Reuters: Microsoft plans new subscription TV service via Xbox

Reuters reports on plans by Microsoft to create a new subscription-based TV service available via its Xbox console. According to Reuters’ sources, talks have been held with TV networks about a product to rival plans by Google and other new media companies to move into TV.

The service would charge a monthly fee for access through the Xbox to networks such as ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS, ESPN or CNN, according to two sources familiar with the plans.

Other options include allowing cable subscribers to use the Xbox to watch shows with more interactive functions. Viewers could, for instance, message with friends over the console while viewing their favorite shows.

Full story on Reuters at this link…

Similar posts:

• WSJ.com: US local TV stations and their ‘fuzzy future’
• Media Release: Ongo adds Reuters to news feeds
• BuzzMachine: ‘Cable companies, add Al Jazeera English NOW!’
• FTM: Reuters-Politico deal more threatening to AP than CNN newswire
• Jeremy Hunt: Providing local content should be condition of broadcasters’ licences

Paywall and subscription models: a study of 30+ organisations

Alastair Bruce (@ajbruce), content manager for MSN UK, has studied over 30 organisations to produce this detailed presentation on pay wall and subscription models. He examines bundling, micropayments, metered systems, freemium and 100 per cent subscription models, across consumer/specialist titles and national/local newspapers. Who is doing what, and what comes next?

How publishers are charging for online content or consumption and implementing paywalls and subscription services

Similar posts:

• #paywalls12 – Looking outside: five paid-content lessons from Denmark, Slovakia and Slovenia
• paidContent.org: How are newspaper sites that charge faring?
• Pay walls for news will produce ‘more corpses than successes’, says report
• Independent: Ten years of FT’s metered pay model
• Will the Shropshire and Wolverhampton walls pay?

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – mapping local news buzz

Blogging: Keep an eye on Bing’s Local Lens application – currently only available for certain US cities, it adds blog posts and Twitter updates to maps of local areas. A great tool for local journalists tracking stories or looking for leads. Tipster: Laura Oliver.

To submit a tip to Journalism.co.uk, use this link – we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.

Similar posts:

• Bing’s Local Lens app – potential for local news journalists?
• Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – think ahead with PlanningAlerts.com
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – wiki for reporting on local government
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – tracking stories on your patch
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – who’s covering your story?

FT.com: Microsoft unlikely to pay users to leave Google

Microsoft’s senior vice-president for online services said the company is not focused on ‘getting non-Google content,’ reports the FT.

Satya Nadella’s comments imply the company would be unlikely to pay newspaper owners and other publishers for removing their content from Google, an idea that had been discussed with News Corp.

Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s senior vice-president for online services, refused to comment directly on talks with News Corp, but said that Bing was not looking to get a leg-up on Google by securing preferential access to information. ‘That’s not at all a focus for us,” he said, adding: “We generally are not focused on getting non-Google content.”

Full story at this link…

Similar posts:

• FT.com: ‘Web pact’ for Microsoft and News Corp?
• #WANIndia2009: Audio – Google’s David Drummond on working with publishers
• BusinessWeek.com: Twitter will end 2009 in profit
• Google introduces option for five-a-day free click limit
• Journalism Online paid content venture to take 20 per cent commission

Channel 4 News: @robertandrews and @ciaranj debate News International, Bing and Google

Further to yesterday’s news from the Financial Times that Microsoft is considering paying for news content to appear on its search engine Bing (in a ‘web pact’ with News International), Channel 4 News last night debated the potential impact this could have on the market.

Krishnan Guru-Murphy discussed with paidContent:UK editor, Robert Andrews, and head of social media at global media agency Mindshare, Ciarán Norris.

Similar posts:

• paidContent:UK: A pay-for BBC could backfire on its rivals
• Google looks to failed searches to find story ideas
• Shiny Media co-founder Ashley Norris steps down
• Channel 4 News extended to cover Coulson resignation and Blair testimony
• Frontline Club debate: social media is important, but not a kingmaker yet

FT.com: ‘Web pact’ for Microsoft and News Corp?

The companies have declined to comment, but the FT reports that Microsoft – which owns search engine Bing – has entered discussions with News Corp ‘over a plan that would involve the media company’s being paid to ‘de-index’ its news websites from Google’.

It reports:

“The impetus for the discussions came from News Corp, owner of newspapers ranging from the Wall Street Journal of the US to The Sun of the UK, said a person familiar with the situation, who warned that talks were at an early stage.

“However, the Financial Times has learnt that Microsoft has also approached other big online publishers to persuade them to remove their sites from Google’s search engine.”

Full story at this link…

Similar posts:

• FT.com: Microsoft unlikely to pay users to leave Google
• Journalism Online paid content venture to take 20 per cent commission
• Digits Blog: AP stories come back to Google News
• OJR: Using Google Trends to fine-tune your news website
• BBC: Google and Yahoo to share ad space online

News numeracy: online tools for reporting numbers

Following on from Steve Harrison’s excellent two-part guide on news numeracy, ‘How to: get to grips with numbers as a journalist’, here’s a round-up of some of the best online tools and sites for journalists when reporting figures and stats:

• ManyEyes

1. By uploading text or tables you can create simple piecharts to more complex maps or bubble charts. There are also options for text-based visualisations.

• For creating charts try:

1. Using a spreadsheet in Google Docs – you can highlight a table of data and select from a range of simple 2d and 3d graphs and charts.
2. Online spreadsheet service Zoho Sheet (looks similar to Google Docs and requires registration, but claims to allow integration with Microsoft Powerpoint and Excel)
3. Fusion Charts – for creating interactive, flash charts

• Mr Excel

1. Everything you could ever want to know – and more – about using Excel spreadsheets for data analysis and number crunching.

• Daytum

1. Can be used to track multiple sets of data and present them in a combination of charts, lists and graphics.

• Helpful lists

1. Journalism trainer Mindy McAdams has a great round-up of data visualisation resources, including this list of 175+ data and information visualization examples and resources.
2. 10,000 words offers some inspirational infographics and a ‘how to’ on creating charts.

Any other tools that you use? Let us know and we’ll add them to the list.

Similar posts:

• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – data journalism tools
• Tool of the week for journalists – Batchgeo, for mapping data
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – tools for beginner data journalists
• OJB: Bella Hurrell on data journalism and the BBC News Specials Team
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – simple graphs for stats stories using Google Docs

Recovering Journalist: Growthspur – supporting local media entrepreneurs

Mark Potts, founder of hyperlocal venture Backfence, discusses his latest venture: Growthspur, a new company aimed at finding new business models to support local news and information sources.

Jeff Jarvis helped develop the concept and Potts also has former Microsoft executive Dave Chase and co-founder of the Yale Entreprenuerial Insititute, Jennifer McFadden, on board.

Full post at this link…

Similar posts:

• Newsosaur: Local online advertising’s fatal flaws
• Techflash.com: ‘Local media need dual business models, not dueling models’
• Tribune resorts to ‘joke’ press release for latest appointment
• Valleywag: Google ad exec invests in journalism start-up
• Media Release: BBC axes deputy director general post and Mark Byford

Telegraph.co.uk: MSN discussing hyperlocal partnerships with local papers

Microsoft has been very chatty this week – see its long-awaited announcement of a search partnership with Yahoo.

On top of this and following the launch of the data-rich MSN Local, MSN executive producer Peter Bale told the Telegraph that the site was hoping to take feeds from local newspapers and map the content.

“Hyperlocal news online has never been more important and we think this is a really interesting growth area,” he said.

Payment for the feeds is a possibility or a linking/traffic driving arrangement could be made, he added.

Full post at this link…

Similar posts:

• LGEO Research: Where do local authorities fit in the hyperlocal media landscape?
• Journal Local: Birmingham journalism students launch hyperlocal news agency
• Towards a hyperlocal business model?
• Lost Remote: ‘Hyperlocal’ is not everything local
• Digital Strategy: Why Camden council is moving into hyperlocal websites

#Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – importing tables into a spreadsheet

Figures: Confronted with a table of figures on a website or attachment? The latest version of Microsoft Excel lets you import a table quickly and easily into a spreadsheet so you can do your own calculations. Tipster: Laura Oliver.

To submit a tip to Journalism.co.uk, use this link – we will pay a fiver for the best ones published.

Similar posts:

• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – simple graphs for stats stories using Google Docs
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – embedding tables
• Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – creating a slideshow
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – number crunching tools
• #Tip of the day from Journalism.co.uk – tools for online maps