Comcast Roundup: Advertising everywhere, executive hockey stars and More

Every Thursday morning, find all the stories you need to know about your friendly telecommunications giant in the Comcast Roundup.
2009 may well be remembered as the start of the push for alternative online revenue models.
In a trial that was understandably held in Huntsville, Ala., Comcast found that viewers shown ads targeted to their tastes and demographics watched them nearly 40 percent longer than those who were fed more standard, general interest commercials, as the Associated Press reported yesterday.
According to the AP report, that means viewers can expect to see advertising in lots of new places and often beyond the traditional 30-second variety. Interactive and targeted online-like advertisements that won’t be opted-out and will appear in, say, on-demand video or channel guides.
The advertisers are coming and the coming years will bring about a more directed pitch than ever before.
After the jump, a Comcast executive ice skates his early morning away and the three other Comcast stories you ought to read.
In order of importance for your convenience.

• The Daily News has a large profile on Peter Luukko, the president of Comcast-Spectacore and the only Philadelphia executive I know who gets up before the sun rises so he can play ice hockey in Vorhees, N.J., but I assume there are others.
• Interactive TV Today reports that Comcast rolled out to triple-play customers in Oregon and parts of Washington state a Universal Caller ID service that displays the name and phone number of a caller on an operating television and computer screen. Then I can ignore telemarketers during episodes of American Idol.
• Tucked in a press release on PBS HD content (see Congressman Henry Waxman’s mustache up close!), Comcast announces its On Demand service surpassed 11 billion views.
• A corporate press release boasts that Comcast was named one of 50 best places for diverse managers to work by Diverse MBA Magazine.

When there is just too much Comcast news to follow, the Comcast Roundup will be there to fill your every Comcast desire or fantasy.