will also work hard to bring advertisers digital media offerings across the board as part of its "Generation Fox" initiative, which offers advertisers properties beyond the small screen. Product integration is also a big theme. Expect more shows with advertisers playing a role akin to Burger King's partnership with reality show "Unanimous."

Fox pulled in around $1.65 billion (about even with the previous year), though the network refused to talk about what percentage of inventory it released in the upfront. Fox performed well in the scatter market given the popularity of "American Idol" against NBC's Olympic coverage.

Mark Gibson, assistant VP-advertising at State Farm, said: "Fox seems to be the most customer-centric when it comes to purchasing in the upfront and looking at the programming that makes sense for you, to help you achieve your goals as an advertiser."

Foreign Finalists Selected for Student Academy Award

Five finalists from 29 entries representing 22 foreign countries have been selected to compete for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 2006 Honorary Foreign Film Award in the Student Academy Awards competition. The winning student filmmaker will be brought to Los Angeles in June to participate, along with U.S.-based winners of the 33rd Student Academy Awards, in a week of industry-related activities and social events, culminating in the awards presentation ceremony on June 10 in Beverly Hills.

The finalists are:

“Being Holger,” Kasper Gårdsøe, The National Film School of Denmark.

“Elalini,” Tristan Holmes, The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance (AFDA).

“The Measure of Things,” Sven Bohse, Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany.

“Melodrama,” Filip Marczewski, The Polish National Film School.

“La Ruta Natural,” Alex Pastor, The Superior Graduate School of Cinema and Audiovisuals of Catalonia, Spain.

Several past winners in the Foreign Student Film competition have gone on to achieve further recognition by the Academy. Most recently, student winner Ulrike Grote's "Ausreisser" ("The Runaway") was nominated in the live action short film category at the 78th Academy Awards®. Two previous winners, Jan Sverak, who was a student in the former Czechoslovakia, and Mike Van Diem of the Netherlands, have gone on to win Oscar® statuettes in the Foreign Language Film category for subsequent works. In 2000, the winning foreign student film, "Quiero Ser" by Florian Gallenberger of Germany, won the Oscar in the Live Action Short Film category and in 2002, the maker of the winning foreign student film, Martin Strange-Hansen of Denmark, won an Oscar for “This Charming Man.” (His Student Academy Award winning film that same year was “Feeding Desire”).

Tickets for the 33rd Student Academy Awards presentation ceremony, at which the winning foreign student film will be screened in its entirety along with the other Gold Medal-winning films from the U.S., are free and available beginning May 1. To request a maximum of four tickets, call the Academy at 310-247-3000, ext. 130, or print an order form from the Academy’s website at www.oscars.org. The ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 10, in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater, at 6 p.m.

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©A.M.P.A.S.®
Rorke Data Signs National Distribution Agreement with Myricom

for 10Gbit Ethernet Network Interface Cards Storage specialist Rorke Data, a subsidiary of San Jose-based Bell Microproducts, Inc. -- NASDAQ:BELM, and Myricom, a leading provider of high-performance computing (HPC) interconnect technology, today announced a strategic partnership. Myricom has selected Rorke Data as its exclusive general-purpose US distributor for Myricom’s Myri-10G 10-Gigabit Ethernet Network Interface Cards (NICs).

“Rorke Data’s existing infrastructure of warehouses and integration facilities located throughout the continental United States gives Rorke the ability to respond quickly to reseller and system-integrator requirements,” said Dr. Chuck Seitz, Myricom founder and CEO. “Also, Rorke’s extensive experience in a broad range of storage-centric markets makes them a valuable resource for Myricom’s entry into those sectors.”

As businesses run more intensive applications and connect more clients and devices to the network, the demand for higher I/O bandwidth is increasing exponentially. Myricom’s family of 10Gb NICs deliver near-wire-speed user-level throughput greater than 9.6 Gigabits/s versus comparable NICs offering 7.5 Gb/s.

“We are excited to sell the Myricom line of 10Gb network-interface cards,” said Joe Rorke, VP of Marketing and Business Development for Rorke Data. “Myricom offers the highest performing low-priced 10Gb NICs in the industry. The advent of low-cost, high-speed processors and disk storage means that low-cost 10Gbit connectivity is needed as well. We see a wide range of opportunities in the vertical as well as the more generic markets that we serve.”

Rorke Data will stock and distribute Myricom 10Gb Ethernet NICs through out North America with the authorization to provide a range service and support options as well.

About Myricom

Founded in 1994, Myricom, Inc., created Myrinet, the high-performance computing (HPC) interconnect technology used in thousands of computing clusters in more than 50 countries. With its next-generation Myri-10G solutions, Myricom achieves a convergence at 10-Gigabit data rates between its low-latency Myrinet technology and mainstream Ethernet. Myri-10G bridges the gap between the rigorous demands of traditional HPC and the growing need for affordable computing speed in enterprise data centers. Privately held and based in Arcadia, California, Myricom achieved and has sustained profitability since 1995 with eleven consecutive profitable years through 2005. (www.myri.com)

About Rorke Data

Rorke Data is an ISO 9001:2000 certified data storage-centric, end-to-end solutions provider with expertise in primary and tiered storage architecture, integrating RAID, NAS, SAN, DVD, tape and optical libraries. Rorke leverages certified expertise in Linux, Win and Mac platforms delivering high bandwidth storage and network solutions for fixed and content and rich media application environments. We back our products with comprehensive, global professional services. Founded in 1985, Rorke Data, is a subsidiary of Bell Microproducts, San Jose, CA, and is composed of four divisions: Healthcare & Diagnostic Imaging, Digital Video & Broadcast, Digital Prepress & Publishing, as well as a Technical & Professional Services division. More information about Rorke Data can be found at www.rorke.com. Rorke Data is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bell Microproducts, Inc. (Nasdaq: BELM).

For more information, contact: Rorke Data, Inc., 9700 West 76th Street, Eden Prairie, MN 55344: www.rorke.com.

No 'Free Lunch' Line!

AS PREDICTABLY AS THE SUN setting in the west, the big communications companies are going after Google -- from the pulpit and soon enough, the halls of Congress. "Network builders are spending a fortune constructing and maintaining the networks that Google intends to ride on with nothing but cheap servers," is how John Thorne, a Verizon Inc. executive, put it at a conference, as reported by The Washington Post in February. Sites like Google, he continued, are "enjoying a free lunch that should, by any rational account, be the lunch of the facilities providers." Why be surprised? Phone and cable companies were once the organizing systems of our lives. They don't want to stop dictating how we organize our lives and our communications. So they're arguing that Google and its ilk have been freeloaders, using an established cable and telephony infrastructure to build their franchises. There are valid points here. Phone companies and cable operators will spend billions of dollars to construct faster and fatter broadband around the country to deliver all these great services. Why shouldn't Google pay the freight? The pipe people think of themselves as utilities, and Google certainly pays its water and electricity bills.

Google isn't so much eating the phone and cable companies' lunch as making it. Without content and quick access to it, no one would sign up for broadband. As one smart investor said to me, "If you think about the sites as programming, it is clearer. Comcast pays to carry ESPN, etc. Perhaps the wireline guys should pay the sites that create the traffic that creates the demand for broadband!"

By making all this content available, the Googles of the world allow the pipe companies to charge you and me, the consumer, more than ever. Why should we pay twice?

The interconnectedness of data has raised all boats. I pay a pipe company like Verizon for access, while an Internet service like Amazon buys connectivity and bandwidth from a provider like Level 3, and all flows beautifully. Put a toll between Amazon and me, and it will seek other pipes -- say, Comcast. Of course, if the pipes collude with each other, I guess Amazon is screwed. When the bigger fee is passed on to consumers, so are you and I.

The real issue here is control. The pipe companies could have provided the organizational systems for our new online worlds -- but it hasn't happened. Now they want to do what all would-be monopolies try to do: play catch-up. This kind of thinking slights innovation in favor of what has always worked, including doing everything, by any regulatory means available, to slow down or kill competitive innovators.

It need not be this way. To date, Comcast has not only been mum about these gating charges, it has also slowly and quietly shown itself to be one of the world's most innovative pipe companies. The company is on a path, in fact, to be thought of as more than just a pipe company within a decade.

One doesn't have to be a genius at scenario analysis to see that the Verizons of the world might be alienating the very customers and technologies that have given them a chance to grow. Notes one experienced hand in the Internet world, "The monopolists have a long history of shooting themselves in the head in the long run in order to maintain control in the short term."

www.thehealthcentralnetwork.com)
Mags Use New Video Platforms To Become TV Channels

IN A SURPRISING DEVELOPMENT, NICHE publisher publishers are utilizing new video platforms -- both broadcast and broadband -- to become television producers. Primedia today unveiled plans to create a new broadcast TV channel based on its popular Motor Trend magazine. However, the new channel, Motor Trend TV, will take advantage of the new multicast broadcast spectrum that some stations will create by compressing their digital broadcast signals into multiple, lower definition channels. Primedia said it is partnering with Multicast Networks Group (MNG), a company specializing in network distribution via the new digital broadcast spectrum, and that the new channel would launch as a 24-hour network in 2007.

Fledgling magazine Make, meanwhile, is making a similar transition via popular video sharing site YouTube. Beginning this weekend, Make will use YouTube to hype its "Maker's Faire," a national exposition where homemade tech and gadget fiends gather to admire each other's handiwork.

Make has partnered with YouTube to air video clips that are longer than YouTube users are normally allowed by becoming a member of YouTube's "Director's Program" service, giving the print publisher the same kind of online video distribution capabilities as big TV networks like E! Entertainment and MTV2. YouTube also provides members of the "Director's Program" with features such as links leading back to their own websites and integration of brand graphics.
has partnered with YouTube to air video clips that are longer than YouTube users are normally allowed by becoming a member of YouTube's "Director's Program" service, giving the print publisher the same kind of online video distribution capabilities as big TV networks like E! Entertainment and MTV2. YouTube also provides members of the "Director's Program" with features such as links leading back to their own websites and integration of brand graphics.

"I'm really interested in seeing what kind of metrics we can get for what we publish off of YouTube," said Make Associate Editor Phil Torrone. "I've been tracking response through the URLs we're positioning with the video clips, trying to get an idea of what kind of response we can get. For me it's a big experiment." Torrone said YouTube is also tracking "how many people are joining the Make group, and how many people are downloading the videos.

Make's video offerings include short-form, how-to documentaries about various projects featured in the magazine, including some of Torrone's own creations: an ambulatory humanoid robot and shoes that spell out messages in the air with LEDs as you walk. When Make begins distributing footage from the Faire, including all manner of bizarre robotics, curious inventions, and amateur water rocketry, "I suspect there will be an uptick in magazine subscriptions, and an uptick in visits to the website," Torrone said.
's video offerings include short-form, how-to documentaries about various projects featured in the magazine, including some of Torrone's own creations: an ambulatory humanoid robot and shoes that spell out messages in the air with LEDs as you walk. When begins distributing footage from the Faire, including all manner of bizarre robotics, curious inventions, and amateur water rocketry, "I suspect there will be an uptick in magazine subscriptions, and an uptick in visits to the website," Torrone said.

Because YouTube and similar services like Google Video are so much less expensive and easier than establishing proprietary video-streaming websites, Torrone predicted these platforms will be the wave of the future for smaller content providers, including printed magazine publishers. "Make will never invest the money and engineering in video that YouTube has - and why create your own proprietary video system when what they have works perfectly well?"

That said, Torrone warned of vast quality differences in the market. "The interesting thing is that with Google Video, we've uploaded videos and they just take weeks and weeks and weeks to go up. I uploaded a couple videos on Google Video a few weeks ago and they're still not up there," he noted.

Mag Sag Continues, Consumer Page Drop Mirrors B-to-B

A DAY AFTER BUSINESS PUBLISHERS reported a weak start to magazine ad demand in 2006, their consumer counterparts have disclosed the same. After reporting healthy gains in consumer magazine ad pages during 2005, the Publishers Information Bureau Tuesday said ad page volume has been relatively flat through the first quarter of 2006. In March, the most recent month reported by the magazine industry trade group, ad pages rose just 0.2 percent over March 2005. Through the first three months, consumer magazine ad pages are up just 0.4 percent vs. the same period in 2005.

The lackluster consumer magazine stats follow an update Monday by American Business Media, which estimated that ad pages in business magazines declined 2.3 percent in February, after falling 1.8 percent in January, vs. the same periods in 2005. ABM chief Gordon Hughes noted that 2005 got off to a similar slow start, and stuck by the association's predictions that the B-to-B ad pages revenues would climb 5 percent in 2006.

While consumer magazine ad pages are flat, the PIB estimated that "rate card" revenues rose 5.0 percent in March, and 4.2 percent for the first quarter of 2006. It also reported strong demand for consumer magazine ad inventory from some key categories. The drugs & remedies and retail categories generated double-digit increases in PIB revenue and pages, while toiletries & cosmetics; financial, insurance & real estate; and technology posted gains in ad pages year-to-date.

In fact, Ellen Oppenheim, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of the Magazine Publishers of America, said the association was "heartened" to see automotive, a major consumer magazine category, up 8 percent in ad page volume in March, following several months of "some softness."

In terms of individual titles, there were some low spots and bright starts for consumer magazines. Martha Stewart Living continues to build share, raising its magazine ad volume 85.4 percent over March 2004, while Conde Nast's Cargo magazine, which is being shuttered with its May issue, recorded a 2.0 percent ad page slide in March. Interestingly, Conde Nast's Lucky, another shopping oriented magazine, saw ad pages plunge 9.6 percent in March, amid a downturn in the shopping magazine category.

eBay Makes Bid For Reality TV, Prime-Time Show Will Air On ABC

INTERNET AUCTION GIANT EBAY IS entering television production as a partner in a new ABC reality show where its brand will play a central role. The show, with the working title "Make It Happen," will focus on families who have inspiring dreams but lack the financial means to make them happen. The families will be given the chance to place their "hidden treasures"--collectibles, memorabilia, artifacts, and other items--up for bid on eBay, where the proceeds will turn their dreams into reality.

The show is expected to air this summer with two episodes per week: a Monday night show to introduce the families and their dreams, followed by a Friday show with a live culmination of the bidding on eBay for the families' items. In between will be five days of public bidding on eBay.

The show is expected to serve as a marketing vehicle for eBay through brand integration in the content, the show's role in driving traffic to its site, and favorable PR as eBay plays a role in helping endearing families fulfill their wishes.

The show is a joint venture between eBay, ABC, and Madison Road Entertainment, the branded entertainment agency that brought the other two parties together. The trio has joined under the Plays Well Productions banner to produce the program.

The deal is the latest example of an emerging trend in which advertisers play a role in entertainment production as a way to integrate brands into the content with a favorable spin.

"Make It Happen" also dovetails with ABC's preference for reality programs that focus on wish fulfillment. Still, it's clear the network wants the show to be distinct from its hit "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and predecessor "Extreme Makeover." Casting information seeks families with "fun and attainable" dreams--including reunions with long-lost loved ones, scholarships, and saving factories from closing--but requests "no home or personal makeovers and no surgeries."

In order to boost a family's chance of making its dreams come true, producers are expected to seek product tie-ins, for which companies would donate items to be placed up for bid to help the family raise money. For example, a family seeking to revamp a Little League baseball field might benefit from items donated by Major League Baseball that could be placed up for bid.

VH1 Sets Commercial-Free Stunt For 'So

ONLY A COUPLE OF EPISODES into its new series, "So NoTORIous," VH1 is looking to get more marketing punch out of the reality show by offering three back-to-back, commercial-free episodes on Sunday night. "So NoTORIous," in which Tori Spelling plays a fictionalized version of herself, won't be completely sponsor-free, however. VH1 has sold presenting sponsorships to two advertisers: Kraft Foods' Easy Mac and Johnson & Johnson's Stay Free. Each will get an opening billboard at the beginning of the program block, as well an ending billboard and announcement at the conclusion of the three episodes.

It's somewhat unusual for a cable network to offer advertising-free episodes of a new show after the show's initial debut. Typically networks, such FX, start off with big marketing bang for the first episode of a new series or the season premiere of a returning show, creating an advertising-free event.

VH1, by contrast, is looking to create a different kind of marketing spin. The programming stunt will last just over an hour. A typical half-hour episode is 22 minutes, and three episodes will bring the block to about 66 minutes in length.

The first episode in the stunt will be a rerun of the series' second episode. Two new episodes will also premiere, featuring Charo and Whoopi Goldberg, as guest stars. Charo makes a cameo appearance in a flashback from the distant 1990s, while Whoopi Goldberg appears as a Santeria-like priestess, Mama Belle.

Digital Splinters Will Have to Be Cobbled Together to Reach Mass Audience

BWith video content popping up on so many screens, marketers in the next five to 10 years will find themselves recreating mass media from a million little pieces, all measured and bought in different ways. But for now, digital media remains only an experimental part of the upfront -- an add on that's neither scaleable nor easily priced. In other words, most of the $9 billion spent by advertisers in the coming month will be used to secure prime-time TV inventory.
With video content popping up on so many screens, marketers in the next five to 10 years will find themselves recreating mass media from a million little pieces, all measured and bought in different ways. But for now, digital media remains only an experimental part of the upfront -- an add on that's neither scaleable nor easily priced. In other words, most of the $9 billion spent by advertisers in the coming month will be used to secure prime-time TV inventory.

Those were the key message delivered by panelists at Advertising Age's "Upfront Conversation," held this morning in Midtown Manhattan.

The wide-ranging discussioncovered everything from the woefully inadequate measurement tools for video to minute-by-minute ratings to emerging digital platforms. Panelists included Mel Berning, exec VP-ad sales, A&E Television Networks; Dennis Donlin, president-CEO, GM Planworks; Andy Jung, senior director-advertising and marketing, Kellogg's; Tim Hanlon, senior VP-Denuo Group; Bill Morningstar, exec VP-media sales, CW; Tony Pace, senior VP-chief marketing officer, Subway; Mike Shaw, president-sales and marketing, ABC; and Joe Uva, president-CEO, OMD Worldwide.

Denuo Group's Mr. Hanlon noted that marketers would need to spend more and more time filling in the digital nooks and crannies to reach their audiences, and that in order to do that, data was needed from a number of sources, not just Nielsen. "We need to be crunchers of data, from the set-top-box to VOD streams to interactive TV clicks and some level of Nielsen data and the DVR stream of data. We are going to have to do the aggregation." Marketers aren't going to have their needs fulfilled by one or two players anymore, he contended.

A theme that ran through much of the discussion was the lack of adequate measurement tools to allow marketers to commit dollars to digital platforms. Nielsen Media Research, panelists were quick to note, has not kept up with the needs of marketers. Commenting on the proliferation of high-definition TV sets, Mr. Hanlon said marketers won't buy what they can't measure. Even though HDTV is extremely "engaging," Nielsen does not yet measure such channels. "It's hard to justify spending the money, that's a real problem to get over," Mr. Hanlon said.

Nielsen was also called out for inadequately measuring viewers using digital video recorders. Kellogg's Mr. Jung said that he would not be paying for time-shifted viewers as part of his upfront buy. The Nielsen sample size for DVR use is too small to be statistically accurate, he said. "You have a better chance of being hit by lightning. ... I'm not basing a business decision on research that is that shaky."

OMD's Mr. Uva suggested Nielsen's services could eventually be superseded by other firms. "I share the opinion that Nielsen has woefully underserved its customers. They've made some strides this year but it's not enough. ... I don't see why we couldn't bring in a third party to audit some of these other channels. If the numbers are verified, audited, pass Sarbanes Oxley, what's to stop us from reaching out to other researchers to do it?"

While both marketers and sales executives agreed that few of the new media offerings were big enough to warrant major ad outlays at this point, marketers were firm in their views that they had to play in the space or get left behind. Mr. Jung said: "There are 700,000 people out there actively blogging. It's not scalable, but it will be."

Subway's Mr. Pace agreed that marketers have to experiment early. "We're interested in extensions but to wait for a cataclysmic event is wrong. The good news about it not being scalable is that the investment is small. The learning is affordable."

Downplaying the impact of digital media on traditional media, ABC's Mr. Shaw reminded the audience that $9 billion plus is still spent in prime time and that the entire streaming video universe barely amounts to a blip on the radar. "If there are 400,000 simultaneous streams on average and 28 million people watching 'Desperate Housewives,' how does it square? It doesn't. You could sell all those ratings in a day. It's not big enough yet to go out and monetize it." Still, Mr. Shaw said the network has worked hard to make advertisers part of the new media offering at the Walt Disney Co., adding that he was surprised that there wasn't more of an outcry among marketers who were cut out of the picture when Disney announced its programming venture with Apple's iTunes.

He also suggested that broadcast networks might not be able to match supply with demand. "Everybody wanted product integration three years ago. But with two, three, four hundred customers, there was not enough supply. We are at the forefront on every new platform but it's not big enough. The opportunities are not there yet."

On the subject of minute-by-minute ratings, marketers noted just how helpful they are in defining where to place ads. Mr. Pace noted that the sandwich chain has learned to "not be after the car commercials." Mr. Jung said that making quality commercials could help keep viewers for a network and may end up being something a marketer could sell back to a network.

However, the question everyone's asking went unanswered by panelists including A&E's Mr. Berning, and CW's Mr. Morningstar. Will the upfront be up, down or flat? Several panelists made the point that it doesn't matter, and that too much emphasis is put on what happens one week in May. Only ABC's Mr. Shaw ventured a direct stab at the question. Not surprisingly, he said ABC would be up.
Immersive Media Company has engineered the Telemmersion® System

that enables the acquisition, analysis and distribution of spherical, immersive videos so that productions can now achieve the ultimate in creativity. Immersive video places the viewer in the middle of the environment and within context so they don't miss a thing. The omnidirectional nature of the video allows the user to look at the same feature, location or object from all angles - front, back, side and top - either live or in recorded format.

With immersive video, operators don't have to worry about where to point the camera; one of the eleven lenses will capture the scene. No more blindspots to worry about and the notion of the frame has been eliminated. Editing time has also been reduced due to less intensive! pre-production. Provide the audience with a more dynamic, interactive experience,that enables the acquisition, analysis and distribution of spherical, immersive videos so that productions can now achieve the ultimate in creativity. Immersive video places the viewer in the middle of the environment and within context so they don't miss a thing. The omnidirectional nature of the video allows the user to look at the same feature, location or object from all angles - front, back, side and top - either live or in recorded format.With immersive video, operators don't have to worry about where to point the camera; one of the eleven lenses will capture the scene. No more blindspots to worry about and the notion of the frame has been eliminated. Editing time has also been reduced due to less intensive! pre-production. Provide the audience with a more dynamic, interactive experience.

Showcase a recreational area online by previewing the terrain; increase visits by heightening awareness. Event planners will be drawn to facilities that they experience entirely. Profile products in a more innovative fashion. Capture more revenue by utilizing immersive video in new environments. Integrate the audience in the message.

Creative projects will be invigorated by allowing the audience to finally see it all.

Immersive Media's CTO, David McCutchen, and COO, Karen Tanaka, will be available for the following interview opportunities:

- Take To The Streets - Experience an immersive environment with a drive through the streets of Chicago or Boston, or walk around Times Square in NYC. IMC is collecting georeferenced spherical Telemmersion video of in the largest cities in the U.S. and Canada. This! includes all major arteries in and out of the city, the downtown core and key attractions. The geo-referenced video will enable users to experience a terrestrial view and give audiences the complete picture - it's like being there.

- Endless Possibilities - The applications for GeoImmersive video are only as limited as one's imagination. See how and where it has been used to date. Discuss all the various ways you can think of that this disruptive technology can give an edge to organizations, products, events and environments.

- Simplifying the Immersive Experience - Test-drive GeoImmersive video by requesting a demo and discover how the simplicity of this medium is enriching the immersive experience for users across multiple disciplines.

About NAB2006

From entertainment to news to business communications, NAB2006 is the only global event that covers the entire spectrum of media. Experience comprehensive business and ! technology insights and innovations covering every aspect of audio and video content production, management and distribution across all forms of media.

• Broadcasting
• Cable
• Satellite
• Motion Pictures
• Internet/Streaming
• Wireless/Telecommunications
• Education/Training
• Corporate/Enterprise
• Government/Military
• Worship

About Immersive Media Corp.

IMC is an advanced digital video imaging company. IMC's Telemmersion System captures a global image using multiple video streams arranged according to geodesic geometry. The dodecahedron design captures omnidirectional video that is seamlessly stitched together and can be viewed live or from a recording. IMC's immersive video provides a view of the entire environment for an interactive experience.

The compact size, lightweight and rugged design of the Telemmersion System makes it completely portable and it can be easily mounted on backpacks, auto! mobiles, scoreboards and the like to capture your vision.

To learn more about Immersive Media and GeoImmersive video, please visit our website at www.immersivemedia.com.

AT&T Homezone TV Service to Feature On-Demand Video Content from Akimbo;

Agreement Will Deliver Thousands of Movies and Videos to the TV.

AT&T Incand Akimbo(TM) Systems today announced an agreement to offer the award-winning Internet-based Akimbo video-on-demand service to subscribers of AT&T's Homezone(TM) TV service, scheduled to launch later this summer. AT&T Homezone subscribers will use their converged set-top boxes to access thousands of video programs and movies.

AT&T Homezone, currently in trial in several states, will integrate AT&T Yahoo!(R) High Speed Internet and AT&T | DISH Network programming to provide video on demand, digital video recording, and Internet content, including photos and music, via a new award-winning set-top box. AT&T Homezone will be available to customers who purchase both AT&T | DISH Network satellite television and AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet services.

AT&T plans to offer the content available from Akimbo's library of more than 10,000 television programs and movies-on-demand. Akimbo is the fastest-growing video-on-demand service in the United States, offering videos and movies from more than 165 content partners throughout the world. Each week, Akimbo adds more than 150 new mainstream and niche titles in 85 different categories, such as music, sports, independent film, anime, major motion pictures, education, children's programming and foreign language.

The service will have an online guide that enables AT&T Homezone subscribers to view a comprehensive listing of all Akimbo videos and movies. To help subscribers find videos that match their interests, the on-screen guide features a video search function, full program descriptions and video previews. Customers can also access the guide remotely from an Internet-connected computer to browse and download programs so that new shows are available for viewing when they get home.

"Our agreement with Akimbo is yet another milestone as we prepare to launch our AT&T Homezone service - an entertainment service that we believe will be more powerful and compelling than anything offered on the market today," said Scott Helbing, chief marketing officer-AT&T Consumer. "Consumers want better solutions and more choices for entertainment, and we're committed to delivering that."

"AT&T's innovations are legendary, and the Homezone service follows this tradition," said Joshua Goldman, CEO of Akimbo Systems. "As the first Internet video-on-demand service for TV, Akimbo is delighted to work with AT&T on its groundbreaking Homezone initiative to bring people the best in communications and entertainment, wherever they may be."

AT&T is the nation's largest telecommunications provider. With more than 7 million high speed Internet lines in service, AT&T is also the nation's largest DSL provider. The agreement with Akimbo focuses on maximizing AT&T's industry-leading high speed DSL customer base and offering differentiated services that consumers increasingly demand.

About the New AT&T

AT&T Inc. is one of the world's largest telecommunications holding companies and is the largest in the United States. Operating globally under the AT&T brand, AT&T companies are recognized as the leading worldwide providers of IP-based communications services to business and as leading U.S. providers of high-speed DSL Internet, local and long distance voice, and directory publishing and advertising services. AT&T Inc. holds a 60 percent ownership interest in Cingular Wireless, which is the No. 1 U.S. wireless services provider with more than 54 million wireless customers. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and AT&T products and services is available at http://www.TheNewATT.com.

About Akimbo

With the Akimbo Service, your wish is on demand(TM). Named to the OnHollywood 100 by AlwaysOn and "Best of What's New" by Popular Science, Akimbo has also accepted 2005 Digital World Innovations and CES Best of Innovations 2005 awards. With 12 patent applications featuring more than 150 patent claims, Akimbo is the first company to deliver digital-quality video-on-demand to any television via a broadband-Internet connection. Akimbo has offices in San Mateo, Calif. and is a privately held company funded by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Sprout Group and Zone Ventures. For more information, visit http://www.akimbo.com.

Mobile Phone to Play 'Big Role' in New Entertainment Venture

Counts Media Closes $3.25M Funding Round from the Blue Man Group, Broadway and Experimental Theater Pioneers

Counts Media to Blend Wireless Technology, Theater, Dramatic Story Lines, and Real Life in Entertainment Projects in Europe and the United States Counts Media announced today that it has closed $3.25 million in angel funding from an all-star lineup of investors and entertainment visionaries. The firm will use the proceeds to develop two major products that will launch in the summer of 2006, and to expand its management team with seasoned executives from the entertainment, design, and marketing fields.

The funding, which closed last year, was not announced until today because the company was operating in stealth mode. Now that the firm is launching its branded entertainment division and other consumer entertainment projects, Counts Media management will be laying out its portfolio of next-generation entertainment experiences.

Counts Media investors include Matt Goldman and his partners in the Blue Man Group; Broadway producers Robyn Goodman (Avenue Q -- Tony Award Best Musical 2004, Altar Boyz) and Vivek Tiwary of Tiwary Entertainment Group (A Raisin in the Sun); and independent movie producer Barry Tatelman.

Counts Media is responsible for such projects as Yellow Arrow, a creative integrated entertainment experience that has spread to 280 cities in 22 countries. Yellow Arrow (http://www.yellowarrow.net) uses a unique online and mobile mapmaking product featuring actual yellow arrow stickers placed around the world.

Since first appearing on the streets of Manhattan's Lower East Side in May 2004, Yellow Arrow has caught the attention of publications such as The New York Times, Wired Magazine, Newsweek, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe, and has been featured on NPR and NBC. It's generated enormous interest in Europe, with features in such media as The London Times, Politiken, Liberation, Diari de Barcelona, and de Volkskrant.

"The world is our theater"

Investor Matt Goldman, one of the founders of the Blue Man Group, believes the firm has enormous potential to reinvent entertainment. "Instead of the cell phone being an additional distribution channel or for promotional tie-ins, Counts Media uses it as a kind of remote control required to participate in real-world entertainment adventures. Thus, future entertainment experiences will play out in multiple media, not just be available in different formats."

"Mobile devices will play a big role in our entertainment projects because they're affordable and almost everyone has one," explains CEO Michael Counts.

The company will introduce several products and properties in coming months.

About Counts Media:

Counts Media creates consumer and branded entertainment that merges mobile and Web technologies, location-specific content, live productions, and broadcast. Our mission is to deepen and enrich the way people experience the world by making the ordinary extraordinary

``The Film Noir Classic Collection Volume 3'': ``Border Incident,'' ``His Kind of Woman,'' ``Lady in the Lake,'' ``On Dangerous Ground,'' ``The Racket''
-- All Films Debut July 18 From Warner Home Video Includes Bonus Documentary Exclusive to Collection plus New Expert Commentaries on Each Film
All Films Debut July 18 From Warner Home Video Includes Bonus Documentary Exclusive to Collection plus New Expert Commentaries on Each Film

The third time's the charm when Hollywood's legendary tough guys and femme fatales collide once again in "The Film Noir Classic Collection Volume Three," debuting July 18 from Warner Home Video (WHV). The Collection includes five smoldering suspense thriller classics, all new to DVD: "Border Incident," "His Kind of Woman," "Lady in the Lake," "On Dangerous Ground" and "The Racket." In addition, available exclusively with the set, will be a bonus documentary -- "Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light" -- a vital companion piece that contains an elucidating overview, complete with clips and expert commentary. The six disc collection will be sold as a set only, for $49.92 SRP.

The movies star film noir icons Robert Mitchum, Jane Russell, Robert Ryan, Ricardo Montalban and Ida Lupino, among others, and feature brand new commentaries from film historians.

About Film Noir

"Film Noir" (in French, "black film") is at its core pessimistic with stories of people trapped in a world of alienation, disillusionment, corruption and moral ambiguity. Developed during and after World War II, classic film noir took advantage of the post-war ambience of anxiety, pessimism and suspicion and counter-balanced it with the optimism of Hollywood musicals and comedies of the same time where flattering soft lighting, deluxe interiors and elaborately built exterior sets were the rule.

Film noir re-influenced mainstream cinema by creating bleak but intelligent dramas in real-life urban settings and using unsettling techniques such as skewed camera angles, expressionistic lighting, deep-focus camera work and confessional voice-overs.

Gameloft Gets Down with Paris Hilton

Exclusive Multiyear Licensing Agreement to Produce Mobile Games Based on Heiress Extraordinaire; Roll, Schmooze and Party with Paris Hilton Anytime, Anyplace Via Your Cell Phone

Gameloft, a leading developer and publisher of mobile games, is delighted to announce a long term licensing agreement with Paris Hilton Entertainment Inc. to develop, publish and distribute mobile games based on heiress and pop culture icon, Paris Hilton.

As part of this agreement, Gameloft will develop and produce a series of mobile games featuring Paris Hilton and her likeness. The first title in the series will be geared to tweens/teens and fans of Paris Hilton. Additional games scheduled for production will be aimed at both male and female fans of Ms. Hilton whose diverse fan base complements Gameloft's catalogue of wide ranging games.

"Gameloft is dedicated to increasing mobile game offerings to female and casual gamers and we are thrilled to have Paris Hilton on board," said Michel Guillemot, president, Gameloft. "She is a model, a fashionista, an actress, an entrepreneur and a pop culture force of nature whose appeal is recognized the world over. Mobile games based on such a significant personality as Paris Hilton will be an excellent addition to our diverse slate of games," added Guillemot. "She is a universal brand that surpasses all boundaries."

"I'm excited to collaborate with Gameloft to bring the Paris Hilton brand and the glamour of young Hollywood to the cell phones of all my fans around the world," said Paris Hilton. "My phone has become an all in one entertainment device and mobile games are an integral part of that. Mobile gaming is really hot right now and I'm excited to be part of this project."

Gameloft's experience in bringing branded entertainment personalities to the mobile space includes baseball star Derek Jeter, golf pro Vijay Singh and European soccer star Djibril Cisse.

The first mobile game based on Paris Hilton is scheduled for release worldwide in summer of 2006.

About Gameloft

Gameloft is a leading international publisher and developer of video games for mobile phones. Established in 1999, it has emerged as one of the top innovators in its field. The company creates games for mobile handsets equipped with Java, Brew or Symbian technology. The total number of games-enabled handsets is anticipated to exceed two billion units in 2008.

Partnership agreements with leading licensors and sports personalities such as Ubisoft Entertainment, Universal Pictures, Viacom, Warner Bros., FifPro, Lamborghini, Vans, Derek Jeter, Vijay Singh and Geoff Rowley allow Gameloft to form strong relationships with international brands. In addition to the partnerships, Gameloft owns and operates titles such as Block Breaker Deluxe, Asphalt: Urban GT and New York Nights.

Through agreements with major telephone wireless carriers, handset manufacturers, specialized distributors and its online shop, Gameloft has a distribution network in over 65 countries.

Gameloft has worldwide offices in New York, San Francisco, Montreal, Buenos Aires, Paris, London, Duesseldorf, Milan, Barcelona, New Delhi, Seoul, Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Gameloft is listed on Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0000079600, Bloomberg: GFT FP, Reuters: GLFT.PA)

For more information visit http://www.gameloft.com.

About Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton can next be seen starring in "The Simple Life 4," which will air on E! Entertainment. The show also stars Nicole Ritchie, and follows the girls as they leave behind the comforts of life in Beverly Hills and hit the road working odd jobs along the way. Paris' other television credits include: "The O.C.," "Las Vegas," "Veronica Mars," and "The George Lopez Show."

Segueing between the big and small screen, Paris was last seen on the big screen in the Warner Bros. film "The House of Wax," starring alongside Chad Michael Murray for producer Joel Silver. Additional film credits include: "Raising Helen," "Zoolander," "The Cat in the Hat," and "Wonderland."

Paris' career continues to evolve with exciting and challenging projects. This fall Paris will release her first untitled album produced by Scott Storche for Warner Bros. Records. Her first single is set to be released In early June. She just released her second book, "Confess it all to Me," following her New York Best Seller, "Confessions of an Heiress," for Simon and Shuster in September 2004. She is currently at work on her third fragrance under the Paris Hilton Brand.

Paris enjoys spending time with her family, friends and pets and is actively involved in numerous and various animal advocacy organizations.

Paris resides in Los Angeles.

Gameloft

Shomex, Variety And The Walt Disney Company Announce More Than 4,000 People Attended Premiere Of The Entertainment & Media Career Expo

More than 4,000 people attended the launch of the Entertainment & Media Career Expo, http://www.shomex.com/variety, presented by VarietyCareers.com and The Walt Disney Company, on April 11, 2006 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Damon Lindelof, executive producer and co-creator of ABC's "Lost," kicked off the event in front of a standing room only audience with a 30-minute multimedia presentation that featured clips from "Crash" and "Lost." Lindelof shared his passion for diversity with a keynote presentation and Q&A session that clearly engaged the audience and set the tone for the day of "Celebrating Diversity."

"We are thrilled at the huge attendance which far exceeded our expectations for this first-time event. Based on the strong turnout and positive feedback from exhibitors, we will be exploring the opportunity of making this an annual event in Los Angeles as well as launching a similar event in New York," said Lewis R. Shomer, president and CEO of Shomex, the event's producer.

"As a sponsor of the expo, we wanted to introduce and brand VarietyCareers.com to both employers and job seekers. We want to thank all of the speakers, exhibitors and attendees who made this event such a success," said Jennifer Glen, Director, VarietyCareers.com.

Sponsored by Fox Entertainment Group and Paramount Pictures, the event featured leading employers from across the entertainment and media spectrum. The final list of exhibitors includes ABC, Inc., Act 1 Personnel, American Indians in Film & Television, Clear Channel Radio, Comcast, DirecTV, Disney Consumer Products, Eleventh Hour Entertainment, Fox Entertainment Group, KJLH Radio, NBC - Universal, Nickelodeon, 93.1 Jack-FM, Paramount Pictures, Randstad USA, Reed Business Information, Scripps Networks, Street Lights, UCLA, VarietyCareers.com, The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Internet Group, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. and Warner Music Group.

About Shomex

Founded in 1984, Shomex is a developer, manager and producer of exhibitions, generally co-branded with leading community and professional organizations, industry tradeshows and media properties. With the #1 live diversity talent marketplace in the U.S. and other specialized vertical products for the security & defense, pharmaceutical & healthcare and entertainment & media sectors, Shomex is the nation's leading supplier of live recruitment solutions. Shomex' national portfolio of events, related media and marketing services delivers value-rich solutions to hundreds of the nation's largest companies. More info on Shomex is available at http://www.shomex.com.

About VarietyCareers.com

VarietyCareers (http://www.varietycareers.com) is the premier media and entertainment job site that is powered by the Variety Group, which includes some of the top industry publications (Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News, Variety and Video Business). Employers in the media and entertainment industry can use VarietyCareers.com to find qualified candidates for openings in a diverse range of fields (TV, cable, publishing, home entertainment) and categories (advertising, finance, legal, production, writing, sales). The site is a free service for job seekers. For more information, please contact 800-357-4745 or varietycareers@reedbusiness.com.

About The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with four business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment and consumer products. Disney is a Dow 30 company, had annual revenues of nearly $32 billion in its most recent fiscal year, and a market capitalization of approximately $52 billion as of March 27, 2006.

About "Lost"

For the second season in a row, ABC's "Lost" ranks a strong No. 1 in its Wednesday 9 o'clock time period among Total Viewers and across each of the key adult demos (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54), leading its hour this season by 2.3 million viewers (15.3 million vs. 13.0 million - CBS) and by 19% in Adults 18-49 (6.3/15 vs. 5.3/13 - Fox) over its closest competitors. Comparing original airings this season to the same point a year ago, "Lost" has seen its audience surge by 1.7 million viewers (20.2 million vs. 18.5 million) and by 23% in Adults 18-49 (8.5/20 vs. 6.9/18). "Lost" stands as the No. 1 scripted TV program of any network on Wednesday night this season in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, and "Lost" qualifies as ABC's most-watched series in the time period in 9 years -- since the 1996-97 season. The fastest-selling TV series in the Company's history, "Lost" has been licensed to 193 territories worldwide. Across countries such as Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Singapore, Sweden, the UK and Russia, "Lost" has consistently performed No. 1 in its timeslot.

ThoughtWorthy Media Premieres Internet Search Engine

for Products, Music, and Commercials That Appear on TV; Startup Believes There's Not Enough Product Placement On-Screen Today

ThoughtWorthy Media Inc. today announced the launch of a new online vertical search engine for televised product placement, music, spot advertising, and all other TV merchandising relationships.

Watch. Click. Buy.(TM) Simply stated, if a viewer can see it or hear it on TV, ThoughtWorthy Media's new search engine enables that viewer to seamlessly identify, learn more, buy, and even criticize it online at http://www.thoughtworthy.com.

Visitors to the thoughtworthy.com website can identify the music, clothes, cosmetics, cars, electronics, and jewelry that either appeared in or were inspired by the latest episodes of their favorite TV shows, music videos, movies, and commercials. They can then write reviews praising those product placements that worked and criticizing those that didn't. Of course, fans can always pay a show the ultimate compliment by making a purchas