It’s the Bloomberg BusinessWeek Media Summit now, but the two-day conference is still at the McGraw-Hill (NYSE: MHP) Building. CNN President Jon Klein led off in a Q&A with Bloomberg BW Editor Josh Tyrangiel, talking about the magic—and often illusory—word “synergy.” Klein talked about the ties that the Time Inc.…

Barring a last-minute fix or change of strategy, at midnight Tuesday Hulu.com will switch from a co-host for online video of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report to a referral engine for the popular shows. Viacom (NYSE: VIA) execs like to call it a test but…

On Monday morning, I helped Beet.tv executive producer Andy Plesser host his latest roundtable discussion on the future of online video, at The Guardian’s London HQ. In this video, I ask the Financial Times’ lead online product manager Stephen Pinches about the the paper’s video strategy, which gets over a…

The NFL has signed a new four-year deal with Verizon Wireless, putting an end to a roughly five-year partnership with Sprint (NYSE: S). The deal is valued at $720 million, including a rights fee and advertising spending, according to the WSJ, which quotes people familiar with the negotiations. NFL fans…

Once again, rumors are making their rounds that Google (NSDQ: GOOG) is going to make some sort of set-top box play. The latest: The WSJ reports that the company is working with Dish Network on a new feature that would let users search both TV content and web videos on…

Although TiVo (NSDQ: TIVO) saw a healthy gain in revenues in Q4, the DVR company was unable to balance its growing costs and reduced subscriber additions. Nevertheless, TiVo has been riding high on some good news in the form of last week’s favorable legal decision, when two members of a…

		EPS*	Rev. vs Q408	Net Inc. vs Q408
TiVo	Release		15.7%	188%

* vs. Analysts' Estimates: Beat Met Missed

No need to duck out of work early, now you can watch March Madness games live over your iPhone, and for the first time—anywhere over AT&T’s 3G network. The application, which is expected to be available Monday on iTunes, will cost $9.99—twice as much as last year’s version that was…

Disney (NYSE: DIS) says it has reached an “agreement in principle” with Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) “that recognizes the fair value of ABC7 with deal points that we expect to finalize with Cablevision.” Translation: Cablevision subs are watching the Oscars after all. The agreement—which Cablevision didn’t even mention in its terse…

Last-minute dramatics this afternoon as the next “deadline” approaches for Disney (NYSE: DIS) and Cablevision: tonight’s Academy Awards. Disney says it’s sent a new proposal and the ball is in the cable operator’s court. But Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) is playing a different game: calling on “CEO Bob Iger to immediately…

Midnight update: Get ready for some impromptu Oscar parties at New York-area households with Verizon FiOS or satellite: Disney (NYSE: DIS) and Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) couldn’t find a way over a two-year impasse by 12:01 a.m. this morning—WABC is blacked out for the operator’s 3.1 million households. Time Warner Cable…

No need for explaining, watch the clip.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (NYSE: MSO) held its advertising upfront yesterday and unlike the traditional TV upfront events that are getting under way, the focus here was the company’s range of cross-platform offerings, all of which are tied together with social media elements. The centerpiece of the presentation was a…

The other day, MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA) Judy McGrath was asked about the company’s image in the age of the Jersey Shore, and she talked about reality shows hooking younger viewers, which is the ultimate focus for the network. Today, at the Billboard Music & Money Symposium, Billboard’s Antony Bruno…

The long-rumored Sony (NYSE: SNE) Playstation phone is now becoming a reality. Sony is developing a new lineup of handheld products, including a smartphone that would be capable of downloading and playing PlayStation games, as well as connecting to Sony’s online media platform, reports the WSJ, which quotes people familiar…

If I’m already fatigued by the extended PR volley between Disney and Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) over retransmission fees, just imagine how Cablevision subs counting on WABC for the Academy Awards Sunday night or the latest twist in Lost feel. Since Disney went public with the dispute over retrans fees late…

It’s not the end of online access to Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert but next week tracking them down may be a little less convenient for those used to watching on Hulu. Viacom (NYSE: VIA) is removing Comedy Central from the ad-supported video portal at 11:59 p.m. March 9 after…

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And, with Hulu yet to launch services outside its home market of the U.S., it’s no surprise, perhaps, that there are some sites bearing an uncanny resemblance to Hulu launching in other markets. The latest is ivi.ru, a Russian portal that…

Comcast (NSDQ: CMCSA) has become the sole owner of interactive program guide firm GuideWorks, as Rovi announced Monday that it has exited the joint venture with the operator. Meanwhile, Rovi said it also expanded its relationship with the nation’s largest cable operator to include enhanced entertainment metadata products as well…

In an interview with NYT TV reporter Bill Carter at the Paley Center, MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA) CEO Judy McGrath insisted that despite appearances, TV viewing is still up among its young viewers. Carter prefaced his question about whether online was cannibalizing TV with an anecdote about his own kids…