Video Sharing + Body Slams = Tout

Viddy and Socialcam have plenty of buzz. But they don’t have an endorsement — and an investment — from the people who bring you The Big Show.
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Bleacher Report's Brian Grey Talks About New Content Biz, as Patrick Keane Joins Board

Earlier this week, BoomTown went downtown to the San Francisco HQ of Bleacher Report, one of the many interesting efforts trying to change the way content is made and distributed. Bleacher Report, no surprise, is focused on sports, and competes with sites such as Yardbarker and SB Nation. All take different approaches, with Bleacher Report delivering a grassroots platform for both professional and hobbyist writers who want give their take on any topic about college and professional sports, from the latest draft to explaining what’s the deal with “Fear the Beard.”

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In Sun Valley, Media Chiefs Fret Over Economy

Media and technology executives and investors are sounding new alarms bells about the economy, worried it could wipe out recent growth. In an interview Thursday morning at the Allen & Co. conference in Sun Valley, WPP LLC chief executive Martin Sorrell cited the possible widening of Europe’s economic troubles along with the coming expiration of some tax cuts for business as among the fears of the media, entertainment and technology executives attending the annual event. “People feel that things are uncertain,” he said.

Fox, Yahoo Sports Vet Brian Grey to Run Sports Start-Up Bleacher Report

Brian Grey used to run big sports sites for really big portals, first at Yahoo, then at Fox Sports. Now he’s going to do the same thing at a start-up: He’s leaving an entrepreneur-in-residence perch at Polaris Venture Partners to run Bleacher Report, a San Francisco-based sports network.

Demand's Rosenblatt in IPO and M&A Spotlight

This seems to have been a busy week for Demand Media CEO and founder Richard Rosenblatt, with news of a big-banker hiring in a pending IPO of his social media start-up and the possible sale of a digital marketing company where he serves as chairman. What’s next from the energetic digital exec is anybody’s guess.

Demand’s Rosenblatt in IPO and M&A Spotlight

This seems to have been a busy week for Demand Media CEO and founder Richard Rosenblatt, with news of a big-banker hiring in a pending IPO of his social media start-up and the possible sale of a digital marketing company where he serves as chairman. What’s next from the energetic digital exec is anybody’s guess.

Time Warner Dumping Its Magazines? Not So Fast.

Heavyweight media investor Gordy Crawford–who happens to own a big chunk of Time Warner–says the conglomerate plans to dump its magazine business. But I get the sense that Jeff Bewkes and company plan on keeping at least some of the unit’s iconic titles.

Yahoo’s Bartz: Microsoft Deal Was “Very Clever”

More from the post-Q&A Q&A: Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz says major investors like Gordon Crawford support her, and that she’s in the market for medium-sized M&A. Here’s what she had to say.

If Yahoo's Going Social, Is Demand Media Back on Its Dance List?

Last year, Yahoo EVP Hilary Schneider and then-Media Group head Scott Moore had a summery seaside dinner with Demand Media co-founder and CEO Richard Rosenblatt in Santa Monica, Calif., right around the corner from the online publishing company’s HQ. While many speculated that Yahoo could be doing some friendly kibitzing to get a sense of where the eclectic network of general- and special-interest sites was headed, for a possible acquisition, nothing came of it. But now, a year later, with recent indications that a major strategy for new CEO Carol Bartz will finally follow through on making Yahoo’s massive but disparate service more social, especially in its content offerings, several sources close to the company tell me another look-see at Demand is likelier than ever.

BoomTown Decodes Jerry Yang's Here-Comes-the-Weasel-Consultants Memo (So You Don't Have To!)

Oh, this is just too good to pass up, so it is once again time for BoomTown to let you know exactly what Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang actually meant in his internal memo to employees about the hiring of Bain & Company to evaluate its troubled business systems. Jerry wrote: yahoos, it’s time for another update. Translation: Yep! Still no adult punctuation! We might continue to face serious big-boy issues at the company, but we refuse to give in on our insistence on kindergarten spelling patterns. In that vein, would you like a nice cold glass of chocolate milk before I get to the bad news?

Veoh's Dmitry Shapiro Speaks!