Katie Couric

Big Web Video’s Big Star Is … Anthony Zuiker?

Peter Kafka in Media on April 26 at 8:40 am PT

First Google, now Yahoo: The guy behind “CSI” is the guy the Web video giants use to pitch TV advertisers.

NBC: Here's Why We Fired the "Today Show" YouTube Leaker

Peter Kafka in Media on February 4, 2011 at 2:03 pm PT

The official line: He’s a repeat offender.

Viral Video: Biz Stone Gets Couric-ed

Kara Swisher in News on April 21, 2010 at 8:21 am PT

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone appeared yesterday on Katie Couric’s weekly online “webshow” on CBSNews.com, which was streamed live. On the show, Stone answered questions about a wide range of topics, including the microblogging service’s tipping point (a bar swarm at SXSW), understanding promoted tweets (don’t try), whether it is correct to say “twittered” or “tweeted” (or, as much funnier TV anchor Jon Stewart puts it, “twatted”), using Twitter effectively (apparently, Couric employs a Twitter temper), and why Twitter turned down the $500 million offer from Facebook (we’re a real live company!). Check it out.

Jon Stewart Plays Chatroulette, And We All Win

Peter Kafka in Media on March 5, 2010 at 8:31 am PT

We’ve done a pretty good job of avoiding Chatroulette talk here. But this is worth breaking our unofficial ban: Jon Stewart’s take on the voyeur site–and, of course, the media’s obsession with it.

CNET Boss Joe Gillespie Has Left the Building

Peter Kafka in Media on February 18, 2010 at 12:01 pm PT

Joe Gillespie, the CBS executive who oversaw the company’s CNET and CBS News.com sites, has left the company amid a reorg. Gillespie’s old unit, the CBS Interactive News Group, has been folded into a group with the company’s “business brands,” including BNET and MoneyWatch. Greg Mason, who was running the business group, now oversees the whole thing. But CBS says it doesn’t have any other shake-ups planned for its digital division.

Video Scenes From the Women's Conference (Even Barbie!)

Kara Swisher in News on October 28, 2009 at 7:16 am PT

Here is a video of some scenes from the Women’s Conference in Long Beach that took place all day yesterday, where BoomTown moderated a tech panel. The huge conference, attended by 24,000 people, was organized by California First Lady Maria Shriver, who can be seen on this video, talking about the recent death of her mother.

Kara Visits the Women's Conference (Questions for Ashton Kutcher, Please!)

Kara Swisher in News on October 27, 2009 at 1:57 am PT

This morning, BoomTown will be onstage at California First Lady Maria Shriver’s well-known Women’s Conference in Long Beach, Calif., to moderate a panel titled “Changing the World Through the Web.” The panelists include Hollywood actor/producer, Katalyst co-founder and Twitter demigod Ashton Kutcher; Facebook’s Randi Zuckerberg; Premal Shah of Kiva.org; and Blue State Digital’s Joe Rospars, who was also new media director for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. In other words, as a group, they are all either prettier, smarter or better for the planet than anything I have ginned up so far.

Universal Music: We Don’t Sound as Bad as Everyone Else

Peter Kafka in Media on March 2, 2009 at 5:24 am PT

Like everyone else in the music business, Universal Music Group had a rough end to 2008. But compared to its peers, the largest music company in the world did all right. It attributes some of its success to marijuana enthusiast Lil Wayne.

Big Media Debt Headaches: Clear Channel Today, CBS Next Week?

Peter Kafka in Media on February 11, 2009 at 5:24 am PT

Just like everyone else who racked up lots of loans when the banks were giving cash with almost no strings attached, big media have a debt hangover. Clear Channel, whose private equity owners took on $17 billion in debt to acquire it last year, is getting hammered by investors who think it won’t be able to pay that money back. Next up for scrutiny: CBS, which has a big debt payment due next year and not that much cash on hand.

Want to Hear What Katie Couric Said Yesterday? Don’t Read Portfolio

Peter Kafka in Media on November 13, 2008 at 9:57 am PT

How serious is media investment group Quadrangle about keeping its annual Foursquare conference private? Serious enough that the only account I’ve seen of it stayed live on the Web for just a few hours yesterday. Portfolio.com media blogger Jeff Bercovici posted a short item about one of the panels yesterday afternoon; later that evening, the story had disappeared.