Chicago Papers Team for Classified Site

Three competitive newspaper publishers in the Chicago metro area have formed a partnership to collaborate on a regional classified advertising Web site that will be powered by InfiNet.

The agreement involves Copley Chicago Newspapers, Hollinger International Inc. and Paddock Publications Inc. For tech services, the partners selected InfiNet, an application management and content delivery company for the online publishing industry.

Financial arrangements were not disclosed.

Each of the three partners will offer aggregated classifieds on their individual newspaper sites, as well as jointly offering the ads on a new Web site, classifiedschicago.com.

More than 90 daily and weekly newspapers are involved in the aggregation, including the Chicago Sun-Times, Daily Herald, and Herald News. The joint site is expected to be fully functional by November.

InfiNet delivers content for more than 200 online newspapers and publishing affiliates. InfiNet also provides Internet access branded locally and an array of revenue-generating applications, including a full line of classified products, auction software, ad-management tools, directories and chat products.

It is the joint new media venture of Gannett Company Inc., Knight Ridder, and Landmark Communications.