We, at DECA, love a good burger so when Good Bite’s Managing Editor, Kat Odell, mentioned that the Umami Burger Truck would be setting up shop outside nearby Fred Segal, we jumped at the chance to scarf down some of the savory specialties. We gobbled up uber-juicy burgers served alongside perfectly seasoned fries, hardly able to come up for air to rave about the sheer “delicousness” of each bite. Thank you Kat and Umami for full bellies and a wonderfully indulgent lunch!

PS - Stay tuned for the Umami Restaurant soon opening up inside Fred Segal…

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Dec. 3, 2009) – Food For The Poor received $10,000 from Quaker Oats and Goodbite.com, thanks to a popular food blogger and all of the fans who turned up the heat and voted for her oatmeal recipe on You Tube.

Laura Levy, of laurasbestrecipes.com, says she now wants to stoke the fire and fan the flames. The popular food blogger was so excited about what $10,000 could do; she found that she wanted to do more. Because Food For The Poor can feed a child for $36 a year, at least 277 children will be fed with the money from the challenge. Levy wants to raise enough money to feed 500 hungry children.

The children who will be helped with the winnings live in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. Without this money, they wonder day-to-day how they will eat. Levy has become a “Champion” for the organization, and anyone can help her meet her latest goal by visiting www.foodforthepoor.org/lauralevy.

In October, Levy joined the “Awaken Your Senses Challenge” sponsored by Quaker Oats and Goodbite.com. Her scrumptious oatmeal-topping recipe - “Red, White & Berry” – tallied up the most votes among 12 bloggers. Levy won the competition and the grand prize has been granted to Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development agency in the United States.

Levy chose the charity to receive the winnings, stating on her Facebook page that the organization “was very close to her heart.”

This is the first time Food For The Poor teamed up with a food blogger and participated in an Internet-based challenge.

“Truly, the winners of this challenge are those whom we serve. The children, the families, the elderly we help — we can claim victory for them,” said Robin Mahfood, President/CEO of Food For The Poor. “It is wonderful that Levy chose to represent us in this challenge. We are grateful our organization and the work we do resonated with her, and we feel blessed for that.”

Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the United States, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information please visit, http://www.foodforthepoor.org.

Contact:
Aimee Vignola
Public Relations Associate
954.427.2222, ext. 6079
aimeev@foodforthepoor.com

PARENTSASK.COM - NEW WEB SERIES FEATURES PANELS OF PARENTING EXPERTS ANSWERING QUESTIONS ABOUT RAISING CHILDREN
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Weekly Online Show and Web Site Features Leaders in Medicine, Psychology and Child Development
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Santa Monica, CA/New York, NY (October 29, 2009) — DECA (www.deca.tv), the digital media and entertainment company known for creating premium Web series and high-quality communities, announced today the launch of its latest brand – Parents Ask (www.ParentsAsk.com). The new Web series and site brings together the country’s leading pediatricians, authors, and psychologists to answer parents’ questions and give expert advice on raising a healthy family.

“Our Web series format brings together the high production value of TV and the active engagement of online communities,” said Michael Wayne, CEO of DECA. “We know that parents are looking online for answers to the tough questions about raising their kids, so we set out to bring together a panel of the top experts in the country. We created Parents Ask to directly connect parents with the most knowledgeable authorities on every parenting topic.”

“Parents Ask gives me a wonderful way to share what I’ve learned with mothers and fathers who are looking for advice on the best way to raise their children,” said Elizabeth Pantley, bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and Parents Ask Contributor. “It’s gratifying to be a part of such an amazing group of people who have spent their careers helping families, and to be part of such a helpful new resource for families.”

Parents Ask’s first episode takes on the hot topic of flu shots. The panel of experts included: Dr. Bob Sears, Dr. Tanya Altmann, and Dr. Scott Cohen who tackled the question: How effective are flu shots and are they safe for kids?

“I became a pediatrician to help kids and families,” said Parents Ask panelist Dr. Bob Sears. “Parents Ask provides an amazing platform for me; it gives me the opportunity to share my knowledge and expertise with moms and dads that I wouldn’t normally get to meet through my practice.”

Upcoming episodes include Circumcision Indecision: Making the Best Choice for Your Son, Three In A Bed: Co-Sleeping Pros & Cons, Colicky Baby: Comforting Your Fussy Infant, and Sex During Pregnancy: Enjoying Intimacy While Keeping Baby Safe.

“Through Parents Ask I am able to help and advise many more parents than I can reach in my daily practice, seminars, and parenting groups,” said Parents Ask Contributor Betsy Brown Braun. “I think it is particularly great for parents to be able to hear a variety opinions and approaches all in one sitting. After all, there is not one right way to parent. It has to work for you.”

The full list of Parents Ask contributors include:
• Dr. Tanya Remer Altmann, M.D
• Lisa Belkin
• Betsy Brown Braun
• Scott Cohen, M.D.
• Dr. Ann Corwin, Ph.D
• Foster Cline, M.D.
• Eli Davidson
• Keith Eddleman, M.D.
• Robert J. MacKenzie, Ph.D
• Ron Mathews
• Elizabeth Pantley
• Joan Rice
• Robert W. Sears M.D.
• Joanne Stern Ph.D
• Joanne Stone, M.D.
• Bonnie Zucker, Psy.D.
• Monica Vila

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ABOUT DECA

DECA (Digital Entertainment Corporation of America) was founded in 2007 to create a new model for the online entertainment experience. By identifying, funding, marketing and distributing next-generation digital content, DECA has become one of the leading players in shaping the future of entertainment. With its unique philosophy of recognizing and nurturing personalities and properties distinctive to the digital community, DECA stands alone in the industry by supporting content ‘of the web, by the web, and for the web.’ Headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, the company was founded by Michael Wayne and Chris Kimbell, who previously held senior roles at Sony Pictures, ABC, and Yahoo! Music. DECA is funded by Mayfield, General Catalyst, Rustic Canyon, and Atomico.

Among its current properties are:

• Smosh , http://smosh.com

o Currently the third most subscribed YouTube channel of all time, Smosh is sketch comedy for teens and young adults by 20-year-olds Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox. With more than 230 million views, Smosh videos have become a pop culture phenomenon. Their site, Smosh.com, features video extras, robust forums, and a growing community of more than 400,000 registered members, who contribute to more than five million page views each month.

• Momversation, http://www.momversation.com

o Momversation is an online video series and website that brings together the web’s most outspoken moms to discuss the topics that matter to them. Momversation is hosted by a rotating cast of eight influential mom-bloggers including Heather Armstrong of dooce and Daphne Brogdon of Cool Mom. The community can also “join the momversation” by posting comments and participating in forums.

• Good Bite, http://goodbite.com

o Good Bite brings together America’s most popular food bloggers for online video discussions about cooking. Each episode of Good Bite makes delicious food easy, providing accessible recipes and solutions for home cooks. The Good Bite website is focused on finding the very best in food online and sharing it with users.

• Project Lore, http://projectlore.com

o Bringing together five dudes, four cameras, and the one and only World of Warcraft, Project Lore is all about putting the best multimedia MMORPG game guides in one place. The site also features a daily video show and a blog about all things WoW. Led by online video star Alex Albrecht, the show follows the progress of a group of level 70 players.

More information can be found at www.deca.tv.

For More Information about ParentsAsk or DECA, please contact:
Rubenstein Communications, Inc.
Adam Isserlis, (212) 843-8024 or aisserlis@rubenstein.com
Carolyn Nurnberg, (212) 843-9316 or cnurnberg@rubenstein.com

Dear Parents,

We’re pleased to announce the launch of Parents Ask, a new website that brings together leading experts and best-selling authors to share their knowledge and expertise to help families tackle the challenges of modern life.

What makes Parents Ask unique is our original video series featuring panels of experts discussing a wide range of child and parenting issues.  Whether you’re struggling with sleep issues, weighing the pros and cons of circumcision or dealing with a perplexing dilemma at any age or stage, you’ll be able to log on and have easy access to solutions from experts you can trust.  Think of the site as the parenting section of your local bookstore come to life!

Be sure to also check out our Parents Ask blog roll.  Here, our team of editors (all parents themselves!) will be creating original, informative posts and curating the best parenting content on the web.  We believe that our blog will help you navigate the vast online parenting world and discover, in one place, the best information, resources and tools the web has to offer. 

Our Parents Ask community presents you with field-tested expertise, bringing together seasoned parents with those at earlier stages on their parenting journey.  Whatever your child’s age, our community will provide  a safe place to ask your question, and the easiest way to find the answer you’re looking for anytime you’re looking for it.

As parents ourselves, we know that raising kids, raises questions.  We hope that we can become a regular stop for you (in between diaper changes, carpooling, juggling work and family, etc) to find a few much needed answers.

-The Parents Ask team

Santa Monica, CA (July 29, 2009) — DECA, the digital media and entertainment company known for creating high-quality online video and communities, is proud to celebrate the 100th episode of one of its premier properties, Momversation.

“Momversation has proven to be the perfect forum for moms - and dads - to share experiences and discuss topics of real importance to today’s parent,” says Momversation executive producer Rob Morhaim. “We’re so grateful to have the wittiest and wisest moms on the Internet today sharing their knowledge and their insight. We’d like to thank our users for creating this vibrant Momversation community.”

Momversation has become an outlet for women from all different walks of life to join the online conversation. Guests who have appeared on the show include Lisa Belkin, writer of “The Motherlode” blog for The New York Times and the author of three books, including “Life’s Work: Confessions of an Unbalanced Mom”; Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell, author of “Full of Life: Mom-to-Mom Tips I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was Pregnant”; and Alicia Ybarbo and Mary Ann Zoellner, Emmy Award-winning producers on NBC’s Today Show and authors of “Today’s Moms: Essentials for Surviving Baby’s First Year.” United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York has a scheduled appearance on the show in August.

Momversation has been noted on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, The New York Times, and Business Week. Launched in November 2008, the series includes in its roster the Web’s most-respected and most-trafficked mommy bloggers.

Among the rotating cast of panelists are:

• Heather Armstrong of dooce.com, featured by Forbes Magazine among 30 honorees on its list of “The Most Influential Women In Media” for 2009, and author of The New York Times bestseller, “It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, A Breakdown, and a Much Needed Margarita.”

• Comic Daphne Brogdon of coolmom.com, host of TV Guide Channel’s weekly series The Fashion Team, contributor to CNN Headline News’ Showbiz Tonight, and host of FOX’s Web show 24 Inside.

• Rebecca Woolf of girlsgonechild.net, author of the memoir “Rockabye: From Wild to Child” and contributor to MSN and The Huffington Post.

• Additional panelists include: Alice Bradley of Finslippy.com, Asha Dornfest of ParentHacks.com, Giyen Kim of BaconIsMyEnemy.com, Dana Loesch of Mamalogues.com, Maggie Mason of MightyGirl.com, Mindy Roberts of TheMommyBlog.net, and Karen Walrond of Chookooloonks.com.

Momversation’s success has been attributed to the combination of great talent with a production process that’s organic to the Web. “Momversation exemplifies the DECA model,” says DECA co-founder and CEO Michael Wayne. “By recognizing and nurturing talent that is unique to the Web, DECA has created a distinctive new type of online entertainment and information format.”

Momversation posts three episodes a week, each approximately three to five minutes in length. Every episode features three or four of the panelists discussing a new topic.

ABOUT DECA
DECA (Digital Entertainment Corporation of America, www.deca.tv) was founded in 2007 to create a new model for the online entertainment experience. By identifying, funding, marketing and distributing next-generation digital content, DECA has become one of the leading players in shaping the future of entertainment. With its unique philosophy of recognizing and nurturing personalities and properties distinctive to the digital community, DECA stands alone in the industry by supporting content ‘of the web, by the web, and for the web.’ Headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, the company was founded by Michael Wayne and Chris Kimbell, who previously held senior roles at Sony Pictures, ABC, and Yahoo! Music. DECA is funded by Mayfield, General Catalyst, Rustic Canyon, and Atomico.

In addition to Momversation, among its current properties are:

• Smosh
Currently the third most subscribed YouTube channel of all time, Smosh is sketch comedy for teens and young adults by 20-year-olds Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox. With more than 230 million views, Smosh videos have become a pop culture phenomenon. Their site, Smosh.com, features video extras, robust forums, and a growing community of more than 480,000 registered members, who contribute to more than ten million page views each month.

• Good Bite
The groundbreaking Internet video series brings together the web’s most popular food bloggers to discuss food, share recipes and present step-by-step cooking demonstrations. Good Bite consists of a weekly panel discussion from a trio of these top food bloggers, who tackle a cooking topic and share their easy recipe solutions. Each of their recipes is demonstrated in ‘how-to’ videos, supplemented with a fourth recipe from a professional Good Bite ‘How-To’ Cook.

Congratulations to DECA and everyone on the Momversation team, including our editor Sunny Gault, web producer Christine Tarbet, and, of course, our esteemed panelists, for 100 episodes of Momversation. The 100th episode is about making “me time,” and has our regular panelists joined by Today Show producers to discuss how they all make time for themselves among the hubbub of raising kids. Watch it here:

And of course, we also want to thank Momversation’s sponsor, Target, and our viewers and users, who have welcomed us, supported us, and made us excited to be part of such a vibrant community of parents.

We’ve asked each of our panelists to share their favorite episodes so far, which you can read about on the Momversation blog. Here’s to many more episodes!

BusinessWeek’s Jon Fine wrote about DECA’s business model this week. Here’s an excerpt:

The thing about Web video, of course, is that anyone can do it. Shoot it, edit it, distribute it on YouTube and other outlets—done. Assuming, of course, that “distribute” means “put it alongside zillions of similar things.” This is partly why building a Web video business is tough, as even showbiz vets have discovered. Infinite competition and uncertain ad demand for unproven Web properties make the 21st century dream—a hit online video series, or at least one that pulls in steady dollars— all but impossible. Unless you invert aspects of the traditional model, as a two-year-old Santa Monica (Calif.) Web video outfit called Deca does.

In other industry news, here’s what we were reading:

• JetBlue Marketing: YouTube Stars Promote New LAX Route - AdAge
• Fox, iPhone team on ‘Family Guy’ app - Variety
• Studios-Backed Web Video Efforts Stalled for Now; Who’s Left? - paidContent
  

Here’s what we were reading this week:

• Carl’s Jr. Makes New Kind of Network Buy - Adweek (See Smosh’s sponsored Carl’s Jr. video above, or watch it on YouTube.)
• Sugar Acquires Shopflick - NewTeeVee
• YouTube Launches XL: Browser-Based TV - NewTeeVee
• Tremor Media Touts New Web Video Ad Format - Mediaweek
• U.S. Video Views Up 16% in April to New High - NewTeeVee
• Digital Power 2009 includes DECA in its list of the 50 most powerful digital media entities - The Hollywood Reporter

This week, we kept tabs on the D7 conference from afar, and Michael was profiled by TVWeek. Here’s what we were reading:

• Cuban: Google Ruined Online Video for All of Us - NewTeeVee
• Zucker: Hulu Will Break Even “Soon” - NewTeeVee
• Payoff Over a Web Sensation Is Elusive - New York Times
• Web Star-Ups Look Beyond Ads for Revenue - New York Times
• Digital Dealmakers: Michael Wayne - TVWeek
  

Each week at DECA, we read dozens of news articles that span online video and web industry news, and starting this week, we’ll post a few of our favorites here. This week, we’re reading:

• Report Likens Twitter To TiVo: More Hype Than Reality - MediaPost
• Twitter Surges Past Digg, LinkedIn, And NYTimes.com With 32 Million Global Visitors - TechCrunch
• ESPN Comes to YouTube - And Brings Its Own Player and Pre-Roll Ads - ReadWriteWeb
• Beyond Clicks And CPMs: A Look At ‘Engagement’-Based Ad Deals - paidContent
• Seven Video Content Pioneers to Watch - ClickZ (DECA is on this list - check out other press on the DECA Press page)