Read more about OPINION: Did Jackson’s Music Predict His Own Death?

WASHINGTON – President-elect Barack Obama plans to announce longtime advisers and political foes alike as his picks for top administration jobs at a Monday news conference, nominating one-time political nemesis Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state.

Read more about Obama To Announce Clinton And Other Cabinet Appointments Monday

I voted today. It’s November 4, 2008 and I voted today. I voted as a man who believes that a society can do better by its citizens, and as a boy who still likes to think that anything is possible. I voted as a devoted husband and an overjoyed father who will do anything to try and give my two children a beautiful and inspired world to grow up in.

And I voted for my grandmother, who left South Carolina for New York to work in a government job for 49 years, and then left it all to my mother and me. I looked up to her from behind that curtain, and all was ok…

Smokey D. Fontaine is the chief content officer of InteractiveOne, parent company of NewsOne. Watch for Smokey tonight on TV One! (Check your local cable TV listings for channel information.)

So the first thing you see in Anchorage airport, even when arriving at 4am in the morning, is a telescope!  No kidding.  There’s a telescope that takes quarters right here in the arrivals lounge.

Russia!  I found it already!!

That, and the big stuffed polar bear staring at me from behind a glass case, and I definitely feel a long long way from home…

sdf

It’s Sunday 415pm EST and my search for the 32 Black residents of Wasilla, Alaska has begun!

My flight takes me to Phoenix first (92 degrees) then goes to Anchorage (34 degrees). I have a thick Carhatt sweatshirt and black parka for protection.

I wonder if I should have rocked my North Face like I do when in Harlem in the snow?

11 people of color on this flight including the male steward with dreadlocks. Let me see how long I can keep the numbers of folks above 10.

I know my old friend DMX is in AZ so we’ll see…

sdf

It starts tonight. It starts right now. I am the Chief Content Officer for Interactive One and I am on my way to Wasilla, Alaska…let the games begin!

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Thursday that Sen. John McCain made a “huge mistake” by even discussing canceling the presidential debate with Sen. Barack Obama.

Read more about Huckabee Says McCain Made Huge Mistake With Debate Talk

What if you hired a plumber to remodel your bathroom who, in the process, destroyed your entire plumbing system? You fired him and hired a new plumber. The new plumber, finding the job too difficult, hired the first plumber to help him correct the job? Would you pay the guy who caused the mess in the first place or throw them both out?

Read more about The $700 Billion Question

Do you have experience working online, in social media, or on a network programming team?

Are you super smart, experienced, passionate and personable?

Are you ready to handle the pressure of working at one of the largest African-American media companies in the world?

Then we may have the job for you!

Interactive One and BlackPlanet.com are HIRING!

Two (2) senior positions are immediately open in the PROGRAMMING department.

Both are senior full-time positions, reporting to the Chief Content Officer, based at the Black Planet corporate headquarters in New York City.

Job #1

Social Media Executive Director

Industry: Internet/Online/New Media
Salary     Negotiable
Benefits:     401K/403B, Bonuses, Dental, Health
Job Duration:    Full Time
Job Location:     New York, NY USA

Description:

A senior level programming position that oversees programming, planning, management, and administrative duties across the user-driven social networks of Interactive One including BlackPlanet.com, our content verticals and radio station websites.

Responsibilities:

The job sets network and social media strategy, and develops network standards for our highly-trafficked user-driven social network.

The job demands an aptitude for online community building and all forms of social media  with a focus on social marketing outreach, audience insight and development, recirculation, and local content solutions.

The job demands high level of engagement with other department leads in the marketing, product development, product management and user experience areas.

The job manages a team programmers to ensure high performance, effective training and meeting of individual, team and company goals.

The job works alongside an editorial Managing Editor and an Online Producer to enable optimized, leveraged and efficient workflow, process and execution.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate must be an expert in the social networking space.  Knowledge must go beyond simple user experience with MySpace, Facebook and Twitter, but go into programming insight for all successful socially fueled content experiences on the web.  Knowledge of local web communities is a must.

The ideal candidate must be committed to increasing member acquisition and retention percentages and driving unique visitors and page views. He/she must successfully implement cross-platform strategic programming models that achieve business objectives, deliver strong ROI, and surpass aggressive personal and team traffic goals.

The ideal candidate must also have:

- In-depth experience with, knowledge of, and/or affinity for, African-American online audiences
- Knowledge of various publishing strategies, platforms and techniques
- Experience sourcing and negotiating content programming from third parties / local publishers.
- Experience developing compelling editorial/programming packages that activate social-engagement
-

Required experience and skills:

3-4 years online social network programming experience
2-3 years online programming management experience
1-2 years online local content programming experience

Expert knowledge of:  a) online performance tracking tools including Omniture, Google Analytics, Comscore, and OBI;  b) content management systems including WordPress and Drupal

For more information about the company, see www.interactiveone.com

If interested, please send cover letter and resume to dbennett@interactiveone.com.

Job #2

Senior Online Producer

Salary     Negotiable
Benefits:     401K/403B, Bonuses, Dental, Health
Job Duration:    Full Time
Job Location:     New York, NY USA

Description:

A senior level programming position that oversees project-based, cross-platform programming initiatives with a focus on macro-level blogger network development, content distribution partnerships, sales coordination and internal marketing efforts.

Responsibilities:

The job produces content franchises that live on various sites and platforms (social network, blogs, video, local, mobile), and ensures a unified vision across various multimedia platforms both on- and offline.

The job demands a focus on social marketing outreach, syndication strategy development, traffic and audience analysis, and custom and/or repeatable sales solutions that drive significant revenue.

The job demands a high level of engagement with other department leads in the marketing, product development, product management and user experience areas.

The job works alongside an editorial Managing Editor and a Social Media Director to enable optimized, leveraged and efficient workflow, process and execution.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate must be committed to driving unique visitors and page views, and increasing member acquisition and retention. He/she must successfully implement cross-platform strategic programming models that achieve business objectives, deliver strong ROI, and surpass aggressive personal and team traffic goals.

The ideal candidate must also have:

- In-depth experience with, knowledge of, and/or affinity for, African-American online audiences
- Knowledge of various publishing strategies, platforms and techniques
- Experience sourcing and negotiating content programming from third parties / syndicators.
- Experience developing compelling editorial/programming packages that enhance advertising/sales efforts
-

Required experience and skills:

4-5 years online programming management experience
2-3 years online social network programming experience

Expert knowledge of:  a) online performance tracking tools including Omniture, Google Analytics, Comscore, and OBI;  b) content management systems including WordPress and Drupal

For more information about the company, see www.interactiveone.com

If interested, please send cover letter and resume to dbennett@interactiveone.com.

GOOD LUCK!!