2008 TV News Archives
April 7, 2008: Sprint, CW Mobilize Supergirl for Mobisodes
She fights with the Justice League, made a splash in Smallville and now, in an effort to reward that show's fans, will star in her own series of animated mobisodes on Sprint. That Supergirl sure gets around.The effort is the second round of mobile shorts from Sprint, the CW network and its sibling Warner Bros. TV Group. The first, based on another Smallville character, Green Arrow, got the highest tune-in of all Sprint's entertainment offerings in winter 2007, the marketer said.
The CW, like many broadcasters, is pushing content onto various platforms to promote its primetime lineup and is finding mobile an increasingly attractive tactic to reach young adults. Going an extra step - creating original stories that parallel Smallville's action - could draw new as well as loyal viewers to the TV show.
"There are passionate fans who respond to content created just for them," said Alison Tarrant, the CW's svp-integrated sales and marketing. "And they respond to the ad partner who sponsors it."
Sprint is this sponsor in this case. The company underwrites the mobisodes as part of an overall deal with the network and advertises during Smallville, which kicks off the second half of its seventh season next week. Sprint also has brand integration that shows off the features and gadgetry of its cell phones, taking it beyond a traditional product placement.
For its entertainment ties, the marketer looks for shows with "a unique group of very highly engaged fans," said Alisa Smith, marketing manager at Sprint, Overland Park, Kansas. "Then we get ingrained with them over time."
Sprint wouldn't release specific figures on how many people watched last season's Smallville Legends shorts or subscribe to entertainment content, which ranges from NFL and Nascar highlights to interviews from Oprah's Big Give and episodes of Hannah Montana. But they, and their competitors, clearly believe it is the future.
Recent estimates are that as many as 10% of cell phone users are watching video. That translates to about 35 million people in the U.S. Of the few million consumers who now carry iPhones, a disproportionate number, 30.9%, are watching mobile TV or video, per M:Metrics, Seattle.
Networks are responding. Some release entire episodes, including behind-the-scenes segments, interviews and making-of specials, while others create fresh content. Fox, an early adopter, has developed original mobisodes around its successful 24, Prison Break and The Simple Life, while ABC has done so with, Lost.
Mobile carriers offer TV-related fare, news, sports, celebrity gossip and the like to their customers as extras, sometimes as an all-you-can-eat subscription, akin to cable TV. Unlimited voice, data and multimedia services cost $99 a month on Sprint, for instance.
Such fees could be a stumbling block, said Peter Kim, a senior analyst at Forrester Research, Cambridge, Mass. Kim thinks there's a disconnect between the premium subscriber and the young adult fan of mobile entertainment. "People using the data functions of their cell phones are older professionals," Kim said, referring to corporate BlackBerry users. "That could be too pricey for a teen demo." MyWaves, which licenses content and distributes it free on mobile phones, aims at the 18-34 year-old largely male demo with clips from MTV, Comedy Central and other networks. CEO Rajeev Raman said subscription fees above $5 or $10 a month deter young adults. "It's tough to get the MySpace crowd," Raman said. "It's a high bar."
2008 Television News
Listed below are all the Television News items archived for 2008 organized into various categories:“Smallville” News:
- January 7, 2008: New “Smallville” Characters & Chatting with Allison Mack
- January 10, 2008: People's Choice Award Winners
- January 12, 2008: WGA Strike Impacting on Canadian Industry
- January 18, 2008: Smallville “Persona” Description and “Siren” Photos
- January 20, 2008: Smallville Black Canary Photos
- January 23, 2008: “Smallville” Convention Appearances & TV News
- January 24, 2008: “Smallville” Spoiler and “Fracture” Episode Photos
- January 25, 2008: Laura Vandervoort and Helen Slater in Orange County
- January 27, 2008: A Quick Chat with Michael Rosenbaum
- January 28, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 7, Episode 10 “Persona”
- January 31, 2008: No More “Smallville” for Michael Rosenbaum?
- January 31, 2008: James Marsters Talks Brainiac on “Smallville”
- January 31, 2008: No “Smallville” Return for Jane Seymour
- February 4, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 7, Episode 11 “Siren”
- February 6, 2008: “Smallville” Spoilers and Sprint Video Clips
- February 7, 2008: “Smallville” Interview with Al Gough
- February 11, 2008: 20 Episodes for “Smallville” Season 7
- February 11, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 7, Episode 12 “Fracture”
- February 17, 2008: Five Extra “Smallville” Episodes to Air from April
- February 18, 2008: Alaina Huffman Talks Black Canary
- February 20, 2008: Smallville Season Six Premium Trading Cards
- February 20, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 7, Episode 13 “Hero”
- February 24, 2008: “Smallville” Season 7 Episode Schedule
- February 25, 2008: Smallville The Official Season 6 Companion
- February 25, 2008: Neal Bailey “Camelot Falls” Article in Official Smallville Magazine
- March 3, 2008: The CW Picks Up “Smallville” for Season 8
- March 4, 2008: Video Tour of the Luthor Mansion
- March 10, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 7, Episode 13 “Hero”
- March 12, 2008: “Smallville” Spoilers, News and Rumors
- March 13, 2008: Fan-Created Online “Smallville” Comic
- March 17, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 7, Episode 14 “Traveler”
- March 18, 2008: Personal Messages from Allison Mack & Kristin Kreuk
- March 19, 2008: More Clues on “Smallville” Death in Season 7
- March 22, 2008: Helen Slater Appearing in Tulsa, Oklahoma
- March 24, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 7, Episode 15 “Veritas”
- March 27, 2008: The “Descent” of Lex Luthor on “Smallville”
- April 2, 2008: Ausiello Reveals Spoilers on “Smallville” Episode 150
- April 2, 2008: Brian Peterson Talks About “Smallville” Season 8
- April 3, 2008: Al Gough and Miles Millar Depart “Smallville”
- April 7, 2008: Sprint, CW Mobilize Supergirl for Mobisodes
- April 7, 2008: Why Did Gough and Millar Leave “Smallville”?
- April 9, 2008: Ausiello Reveals “Smallville” Episode 150 Spoilers
- April 15, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 7, Episode 16 “Descent”
- April 16, 2008: Three “Smallville” Video Clips from “Descent” Episode
- April 17, 2008: Smallville - Kara and the Chronicles of Krypton
- April 21, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 7, Episode 17 “Sleeper”
- April 24, 2008: Three Video Clips from Smallville “Sleeper” Episode
- April 28, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 7, Episode 18 “Apocalypse”
- May 1, 2008: Michael Rosenbaum Departs “Smallville”
- May 1, 2008: Michael Rosenbaum's Letter to “Smallville” Fans
- May 3, 2008: An Interview with Michael Rosenbaum
- May 5, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 7, Episode 19 “Quest”
- May 6, 2008: Smallville - Kara and the Chronicles of Krypton
- May 6, 2008: More “Smallville” Season 7, Episode 19 “Quest” Photos
- May 6, 2008: “Smallville” Season 7 DVD Cover Art Revealed
- May 8, 2008: Is Allison Mack Leaving “Smallville”?
- May 8, 2008: Info on Doomsday and Female Villain for “Smallville”
- May 8, 2008: Smallville “Quest” Director's Cut Video & Finale Photos
- May 12, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 7 Finale “Arctic”
- May 13, 2008: Quite Possibly No Chloe Sullivan in Season 8
- May 13, 2008: Pre-Order “Smallville” Season 7 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc
- May 14, 2008: The CW Announces Schedule for 2008-2009 Season
- May 15, 2008: Allison Mack Staying for “Smallville” Season 8
- May 15, 2008: “Smallville” Season 8 Not Final Season?
- May 17, 2008: Laura Vandervoort Also Leaves “Smallville”
- May 17, 2008: Review - Smallville “Justice” Action Figures
- May 20, 2008: Smallville - Will Lois Lane Fall in Love with Doomsday?
- May 21, 2008: “Smallville: The Complete Seventh Season” DVD Details
- May 22, 2008: “Smallville” Season 7 Premieres in the U.K. on May 27
- May 29, 2008: Press Release - “Smallville: The Complete Seventh Season”
- June 4, 2008: Green Arrow Becomes Regular “Smallville” Cast Member
- June 7, 2008: Wizard Examines “Smallville” Creative Shake-Up
- June 11, 2008: Erica Durance in “Smallville” Season 8
- June 12, 2008: “Smallville” VoD on UK Broadband
- June 18, 2008: “Smallville” Receives Four Teen Choice Award Nominations
- June 19, 2008: Actors Cast in Doomsday and Tess Roles for “Smallville”
- June 20, 2008: Official “Smallville” Press Release Regarding Doomsday and Tess
- July 2, 2008: TV Guide Reveals “Smallville” Season 8 Spoilers
- July 2, 2008: Neal Bailey Article in “Smallville Magazine #27”
- July 10, 2008: “Smallville” Spoilers and Season 8 Premiere Date
- July 11, 2008: “Smallville” Season 8 Spoilers
- July 14, 2008: Darren Swimmer Talks “Smallville” Season 8
- July 15, 2008: “Smallville” Season 7 DVD Back Cover Artwork
- July 18, 2008: “Smallville” & “New Frontier” Receive Emmy Nominations
- July 18, 2008: Smallville/Supernatural Comic-Con Tote Bag
- July 22, 2008: Darren Swimmer Reveals “Smallville” Season 8 Details
- July 24, 2008: Peterson and Slavkin Talk “Smallville” Season 8
- July 24, 2008: Sam Witwer Talks About Doomsday on “Smallville”
- July 24, 2008: Plenty of “Smallville” Season 8 Spoilers
- July 24, 2008: San Diego Comic-Con International
- July 27, 2008: Comic-Con - Smallville Screening and Q&A Panel
- July 27, 2008: Geoff Johns Brings Legion of Super-Heroes to TV's “Smallville”
- July 28, 2008: Comic-Con - Smallville Roundtable Interviews
- July 29, 2008: Comic-Con - Smallville Videos and Interviews
- July 30, 2008: TV Guide Talks Lois & Clark on “Smallville”
- August 5, 2008: “Smallville” Season 8 Video Interviews
- August 6, 2008: “Smallville” Season 8 Episode 5 Kiss
- August 7, 2008: More TV Guide Talk on “Smallville” Season 8
- August 12, 2008: Chatting with Jimmy Olsen AKA Aaron Ashmore
- August 20, 2008: Charlotte Sullivan Cast as Maxima for “Smallville”
- August 20, 2008: Justin Hartley and Allison Mack Talk “Smallville” Season 8
- August 21, 2008: “Smallville” Spoilers on Tess and Doomsday
- August 21, 2008: Neal Bailey Examines Brainiac in Smallville Magazine #28
- August 25, 2008: Vandervoort Returns for One Episode
- August 26, 2008: Smallville - The Complete Seventh Season DVD
- August 28, 2008: The CW Releases “Smallville” Season 8 Synopsis
- August 28, 2008: Smallville - Season 8, Episode 1 - “Odyssey”
- August 28, 2008: Slavkin and Swimmer Talk Season 9 for “Smallville”
- August 28, 2008: Love Declared in Season 8 of “Smallville”
- August 29, 2008: “Smallville” Trailer Contest
- August 31, 2008: Smallville - Season 8, Episode 1 - “Odyssey”
- August 31, 2008: Smallville - Season 8, Episode 2 - “Plastique”
- September 3, 2008: Geoff Johns Talks LSH on “Smallville”
- September 4, 2008: “Smallville” Seasons 6 & 7 DVDs Come to the U.K.
- September 6, 2008: Smallville - Season 8, Episode 2 - “Plastique”
- September 9, 2008: Allison Mack Talks “Smallville” Season 8
- September 11, 2008: Spoiler Info About Chloe in “Smallville” Season 8
- September 12, 2008: TV Guide Talks to Erica Durance About Season 8
- September 13, 2008: Smallville - Season 8, Episode 3 - “Toxic”
- September 13, 2008: More Photos for Episodes 1 & 2 of “Smallville” Season 8
- September 14, 2008: Smallville “Odyssey” Director's Cut and Episode Trailers
- September 14, 2008: “Smallville” Interview Round-Up
- September 15, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 8, Episode 1 “Odyssey”
- September 15, 2008: “Smallville” Wins Sound Editing Emmy Award
- September 16, 2008: Kristin Kreuk Talks Smallville and Beyond
- September 17, 2008: More “Smallville” Season 8 Video Clips and Interviews
- September 18, 2008: Yet More “Smallville” Interviews and Spoilers
- September 18, 2008: More “Smallville” Season 8 Interviews & Spoilers
- September 23, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 8, Episode 2 “Plastique”
- September 25, 2008: “Smallville” Interviews, Spoilers and Video Clips
- September 27, 2008: Erica Durance on “Attack of the Show”
- September 27, 2008: Smallville “A Hero's Passion” Trailer
- September 29, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 8, Episode 3 “Toxic”
- October 2, 2008: Allison Mack TV Guide Interview
- October 2, 2008: “Smallville” Spoilers and Interviews
- October 7, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 8, Episode 4 “Instinct”
- October 9, 2008: TV Guide's Allison Mack Interview - Part 2
- October 10, 2008: Cassidy Freeman Interviews and Lex Returning... Kind Of
- October 13, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 8, Episode 5 “Committed”
- October 15, 2008: Ausiello Chats with Erica Durance
- October 16, 2008: Mega Buzz Info on Doomsday in “Smallville”
- October 17, 2008: The CW Reveals More “Smallville” Season 8 Plans
- October 17, 2008: Aaron Ashmore Talks with The CW Source
- October 21, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 8, Episode 6 “Prey”
- October 22, 2008: “Smallville” Spoilers on Lana's and Kara's Return
- October 23, 2008: The CW Source Interviews Sam Witwer
- October 23, 2008: Cassidy Freeman Not Trying to Replace Rosenbaum
- October 24, 2008: TV Guide Interviews Cassidy Freeman
- October 27, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 8, Episode 7 “Identity”
- October 29, 2008: Smallville Magazine #29
- October 30, 2008: Behind The Scenes “Smallville” Photos
- October 30, 2008: Action-Packed “Smallville” Story Arc for Lana?
- November 3, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 8, Episode 8 “Bloodline”
- November 4, 2008: “Smallville” Season 8 U.K. Premiere Announced
- November 5, 2008: More Photos from Smallville Season 8, Episode 8 “Bloodline”
- November 6, 2008: Alexz Johnson is Smallville's Saturn Girl
- November 8, 2008: Vandervoort Speaks, Ratings Rise, Graysons Dies
- November 10, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 8, Episode 9 “Abyss”
- November 11, 2008: Tori Spelling to Return to “Smallville”
- November 12, 2008: Erica Durance & Justin Hartley on The CW Source
- November 14, 2008: Doomsday Hits “Smallville”
- November 17, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 8, Episode 10 “Bride”
- November 19, 2008: Erica Durance on the Lois, Lana and Clark Love Triangle
- November 20, 2008: Smallville “Bride” Video Clips
- November 21, 2008: Doomsday Scenario Brings Legionnaires to “Smallville”
- November 21, 2008: TV Guide's Erica Durance Video Interview
- November 21, 2008: Sam Witwer Video Interviews
- November 22, 2008: Geoff Johns on “Legion” Episode of “Smallville”
- November 26, 2008: Lex Luthor in Top 10 TV Villains
- November 27, 2008: Geoff Johns Explains Smallville “Legion” Episode
- November 27, 2008: Tess Mercer Shows No Mercy
- December 4, 2008: Actors Could Derail a 9th Season of “Smallville”
- December 5, 2008: “Smallville” Doomsday Trailer
- December 10, 2008: Foxtel Secures First-Run Rights to “Smallville” in Australia
- December 14, 2008: Smallville “Legion” Trailer
- December 14, 2008: Neal Bailey Examines Brainiac in Smallville Magazine #30
- December 18, 2008: Erica Durance Interview With eTalk
- December 23, 2008: Smallville - New “Legion” Trailer and Episode Descriptions
- December 27, 2008: “Smallville” - Season 8, Episode 11 “Legion”
- March 2, 2008: “Legion of Super Heroes” Returns & “The Batman” Ends
- March 11, 2008: “Legion of Super Heroes” Season 2, Episode 10: “Trials”
- March 12, 2008: The End of the “Legion of Super Heroes” Cartoon
- March 14, 2008: James Tucker Talks LSH Episode “Trials”
- March 19, 2008: Final Stand-Alone “Legion of Super Heroes” Episode
- March 22, 2008: More Images from “In Your Dreams” LSH Episode
- March 26, 2008: Part 1 of “Legion of Super Heroes” Series Finale
- March 28, 2008: More Images for LSH “Dark Victory, Part 1”
- May 22, 2008: Legion of Super Heroes - Volume 3 DVD
- August 26, 2008: Legion of Superheroes Vol 3 DVD
- January 9, 2008: All-New Super Friends Hour DVD Available Now
- January 18, 2008: Alan Burnett Talks “JLA”, & “The Batman” Animated Series
- January 18, 2008: Noel Neill Appearing at Hollywood Collectors Show
- January 30, 2008: Supergirl Seatbelt Commercial
- February 6, 2008: Noel Neill Celebrates 60 Years as Lois Lane
- February 12, 2008: Jack Larson “Jimmy Olsen” Video Interview
- February 20, 2008: WB to Produce “Brave and the Bold” Animated Series
- March 1, 2008: Superman Designs for “The Batman” by Jose Lopez
- March 2, 2008: “Legion of Super Heroes” Returns & “The Batman” Ends
- March 4, 2008: Superman and JLA on “The Batman” Finale
- March 5, 2008: JLA in “The Batman” Series Finale
- March 17, 2008: Vintage Superman Comes to Chicago TV
- March 22, 2008: Superman Items Included in Hollywood Auction
- March 26, 2008: Noel Neill at Hollywood Collectors & Celebrities Show
- April 10, 2008: Rare “Superboy” TV Series Interviews Online
- April 15, 2008: Superman Meets Lucy at “I Love Lucy” Celebration
- April 22, 2008: “DC Super Heroes: The Filmation Adventures” DVD
- April 29, 2008: Warner Bros. Pushes Shows Online with 2 New Websites
- April 29, 2008: “The Batman: The Complete Fifth Season” DVD
- May 1, 2008: “Justice League” Season 1 on Blu-ray Disc
- May 8, 2008: San Francisco Meet and Greet with Noel Neill
- May 29, 2008: Press Release - “DC Super Heroes: The Filmation Adventures”
- July 1, 2008: Two Hours of George Reeves Talk
- July 4, 2008: DC Comics' Shows Now Available on iTunes
- July 23, 2008: “Adventures of Superman” Cast on Tomorrow Show
- July 29, 2008: Noel Neill Presented with Inkpot Award
- August 5, 2008: WHV Launch DC Superheroes and JLA Season 1 on Facebook
- August 18, 2008: Rare “Superboy” Season 1 Footage Uncovered
- September 2, 2008: Hawkman/Birdman Mix-Up on “DC Super Heroes: The Filmation Adventures”
- September 10, 2008: Percepto Makes “Adventures of Superman” Scores Offer
- September 16, 2008: Warner Home Video Answers Fan Questions
- October 8, 2008: All-New Superfriends Hour - Season One, Volume Two
- October 13, 2008: A Look at TwoMorrows' “The Age of TV Heroes” Publication
- October 28, 2008: No Superman for “Batman: The Brave & The Bold”
- November 4, 2008: All-New Superfriends Hour - Season One, Volume Two
- November 7, 2008: Behind The Scenes Footage from Superboy TV Series
- December 8, 2008: Actress Beverly Garland Dies
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