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Google Talk,
Jul-04-2008

Google Talk,

(topic overview)

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"One of the last times I was stoned, I was convinced that I would die unless I kept moving my body. I sat there, baked, waving my arms around like a crazy person," he explains. Especially now, when he needs fresh, weed-inspired ideas more than ever? Not only does MacFarlane have a new animated series in the works, The Cleveland Show, he also just inked a deal with Google to create original material on the web. It's gonna be called Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy, and it will feature new characters in 2 minute video clips. According to the New York Times, "Google will syndicate the program using its AdSense advertising system to thousands of Web sites that are predetermined to be gathering spots for Mr. MacFarlane's target audience, typically young men. [1] The company has partnered with Seth MacFarlane, the brains behind the popular Family Guy TV show, to use AdSense to deliver a new animated show via the web, the New York Times reports. Entitled Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy, the series will be shown to its target audience - believed to be young males - via video clips displayed in place of the normal ads delivered by Google through AdSense.[2] The New York Times reported yesterday that Seth MacFarlane, the creator of the once-defunt and now revived animated series Family Guy, is entering into a partnership with Google in which they use an unusual distribution and advertising method for MacFarlane's new web-only show. MacFarlane is set to introduce his new project called "Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy" this fall. He describes the show as quick, animated and edgy versions of The New Yorker cartoons. Google will syndicate the program using its AdSense advertising system to thousands of websites that are predetermined to be gathering spots for MacFarlane's target audience, which is typically young men, a group whose attention is heavily sought after.[3] In September, Seth MacFarlane (the creator of Fox's 'Family Guy' ), will unveil a new project called 'Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy.' And while details are scarce as to the Cavalcade's actual content, the platform will be very different: it will appear exclusively on the Internet, thanks to Google. According to the New York Times, Google will syndicate the program using its AdSense advertising system to thousands of Web sites that are predetermined to be gathering spots for Mr. MacFarlane's target audience (read: young men between 13 and 35 with a penchant for fart humor and talking dogs).[4] It's unknown what kind of money was involved in the deal, but Google has teamed up with the creator of Family Guy to create two minute episodes of a new cartoon called "Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy". MacFarlane will take a percentage of the profit made by advertising that accompanies the 50 two minute episodes that he plans to distribute only on the internet. The cartoon is to be distributed on the AdSense network, though I'm not completely sure how successful this will end up being. I am guessing that Google will eventually provide a library of content that people can host on their websites "Cavalcade" is just the beginning. The viewers, if they click on embedded advertisements in the video, will help the website owner, and content creators, generate revenue. I guess if the content is entertaining enough, people will watch but for the same reason Google is having trouble monetizing YouTube, I fear this won't be a huge success either. According to the New York Times, this deal between Google and MacFarlane is one of the largest ever for AdSense.[5]

The new program, to be released in September, is called Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy, and it will appear exclusively on the Internet. It won't be exclusive to Google. The search giant will exploit its AdSense advertising network to distribute MacFarlane's work across thousands of Web sites that attract the kinds of audiences likely to be interested in the show -- in a word, young audiences. "The Internet is on track to become the dominant way video will eventually be distributed, and with it will come the ability for content creators like Mr. MacFarlane to take his shows directly to the customer and reap the benefits directly, without sharing any of his profits with traditional broadcasters," said Tim Bajarin, principal analyst with Creative Strategies, in an e-mail.[6]

The New York Times reports Google will be teaming up with the creator of the U.S. cartoon series Family Guy to distribute short original episodes of a show called Seth MacFarlanes Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy." The first news of this came in last year already. Instead of creating a new microsite where people can view these episodes, in this model the new cartoons will be shown in AdSense spots, those automated Google ads third-party webmasters include on their sites.[7] According to the New York Times, Google will be bringing on Seth MacFarlane, creator of the hilarious TV series "Family Guy", to work on a secret animated series called "Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy."[8] "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane (pictured above) will launch "Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy," a new online-only animated series, in September, reports the New York Times.[9]

The Google Inc. corporation recently announced its intensions to team up with the creator of the extremely popular cartoon show Family Guy, in order to begin a new business venture which will revolve around a new animated series called Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy, distributed exclusively over the Internet.[10] Google is entering into the entertainment business this autumn, has apparently entered signed a deal with " Family Guy " creator Seth MacFarlane, the hit cartoon series, to launch a new animated show exclusively on the internet in a further sign that advertising dollars are marching from traditional media to the internet.[11]

Google has enlisted Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane to create an original animated series that it will distribute on the Web via its AdSense advertising system, according to The New York Times.[12] According to The New York Times, Google is working alongside Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, in order to produce a new animated series that would be distributed online through the former's advertising system (AdSense).[13]

According to The New York Times, the Google Content Network will soon launch, debuting with short webisodes of a show called '''Cavalcade''' developed by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane.[14] Using AdSense video clips Cavalcade promos will be embedded on thousands of Web sites frequented by Family Guy fans (read males under 30), according to a report by the New York Times. As the NYT points out this distribution model is unique. It marks the first time Google's massive AdSense network will be used as a vehicle to essentially Web syndicate video content.[15] MacFarlane, who will receive a percentage of the ad revenue, told the newspaper that the two-minute episodes would be "animated versions of the one-frame cartoons you might see in The New Yorker, only edgier." Google, which launched AdSense in 2003, expanded its AdSense program last year so that Web site publishers could display and make money off embedded video clips from YouTube content partners that have targeted banner or text ads. Google has experimented with distributing video and video ads on its AdSense publisher network before, but with mixed results.[12] The recently unveiled software gives advertisers the chance to insert in-stream text ads overlaid at the bottom of a video viewed on third-party websites that are part of the AdSense network. MacFarlane, who also created American Dad, will receive a percentage of the ad revenue, according to reports from the U.S. In an interview, he described the instalments as "animated versions of the one-frame cartoons you might see in The New Yorker, only edgier." The series makes a new approach in content distribution for Google, which has until now only dipped its toe into the waters of original content.[16]

As described (both times it has been announced), the clips will be animated and will carry advertising in some form. MacFarlane has called them "animated versions of the one-frame cartoons you might see in The New Yorker, only edgier." In several interviews, the cartoonist has said he started thinking about creating content for the Web because he was fed up with the censorship that federal broadcast regulators engage in on television. One of the puzzling things about this deal is that it seems to be neither fish nor fowl. It's not so much that it blurs the line between TV and animation and the Web - it's more that Google and its advertising program seem like an odd fit with an artist like MacFarlane; even just writing a sentence like "the deal between the cartoonist and the search engine" reminds me of the old saying about a woman needing a man like a fish needs a bicycle. Are the clips that MacFarlane creates content or advertising? They will be distributed through AdSense and carry ads, but they aren't technically advertising (to blur matters even further, he will create special versions of the clips for advertisers).[17] Okay, big deal, web shows are old news. Except that this one will play in the space reserved for Google AdSense ads on a multitude of sites that Google deems the perfect fit for the content. No one is going to sit around and watch a 30-minute program in a tiny window on a random site, but these shows will only be two minutes long. MacFarlane has made 50 of them. MacFarlane will receive a percentage of all ad revenue made off of these clips. That is where things get more interesting, because in a separate deal with some of the advertisers, MacFarlane is also creating some of the animated ads that will run alongside the show (most likely in preroll form). He's creating the content and the advertising for that content.[18]

Here's how Google reportedly plans to distribute the new cartoons, a series of 50 2-minute episodes. The company will use its "AdSense" advertising system to find Web sites that serve MacFarlane fans, mostly young men - but instead of putting an ad on a Web page, Google will place a "Cavalcade" video clip that's laden with advertising, according to the Times.[19] The new series, which will be titled 'Seth McFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy', will be distributed across the World Wide Web via Google's AdSense advertising platform. Only predetermined websites will receive the series - thought to be those sites which are most likely to attract MacFarlane's preferred audience, according to the New York Times. On these websites, instead of placing a traditional AdSense advertising window, Google ]] Google will instead place a video clip belonging to the 'Cavalcade' series.[20] According to The New York Times, Google intends to help finance and distribute Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy through the search engine's AdSense advertising program.[11] The New York Times has run a piece about what the web-only cartoons titled Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy and said that the clips will be "animated versions of the one-frame cartoons you might see in The New Yorker, only edgier." A lawyer working on the deal had this to say about the partnership: "What is exciting is that this is a way to monetise the internet immediately.[21] Titled "Seth McFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy," the cartoons will be distributed to users in the same manner as AdSense's targeted ads, with advertising incorporated into the clips in various ways. Karl Austen, a lawyer for the deal, said to the New York Times, "What is exciting is that this is a way to monetize the Internet immediately.[22]

'''Seth MacFarlane'''s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy''' consists of 50, two-minute episodes, the Times reported, and will be distributed via Google'''s AdSense advertising platform, which matches Internet ads to relevant Web sites.[23] The plan is that "Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy" episodes will come with ads installed and will play on Web sites that host Google's AdSense network.[24] The series will be called Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy and will start to air in Septmeber. You will be able to watch episodes through YouTube, but in an interesting new twist to advertising on websites, members of the Google Content Network will also be able to display them on their sites instead of a static advert.[25] Not only was it reported that established television-makers Joss Whedon ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") and Seth MacFarlane ("Family Guy") are creating original material for the Internet, but also that MacFarlane's project is being syndicated, after a fashion, by Google. If you have Google on your side, pushing your material via its near-ubiquitous AdSense advertising network, you walk with angels, and those angels usually deliver blessings in the form of hard currency. Google is calling its distribution system the Google Content Network, which smacks of a desire to be bigger and more productive than just one little project here and there. The more interesting project in the artistic sense, at least on paper and in a short trailer up at his drhorrible.com site, is Whedon's, titled "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog." It is described by the writer as a "supervillain musical" made on the cheap, out of frustration at the existing distribution system during the recent Hollywood writers strike, to "turn out a really thrilling, professionalish piece of entertainment specifically for the Internet," Whedon writes. It looks to have the writer's signature blend of camp, horror, cutting-edge comedy and, as he proved in the great musical episode of "Buffy," passably tuneful, well-written songs.[24] Seth MacFarlane, 34 years old, is the youthful creator of the '''Family Guy''' series on Fox Television. This is a project that will be featured exclusively on the Internet, and it will be linked with the AdSense Advertising to over thousands of different Web sites, creating a new and innovative distribution system. Google has high hopes for this and it is a project being closely watched by insiders in the Entertainment industry, many of who have quietly pledged millions of dollars toward this and other distribution Google related projects.[26] Google has enlisted Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane to create an original animated series that it will distribute on the web via its AdSense advertising platform.[27] Google has reached an agreement with the creators of popular animated show, Family Guy. This will allow them to run an online-only season of his cartoons that will be a part of Google's Adsense platform. It will consist of fifty two-minute episodes and the methods of advertising that will be used within them are currently still speculative. Google have also stated that some of the episodes may (legally) make their way onto YouTube on a dedicated channel. Seth MacFarlane, the show's creator, will be getting a percentage of the advertising revenue that his creation generates for Google.[28] One day in the not too distant future I will leave my Ghome, drive my Gcar to a Google-owned company and enter data into a Gcomputer. This is Google's world, and I'm grateful they let me use their products. "Google is getting into the entertainment delivery business this fall with 'Family Guy' creator Seth MacFarlane in a deal to distribute via Google AdSense, Web-only episodes of series "Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy."[29] Seth "Family Guy" MacFarlane's new deal with Google, laid out in the NYT today, sounds very interesting. MacFarlane is making 50 two-minute episodes of "Cavalcade", a new animated series he's cooked up. Google distributes the clips via its AdSense network, and places ads on them.[30] NEW YORK Google is experimenting with distributing original content, striking a deal with comedian and producer Seth MacFarlane, creator of Fox's long-running hit series Family Guy.[31] Google has partnered with "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane for a content distribution pilot, reports The New York Times.[32]

The New York Times reports that Google has partnered with "Family Guy" creator Seth McFarlane for a series of two-minute cartoons to be broadcast through Google's Adsense advertising system.[22]

Fast Easy!" to be 'content,' Google AdSense is making a bold move, according to today's New York Times. Google will syndicate the program using its AdSense advertising system to thousands of Web sites that are predetermined to be gathering spots for Mr. MacFarlane's target audience, typically young men.[33] Apparently, the plan is going to involve a lot of of work will use Google's Adsense advertising system and the Google Content Network to run the series. "Google will syndicate the program using its AdSense advertising system to thousands of Web sites that are predetermined to be gathering spots for Mr. MacFarlane's target audience, typically young men.[8] "We feel that we have recreated the mass media," Kim Malone Scott, director of sales and operations for AdSense, reportedly told the newspaper. Officials from Media Rights Capital, a boutique production company that has the ability to invest about $400 million a year in movies, television and Internet episodes, say they've found a sustainable business model with the Google Content Network, according to the Times: Every time someone clicks on one of the syndicated videos, the associated advertiser pays a fee, with shares going to MacFarlane, Media Rights, Google and the Web site that generated the click.[19] Either advertisers have not wanted to pay, or it has been too difficult to attract a large enough audience to support the cost of television or movie-quality work. Google, which launched AdSense in 2003, expanded its AdSense program last year so that web site publishers could display and make money off embedded video clips from YouTube content partners that have targeted banner or text ads. The search engine has experimented with distributing video and video ads on its AdSense publisher network before, but with mixed results.[27] Far, Google has only tentatively dabbled in distributing new content, but the partnership with Mr MacFarlane is a bold move that some Hollywood film financiers believe could yield massive returns should it be a success. Google launched its AdSense program in 2003 and only late last year introduced its AdSense for video program. This allowed AdSense subscribers to display and make money from embedded video clips on their own websites, which were served from YouTube content partners and included targeted banner or text ads linked to the video content.[20]

If victorious it could imply not only a new revenue source for Google, but could also offer a glimpse into the future of how media companies syndicate video content for the Internet. Both Google and MacFarlane will earn money from TV-like pre-roll ads shown before the "Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy" shows begin.[11] The advertising giant's so-called "Google Content Network" reportedly will sell advertising spots for a project called "Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy" - an animated series that will appear exclusively on the Internet.[19] To recap, the cartoonist and the search engine have teamed up to offer a series of 50 two-minute "webisodes" - animated clips that will be distributed through Google's AdSense program and will be collectively known as Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy.[17] Google plans to use AdSense to syndicate the program--called Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy --to thousands of Web sites that are popular with MacFarlane's target audience, according to the newspaper.[12] The search engine giant plans to use AdSense to syndicate the program, called Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy, to thousands of web sites that are popular with MacFarlane's target audience.[27]

Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy will launch in September. Google spokesman Daniel Rubin announced this week the cartoons will be paired with Google\'s AdSense advertisements placed on targeted websites, and will also be available on the Google-owned video-sharing site YouTube.[34] Customers with super-fast broadband will have easy access to Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy from Seth MacFarlane, which will be distributed through Google's AdSense system, according to the New York Times.[35] 'Family Guy', which is broadcast on Fox, is something of a TV phenomenon, despite having been cancelled after three seasons due to poor ratings. In the face of continued strong DVD sales, Fox reversed their decision and the show has since gone on to be one of the biggest comedy hits on U.S. television, as well as around the world. 'Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy' is set to appear on computer monitors around the world from September this year and will feature what McFarlane himself described in an interview with the New York Times as "animated versions of the one-frame cartoons you might see in The New Yorker, only edgier."[20]

Google told the NYT that the advertising deals were among AdSense's largest ever, however it would not reveal who had it had signed contracts with. The creator of the hugely successful Family Guy, which is broadcast on Fox and BBC in the UK, has planned 50 two-minute episodes which he compared to "animated versions of the one-frame cartoons you might see in The New Yorker, only edgier."[36] Per the terms of the deal, the Family Guy creator will be working on content consisting of two-minute episodes of a new cartoon. Google has signed a deal with him to produce 50 two-minute episodes, aimed as being exclusive content for the AdSense network.[37]

'''Family Guy''' creator and Google team up http://blogs.zdnet.com/Google/?p=1081 It'''s unknown what kind of money was involved in the deal, but Google has teamed up with the creator of Family Guy to create two minute episodes of a new cartoon called '''Seth MacFarlane'''s Cavalcade.[5]

In another high-profile initiative, Web search and advertising company Google has signed a deal with Seth MacFarlane, 34, creator of the Fox animated TV show "Family Guy," to produce short cartoons for the Web, said Google spokesman Daniel Rubin.[38] Google has announced that it has teamed up with American cartoon creator, Seth MacFarlane - creator of the TV show 'Family Guy' - to create a brand new, web-exclusive animated series.[20]

Last night Google announced that they would be distributing webisodes from Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane via their AdSense publisher network, but as a news item it didn't strike a particular chord with me at the time. Then I read a post this morning by Eric Berlin over at Online Media Cultist.[39] What's the matter, Seth MacFarlane? Two prime time network television shows not enough for you? The Family Guy and American Dad creator is about to add "Web video guru" to his ever expanding portfolio, thanks to his friends at Google.[40] Seth MacFarlane, creator of TV's Family Guy, will create an animation show for Google that will bring in ad revenue by distribution across the Internet.[6] Seth MacFarlane, well-known for the hilarious Family Guy series, is set to have a new series broadcast exclusively on the Internet as part of a new deal with Google.[25] Los Angeles-Google is working to feature new and different types of web content on the Internet. One of their first attempts at TV material featured on the Internet will be the series '''Family Guy,''' as part of a cartoon project headed up by family guy creator Seth MacFarlane.[26]

Google ( News - Alert ) is teaming up with the creator of TV's irreverent "Family Guy" cartoon to do something no one's been able to figure out The New York Times is reporting today : draw substantial advertisers by offering original Internet content.[19]

The New York Times said the deal will pull in some of the biggest advertising money Google's AdSense program has ever seen. 'Cavalcade' shows will be two minutes long, displaying their ads in a variety of ways based on advertiser preference. While some ads will opt for the conventional pre-roll, sit through this first approach, others may go for a banner, or the PBS-like "brought to you by" mention at the beginning.[41] Here'''s the really interesting part though: the web sites where Cavalcade will be shown are being selected by Google'''s existing contextual algorithms. Google will be able to display the show only to those likely to be interested ''' in Cavalcade'''s case '''typically young men''' according to the Times. The potential for this type of system is pretty massive because everyone wins. Publishers serve something way more interesting than a typical banner or text ad, advertisers get to reach their target audience with video, and Google gets more data based on how the shows perform on different web sites.[14] Instead of creating a Web site and hoping Seth'''s fans find it, we are going to push the content to where people are already at.''' Google'''s Daniel Rubin told CNET Networks that '''Cavalcade''' will have its own YouTube channel. '''The videos themselves are YouTube videos, and they will live on a YouTube brand channel,''' Rubin told CNET. '''What'''s interesting about this deal is that it is branded entertainment: a deal that connects Seth'''s content with a specific brand advertiser.'''[23] Seth MacFarlane's cartoons will appear on Web sites in the company's AdSense network and on YouTube, Google spokesman Daniel Rubin said in an e-mail.[42]

'''We feel that we have recreated the mass media." That's how Google's Kim Malone Scott, in a moment of Zuckerbergian modesty, described the company's video syndication service that will debut this fall and, shortly thereafter, transform online content distribution. About two minutes in length, the shortswhich MacFarlane describes as '''animated versions of the one-frame cartoons you might see in The New Yorker, only edgier"will be syndicated through Google's AdSense advertising system, which will target them at MacFarlane-friendly segments of the Web.[43] MacFarlane will be receiving a percentage of the profit made through advertising involved with the show. This comes as Google continues to try to build up exclusive content for YouTube and for their Google Adsense network. Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.[37]

The series of shorts will be titled Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Comedy and, according to Google, will not be seen on television screens anywhere, existing solely on the web. This constitutes an advancement of a relatively new foray into media advertising on the web and several production companies in the states have been quoted as saying that they expect it to be a success.[28] A new project, "Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy," will debut in September in your web browser, according to the New York Times.[18]

A New York Times report has confirmed that the Internet giant and '''Family Guy''' creator Seth MacFarlane are producing a new animated project that will be distributed exclusively on the Internet.[23] If the search engine giant is going to usher in a new era in video advertising, it may just have to thank Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane.[44] In a deal which will probably mean lots and lots of money for the genius creator of Family Guy, Seth McFarlane is about to team up with Google to create new adverts for the search engine's Google Content Network.[21] Best characterized as one part content distribution channel and one part advertising test bed - Google will distribute cartoon shorts from " Family Guy " creator Seth McFarlane through the AdSense network.[45] 'Family Guy' creator Seth McFarlane inked a big deal with Google to distribute an animated series across Google's AdSense network.[41] Google has struck a deal with Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane to syndicate a series of shorts, created by the writer, to thousands of websites that are predetermined to be hubs for MacFarlane's target audience - that is, young men.[46] It's hard to know what to think about the announcement of a deal between Google and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane - and not just because this deal was originally talked about almost a year ago.[17] Washington (ChattahBox) - Google has signed a deal with the creator of Family Guy, Seth MacFarlane.[37]

In a move that should send "cold chills down the necks of broadcast network executives," Google will unveil this fall an Internet-only animation show from Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane.[6]

There is thinking outside of the box, then there is thinking outside of the television box. Google and Seth MacFarlane, best known as the creator of the hit Fox series "Family Guy," are doing both.[18]

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The clip, which is 38 seconds long, opens with a news anchor reporting on an outbreak of mad cow disease in a dry fashion, detailing the debilitating effects of eating tainted beef. The clip cuts to a shocked male and female cow seated in a tidy kitchen with giant steaks on their plates. Revenue from these ads will then be shared among the webmaster, the cartoon creator Seth MacFarlance (pictured above), the production company Media Rights Capital, and Google. A spokesperson from Google, the company who once said they dont pre-announce products and whose self-proclaimed core values include Think and act like an underdog, is quoted with the majestic statement We feel that we have recreated the mass media. but I suppose well first have to see how well this model works. [7] Google bought some content to tag onto the back of an ad. Is this really a sustainable model, while it may not have been expensive for a company like google, is it going to be within the reach of tens of thousands of small companies that currently can leverage AdWords? Maybe I'm not understanding the implementation but couldn't the same effect be achieved by targeting videos that are going viral? They already have youtube, splap a few an ad in front of Chocolate Rain, it's probably the same demographic anyway. Even if the content producers on youtube started bitching about having their content monetized they certainly come cheaper than whatever Seth McFarlane is getting paid, and he is probably getting revenue guarantees which the small guys can't demand. If anything this isn't revolutionizing the video ad market, except for the fact that it happens to be internet video, traditional consumer brands were contracting creation of, not just indirectly subsidizing, content creation via daytime Soap Operas, and that was 50 years ago.[39]

Web sites that are part of AdSense display the clips to users, with the revenue being shared by the site owner, Google and the video's creator. Google, which started distributing videos and ads to Web sites in October last year, is seeking to capitalize on rapidly rising demand from clients that want to showcase their products alongside video clips.[42] Using AdSense video clips Cavalcade promos will be embedded on thousands of Web sites frequented by Family Guy fans (read males under 30), according to a report by the New York Times."[29] Rather than placing an ad on a web page, Google will place a video clip, explains The New York Times.[46]

Instead of placing a static ad on a Web page, Google will place a "Cavalcade" video clip. Google and MacFarlane both know that the majority of online video is watched by men ages 18-34.[3] Instead of placing a static ad on a Web page, Google will place a 'Cavalcade' video clip. Advertising will come in either the form of "pre-roll" ads (sit through a this commercial before getting to the video!), or banner ads placed at the bottom of the video clip.[4]

The show will be syndicated by Google's AdSense system, which will display a "Cavalcade" clip on pre-targeted Web sites in lieu of a regular ad.[9] A Google that's suddenly working with multimillion-dollar production budgets, actively seeding original material throughout the Web, is a very different Google than the one so often criticized for piggybacking on the creations of others. What the Times story doesn't ask, though, is how the Web sites that host Google ads will react to having animated, non-advertising content posted to their sites, competing with what they themselves offer. Or, if they're OK with that, how they might feel about the material in question testing the boundaries of taste and decency. Like so many matters Internet, such questions will have to await real-world testing.[24] MacFarlane, Google, the Web site hosting the episodes, and production company Media Rights Capital each will take home a piece of the revenue, the Times reported.[23] Revenue is split between AdSense publishing partners, Google, MacFarlane and Media Rights Capital, the company that sells the ads and funds the clips' production.[30] Google, MacFarlane, the media company that brokered the deal, and the individual publishers will share in the ad revenue.[44]

Google's Kim Malone Scott, who runs sales for AdSense, modestly suggests "we have recreated the mass media." One thing isn't changing in the short term: If content creators want big paychecks, they had better stick with big media. MacFarlane's deal with Google is a side project, not one that will interfere with his day job working for Rupert Murdoch's Fox network. Good call: The Times notes that he's just signed a multiyear deal with Fox that will pay him more than $100 million.[30] A celebrated content creator hopping on the clip culture bandwagon is old hat in the new economy. MacFarlane's deal is unique in that Google will offer the clips through third-party publishers in its AdSense program.[44]

MacFarlane is also reportedly working with advertisers to create original advertising to run with the Cavalcade content, although neither Google nor MacFarlane would reveal any of the advertisers, saying only that the deals were among AdSense's largest ever.[12] For more money, MacFarlane has been working with advertisers to animate original commercials for "Cavalcade." While none of the launch advertisers are being revealed, MacFarlane and Google are both saying that several deals are among the largest ever for Google's 5-year-old advertising system.[47]

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Google has already begun experimenting with some content in AdSense, including a deal with the Washington Post to distribute WaPo's real estate listings. This appears to be an extension of the Google video ads first spotted live in the SERPs in March. Three months later, Google is beginning to incorporate video advertising into their AdSense program. What do you think? Would you welcome a video ad in your AdSense slots? Or should publishers be given the opportunity to opt out? (Okay, that one's a bit of a duh.) [33] As I read Eric's piece bells started going off in my head; and no I was not suffering from auditory hallucinations, but if you have read the same post then you should have been hearing the same thing. The idea that Google would be making available content that is unique and something that people will want to watch after all who doesn't like watching cartoons via their AdSense network, is in my opinion something of a game changer for the ad business. These 30 second spots are supposed to come with pre-roll ads and given who is creating them, you almost have to be assured they will be popular, even if only because they are something new. Other companies have tried the route of video ads but the problem with them is that that is exactly what they are, ads. For most folks video ads are no different than the banner and text ads that came before them and most likely readers are tuning them out in the exact same way. What Google is doing is totally different in that they are giving us something of value, if only a laugh in exchange for an ad being displayed just prior to the cartoon. This is truly unique and I believe could take off just as AdSense did when it was introduced.[39] Battelle points out that Google needs to work with publishers to place the show and its ads carefully instead of relying on AdSense to automate the process. He further indicates that successful content distribution involves making it easy for people to find content rather than pushing it at them. As the NYT mentions that this distribution model is unique. It symbolizes the first time Google's massive AdSense network will be used as a vehicle to essentially Web syndicate video content.[11] Rather than providing traditional ads, Google will group the cartoon show using AdSense to thousands of specific websites that would present Web surfers cartoon shorts that, once clicked, play an advertiser's message along with the content for MacFarlane's 'target audience' of mainly young men.[11]

Google does have a pre-existing Google Content Network for distributing content, but up until now only real estate listings have been carried on the network, according to the Times article. MacFarlane will cook up 50 two-minute clips for the new experiment, that he describes as a New Yorker cartoon "only edgier."[15] MacFarlane told the Times that the public wants more raunchy humor and television networks are being stymied by the "taste police." "I just felt I could be a lot more honest on the Internet," he said. Given that younger users are increasingly online, that the Net is free from FCC oversight, and that Google's model charges advertisers only when their messages are viewed, "PCs and digital set-top boxes will become the front end for delivering interactive media of all types to the living room," Bajarin said. "Companies like Google are bound to become the major networks of this new century."[6] I would have preferred that some company other than Google had introduced the concept, if only because Google already controls too much of ad space on the Internet. Unfortunately though for something like this to work you would need a distribution network already in place and Google has that in spades. Other companies also would have had a hard time attracting a talent like MacFarlane and would have needed time to build up a distribution network.[39]

Thousands of websites will be covered by the initiative. The news comes after Google formed an agreement to allow Yahoo! to use AdSense ads with its own search engine results. A lawyer close to the MacFarlane project, Karl Austen, commented: "What is exciting is that this is a way to monetise the internet immediately.[2] Marketers ought to be aware that some consumers are suspicious about the phenomenon known as "behavioral targeting," a new report from eMarketer says. Called "Behavioral Targeting Attitudes: The Privacy Issue," the report released Friday explores the digital ad strategy, which collects consumer information and uses it to serve up ads that they may find interesting or relevant. This has been the basis for high-profile programs like Facebook's Social Ads and MySpace's HyperTargeting, as well as Google's extraordinarily successful AdSense. (That's why you'll see ads for vacation homes in Gmail after you've been e-mailing back and forth with your friends about wanting a weekend getaway.) The takeaway point from the report: "Consumers want ads that are relevant to their needs, but they have mixed feelings about how that relevancy should be determined." Only about 23 percent of them said that they were OK with having their behavior monitored, even if they were assured that the data would not be shared and no personal information would be divulged. Targeted advertising is an extremely sensitive subject, with privacy advocates on both the left and right ends of the political spectrum voicing concerns.[48] MySpace.com, a high-profile player in Google's new OpenSocial developer project, isn't willing to let Facebook get away with stealing the week's big advertising headlines. The News Corp. -owned social-networking site announced Monday morning that it has completed the first phase of a new advertising program it calls "HyperTargeting," which uses the information that members put in their profiles to serve up ads they might actually want to see. MySpace initially began its HyperTargeting program in July, dividing its users into groups of "enthusiasts" in 10 categories (music, movies, personal finance, gaming, consumer electronics, sports, travel, auto, fashion, and fitness) and catering the advertising to those segments.[48]

The sites will be found using Google's AdSense advertising system, which will present the episodes with different sorts of advertising methods. Google's AdSense is a program developed by the company which facilitates Web site owners to enable advertising images, texts and videos on their sites. The process and its updates are administered by Google and at this point, the incomes are calculated on a per-click or per-thousand-impressions basis, with a cost-per-action service being currently tested for release.[10] The innovative part involves the distribution plan. Google will syndicate the program using its AdSense advertising system to thousands of Web sites that are predetermined to be gathering spots for Mr. MacFarlane'''s target audience, typically young men.[49]

The shows will be distributed via the thousands of web sites that run Google AdSense code, featuring pre-roll advertising and a few other formats so the publisher still earns revenue.[14] MacFarlane, MRC, Google and the Web site that generated the click/view will split the revenues four ways.[50]

The cartoons will be paired with advertisements placed on targeted Web sites, and will also be available on the Google-owned video-sharing site YouTube.com, Rubin said. MacFarlane is one of the highest-paid talents in TV after this year signing a deal reported to have been worth at least $100 million with 20th Century Fox TV, a unit of News Corp.[38]

What appears to have originated as a simple play to create new cartoon content for the Web -- and produce income from it -- may in effect herald a new media distribution model. The creator of the immensely successful Family Guy, which is televised on Fox and BBC in the UK, has planned to deliver 50 two-minute episodes which he compared to "animated versions of the one-frame cartoons you might see in The New Yorker, only edgier." In a recent blog post, John Battelle, CEO of Federated Media and author of The Search, wrote, "This will fail utterly."[11] The episodes, McFarlane told the Times, will be "animated versions of the one frame cartoons you might see in the New Yorker, only edgier." They'll follow the bent, comic stylings made famous with Family Guy but without the limitations of broadcast TV content controls.[45]

MacFarlane described the upcoming two-minute episodes to be "edgier, animated versions" of the cartoons found in The New Yorker. If they're anything like Family Guy, they will definitely be worth watching.[13]

Mr. MacFarlane, who will receive a percentage of the ad revenue, has created a stable of new characters to star in the series, which will be served up in 50 two-minute episodes. In an interview, he described the instalments as '''animated versions of the one-frame cartoons you might see in The New Yorker, only edgier.'''[49] MacFarlane has created a number of new characters to star in the series, which will be made up of two 50-minute episodes, and will receive a percentage of the ad revenue generated from the cartoons. He will also earn a more substantial fee by working alongside advertisers to animate original commercials to run alongside the series.[20]

MacFarlane, who will receive a percentage of the ad revenue, told the newspaper that the two-minute episodes would be "animated versions of one-frame cartoons, only edgier."[27]

The MacFarlane project is 50 2-minute episodes the creator describes as being like edgy and animated versions of New Yorker cartoons, according to a report in The New York Times.[24] MacFarlane described the show as "animated versions of the one-frame cartoons you might see in The New Yorker, only edgier," in an interview with The New York Times.[40]

A DVD will eventually follow, the Times reported. '''I just felt I could be a lot more honest on the Internet,''' MacFarlane told the paper about his reasons for choosing the Internet for the series, calling them '''animated versions of the one-frame cartoons you might see in The New Yorker, only edgier.'''[23]

The New York Times reports that the MacFarlane program will run as 50 two-minute episodes (possibly the optimum viewing time for the Internet), supported by a range of advertising formats, including "preroll" ads that run before the program, banner ads and text messages.[6]

Google's AdSense ad distribution network was launched back in 2003 and is now practically everywhere on the Internet, as more and more websites and blogs enroll in the program. Earlier this month, Yahoo announced it had closed a 48-month paid advertiser deal with Google.[13] Does anyone know whether Cavalcade will be paying on a cost per view / click model to run within AdSense? The NYT article doesn't contain many details about the licensing arrangement. Call me a cynic, but doesn't this sort of smell like a case of celebrity click arbitrage in a video format? Buy low cost AdWords targeting "young men" (nice media planning skills, by the way), then sell pre-role ads at an inflated CPM. It's a pretty sweet deal, but conceptually this violates Google's T's and C's.[14] Unlike Google's traditional AdSense text and banner ads, the show Cavalcade will be promoted through relatively unknown Google service called Google Content Network.[15] Through the network, Google will be able to distribute the videos for play on thousands of websites. It will be the first time, other than a Real Estate ad experiment, that Google uses the Content Network for this purpose.[45]

The Mountain View, California-based company is trying to use YouTube and its stable of partner Web sites to distribute more original video content. Online video ads will grow 41 percent this year, compared with a 6.6 percent increase in total advertising spending, London-based researcher ZenithOptimedia said.[42] The ad product uses an algorithm to find videos that are about to "go viral," when word of mouth (or IM, or blog, or e-mail) promotes a Web site to a phase in which it spreads like wildfire.[48]

I don't think I'd like to show clips of the Family Guy on my site or any site which has no relation to the clip being used. The difference here is that these videos will be playing across their ad network, on other sites. It is not content that a publisher has chosen to embed which may or may not come with pre/post roll ad. My questions is whether this "content" will enhance or compete with the sites that it is showing on.[39] It has been revealed that Google has signed a deal with the creator of cartoon hit Family Guy and will be releasing his new show online.[35] Google Inc., the biggest seller of Internet advertising in the U.S., will distribute a series of animated clips made by the creator of ''Family Guy'' and ''American Dad.''[42] The 50x2' series will be distributed on Google's AdSense network, with advertising incorporated into the clips in a variety of ways through its AdSense for Video program.[16] I concede, though, that a big brand name will act as a needed catalyst for the platform. MacFarlane will have a lot of his followers watching this series when it debuts in a couple months, but I do have to say that the example clip mentioned in the article centering on mad cow disease didn't sound too funny to me. Hopefully it's just an example of something that needs to be seen to be enjoyed. Whatever happens, I think Google's foray into these kinds of content-development deals and novel advertising platforms will pay dividends down the road, and I think Google should definitely look for unknowns to help program the space.[51]

The series will be accompanied by serious advertising; the mentioned options were "preroll" ads, "brought to you by" ads and banner ads. The word on the web is that MacFerlane is working together with advertisers to come up with original advertising for the animated series; no names have been revealed so far, but the companies are surely important ones, as it was said these deals were the some of AdSense's biggest ever.[13] In some cases, the Times says, the clip will include "preroll" ads, which ask viewers to sit through a TV-style commercial before getting to the video. Or some advertisers may opt for a banner to be placed at the bottom of the video clip or a simple "brought to you by" note at the beginning, the Times says. It isn't clear just how much money advertisers have agreed to pay for a spot, but the Times says some deals are among AdSense's largest ever.[19]

Each clip will have a variety of short ads embedded in them, with MacFarlane receiving a percentage of ad revenue. MacFarlane is one of the highest-paid talents in TV after this year signing a deal reported to have been worth at least $US100 million ($105.24 million) with 20th Century Fox TV, a unit of News Corp.[34] As part of the deal, MacFarlane will receive a percentage of the ad revenue from the 50 two-minute episodes.[47]

Through the deal Seth has created 50 2-minute clips and will receive a share of the ad revenue generated.[25]

Ads are overlaid on the bottom fifth of viral videos supplied by YouTube partners who share ad revenue with the search giant. The company is working on new YouTube ad possibilities, he said last week.[48]

MacFarlane gets a cut of the ad revenue. "Family Guy," although it has riotously funny moments, has always felt a tad clunky and pointlessly crude to me, but there's no denying the passion of its young male fan base for the series.[24]

Revenue will be split between MacFarlane, Google and the publisher. If the pilot fares well, advertisers can safely assume Google shall unveil other plans for its Content Network.[32] "I wonder if the bigger point of this is that Google's not afraid to experiment with the AdSense network. That represents a GIANT cross-section of the fixed and mobile Web, and those few lines of embedded JavaScript give Google the technical ability to put just about anything you can imagine on their publishers' sites. How far it will go is open to debate and market forces, but this has the potential to open up entirely new monetization and distribution models for not just content providers but also folks out there building web apps and web services that can be shrunken, encapsulated into Gadgets or possibly some derivative framework, and embedded into the AdSense box."[22] The all-new, big budget series cost several million to produce, which should translate to not only substantial returns for Google and McFarlane, but the sites where 'Cavalcade' appears in the ad units. As one might expect, the young male demographic stars as the targeted audience for both 'Cavalcade' and the advertising clients. It's been described as an edgier series, where McFarlane won't feel as constrained by the FCC's regulations on broadcast TV content. That increases the value of Google's ad units, and could make them more in demand from site publishers.[41] McFarlane will receive a portion of the advertising proceeds. McFarlane says he turned to the Internet to escape the regulation of the FCC, or the "taste police" as he called them. The Times reports that he reenvisioned the series based on Google's data about Web video viewing (where might they have gotten a little of that data? Hm.).[33]

As indicated by the Times, Google will try incorporating MacFarlane's cartoon with several video ad formats, including pre-roll ads and banners.[11] If the clips don't grab the viewer right away, then the ad inventory won't be as valuable to the buyers. Granted, MacFarlane's name is going to bring in a lot of surfing eyeballs, but I'd have to believe that, in the back of Google's corporate mind, they are counting on acquiring innovative content from less established talent that won't demand as much compensation and/or budget expenditures as MacFarlane will.[51] Google will split monies generated by the ads with MacFarlane, the website that features the clip, and Media Rights Capital, the entity which sells the inventory.[51]

Seth has recently signed a new multi-year contract with Fox. Anything Seth MacFarlane does is sure to attract the attentions of millions of viewers and this could end up being Google's biggest advertising hit yet.[25] This September one of Seth MacFarlane's new projects is hitting the internet exclusively. It's certainly nothing new for someone to have a series only on the webs, but the interesting part is the method of distribution.[52] Coming soon to a few lucky AdSense video-capable publishers: Seth MacFarlane'''s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy. No broadcast or cable TV for this series, as it's a pure Internet play.[41] AdSense is to be used for syndicating the program ( Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy ) to numerous websites, popular among certain target demographics.[13] The series, titled Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy, will consist of 50 clips no longer than two minutes.[34] The series, entitled Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy, will be served up in 50 2-minute episodes and feature an all-new set of characters developed by Seth himself.[52] The project, called Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy, will be made up of 50 two-minute episodes. It is expected to launch in September.[46]

Original episodes of "Seth MacFarlane'''s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy" will syndicated via AdSense to select partner sites.[32]

Called "Seth McFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy," the project will feature approximately 50 two minute (or less) episodes. They'll feature new characters specifically created for the Internet and will be distributed exclusively online.[45]

Called Set MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy, the MacFarlane-Google deal portends a new model for entertainment that cuts out Hollywood and the TV networks.[6]

Unlike previous Internet efforts to enter the entertainment business -- notably former Yahoo CEO Terry Semel's many agreements with Hollywood studios -- Google's deal cuts out the movie studios and television networks that have to date controlled top-quality content.[6]

I love the idea of the Google Content Network and I think that, over time, it should be a great success, but as with any novel platform, it all comes down to the word in the middle -- content. Google will live and die by the quality of the content because, although lesser-quality stuff might still find an audience in other mediums, the web has such intense competition for eyeballs that have minuscule attention spans.[51] The new Cavalcade project, which Google is billing as a major release from the " Google Content Network," appears to be one and the same as the prior project, minus Raven-Symone.[45] The program turns Google's AdSense network into a distribution vehicle, officially called the Google Content Network.[32] According to the agreement, Yahoo would gain access to Google's AdSense, thus enabling content advertising programs for the U.S. and Canada.[13]

Google will syndicate the program through AdSense, using video clips instead of static text to attract a click.[52] Google has tested distributing in-stream video ads and in-stream video clips with bundled ads.[27]

The show will be released onto the internet in video clips, rather than'still' adverts, and Mr MacFarlane will receive a percentage of the advertising revenue.[36] In 2005, News Corp - the parent company of the publisher of NEWS.com.au - bought U.S. social networking site MySpace for $US580 million ($610.39 million), and it has since rolled out different versions in other countries. Last year, NBC Universal, which is operated by General Electric, teamed up with News Corp to found Hulu.com, a site that relies on advertising to bring users free episodes of their favourite shows on the internet. While relying on advertising to underwrite the cost of programming has worked on TV since its inception, the approach is still meeting with mixed results online. In another high-profile initiative, Sony Pictures Entertainment, a unit of Sony Corp, this week announced plans to make the Will Smith action film Hancock available online to owners of the web-connected Sony Bravia TV before the movie goes out on DVD.[34] Instead of creating a Web site and hoping Seth's fans find it, we are going to push the content to where people are already at." Another benefit for MacFarlane: Internet programming is not governed by the Federal Communications Commission, which has strictly penalized broadcasters in recent years.[6] Instead of creating a Web site and hoping Seth'''s fans find it, we are going to push the content to where people are already at. Seth agreed to do the episodes because he had a time gap in his commitments to Fox and Family Guy. Those worried about the future of Family Guy can relax.[25]

Casey July 2, 2008 at 3:06 p.m. I thought that Fox Network signed a deal with Seth that was supposedly the highest amount of money ever paid to a signee to a contract. ? When did Goggle enter this transaction? And for what it's worth, " Family Guy " is the best cartoon on tv atm and Seth is a genius - just my 2 cents.[49] Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane is the highest paid writer/producer in Hollywood and, as of today, he's also one of the most THC-free. Recently, MacFarlane announced that he will no longer be smoking marijuana because it makes him too paranoid.[1] The news could indicate that the internet is set to play an increasingly instrumental role in the creation and distribution of entertainment - highlighting the importance of a reliable broadband connection. Other shows which have been created by Mr MacFarlane include American Dad!, Dexter's Laboratory and Johnny Bravo, although Family Guy - based around the tribulations of the Griffin family - is perhaps his best known work.[35]

Mr MacFarlane told the newspaper that the two new shows will be "animated versions of the one-frame cartoons you might see in The New Yorker, only edgier".[35] In an interview, McFarlane described the pieces as "animated versions of the one-frame cartoons you might see in The New Yorker, only edgier."[4]

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In practice, it should speed up writing a new post and make it faster to drop in photos you've already uploaded to the service's cloud storage. One thing Gears is not being used for in this case is offline access, or a way to let you use the blog authoring tools while away from an Internet connection. Other tools that have taken advantage of Gears include Google Docs, Reader, Remember the Milk, and some Zoho apps. With Gears' recent movements toward providing more than just a cache, we're also seeing services like MySpace use it to speed up its inter-network messaging. Update : I'm told this feature will be making its way into the next version of WordPress.org, also known as the hosted version of WordPress. [12] Media Rights Capital sounds like an investment fund to me. Its Seth and Google with a bit of MRG money. You got one thing right though. this is big news. What a shame Aniboom or one of those sites couldnt get a marquee producer like this. The interesting thing is Google dont mention Youtube as a potential distribution outlet. a lame duck for them then.[8] As expected, the revamped iGoogle provides a navigation bar on the left edge of the screen that lets users select iGoogle gadgets and perform other functions. Another feature could mean more dramatic changes to the site, though: a "canvas view" that lets gadgets fill up the whole page also will permit ads on iGoogle. The change is on schedule: Google said it would start switching users to the new iGoogle look this month. In a blog entry this week, Google said canvas view would be available to more users in July. Google also is working on changes that will accommodate gadgets that run on the OpenSocial foundation, which at least theoretically will enable them to run not just on iGoogle but on other OpenSocial sites, too.[12]

Google's move also raises the bar in display advertising. Companies like Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO ), CNET (Nasdaq: CNET ), and Time Warner (NYSE: TWX ) lean on Google's paid search ads, but pride themselves in their strengths with display advertising.[44] Feature request: edit buttons for comments. Bjorn, your a fool to think that Google should get rid of there media division, they are not a search engine company they are an advertising firm. They are a media company and will become a mass media company if they keep up their pace. The difference was that Yahoo tried to create the content themselves (building huge Hollywood-style production facilities) whereas Google is just the syndication side of this partnership.[30] LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A major Hollywood studio and online search engine Google Inc on unveiled separate moves on Monday to put movie and TV-like content on the Web, highlighting the way in which both see the Internet as critical to reaching customers.[38] About the Author: Philipp Lenssen from Germany, author of 55 Ways to Have Fun With Google, shares his views & news on the search industry in the daily Google Blogoscoped.[7]

Google fell $1.65 to $526.42 at 4 p.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The shares have declined 24 percent this year.[42] The production has a multimillion-dollar budget, the biggest of any Internet content project to date, the New York Times reported today.[42]

On my profile, I saw Google advertisements for New York apartments, a Christian dating service, acne medication, and diet pills.[48]

Search giant Google is experimenting with using its AdSense service to aid the distribution of a new web-based show.[2] Google will syndicate the show using AdSense, distributing it across thousands of sites that fall within the confines of MacFarlane's demographic.[40] Google will syndicate the cartoon show using AdSense to thousands of specific websites that cater for Mr MacFarlane's 'target audience' of mainly young men.[36]

Google's traditional static AdSense ad will be replaced by a clip from the show.[40] In that case, the path to profitability would have been delayed. With Google it will just be a matter of offering another option for their AdSense members and they will be away to the bank. Did this latest move by Google just change the whole ad landscape? I think so. Is it a good thing? On that I am not so sure, but I don't think so.[39]

I mean, if I search for something and arrive at a site with Google's cartoon ads, great. That's targeted traffic. If I forward the page to 5 friends to go checkout the cool cartoon ads, it's just traffic.[45] Google spokesman Daniel Rubin announced this week the cartoons will be paired with Google\'s AdSense advertisements placed on targeted websites, and will also be available on the Google-owned video-sharing site YouTube.[34] With it, people can play videos and music and view photos on a PC. In addition, it can connect to Web sites including Google's YouTube for video and Google's Picasa for photos.[12] The Google Data API opnbrktapplication programming interfaceclsbrkt--GData for short --provides a conduit whereby other Web sites can slurp out data stored at Google. For personal information, such as photos at Picasa or contacts at Gmail, access to that information requires authentication.[12] Using Google Calendar, or any Google product, to send spam is a violation of our product policies. We are actively identifying Calendar accounts that send spam and disabling them." Google has more information on how to protect against e-mail fraud on its Official Google Blog Web site. Philipp Lenssen of Google Blogoscope writes about how phishers targeted him via Google Calendar. This is a screenshot of the e-mail he received.[12]

The search giant will syndicate the program to thousands of Web sites that typically attract young men. Instead of static ads, clips of "Cavalcade" will appear where AdWords ads usually go on these sites.[47] Instead of a conventional ad or a set of targeted text ads, site visitors will have the option of streaming one of the MacFarlane animated comedy clips instead.[44] MacFarlane will also create custom animated ads for sponsors for a significant extra fee. Lots of interesting implications here for publishers, content creators and advertisers here if this takes off.[30] The ad split and the rate card have not been disclosed. It is expected that advertisers will pay a much higher rate than a straight AdSense video buy. They may also have the option of buying custom created content that incorporates their product into McFarlane animated elements.[45]

The Times reported that instead of ads, the episodes will play with ads streaming at the bottom of the videos or will play before the episodes. MacFarlane also has worked with some advertisers to animate commercials for them.[23] MacFarlane'' has also been working with advertisers to animate original ads that will run along with the Cavalcade clips.[46] MacFarlane will receive a percentage of the advertising revenues and will also work with advertisers to provide original animated commercials to run with "Cavalcade" for a hefty fee.[8] MacFarlane is also reportedly working with advertisers to create original advertising to run with the Cavalcade content.[27]

In a break from recent trends where original Internet content fails to attract serious advertising dollars, analysts say, the MacFarlane product is drawing big bucks.[19]

Even though many consider that original Internet materials fail to bring in significant incomes, it seems that the buzz generated around the upcoming deal might prove to be one of the exceptions, as Seth MacFarlane's name manages to raise massive interest and many companies appeared very interested in collaborating on the project.[10]

Google said that several of the MacFarlane deals are the largest ever landed by AdSense.[46] Specifics were not given, but it is a multimillion dollar deal. That will seem like a relative bargain if this move pays off for Google. The web is such a dynamic place and while advertising continues making the move to it, it's thinking outside of the box that will likely pay off in the end.[18] What do you do for an encore once you'''ve built the largest contextual advertising network on the Web? Apparently in Google'''s case, use it to air cartoons.[14] With half the world's population soon owning a cell phone, the opportunity to reach more people on the Web via a mobile device is huge. Google recognizes this as a big advertising opportunity.[53]

Google has so much money it can buy the hottest sites on the Web; why waste money creating your own video-sharing site, just buy YouTube.[29] Google owns YouTube, the leading online destination for shortform video, but has yet to find a way to make the site profitable.[16] Video ads have been talked about ever since Google acquired YouTube, even before that.[33] Video providers had to solve in-video ad problem themselves and now cut out Google as a 3rd party.[33]

Russ Crupnick, VP and senior industry analyst for The NPD Group, said because of MacFarlane'''s star power and the approach Google'''s taking, the ad-supported content could be a hit. '''These days, it is so easy to skip the ads, close them out,''' he said.[23] Under the new agreement--financial terms were not disclosed--Tele Atlas will provide maps and "dynamic content" for Google Maps in over 200 countries. Tele Atlas will also provide such data for other Google geographic divisions, such as Google Earth and Google Maps for Mobile, and to future Google projects that may require mapping data.[12]

Google has experimented with distributing video content through AdSense in the past, most notably (and not terribly successfully) with MTV, writes paidcontent.[46] While the relationship is widely being reported as a new deal ( articles are running from the Wall Street Journal Blogs to Information Week ), it appears to have stemmed from a prior relationship that was first announced in August 2007. At that time, a similar (or the same?) AdSense video distribution deal was revealed with many terms then undisclosed. The August report did, however, include all of the current parties along with Raven-Symone Pearman, the star of Disney's ( DIS ) "That's So Raven."[45] By golly, that just might work. Such deals don't come cheap. This deal represents "by far the largest amount spent on original Internet content to date," according to the Times.[18] The Times reported '''Cavalcade''' will be the highest-priced original Internet content ever produced.[23]

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While the internet has many players producing content exclusively for the web, it has few creators with the production budget and pay scale MacFarlane is accustomed to. [34] AllThingsD.com is a Web site devoted to news, analysis and opinion on technology, the Internet and media. It is different from other sites in this space. It is a fusion of different media styles, different topics, different formats and different sources.[43] Now NYT got some more details for the series which is supposed to launch in September, after two years in gestation, through "thousands of Web sites that are predetermined to be gathering spots for Mr. MacFarlane'''s target audience," as NYT puts it.[50] The winning formula involves a rather aggressive'sales' strategy, as the company decided on using the 50 2-minute episodes on several Web sites where MacFarlane's fans can be found.[10] The alternative would have been to acquire a domain and build a Web site for the show. The downside of such a strategy is that it makes it difficult for people to find it, the company depending on external links, specific Web searches and word of mouth.[10]

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Home Media Magazine has launched a new Screening Room feature, giving visitors to HomeMediaMagazine.com access to movie trailers and original video content.[23] With out sounding to cliche' this to me looks like the beginning of the future integration of media and ad sales online. I'm fine with this. As long as I can opt out or, in the future, have control on which content would appear in those AdSense slots.[33] Let's see how it is going. As long as publishers have the option to opt-out, and I'm sure they will, I don't see any problem. If they can make money off it, why opt out. Again, I think this is just a case of matching up the right viewer with the right content, and Google does that better then anyone. This just seems like another way for Google to stay even further ahead of the competition.[33]

Does that mean Google is becoming a content company as well as being an advertising company, and if so, is that necessarily a good thing? For more details and links, please see the Ingram 2.0 blog at http://www.globetechnology.com.[17] The syndication will be accomplished using Google's AdSense advertising system.[46] Steven what the hell are you talking about. This is not a game changer at all. This is just what a lot of other video companies are already doing. The only difference is that google did it, so you can buy the advertising in their marketplace (Adwords).[39] Google Sites once again ranked as the top U.S. video property with more than 4.3 billion videos viewed (38 percent share of all videos).[46] Google's officials reached the conclusion that placing the videos on several sites carefully selected, would have a much greater impact and a significantly larger exposure.[10]

JotSpot became Google Sites, Writely became Google Docs, Picasa might become Google Photos. The premise remains the same: publishers get a commission when someone not only clicks on their ad, but then goes on to buy something.[12]

Intrepid Google watcher Philipp Lenssen wrote late last week about being the target of a phishing attempt via Google Calendar. He received an e-mail to his Gmail account with a reference to a legitimate event from his calendar. The sender was listed as "customer care," and it asked him to verify his account by supplying his username and password. "We are having congestions (sic) due to the anonymous registration of Gmail accounts, so we are shutting down some Gmail accounts, and your account was among those to be deleted. We are sending you this email to so that you can verify and let us know if you still want to use this account," the e-mail said, complete with grammatical and spelling mistakes that can tip people off to phishing attempts. On May 28, a Google Talk Guide addressed the issue in a Google Groups thread, urging users to click the "Report Phishing" link if they receive suspicious e-mails and not to click on links within the e-mails or open attachments. Late on Monday, a Google representative e-mailed this statement: "Spam is an issue for all Internet users, and we work very hard to fight it.[12] Well, maybe not basic stuff in terms of development, but obvious stuff. Why haven't they figured out behavioral marketing in conjunction with contextual yet? They have tons of users logged into their gmail account, viewing websites with adsense and analytics on it--they can definitely turn all that data into a major behavioral marketing engine. Maybe they are and we haven't analyzed what ads a 60 year old male gets in comparison with a 20 year old female. Either way, I'm sure they'd want to promote this technology and use it to drive their stock price up.[14]

Little two-minute clips will be distributed to various websites that key in on the youthful male demographic which loves Family Guy. When users click on the clips, they will perhaps see an ad before the thing starts or some sort of banner attached to it. They might also simply see the name of the presenting sponsor before watching.[51] The first 2 seasons of Family Guy were okay at the best, the rest not very funny at all. The only thing I like about Seth McFarland is when he goes on talk shows and does the voices of the Family Guy characters, just because I wouldn't have though so many of those voices were him before I found out they were.[52] This guy is so overrated. Family Guy has gotten worse every season, American Dad has never been funny and he decides to spin-off his least funny character. They're Youtube clips.[52]

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The company has tested distributing in-stream video ads and in-stream video clips with bundled ads. [12] There will be numerous strategies used for incorporating the advertisements into the clips including "preroll" ads, which will remind viewers of a commercial, banners at the bottom of the video clip, or a "brought to you by" note at the beginning.[8]

The clips will be backed by ads, with sponsors paying for ads that play before the video starts or are overlaid over the lower portion of the clip itself.[44]

The advertising mixed with the webisodes will include a mix of pre-roll ads (shown prior to the video), sponsorship banners (skinning a video player, or as "provided by" introductions) and possibly onscreen overlays.[45] Internet service providers have been criticized for behavioral-targeting campaigns, questions of legality continue to arise, and top executives at tech companies have been brought into the debate. The study suggested that advertisers should ensure that consumers are educated on the fine print of behavioral targeting, and that they're offered an opt-in choice. "One way to ensure that consumers welcome rather than reject behaviorally targeted ads is to ask them to give their consent to receive them," a release about the report wrote. "Tell them about the real benefits of saying yes, including more-relevant advertising." That's what the Internet Advertising Bureau has recommended, too.[48] Seth is also working with advertisers to create animated adverts to place alongside the episodes, which earns him a separate fee. We believe the revenue could be formidable What is exciting is that this is a way to monetize the Internet immediately.[25] Lawyer Karl Austen, who reportedly worked on the deal, told the Times : '''We believe the revenue could be formidable. What is exciting is that this is a way to monetize the Internet immediately.[23]

There's no word yet on who's signed-up for the deal. If Google succeeds, this could become the premier internet business model for Hollywood to look into.[8] The news comes as millions of Americans look set to turn to the internet for entertainment as a second writers' strike threatens to paralyse traditional television schedules as it did towards the end of last year. In its latest feud, Hollywood's Screen Actors Guild wants actors who are members of both unions to reject a deal the smaller American Federation of Television & Radio Artists has reached with the major studios.[36]

The show is unique in Internet circles because it will be produced with a million-dollar budget -- not the typical six-figure budgets for Internet programming. That's possible because of the involvement of Media Rights Capital, a production company with the ability to invest $400 million a year in content production.[6] In that kind of job, it'''s important to have forceful, reasoned views that point the way to concrete action. Why else would the latter pay the former to tell him what to do with his money? As required, the former went out and did scads of research into the future of the Internet'''most importantly how to '''monetize''' content, which is the question pretty much everyone'''s asking at the moment. At one point, he patted a stack of papers in front of him and announced that research shows people don'''t want to watch TV on the Internet; they want to watch TV on their TVs. He said this in an effort to buttress his argument that people don'''t '''migrate''' from one media to another (radio to TV, TV to the Internet, the Internet to another solar system, etc., etc.).[49]

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There will be 50 two-minute episodes, and MacFarlane has created a stable of new characters to star in the series. [50] Sponsors will also have an engaging way to reach young fans of MacFarlane without having to pay News Corp. (NYSE: NWS ) for pricey television ads through FOX.[44]

Revenue will be split between MacFarlane, Media Rights, Google and the website that generated the click.[46] "Our mission. was to build an ad platform that translates our massive amounts of self-expressed user data into highly targeted, interest-based segments, enabling us to better serve the exact right ad to the right person at the right time," said Michael Barrett, chief revenue officer for MySpace parent division Fox Interactive Media.[48] Of course, MacFarlane will get a percentage of that sweet-ass ad revenue. Too bad he's not smoking anymore, because that would buy him several pillowcases full of kind bud.[1] MacFarlane's pay is a percentage of that ad revenue. There is no date set for the release of these ads or for the cancellation of the Cleveland spinoff.[52]

MacFarlane will get a cut of the advertising revenue, as well as the ability to animate online commercials for substantial fees.[6]

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Working with Google, MacFarlane will create an animated Web-based animated series: There will be 50 Webisodes, each two minutes in length. [31] Google is the only search engine that matters, I've even heard folks who use the Yahoo search engine say: Let me google that on Yahoo. Google wasn't content to be the biggest and baddest search engine in the world, it's on a mission from God to take over the world.[29] Google, Yahoo Can Search Flash Files Adobe helps capture dynamic content. Student Charged with School Hacking Changed his grades and test scores.[6]

You may have noticed I've been referring to Google as if it were an entity, or an individual. That's because Google is God-like: It sees everything (Google Earth). It knows e