Category Archives: Business & Marketing

Google will sell ads on Clear Channel

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Google has broken into radio with a multi-year advertising sales agreement with the largest U.S. broadcaster, Clear Channel Radio. Clear Channel said it has agreed for Google to sell a guaranteed portion of the 30-second spots available on its 675 radio stations in top U.S. markets, in a bid to expand the universe of local radio advertisers to Google’s online buyers.

A Clear Channel executive said Google has access to less than 5% of the radio broadcaster’s overall inventory of advertising air time. The U.S. radio industry generates $20 billion in annual sales. [USAToday]

Magazine publisher launches broadband network

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Magazine publisher and media/marketing company Meredith Corporation has launched Better.tv, its first-ever broadband network.

Better.tv offers a range of video programming on twenty “channels”, based on Meredith’s magazines, television stations, books, websites, and live events.

Better.tv topics include food, family, home, style, remodeling, entertainment, relationships, fitness and health. Programs and videos featured on Better.tv range in length from 2 to 30 minutes, and are targeted at “better serving younger customers,” according to President-CEO Steve Lacy. [More at Podcasting News]

One hundred million iPods sold

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“Apple today announced that the 100 millionth iPod has been sold, making the iPod the fastest selling music player in history. The first iPod was sold five and a half years ago, in November 2001, and since then Apple has introduced more than 10 new iPod models, including five generations of iPod, two generations of iPod mini, two generations of iPod nano and two generations of iPod shuffle. Along with iTunes and the iTunes online music store, the iPod has transformed how tens of millions of music lovers acquire, manage and listen to their music.”

BusinessWeek: Don’t quit your day job, podcasters

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Good article in Business Week about how difficult it is to make a living as a podcaster. Seems I am one of about 35,000 daily listeners to Keith and the Girl:

“Keith Malley and Chemda Khalili, the couple behind Keith and the Girl, an engaging, sometimes raunchy Howard Stern-like podcast, have cultivated a devoted online audience. (Six fans have already had Keith and the Girl tattoos done.) The show, which has 35,000 daily listeners, is just one part of the brand. Just as important to fans are the online forums and MySpace.com (NWS ) pages where they gather to talk about the show and their lives. As a result of this devotion, the audience last year was willing to snap up about $80,000 worth of T-shirts, key chains, and other merchandise.”

Some would argue that $80K ain’t bad for just shooting the shit for an hour a day. But, as a regular listener, sounds to me like they’re working damned hard and earning every penny.

By the time you need a blog, it’s too late

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One of my blogging sermonettes is the importance of having an established blog (and readership) before you need it. Once the shit has hit the fan, you can’t run down the hall to the IT department and shout, “Quick! We need a blog!”

If you have a credible blog in place, you can respond to and comment on topics as they arise. A good example of this is “Your Pet’s Best Friend,” a blog written by my old Kennett buddy Dr. T. Everett Mobley.

Like vets all across the country, his clients are concerned about contaminated pet food. He’s been posting short updates with links to other websites and just generally letting his readers know what’s happening.

Everett is not our vet but I know him and trust him and I’ll be checking his blog to get his take on this situation. As far as I know, none of the Jeff City vets have blogs. Missed opportunity.