The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 28, 2005, Page 5, Image 5
THEY SAID M
“The light blue flickering rhythm / of the neighbor’s^
console TV / Is basking on the ceiling / of anolM
_ _ insomniac spr«
PaSf5 • anid.fr!
Fridayjanuaiy 28, 2005 "THE TRUE STORY OF WHAT H
=?=-— ___—-----=1
*
■■■_
r Watch ^
LwianiaTyiu
a&GUB
7 Power Hour^^^M
M-F: 7 p.m. & 1 a.m., I
S-S- 7 ajn & ' ;''
V.
By RYAN DALLAS
THE GAMECOCK
Have you ever been sitting
in your dorm watching
the same old shows on
TV or perhaps sitting in
class looking for a way to
fill the void until lunch?
Then maybe ManiaTV! is for you. ManiaTV! is
like a live, 24-hour television station — except
it’s broadcast over the Internet. So as long as you
have a computer with wi-fi access, you can hook
into the non-stop action, no matter where you
| g°
In 1998, Drew Massy, now CEO of
ManiaTV!, was sitting in a little cheeseburger joint
in California known as the “Dutch Goose” when
the idea for ManiaTV! first came to him. Massey’s
two favorite mediums, television and the Internet,
were separate entities at the time. He believed that
by combining the two, he could create a new and
better media outlet.
“Bill Paley, with CBS, gave birth to Network
TV. Ted Turner, with the CNN, took on the big
boys to give, us Cable TV,” a ManiaTV! news
release said. “Now, ManiaTV! is delivering the
next revolution in television — live Internet TV.”
So with high aspirations, ManiaTV! went
online Sept. 6, 2004, and has since steadily grown
in popularity. Geared toward Internet users
between the ages of 12 and 34 and primarily
college students, ManiaTV! brings a mix of news,
sports, music and video shorts all at a non-stop
pace.
Do you use The Facebook or My Space? Do
you like Internet dating? Then check out Pimpin’
Personals where online dating gets taken to the
next level. Send an ad to ManiaTV! and they
• might play it for everyone watching. As an added
bonus, if you hook up on the show and end up
getting married, invite ManiaTV! to the weddinj
and they will write and perform a wedding rap jus
for you.
Check out Power Hour for a blend of actiot
sports videos with hip-hop and alternative music
Or tune in to Shiny and New for all the laies
videos from all the biggest stars.
Each ManiaTV! show has its own host, knowr
as a CJ or “cyber jockey.” The CJ, among othei
things, introduces videos and talks to live call-in:
and shout-outs. Christy, host of “Shiny anc
New,” “Wake-Up Redux,” and “100%,” said a loi
of the fun comes from the unique call-ins sh<
receives every day.
This is just one example of where ManiaTV
gets much of its allure. On top of sports, musij
video games, cartoons and news, anyone can jo|
in on the action. Submit cell-phone films, 5iir
shorts, requests and dedications, and they mighi
just end up broadcast over the Internet. But if you
really want to get into the thick of things, call ir
using Instant Messenger, SKYPE or web-cam anc
talk live with a CJ.
Through it’s lineup, ManiaTV! contain:
exciting action while keeping a strong base in it:
music. The biggest artists and the biggest song:
all make appearances, but ManiaTV! .plays i
wide variety of music, including “Underwea:
Goes Inside the Pants” by underground favorit*
Lazy Boy, showing that ManiaTV! is trying tc
tap into its largest market — college students
So the next time you’re sitting in marketing
class listening to the importance of organizationa
structure, why not pull out that laptop, plug ir
those headphones, and check out ManiaTV! —
your professor will never know.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc. edu