Valleywag: Msnbc

Chocolate on the outside

Jordan Golson — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:00:36 PDT

MSNBC.com streamed Obama's speech on race in America live on its website today. Naturally, MSNBC ran some advertising along with the stream, but it wasn't the smartest product placement. Have a look:

[arian1]

MSNBC streaming Super Tuesday coverage online

Jordan Golson — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:04:27 PST

MSNBC is offering a live Webcast of its Super Tuesday coverage online. Could this be the first time a cable channel has simulcast news coverage on the Web? I've asked MSNBC if that's the case, but the network has yet to get back to me. A live broadcast is significantly more expensive than serving up a cached video, as YouTube does. The only other major live Internet broadcast has been pay-only from Major League Baseball, and that's not a replica of a cable channel. Stuck at your computer? Hit the jump to watch some MSNBC, straight from your desk.

Yahoo deal spells a sale for MSNBC.com

Nicholas Carlson — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:00:32 PST

"I shudder to think about a MSNBC.com and Yahoo News integration," a source formerly employed by both companies in the proposed Microsoft-Yahoo merger tell us. The "cultures," she says, "will be really tough to integrate." In that case, we're happy to report the good news: There's no way it will happen. Legally, Microsoft can't keep both news sites, and if it has to choose between the two, Yahoo News would be its natural choice.

Microsoft can't run both because back when NBC and Microsoft formed MSNBC.com, Microsoft agreed that the venture would be the only source of news on Microsoft sites. A Microsoft-owned Yahoo News would violate that agreement. One of the two properties would have to go.

Expect Microsoft to keep Yahoo News and sell MSNBC.com to NBC Universal, which already owns 82 percent of the associated cable channel.

Insiders say NBC is eager to take over, and Microsoft should be happy to sell. MSNBC.com is more successful online than its TV counterpart is on cable, but according to ComScore, Yahoo News is more popular. Besides, Microsoft has specific reason to trust Yahoo News managment. It's run by the man many consider to have once made MSNBC.com what it is: Microsoft veteran Scott Moore, who's said to be missed in Redmond.

Valleywag cub reporter calls TheStreet.com veteran a "jackass" -- to his face

Jordan Golson — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:52:14 PST

I'm sitting in the CES press lounge when my editor, Owen Thomas, sends me an email:

Find him and interview? - O.
—-— Forwarded message —-—
From: Chaela Volpe
Date: Jan 7, 2008 1:35 PM
Subject: Gary Krakow joins TheStreet.com newsroom as Sr. Tech Correspondent, Reports Live from CES in Las Vegas

I announce to the table, which includes a few colleagues from Gizmodo, and early-rising PR guy Peter Shankman, "I love when my editors tell me to interview people and I have no idea who they are. Like this jackass — Gary Krakow from MSNBC. Who the hell is he? I have no idea." One of the guys across the table, who I don't know, starts staring at me and tosses his press badge on the table.

After a couple moments of silence, Shankman says, "This is the most surreal moment I've ever been witness to." Then, of course, he writes it up. Thanks, buddy.

By the way, Krakow has this to say about his new job:

Valleywag: Why'd you leave MSNBC?
Krakow: MSNBC wanted to go in a different direction. I needed more artistic freedom.
V: Does TheStreet still exist? Have you been paid yet?
K: Don't worry about my paycheck. The new, redesigned site will be up within a few weeks with a focus on video.

MSNBC.com buys Newsvine -- but for how much?

Owen Thomas — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 09:56:50 PDT

Newsvine, the Seattle-based headline aggregator — think Digg, but without the heartthrob cofounder — has sold to MSNBC.com for an undisclosed amount. The company had raised a small amount of venture capital, $1.5 million, which has led some industry insiders to peg the price at more than $15 million, less than $35 million. Newsvine, like Digg and the rest, encourages users to discuss news headlines, but it adds a twist: So-called "citizen journalism," where users also write their own articles. To a cynic, allowing that just spells more loser-generated content. But for MSNBC, which has, since its birth over a decade ago, been struggling to embrace the Web, the prospect of viewers contributing reporting has double appeal. First, it potentially cuts costs, and secondly, it adds a much-needed appearance of hipness, as upstarts like Current.tv threaten to garner a more youthful audience.

Just be glad they didn't spell it "Andrew Barren"

Nick Douglas — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 08:00:00 PDT

Take a look at this clip from MSNBC's article about Amanda Congdon, who recently left Andrew Baron's show Rocketboom to go on a media spree:

When your name's misspelled once in a piece about your now-famous ex-partner, that hurts. When it's misspelled three times? That'll leave a scar.

Internet star tries to make it on her own [MSNBC]

Holy media bubble! Amanda Congdon hits TIME Magazine, CNET, and MSNBC in one night

Nick Douglas — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 07:50:00 PDT

Sure, the former Rocketboom host is only interviewed in TIME's online version, not its print edition. But bloggers will forget that and make a big deal about this. And it is a big deal, since this was the third interview with Amanda Congdon published last night.

Can anyone explain how such a busy Internet rockstar has time for all these interviews? This week, she's talked to CNET (saying, "For this to be very public is kind of jarring"), MSNBC primetime ("As of Monday, Congdon said, she had received job offers that included "E" and every major network except CBS"), and TIME ("I've been approached for everything.") Sure must be tiring! But who will she take to the prom?

10 Questions for Amanda Congdon [TIME]