Live Nation (NYSE: LYV) announced on February 5th that it has entered into a multi-year agreement with CBS RADIO to produce select radio sponsored concerts in Live Nation venues throughout North America. Combining Live Nation’s production expertise and CBS RADIO’s massive broadcast reach, the agreement also calls for the two partners to work together to jointly develop new live concerts and experiential events across multiple stations and markets.

Live Nation owns, operates or manages more than 110 music venues across North America, drawing more than 28 million music fans annually. CBS RADIO operates 137 radio stations across the country, a majority of which are in the top 50 markets. Live Nation expects the agreement to bring over 260,000 fans annually to its venues to enjoy CBS RADIO events, generating additional sponsorship, ticket sales and ancillary venue revenue.

“Our alliance with CBS Radio is another example of our focus on leveraging our unmatched portfolio of live venues across the nation to drive profitable revenue streams,” said Jason Garner, Chief Executive Officer of Global Music for Live Nation. “We have worked closely with CBS Radio as a marketing partner in the promotion of our 12,000 annual North American concerts. This deal deepens that relationship while increasing the utilization of our live entertainment venues in a risk-averse manner.”

CBS RADIO President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Mason commented: “For many years we have enjoyed a very successful relationship with Live Nation helping us grow our radio shows across the country into some of the biggest events of the year. With their national platform of venues and their team of talented promoters and marketers, we feel we will be able to expand the breadth of radio shows we offer on-site, on-air and online in a substantive way over the course of this agreement.”

ABOUT LIVE NATION:

Live Nation’s mission is to maximize the live concert experience. Our core business is producing, marketing and selling live concerts for artists via our global concert pipe. Live Nation is the largest producer of live concerts in the world, annually producing over 16,000 concerts for 1,500 artists in 57 countries. The company sells over 45 million concert tickets a year and expects to drive over 60 million unique visitors to LiveNation.com in 2008. Live Nation is transforming the concert business by expanding its concert platform into ticketing and building the industry’s first artist-to-fan vertically integrated concert platform. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol “LYV.” Additional information about the company can be found at www.livenation.com/investors.

ABOUT CBS RADIO

CBS RADIO, one of the largest major-market operators in the United States with stations covering news, sports, talk, rock, oldies, country, adult contemporary and urban formats, among others, offers audiences an enhanced and customized listening experience through the combination of on-air, online and new media platforms. CBS RADIO operates 137 radio stations throughout the nation’s top 50 markets and broadcasts play-by-play coverage of 26 of the country’s leading professional sports franchises. CBS RADIO also has embraced interactive programming through the use of streaming, HD Radio, podcasts and mobile messaging. The division maintains an agreement with AOL Radio through which CBS RADIO powers AOL Radio and distributes its stations to its network of listeners. Home to the nation’s most listened to news (1010 WINS), sports (WFAN-AM), rock (KROQ-FM) and country (WUSN-FM) stations, CBS RADIO is a division of CBS Corporation. For more information on CBS RADIO, please visit www.cbsradio.com.

Verizon (NYSE:VZ) and CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) announced on January 12th comprehensive, new long-term program carriage agreements which bring new and expanded CBS programming to Verizon’s television and wireless customers.  Verizon has broadened and extended its rights for retransmission consent for CBS’s owned and operated television stations, Network and local video-on-demand for the FiOS TV platform as well as mobile rights for Verizon Wireless’ V CAST Video service. 

“We are extremely pleased to have reached this broad long-term agreement that recognizes the value of our programming,” said Leslie Moonves, President and CEO, CBS Corporation.  “Verizon subscribers will have continued access to the Number One TV network not only through FiOS TV, but also through V CAST on the mobile phone, which enhances our profile on a key emerging platform.”

“Verizon is focused on providing the most comprehensive and exciting entertainment to our customers across all our services and platforms,” said John Harrobin, Senior Vice President of Digital Media for Verizon. “We’re pleased to extend our relationship with CBS, which helps us deliver the hit shows and compelling content our customers want to enjoy.”

Under the new agreement, Verizon has secured

The expanded agreements also provide national video-on-demand rights for programs in both standard and high definition format, including such leading shows as “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “NCIS,” “Survivor,” and “Numb3rs,” as well as video-on-demand rights for local news, also in SD and HD.

And, Verizon will continue to offer CBS programming on Verizon FiOS TV, its all-digital fiber-optic TV service, which is available in parts of 14 states, and reaches more than 1.6 million subscribers.

Other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

About CBS Corporation

CBS Corporation is a mass media company with constituent parts that reach back to the beginnings of the broadcast industry, as well as newer businesses that operate on the leading edge of the media industry. The Company, through its many and varied operations, combines broad reach with well-positioned local businesses, all of which provide it with an extensive distribution network by which it serves audiences and advertisers in all 50 states and key international markets. It has operations in virtually every field of media and entertainment, including broadcast television (CBS and The CW – a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment), cable television (Showtime Networks and CBS College Sports Network), local television (CBS Television Stations), television production and syndication (CBS Paramount Network Television and CBS Television Distribution), radio (CBS Radio), advertising on out-of-home media (CBS Outdoor), publishing (Simon & Schuster), interactive media (CBS Interactive), music (CBS Records), licensing and merchandising (CBS Consumer Products), video/DVD (CBS Home Entertainment), in-store media (CBS Outernet) and motion pictures (CBS Films).  For more information, log on to www.cbscorporation.com.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc., headquartered in

The NRJ Group’s revenues (excluding barters transactions) came to 331.3 million euros in 2008, comparedwith 359.7 million euros in 2007, down 7.9% (-4.3% at constant scope and exchange rates). This changenotably reflects the consequences of the gradual reduction of the Group’s stake in NRJ Mobile, as well as theimpact of the end of the musical “Le Roi Soleil” following its final performances in July 2007. Excluding mobiletelephony and “Le Roi Soleil”, the Group’s revenues would have increased by 1.7%.In the fourth quarter, the Group generated 89.2 million euros in revenues, compared with 99.9 million euros in 2007, down 10.7% (-6.0% at constant scope and exchange rates). *** 

Following a particularly difficult fourth quarter due to the economic environment, the radio business inFrance recorded 222.1 million euros in revenues over 2008, compared with 239.6 million euros in 2007,representing a drop of 7.3% (-14.6% in Q4). In the fourth quarter, the downturn in business stems morespecifically from the fall in advertising investments for the retail, transport and telecommunications sectors. Over the full year, the retail sector’s advertising investments are up slightly, while the transport, services,telecommunications and toiletries-beauty product sectors show a marked downturn. 

Revenues from international radio activities climbed to 33.8 million euros in 2008, up 5.3% on 2007, notablydriven by growth in business on the Germanic region over the full year. Television activities generated 25 million euros in revenues over 2008, up 187.4% in relation to 2007. In thefourth quarter, despite the unfavourable economic environment, this business achieved sustained revenuegrowth (+186.7%). In December 2008, NRJ 12 achieved a national audience share of 1.1%* for this channel (1%* over the full year in 2008). NRJ 12 has continued to achieve satisfactory growth in its audience figures, and now attracts close to 24 million* viewers each week. 

* Source: Médiamétrie Médiamat Annuel 2008 Revenues on the telephony business came to 7.2 million euros in 2008, compared with 18.3 million euros in 2007 in light of the reduction of the Group’s stake in NRJ Mobile. This business has been deconsolidated since 1 May 2008, and the Group did not record any revenues for NRJ Mobile over the second half of 2008, compared with the 9.1 million euros in revenues booked over the second half of 2007. 

Non-media activities recorded 17.4 million euros in revenues over 2008, compared with 41.5 million euros in 2007. In 2008, the musical “Le Roi Soleil” contributed 0.8 million euros to consolidated revenues, compared with 23.4 million euros in 2007. Excluding “Le Roi Soleil”, the non-media division would have generated 16.6 million euros in revenues over 2008, compared with 18.1 million euros in 2007. 

Lastly, the Group’s broadcasting business contributed 24.7 million euros to consolidated revenues in 2008, up 35.7% on 2007, thanks in particular to the development of its activities on the digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcasting market. In total, including revenues generated within the Group, the broadcasting business posted 37.6 million euros in revenues for 2008.

The Nielsen Company released on January 23rd its annual Guide to the Super Bowl, which showcases a full range of consumer and media information about the most anticipated marketing event in the U.S. This year’s matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers is scheduled for February 1 in Tampa, FL.Among the key findings from Nielsen:

• TELEVISION: Last year’s tilt between the Patriots and the Giants was viewed by a record 97.5 million people nationwide. As expected, the Super Bowl was the most-watched TV broadcast in 2008.

• ADVERTISERS: The cost of a 30-second spot in last year’s Super Bowl was $2.7 million. Total spending for the game reached over $195 million. Anheuser-Busch bought the most commercial time (4 minutes total). The highest-rated commercial minute was the Victoria’s Secret spot at 9:44pm, seen by 103.7 million viewers. The most-liked ad was produced by the NFL. The most-recalled ad was produced by FedEx.

• ONLINE: Super Bowl advertisers saw a 24 percent jump in Web traffic the day after last year’s Super Bowl. The Pepsi commercial featuring Justin Timberlake gathered the most Internet buzz.

• MUSIC AND MOVIES: In the week following Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ halftime performance last year, sales of their “Greatest Hits” album jumped 196%. Petty’s “Anthology: Through the Years” album jumped 240% that same week. Box office sales on the weekend of Super Bowl Sunday show notable decline. The NFL Super Bowl XLII DVD was the #1 selling sports DVD in 2008.

• SNACKS AND BEER: The Super Bowl is the 8th-largest beer-selling event each year. Markets with hometown teams involved in the big game are more likely buy more beer. Potato chips are the snack of choice at Super Bowl parties, but tortilla chips are quickly gaining.

• CONSUMER TRENDS: There’s a softer side to football fans. People identifying themselves as avid NFL fans outpaced total U.S. spending in skin care by 74% from 2005 to 2007. NFL fans are also more likely to own hi-tech electronic items than the average adult.

• DEMOGRAPHICS: About 138 million adults - or more than 60% of the adult population in the U.S. - are NFL fans. The league is slightly more likely to attract fans from higher education and income brackets. Fans are also generally more physically active than the average American.

For more details and analysis, please see the full downloadable news release.

For additional advertising and media trends, visit Nielsen’s blog at: http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/.

About The Nielsen Company

The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, and Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA. For more information, please visit, www.nielsen.com.

More than 6.5 million U.S. households - or 5.7 percent of all homes — are not ready for the upcoming transition to all-digital broadcasting and would be unable to receive any television programming at all if the transition occurred today, The Nielsen Company reported on January 22nd. This is an improvement of more than 1.3 million homes since Nielsen reported readiness status at the end of December.

Table 1
Percentage of Households that Are Completely Unready
For the Digital Transition

Source: The Nielsen Company

Under government-mandated action, all television stations are required to switch to digital programming by February 17, 2009, which will leave viewers without a television signal unless they purchase digital television sets, connect to cable, satellite, and alternate delivery systems or purchase a converter box.

Nielsen is making these estimates available as a public service to the television industry, government policy-makers and local communities. This information is based on the same national and local television ratings samples that are used to generate national and local television ratings. To conduct the survey, Nielsen representatives observed and tabulated the actual televisions used in its samples. Because Nielsen has developed samples that reflect the total U.S. population including African American and Hispanic populations, these household characteristics in the samples can be projected to the whole country.

“Nielsen has been preparing for the transition to digital television for more than two years,” said Nielsen Vice Chair Susan Whiting. “Because we recognize that accurate and reliable information on consumer behavior is essential to this transition, we’ve been sharing our data with clients, government leaders and the public so they could track progress to digital readiness.”

“There are still millions of people who will be adversely affected because they are not ready for the digital transition.  So it’s critical that we provide them with the information and resources they need to stay connected with the world,” said Ernest W. Bromley, Nielsen Hispanic/Latino Advisory Council (HLAC).

“Nielsen has played a key role in reaching out to our underserved communities and helping them understand what needs to be done,” said Nita Song, Nielsen Asian Pacific American Advisory Council (APAAC).

“It is imperative that we operate at an accelerated pace to educate those who are at the greatest risk of losing their television service — low-income households, large numbers of senior, minority and disabled viewers.   These viewers rely on traditional television the most and can least afford to lose their television lifelines.  We have a responsibility to make sure that these groups whether in our families, churches or communities are equipped and ready for this transition,” said Cynthia Perkins-Roberts, Nielsen African American Advisory Council (AAAC).

Local Market Rankings

Among the 56 local markets that Nielsen measures with electronic meters, the one that is least ready is Albuquerque-Santa Fe, with 12.4% of the households completely unready. The most prepared market is Hartford & New Haven, with only 1.8% of homes unready.

Table 2
Least Prepared Local Metered Markets Based on Percentage of Households
Currently Unprepared for Digital Conversion

Source: The Nielsen Company

For more information on the U.S. state of readiness for digital transition, please visit: www.nielsenwire.com.

About The Nielsen Company

The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, and Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in New York, USA. For more information, please visit, www.nielsen.com.

Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) announced on January 22nd that it will increase the sample target for cell-phone-only households in all Portable People MeterTM markets to 15 percent by year end 2010. In an interim step, the current target of 7.5 percent will be raised to 12.5 percent in PPMTM markets by year-end 2009.“Arbitron has developed, tested and is presently implementing an address-based sampling method to identify and contact cell-phone-only households,” said Bob Patchen, chief research officer, Arbitron Inc. “This new method is more efficient than the manual dialing procedures we had been using and thus allows us to substantially increase the number of CPO persons included in our panels. We are also retaining the random-digit-dialing (RDD) sampling method for landline homes because that approach enables telephone contact with a higher percentage of landline homes not listed in telephone directories. These unlisted landline households are more likely than listed ones to contain Hispanics, African-Americans and young adults. The better response achieved with telephone contact can improve the overall representation of these groups in our PPM samples.”

“Increasing the number of cell-phone-only households in our PPM samples is an important element in our ongoing programs to enhance the participation of 18-34 year olds of all races and ethnicities,” said Owen Charlebois, president, Technology and Research & Development. “As the number of households that can be reached only by cell-phone continues to grow, Arbitron will update its methodologies to better include this important segment of the population.”

For the New York PPM radio ratings service, Arbitron has already announced that it would increase the cell-phone-only sample target to 15 percent by July 2010.

Cell-phone-only sampling plans for diary markets 
On December 15, 2008, Arbitron announced plans to expand the introduction of cell-phone-only sampling to 151 diary markets in Spring 2009 and to all diary markets (except Puerto Rico) by Fall 2009.

In diary markets, Arbitron also plans to use an address-based sample frame as the foundation of its cell-phone-only sample, while maintaining the random-digit-dial (RDD) sample frame for landline households.

The expansion of cell phone-only sampling to 151 diary markets in the spring assumes that the company is able to complete the development of software necessary to support the rollout as scheduled. If the company is not able to develop the software as expected, the planned acceleration of cell phone-only sampling could be delayed. Arbitron expects to confirm its plans for cell-phone-only sampling for the Spring 2009 survey by late February.

About the Portable People Meter 
The Arbitron Portable People Meter^TM system uses a passive audience measurement device – about the size of a small cell phone – to track consumer exposure to media and entertainment, including broadcast, cable and satellite television; terrestrial, satellite and online radio as well as cinema advertising and many types of place-based electronic media. Carried throughout the day by randomly selected survey participants, the PPM^TM device can track when and where they watch television, listen to radio as well as how they interact with other forms of media and entertainment.

The PPM detects inaudible codes embedded in the audio portion of media and entertainment content delivered by broadcasters, content providers and distributors. At the end of the day, the meter is placed in a docking station that extracts the codes and sends them to a central computer. The PPM is equipped with a motion sensor, a patented quality control feature unique to the system, which allows Arbitron to confirm the compliance of the PPM survey participants every day.

PPM ratings are based on audience estimates and represent the opinion of Arbitron. PPM ratings, like all audience estimates however derived, should not be relied on for precise accuracy or precise representativeness of a demographic or radio market.

About Arbitron 
Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) is a media and marketing research firm serving the media – radio, television, cable, online radio and out-of-home – as well as advertisers and advertising agencies in the United States. 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 Meter, a new technology for media and marketing research.

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

Arbitron’s marketing and business units are supported by a world-renowned research and technology organization located in Columbia, Maryland.

At the motion picture box office, there is one man who keeps showing that nobody does it better: Bond. James Bond.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’/Columbia Pictures’ Quantum of Solace, the 22nd James Bond adventure, has taken in over $167.1 million to become the most successful Bond film of all time in North America, surpassing the $167 million grossed domestically by Casino Royale, it was announced on January 8th by Jeff Blake, chairman of Sony Pictures Worldwide Marketing and Distribution. The film is still playing in 891 theaters in the United States.

In addition, Quantum of Solace has grossed another $382.9 internationally, with the important market of Japan still yet to open. Taking in a worldwide gross so far of $550 million, Quantum of Solace is already the second-highest grossing Bond film of all time worldwide.

Commenting on the announcement, Blake said, “It is always gratifying when the audience responds to a film, but to be working with a character as successful as James Bond and see the two films Sony has handled become the two most successful films in the history of the franchise makes us all tremendously proud. It has been a special thrill to work on the Bond films, and we couldn’t be more excited by the success of Quantum of Solace.”

Daniel Craig reprises his role as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in Quantum of Solace, the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures release of EON Productions’ 22nd adventure in the longest-running film franchise in motion picture history. The film is produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and directed by Marc Forster. The screenplay was written by Paul Haggis and Neal Purvis & Robert Wade.

About EON Productions

EON Productions/Danjaq, LLC, is owned by the Broccoli family and has produced twenty two James Bond films since 1962, including QUANTUM OF SOLACE. The James Bond films, produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, make up the longest running franchise in film history and include the recent blockbuster films GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough, Die Another Day and Casino Royale. EON Productions and Danjaq LLC, are affiliate companies and control all worldwide merchandising of the James Bond franchise.

About Columbia Pictures

Columbia Pictures, part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (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; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in more than 100 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., through its operating subsidiaries, is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world’s largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,100 titles. Operating units include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., Ventanazul, MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Domestic Networks LLC, MGM Distribution Co, MGM International Television Distribution Inc, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Worldwide Digital Media, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international TV channels reaching nearly 120 countries. MGM ownership is as follows: Providence Equity Partners (29%), TPG (21%), Sony Corporation of America (20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (7%) and Quadrangle Group (3%). For more information, visit www.mgm.com.

Advertising Age (AdAge) magazine announced on January 19th that it has named TBWA Worldwide as its 2008 Global Agency of the Year, recognized TBWA’s President and CEO Tom Carroll as Executive of the Year and placed TBWA\Chiat\Day 2nd on its exclusive A-List of top agencies in the United States.

Tom Carroll, President & CEO TBWA Worldwide said of TBWA’s recognition, “Over the last 10 years, under the leadership of Jean-Marie Dru and Lee Clow, we have been delivering both ‘Disruptive’ and creative ideas in a truly global and inclusive culture. Our objective is to bring out the best in our clients and their brands. Fortunately for us they want and expect TBWA to create work that gets us this kind of recognition. Thanks for noticing.”

In its selection of TBWA Worldwide, AdAge noted: “TBWA is our Global Agency of the Year because its uncommon success in marrying global scale with tremendous creativity.” AdAge further noted that, “A company that grew up as a confederation of independent states could really behave as a network… Judging by the Visa win; its success in assembling a new agency to win the Adidas’ digital business; its respectable revenue growth in a tough climate; and its continued creative excellence in a number of international markets, TBWA has done just that. That’s why it’s Advertising Age’s Global Agency of the Year for 2008.”

In recognizing Tom Carroll AdAge noted that, “The person who best embodied the spirit of leadership in the agency business is Tom Carroll.” AdAge went on to say that he is “Fit to run a relevant-as-it-gets global network;” and, “What really set Tom apart last year was his commitment to improving the ad business when so many of his peers were afraid to do so.”

Carroll said of being recognized as Executive of the Year, “I am fortunate to be part of a company with incredibly talented people in every corner of the world. This recognition is a reflection of the passion that everyone in the network has for the work we do.”

Carroll said of being recognized as Executive of the Year, “I am fortunate to be part of a company with incredibly talented people in every corner of the world. This recognition is a reflection of the passion that everyone in the network has for the work we do.”

TBWA\Chiat\Day was also recognized 2nd in AdAge’s Agency A-List noting that,” “The shop poured on about a billion dollars in billings in 2008, winning major marketing accounts for such storied brands as Pepsi, Gatorade and Visa, and grew revenue 4% globally and 3% in the U.S., numbers that likely will see Tom Carroll’s shop climb the Ad Age tables from its current position as the 10th-largest agency in the U.S. Yet, unlike many of the agencies it now rivals in size, TBWA still appears to breed creativity rather than killing it in the quest for scale.”

TBWA Worldwide was also recognized by Adweek magazine as it Global Agency of the Year for 2008.

AdAge first began recognizing agency networks in 1998 previously naming TBWA Worldwide as it Network of the Year in 2004. Network of the Year is judged in four categories: Net growth (business wins and substantial organic account expansion/contraction); agency management (hires, restructures, substantial new initiatives, operational or strategic change); creative quality (both excellence in traditional creative and creative innovation, such as new ways agencies have engaged consumers); marketing effectiveness (achieving substantive measurable results for clients).

Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s leading music company, and Kyte (www.kyte.com), the universal digital media platform, announced on January 16th at the MidemNet music conference a global partnership in which Kyte will be an online and mobile video platform provider for UMG recording artists and subsidiary labels worldwide. UMG and Kyte will also partner in the development of new interactive mobile entertainment applications to reach and engage fans on the go. The branded Kyte channels of UMG artists such as All American Rejects, Pussycat Dolls, Soulja Boy Tell Em and Lady Gaga, have been successful, with the artists using Kyte’s online and mobile production tools to easily, and cost-effectively, create and broadcast live and on-demand video content that drives fans to the artists’ online and branded mobile web destinations.  Fans are engaging with the artists for longer durations through Kyte’s unique interactive features, including multimedia chat, and the ability to comment and rate Kyte shows.  Fans are also building online and mobile communities by virally sharing branded Kyte channels on social networks, blogs, web sites, and mobile devices.

“We are delighted to be working with Kyte, whose innovative media platform is providing a dynamic new way to create, distribute and monetize branded video content,” stated Rio Caraeff, Executive Vice President of eLabs, UMG’s market-leading division responsible for digital business strategy, business development and new technology opportunities. 

“We are very excited to partner with UMG,” said Daniel Graf, CEO of Kyte.  “Millions of fans around the world are engaging with their favorite UMG artists through the Kyte Platform. The artists are creating authentic, raw video content that the fans love – behind the scenes on a music video shoot, candid clips from the tour bus, collaborations in the studio – and the fans are communicating directly with the artists through our multimedia chat feature. This is what Kyte is all about; providing a platform that enables brands to easily create and distribute video content, engage with fans, and monetize.”

Kyte Platform

Kyte provides an end-to-end, online and mobile platform for the production, distribution and monetization of digital content. The Kyte Platform enables media and entertainment brands to:

•        Produce – create or upload live and on-demand, online and mobile video and pictures

•        Distribute – broadcast content to multiple online and mobile destinations simultaneously

•        Engage – interact with an audience and build community through multimedia chat and branded user generated content

•        Analyze – report and measure distribution and user engagement

•        Monetize – create new revenue streams and monetize branded content

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 Republic 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 Kyte

Kyte is a universal digital media platform that provides an end-to-end, online and mobile solution for the production, distribution and monetization of digital content. Through strategic partnerships with the world’s leading media companies, mobile carriers, and mobile device manufacturers, Kyte is building a global digital content distribution platform with massive user engagement and monetization potential.

The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with a European office in Zurich, Switzerland. Investors include Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Telefónica, Nokia Growth Partners, Steamboat Ventures, TeliaSonera, DoCoMo Capital, Holtzbrinck Ventures, Swisscom and others.  Visit Kyte online at http://www.kyte.com/

Universal Music Group (UMG), the world’s leading music company, has entered into an agreement with ID Interactive Inc. to provide a custom-ringtone solution for its music labels.

The UrTone (TM) player, developed by ID Interactive Inc., allows consumers to select any part from any track offered by their favorite artist, and customize a ringtone to be delivered instantly to their mobile handset. Users can alter start and end points of the ringtone, as well as the actual duration of the tone to within 1/10 of a second. These online stores will be compatible with every major U.S. phone carrier. “Universal is dedicated to offering music fans the very best in phone personalization and our new agreement with ID Interactive is a great way to start the new year,” stated Rio Caraeff, Executive Vice President of eLabs, UMG’s market-leading division responsible for digital business strategy, business development and new technology opportunities. “Their UrTone (TM) player is an elegant and excellent platform to showcase the high quality and depth of UMG’s extensive catalog.”

“We are thrilled to have been given this opportunity to partner with the world’s leading music company. The UrTone (TM) player is ideal to power UMG content, as these stores will provide consumers unlimited options with unprecedented access to creating ringtones from an amazing and unparalleled roster of artists across all the UMG labels,” added Bobby Israeli, Senior VP of Sales & Marketing at ID Interactive.

ID Interactive Inc. is a privately funded company with offices in New York, San Francisco, London & Manchester, specializing in custom mobile content delivery, digital marketing and strategies, and web design. More information available at www.idinteractive.net.

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 Republic 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.