Here & there
Bloomberg joining the pay wall herd
By Louisa Ada Seltzer
Nov 4, 2009 - 1:01:59 AM

Bloomberg joining the pay wall herd
Each day seems to bring reports of a new publication charging for online content. Last week it was Newsday, and today it’s actually several news outlets, most notably Bloomberg and the British magazine owner Emap. Though most of Bloomberg.com will remain free, it will begin charging fees for so-called vertical content areas, offering in-depth data and news feeds on specialized topics. The content could cost up to $1,000 per year, according to reports. Across the Atlantic, London’s Emap will also begin charging for previously free content across its business-to-business publications, which include Health Service Journal and Retail Week, in an effort to drive up digital revenue. The change marks more of an about face than a new approach. Last year Emap de-walled the content for many of its magazines after previously charging. Finally, Media News continues to erect partial pay walls for its newspapers, in accordance with an already announced plan. The latest newspapers to erect partial pay walls are the York (Pa.) Daily Record and Chico, Calif.’s Enterprise Record.

WSJ: We’re in a New York state of mind
The Wall Street Journal is joining the hyper-local movement. The business publication is adding a New York-centric edition, including coverage of everything from sports to politics, launching next year. John Seeley, the former deputy managing editor of the now-defunct New York Sun, will oversee the project, according to the New York Observer, and the Journal will reportedly hire new staff to work on the section, notable in a time of serious downsizing for the industry.  The new edition reportedly has its roots in a proposed New York arts-focused supplement that the Journal had been considering, but that idea died earlier this year. The move comes nearly two years after Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. acquired Dow Jones, the parent of the Journal, and laid down a Murdoch mandate to become more of a general-interest publication, straying from its business roots.

Programming notes: Alley getting reality show
Add former “Fat Actress” star Kirstie Alley to the list of reality TV personalities. A&E has picked up 10 episodes of an untitled series following the ex-“Cheers” actress as she deals with family, work and weight loss. FremantleMedia North America will produce the project. Meanwhile, in other programming, CMT has picked up two series: “Danger Coast,” which will follow Miami’s Marine Operations Bureau, and “Gator 911,” about a man who runs a business that rescues gators on the loose. The network has ordered 10 episodes of each program. E! is working on a new reality series from Ryan Seacrest's production company called “Bank of Hollywood,” where regular folks will ask a panel for cash. The panel will include Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton, Candy Spelling, poker player Vanessa Rousso and Wilhelmina Models president Sean Patterson. And HBO’s comedy “Flight of the Conchords” may be done. Series star Jemaine Clement told Reuters the show may not shoot a third season because of the workload; a final decision will be made within a month.

Toyota’s F1 sponsorship goes off track
With the recession still battering automakers, their ranks continue to thin on the racing sponsorship circuit. Next year Formula One will be without a Japanese team for the first time in eight years after Toyota pulled out of the 2010 season, saying it needs to cut costs and focus on its main business. At a news conference president Akio Toyoda cited the expected reasons: “Based on the current economic environment, we realize we have no choice but to withdraw from Formula One. This has been a very painful decision for the company.” This follows a similar move by fellow Japanese automaker Honda, which pulled out of F1 last December. Earlier this year Toyota-owned Fuji International Speedway said it wouldn’t host the Japanese Grand Prix beginning next year, also citing the struggling economy. And Subaru and Suzuki pulled out of the World Rally Championship circuit earlier this year.



© 2010 Media Life