Webcasts Draw Donors to 'Pimp This Bum'

After trying to change 'too much too soon,' Couric finally seems comfortable

(NEWSER) - Last year, it seemed Katie Couric’s days in the CBS anchor chair were numbered. Now, she not only plans to stay there until her contract expires in 2011, she's starting a weekly Charlie Rose-esque webcast—and her destinations post-Evening News could include 60 Minutes or CNN. “Her really superb work swept those questions away,” her executive producer tells the New York Times, which notes the Evening News' ratings still lag behind those of ABC and NBC. More»

Plan rallies, webcast, 55,000 messages to Congress

(NEWSER) - Religious groups are coming to President Obama’s aid in selling health care reform, backing expanded care through a 40-day campaign promoting the moral argument for reform, CBS News reports. Prayer vigils and rallies will take place in 45 cities today to send a message to Capitol Hill. Later this month, 25 religious leaders of multiple faiths will join the president in a call-in webcast. More»

(NEWSER) - Record labels and the online radio industry have reached a deal on royalties that insiders think will allow the medium to survive, the New York Times reports. Larger sites like Pandora will pay the labels 25% of revenue or up to 14 cents for every song they stream—whichever is higher—and small sites will pay 12% to 14% of revenue. Prior to the deal, rates were set to hit 19 cents per song, and many so-called webcasters said they couldn't survive. More»

(NEWSER) - A Belgium zoo webcast its first elephant birth to enthralled animal lovers yesterday as the newborn plopped out of mom Phyo Phyo after 38 hours of labor. The mother, sister and aunt scrambled in excitement in a circle around the newborn, trumpeting, until the baby responded with squeals of its own. The newborn female was up on its feet shortly after birth and is nursing well. More»

NBC serves up quantity, but quality is sometimes lacking

(NEWSER) - NBC is offering a nearly endless supply of Olympics coverage online, a laudatory move but one with its share of hiccups, writes Robert Bianco in USA Today. NBCOlymics.com provides live feeds of dozens of events—many of them obscure—for free. But the broadcasts lack much of the polish found on TV, and viewers are often on their own trying to figure out what's what. "You've given us more," Bianco says to NBC. "Now give us better." More»