Electus – Page 2

June 8, 2010April 4, 2011

Electus.com – Looking Good!

So, after my very long vacation, I decided to check in on my old friend Ben Silverman’s new company – Electus. Now, I’ve been pretty tough on Electus and Ben Silverman since this venture was announced 11 months ago(!) – so, I went to Electus.com with new hope and got nothing… just an error message.

So I went to the IAC Corporate site and got a blurb on Electus – which gave me a link to this… more nothing:

Look, Ben, I realize Electus.com isn’t going to be the final destination for all the brilliant content you produce (I mean, you did create “The Office” – didn’t you? Ricky Gervais owes you big time!), but how about a basic Corporate site with a little information?

Even Notional.com put up a logo – but, then again, Ricky Van Veen is a freakin’ genius.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

June 8, 2010April 5, 2011

I’m Back From Mt. Kilimanjaro And Ready To Go

Now THAT’S what I call a month off.

As many of you have noticed, I haven’t been around for the past month (replies to your emails are coming). Where have I been? CLIMBING MT. KILIMANJARO!

I was told MK is considered one of the easiest of the BIG mountains to climb and would require very little training.

After assigning myself the difficult task of bringing down big media buffoons such as Ben Silverman, Meredith Whitney and Jeff Zucker, I don’t have the time to train to climb mountains. And, yet, with only a few hours logged on the Stairmaster, somehow – I MADE IT! More pics and stories to come on that later – but this isn’t a travel blog and I’m sure you can find much more interesting Mt. Kilimanjaro tidbits elsewhere.

As I have been “off the grid” for a month – I was very happy to hear about Jeff Zucker’s potential exit from NBC Universal after the merger. I was very unhappy to hear he may receive upwards of $40 million when he leaves. I was hoping his exit package would only include one big kick in the ass on his way out the door.

I would love to see a Jeff Zucker / Ben Silverman reunion over at the ill-fated Electus.com before it runs out of Barry Diller’s money and shuts its doors for good sometime next year.

Oh, well, a girl can dream, can’t she? It’s great to back.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

April 13, 2010June 22, 2011

Ben Silverman Is Not A Visionary

OK, don’t go all crazy MIPTV Conference people, Ben Silverman didn’t say shit that hasn’t been said before by… everyone producing new media content.

Perhaps he says it in a way that make people think it sounds new or perhaps people just want to party with the guy – but it’s crazy how he can speak for 45 minutes and not say a thing.

I still don’t know what the hell Electus is based on the way Ben tries to define it (the website offers no help).

It sounds to me like a production company. A production company that will have Facebook Fan areas and YouTube channels. Basically like every production company on the planet.

It will be a production company that acquires (or JV’s) ideas for reality and game shows that can be exploited in the U.S. and international markets. Please tell King World, Telepictures, Mark Burnett, Endemol, etc. or other companies that have been doing this FOR DECADES that your idea is revolutionary, Ben. I’m sure they would laugh you out of the room and tell you to stop stealing their stuff.

Electus’ plan is to bring Burbank, Madison Avenue and THE WORLD together before a project goes forward – basically marrying advertisers with content producers up front. Perhaps you should Google (or “Electus’le” – which will be your way of rebranding Google – in a deal you’ll announce by Press Release and then we won’t hear about it ever again) the concept for the ‘Soap Opera’ from the 1930s.

If your plan (if I may interpret it from your Press Release to announce the deal to create DumbDumb) is just to stick a bag of Doritos in Will Arnett’s hand while he and Jason Bateman talk about their love for Doritos (plus they’ll attempt to throw in some silly plot that’s added just for fun) while one of them Twitters about his love for Doritos and encourages viewers to “Fan” Doritos on Facebook… then that’s fine and dandy.

Everybody gets paid by Doritos and everybody (probably) makes money. It’s called a commercial.

Seriously, producing “branded” content with celebrities doesn’t mean shit. It means they’re doing commercials and probably feeling pretty bad about themselves once they have to start announcing the winners of the Electus Award for Cheesiest Doritos Fanatic (which no doubt encompasses the person who can get the most people to join the Twitter feed).

There’s nothing wrong with that. Money is money. That’s why you’re in business. Just don’t call it revolutionary or visionary or YOUR IDEA! It’s just a production company. Screech has a production company. Everybody is doing what you’re doing.

Do it in 1994 as the internet is just coming into people’s homes… then it’s revolutionary.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

April 8, 2010April 6, 2011

Ben Silverman’s MIPTV Keynote Address

It recently came to my attention that Ben Silverman was asked to give a keynote address at this year’s MIPTV Conference in Cannes, France on April 13, 2010. Realizing that Ben is a very busy man (what with single-handedly changing the media landscape… again), I have taken the liberty of drafting his keynote address for him.

Based on everything I know about him through interviews and presentations, etc., I have attempted to write the speech in a style he would find the most comfortable.
———————–
Ben Silverman – Founder and CEO of the new multimedia company Electus – a groundbreaking partnership with media mogul Barry Diller’s leading interactive company IAC.

(As the lights dim, a low hum emits from somewhere, smoke machines fill the stage with a heavy mist. A lightning bolt appears to strike the back of the stage followed by a thunderclap – leaving the silhouette of… A MAN.)

BOOMING VOICE OVER: Since the dawn of time, only one man has had the balls to change the world. To change the way we think, we feel, we speak. To change the way we laugh, the way we cry. The guts to change 10pm programming on broadcast networks. His name… is Ben.

(A pin spotlight pulls out to reveal BEN SILVERMAN in all his glory – sunglasses, suit that he probably slept in with the tie loosened – unshaven. He points to the sky as another lightning bolt shoots out of his finger. “Rock You Like A Hurricane” by The Scorpions screams from the speakers as he floats magically toward the podium on a hydraulic saucer.)

All is silent (except, I imagine, for the thunderous applause from the lucky MIPTV crowd).

Ben Silverman: Yeah… all right… good morning Cannes. Hell of a town you got here. I don’t know what kind of poison you serve in your bars, but you fuckers got me drunk!

(From the wings, Notional founder and CEO Ricky Van Veen is heard cackling.)

Ricky Van Veen: You got that shit right! Whooo!

Ben Silverman: Before I get started, how about a shout out for my little pissant buddy over there, Notional Founder and CEO Ricky Van Veen!

(There is a smattering of applause and bunch of “who the fuck is that” looks throughout the crowd.)

Ben Silverman: All right, all right… Let’s get going. It’s really great to be here at the MIPTV conference. What the hell does ‘MIP’ mean anyway? Nobody seems to know.

Ricky Van Veen: Damn straight on that one, cat daddy!

Ben Silverman: Can it, Ricky.

Ricky Van Veen: I get it “Cannes”! That’s where we are! Freakin’ hilarious, boss.

Ben Silverman: Shut the fuck up, Ricky.

Ricky Van Veen: Sorry, daddy-o.

Ben Silverman: (holding up a cocktail) And I said more vodka than tomato juice, bitch.

Ricky Van Veen: Sorry bout dat.

(Ricky comes on stage and takes Ben’s drink to freshen it up.)

Ben Silverman: Anyway… Now we’re cruising. You guys (and ladies) are all International Television folk, right? Excellent. How’s business? It’s great to see the Polish TV delegation out there.

(There is applause from a delegation of Polish Television Executives.)

Ben Silverman: The last I heard from you guys in Poland, you were dealing with the problems of screen doors on your submarines, right? And I heard your library was closed because someone stole THE BOOK! Am I right? Anway, I see you guys have television now. Welcome to the 20th century! Next stop, the internet!

(A screen behind Ben descends from the ceiling revealing his PowerPoint presentation. The light envelops him in a Christ-like glow. The first slide is Ben Silverman’s professional timeline.)

Ben Silverman: After I created “The Office” in the UK and decided to bring it to America, I really needed a new challenge. So I told NBC Universal Chairman Jeff Zucker I wanted to be the head of NBC. He said I was overqualified for the job and would be better suited to be his boss… but I convinced him that I would prefer to run NBC for a while and see how that goes first.

(Another slide – Images of Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien and Jeff Zucker.)

Ben Silverman: When Zucker told me he wanted to move Jay Leno to 10pm and cancel all the dramas in that time slot, I said he was crazy. “It will never work”, I said. I predicted at the time The Jay Leno Show would last approximately four months before the affiliates would complain about having a crappy lead-in. But Jeff Zucker was insistent. So he did it. He moved Jay to 10pm… and I quit.

(Another slide – giant Electus logo… a smaller IAC logo barely noticeable.)

Ben Silverman: Having conquered the broadcast network world, I decided the one space where every content producer was having trouble was the online world. It was a challenge I couldn’t refuse. The person who figures out how to make money with content on the internet will be made King! Everyone is losing shitloads of money right now. “It’s a space that can’t be tamed, Ben.” “Please, Ben, don’t try it.” Everyone was being a whiny little bitch to me, begging me not to go into New Media. When Barry Diller pleaded with me to take $100 million and start Electus, I told him it wouldn’t work. “It’s throwing good money down the toilet”, I said. But he insisted.

(Another slide – Ben Silverman holding a mini-dv camcorder.)

Ben Silverman: I just wanted to have a little mini-dv camcorder and some really good out of work writers looking for a break and I wanted to create a low-cost, high-quality content site. It’s the only model that works. But Mr. Diller, being used to high-cost, low-quality content, insisted that I take the money. So I did. And, today, I’m happy to say, there is still some money left.

(Slight applause.)

Ben Silverman: I will now take your questions.

————————————————————————-
Note to Ben, just copy and paste the text into Word, print it out, and you have your speech.

You’re welcome.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

March 30, 2010April 6, 2011

Electus.com – A Sneak Peek

All I can say is, BEN SILVERMAN HAS DONE IT AGAIN!

In only nine months, Mr. Silverman has taken his crazy $100 million dollar dream of Electus.com and turned it into the reality that IS Electus.com.

The brilliance of the Electus.com homepage (at left) is its minimalism. What looks to you and me like an “Error” page is actually Ben Silverman’s ‘crystal ball’ gaze at the future of his own company. It’s a stunning stroke from the Master Innovator.

IAC (and Barry Diller) must be proud and ready to show the world as they have made the link to the site live.

Media watchers (or Medea watchers) like me can’t wait to see what he comes up with next. Perhaps Lord Silverman will provide a sliver of wisdom in his upcoming keynote to the MIPTV conference on April 13th.

What a great day that will be in the history of media.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

February 22, 2010April 6, 2011

UPDATE: Jeff Zucker Still Has A Job

The Billion Dollar Question is – WHY?

If I were to talk directly to Jeff Zucker’s current boss (Jeffrey Immelt) and future boss (Brian Roberts), I would quote my new hero, Dutch speed skater Sven Kramer, and say “Are you stoopid?”

Even if we all could forget about the recent mistakes that have been made under Jeff Zucker’s watch…

Lowest rated network
Jay/Conan debacle
Hiring Ben Silverman for… anything
The absolutely horrendous Olympic coverage which not only sucks but will LOSE millions of dollars. (The latest horrible decision was to air the TAPE-DELAYED 2-man Bobsled coverage on NBC over one of the best LIVE Olympic hockey games in years – USA vs. Canada. I’m sure JZ would say it was a brilliant move on his part to force people to find MSNBC on their televisions.)

… at this point, it’s a matter of credibility. And he has none.

Imagine Jeff Zucker standing in front of a group of Wall Street investor analysts with his PowerPoint slides and telling them “This is the future of television…” “This is the direction Comcast/NBC needs to go…” “Here are my ideas on how to turn things around…” etc.

Seriously, who the hell would believe he has the answers? And why does he even get the chance to give the answers. NBC was once great. All the missteps really started to snowball AFTER he become Chairman & CEO. He is into his fourth year and has thus far proven nothing to nobody.

Basta. Enough.

However, in an effort to make my entries a little more positive, I’m going to attempt to end them all on an upbeat note. So… that said… I do like the bulky ski resort sweaters Jeff Zucker has been wearing as he talks up NBC’s suck ass Olympic coverage on CNBC.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

February 10, 2010April 6, 2011

Is Barry Diller Getting Tired?

From where I sit at my breakfast nook in La Canada, California, 3,000 miles from IAC’s headquarters in New York, Barry Diller seems to be getting tired of it all.

Yesterday, when I listened to IAC’s earnings call, I got the sense that Mr. Diller could care less about what he’s doing these days. His answers were short and he seemed generally distracted and uninterested.

When IAC was formed a few years ago, it was all very exciting. A promising collection of digital assets that would destroy old media. Mr. Diller was on the cutting-edge of this brave new media world, leaving his dinosaur studio pals in the dust with their “movies” and “television shows”.

But it hasn’t quite worked out that way.

Mr. Diller has been a true visionary throughout his career and now it’s sort of sad to see him relegated to Q&A about the slowing growth at Match.com; the boring future potential of local search; and Ben Silverman’s new company.

All this while old media is staging a huge comeback and grabbing all the headlines: “‘Avatar’ breaks worldwide box office record.” “Super Bowl XLIV is the most-watched television event ever.”

All this makes me think: Is Barry Diller tired of it? Is this really the future he imagined in 1991 after driving across the country with his Apple Powerbook? Dating websites and CollegeHumor?

Who knows? Maybe he really enjoys talking business with Ricky Van Veen.

In my opinion, it’s time for Mr. Diller to jump in the car with an Apple iPad and drive across the country again.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

February 2, 2010April 12, 2011

Ben Hur Silverman

Ben Silverman is making this way too easy.

IAC has released the logo for Ben Silverman’s world-changing, earth-shattering, ground-breaking new venture – Electus.

In my opinion, it is the perfect logo for the company. Everything you need to know about Electus and its future success is represented in the design of that logo.

Accompanying the logo (on the IAC website – Electus.com is… still to come) is a new description of the company. (Could we be getting close to launch?): “Led by founder Ben Silverman, Electus is a next generation studio enabling premium content creators to engage with advertising and technology partners at the inception of the creative process and partner on the finished product across a global and multi-platform distribution model.

“Electus is defining an innovative advertising component, which will challenge the traditional entertainment silos, allowing content creators and branding partners to develop premium programs and reach audiences like never before. The content will be distributed globally through the Electus international distribution arm as well as across a multitude of analog and digital platforms.”

Because nothing says “Next Generation” like a logo with A HORSE AND BUGGY ON IT!

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

P.S. – Ben Silverman is the upcoming keynote speaker at MIPTV this year. Because he is busy changing the world, I have taken the liberty of penning his speech for him.

January 19, 2010April 8, 2011

Jay Leno and NBC: Damage Control Begins

OK. So Conan is gone. Jay is back at 11:35. What’s next? Damage control.

Over the next few weeks, we can expect to see NBC Universal’s ‘A Team’ of publicists begin the seemingly impossible task of resuscitating the images of Jay Leno, The Tonight Show and NBC.

The Winter Olympics couldn’t have come at a better time to provide a necessary distraction – and it allows NBC Universal’s corporate publicists an extra two weeks to rebuild NBC’s shattered image.

So, here’s what needs to be done:

Step 1: Jeff Zucker must be fired. Regardless of what really happened behind the scenes, his name is synonymous with the total failure of NBC and it is perceived by the public that he is the main reason the Conan/Jay issue became such a mess. The fact that he actually believed the best way to handle the situation was to attack Conan O’Brien illustrates his complete inability to manage a crisis.

This is not someone that Comcast needs at the top of the new company to be formed and it’s, frankly, not someone that anyone needs (unless he wants to go join his buddy Ben Silverman in his soon-to-be failed company – Electus). That would be fine with me.

Step 2: Provide tons of food aid to Haitian earthquake victims (with the optional The Tonight Show With Jay Leno branding on each bag). It’s hard for late night comedians to make fun of someone who is providing real help to people in desperate need.

Step 3: Develop really good / meaningful shows and stick with them even if the ratings aren’t there. While this may result in lower profits in the short-term, NBC needs to convince viewers that they are capable of producing quality entertainment and don’t just make crappy shows about who can lose the most weight.

That’s it. Jay will go back on at 11:35 and will most likely become #1 again in a month or so. Major stars will not boycott Jay because the late night shows are vital to the promotion of their upcoming films and television series.

Sure, right now everyone is on Conan’s side but once Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts have films to promote, they’ll be right there back on Jay’s couch. Without a doubt.

If these steps are taken, NBC should be in a pretty good position when they announce their fall 2010 shows at the May upfronts.

However, if Step 1 is ignored – all bets are off.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

January 11, 2010April 12, 2011

Jeff Gaspin – What The Hell Was That?

The Jay Leno Show cancellation announcement by Jeff Gaspin – Chairman NBC Entertainment – was handled in just about the worst way possible. It should have so simple: Announce the news; admit it was mistake and talk about the exciting changes to come. That’s it.

Instead, Jeff Gaspin’s announcement at the TCA Winter Press Tour was a stunning display on how not to do something. He was defensive (even blaming other parts of the company) and basically said he didn’t really know what they were going to do next.

Let’s break down the key quotes:

Gaspin: “I would have liked nothing more than to give this (The Jay Leno Show) a 52-week try.” (You’re the freakin’ Chairman of NBC Entertainment – don’t you have the power to give it a try for as long you’d like no matter who is against it? Especially if you would have ‘liked nothing more’?

Gaspin: “This was not an issue for the network…” (No, of course not, NBC kicks ass! Fourth place ass. But it still kicks ass!)

Gaspin: “… it was an issue for our affiliates.” (That’s it, blame another part of your company. One great leadership trait is knowing whom should be blamed in a time of crisis.)

Gaspin: “We were making money at 10 p.m. I think, over time, (‘Leno’s’ ratings) might have started to grow. For the network, it was not yet a wrong decision.” (You really went out on a limb on that one. ‘It was not yet a wrong decision?’ What the fuck is that? Come on, Jeff, just say ‘Yes, it was the wrong decision. We failed but we’re going to fix it.’ The culture at NBC has got to change. When the Chairman of the company is afraid of accountability, what hope is there for the rest of the executive team?)

So, Jeff, was “Leno” a mistake?

Gaspin: “I don’t think it’s wrong to take chances. We might have been too early on this one.” (Ah, I see… you’re just ahead of your time. The world is not ready for the bold programming choices coming from NBC. The world is not ready for a powder puff monologue followed by lame celebrity interviews at 10pm. Fight on, lone ranger, one day the world will catch up to your vision.)

You want to know how to avoid a “PR Issue”, Jeff – nut-up and take the blame for a mistake. Obviously, your boss Jeff Zucker is too much of a wimp to acknowledge failure. As I said in October, it’s a stupid TV show that didn’t work – it’s not that big of a deal. It was a programming choice that didn’t work. Simple as that.

Now, get out there and make the best “Law & Order” spin-off that you can.

Godspeed, Jeff Gaspin.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea