In March of 2009 I wrote a blog post (Why more politicized news anchors are a good thing) about why I thought the concept of objective journalism and mass media was a bit more fiction than fact, and that “the politicization of reporting is just an example of how media organizations are scuttling the mold of ‘neutral observer’ and identifying more with ideologies as a means to attract specific demographics of viewers.”

The approach acknowledges, at least in theory, that the traditional mass media organizations realize they are not really about mass media anymore, and that they need to specialize and direct their news and coverage and perspective to a specific audience.

Of course, as I wrote back in March, this does have its advantages – particularly in competitive media landscape we find ourselves in today – by enabling an organization to not be all things to all people and instead use limited resources to provide the highest quality product to its target audience.

This is provided, of course, that there is transparency from the broadcaster / news source. Without transparency, you run the real risk of being exposed as dishonest and end up alienating more people than you would have if you simply acknowledged your perspective or slant from the very beginning. A slant or an angle is one thing, but when you act like you have something to hide, people often think you do. And if people feel you are trying to deceive them – your slant is irrelevant, because your entire report is now questionable.

What is fascinating about this is how it relates to ABC and its coverage of the health care debate and President Obama’s plan. If you recall, back in June, ABC provided President Obama with a lot of time to discuss his health care proposal during ABC’s Primetime and on Nightline. Many dismissed the program or were critical of it as nothing more than an infomercial, because no opposition perspectives were included in either program. Not even an opposing commercial. At the time, ABC defended its approach. Even Nightline host, Diane Sawyer, said that ABC’s format and focus on the health care issue had little to do with the marketability of Obama.

Sawyer’s comment is a bit disingenuous.

According to research by the National Center for Public Policy Research, revealed in Amy Ridenour’s Newsbusters story, “ABC News Advertising Review May Explain Why Conservatives Were Locked Out of Health Care Shows”, commercials run on ABC were dominated by member companies of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) trade association. PhRMA is a significant backer of President Obama’s health care plan.

In point of fact, in the 98 broadcast days of ABC World News the National Center determined that ABC’s World News featured 1,102 commercials, 597 (almost 55%) of which were placed by PhRMA members.

If we assume that media companies are targeting specific demographics now for their media coverage (a directive that comes from its executive leadership), it stands to reason they are going after advertisers that appeal to their audience, just as they will offer programs and special reports that meet the interests of both their target audience and advertiser base. Naturally, if their advertisers are behind an initiative – why wouldn’t ABC tap into the most marketable spokesman of that cause in an effort to appease their advertisers and their audience? It’s a win-win for all sides.

So, at the end of the day, ABC’s decision to air the pro-Obamacare programming had everything to do with marketing and the station’s effort to secure a specific demographic of viewer.

There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with that!

The problem I have is that Diane Sawyer and executives at ABC were not honest or transparent about what they were doing. ABC could have aired the program, discussed the issues and disclosed their financial stake in the plan. Instead, the network fell into a classic trap. ABC was so concerned that people would not perceive the network as an unbiased and credible source of news (remember, people were calling these programs infomercials), that it tried to act like a mass media company and dismiss what everyone saw in the hopes that no one would see it. It ended up making ABC look worse in the process.

ABC has a financial stake in the success of Obama’s health care plan. ABC also has a strategy to reach an audience that is largely favorable to left-wing policies. So, ABC should have no problem airing a program with Obama about his plan.

But by pretending to be something they are not, ABC is not fully adapting to its new mission or to become appealing to the type of viewer they ultimately want to reach.

Maryland-based iBiquity, a developer of HD Radio™ technology, had excellent news to report this month. Not only have sales of its HD radio receiver doubled from last year, but Ford announced yesterday that it was adding both iTunes tagging and crystal-clear radio sound through iBiquity’s HD Radio technology as some of the latest features to be available in 2010 on Ford cars.

Over 730,000 HD Radio receivers were sold in 2009, with half a million of those sold through September and another quarter of a million sold in the last couple of months. The sales mean that 1.3 million HD radios have been sold since the technology became available. No details were immediately available on how many receivers would be installed by Ford in 2010.

Ford’s decision is driven by the company’s focus on providing advanced radio technology to consumers. The digital technology provided by iBiquity enables broadcasters to offer near-CD quality sound, without static, fadeout and other problems associated with analog signals. The receivers also display information on the music playing, such as song title and artist. By merging this technology with iTunes Tagging, Ford customers will be able to capture songs they hear on the HD Radio receiver by tagging them and storing them in the radio’s memory. Up to 100 tags can be stored at a time. A person can then sync the radio with their iPod, view the tagged songs and decide if they want to purchase them in iTunes.

In response to the deal, iBiquity COO, Jeff Jury said, “Ford continues to lead the market in bringing advanced capabilities to popular vehicles. We are very pleased that HD Radio technology is an integral part of Ford’s broad offering of new features.”

Nearly 2,000 radio stations in the U.S. currently broadcast in digital HD Radio sound, with more than 1,100 stations also airing HD2/HD3 channels. Approximately 85 percent of the U.S. population is served by a station broadcasting with HD Radio technology.

This story originally appears in dcTechSource at: http://www.dctechsource.com/ibiquity_hd_radio_chosen_by_ford.aspx

QBurst, a web and mobile application development company based in Fairfax, VA, has launched theapps.mobi, a searchable directory of iPhone apps ranging from Education, Business and Entertainment to Travel, Weather and Lifestyle.

Theapps.mobi provides a sophisticated web site that provides users the ability to browse through a detailed catalog of iPhone and iPod Touch applications, reducing the need to browse the Apple store for applications.

What’s more, the site provides iPhone application developers a chance to be recognized via search engines as well as through its changing “featured” and “latest” application highlights, which are shown prominently on the main screen beneath the app search bar.

The site was designed by QBurst to run on Google’s App Engine platform, and the company will manage the site.

QBurst, which also has offices in India and the UK, consists of a team of over 200 professionals that help design and develop custom applications for companies of all sizes.

This article originally appears in dcTechSource at: http://www.dctechsource.com/qburst_launches_iphoneipod_searching.aspx

Wireless Matrix, a Herndon, VA-based provider of software solutions designed to improve service fleet delivery metrics, and Colorado-based GeoNav Group International, announced yesterday their first client since establishing a formal business partnership several days ago that is designed to maximize data and navigation capabilities for their clients.

The companies new joint solution will be implemented for the Victory Electric Cooperative, which serves southwestern Kansas residents with electricity. The goal of the implementation is to combine Wireless Matrix’s in-cab navigation and messaging solution, TechConnect™, with GeoNav’s Utility Navigator – a solution that utilizes data in a Garmin Personal Navigation Device. The system to be installed will incorporate infrastructure data from the Victory Electric Cooperative and enable its fleet to see poles, meters, transformers and other critical infrastructure on a Garmin device.

According to a press release posted on their website, J. Richard Carlson, president and CEO of Wireless Matrix said that, “Utility companies like Victory Electric expect and demand more from their mobile resource management providers than dots on a map. Our solution has become an integral part of their day-to-day operations and by partnering with GeoNav, together we can provide valuable data to the utility marketplace, enabling them to better operate and drive bottom-line results.”

AOL’s board officially approved layoffs of approximately 7,000 workers (about 1/3 the company’s total workforce) yesterday. The company had announced the layoffs previously, but this was the first official act by the board since AOL became a separate company from Time Warner a few weeks ago.

The news pushed AOL’s stock higher in the NYSE this past week, however, AOL faces a number of challenges as seeks to stand on its own two-feet.

Namely, AOL was the only top 5 web property in the US to have year over year declines in visitors to its web sites. In fact, AOL has suffered a 28% year over year decline in its subscriber base.

Despite the layoffs and some declines in subscribers,  AOL continues to adapt and reshape itself. A recent Wall Street Journal report noted that the company was in talks to sell its ICQ instant-messaging service in a deal that could inject some fresh capital into the company – ranging from $175 million to $300 million.

BoxTone, a Columbia, Maryland-based company that develops software for smartphone device management, announced it has established a public sector unit designed to serve federal, state and local governments as well as other public sector organizations and the military.

The Company, which recently surpassed 500,000 enterprise-connected BlackBerry smartphones that are being managed, tracked and controlled by the BoxTone software suite, has over 230 businesses and government agencies as clients. In addition to supporting BlackBerry users on an enterprise level, BoxTone also supports the ActiveSync platform, which features iPhone, Android, Palm Pre and Windows Mobile devices.

With the rapid growth of smartphone deployment through the government and public sector, BoxTone has seen the need for a mobile platform that supports emergency communication, mobile applications and other critical needs rise. Already the provider for the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Capitol Police, General Services Administration, and state and local government clients, BoxTone sees the rollout of a public sector unit as a logical step to help provide enhance services and support.

In a recent press release, BoxTone vice president for the public sector practice, Brian Murphy, confirmed as much, saying, “With an existing client base of top-tier federal, state and local governments and military organizations using our software to harden their mobile platforms, BoxTone is now launching our Public Sector Practice to focus increased resources on the support and success of all mobile government professionals.”

This article originally appears in dcTechSource at: http://www.dctechsource.com/boxtone_launches_mobility_management_unit_for_public_sector.aspx

Centrifuge Systems, a leading provider of business intelligence software and interactive analytics based in McLean, Virginia, announced Vince Barrett and Chris Walton had joined their senior management team.

Vince Barrett has joined Centrifuge as Vice President of Business Development and is responsible for growing the company’s partner relationships and commercial market penetration. Barrett was with QlikTech, a business intelligence company based in Pennsylvania with over a dozen offices globally. Barrett has more than 15 years experience in marketing, business development and building alliances. In addition to QlikTech, Barrett has worked at SAP, Mediaguide and Siebel Systems, and oversaw development of mission-critical systems for the B-1 and B-2 aircraft as a US Air Force officer. Mr. Barrett has a BS in Economics from the US Air Force Academy, a Master’s in Public Management from University of Maryland, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

In addition to Barrett, Chris Walton was promoted to Vice President of Intelligence Operations. Walton has been with Centrifuge for 3 years as Director of Professional Services, handling deployments for government clients. Walton will now manage all operations involving Intelligence markets for state and local governments, as well as the US Government. Walton also has a military background, flying surface surveillance, counter narcotics and antisubmarine missions for the US Navy. He has a BS in Mathematics from the US Naval Academy.

This article originally appears in dcTechSource at: http://www.dctechsource.com/centrifuge_announces_hire_of_vince_barrett_as_vp.aspx

It’s the holiday season. For many, it is a time when people are supposed to be at their most charitable, and friends and family get together to share in holiday cheer. This does not apply to the newspaper industry, however, as yet another publication announced serious cutbacks in staff and printing.

The latest victim is the Washington Times. Earlier this week the Washington Times announced that on Sunday, December 27th, it will publish its last Sunday edition. The paper will shift focus instead to Monday through Friday coverage, and contain a higher percentage of opinion content and other kinds of distinctive news stories.

Though most in the Washington, DC area (well, most of the people I have known at any rate) never really considered the Washington Times to be a serious newspaper, there always has been some valuable content and perspectives that you just do not find in the Post. For example, Bill Gertz is probably one of the best national security reporters in the country. And while much of that will continue, it is concerning to see the changes at the Washington Times (reductions in staff and shifting format).

While I am glad the Times will continue to press on (enhancing its online and multimedia components is an excellent strategy, btw), one cannot shake the feeling that the Washington Times, like so many other newspapers and print publications, is fighting a losing battle against the digital world.

OutStart, a social business software and learning systems developer based in Boston, Massachusetts, has merged with Warrenton, VA-based Hot Lava Software, in a deal that will roll Hot Lava’s mobile learning application product line under the OutStart name. Hot Lava Software CEO, Bob Sanregret, will serve as Vice President of the OutStart Hot Lava division.

Hot Lava Software become an industry leader in mobile learning with a mobile desktop authoring solution that allowed users to build mobile content and applications that are deployable in 98 percent of all mobile phones. Hot Lava’s delivery and tracking services distribute mlearning content via WAP or directly to mobile devices, and automatically tracks who accessed the mobile content and can compile results from people who took surveys or tests using the Hot Lava built application.

According to a recent release, OutStart CEO Massood Zarrabian was quoted as saying that customers desired mobile applications. To meet the growing need of customers, Zarrabian said, “We identified Hot Lava Software as the leader in both mobile technology and, with over 1,000,000 registered users, customer implementations. Merging with Hot Lava enables us to leap far ahead of our industry in support of mobile requirements.”

Bob Sanregret said that “Merging with OutStart provides Hot Lava with additional resources and a link to OutStart customers who will enable us to better take advantage of the incredible potential that mobile offers.

This article originally appears in dcTechSource at: http://www.dctechsource.com/outstart_merges_with_hot_lava.aspx

Today marks the last day that AOL will have a corporate connection to Time Warner. The two companies officially separate on December 10 and a “new” AOL will emerge on the New York Stock Exchange listed as a separate company.

Over the last several weeks, AOL has been aggressively moving to put the merger with Time Warner behind them. To accomplish this AOL has partnered with Wolff Olins, a brand management consulting firm, to give the company a more creative image – one with expression. Though the official transfer of AOL’s logo occurs tomorrow, the new imagery was unveiled last month (click here to see AOL’s new brand identity video), and demonstrates that the company is setting out on a course to redefine itself as more of a unique media and global web services company.

As part of this process, AOL has announced layoffs of roughly 2,500 employees across all its divisions, and began hiring more journalists and media professionals to help build staff for its new content management platform and media properties.

One such hire occurred yesterday as Saul Hansell, a former technology reporter and editor for The New York Times, joined AOL. He will be programming director for AOL’s Seed.com, a content management platform expected to be launched this month. Hansell will work to leverage Seed’s content throughout AOL’s media platforms. Seed, which is a platform for freelance journalists, photographers and videographers, is designed to give AOL’s media properties more of an edge in displaying fresh and dynamic content – as opposed to relying on just internal staff to cover content production for all its units. Seed has a few thousand freelancers and determines payment terms and edits content.

More information about AOL’s new independence is expected over the coming days. Many industry observers will be watching Chairman and CEO, Tim Armstrong, who is speaking this afternoon at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference at 12:00 noon, Eastern.  AOL is providing an audio webcast online at http://ir.aol.com. According to AOL, to listen to the live webcast, go to: http://ir.aol.com and click on the “UBS Global Media and Communications Conference” link under “Events and Presentations.”  AOL urges people to visit the site 15 minutes prior to ensure you can register and download any applicable software prior to Armstrong’s remarks.

This post originally appeared at dcTechSource at: http://www.dctechsource.com/aol_set_to_unveil_new_identity.aspx

It also has appeared on the Local Media Blog at: http://blog.kelseygroup.com/index.php/2009/12/09/aol-set-to-stand-on-its-own-and-unveil-its-new-identity/