CBS Corp. has invested in virtual world content developing firm Electric Sheep Co. The deal calls for CBS to contribute to Electric Sheep’s latest round of funding, which is for $7 million, Earth Times reports. Electric Sheep creates 3D virtual world content and solutions, as well as software products, interactive design and integration and production solutions. Electric Sheep’s clients include MTV Networks, Time Warner’s AOL and Major League Baseball.Corporate interest in tapping virtual worlds to market brands and products have surged in recent months as marketers test new technologies to reach consumers who now split their leisure TV-viewing time with the Internet. Electric Sheep, consultants and designers of properties in 3-dimensional virtual worlds such as Linden Lab’s Second Life, have accumulated a portfolio of Fortune 500 clients that include Time Warner Inc.’s AOL, General Electric’s NBC and Viacom Inc..The company also consults for Linden Lab, creator of the virtual world Second Life.Reuters/Beautiful Mind Co.

MTV Networks has promoted programming veteran Lois Curren to president, entertainment and programming of the flagship network.

Lois Curren will oversee all development, production, program planning and scheduling for MTV. In Jan. 2006, Curren was jumped up to executive vp, MTV series entertainment, where she was charged with leading all of MTV long-form programming.

Curren has been a genuine sensation machine, overseeing such unscripted series such as The Osbournes and Newlyweds.
First list of shows in development is Scarred, a 10-epiosde series that will profile the people behind the Web’s most compelling viral videos. (MTV2 got a jump on this meme-based initiative two years ago when it launched The Andy Milonakis Show on the strength of a Web clip documenting the winningly infantile performer’s protest ballad, “The Super Bowl Is Gay.”)

Also on tap are: Room 401, an eight-episode offering from Ashton Kutcher’s Katalyst Film and TV, which puts a supernatural twist on the actor’s original Punk’d template; Me & Mr. Jones, a half-hour doc series that sheds some light on the marriage of New York hip-hop artists Nas and Kelis; and The Kentucky Kid, an eight-episode strip that tails pro motorcycle racer Nicky Hayden in his quest to extend his reign as MotoGP world champion.

 MSNBC.com Launches FirstPerson

MSNBC.com has just launched FirstPerson. FirstPerson allows users to ad content to their own site. However the sites editors will screen all submissions. Fans can also vote on their own favorites. Ultimately MSNBC.com hopes to supplement the news site’s own news coverage.