"ropert murdoch" said, on c-span

A respected poster (& Looksmart shareholder) on Yahoo, reports:

ropert murdoch on C-Span
by: abacoandy (54/M/holder.fl) 07/24/05 02:44 am
Msg: 144419 of 144420

Just watched an hr. long talk by Rupert to the US print editors convention, very informative ...... He sees the printed paper fading out of existence before 2020.

His buddy Bill Gates has told him that there will be $30B spent p.a. in online advertising within 3 years. This is = to the total spent at present in all print media advertising. i.e. all print media better get online in huge way if they are going to survive. Their present web sites are just not going to do it.

They are going to have to incorporate blogger sections, with video clip abilities AND tools for readers to save articles of personal interest with the capability of letting others with similar interests, read and add to the articles found and saved.

now where have I heard that before ? ...... com'n LOOK!!!!!.......jim >

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The "dogs have been barking" this message ,both here and elsewhere for how long now ???? Rupert has only just woken up ???

LOL !!

But ..... Rupert did say (as posted by Abacoandy):

< AND tools for readers to save articles of personal interest with the capability of letting others with similar interests, read and add to the articles found and saved. >

Looksmart may be able to help him out with Furl, I'd say. Almost ALL other large Print Media Publishers have already some sort of 'deal', that includes Looksmart, as I see it. Seems like Rupert is playing 'catch up' but, no doubt, he will come home with a 'wet sail'. So will LOK/Looksmart, that, I can assure you!!!

< News Corp has been considering its Internet strategy over the past several months with the aim of capitalising on the quickly growing number of advertising dollars being spent there. >

News Corp, the media conglomerate controlled by Rupert Murdoch, is launching a new unit grouping together the Internet properties owned by its Fox entertainment, news and sports businesses.

The new unit, to be called Fox Interactive Media, will be headed by Ross Levinsohn, formerly chief of Fox's online sports business.

In addition to sports, the group will also oversee the online operations of the Fox television network, cable TV's Fox News Channel and the Web sites of Fox's local TV stations.

The division will coordinate back-office functions such as advertising sales across the Web sites, and also make it easier for browsers to move from one Fox-owned site to another, personalise what they see and get access to a greater variety of content such as video.

Like other media companies, News Corp had formed a separate online division during the Internet frenzy of the late 1990s, only to shut it down later. News Corp laid off more than 200 people in early 2001 when it closed down News Digital Media.

Murdoch was travelling and not available for comment on the formation of the new digital venture, but company spokesman Andrew Butcher said the company was taking a new approach with the Fox online unit, which was formed after several months of internal discussions.

"One of the lessons we've learned is that the Fox operating businesses have to have a great deal of involvement in their own sites," Butcher said.

"That wasn't always the case with News Digital Media."

Butcher said the new unit would have a "very collaborative and cooperative" relationship with their respective Fox television properties.

Butcher declined to say how much money News Corp planned to invest in the new venture, or how many staff it was expected to add.

But he said that a number of online staff members would remain at each of the Fox operating units.

News Corp has been considering its Internet strategy over the past several months with the aim of capitalising on the quickly growing number of advertising dollars being spent there.

:)
LC