• Comcast scoops up DailyCandy
By Mike Robuck

According to published reports, Comcast has purchased electronic newsletter DailyCandy for around $125 million.

DailyCandy is a free daily e-mail newsletter and Web site that offers women information on fashion, gadgets, travel and beauty. DailyCandy was founded in 2000 by journalist Dany Levy and has about 2.5 million subscribers based in 12 cities in the U.S., as well as in London. DailyCandy is based in New York City and has 55 employees.

“DailyCandy is a leading online brand that reaches an engaged, loyal and targeted female demographic with a unique editorial voice,” said Sam Schwartz, EVP of Comcast Interactive Media (CIM). “They have a highly successful and differentiated advertising and business model that touches people on a very local level. We look forward to the obvious cross-promotion and content development opportunities across our CIM and Comcast brands.”

• TWC, Charter partner with NBCU for Olympics coverage
By Traci Patterson

Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications are set to offer their respective subscribers coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, thanks to separate agreements with NBC Universal (NBCU). Comcast announced a similar partnership with NBCU earlier this week.

Time Warner Cable will allow its customers to watch and be a part of the Olympics In-Games with Free On-Demand and high-definition (HD) services, as well as broadband content from NBCOlympics.com via a link from the Time Warner Cable Road Runner Web site. Customers will also have access to two HD sport-specific channels for soccer and basketball.

Charter customers will have access to hundreds of hours of HD coverage, as well as the two sport-specific channels that TWC is offering. Charter customers will also have on-demand access to Olympics coverage via the In-Games package, as well as broadband access to coverage on NBCOlympics.com.

• Verizon’s FiOS TV service expands in Mass.
By Traci Patterson

Consumers in four more Massachusetts communities – Northborough, Stoughton, Stow and Sutton – now have access to Verizon’s FiOS TV service.

The four towns join a list of 78 Massachusetts communities where Verizon’s video service is, or will soon be, offered.

Verizon is currently negotiating with several other communities in Massachusetts to obtain additional franchises.

• BigBand’s SDV remote monitoring platform in 25 N. Amer. locations
By Mike Robuck

BigBand Networks said yesterday that its Remote Monitoring Service (RMS) has been implemented in more than 25 switched digital video (SDV) locations in North America.

The RMS was designed to give cable operators round-the-clock information on the status of their switched digital video systems. The RMS suite includes a dashboard view with real-time alarm reporting and inventory management of BigBand devices in a single view, as well as proactive and preventive network monitoring.

"The BigBand RMS suite represents a paradigm shift away from reactive isolation and resolution, to a proactive approach to monitoring network health," said David Heard, BigBand's COO.

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