Anyone out there been in this business long enough to remember New Century Network?
Born in 1997 1995, the company was a coalition of nine media monoliths: Advance Publications, Cox Newspapers, Gannett, Hearst, Knight Ridder, The New York Times, Times-Mirror, Tribune, and The Washington Post. They united over this whole Internet thing, which they feared would affect their bottom lines as advertisers cozied up to the Microsofts and AOLs of the world. The partners collectively invested over $25 million in the venture.
New Century Network lasted a year, then fizzled. Participating companies lacked a unified vision. Most were meanwhile striking their own deals with major online players, or launching their own online initiatives.
Gannett, McClatchy, Tribune — are you listening?
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