Deutsche Columbia Pictures Film Produktion, the local German production arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), is commencing pre-production on the comedy Friendship. Deborah Schindler, President of Sony Pictures International Motion Picture Production Group announced that the studio is producing the feature with leading German producers Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann, producers of the Academy Award® winning feature, The Lives Of Others and Barefoot films’ Til Schweiger and Tom Zickler, producers of the box office hit Rabbit Without Ears. Friendship will be directed by the prolific commercial director, Markus Goller (Under The Mask). The screenplay is by Oliver Ziegenbalg (U 900, 1 1/2 Ritter). Matthais Schweighöfer, considered one of the most promising young talents in European film, will play the lead role of Kai.

Deborah Schindler stated: “By supporting a tremendously talented emerging new director and an exciting young cast and teaming them with accomplished, award-winning producers, Friendship represents the kind of movie we want to support as part of our local language portfolio. This is a compelling story about a unique time in German history with a global theme of re-uniting a family and we couldn’t be more excited about how this project has come together.”

Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann added: “We are thrilled to continue our relationship with Sony by partnering with Deborah Schindler and the talented creative team on Friendship. With the addition of Sony’s global marketing and distribution expertise, our goal of continuing to bring exciting and unique new stories and showcasing emerging German talent to a wider audience can be fulfilled.”

Friendship is a buddy comedy set in East Germany in 1989 on the eve of the fall of the Berlin Wall. When the Wall comes down, Kai (22) is determined to find his father, who escaped from the GDR twelve years before. Since the only communication with him has been an annual birthday card from San Francisco, Kai and his best friend, Alex fly to the U.S. on a quest to locate Kai’s dad. Barely speaking English and with only $55 dollars in their pocket, this road trip takes a very interesting turn. Friendship is a culture-clash comedy underscored by an emotional story about friendship.

Production for Sony Pictures International Motion Picture Group will be overseen locally by Deutsche Columbia Pictures Film Produktion’s Vice President of Production Maike Haas, who was hired by the company earlier this year and reports directly to Schindler and General Manager, Martin Bachman of Sony Pictures Releasing GmbH, who will oversee the initial release in Germany.

Deutsche Columbia Pictures Film Produktion is the European headquarters of SPE’s local production group. In addition to Germany, Sony Pictures International Motion Picture Production Group is currently in active production on local features for SPE in East-Asia, India, Russia, the U.K., and Mexico. The company led the way on international local productions in East-Asia including Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle, as well as European productions including Snatch (UK) and Di Que Si (SPAIN). Most recently SPRI released Stephen Chow’s CJ7 and Sony’s first local Indian production Saawariya (Beloved), in addition to the Mexican local hit feature Niñas Mal.

Deutsche Columbia Pictures Film Produktion, Sony Pictures International Motion Picture Production Group, Sony Pictures Releasing International (SPRI) and Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group (CTMPG), are Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) companies. SPE is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution, television production and distribution, worldwide channel investments, home video acquisition and distribution, operation of studio facilities, development of new entertainment products, services and technologies, and distribution of filmed entertainment in 67 countries.

The Nielsen Company reported on June 23rd that there is strong consumer appetite for 3-D films, based on a detailed analysis that showed a 65% sales increase in theatres using 3-D technology to exhibit their movies.The analysis, which was unveiled today by Nielsen PreView at the Cine Expo conference in The Netherlands, compared the film’s performance in comparable theatres with a proven track record in the action/adventure genre. This like-to-like comparison provides a more sophisticated understanding on the impact of 3-D than other studies that simply looked at the performance of the movie in 3-D and 2-D theatres regardless of their historical ability to attract action/adventure movies.

“With all the upcoming hype around 3-D, we wanted to take a hard look and see if there is truly a consumer appetite for 3-D.” says Ann Marie Dumais, SVP, Nielsen PreView. “Our new research approach contrasted theatres in such a way to demonstrate consumers, when given a choice, will choose 3-D.”

Nielsen PreView’s 3-D study analyzed over 4,000 theatres in the United States. The research found theatres with at least one screen exhibiting in 3-D had a 65% increase in box office sales compared to their 2-D counterparts. Further, those theatres that chose to exhibit in 3-D on more than one screen saw their sales climb yet even higher to 100% versus what was expected, indicating that one 3-D screen per theatre may not be enough to satisfy consumer demand.

See downloadable pdf for chart.

While consumers have an appetite for 3-D films, they often lack awareness and education around what 3-D is and where to find it. In a recent Nielsen survey, 48% were unaware that their movie choices were even available in 3-D. The numbers cited in this study are likely to go even higher for the industry with increased marketing support and consumer education.

About Nielsen PreView™

Nielsen PreView provides shared industry research on a collective and cost effective basis to all interested members. www.NielsenPreView.com members guide research topics by rating, commenting and voting on current and future studies. Based on member feedback, Nielsen PreView links, models and analyzes various Nielsen informational assets to provide members a shared resource of insight and direction. Being a part of The Nielsen Company enables Nielsen PreView to have access to some of the world’s leading experts and largest global data sources - measuring consumer’s movie, music, TV, Internet and book preferences, as well as product and lifestyle behavior.

About The Nielsen Company

The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions and recognized brands in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), online intelligence (Nielsen Online), mobile media (Nielsen Mobile), trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA.

Arbitron released the preliminary findings from RADAR® 97, the standard currency for national network radio ratings. Below are some of the key demographic findings from the new RADAR results that advertisers look for when placing their ad buys.

Ninety-six percent of adults age 18-49 with a college degree and an annual household income of $50,000 or above tune into radio over the course of a week. RADAR Network affiliates (which account for over 50 percent of all radio stations) reach 85 percent of this coveted demographic. They also reach 85 percent of adults 25-54 in households with a college degree and an annual household income of $75,000 or above.

While the trend in radio shows fewer young listeners ages 12-17, network radio reaches the ad elusive and media multi-taskers, adults 18-34. Overall, RADAR networks reach nearly 83 percent of all radio listeners ages 12+, these same networks reach 84 percent of listeners ages 18-34.

Radio Has Strength and Stability

Radio reaches more than 235 million listeners over the course of the week according to the RADAR 97 June 2008 Radio Listening Estimates. This number is up from RADAR 93 estimates of one year ago. The 7,400+ RADAR Network Affiliated stations reach 83 percent of all people aged 12 and over.

RADAR Network affiliates have consistent delivery with reaching the key young and adult demographics that advertisers target; they reach 84 percent of adults 18-34 and nearly 85 percent of adults 25-54. They also reach almost 85 percent of adults 18-49.

Radio Has Universal Appeal

The diversity of formats in radio attracts advertiser-coveted demographics in both Black Non-Hispanic and Hispanic persons.

• Ninety-four percent of Black Non-Hispanic persons and 95 percent of Hispanic persons, age 12 and older tune into radio over the course of a week.
• Radio reaches 95 percent of Black Non-Hispanics and 96 percent of Hispanics age 25-54 over the course of a week.

Radio Reaches the Educated and Affluent

Radio reaches 94 percent of college graduates age 18+. Ninety-six percent of adults 18-49 with a college degree and an annual income of $75,000 or more tune into radio over the course of a week. 

On Tuesday, June 24, 2008, Arbitron will release the complete RADAR 97 Radio Network Audience Report results. RADAR is the standard currency for national network radio ratings, measuring 58 individual radio networks. These networks are operated by ABC Radio Networks, American Urban Radio Networks, Crystal Media Networks, Dial Global Inc., Jones MediaAmerica Inc., Premiere Radio Networks, United Stations Radio Networks and Westwood One Radio Networks. The RADAR 97 survey marks the first collection of data from United Stations Radio Networks.

The sample size for RADAR 97 has been increased to more than 250,000 respondents. This continues the sample increase initiative; this larger sample ensures more stability for key demographic estimates, dayparts and Market-by-Market Analysis reports, which reports the Top 125 DMAs® for the first time in RADAR 97.

About Arbitron

Arbitron Inc. is a media and marketing research firm serving radio broadcasters, cable companies, advertisers, advertising agencies and outdoor advertising companies. Arbitron’s core businesses are measuring network and local market radio audiences across the United States; surveying the retail, media and product patterns of local market consumers; and providing application software used for analyzing media audience and marketing information data. The Company has developed the Portable People MeterTM, a new technology for media and marketing research.

Through its Scarborough Research joint venture with The Nielsen Company, Arbitron also provides media and marketing research services to the broadcast television, newspaper and online industries.

Arbitron’s marketing and business units are supported by its research and technology organization, located in Columbia, Maryland. Its executive offices are located in New York City.

Advertising spending for the first quarter of 2008 remained essentially flat compared to the same period last year, according to preliminary figures released by Nielsen Monitor-Plus, the competitive advertising information service of The Nielsen Company.Advertising was mixed across media with gains in some mediums and declines in others. Overall despite a continued softening of the economy, several media and companies are showing healthy growth in advertising for this quarter. Advertising in National Sunday Supplements saw the largest growth, with an increase of 19.2% over Q1 2007, while Local Sunday Supplements fared worst among the 17 media tracked by Nielsen, declining by 13.5% compared with the same period last year.

Cable TV (+12.9%), Network Radio (+10%), Outdoor (+2.9%) enjoyed healthy advertising growth in Q1 2008, compared with Q1 2007. In television, programming and networks targeting African American and Hispanic viewers grew 12.9% and 7.7% respectively.

Internet advertising impressions grew by 14.7% in the first quarter of 2008 over the same period in 2007. Sponsored search link advertising drove overall growth, and rich media led growth in the display category.

Among online advertisers, the health and telecommunications industries posted strong increases in sponsored search link impressions, up 108% and 80% respectively. Hardware and electronics advertisers drove results in display impressions with 65% growth, followed by automotive and consumer goods companies, who posted increases of 45% and 42% respectively.

Financial services companies, historically among the largest online advertisers, decreased investment during the period in both sponsored search impressions, down 15%, and display impressions, down 13%.

Category Spending

Spending for the 10 largest advertising categories reached just over $10 billion in the first quarter of this year, 0.47% less than the same period last year. Most product categories showed increased spending, with the exception of Automotive (-8.32%), Motion Picture (-1.14%), Department Store (-0.44%), and Telephone Services-Wireless (-0.38%).

The Direct Respond Product category had the largest percentage increase in advertising spending, at just over 16%. At the other end of the spectrum, the Automotive category, though it remained the top category spender, showed the largest percentage decrease (-8.32%) from the same period last year.

Advertiser Spending

Advertising spending by the top 10 companies for the first quarter 2008 reached just over $4 billion - up slightly (+1.2%) from $3.96 billion during the same time period in 2007. Half of the top 10 advertisers increased their budgets from Q1 2007 to the first quarter of this year, while the other half showed decreases.

PepsiCo Inc., which increased ad spending from $253 million in the first quarter of 2007 to $354 million in Q1 2008, had the largest percentage increase (+39%). The company showed especially significant increases in advertising expenditures for its beverages, including APM, Pepsi Max, G2, Gatorade (including the release of Gatorade Tiger), Propel water, and Sobe Life Water.

Procter & Gamble, the quarter’s largest advertiser, also increased ad spending significantly (+20%). P&G’s Olay, Gillette, Cover Girl, Crest, and Dawn product lines all showed significant growth in ad expenditures. Ad spending for P&G’s osteoporosis drug, Actonel, also increased.

At the other end of the spectrum, Ford Motor Co., which cut its advertising budget from approximately $446 million in Q1 2007 to $330 million in the first quarter of this year, showed the largest percentage decrease in ad spend (-26%). Although Ford significantly cut advertising expenditures for larger trucks, SUVs, and cars, such as the Ford F-Series, Expedition, Land Rover, Cadillac, it actually increased ad spending for small cars, like the Focus from Q1 2007 to Q1 2008.

About The Nielsen Company

The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions and recognized brands in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), online intelligence (Nielsen Online), mobile media (Nielsen Mobile), trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA.

Universal Music Group, the world\’s leading music company, and Last.fm, the fast-growing free global music Web site, on June 18th announced a new partnership that will make UMG\’s music video catalogue available for free-on-demand streaming to users of Last.fm. The deal, which marks Last.fm\’s first major video partnership, will bring thousands of high-quality music videos to the Last.fm community. As part of this agreement, Universal Music and its artists will receive revenue for every UMG video streamed.

Starting today, Last.fm users will be able to view thousands of full-length music videos from UMG\’s market-leading catalogue of chart-topping artists, which includes Jay-Z, Nirvana, Amy Winehouse, The Killers, Duffy, Snow Patrol and Kanye West, among many others. The latest UMG videos can be found on Last.fm at http://www.last.fm/music/+charts/video .

The addition of UMG content provides a massive boost to Last.fm\’s unrivaled online music video offering which launched last year. Additionally, Last.fm\’s scrobbling technology will help users engage with the UMG content in a more personalised manner by recommending new videos according to users\’ individual music taste.

Martin Stiksel, Last.fm co-founder, said: “This is a hugely empowering partnership that really takes Last.fm to the next level. We want to offer a video library that rivals our unparalleled music catalogue, as we work towards Last.fm becoming the only place you need to go to for all music-related content, and this deal marks the first step towards that goal. Universal Music has the richest and most extensive music video collection in the world, and the addition of that content to Last.fm brings us closer to being able to offer the most rewarding personalised music video experience for music fans anywhere.”

Rob Wells, Senior Vice President, Digital, Universal Music Group International, commented, “Our relationship with Last.fm is evolving. The use of Universal Music videos on the Last.fm platform is a great opportunity for both consumers and artists, with the latter earning revenues from every video played on the service. Video streaming services are an increasingly important source of income, and it\’s great to have another new partner on board, tapping into this rich revenue stream.”

The Universal video content will be ad-supported, in the same manner as Last.fm\’s pioneering free-on-demand service which launched in January. As part of the FOD offering, artists, labels and copyright holders receive a share of revenue from the ads displayed next to their content. In its first month offering UMG videos, Last.fm will be marking the partnership by highlighting the Universal video catalogue exclusively on the site.

About Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group is the world\’s leading music company with wholly owned record operations or licensees in 77 countries. Its businesses also include Universal Music Publishing Group, the industry\’s leading global music publishing operation.

Universal Music Group\’s record labels include Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Disa, Emarcy, Fonovisa, Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Island Def Jam Music Group, Lost Highway Records, Machete Music, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville, Mercury Records, Philips, Polydor Records, Universal Motown Records Group, Universal Music Latino, Universal Records South, and Verve Music Group as well as a multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most extensive catalog of music in the industry, which includes the last 100 years of the world\’s most popular artists and their recordings. UMG\’s catalog is marketed through two distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes eLabs, its new media and technologies division; Bravado, its merchandising company; Twenty-First Artists, its full service management division; and Helter Skelter, its live music agency.

Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi, a global media and communications company.

About Last.fm

Founded in 2002, Last.fm is a CBS corporation (NYSE:CBS.A) (NYSE:CBS) owned free global music platform. Last.fm offers music fans millions of tracks in every genre for free-on-demand and radio streaming thanks to partnerships with Universal, EMI, Sony BMG, CD Baby, independent aggregators The Orchard and IODA, and more than 150,000 independent artists and labels — without the need to sign up or download any software. As well as being able to access tracks for free — a service which has seen Last.fm become the fastest-growing free online music network in the U.S. — music fans can also share their music preferences by linking their media player to the Last.fm database. As a result, Last.fm can intelligently recommend songs, artists, local concerts and even other members based on their musical tastes. Last.fm also supports unsigned artists by offering them an unprecedented Artist Royalty program through which they can earn revenue directly from Last.fm every time their music is streamed.

Paramount Pictures International’s Kung Fu Panda has become the highest-grossing animation ever in mainland China, raking in $14.6m (RMB100m) in ten days.The film is also the first animated feature film that has grossed over RMB100m, which is generally seen as a benchmark for blockbuster films in China.

Previously, the best-selling animation film in China was Garfield 2 in 2006, which grossed $7.25m (RMB58m). And the second biggest was The Lion King in 1995 with $5.13m (RMB41m).

Kung Fu Panda was released in mainland China on June 20 with 530 prints including digital screens and IMAX screens. In Sichuan province, the screening was delayed for one day due to protests over the film using Chinese elements such as Kung Fu and giant Pandas, which originate in Sichuan. However, the box office performance was not affected by the delay.

Compared to North America and other international markets, animation films have not been big sellers in mainland China. Analysts believe that it’s because the majority of Chinese families have not developed the habit of watching animated films as a family activity. In the past four years, most animation films have grossed no more than $5.8m, no matter how big the films have been in the rest of the world.

Pixar’s 2003 international hit Finding Nemo grossed $4.35m (RMB34.8m); last year, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles grossed $5.02m (RMB37m); Ratatouille took in only $2.85m (RMB21m), and Shrek 3 was only released in digital cinemas, where it took $1.49m (RMB11m).

Animation is also becoming more popular within China’s production sector. Last year, Disney-China Film co-production The Secret Of The Magic Gourd grossed $2.75m (RMB20.65m). And this year so far, there have been three local animations released in China. Calabash Brothers, which took in $1.17m (RMB8m), is the top local animation film so far.

Top animation films in mainland China market:

1. Kung Fu Panda – $15.01m

2. Garfield 2 – $7.25m

3. The Lion King – $5.13m

4. TMNT – $5.02m

5. Ice Age 2 – $ 4.44m

6. Finding Nemo – $4.35m

7. Toy Story – 3.92m

8. Cars – $2.86m

9. Ratatouille – $2.85m

10. Secret Of The Magic Gourd – $2.75m

Source: ScreenDaily

Publicis Groupe’s VivaKi Nerve Center and Yahoo! Inc. unveiled innovative technology initiatives designed to help Publicis Groupe’s clients seize the important global opportunities in mobile advertising. The initiatives also aim to drive greater efficiency in the way advertising is bought and sold online. As more leading brands go mobile, Yahoo! and Publicis Groupe’s VivaKi plan to leverage Yahoo!’s mobile platform to help brands broaden their reach and more deeply engage mobile consumers with breakthrough advertising solutions. The two companies will also work to integrate Publicis’ current media buying systems with Yahoo!’s Right Media Exchange, and with AMP! from Yahoo! when it is introduced.”Our goal in working together with advertisers and agencies is to help them build brands, reach consumers and increase sales in new ways,” said Sue Decker, President, Yahoo! Inc. “Through this relationship, Yahoo! and Publicis will empower the next generation of innovative advertising solutions.”

“This partnership with Yahoo! takes the biggest challenge facing marketers today-the need for hyper-personalization on a massive scale-and turns it into a scalable, direct opportunity for Publicis Groupe clients,” said David Kenny, Managing Partner of Publicis Groupe VivaKi. “By creating an evolved business structure built specifically to capitalize on this medium, we’ll advance the larger industry and in the process set new standards for online advertising innovation.”

Mobile First Advertising

The two companies’ mobile initiative is the initial showcase for a relationship focusing on technology integration and openness to help brands tailor their messaging and make it possible for them to reach their target customers on both the PC and the mobile telephone.

Phonevalley, Publicis Groupe’s mobile marketing agency, will be the first global agency to integrate Blueprint, Yahoo!’s leading-edge mobile developer platform language, as a tool to help its clients scale brand messages globally, speed their time to market and remove traditional barriers of scarce development resources and high costs.

In addition, Yahoo! and Publicis Groupe will work to enable brands to tailor their message in a more relevant way to the unique consumer, given the hyper-personalized nature of the mobile device. Specifically, Yahoo! will leverage its Smart Ads technology for the mobile platform to enable numerous permutations of a given brand’s message, and Publicis Groupe will tap into this system to develop correlating, personal microsites relevant to these “smart mobile ads”.

“We are focused on helping our clients reach their audiences where they are - and that is increasingly on mobile devices,” continued Alexandre Mars, Phonevalley CEO and Head of Mobile Publicis Groupe. “By integrating Yahoo! Blueprint, we are able to easily create advertising for the rapidly growing and increasingly lucrative mobile medium.”

From the Exchange to AMP! from Yahoo!

The technology initiative extends beyond mobile to include the adoption and continued innovation of other next-generation platforms. Publicis Groupe will work to integrate their current media buying systems with Yahoo!’s Right Media Exchange, a technology platform that fosters the largest open community of buyers and sellers including advertisers, agencies, publishers and networks. This integration will enable Publicis clients to apply their deep insights to their Exchange buys in order to help their clients more effectively and efficiently reach specific demographics and purchasers -such as moms or travelers- online in a single campaign buy.

Publicis Groupe also plans to leverage the capabilities of AMP! from Yahoo!, the company’s advertising management platform. AMP! from Yahoo! is designed to simplify the process of buying and selling ads online. Yahoo! will work closely with Publicis Groupe to ensure that the platform accommodates the complex set of requirements a leading global agency partner like Publicis Groupe has to deliver on behalf of their clients.

These broader platform initiatives will serve as the foundation for the advertising industry’s first “on-demand audience network”, announced earlier today by Publicis Groupe’s VivaKi Nerve Center, a global digital knowledge and resource center that spans Digitas, Starcom MediaVest Group, Zenith Optimedia and Denuo.

About Yahoo!

Yahoo! Inc. is a leading global Internet brand and one of the most trafficked Internet destinations worldwide. Yahoo! is focused on powering its communities of users, advertisers, publishers, and developers by creating indispensable experiences built on trust. Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

About Publicis Groupe

Publicis Groupe is the world’s fourth largest communications group. In addition, it is ranked as the world’s second largest media counsel and buying group, and is a global leader in digital and healthcare communications. With activities spanning 104 countries on five continents, the Groupe employs approximately 44,000 professionals. The Groupe offers local and international clients a complete range of communication services, through three autonomous global advertising networks, Leo Burnett, Publicis, Saatchi & Saatchi and two multi-hub networks, Fallon and 49%-owned Bartle Bogle Hegarty; to media consultancy and buying, through two worldwide networks, Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia; interactive and digital marketing led by Digitas; Specialized Agencies and Marketing Services offering healthcare communications, corporate and financial communications, sustainability communications, shopper marketing, public relations, CRM and direct marketing, event and sports marketing, and multicultural communications.

About Phonevalley

Recognized as an industry pioneer, Phonevalley provides a full service offer in mobile marketing which spans from mobile media planning and buying, to mobile interactive services (mobile Internet sites, mobile applications, branded content & promotions) and strategic consultancy. Its clients also expand their reach and ROI thanks to Phonevalley’s proprietary technological platforms.

Google announced on June 12th that it has reached an agreement that gives Yahoo! the ability to use Google’s search and contextual advertising technology through its AdSense for Search and AdSense for Content advertising programs. Under the agreement, Yahoo! has the option to display Google ads alongside its own natural search results in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, Yahoo! can serve contextually targeted ads on its U.S. and Canadian web properties as well as on its current publisher partner sites. Yahoo will continue to operate its own search engine, web properties and advertising services.

In addition, Yahoo! and Google agreed to enable interoperability between their respective instant messaging services bringing easier and broader communication to users.

“This commercial agreement provides Yahoo! with the opportunity to deliver more relevant ads to users and provide advertisers and publishers with better advertising technology to help them succeed in their own businesses,” said Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO of Google. “This agreement will preserve the competitive and dynamic online advertising space.”

As a result of the agreement, Yahoo! will be able to complement its own advertising program with Google’s advertising technology. As a result, advertisers will be able to better reach consumers, and Yahoo! and its current publisher partners can generate more revenue. Yahoo can use Google’s advertising technology on as many or as few of its search results and content pages as it chooses.

This non-exclusive agreement allows Yahoo! to enter into similar agreements with other advertising providers. In addition, Yahoo! will maintain relationships with its own advertising customers and will continue to rely exclusively on its own advertising program outside of the U.S. and Canada. The agreement has a term of up to ten years: a 4-year initial term and two 3-year renewals at Yahoo!’s option. Financial terms between the two companies were not disclosed.

Although Google and Yahoo are not required to receive regulatory approval of the arrangement before implementing it, the companies have voluntarily agreed to delay implementation for up to three and a half months to give the U.S. Department of Justice time to review the arrangement.

About Google Inc.
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.

Microsoft Corp. announced on June, 17th the acquisition of Navic Networks, a leading provider of television advertising solutions. Navic’s technologies include sophisticated campaign management tools that use relevant data to optimize the delivery and placement of targeted interactive television media and through Admira provide a unified ad network for targeting audiences across television advertising inventory. With the addition of Navic solutions, Microsoft’s comprehensive advertising platform will be able to facilitate enhanced digital advertising across online and offline environments.“Television media represents the largest percentage of advertisers and agencies’ media budget today,” said Brian McAndrews, senior vice president of the Advertiser and Publisher Solutions Group at Microsoft. “Together, Navic and Microsoft will deliver addressable television advertising solutions to help our partners better manage media spend by increasing advertiser reach and ROI, and maximizing publisher yield on television advertising.”

Together, Microsoft and Navic plan to consult and work with the key constituents in the television advertising industry to better understand how its campaign management and advertising platforms for digital television can help advertisers, content owners and distributors maximize yield and achieve their media objectives.

“Viewers across North America are engaging with relevant advertising and interacting with their TVs in ways never before possible. Joining forces with Microsoft will enable our common vision of addressable television advertising solutions to continue to flourish and better meet the needs of our industry partners,” said Chet Kanojia, CEO of Navic Networks. “While our current business relationships will continue to grow, we look forward to extending our technology into a vast array of new markets and software solutions.”

With this acquisition, Navic Networks becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft and will join Microsoft’s Advertiser and Publisher Solutions (APS) Group, the group responsible for Microsoft’s comprehensive advertising platform that spans all digital media including television and video advertising. The APS Group includes Atlas, a pioneer of Video-On-Demand advertising solutions.

About Navic

Navic Networks is the leading addressable advertising and interactive television technology provider to the cable and direct broadcast satellite television industry. Navic provides sophisticated tools that use real-time audience measurement data to optimize the delivery and placement of targeted interactive media. Navic’s patented technology powers addressable advertising and interactive television applications on over 35 million digital set-top boxes in North America. Navic Networks is a privately held corporation headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more information, visit http://www.navic.tv/.

About Microsoft Advertising

Microsoft Advertising provides world-class advertising tools and solutions for digital advertisers and publishers to drive brand and consumer engagement. The portfolio includes all our digital advertising businesses: our global media network that includes MSN, Windows Live, Microsoft Office Live, Xbox, Microsoft Live Search, Facebook and more, and our global technology platforms and tools that include Atlas, AdECN Inc., Microsoft adCenter, DRIVEpm, Massive Inc. and ScreenTonic, which together create engaging digital advertising experiences for their consumers. Microsoft Advertising helps make buying and selling media simple, smart and more cost-effective across media and devices in the Microsoft network of properties and beyond, which spans 42 markets globally and 21 languages. Visit http://advertising.microsoft.com for more information.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Pinewood, together with Codex Digital, The Production Guild of Great Britain, Sohonet and Molinare, presents a free industry seminar ‘Production 2.0’ to demonstrate the benefits of digital workflow within the production environment on Wednesday 2 July 2008.

Highlighting the new and exciting opportunities that now arise with production and post production environments seamlessly merging on-set, the seminar will discuss the impact of permanently changing the creation process for motion pictures, broadcast programmes and commercials due to the removal of traditional linear production constraints.

Pinewood Studios will be linked to leading Soho-based post production facility Molinare for ‘Production 2.0’, providing a live demonstration of how both production and post-production processes can run in parallel for the first time, delivering significant gains in speed, cost, efficiency and flexibility for digital film and broadcast productions.

With a high resolution Codex recording system at the hub of the workflow, Production 2.0 will demonstrate the ease with which high resolution rushes can be captured and reviewed on set, securely and immediately transferred via Sohonet network for editing, colour grading and visual effects and then delivered directly to the producer’s desktop or director’s hand-held PDA. This new streamlined process enables immediate and informed decisions, profoundly improving both the quality and efficiency of a production. Codex Digital has recently supplied its 2K and 4K media systems for the shooting of big and low budget productions. Their recent clients include the Wachowski brothers upcoming feature ‘Speed Racer’, Bond’s latest instalment ‘Quantum of Solace’, US independent film ‘Dead Girl’ and US-based commercials for the Lincoln MKS car, the Apple iPhone and Little Tykes.

As the industry migrates to complete digital cinematography, the seminar will also examine secure management of digital data throughout the entire production lifecycle.

Pinewood’s Group Director of Technology Darren Woolfson comments “I am particularly excited about this initiative as it places Pinewood at the heart of the new digital production environment.”

Production 2.0 takes place at 3pm on Wednesday 2 July 2008 at Pinewood Studios, Pinewood Road, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire. Admission free – to register please visit www.productiontwozero.com.