Digital

OTT and revived TV membership models were among the highlights of a local digital advertising conference that just managed to sneak in under the coronavirus wire.

The Washington Post is tripling investment in Zeus, its revenue technology arm, sources tell Axios. The Post licenses Zeus products to other media companies to help them drive more ad revenue and create better user experiences.

David Cohen, who stepped down as president-North America of IPG Mediabrands’ Magna unit in June 2019 to pursue new opportunities, has been named president of the Interactive Advertising Bureau. He succeeds Patrick Dolan, a 13-year IAB veteran, who will remain a strategic adviser to the association through 2020.

In a memo issued Monday, NBC News Digital staffers were told that the company plans to explore streaming opportunities for Today and intends to shift some employees assigned to video “to focus on preparing for a streaming experience.” A person familiar with the matter says NBC News is mulling such an initiative, but cautioned that it is in its earliest days and is not guaranteed to come to fruition.

“We never use the term OTT in our marketing,” says Anita Normanly, production manager in the audience development department at WRAL Raleigh, N.C. “We always talk about WRAL Streaming Channels,” adding that they deliberately chose the word “channel” because that’s how viewers think about TV. Jake Seaton is the digital product manager and says the goal has always been making it easy for viewers. “If it’s on digital, then it’s on our Streaming Channels.”

Fubo TV has added NHL Network, MLB Network and MLB Network Strike Zone to its channel lineup. The additions mean that Fubo now offers access to every professional sports league channel.

None of the video advertisers who were notified about Facebook’s proposed $40 million class-action settlement over inflated video metrics have objected to the deal, class counsel says in papers filed Friday.

In his new role “getting everything right creatively,” the former CEO is likely to tackle the streaming service, which, despite its booming subscriber numbers, is suffering from a dearth of original series, brand identity issues and stars pleading to move their shows to Hulu.

Quibi has become the latest company to call off a planned gathering amid growing coronavirus fears, with a launch event scheduled for next month canceled “out of an abundance of caution.” A spokesperson said Monday: “While we look forward to launching the Quibi app on April 6, we have decided to cancel our pre-launch event party out of an abundance of caution as we continue to monitor COVID-19. Supporting the health and well-being of everyone involved is our top priority.”

Short-form streaming-video service Quibi, which is preparing to launch next month, faces claims that one of its core tech features infringes on another company’s intellectual property, according to documents describing the dispute.

How three broadcast journalists are experimenting with the wildly popular but quirky platform.

Despite the previously unreported sale late last year, NBCU says it’s committed to the Snap relationship, and is producing more programming than ever for the platform.

Twitter said today that Silver Lake will make a $1 billion investment in the company. That money, along with cash on hand, is expected to be put toward a $2 billion stock buyback. Jack Dorsey remains the social media company’s CEO.

Hamiloton Nolan: Ten years ago day-to-day media reporting in New York City, which meant that the media news cycle was anchored by what was happening at New York media companies. Many of those outlets have since faded away. Today, one of the biggest employers of media reporters and critics in America is … the Washington Post. Has the center of media writing shifted from Gotham to DC?

New jobs posted to TVNewsCheck’s MediaJobCenter include an opening for a senior multiplatform producer at WRAL in Raleigh, N.C., who will plan and produce daily coverage — written, video and multimedia.

Secret labs. Magic cures. Government plots. Despite efforts by social media companies to stop it, false information about the coronavirus is proliferating around the world.

Shortform streamer Quibi has set its initial lineup of shows for its April 6 launch — and it’s a long list. The mobile-centric platform will debut with 50 shows, tilted heavily toward unscripted content and what it calls “Daily Essentials” — short news and sports programs, talk shows and advice shows. It has four scripted shows — or “Movies in Chapters,” as each will have a total run time roughly equivalent to a feature film, with episodes running under 10 minutes apiece.

Two Senate Democrats proposed a bill Thursday that would regulate the way online sites display and promote content and ads aimed at children under the age of 16. The Kids Internet Design and Safety (KIDS) Act, introduced by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (l) and Ed Markey, would prohibit operators of platforms aimed at users under 16 from using “auto-play” settings on videos. The measure would also ban those operators encouraging young users by offering them “badges” for playing games, or sending them push alerts.

The debut is the newest expansion of major market local news streaming services from CBS and features local news content produced by KDKA and WPCW.

VidAngel, which provides edited versions — no nudity, “unwanted” language, violence — of video content streamed on Netflix and Amazon Prime, said its trustee in bankruptcy has filed a reorganization plan.

Sinclair Broadcast Group said it reached an agreement with YouTube TV to carry 19 of its 21 regional sports networks. Sinclair, which acquired the Fox Regional Sports Network from the Walt Disney Co., last year, said Prime Ticket and Fox Sports West will no longer be carried on YouTube TV effective Thursday.

Comcast FreeWheel’s “NowFront” upfront event had been scheduled for March 12 in New York. A FreeWheel representative said it hopes to reschedule the event.

YouTube TV is no longer carrying the Yes Network, the TV home of the New York Yankees, and Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket due to a carriage dispute with their ownership, Sinclair Broadcast Group. However, it’s unclear if the live streaming service is also losing the remainder of the 20 Sinclair-owned, but Fox-branded regional sports networks.