CNET Networks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| CNET Networks, Inc. | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | Public (NASDAQ: CNET) |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | 235 Second Street, San Francisco, California, USA |
| Key people | Neil Ashe, CEO Shelby Bonnie, co-founder |
| Industry | Internet information provider |
| Revenue | ▲$387.69 million (2006) |
| Net income | ▲$7.87 million (2006) |
| Employees | 2,080 (2006) |
| Website | cnetnetworks.com |
CNET Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNET) is a publicly-held media company based in San Francisco, California, United States and co-founded in 1993 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie. On May 15, 2008, it was announced that CBS Corporation would buy CNET Networks for US$1.8 billion. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter.[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
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This section may contain an inappropriate mixture of prose and timeline. |
In 1994, with the help from Fox co-founder Kevin Windle,[2] CNET produced four pilot television programs about computers, technology, and the Internet. CNET TV was composed of CNET Central, The Web, and The New Edge.[citation needed] CNET Central was created first and aired in syndication in the United States on the USA Network.[2] Later, it began airing on USA's sister network Sci Fi Channel along with The Web and The New Edge.[citation needed] These were later followed by TV.com in 1996. Current American Idol host Ryan Seacrest first came to national prominence at CNET, as the host of The New Edge and doing various voice-over work for CNET.[citation needed]
In addition, CNET produced another television technology news program called News.com that aired on CNBC beginning in 1999.[2]
CNET acquired the Swiss-based company GDT in 1999. GDT was later renamed to CNET Channel.[2]
In 1999, CNET granted the right to Asiacontent to set up CNET Asia, operation was brought back in December 2000.[citation needed]
In January 2000, the same time CNET became CNET Networks, they acquired comparison shopping site mySimon for $700 million.[3]
In October 2000, CNET Networks acquired ZDNet for approximately $1.6 billion.[4][5] In January 2001, Ziff Davis Media, Inc. reached an agreement with CNET Networks, Inc. to regain the URLs lost in the 2000 sale of Ziff Davis, Inc. to SoftBank Corp. a publicly traded Japanese media and technology company.[6] In April 2001, CNET acquired TechRepublic Inc., which provides content for IT professionals from Gartner, Inc., for $23 million in cash and stock.[7] On July 14, 2004, CNET announced that it would acquire Webshots, the leading photography website for $70 million ($60 million in cash, $10 million in deferred consideration).[8]
From 2001 to 2003, CNET operated CNET Radio on the Clear Channel-owned KNEW 910 AM in the San Francisco Bay Area, WBPS 890 AM in Boston and on XM Satellite Radio. CNET Radio offered technology-themed programing. After failing to attract a sufficient audience, CNET Radio ceased operating in January 2003 due to financial losses.[9]
On October 11, 2006, Shelby Bonnie resigned as chairman and CEO as a result of stock options backdating scandal that occurred between 1996 and 2003. Neil Ashe was named as the new CEO.[10]
In December 2006, James Kim, an editor at CNET, died in the Oregon wilderness. CNET hosted a memorial show and podcasts dedicated to him.
On March 1, 2007, CNET announced the public launch of BNET, a website targeted towards business managers. BNET was launched in 2005 in beta form.[11]
On May 15, 2008, American media conglomerate CBS Corporation announced it has agreed to purchase CNET Networks for $11.50 a share ($1.8 billion).[12]
[edit] Websites
[edit] CNET.com
CNET.com is CNET's online portal, providing access to CNET's reviews, news, downloads, price comparisons and CNET TV as well as web search powered by search.com.
CNET.com is divided into seven major sections, all of which can be accessed from the home or "Today on CNET" page. These sections are:
[edit] Reviews
Product and service reviews by CNET. This section can also include extras such as Internet connection speed tests, opinion articles and buying guides.
[edit] News.com
News.com is a news website dedicated to technology. Content is created by both CNET and external media agencies. A daily podcast is available which covers main stories.
[edit] Tips & Tricks
Tips & Tricks is the learning area of CNET, offering a range of tutorials, guides and tips for technology users.
[edit] CNET TV
CNET TV is CNET's Internet video channel offering a selection of on-demand video content including video reviews, first looks and special features.
[edit] CNET Shopper.com
CNET Shopper.com is an online tool that aims to find the lowest prices on items from online retailers. While generally reliable, there have been notable errors in pricing information on occasion including a camera worth over a thousand dollars being advertised for only a few dollars.
[edit] Blogs
Also available at blogs.cnet.com, this is a round up of all the blogs from CNET personalities and official blogs for CNET and CNET programs.
In addition to CNET.com, which is aimed at North American audiences, there are also regional CNET sites including cnet.com.au (for Australia), cnet.co.uk (for the United Kingdom) and asia.cnet.com (for Asia). Content on regional sites is a mix of mostly locally produced content from regional offices of CNET, with certain content - mostly news - from the US CNET.com site. In addition, content is sometimes sourced from ZDNet.
[edit] Download.com
Download.com is a website that provides Windows, Macintosh and Mobile software (drivers, shareware, freeware, trialware, and open source) for download. CNET maintains that this software is free of spyware.
The site also offers free mp3 music files for download (by mostly independent artists).
[edit] CNET TV
CNET TV plays various videos, including CNET video reviews. CNET editors such as Tom Merrit, Molly Wood, and Brian Cooley host shows like Car Tech, The Queue, Buzz Report, Crave, Quick Tips, CNET Top 5, and others, as well as special reports and reviews.
On April 12, 2007, CNET TV aired its first episode of CNET LIVE, hosted by Brian Cooley and Tom Merritt. The first episode featured Justin Kan of justin.tv.[citation needed]
[edit] CNET UK
In 2005, CNET launched CNET.co.uk.[citation needed] This UK arm of CNET Networks covers similar areas to CNET.com, but specifically for UK consumers. As of January 2008, an independent audit certified CNET.co.uk was the largest consumer electronics website in the UK, with 2.5 million unique visitors [13].The site is mainly focused on reviews, news, a gadget blog ('Crave', a name which CNET.com eventually adopted for their own blog) and editorial content from a team of editors, covering consumer electronics and car tech. CNET.co.uk is managed and overseen by site editor Jason Jenkins (formerly of T3 Magazine). The CNET.co.uk editorial team consists of Rory Reid, Ian Morris, Nate Lanxon, Andrew Lim and Richard Trenholm. CNET.co.uk also has a weekly podcast called the 'Crave Podcast'.
CNET Networks UK also comprises a number of other online-only publications, including GameSpot.co.uk, Silicon.com, ZDNet.co.uk and SmartPlanet.com, each of which produce both editorial and audio-video productions, including GameSpot's video show 'Start/Select', and ZDNet's popular 'Dialogue Box' show. Collectively, the publications of CNET Networks UK generate 132 million monthly page views from 9.8 million unique visitors[14].
On November 19, 2007, CNET UK launched the UK version of CNET TV. Although the site's design is very different in design to CNET.com's version, it differs by using true 16:9-resolution video, streaming in Adobe Flash at high bit rates. CNET TV UK produces all original content, most notably a weekly music show, Encoded, hosted by Nate Lanxon; and Reel Weekend, a weekly film digest hosted by Ben Howard. The site also features a car tech show, product video reviews, music videos and most of the video content produced by CNET Networks UK's various consumer and business sites.
Alongside music show Encoded, CNET TV UK hosts live sessions with popular artists -- in the past including The Broken Family Band and Lightspeed Champion -- under the name CNET TV:Live.
[edit] Other websites
Other CNET websites include GameSpot, GameFAQs, Metacritic, MP3.com, TV.com, and Movie Tome, which operate under the "CNET Networks Entertainment" brand name; Chow, Chowhound, UrbanBaby and Consumating, which operate under the "CNET Networks Community" brand; Webware, a blog launched in November 2006 dedicated to web applications.[15]
In July 2004, CNET Networks acquired Webshots, an online photo sharing site for $70 million[16]. However, in October of 2007, they sold Webshots to American Greetings for $35 million[17]
CNET owns many domain names, including download.com, upload.com, news.com, search.com, tv.com, mp3.com, chat.com, computers.com, help.com, shopper.com, radio.com, and com.com.
In 1998, CNET was sued by Snap Technologies for its use of the snap.com website.[18]
[edit] Podcasts
The network produces several audio and video podcasts. They are related to the core areas of technology: General news, DAPs, Cars, Security, and the ongoing wars between the politicos and the industry. The network has several different brandings on their podcasts. CNET.com, the Network's most viewed site, has more than eight to date.[19] The other sites in the CNET Network that have podcasts are GameSpot, TV.com, MP3.com and CNET.co.uk.
| Name | Brand | Hosts | Type | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buzz Out Loud | CNET.com | Molly Wood, Tom Merritt and Jason Howell (formerly Veronica Belmont) | Audio/Video | Daily/Weekly Video |
| Geek Pop(cancelled) | CNET.com | Tom Merritt and Molly Wood | Video | Daily |
| The 404 | CNET.com | Jeff Bakalar and Wilson Tang (formerly Randall Benett) | Audio | Monday-Friday |
| Crave | CNET.com's Crave Blog | Brian Tong (formerly Caroline McCarthy, Veronica Belmont and James Kim) | Video | Weekly |
| Loaded | CNET.com | Natali Del Conte | Video | Monday-Thursday |
| The Buzz Report | CNET.com | Molly Wood (interim host Brian Cooley) | Video | Weekly |
| Gadgettes | CNET.com | Molly Wood, Kelly Morrison, and Jason Howell | Audio | Weekly |
| MP3 Insider | CNET.com | Jasmine France and Donald Bell (formerly Veronica Belmont and James Kim) | Audio | Weekly |
| The Real Deal | CNET.com | Tom Merritt and Rafe Needleman | Audio | Weekly |
| Security Bites | CNET.com and News.com | Robert Vamosi | Audio and video (on CNET TV) | Weekly |
| Car Tech | CNET.com | Brian Cooley, Kevin Massy, and Wayne Cunningham | Audio and video (on CNET TV) | Weekly |
| The Queue (Discontinued after Rich DeMuro left CNET) | CNET.com | Rich DeMuro (former) | Video (CNET TV) | Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays |
| Tech and Politics Rundown | CNET.com and News.com | Charles Cooper and Declan McCullagh | Audio | Weekly |
| CNET Live | CNET.com | Tom Merritt and Brian Cooley | Video (CNET TV) | Thursdays |
| Dialed In | CNET.com | Kent German, Bonnie Cha, and Nicole Lee | Audio | Wednesdays |
| Crossfade TV | Download.com, MP3.com | Kurt Wolff, Mike Tao, Peter Gavin, and Anngie Dehoyos | Video (CNET TV) | Bi-weekly |
| Studio C | CNET.com, Download.com, and MP3.com | Kurt Wolff, Ariel Nunez, Mike Tao, and Peter Gavin | Audio | Weekly |
| On the Spot | GameSpot http://www.gamespot.com/shows/on-the-spot/ | Brian Ekberg and Kristen Reilley hosts this live weekly video game talk show along with various other editors and guests. | Video | Thursdays at 4 PM PST |
| The LineUp | GameSpot | Brian Ekberg, Aaron Thomas, and Shanker Srinivasan hosts this sports video game talk show. | Video | Bi-weekly (Fri) |
| Import Friendly | GameSpot http://www.gamespot.com/users/Takeshi-GS/ | Takeshi Hiraoka hosts this import game and culture show. | Video | Monthly (1st Thurs) |
| Start/Select | http://uk.gamespot.com/shows/start-select/ | Guy Cocker hosts this news and features show on UK gaming. | Video | Bi-weekly (Fri) |
| The Hotspot | GameSpot http://www.gamespot.com/pages/features/hotspot/index.php | Tor Thorsen hosts this video game news podcast. | Audio | Tuesdays |
| From the Bleachers | GameSpot http://www.gamespot.com/pages/features/bleachers/index.php | Brian Ekberg, Aaron Thomas, and Shanker Srinivasan hosts this sports video game podcast. | Audio | Wednesdays |
| Gamespot UK Podcast | http://uk.gamespot.com/pages/features/ukpodcast/index.php | Guy Cocker, Laura Jenner, Emma Boyes, Luke Andedrson, and(Occasionally) Alex Sassoon Coby. News and features podcast on UK Gaming. | Audio | Bi-weekly (Thurs) |
| OzSpot Gamespot AU Podcast | http://au.gamespot.com/pages/features/ozspot/index.php | Randolph Ramsay, Dan Chiappini, and James Kozanecki bring you the GameSpot AU podcast. Biggest news and trends in the world of Australian Gaming. | Audio | Bi-weekly (Wed) |
| Crave UK Podcast | CNET.co.uk | Rory Reid and CNET.co.uk team | Audio | Weekly (Fri) |
| The Digital Home | CNET.com | Don Reisinger | Audio | Weekly |
[edit] Acquisition by CBS
On May 15, 2008, it was announced that CBS Corporation would buy CNET Networks for US$1.8 billion.[20] The deal is expected to close in the 3rd quarter of 2008.
[edit] References
- ^ CBS CORPORATION TO ACQUIRE CNET NETWORKS, INC.. CBS Corporation (2008-05-15). Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
- ^ a b c d CNET Networks - About Us - History. CNET Networks. Retrieved on 2007-06-29.
- ^ CNET Acquires mySimon. internetnews.com (January 20, 2000). Retrieved on 2008-01-19.
- ^ Cnet To Buy Ziff Davis. InformationWeek (July 19, 2000). Retrieved on 2007-06-29.
- ^ Interview With CNETnews.com's Sydnie Kohara. JournalismJobs.com (January 2001). Retrieved on 2007-06-29.
- ^ Ziff Davis Media to Regain URLs through agreement with CNET Networks, ZDNet. Ziff Davis Media Press Release (January 23, 2001). Retrieved on 2008-01-19.
- ^ CNET acquires TechRepublic for $23 million. San Francisco Business Times (April 9, 2001). Retrieved on 2008-01-19.
- ^ CNET Networks to Acquire Webshots. CNET Networks Investor Relations (July 14, 2004). Retrieved on 2008-01-19.
- ^ CNet pulls plug on radio program. Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal (January 16, 2003). Retrieved on 2007-06-29.
- ^ "CNET CEO quits after options review; outlook cut", Reuters, 2006-10-11. Retrieved on 2006-10-24.
- ^ "CNET Networks rolls out BNET, Web site targeting business managers", BtoB Magazine, March 1, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-06-29.
- ^ CBS buying CNet in online push. cnn.com (May 15, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
- ^ CNET Jan '08 audit figures. ABCe (January 15, 2007). Retrieved on 2008-01-16.
- ^ CNET audit figures. ABCe (February 4th, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-04.
- ^ Needleman, Rafe (2006-11-29). Webware.com is live!. Rafe's Blog. Retrieved on 2007-09-21.
- ^ CNET Acquires Photo Service Webshots For $70 Million.
- ^ CNET Networks Announces Sale of Webshots to American Greetings. CNET Networks Investor Relations.
- ^ Bowman, Lisa, News.com (1998-11-21). Snap! Crackle! Popped! CNet hit with suit over portal name. ZDNet News. Retrieved on 2008-05-11.
- ^ CNET Podcast Central. Retrieved on 2007-11-25.
- ^ CBS to buy CNET Networks. CNET (2008-05-15). Retrieved on 2008-05-15.
[edit] External links
- CNET Networks corporate site
- CNET Networks UK corporate site
- CNET Networks Australia corporate site
- CNET.com
- CNET.co.uk
- CNET.com.au
- asia.CNET.com
- News.com
- CNET TV
- CNET TV UK
- Transcripts of CNET Network's quarterly conference calls
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