Boston Acoustics HD Radio Ships in Time for Holidays

With the release - at last - of one of the first HD-capable radio receivers on the market, satellite radio may be in for some competition, according to MSNBC. Using the digital broadcasting system from iBiquity (the only one approved in the U.S.), the Boston Acoustics Recepter Radio HD (retailing for about $500) can receive the digital versions of regular AM and FM stations. And the difference in sound from analog, writes columnist Gary Krakow, “ranges from subtle to wow!”

Yahoo to Measure Online and Offline Ad Effectiveness

Yahoo on Friday launched an analytics service that allows advertising on Yahoo sites to not only measure the performance of their online ads but also compare them with their radio, TV and print campaigns, writes CNET (via MarketingVox). Yahoo has partnered with Marketing Management Analytics (MMA), a unit of Aegis, to provide the service. Apples-to-apples comparison of adspend effectiveness across various channels will allow companies to better determine how much money they want to spend in each, said John Nardone, chief client officer at MMA.

Second, Third Gen Hispanics Prefer English-Language TV

A new report by president and CEO of New American Dimensions, David Morse, shows that second- and third-generation Hispanics prefer English-language TV by a wide margin, and are more likely to buy a product if an ad features Hispanics speaking English, Mediapost reports. First-generation Hispanics who came to the U.S. younger than five years of age also prefer English-language TV and advertising.

Reality TV and comedies draw the highest portion of Hispanics who prefer watching in English, while Spanish-language telenovelas (soon coming to the U.S. in an English format) are the top choices for Spanish-language viewers.

‘GeezerJock’ Increases Rate Base, Frequency

GeezerJock, a magazine for athletes over aged 40, will raise its rate base in January from 45,000 to 75,000, and increase publication from quarterly to bi-monthly, Mediaweek writes. Advertising typically ranges from 12 to 15 pages, mostly supplements, heartburn medication, and senior centers - but also carries Michelob Ultra, the article points out.

The website claims GeezerJock readers are “the healthiest, most vibrant members of the largest and wealthiest generation in the history of the world.”

Microsoft Out, AOL Stake Goes to Google for $1B

AOL parent Time Warner is tomorrow expected to announce that it will expand its three-year-old search partnership with Google, which is expected to pay a whopping $1 billion for a 5 percent stake in AOL in a deal that will, inter alia, increase advertising opportunities for AOL on Google sites, reports the New York Times (via MarketingVox). Until the weekend, Microsoft, which is seeking to become a search and internet leader, had been considered a favorite in the quest for AOL’s affections.

Scandal Shakes ‘Science’ Magazine

Turmoil is rocking the editorial offices of Science magazine, as a co-author on a paper about human cloning - published by the magazine in May to great acclaim - said the data were fraudulent, the New York Times reports. Two of the 25 authors of the paper have asked that the paper be retracted.

News Programs in Flux, Year of Change Causes Rethinking

After a year in which Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather, and Peter Jennings have all left their anchor chairs on the evening news, and as the very delivery of news and information is being challenged, networks will be rethinking the role of the anchors and the concept of the nightly news, the Los Angeles Times writes.

Media Buyers Bored with Howard Hoopla

Media buyers and planners are bored with the Howard Stern hoopla, according to a poll last week from Media Life. “He’s leaving. Big deal,” wrote one respondent, which mirrored the sentiments of a number of readers, according to the article. As for Stern’s impact on Sirius and the terrestrial stations he is leaving, 35.5 percent of respondents agreed with the statement “The big move’s a failure. It’s laughable Sirius paid this man $500 million…”

Comcast Media Duties in Play

Comcast has placed its media duties in review to consolidate its U.S. media business, Adweek reports. Media duties currently reside with in-house resources and several agencies. The review is being handled by Pile and Co.

Chevy Tahoe Sponsors Times Square’s New Years

Chevrolet will launch its 2007 Chevy Tahoe during Times Square’s New Year’s Eve extravaganza, with outdoor messaging on the ABC Studios Supersign, the Reuters Jumbotron, and the ball-drop video monitors, Brandweek reports. Two Tahoes will be hung above a Chevy-branded stage on which singer Mary J. Blige will perform.

Chevrolet is the presenting sponsor of the evening on NBC’s televised coverage of the event, with ad buys that night during the telecast and also on ABC, Fox, Telemundo, Telefutura, and Galavision. Chevrolet will also be distributing branded New Year’s Eve hats, headbands, and confetti, according to AdAge.