Mediacom Inks Pact With Video-News Web Site
Operator To Test Distribution Of Newsy.com Content Via Cable, Broadband
Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 5/27/2009 11:28:49 AM
Mediacom Communications announced a partnership with Newsy.com, a news-aggregation video startup maintained by college journalism students, to test the delivery of news content over cable and broadband to the operator's customers in Missouri.
"Mediacom is pleased to offer this exclusive programming to our customers in Columbia and Jefferson City," Mediacom director of area operations Bryan Gann said, in a statement. "We're always looking to work with local businesses, such as Newsy.com."
Newsy.com, based in Columbia, Mo., is affiliated with the University of Missouri's School of Journalism. Students receive college credits in exchange for working for the Web site to monitor and synthesize news coverage worldwide through short video segments. One example: a 3-minute piece about today's UEFA Champion's League final in Rome, focused on the economic impact and safety concerns, sourced from the BBC, CNN, USA Today and other media organizations.
Newsy was founded by Jim Spencer, previously "vice president of answers" at search engine Ask Jeeves and AOL's general manager of news and information programming. He also served as director of strategic partnerships at NBC for MSNBC.com.
"The opportunity to work with Mediacom represents the forward looking ways that content providers and distribution firms can work together to provide innovative news products," Spencer said in announcing the pact.
Newsy has received economic development incentives from the city of Columbia and tax credits from the Missouri State Department of Economic Development. The company raised $1.1 million in its first round of funding primarily from Missouri-based angel investors.
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