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Hollywood Media Corp. divests Hollywood.com for $10 million

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Hollywood Media Corp. has sold its Hollywood.com and Hollywood.com Television businesses to R&S Investments, LLC, an entity owned by Mitchell Rubenstein and Laurie S. Silvers for $10 million. The purchase price includes $1 million paid out to Hollywood Media and earn-out payments of $9 million.

Hollywood Media plans to focus on its profitable online Broadway Ticketing business (including Broadway.com), which currently has an approximate 10 percent share of the Broadway ticket market. Hollywood Media also owns the UK-based CinemasOnline and a minority interest in MovieTickets.com.

Originally posted on August 27, 2008 @ 8:40 am

Digg Dialogg: Vote Questions Up or Down

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The Democratic National Convention is underway, and so is a new product from Digg: Digg Dialogg.  This concept takes the ‘wisdom of crowds’ concept and applies it to interview questions.

Here’s how it works:

Digg will identify a guest interview

The community will submit questions (text or video)

The community will vote on which question should be asked

According to Digg, guests…

“will represent thought leaders and tastemakers across diverse topics including technology luminaries, environmentalists, entrepreneurs, musicians and filmmakers.”

Up first, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday, August 27th.

Cool concept.  But what happens when the Digg community decides to get personal or ask the questions that no interviewer ever ask.  There’s a reason most interviews are generic.  Without censorship, the concept is beautiful.  Will Digg have the balls to let ALL questions stand.  And more importantly, will guests continue to make themselves available, knowing they can be subjected to some uncomfortable topics?

Either way, Digg is proving that they understand that evolving their business model is a must.

Originally posted on August 25, 2008 @ 1:01 pm

Microsoft acquires Greenfield Online for $486 million

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Microsoft is buying Greenfield Online, an Internet surveying company, for $486 million.

The deal is expected to strenghten Microsoft’s presence in European search. It is also Microsoft’s largest acquisition since abandoning its bid for Yahoo.

“We are investing heavily in EMEA because we see this as an interesting market for us and an opportunity to provide better services to consumers,” John Mangelaars, Microsoft’s vice-president for consumer and online services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said.

Originally posted on August 30, 2008 @ 4:20 pm