New Study Shows Millennials Prefer Short Mobile Videos, While Older Crowds Like Long-form (Ad Week)
A new study says millennials who view videos on their phones resonate more with brands that take a short-form approach to spots, while older audiences tend to agree more with the traditional 30-second length. The study found brands running 10-second mobile video ads have greater appeal and persuasion with younger audiences.
BuzzFeed Seeks Dismissal of Multimillion-Dollar Defamation Lawsuit (Ad Age)
BuzzFeed is “respectfully” demanding the dismissal of an eight-figure defamation lawsuit filed in late January by the British journalist Michael Leidig and the news service he founded, Central European News. In his lawsuit, Mr. Leidig claimed that an April 2015 BuzzFeed story about him and his company damaged his reputation.
Future of TV Coalition Pitches Present of Navigation Device Competition (Broadcasting & Cable)
The Future of TV Coalition, which includes cable and other ISPs pushing back on the FCC’s set-top box unlocking proposal, will host a demonstration of just how many choices cable and satellite subs already have to access content.
House to Vote on FCC Broadband Rate Regulation Blocker (Broadcasting & Cable)
The House is scheduled to vote on a Republican bill to block the FCC from using its Title II authority to regulate broadband rates, either before the fact or likely after. Look for the vote to be contentious and the bill to be approved along party lines, as was the vote to approve the bill in the House Energy & Commerce Committee.
Apple Watch verdict a year later: Half of those surveyed think it’s a dud (Recode)
More than half of those surveyed by the advertising technology company Fluent said they considered the Apple Watch a flop. That sentiment — expressed by the majority of the 2,578 adults in the U.S. who responded last week to an online survey — reflects how the device is perceived by the tech press and industry insiders.
House to Move Legislation Blocking Warrantless Access to Americans’ Emails (Inside Sources)
After almost three years of delay House lawmakers will vote Wednesday to advance legislation preventing the government from accessing Americans’ old emails without a warrant. The Email Privacy Act, introduced in 2013, closes a loophole in the thirty-year-old Electronic Communications Privacy Act.
FCC Internet Regulations Must Be Scaled Back (Inside Sources- Commentary)
Within the next week, the DC Circuit Court will rule on a challenge to the FCC’s net neutrality regulations by entrepreneurs and established ISPs. It’s likely that the court will prune the regulations and in so doing, curtail the agency’s quest for power. If the DC court doesn’t, we can expect an appeal to the Supreme Court.
Privacy watchdog to study impact of personal Internet devices (The Globe and Mail)
Connected devices that can track our behavior and surroundings – often collectively referred to as “The Internet of Things” – have the potential to make our lives more convenient and efficient, and even improve our health. But when those things are tracking us, they are also collecting a great deal of information.
The battle between LTE and Wi-Fi may have left LTE-U out in the cold (Network World)
After more than a year of rancor over whether it would hurt Wi-Fi, a technology that lets LTE networks use unlicensed spectrum may have already missed its window of opportunity. LTE-Unlicensed is designed to improve cellular service by tapping into some of the frequencies used by Wi-Fi and other unlicensed technologies.
Netflix Displaces HBO for Best Original Programming: Survey (Variety)
Netflix is now wearing a crown that has belonged to HBO for years. More American consumers picked Netflix as having the “best” original content than any other premium TV and Internet-video subscription service, well ahead of perennial leader HBO, according to a new survey by Morgan Stanley.
BUILDING A DIGITAL LIFELINE FOR AMERICA’S FAMILIES (The Hill- Commentary)
In March, the FCC voted to modernize the Lifeline program in the most wide-ranging national effort ever enacted to remove cost barriers to broadband. By doing so, the FCC formally recognized that in the digital age, broadband access is a fundamental tool, rather than a luxury. While significant, the FCC decision is only one step.
MINNESOTA WILL GET IT RIGHT ON BROADBAND (Duluth News Tribune- Commentary)
With all of Minnesota’s 201 legislators up for re-election November 2016, the debate is intensifying over how to best promote economic growth and expanded opportunity across the state, particularly in Minnesota’s rural communities. A cornerstone of this debate is the important role broadband plays in fueling economic growth.
WITH STRIKE IMPENDING, VERIZON BUILDOUT COMMITMENTS WILL BE A KEY FOCUS (Telecompetitor)
Verizon buildout commitments will be one of several key focus areas as the company’s union members get set to strike. Although Verizon has been negotiating with unions representing between 36,000 and 39,000 workers in the eastern US for months, the parties have been unable to reach an agreement on a new labor contract.