Electus – Page 5

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.
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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.

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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 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 8, 2010June 22, 2011

Ben Silverman’s DumbDumb Deal

$100 million start up fund, Adam Fogelson, Angela Bromstad, Ari Emanuel, Barry Diller, Ben Silverman, Chase the Money, Chopped, City Lights TV, CollegeHumor, Dance, Dave Noll, Don't Sweat It, Donna Langley, Doritos, DumbDumb, Electus, Fortune's 40 under 40, Funny or Die, IAC, Jason Bateman, Jay Leno, Jeff Weiner, Jeff Zucker, Jeffrey Immelt, Jill Kennedy, John Ferriter, Khan Manka, Love Taxi, Manka Bros., media analyst, NBC Universal, Nikki Finke, Notional, On Medea, OnMedea, OnMedea's Top 40 Failures Under 40, Paul Telegdy, Ready, Rick Finkelstein, Ricky Van Veen, Ryan Seacrest, Set, Sharon Waxman, Tara Swisher, Terry Semel, The Biggest Loser, the Jay Leno Show, The Restaurant, The Tonight Show, thewrap.com, twitter, Will Arnett, Will Ferrell, William Faulkner, You vs. America

Yes, this deal is as DumbDumb as you can get.

How to build a successful startup: Step #1 – Use Barry Diller’s money to fund a vanity production label with a friend from high school.

Yes, Jason Bateman and Will Arnett (in particular) are talented guys but anyone who thinks they will spend any real time on this venture is out of their minds.

Sure, we’ll get the standard Will Ferrell-type Funny of Die videos of Bateman and Arnett walking around with a steady-cam eating Doritos and improvising about how easy this internet stuff is – but will anything of value come out of DumbDumb?

Ben Silverman knows the answer to this and laughs at how DumbDumb some people must be.

I would imagine Barry Diller also knows the answer. Unfortunately, he’s the ultimate DumbDumb in this equation for funding Electus in the first place.

But for now… it’s all just so exciting. I know I’m just a cockeyed optimist, but I just can’t wait for Ben to change the world again. And I’m super glad that they took the time out of the arduous process of building the successful DumbDumb business model to appear in Las Vegas for the announcement (along with the awesomely hilarious Notional CEO Lord Ricky Van Veen).

I just hope it’s not the same business model that Ben Silverman developed for Electus: Spend $100 million on the development (but not the execution) of digital content and when that money is gone – launch another start-up with another sugar daddy.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

November 19, 2009April 21, 2011

Notional – R.I.P.

The revolution is over… and what a crappy revolution it was.

Notional – the only company to ever come up with the idea for a dating show in a taxi; a competitive cooking show; a home makeover show; as well as several shitty internet game shows in development including “Ready, Set, Dance”, “You vs. America” and “Chase the Money” – is dead.

Yes, I realize Notional hasn’t got up on its feet yet – but, based on the announcement of the “slate” today, Notional IS creatively dead. Physically, they’re still on life support and won’t be dead until 2011 or so (thus the tombstone – thanks, R).

Oh, well. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what content visionary (and current Notional CEO) Ricky Van Veen will think up next. Hopefully something that will have the same forward-thinking press release that mentions words like “revolutionary” and “ground-breaking.”

I must apologize to Barry Diller and all IAC shareholders for killing off his two latest content creation ventures before they really got started – (I killed Ben Silverman’s cure for what has been a cancer of bad content and business models on the internet, Electus, a couple of weeks ago… also before the launch) – but it had to be done.

Come on, Ricky, freakin’ internet game shows? Who gives a shit? You were so clever until you started spending Barry Diller’s money. What does he get for making you rich? You… trying to make him poor.

The only show you could produce that could possibly work is you and your new best friend Ben Silverman going out every night and partying your brains out then putting your escapades up on the internet for everyone to see. You could actually erect the elusive paywall on that one. Just imagine it… you, Ben and hot chicks in bars… X-rated.

THAT is programming only you guys can do in just the right pathetic way. And THAT is your only competitive advantage.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea

October 27, 2009April 25, 2011

Electus – R.I.P.

I realize that Electus – the earth-shattering, ground-breaking, cutting-edge new business from Ben Silverman and Barry Diller’s IAC/ InterActiveCorp hasn’t launched, but I have recently climbed aboard Khan Manka, Jr.’s Time Machine and gone into the not-too-distant future to retrieve the press release announcing (sadly) the company’s closure. Sorry, Ben.

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From the Associated Press (July 2011):

Electus, the $100 million start-up from media wunderkind Ben Silverman has decided to close its doors effective immediately after only 18 months in business. 875 staffers (mostly low-level hot chicks in their 20s who ran errands and stuff) were expected to lose their jobs. The highly-touted venture only managed to produce one original internet series – a show about bed-hopping young flight attendants based at O’Hare International Airport called “The Hub”.

Electus, announced by Mr. Silverman with much fanfare in July 2009 (after a completely disastrous run as Co-Chairman of NBC Entertainment), was supposed to change the entertainment landscape with the unoriginal idea of marrying advertising, content and distribution in a new media world.

Mr. Silverman was unavailable for comment but released a statement through his representatives: “I am proud of my accomplishments at Electus. Even though $100 million doesn’t go as far as it used to, I still changed the world! No one has even come close to doing what I did because nobody had the balls. What a ride! Maybe people just aren’t ready for forward-thinking.”

Mr. Diller was available for comment and simply said about Silverman: “Fuck that guy.”

But don’t worry about Ben. He has landed on his feet and will continue his Quixotic quest to monetize online content from his penthouse suite at The Palms Hotel in Vegas. Goldman Sachs
has committed $500 million to fund his new, as yet, unnamed venture.
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Oh, yeah, one other thing I learned from the future: The Jay Leno Show was canceled in 2010 and called one of the greatest failures in the history of television. Sorry, Ben.

Jill Kennedy – OnMedea