Cable News Bypass Strategy Catapults CBSNews.com into the Multi-Platform
Future of Network News
'Public Eye,' a New Blog, To Debut on the Site Later This Summer
NEW YORK, July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- CBS Digital Media and CBS News today
announced plans for a major expansion of CBSNews.com, creating a 24-hour,
multi-platform digital news network, bypassing cable television in favor of
the nation's fastest-growing distribution system -- broadband.
The joint announcement was made by Larry Kramer, President, CBS Digital
Media, and Andrew Heyward, President, CBS News.
In so doing, CBS News will move from a primarily television and radio
news-based operation to a 24-hour, on-demand news service, available across
many platforms, drawing on the experienced, worldwide, award-winning resources
of the Division.
The new CBSNews.com will include:
* an on-demand, 24-hour news network in the digital broadband space;
* a blog to be called "Public Eye" designed to provide greater openness
and transparency into the newsgathering process;
* a newly-configured homepage including The EyeBox, an on-page video
player showcasing the free broadband video of CBSNews.com including over
25,000 clips -- and video yet to be broadcast on the network;
* a commitment by CBS News fully to integrate its personnel and other
global newsgathering resources to provide exclusive, original reporting
and commentary around the clock.
"This major expansion of CBSNews.com is designed to capture an audience
that is increasingly looking for news and information at all times of the day,
not just during scheduled periods, and using the Internet for that purpose,"
said Kramer. "Every component of this re-launch -- including greatly enhanced
video streaming capabilities, more on-demand features and greater
participation from the CBS News correspondents and producers who will also be
reporting directly for the web -- will dramatically improve the content,
delivery and navigation of the website. I'm confident that with the
unparalleled excellence that is CBS News and its people, CBSNews.com will
become the premier news destination site in what has become a 24-hour
information world."
"This represents a significant shift for CBS News," said Heyward. "We are
redefining the mission of CBS News and the people who work here to meet the
demands of a 24-hour digital universe. In addition to producing award-winning
television and radio news programming, beginning today we are transforming our
24-hour newsgathering capability into a true on-demand news service on the
Internet -- dedicating our worldwide resources to providing competitive
breaking-news coverage and distinctive original reporting, analysis and
commentary to a young and growing audience of news consumers. And
importantly, our new blog presents a wholly new effort at transparency in the
newsgathering process."
Kramer further announced that Betsy Morgan will move over to the new
Digital Media division as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the new
CBSNews.com. Morgan has managed the site for the news division since 2001 as
part of her role as Vice President, Business Development for CBS News.
Kramer added: "I am very pleased that we will continue to have the
significant talents of Betsy Morgan and her team as we move forward to
accomplish the exciting tasks ahead."
Key elements of the new CBSNews.com site will include:
* Significant investment in CBS News and CBSNews.com as part of a "cable
bypass" strategy designed to offer breaking news, free broadband-
quality video and original reporting, commentary and analysis directly
to the fastest-growing segment of news consumers -- those accessing
news on the Internet. Projections indicate that homes connected to
broadband will equal or surpass homes serviced by cable and satellite
by 2010. During that time, the broadband delivery system will
dramatically improve, resulting in a viewing experience equal to
television. Furthermore, use of broadband connections during working
hours -- when most top stories take place -- significantly outweighs
that of cable and satellite.
* The debut of "Public Eye," a new blog that will create a candid and
robust dialogue between CBS News journalists and the public -- a move
unprecedented among CBS's peers in broadcast and cable television
journalism. "Public Eye" will be edited by veteran reporter and media
writer Vaughn Ververs, most recently editor of The Hotline, a daily Web
briefing on politics published by the National Journal. Ververs will
serve as the conduit between the public and CBS News to take viewers
and users inside the news gathering, production and decision-making
process via the use of original video and outtakes, interviews with
correspondents and producers, and input from independent experts, among
other methods. "Public Eye" will debut by late summer.
* A fully redesigned home page featuring The EyeBox, an on-page video
player which makes breaking news video immediately available. Users
can build their own newscast, choosing from exclusive Web content, the
current day's CBS News broadcasts, its archive of more than 25,000 news
pieces, or in many cases, video that has yet to be broadcast.
CBSNews.com will continue to offer all video for free in both of the
two most popular player formats, Real Video and Windows Media. All CBS
News video is encoded for full-screen viewing.
* True integration between CBS News and CBSNews.com staffed by reporters
committed to 24-hour news delivery. CBSNews.com will add more
exclusive, original reporting and commentary from CBS News. Throughout
the day, CBS News correspondents around the world will file, update and
expand their stories, continuously enriching the editorial content by
providing more insight and context. CBS EVENING NEWS anchor Bob
Schieffer will host a daily online version of his television broadcast
and CBS News' White House correspondents -- John Roberts, Bill Plante
and Mark Knoller -- will produce weekly features to address viewers'
and users' questions about their beat. EARLY SHOW Anchors Harry Smith,
Hannah Storm, Julie Chen and Rene Syler will also provide online
programming. Additionally, "Listening Post," the site's web-exclusive
look at issues around the world and why they're important, will be
expanded with reporting from Baghdad, Tokyo, Rome, Tel Aviv and London,
among other newsworthy locations.
Heyward added, "We've got the resources to make this work. We're adding
more people and technology to make sure that CBSNews.com is the immediate
first choice of Internet users who are looking for independent, trustworthy
news reporting and comment."
CBS News is part of CBS Television, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and
VIA.B).
SOURCE CBS
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Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/965075.html
CONTACT:
Press Contacts: Dana McClintock/CBS & CBS
Digital Media, +1-212-975-1077, dlmcclintock@cbs.com, or Sandy
Genelius/CBS News, +1-212-975-7525, smg@cbsnews.com, or Kelli
Edwards/CBS News, +1-212-975-6795, kee@cbsnews.com, or Paula
Breck/CBS Photo, +1-212-975-3811, pjbreck@cbs.com
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