Monday was the first day of MSN and Sympatico running their own portals.

The feel and look is different from each other but not overly that it would alienate the consumer.

Traffic on the homepage for Sympatico.ca dropped 25% from where it was at before. This is inline with what we were to expect.

MSN is still out on what their numbers are… time will tell… will update as soon as numbers are in.

We will be keeping a close eye on both portals so see how traffic progresses.

Stay tuned for more updates. Or follow us at @PHDcanada for immediate information

Today, Sympatico and MSN announced their split.

Both will begin operating independently as of tonight at midnight!

For Sympatico.ca, the change is part of a three-year agreement in which Sympatico.ca and Microsoft will continue to exchange traffic while allowing Sympatico.ca to benefit from greater editorial independence and advertising flexibility.  Sympatico.ca will continue to leverage Bing as a search engine and offer Windows Live Hotmail and Messenger inventory to Canadian advertisers.

As well, Canada’s popular default homepage address www.sympatico.msn.ca, will now be redirected to www.sympatico.ca.

All of our popular content channels that 6.8 million Canadians have come to know and love such as Celebedge.ca, Fashionism.ca, InMusic.ca, Sync.ca, Push.ca and others, will remain available exclusively via the Sympatico.ca portal.  In addition, we announced the launch of four new portal channels today: Autos, InMovies.ca, YourMoney.ca and Best Health, a Reader’s Digest publication.

For MSN.ca,the change will be a simpler and more connected online experience for consumers and advertisers.  Publically available on September 1^st, 2009, MSN.ca will deliver the latest information relevant to Canadians including breaking news, sports scores, gossip, entertainment, and much more—all within a Canadian context and from the experts who know the topics best. As well, MSN.ca will introduce the unique ‘signed-in’ experience of using Windows Liveâ„¢ Hotmail®, and Bing.ca embedded into the homepage.

Microsoft Advertising now provides a multiplatform digital solutions helping connect with consumers across popular digital touch points including Windows Live™ Hotmail, Windows Live™ Messenger, Windows® Mobile, Xbox®, Microsoft® Media Network, Bing.ca and now, the all-new MSN.ca portal.

The PHD digital folk await patient to see the traffic numbers adjust to the changes. The separation ends the #1 placement and nobody is quite sure who will take the podium.

Don’t forget to check out www.sympatico.ca and msn.ca to see if you can spot the difference!

Who do you think will become #1?

You know that better as the theme song to Hockey Night in Canada, played for more than 40 years on CBC.

Well not any more.

Thanks to CTV, TSN and RDS, that great tune will resonate in our ears in a slightly different manner for years to come…they purchased the rights

in perpetuity…

That means forever folks!

There is no doubt of the power of this theme song.  I have personally used it to connect with a Canadian who had it as a ring tone on his cell while walking the streets of London England.  And the controversy it has stirred has taken over gas prices for a day or two as the top story in the Canadian press.  Letters have been sent, petitions signed and Facebook pages set up all over the place to support our second national anthem.

As a hockey fan, I am disappointed by CBC’s decision but happy CTV have kept it alive.  As a tax-payer, I applaud CBC’s fiscal responsibility.  As a media guy, I don’t know yet what to make of it as the shock has yet to wear off.

I would love to hear some more opinions…

If you haven’t yet subscribed to (or even heard of) the Very Short List  … today could be your lucky day. VSL is a concise daily e-mail that brings you the latest culturally significant developments across a myriad of media … from music, to movies, to books, to web sites, etc.

Powered by ask.com, I personally welcome the interruption that I get when this handy little newsletter hits my inbox. Each day the content focus is on a particular piece of culture that typically makes me take notice.  Everything is laid out in a very succinct manner that let’s you quickly ascertain whether the subject matter is of interest, so even on days when it doesn’t twist your crank, the VSL never demands much of your time.

I strongly urge you to take a few minutes to subscribe. If you don’t find you’re getting the benefit after even just a few days, I will gladly refund every penny that you spend … oh and by the way … it’s free!

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

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