PRNewser spoke with Jessica Kantor, livestream’s head of marketing and content, at November’s Digital Hollywood conference and met recently with Kantor and her colleague, Sam Kimball, EVP of advertising and brand sales, at Livestream’s New York office (left) and here. Below are highlights of our conversation on the Livestream model.

Elements of Livestream’s successful equation include:

1. Brand snapshot and evolution: “To viewers, Livestream is entertainment and live TV”, Kantor explained. “Anyone in the world, both individuals and companies, can broadcast their events”, Kimball added. Viewers can also see past events by accessing Livestream’s online channels.

Adoption of Livestream during the past five years has been steady, but it wasn’t easy early on. “Event organizers may have been nervous at first, since nothing replaces being there in person”, Kantor said. “Livestream isn’t mainstream yet, though more people use it now.”

2. A myriad of usage occasions. Entertainment and music events are popular, and musicians often tape segments at Livestream’s studio as part of their press tours. Livestream is also available overseas, and “as long as an internet connection exists, you can go live”, Kantor noted. Livestream’s most remote customers without internet acces, such as SpaceX and the Volvo Ocean Race, need to rely on a satellite feed and proprietary equipment.

Political candidates frequently Livestreamed events this fall; Kantor said that Obama’s campaign used the service extensively. “The President’s dedicated video team made it a priority, including the final rally with Bruce Springsteen and Jay Z”. Another political customer is Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who Livestreams his press conferences. (They’re also entertaining, thanks to his sign language interpreter.)

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The HBO group’s press release describes the film as “a fusion of video that provides raw, unprecedented access to the private entertainment icon and high-voltage performances”, so we’re guessing it will combine in-concert clips with more personal footage of fans passing out a la Bieber’s Never Say Never. HBO programming president Michael Lombardo says the pic will allow us to look “beyond the glamour to reveal a vibrant, vulnerable, unforgettable woman”, and we take this to mean that the film will be a little less…arthritic than the channel’s recent dried-prunes-and-fiber-supplements Rolling Stones doc.

So one of pop’s biggest superstars announces her debut full-length film project on the same day that she releases intimate pictures of a first Thanksgiving spent with her infant daughter (whose name will sadly never become a registered trademark). Hmm…Let’s just say we’re curious to see what sort of product Beyoncé looks to promote with this film–because these things never happen in a vacuum.

As long as it’s absolutely nothing like Madonna‘s Truth or Dare, we have a feeling she’ll be OK.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Their jobs are especially important at a time like this: Hurricane Sandy is about to slam into New Jersey, and its aftermath won’t be pretty: Governor Chris Christie stopped begging Bruce Springsteen to hang out with him long enough to tell residents that they should prepare to go without power for 7-10 days, adding (with his trademark understatement), “Don’t be stupid, get out.”

OK, we get it: this is a big deal. The NWS knows that people don’t generally like to pack up and flee their homes, and we don’t doubt that some hard-headed New Jersey residents will stay put no matter what. Still, we wonder whether the tone of the service’s Sunday evening message was completely appropriate. Here’s the passage that raised some eyebrows (bold text ours, all caps theirs):

2. IF YOU ARE RELUCTANT TO EVACUATE, AND YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO RODE OUT THE `62 STORM ON THE BARRIER ISLANDS, ASK THEM IF THEY COULD DO IT AGAIN.

3. IF YOU ARE RELUCTANT, THINK ABOUT YOUR LOVED ONES, THINK ABOUT THE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS WHO WILL BE UNABLE TO REACH YOU WHEN YOU MAKE THE PANICKED PHONE CALL TO BE RESCUED, THINK ABOUT THE RESCUE/RECOVERY TEAMS WHO WILL RESCUE YOU IF YOU ARE INJURED OR RECOVER YOUR REMAINS IF YOU DO NOT SURVIVE.

Well, that was certainly blunt. Since Buzzfeed won’t tell us whether we should be outraged by this insensitive gut punch, we’re stuck between freaking out and following New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg‘s more measured suggestion:

“Sit back, have a sandwich from the fridge, watch television” – Mayor Bloomberg

— ben walsh (@BenDWalsh) October 29, 2012

We’ll get back to you when we figure it out.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Photo credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images; Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call

According to Rolling Stone , Mitt Romney‘s arch-conservative running-mate Paul Ryan has cited Rage Against the Machine as one of his favorite bands. Yet the discrepancy between the band’s messages and Ryan’s political ideals is glaringly obvious to anyone with more than a passing knowledge of their music. More specifically, the group has a history of vocal opposition to the Republican party — they staged a protest concert on the lawn of the Minnesota State Capitol during the Republican National Convention in 2008. The sheer irony of Ryan’s fandom hasn’t escaped the band’s notice: In an exclusive op-ed in Rolling Stone, guitarist Tom Morello expresses his amusement at Ryan’s musical choices as well as his own, well, rage at virtually everything the Wisconsin Rep. stands for. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Music industry focused PR and online marketing agency Shore Fire Media sent out invites to their annual holiday party today. Appropriately, they riff on the Kanye West MTV Awards fiasco meme. We’ve removed date and location info so all you grubby PRNewser readers don’t go attacking their open bar. We kid. We love our readers, but we just can’t spread this invite to the entire Internet.

Shore Fire current and recent clients include Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Paul Simon and Diana Krall. The company also has branched out into corporate work with companies like TuneCore, Toyota, Heineken, Dunkin’ Donuts and Sirius Satellite Radio. PRNewser attended and covered the agency’s holiday party last year.

RELATED: PRNewser Interview: Mark Satlof, Shore Fire Media VP

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.