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Microsoft Leaving MSNBC TV Partnership

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the long-term-deals-that-end-in-divorce dept.

pnewhook writes to tell us The New York Times is reporting that Microsoft and NBC have announced that they will be dissolving their joint cable TV news channel, MSNBC, with NBC retaining control. From the article: "NBC has completed a deal to assume majority control of the channel immediately, with an 82 percent stake, and it will become the sole owner within two years, NBC executives said yesterday. The two companies did not disclose financial terms of the deal. But the partners will continue their 50-50 ownership of the MSNBC Web site, which, partly as a consequence of its affiliation with Microsoft, is the most-used news site on the Internet."

5 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. Over a barrel? by Tufriast · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I guess NBC got tired of M$'s demanding ways. Either that, or M$ wasn't really doing anything with the TV division...and they just were using it for marketing.
    Try the Guardian for better news, or the BBC. The Brits got one thing right in my opinion: good *newsworthy* journalism. (And yeah, I'm ignoring their tabloid division...lol.)
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/

    --
    Help me, help you. - Jerry McGuire
  2. used like the whore it is by blueadept1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    is the most-used news site on the Internet.

    Probably because every second person has it set as their *recommended* homepage as a result of installing MSN 150 times over the past 3 years. Now all we need is slashdot messenger... yes, that's it, create a further divide in IM... muahaha!

  3. Most used news site on the Internet? by elvum · · Score: 5, Informative

    The MSNBC Web site... is the most-used news site on the Internet.

    Sez who? Alexa.com puts it orders of magnitude below the BBC News website, for example.

  4. Media Center by TheUncleD · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Microsofts original idea was to tie in the media center to this. I had the 'not so' pleasurable opportunity to sit next to the head of the Media center department on an airplane ride once who told me the network was supposed to be used in conjunction with their M$ Media Center software for channel controls and additional advertising for M$ Products. I'm not a huge fan of NBC or M$'s Media Center products which have proven to do nothing extra-special (s-video out/in) boog whoopdiedoo. I think its a flop mainly. On some interesting facts, Media Center project employs 400 or so M$ employees and was in beta until last year.

  5. Re:Microsoft Increasingly Irrelevant by dioscaido · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah, the Xbox 360 is going horribly. I love it how I can walk into the local Best Buy and there are mountains of xbox 360's just waiting there. And the media is just ignoring the console altogether. I feel bad for MS. /sarcasm