Company:Video Monitoring Services of America

From HandWiki
Short description: Corporation that collects and distributes information about TV news broadcasting

Video Monitoring Services of America[1][2][3][4] collects and distributes information about TV news broadcasting and its viewership.[2]

History

Robert J. Cohen founded VMS.[5][6]

The New York Times described them as "a company that tracks news programs in major cities."[2] Their coverage includes news about the industry.[2] News sources use their transcripts[7][8] and statistics.[9]

They bought a Phoenix-based clipping service in 1998.[1]

Their "VMS DOES!" ads in Advertising Age used time-pressured "Do You Know" captions (Do You Know How To Get A Reel Of All Commercials Featuring 7 Guys In Flowered Hats ... By Noon Tomorrow?,[10] Do You Know Your Competitor Broke Their New Coffee TV Campaign In Seattle Last Night?[11]) appearing with unusual images.

Controversy

Their operation involves recording 24/7 and then selectively reviewing broadcast. It was proven in court that they sold a 30-minute CNN segment. CNN then attempted to get an order blocking all future recordings. Video Monitoring countered that this was over-reaching, especially since future broadcast do not exist; by law, something that does not exist cannot be copyrighted.[12] From prior cases it was clarified that "The primary objective of copyright is not to reward the labor or authors, but '[t]o promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts.'" [12]:18

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "NewsCount sold to N.Y. firm, dumps print clips". BizJournals.com (Phoenix). January 4, 1998. https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/1998/01/05/newscolumn2.html. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 David Barstow; Robin Stein (March 13, 2005). "Under Bush, a New Age of Prepackaged TV News". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/13/politics/under-bush-a-new-age-of-prepackaged-tv-news.html. 
  3. "On The Move". AdWeek. August 10, 1998. https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/move-29063/. 
  4. "Profiles, Executive Moves". Crain's New York Business. September 15, 1997. https://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/19970915/SUB/709150718/profiles-executive-moves. "for Adbank, a division of Video Monitoring Services of America, New York." 
  5. "Robert J. Cohen, philanthropist". NJ Jewish News. July 6, 2011. https://njjewishnews.timesofisrael.com/robert-j-cohen-philanthropist/. 
  6. "COHEN, Robert J.". New York Times. June 23, 2011. https://archive.nytimes.com/query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage-9C00E2DD123AF930A15755C0A9679D8B63.html. 
  7. Mike Allen (January 18, 2003). "Rice: Race Can Be Factor In College Admissions". The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2003/01/18/rice-race-can-be-factor-in-college-admissions/671a0e65-1551-4d2b-80a1-3da1f3c0d11b. 
  8. "Systems & Information Technology Job Fair". The New York Times. 1997. https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/specials/jobfair/item46.html. 
  9. Terence O'Hara (January 9, 2006). "Checking-account customers are traditionally reluctant to switch, but banks are fighting hard for their business. Checking-account customers are traditionally reluctant to switch, but banks are fighting hard for their business.". The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/2006/01/09/checking-account-customers-are-traditionally-reluctant-to-switch-but-banks-are-fighting-hard-for-their-business-span-classbankheadchecking-account-customers-are-traditionally-reluctant-to-switch-but-banks-are-fighting-hard-for-their-businessspan/4530da5c-64f7-4305-9f14-2da929401a46. 
  10. Image: four sitting, three standing behind them, hats as described "Do You Know How To Get A Reel Of All Commercials Featuring 7 Guys In Flowered Hats ... By Noon Tomorrow?". Advertising Age: p. 61. October 14, 1996. 
  11. Image: contortionist sitting at a table, holding cup of coffee in her hands, with feet over shoulders "Do You Know Your Competitor Broke Their New Coffee TV Campaign In Seattle Last Night? VMS DOES!". Advertising Age: p. 63. October 14, 1996. 
  12. 12.0 12.1 "Cable Network News .. v. Video Monitoring Services of America". September 4, 1991. https://openjurist.org/940/f2d/1471/cable-news-network-inc-v-video-monitoring-services-of-america-inc.