Regardless of which two of the four NFL playoff contenders makes it to the Super Bowl on February 3rd, no team has come as far as the Amazon Bezos, who are guaranteed a spot at the highest rated TV show of the year. This time, instead of Pepsi tying in with Apple iTunes like they did four years ago, Pepsi will help Amazon take on iTunes, the biggest digital music store in creation. Despite the continuing decline in record sales, down 9.5% according to Nielsen SoundScan, the online digital business is - fine, thank you...
Here's how the Pepsi/Amazon promotion works: consumers who buy Pepsi drinks will receive points that can be redeemed for music downloads at a special section on the Amazon site. Amazon and Pepsi will give away up to a billion songs and prizes like DVDs and electronics and instead of Green Day providing the music as they did four years ago, it will be Justin Timberlake. The only declining member of the four giant music manufacturers in this promotion is Universal, because of a pricing disagreement but they'll continue to use Amazon to move product...
Amazon is expected to pay the record companies about 40 cents per track given away although their usual payment ranges from 65 to 70 cents. And why are the record companies playing Super ball with Amazon which started its rival music service in September? There is growing tension between the music industries and Apple because CEO Steven P. Jobs has become too powerful in setting prices and terms and what better way to get even than by going to Jeff Bezos, one of the best marketers in the world...
Apple is hardly a total loser in this switch to Amazon since any mention of music downloading will move more iPods which dominate the digital player market. Most experts agree that the competition of total dominance in the digital music business will be a long one. As NPD analyst Russ Crupnick puts it, "the much bigger target is all of the people who don't do digital downloading yet. How do I convince them that digital music is a good thing to begin with? I think Amazon is in a good position to do that, but it's a long struggle." ...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1882] Doctor my eyes: The Myopia Hunt Club in Winchester (MA) becomes the first country club. The founders were actually near-sighted or myopic. The club eventually moves to Hamilton (MA)...
- 1952] Debuted on this date: "The Today Show" on NBC-TV with Dave Garroway and Jack Lescoulie. The 40th anniversary of the show was commemorated in 1994 on channel 4 New York. It contained a clip of the first show: http://youtube.com/watch?v=WaIdkheRQpo ...1972] "Sanford and Son" starring Redd Foxx on NBC-TV. The show runs until September 2, 1977 before going into syndication and here's a video clip: http://youtube.com/watch?v=VIc5Ll_aWIQ&feature=related ...
- 1954] Wedding Bells: Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe marry at San Francisco City Hall. Marilyn will charge 'mental cruelty' in October and the couple will divorce...2004] J.P. Morgan Chase strikes a deal to buy Bank One for $58 billion...
- 1963] Color blind: George C. Wallace vows "segregation forever" as he's sworn in as Governor of Alabama. Eventually Wallace drops his racial discrimination stance...
- 1970] I am I said: The first "Human Be-in" is held, where else? San Francisco. Golden Gate Park is the scene. Far-out, man...
- 1993] Musical networks: David Letterman announces that he's leaving NBC for CBS-TV...
- 1998] Circular filed: Whitewater prosecutors begin questioning Hillary Rodham Clinton about the gathering of FBI files on past Republican political appointees...
- 1998] Medical supply money: NBC agrees to pay Warner Brothers a record $13 million per episode to retain the top-rated TV show, "ER"...
- 2001] Super Sunday here we come: The Giants gain their third trip to a Super Bowl by beating Minnesota for the NFC crown but they lose the SB to Baltimore. With their upset win over Dallas yesterday, they have a shot of going again if they get by Green Bay - no lock there...
- 2004] And Teddy too: George W. Bush unveils a plan to send astronauts and Ted Kennedy to the moon, Mars and beyond to a galaxy billions and billions of light years away...
Music Memories:
- 1960] Salute me, PFC: Elvis Presley is promoted to Sergeant in the U.S. Army...
- 1966] The Name Game: David Jones changes his last name to 'Bowie' to avoid confusion with Monkee Davy Jones...
- 1970] Someday means never: Diana Ross and the Supremes perform their last concert together at the recently imploded Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas...
- 1989] Released on this date: "Back in The U.S.S.R." LP - Paul McCartney. Paul gets a chance to do the tune in the U.S.S.R., seen here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=GhRu9yzlTRI ...
Commentary:
"Happy Trails" to Long-time member of the WATD family on Massachusetts' south shore, George Denham who passed away Saturday after a long battle with cancer at 65. George and Ed Bowen were co-hosts of the Saturday night show, "Yesterday's Memories" for over 20 years. Arrangements for George are through the Kraw-Kornack Funeral Home in Norwood. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the vocal group 'Hall of Fame' in care of Ed Bowen, WATD, 130 Enterprise Drive, Marshfield, MA 02050. Thanks to Paul Power for informing us of this sad news...The Brooklyn Dodger pitcher who brought a world championship to Brooklyn and stopped the Yankees domination of the fall classic in 1955, Johnny Podres, passed away yesterday at the age of 75 in upstate New York. Podres had been battling a lengthy illness but no cause of death has been announced. 'Happy Trails': Johnny Podres...On an uplifting note, the timeline has been updated for the Patriots to: 17 down and 2 to go and with the exception of San Diego, this Super Bowl promises to have giant numbers which ever of the other 3 remaining teams gets to Glendale, Arizona (the Patriots, who would still be undefeated and either Green Bay, because of Brett Favre's popularity or the Giants in the #1 market and their huge fan base). Can't wait...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Jason Bateman (39), LL Cool J (40), Marjoe Gortner (64), Faye Dunaway (67), Julian Bond (68), Jack Jones (70), Allen Toussaint (70), Clarence Carter (72), Caterina Valente (77) and Andy Rooney (89) seen in this hilarious clip being interviewed by Ali G. Andy doesn't have a clue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpDyJObCKOY ...
Timeline Countdown: 6 days until the NFL Conference Championships, 17 down and 2 to go for the Patriots, 20 days until the Super Bowl and 31 days until pitchers and catchers report voluntarily...
