NBC News (MSNBC)

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 1:45pm on Thursday, August 20th, 2009

Msnbc.com has acquired EveryBlock, a Chicago-based Web site that offers news and information down to the neighborhood level in 15 cities. The two companies announced the acquisition on August 17, 2009, and MSNBC had this report:

"EveryBlock, which will continue as an independent brand, allows users to type in their address, neighborhood name or ZIP code to view nearby news coverage, blog entries, civic data, photos and dozens of other types of information — all updated throughout the day.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Charlie Tillinghast, president of msnbc.com, praised EveryBlock for its data-driven approach to reporting basic public information.

“EveryBlock’s talented team has a track record of innovation in the industry, and we’re excited to add them to the msnbc.com brand family,” Tillinghast said. “They’ve broken new ground with their unique approach to collecting, organizing and presenting news down to the block level. Their impact and importance in the community space is extremely valuable and carries promise for journalism and new business models.”

“Joining with msnbc.com gives us the resources to turn EveryBlock from a cool, useful service into something much bigger,” said Adrian Holovaty, founder of EveryBlock. Holovaty and the company's staff of five will remain based in Chicago.

In addition to Chicago, the Web site also covers Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle and Washington, D.C."

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 1:44pm on Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

NBC News is launching a reality TV series about real terrorists. "The Wanted" will begin airing on Monday, July 20, 2009.

The new series is from executive producers and co-creators Charlie Ebersol and Adam Ciralsky, who said, "It's like nothing you've ever seen on TV before. The pairing of rigorous investigative journalism with high-end production values has resulted in a fast-paced show which we hope will leave viewers wanting more."

NBC News describes the new series as "a groundbreaking television event" involving "an international hunt for an accused terrorist." The press release continues:

"The Wanted" brings together an elite team with backgrounds in intelligence, unconventional warfare and investigative journalism. The show focuses on real operators, in search of real targets -- all in an effort to see individuals brought to justice."

Mondo Times editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 9:25pm on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

NBC News has launched an African American news website called "TheGrio" on June 8, 2009. The press release says:

NBC News and Three Part Media LLC today launched The Grio (www.TheGrio.com), a video-centric news site devoted to stories and perspectives that appeal to the African American community. The announcement was made by NBC News Senior Vice President Adam Jones.

TheGrio.com uses the vast resources of NBC News, including owned and operated stations, affiliate stations, and msnbc.com, as well as the nation's leading newspapers and websites, to aggregate pertinent video and written content for the site. The Grio also features original video packages, news articles, and blogs on a variety of topics including breaking news, politics, health, business, faith, and entertainment. Contributors to TheGrio.com include Rev. Al Sharpton, Melissa Harris-Lacewell, and Santita Jackson. The site dives deeper into stories of black interest that mainstream news outlets currently only touch on.

"Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the assassination of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in April 2008, NBC News premiered "Meeting David Wilson," the remarkable and inspiring story of a young man's reconciliation with his ancestors' history as slaves. In building this partnership, David Wilson demonstrated an articulate, passionate and inquiring mind committed to serving the needs of his community," said Adam Jones. "This collaboration led to the idea of leveraging NBC News resources and David's editorial talents to create a daily news website that would target the interests and concerns of African American consumers."

"TheGrio.com is the first video-centric news community site devoted to providing African-Americans with stories and perspectives that appeal to them but are underrepresented in existing national news outlets," said The Grio Managing Editor and Founding Member of Three Part Media David Wilson. "TheGrio.com's goal is to be the biggest and most reliable aggregator, producer, and distributor of black news online."

Ford Motor Company has signed on to exclusively sponsor The Grio during its launch phase.

Mondo Times editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 5:05pm on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

MSNBC is gaining while CNN is fading in the cable TV news battle, Michael Calderone wrote at Politico.com on May 31, 2009:

"While Fox News dominates the cable competition — with an audience last month the size of the other two networks combined — CNN had at least been able to claim the No. 2 spot.

But in March, MSNBC overtook CNN for the first time in both total prime-time viewers and the 25-54 demographic. CNN narrowly edged MSNBC in total viewers in April, but again lost the demo.

CNN executives point out that looking year-to-date, the network still leads MSNBC in total prime-time viewers. The competition, however, is focused on more recent trends.

“We’re on track to beat CNN in prime-time for the third month in a row,” said MSNBC spokesperson Jeremy Gaines. “That firmly establishes us as the No. 2 cable-news channel in prime-time.”

It’s not as if MSNBC’s nightly numbers have been rising like Fox’s during the first few months of the Obama administration; rather, both Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow have watched their post-Inauguration numbers soften.

But when it comes to the prime-time metrics on which the industry focuses, MSNBC now has bragging rights. So in the afterglow of the March numbers, MSNBC President Phil Griffin took a shot across the bow at CNN.

“What do they stand for?" Griffin told The Associated Press. "That's their biggest challenge. CNN ain't what it used to be, and that has given us an opening because we stand for something and they don't."

The full story:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/23118.html