Comcast ‘rebuffed’ Oprah Winfrey; Al Sharpton shooting for MSNBC gig: Roundup

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an email subscription for our weekly Comcast roundup or other news updates

• Comcast-NBCU Under Fire for Dragging Its Feet on Diversity [The Wrap] — Oprah Winfrey was ‘rebufffed’ by Comcast executives, sources say. H/T Philly Tech News
• Bigger Comcast beats 2Q earnings estimates, but barely [Philadelphia Business Journal]
• Versus Rebranded NBC Sports Network [AdWeek] — Comcast’s 2006-era Versus station to join NBC Sports in 2012
• Sharpton’s Push for Comcast Raises Issues About Possible MSNBC Job [New York Times] — After supporting Comcast’s bid for NBC, the possible offer of a TV host gig complicates Sharpton’s role
• NBC’s Robert Greenblatt: ‘It’s My Schedule for Better or Worse’ [Hollywood Reporter] — Comcast’s chosen man to lead NBC digs in six months into tenure
• Judge Threatens to Hold up Comcast-NBCUniversal Merger Approval [Hollywood Reporter] — Perhaps some minor modifications to the deal
• Sen. Al Franken joins call to reject AT&T/T-Mobile merger [Washington Post] — Franken was a vocal opponent of the Comcast-NBC deal
• Does Cable Have a Wireless Plan B? [LightReading] — Backup plans if investment from companies like Comcast and Sprint in Clearwire don’t profit as expected
• Comcast Launching Pac-12 Networks in Summer 2012 [Comcast blog]
• Comcast’s Bill Stemper leads journey into the enterprise market [Fierce Cable]
• Flyers founder Snider to U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame [Philadelphia Business Journal] — Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider

Comcast partnerships with Skype, Facebook: Roundup [VIDEO]

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscri ption for our Comcast news updates.

DEFINITE READS

• Comcast to Offer Customers Skype Video Calls on Their TVs [New York Times] — “In the cable television industry’s latest extension into home communication, Comcast and Skype  announced on Monday that some Comcast customers would soon be able to video chat on their TV sets from the comfort of their living rooms. ” VIDEO below
• Comcast Taps Facebook for Enhanced TV Experience [Hollywood Reporter] — “Comcast Corp. is working with Facebook, Intel and other technology firms to create what it calls a next-generation TV experience, which will make the TV screen more interactive by adding Internet features and apps. “
• @ Cable Show: Comcast’s Roberts Shows Off 1Gbps Potential [paidContent] h/t Philly Tech News

Below, video of Comcast/Skype partnership, plans to profit off the Olympics and more.

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Comcast launching 24-hour TV news in California, Texas, Florida: Roundup

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscri ption for our Comcast news updates.

• Comcast outlines plan to turn around NBCU [Inquirer] — NBCUniversal is investing $200 million more into developing hit NBC prime-time shows in 2011 than it did in 2010 to pull the broadcast network out of the ratings cellar”
• Net Incomes Rise Solidly for CBS and Comcast [NY Times]
• Comcast investors advised to calm down [Philadelphia Business Journal] — “…all the attention paid to NBC Universal ‘will obscure a very strong quarterly result for [Comcast’s] cable business,’ which provided $9.1 billion of the company’s $12.13 billion in revenue in the quarter and grew 5.8 percent, beating consensus estimates of 5.1 percent, from $8.58 billion in the first quarter of last year.”
• Consumers give FCC an earful on AT&T bid to buy T-Mobile [Post Tech: Washington Post] — “A look at the docket for the $39 billion proposed union shows few lawmakers weighing in on the merger. In contrast, Comcast’s deal to merge with NBC Universal drew early support and opposition from dozens of lawmakers and state regulators.”
• NBC launching local news channels in 3 states; watchdog criticizes efforts so far [Company Town: LA Times] — In California, Texas and Florida “Comcast committed to producing an additional 1,000 hours of local news on its NBC stations and another 1,000 hours for its Telemundo stations. The channels will launch this week.”
• Comcast adding some ABC, Fox shows to on-demand lineup [Philadelphia Business Journal]
• Just Another Day At Comcast [Comcast blog] — Near Seattle, two Comcast technicians apprehended an escaped criminal.
• Couric Bows Out as CBS’s Anchor [Wall Street Journal] — Katie Couric could be going to Comcast for an NBC show
• On eve of his departing, Comcast’s Brodsky looks back at the many wins [Inquirer] — Julian Brodsky, one of two fellow Comcast founders with Ralph Roberts is retiring from the Comcast board at 77 H/T PTN
• Comcast Announces Changes to State Government Affairs Team [Tech Daily Dose: National Journal] — “Comcast announced some personnel changes Thursday, including snagging a former Federal Communications Commission member to help lead its government affairs shop in California.” Including FCC member Rachelle Chong and a promotion for Bret Perkins
• The Comcast blog celebrates the 10th anniversary of Comcast Cares Day by talking to CEO Brian Roberts about having some 62,000 Comcast employees volunteer across the country on one day.
  

Foobooz bought by Phillymag: founder reunites with former contributor

Philadelphia magazine has purchased Foobooz, the best trafficked food blog in Philadelphia, as the Inquirer’s Michael Klein first reported.

Foobooz founder Art Etchells noted a primary reason for taking the opportunity was the reason to work again with Phillymag’s food editor Kristen Henri, who was a major contributor to Fooboz before joining the regional magazine in April.

“Now we get to [work together again] for fun and profit,” Etchells, 41, who founded the site in May 2006, tells Technically Philly. “Philly Mag is dedicated to growing its food coverage online and I think it makes a lot of sense to grow it together.”

The Graduate Hospital resident received “some up front money, [a] full-time position and some possible bonuses.”

Metrocorp, the Phillymag parent company, intends to grow Foobooz to Boston ‘by 2011′ and nationwide afterward, Klein reports.

Etchells will become ‘digital product manager,’ as he posted on the site, contributing to Foobooz, and Henri will oversee the site in her role.

Zivtech, Old City Drupal shop, hires half of Canary Promotions + Design

Old City Drupal and Alfresco design and application shop Zivtech announced today they’ve hired the co-founder of a smaller, competing, if friendly, design firm.

Mason Wendell, whose cultural website work we profiled in March, will take on the creative director role at Zivtech’s new design department, leaving his post as principal designer at Canary Promotions + Design. Wendell founded the firm in 2001 with his wife Megan Wendell.

It’s an amicable divorce on the professional side, as Wendell the fairer will maintain the publicity side of Canary Promotions and, so far as has been disclosed, marital bliss remains in place.

Wendell of Zivtech is a leader in the region’s Drupal community, as a co-organizer of Drupaldelphia, an event that was led with Zivtech co-partner Alex Urevick-Ackelsberg, who has also had a prominent hand with his brother in the Young Philly Politics blog community. Wendell’s Drupal background and design focus made it an important hire, Urevick-Ackelsberg told Technically Philly.

For one more intersection, take note that Urevick-Ackelsberg’s fellow partner Jody Hamilton formerly worked for Canary, which was once based in Mount Airy but moved to Glenside, Montgomery County in May.

Beerleaguer reportedly purchased by Comcast SportsNet

In March, Comcast SportsNet purchased Philadelphia sports blog The700level.com. Three months later, CSN has apparently made another move.

Last week, Jason Weitzel, the founder of seven-year-old Phillies blog Beerleaguer.com, announced that his site had been acquired for an undisclosed sum.

Like in the 700 Level deal, the property was bought out entirely though it will retain editorial control and its founder was given a position with CSN.

Weitzel, who spent eight years at the Reading Eagle newspaper, most recently at readingeagle.com, says he left to take a content manager position with Comcast Sports Group. But he says he’s not worried about stepping on the toes of Enrico Campitelli, the 29-year-old founder of the 700 Level.

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Comcast SportsNet purchases sports blog The700level

Comcast SportsNet has purchased The700level.com for an undisclosed sum, the popular sports blog announced on its site today.

Launching in January 2004, the blog will become a CSN property, though founder Enrico Campitelli Jr., 29, will be brought on as a full-time employee to edit and oversee the product. The site’s other contributors will be used as freelancers.

“We’ve been doing it a long time and I like to think we do it pretty well. But there were maybe two or three other Philly sports blogs in existence when I started. Now there are hundreds,” Campitelli says in his announcement. “This move allows us to not only differentiate, but to also put my undivided attention and effort into making this site a must visit destination for Philly sports fans.

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Comcast Roundup: Sen. Al Franken says ‘hard to trust,’ NBC lobbying continues and More

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

DEFINITE READS

• The Washington Post reports on Comcast’s bolstered presence in D.C. circles, ahead of regulatory oversight of its deal for NBC.
• The New York Times reports that Democrats in particular have been critical of the NBC deal. Among them, the Washington Post reports that former NBC star and current Senator Al Franken said NBC can’t be trusted. But the Post also reports that Pittsburgh’s mayor, among other local leaders, encouraged their congressional members to support the deal.

Below, why some say the Comcast-NBC deal would ruin Web video, Brian Roberts makes a promise about layoffs and More.

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Comcast Roundup: NBC hearings begin today, a Google balance and More

Every Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. EST, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup. Get an e-mail subscription for our Comcast news updates.

DEFINITE READS

• USA Today reports that Hulu executives are likely eager to start experimenting with paid version of the popular video streaming site but must wait for the finalized result of Comcast’s deal with NBC, which owns nearly a third of the site.
• The Washington Post reports that today the congressional hearings on the Comcast-NBC deal have begun.
• paidContent reports on Democratic staff memos that discuss, ahead of today’s congressional hearings on the matter, the impact the merger has to “fundamentally shape the way Web video evolves.”

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More details on Motivas purchase of PhindMe

Word first leaked of Motivas Mobile purchasing Phindme Mobile when, as a Phindme spokeswoman puts it, “a Google crawler made its way through a WordPress preview.”

It took five days for the deal between the two regional mobile technology companies to be finalized, announced and now celebrated.

“It’s about people and the chance to join forces with well-respected entrepreneurs and innovators who share a common vision,” Suzanne Harris of PhindMe told Technically Philly.

Details of the deal continue to become clear.

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