MIAMI and WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., July 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Cox
Interactive Media (CIM) announced its plan to become an integral part of the
sunny lifestyle in South Florida by opening a new interactive studio serving
Miami and West Palm Beach. CIM is forging ahead in its cybertrek across
America by providing current localized information on South Florida via the
World Wide Web. The interactive studio will meet the growing needs of the
Miami and West Palm Beach Internet communities and follow on the heels of
several nationwide studio openings, including those in Atlanta, Austin, San
Francisco and Dayton. In 1997 CIM will launch more than 20 additional studios
in metropolitan areas across the country.
Leading the South Florida Studio into cyberspace is Dan Shorter, who
brings a wealth of technology and media experience to CIM. Shorter was
instrumental in coordinating two of CIM's specialty sites, FASTBALL.com
(http://www.fastball.com) and Storm97 (http://www.storm97.com), and in the development of
CIM's Atlanta city site, AccessAtlanta (http://www.accessatlanta.com). Previously at
The Palm Beach Post, he held a variety of newsroom positions, including
assistant to the managing editor and executive business editor. In addition
to his professional career, Shorter is very involved with the South Florida
community and directs a Thanksgiving program with his wife that feeds over
450 needy families each year.
"With so many Internet-savvy users in South Florida, it is a perfect
Internet match for Cox Interactive Media," said Peter Winter, president of Cox
Interactive Media, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. "We look forward to drawing
on the expertise and community knowledge of our fellow Cox-owned media in the
area, The Palm Beach Post, WHQT Hot 105 FM and WFLC Coast 97.3 FM in Miami, to
build Web sites attractive to advertisers and online users alike. The South
Florida Studio will allow us to build a Web site for each city that provides a
'locals-only' flavor with dynamic and robust content in a functional format."
Dan Shorter voiced his excitement about being a part of the Cox
Interactive Media team. "The Miami/West Palm Beach Studio will be a leader in
developing quality Web sites," said Shorter. "We look forward to working
closely with our Cox partners to produce informative, entertaining, and
engaging content -- all from a local perspective," he said.
Shorter's enthusiasm is echoed by The Palm Beach Post. Tom Giuffrida,
publisher of the newspaper, sees CIM's interactive studio as an enormous
opportunity for growth and a continuation of Cox's services in the area.
"Cox has been a force in South Florida for decades, and this exciting new
venture demonstrates both our creativity and commitment to serving this
region's information needs for decades to come," said Giuffrida.
CIM's radio partners in the area are lending their support as well. "As
the convergence of different forms of communication continues to explode, Cox
Radio, and our South Florida stations Coast 97.3 and Hot 105 welcome our
partners and our friends at Cox Interactive Media to our dynamic marketplace,"
said Bob Green, group vice president of Cox Radio, Inc. "We look forward to
their significant contributions, consistent with the Cox heritage of great
content, style, and value for the customer."
Cox Interactive Media (http://www.cimedia.com), a newly formed subsidiary of Cox
Enterprises, has created local city sites, such as AccessAtlanta
(http://www.accessatlanta.com) and Austin360 (http://www.austin360.com). These city sites
provide users specific information unique to their communities as well as
opportunities for online interaction with other users through community
bulletin boards and chat rooms. Specialty sites like FASTBALL.com
(http://www.fastball.com) and Y'all.com (http://www.yall.com) have also been established to
focus on specific topics which have regional or national appeal. Through the
advent of studios like the one established in South Florida, CIM will provide
vital interactive links between local, national and worldwide communities.
A leading media company, Cox Enterprises, Inc. includes Cox Newspapers,
Inc. (newspapers, direct mail marketing, book publishing), Cox Broadcasting,
Inc. (TV, spot sales, movie/television production, research, publicly traded
Cox Radio, Inc. (NYSE: CXR)) and publicly traded Cox Communications, Inc.
(NYSE: COX) (cable distribution, programming, broadband communications) in
addition to Cox Interactive Media. The company is the world's largest
operator of automobile auctions through Manheim Auctions, providing financial
services, government auctions, online services and price guides.
SOURCE Cox Interactive Media
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CONTACT: Media: Marleen Burford, Cox Interactive Media, 404-572-1820 or marleen.burford@cimedia.com; or Paula Smith, paulas@duffey.com or Mike Neumeier, miken@duffey.com, both of Duffey Communications, 404-266-2600
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