Hello and welcome to the new International Webcasters Association Newsletter, Webcasters Wire. If you’re receiving the Wire, it’s probably because you’ve been to our new re-designed IWA web site www.webcasters.org and signed up to receive it or have been an IWA member in the past. If for some reason that’s not the case and you do not wish to receive the Wire in the future, please click the unsubscribe link. (although we really hope you won’t because there are a lot of exciting things happening in our industry and the IWA, both growing by leaps and bounds….plus we need a lot of help!)
We’re going to try to distribute this new Webcasters Wire on a monthly basis and include a selection of features, including the latest industry news, distilled from a host of sources to give you pertinent from the webcaster’s perspective. We’ll provide information on upcoming industry and IWA events, news on digital media issues which affect us all, and attempt to manage our growing association. You can always view the latest Webcasters Wire at www.webcasters.org in addition to other live and archived streaming media presentations, along with association and industry information of interest to all of us the webcasting arena…and please, give us feedback!
For those of us webcasting survivors (including some of us aging, rusting warhorse, webcasting and streaming media veterans you see with the arrows in their backs who’ve been in the field since the mid 90’s), the wild ride we’re on right now is a welcome evolution. The wave some of us have been waiting for through early adoption cycles is finally here as we all meet the challenge to ride the crest of that wave and not get swamped by it. For those who have been on the periphery of the webcasting and streaming media sector and are jumping in now, and to newcomers who just want to see what all the excitement is about, welcome. Our goal at the IWA is to help all those interested in growing with our sector, navigate the waters of this dynamic new medium, in addition to meeting the challenges we face, from net neutrality to integrating disruptive new technology and processes.
As with the industry, the IWA has been through numerous challenging evolutions since the 90’s. I’m pleased to be working as part of a new IWA team of committed individuals and volunteers who are now implementing a strategy that has been in development over the past year. Critical to the success of that strategy is your participation as a member and a leader in our organization. If you or your organization is not an IWA, please become one, via the web site or sign up at our upcoming events at NAB in Las Vegas and Streaming Media East in New York through April and May. Most importantly, we have a host of new committee positions we need to fill as we build a management structure to support our membership and our industry while enhancing everyone’s professional development (jump in, we need you…).
We look forward to your participation in our exciting association and industry. On behalf of our Executive Director, Kevin Shively and our Executive Committee, thanks for your interest in the IWA and please stay tuned for new editions of the Webcasters Wire.
REGULATORY REPORT:
(We wish to thank David Oxenford of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP for this monthly feature in the Wire. David’s contributions and counsel to the industry and the IWA over the past decade is legendary as he has participated in many landmark rulings and we are privileged and honored to have his continued participation in supporting our efforts.)
Proceeding underway to determine Internet Royalty Rates for 2006-2010
The Copyright Royalty Board, a new government entity created by Congress last year to adjudicated disputes about statutory copyright licenses – i.e. licenses which must be granted by the copyright holder at a rate set by the government – is currently holding a proceeding to determine the royalty rates for the use of music on internet radio stations and other similar digital music streaming services. The rate that will be set will cover 2006 through 2010. It will be retroactive to January 1, but those operating under the license should currently be paying royalties based on pre-existing rates until the new royalties are established.
SoundExchange, on behalf of the copyright holders (the record labels) and the musical artists is participating in the proceeding on behalf of the parties who will receive the money collected by the royalty. Several groups of webcasters are participating on behalf of those who will pay the royalty.
Barring a settlement, the hearing on the case will begin on April 18. The parties have already engaged in document discovery and depositions, and have filed “written direct cases,” i.e. written statements setting out their positions in the case. Essentially, the Copyright holders have asked for a tripling of the rates, while the users have suggested that they be cut in half. The Board, a three judge panel, will hear evidence to determine a rate. The hearing may well last a month, and further proceedings after the hearing may result in the rate not being decided until late in the year.
No matter what happens, if the case is not settled, it will be expensive for all parties. As with the prior Copyright Arbitration Royalty Proceeding (the “CARP”), smaller parties may well complain again that the process is too complicated and expensive for their interests to be fully represented, even though the process is now far less expensive, given that the parties don’t need to pay the costs of the arbitrators themselves, as the CRB judges are government employees.
Stay tuned for the results of this proceeding. |
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YouTube Has Become an Internet Phenom
Business Week Online
In 11 months of existence YouTube, a web site that allows people to post videos has become one of the most popular web sites, attracting more than 9 million visitors in February alone. The site shows 30 million videos a day but some people are posting pirated broadcast material and that could be the sites downfall. |
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Updated News on Net Neutrality Legislation
By Declan McCullagh, CNET News.com
The telecommunications bill before the House of Representative may be revised to give the FCC more flexibility in addressing network neutrality violations. The original bill would limited the authority of the FCC to write rules to prevent phone and cable companies from blocking access to certain Web sites. |
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Internet Firms Want FCC to Enforce Net Neutrality -
House Bill Would Limit Agency’s Authority
By Arshad Mohammed, staff writer, Washington Post
A bill before the House of Representatives would limit the authority of the FCC to write rules to prevent phone and cable companies from blocking access to certain Web sites. Internet companies are alarmed that if passed, this proposed legislation would endanger the open nature of the Web by allowing companies to control Internet access. A group of six Internet companies wrote to Congress urging adoption of meaningful and enforceable network neutrality regulations. |
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Digital Rights – Pay Once, Use Again
By Laurie Sullivan, TechWeb.com
Accenture is developing a digital rights management business model that identifies users rather than devices so a consumer can purchase digital content once and use it cross-platform on a number of different devices. Instead of tying consumers to one location or device this would allow time-pressed users to view content when and where they can. |
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Advertising Company Restructures to Reflect New Vision
By Joe Mandese, Media Daily News
MediaVest, once known as TeleVest, has restructured its organization to reflect its shift away from traditional television to video-neutral platforms, focusing less on national broadcast and looking at whatever platforms are showing content – broadband, iPods, and any new delivery mechanism. |
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IAB Seeks Input on Broadband Video Measurement Standards
by Gavin O'Malley, Online Media Daily
The Interactive Advertising Bureau called for comments on proposed measurement guidelines that address browser based internet activity involving streaming media advertising content. |
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TV and Internet Converge
by Erik Sass, Online Media Daily
Yahoo Executive President Greg Coleman predicted that as the internet industry matures, web executives will increasingly need to cooperate with TV moguls to bring content online. |
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Bold Admission By A Newpaper Exec: The Net Often Beats Print
By Jemima Kiss, Online Journalism News, Journalism.co.uk
Alan Rusbridger, editor of The Guardian, commented before the Royal Society of Arts in London that the internet is increasingly the place to find the latest and best-sourced news, saying "We have reached a point where the newspaper is in the middle of a fragmented world of interest groups aligned around zones of politics and passions and geography," adding that readers select in-depth coverage only on items that interest them. |
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Startup Company Ties Together TV, cell phones & Games
By May Wong, Associated Press on Business Week Online
San Francisco based startup, Air Play Network Inc., announced it will introduce cell phone games tied to live TV broadcasts which allow subscribers to compete in real time with activities such as predicting sports plays, answering game show questions, or choosing reality show winners. |
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Bill Gates Predicts the Future of Communication
The Independent, Online Edition, UK
During an exclusive interview, Bill Gates talks about himself, his company, his industry and predicts that in the future, we will all carry a slim, tablet shaped object. The ubiquitous communication device will handle all our communication, information and entertainment needs and replace a multitude of devices. |
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TV Advertisers Note Place-Shifting Trend
by Joe Mandese, Media
Webcasting & Podcasting may have a new market. Advertisers are taking advantage of space-based media to deliver TV commercials to captive audiences or consumers eager for a diversion. Commercials are showing up in places such as airport terminals, high-rise elevator cars, movie houses, retail outlets. New technology makes it easier to reach consumers where they may be most receptive, like in the supermarket aisle deciding on what snack to buy. |
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Media Metrics Explained
By Joe Spaeth, Media Magazine
What’s the difference between linear and nonlinear media. What’s the difference between mass marketing and segmented marketing? And how do you measure and analyze the effectiveness of reaching the audience? This March 2006 article is a good primer. |
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New Media Comes on Strong at MIPTV
By Scott Roxborough and Janine Stein, The Hollywood Reporter.com
New media distribution Internet TV, Video on demand, mobile phones, HDTV is getting a lot of attention at the big international TV market conference April 3-7 in Cannes, France. Sessions on new-media topics drew standing room only audiences; traditional broadcasters are eager for information on multiplatform opportunities |
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Interested in helping our IWA organization as part of our leadership structure?
WE’D LOVE TO HAVE YOU! We have chairman and member vacancies in all of the committees, below. Please contact us via e-mail.
- Membership Committee
- Technology and Standards Committe
- Industry Policy and Best Practices Committee
- Legislative Committee
- A whole bunch of other committees we haven’t figured out yet…got any suggestions?
The IWA will be extensively involved with two upcoming industry events where we are planning membership receptions and webcasts and would like to encourage membership participation if you’re at these events and on-line attendance if you’re not. We also encourage you to consider putting link on your web site to these great webcast events.
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)
Las Vegas Convention Center April 24-27, 2006
www.NABShow.com
The IWA will be co-located at the TV Worldwide booth, # C8805, where we will be consulting with our members, registering new members and webcasting live via www.TVWorldwide.com and www.webcsters.org , covering the NAB show from the webcasters perspective with latest industry and technology news.
In addition, we will be producing “Video Greeting” webcast segments for our troops overseas in cooperation with Operation Interdependence, a civilian-to-military care package delivery network who will be located at a large outdoor booth in between the halls (booth # OE323- not too far from the TVWorldwide/IWA booth, C8805) where they’ll be collecting care packages from show attendees.
The IWA reception will be held outside at the Operation Independence (OI) booth at 5PM on Tuesday, April 25. (Heck, let’s soak up some of that late afternoon Vegas sun and say hello to the troops, worldwide). All webcasters attending the NAB show are invited to stop by both the booth and the reception, or if you’re viewing on line, send us an e-mail. (The IWA has participated with Operation Independence in past webcasts and OI is a premier troop support organization.) Pleased stay tuned to www.webcasters.org for more information regarding this reception and other IWA activities at NAB.
RAIN Internet Radio Summit 2006
Renaissance Hotel Las Vegas
April 24, 2006
www.kurthanson.com
Another important webcasting event going on during NAB this year will be the RAIN Internet Radio Summit 2006 put on by the Radio and Internet Newsletter. Many of the world’s leading webcasters will be speaking about the fast growing medium of Internet radio that reaches more than 20 million people each week. In 5 sessions, top industry leaders discuss the state of the industry – where we are and where things are headed covering a wide range of topics. Speakers include leaders from many of the leading webcasting and broadcasting companies including CBS Radio, Yahoo, AOL, Digitally Imported, Pandora, Net Radio Sales, Cox Radio, WOXY and many more. For more information on attending this event and cocktail reception, check out the event page at www.Webcasters.org. TV Worldwide will be making the event available as a webcast archive after the event.
Streaming Media East
New York City
Hilton New York May 23-24, 2006
www.StreamingMedia.com
The IWA will be holding a membership reception Tuesday evening, May 23, tentatively scheduled for 5PM at a location TBD. Streaming Media East 2006 features 35 round-table panels, case studies, and practical sessions covering a wide range of business and technology topics. You will hear and see many new speakers on topics ranging from the surge of video over any IP device to new content business models to podcasting and video advertising! Stay tuned for more information in the May Webcasters Wire and www.Webcasters.org.
STUNNING STREAMING STATISTICS
This feature is included in the Wire each month to arm our membership with the latest industry data and assist webcasters in planning their implementation strategies to get the word out about our sector to the rest of the world. We don’t endorse any of these reports, but try to distill the more relevant research that may be helpful for your own further evaluation.
This month’s selection of “Stunning Streaming Statistics” comes from the latest Content and Delivery Network Report now available from Research and Markets Ltd.
This report provides a detailed data and audience analysis of Content Delivery Network services segment (CDN), with detailed analysis of pricing (streaming audio, video, download and advertising), streaming infrastructure, R&D initiatives, market share by CDN, revenue, MRR (monthly recurring revenue), an analysis of Flash pricing and server deployment and streaming media format share.
- Combined commercial market value (backhaul provisioning, retail contracts) for streaming audio, video, streaming audio and video advertising, download media and entertainment is estimated at between $385 million to $452 million in 2005
- Total retail bandwidth contracts (including the comparable costs to deliver streams from self hosting networks and sites such as AOL, Real Networks and Yahoo, which is included to yield commercial market value) is estimated at between $175 and $258 million in 2005
- The comparable figures for 2004 were between $117 million and $235 million
- It's estimated that bandwidth billing makes up 60% - 80% of the total costs associated with delivering streaming content (other components include storage, global edge delivery, DRM wrappers, VIP tech support, encoding and backend integration services)
- There are 9,600 streaming media servers in deployment across seven major CDNs analyzed in this report
The break out of streaming traffic delivered by format (as reported by the CDN specialists) includes Windows Media at 58.6%, Flash at 19+%, MP3 at 71%, Quicktime at 6% and Real Networks at 5.8% (excluding download media)
Complete index of this report |
