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In a move that will considerably broaden its musical offerings, megaportal Yahoo has announced that it is buying Launch Media for $12 million. Launch Media runs Launch.com, which features webcasts and news of the music world. Yahoo plans to blend Launch.com’s services with the Yahoo-branded music, broadcast and radio sites it already operates. Yahoo has not yet decided whether it will preserve the Launch.com brand. As internet music companies pair up with record labels and other new media companies, Yahoo’s purchase fits into the company’s ongoing efforts to keep up. Yahoo is already involved with Vivendi and Sony’s online subscription music service, Pressplay. The Yahoo-Launch deal will be finalized in the third quarter.
Britney Spears’ web site gets hacked
Hack me, baby, one more time? The official web site of pop star Britney Spears was broken into and vandalized late last week. The site normally features images of the deeply tanned, midriff-baring 19-year-old performer, along with tour dates, chat rooms and biographical details. But on Friday all that appeared on the site was the message "britney got hacked," and a link to another web site apparently belonging to the hacker. On that site, the hacker posted his phone number and claimed to be an 18-year-old male whose love for Spears is stronger than the web site’s security. He also offered to help BritneySpears.com’s administrators beef up their network security. As of Sunday, BritneySpears.com was up and running again, presumably without the hacker’s help.
Online bookstore in India offers sex tips
Oxfordbookstore.com, India’s answer to Amazon.com, wants its users to talk about sex. Over the next two weeks, Calcutta-based Oxfordbookstore will post advice online about safe sex, aphrodisiacs, and Kama Sutra positions, among other topics. The two weeks of sex tips will also include online discussions with sex experts. The move is a bold one, given that sex is something of a taboo subject in India. Oxfordbookstore.com officials say their sex tips are aimed at young people who might otherwise have to obtain their sexual education from porn sites and other less savory sources in cyberspace. Sex education is not part of the curriculum in the majority of Indian schools.
HotJobs and Monster.com merge
The two highest-profile job and career sites are becoming one: Monster.com is acquiring rival HotJobs.com for $460 million. Both brands will remain online once the deal is finalized in the fourth quarter. Monster.com, according to Media Metrix, is the No. 1 online job site, with HotJobs close behind at No. 2. The two sites list a total of 650,000 positions and, combined, manage some 14 million resumes. The combined company’s bottom line will be fed by more than just job postings, since Monster’s parent company TMP Worldwide takes in revenue from other services, such as yellow-pages advertising and direct marketing. While HotJobs laid off 15 percent of its work force in March, job sites as a category have weathered the dot.com downturn and slowing economy better than many others. Besides, widespread layoffs mean that job sites’ services will be in demand.
Inside.com: It will cost $3.95 a month to read us
Online media and entertainment news site Inside.com, as long expected, has announced that it will start charging $3.95 a month for access to its content. Until now, most of Inside’s online material has been free, although it has exacted a $19.95 monthly toll for premium content including its “Big News” and “Inside Dope” columns. The site is taking its paid-content model seriously. Last week, it barred Yahoo from carrying articles from Inside. And in an email that went out to Inside readers, the site said that it has to “make a business of our own business” and start charging. Revenue from online ad sales has not been sufficient to support the web site, which was recently acquired by Brill Media. Analysts are skeptical that consumers will be eager to pony up money for formerly free material, although ConsumerReports.org, one of the few sites that successfully charges for content, also asks for $3.95 a month.
Meditation music company sues Napster
Music file-swapping company and lawsuit magnet Napster is under the piracy gun again. Meditation music company Centerpointe Research has sued Napster for facilitating the piracy of some of its meditation background sounds, which include flowing water and chirping birds. But this latest lawsuit goes beyond copyright violations. Centerpointe Research is also upset with Napster for not affixing a warning label to the meditation music files. Centerpointe believes that its soothing natural harmonies are so effective that listeners should be warned not to drive or run heavy machinery while listening. While the company does not know of any mishaps its music has caused, it says it and Napster could be held liable in the event of such an accident.
July 2, 2001 © 2001 Media Life
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