Reality TV Actors Get Real Time

These days it is hard to turn on the TV without seeing a reality show of some sort.

Reality TV over the past few years has been showing up on more and more networks. Sometimes even more than regular shows or movies. Michael Hirschorn, who is a TV executive and a producer, guesses that there are at least 1000 reality actors on TV at any given moment.

Such an immense number of people comes from the elimination games. On some shows there could be dozens of contestants competing on the show. It seems these days that it is easier for reality stars to get more work than it is for real actors.

Now that there is a larger calling for "regular people" to be casted, it has opened the door for more of those who hope to get into acting.

I am a fan of reality shows such as The Hills and The Real Housewives, but not so much of the competition shows unless it has to do with fashion. I think that reality shows have become just like regular shows in themselves. They are scripted and the actors are told what to do. Viewers watch for the same reason as regular shows, to see what happens.

Tough Times for the 'Times'

Due to the current state of our economy, the New York Times has been seeing a decline in their advertising revenue and an accumulation of debt. This has forced them to cut more jobs after having just cut 100 less than a month ago.

At least 25 people on the editorial staff will lose their jobs to staffers of The Gainesville Sun. The New York Times and The Gainesville Sun are both operated under the same parent company, The New York Times Co.

When the Times was forced to cut jobs last month, they either bought out the employees or laid them off in order to compensate for the lost advertising revenue. On top of all of this, those employees who are not members of a labor union, will not be getting a contribution to their end of the year pensions.

I think that this is very unfortunate, and I understand that it is not only the New York Times that is having this issue. Many of the popular newspapers around the country are being forced to take action due to the current economic crisis. Hopefully when the economy starts to recover, newspapers will be able to gain more profit off of advertising, and in return hire more employees.

Burberry Going Online to Promote

Burberry, a fashion company famous for their trench coat, have created a social networking site that will allow customers to share their coat stories.

Angela Ahrendts, who runs Burberry, hopes to move the company into a new age by integrating the internet into it's advertising. Artofthetrench.com is an interactive site where the viewer can move around with the mouse and look at pictures of people in Burberry coats. Accompanying the pictures are links that allow the viewer to comment on or 'like' the picture of the coat.

Many high fashion designers have deserted the web. They see it as a place for bargain hunters and not the place for haute couture, but the internet seems to be the new wave for high fashion. Those who have the means to purchase high end merchandise do surf the internet after all.

The Burberry trenchcoat has become an icon in the fashion world for quite sometime now. Ms. Ahrendts said , "it’s our differentiator. It’s not so different from what competitors do. Maybe one was born from shoes and another from luggage; we come from a coat. It’s our job to keep that category hot and cool and relevant for all ages.”

That is exactly what they are doing with this new social networking site. I love keeping up with what is going on in the fashion world, and I have a great appreciation for fashion icons. The Burberry trench is a timeless classic that should be kept alive with innovative advertising ideas.

Mac Interferes in PC Users Searches

Not only has Apple degraded Personal Computers over the past few years with the "I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC" commercials, but they have taken it a step further with interfering in searches for Windows 7 on Google.

Google is a popular way to advertise for any business. If a user searches for Windows 7, not only will they get information on the new operating system, but they will also have the option to click and buy the upgrade.

Attached is a picture that shows what will pop up along with these options. It is an advertisement for a link to Apples' website, that leads you straight to a page that tells you why your next computer should be a Mac.

I am a Mac user, and I am extremely happy with how they run. Being a windows user in the past, I find that a Mac is much easier to use and I encounter less problems with the software. I actually find it funny that Apple has gone to the extreme of intruding on Google searches for Windows 7. You gotta do what you gotta do right?

Microsoft Ditches 'Family Guy' Sponsorship

Computer software giant Microsoft announced this week that they will be canceling their sponsorship of Fox's upcoming comedy/variety special due to concerns about the content of the special.

"Family Guy Presents: Seth and Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show" is still going to be airing on Fox on Nov. 8., but will have a different sponsor that has not been named.

Microsoft planned to sponsor this special TV event. The show was going to be aired commercial free with Microsoft special advertising messages to be broadcasted in place of the commercials. This was going to be a chance to market their new operating system, Windows 7, but Microsoft executives decided that the show was not appropriate and tasteful enough to be supported by their company. Jokes about incest, deaf people, the Holocaust and feminine hygiene did not sit well with the execs.

Those who are familiar with the popular "Family Guy" show should know that the 30 minutes in which it airs are full of what many would call obscene and distasteful (yet hilarious) comedy. A Microsoft spokeswoman said, "We initially chose to participate in the Seth and Alex variety show based on the audience composition and creative humor of 'Family Guy,' but after reviewing an early version of the variety show, it became clear that the content was not a fit with the Windows brand,".

I can totally understand why Microsoft would not want their new software to be plugged during a show that features jokes on such sensitive subjects, but "Family Guy" is known for being bold and indecent. They should have known from the beginning what the program would entail.

Kabul Class of '09?

Viewers of the news may expect to see more coverage of the war in Afghanistan.

The Project for excellence in Journalism reported this month that for the first time in years Afghanistan has "emerged as the top story" for news organizations in the United States.

Richard Engel of NBC said that “It’s like the Baghdad class of 2003 is now the Kabul class of 2009,".

The recent expansion of coverage and the "deployment" of more journalists to the area may be due to President Obama's new strategies for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Another reason is because news companies are starting to take a closer look at the war in these regions because it is sometimes referenced as the "forgotten war".

Safety is of course an issue for all of the media that is going to be reporting out of these dangerous regions, and news organizations have increased the precautions for their staff.

It took reading this article for me to realize that I haven't really heard much about the war in Afghanistan in a long time. I do believe that more light should be shed on the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but that the staff of these news organizations should be very careful.

Coca-Cola Merges with Live Nation

Soft-drink giant Coca-Cola has formed an alliance with Live Nation, the world's largest concert promoter.

Coke will become the "official soft drink of Live Nation". Their goal is to sell more drinks while promoting concerts and artists. Live Nation is the owner of 84 venues in the United States, and Coke will be served in 76 of those venues.

Live Nation is a very popular concert promotion company that sold 50 million concert tickets last year and who's website generated 70 million unique hits. They are also aligned with many artists which would introduce Coke to even more celebrity affiliations.

Coca-Cola has 12 million fans in their loyalty program. Russell Wallach, the president of national alliances at Live Nation, said that "we can tap into the 12 million fans and market our tickets and merchandise directly to their customers".

I think this is a win-win situation for these two large companies. Live Nation will benefit most, I believe, from this alliance with the exposure that they will get from teaming up with such a popular brand. It is also great for Coke's public relations since it will associate them with popular musicians and concert events.

CBS Partners with GlobalPost

CBS news is now partnering with foreign news Web site, GlobalPost, in order to expand their horizons in the field of foreign news.

The announcement came Monday along with a statement from the founder of Global Post, Philip S. Balboni. He stated that GlobalPost has been interested in finding a networks news partner ever since the startup of their website in January.

"Having a broadcast network partner was a high priority for us, and to be associated with CBS News is a great validation of what we are trying to build, " said Mr. Balboni. The company hopes to become an important source of international news for Americans. They believe that taking this step with CBS is a positive step in becoming a foreign news source that Americans can depend on.

CBS will pay an undisclosed monthly fee to GlobalPost. This shows their efforts in trying to bring more international news to their broadcasts. The reporters of GlobalPost will not be going directly on air for CBS as of now, but rather will be providing CBS with the information.

This could be a step in the right direction for CBS, a company that is included in a competition with other major news networks who offer both foreign and domestic news. Hopefully this decision will boost ratings and gain viewers for CBS.

Ford Provides the People of Asia-Pacific with New Model Car

Ford Motor Company has turned it's focus on the people of Asia-Pacific with a new, smaller, model car.

After making it through the first year of the global economic crisis without filing for Chapter 11, Ford is taking on a brave new front. They have introduced the Ford Figo. The figo is a small four-door hatch back, that was helped built by Indian engineers.

Ford cheif executive Alan Mulally, stated that the Asia-Pacific market is very important to Ford. He also said that, Ford is going to "accelerate our presence" in the region.

Ford really is stepping outside of the box, and the United States, with it's latest introduction. The American carmakers, have also decided to expand with in Chongqing , China, where a new production plant will be located.

The Figo, which will be available in India in 2010, will hopefully boost Fords' popularity in the region. Neeraj Bandhu, who is the director for India at CSM Worldwide, an automotive consulting firm, said, “India and China are going to be the game-changers in the next decade, so it is natural for the major manufacturers to focus on them." He also praises Ford for their new ideas. “They did not target the mass market, or refresh their product", said Bandhu.

Ford seems to have let go of their old ways, and are hoping for success with the expansion of their business to Asia-Pacific.

Radio Canada

I have just discovered a new health news blog that looks to be very exciting. The first post is on Canadian health care. Health Care Blog.

First Post

Hello, world.