FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 7, 2013

SAN ANTONIO, February 7, 2013 – The impact of the Internet on the entertainment industry will be examined as part of the highly anticipated special episode of “What’s Trending” (@WhatsTrending) — the Primetime Emmy Award-nominated interactive news talk show hosted by Shira Lazar. This special event will feature a panel of the entertainment industry entrepreneurs, including Kevin Smith, Kevin Pollak and Lisa Kudrow, who will discuss how technology, social media and access to the Internet are redefining what it means to be a “broadcaster” and pushing content creators to think differently about how to develop, produce and distribute programming. The program will be streamed live on Friday, February 15 from the show’s Los Angeles studio at 7:00p.m. PST and can be viewed live on “What’s Trending” website http://whatstrending.com/.

"The media moguls of tomorrow are not high-powered executives at major television networks or movie studios. They’re the YouTube generation,” says Lazar, host and executive producer of “What’s Trending.”  “With today’s technology, we have the capability to develop, produce, syndicate and monetize really unique programming without the limitations of broadcast TV schedules. As consumers continue to turn to the Internet for entertainment and information, there’s an insatiable appetite for content that’s engaging and entertaining. It’s television’s long tail playing out before our eyes.”

NewTek (@NewTekInc), the leading creator of multi-camera video production and live streaming tools, worked closely with “What’s Trending” to curate a unique group of panelists who have played a key role in driving forward the Internet TV revolution, including:

·       Kevin Smith (@ThatKevinSmith), acclaimed filmmaker and actor, who blazed the trails for Internet TV with the 2007 launch of SModcast, a regular comedy podcast, that co-starred Scott Mosier. More recently, Smith re-launched his popular YouTube channel, SeeSMod, in January 2013 with Mosier and support from Maker Studio.

·       Kevin Pollak (@kevinpollak), celebrated actor and comedian, who co-founded Kevin Pollak’s Chat Show in April 2009. The weekly talk show featured a variety of famous guests and allowed viewers to participate in the show in real-time. In 2012, Pollak launched a new podcast, “Talkin Walkin,” which is consistently in the top 5 of comedy podcasts on iTunes.

·      Lisa Kudrow (@LisaKudrow), award-winning actress and comedian, who co-created the popular comedy web series, Web Therapy, on Lstudio.com. Originally launched in 2008, Web Therapy has earned several Webby Nominations and was ultimately reformatted into a half-hour show on Showtime in 2011.

TELEVISION, A LA CARTE
The democratization of broadcast production technologies and the widespread adoption of mobile devices have disrupted the current TV model. Consumers have unmatched access to the niche entertainment programming they want and the ability to shape online programming through real-time social media participation. During the February 15 special edition of “What’s Trending”, guests will discuss not only how they have delivered on this demand, but how average consumers and smaller organizations—from financially humble houses of worship and high schools to musicians and budding producers— are creating high-quality broadcasts that ultimately generate new revenue streams for their organizations.

“Our sole focus is to advance multi-camera production technology in a way that makes it possible for anyone with a great idea to become a producer, director, or a broadcaster,” said Carter Holland, EVP of worldwide marketing at NewTek. “The television industry has evolved more quickly in the last two years than in the previous two decades. Now that the audience is tuned in anywhere, anytime, the boundaries to creation, distribution and consumption are evaporating. We live in a TV everywhere world - where today’s big thinkers are producing network-quality shows on the web, building loyal audiences, and establishing credible business models for making money.”

TRANSFORMATION ALREADY UNDERWAY
The amount of unique live and recorded programs, sporting events, webisodes and webseries that are made available to consumers every month continues to explode. Technology from NewTek is making it possible for aspiring content creators to create high-quality content, stream it live, and create new revenue channels.

For example:

·       What’s Trending (@WhatsTrending), an award-winning Internet news program that brings viewers behind the stories and the people trending on YouTube around the world during live daily broadcasts. Developed by Shira Lazar, What’s Trending is celebrated for shedding light on the developments in the future of entertainment on the web. 

·       The Horizon League (@HorizonLeague), a collegiate athletic conference, was only able to air eight to 10 athletic competitions per year using traditional broadcast equipment.  With NewTek’s broadcast-quality production tools, the conference has effectively become its own producer and distributor, creating and distributing over 400 events per year with the same budget.

·       Yamaha Corporation, a leading worldwide musical instrument manufacturer regularly delivers online broadcasts of product demonstrations, and musical performances to audiences in the hundreds of thousands of online viewers. To celebrate the company’s 125^th anniversary, Yamaha live streamed an 3 1/2 hour live concert performance headlined by Elton John, Earth Wind and Fire and an all start cast.

·       Deadmau5 (@deadmau5), a notable Canadian electro-house music producer, DJ and performer, streams his studio sessions using NewTek, giving his fans unparalleled access and influence on his creative process.  

·       Leo Laporte (@LeoLaporte) Widely known as the godfather of tech broadcasting, Leo left the traditional broadcast model to found TWiT TV, which currently produces over 40 hours of original content each week, supported by advertising and listener donations.  

Please visit “What’s Trending” to learn more about the program.

About NewTek

• TriCaster, TalkShow, and LightWave 3D are registered trademarks of NewTek, Inc.
• NDI, 3Play, LightWave, ProTek, and Broadcast Minds are trademarks and/or service marks of NewTek, Inc.
• All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.