New York— Multichannel News this week launched its first live Web site centered around an industry event and announced plans to expand the coverage of Multichannel Newswire, its daily newsletter.
The initiatives include the launch of CTAM Summit Live!, a Web site providing around-the-clock coverage of events at the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing Summit in Boston this week; and a midday CTAM Newswire, Monday through Thursday, at the same event.
These are in addition to the print show daily, Multichannel Newsday, which will be published Tuesday through Thursday at the Summit.
“We operate in an industry that barely sleeps and these products are aimed at satisfying an unending thirst for instant coverage of news and issues,’’ said Tom Steinert-Threlkeld, editor in chief of Multichannel News.
The Live! site is the first temporary site published by Multichannel News in conjunction with an industry event. Similar microsites are planned for other major industry events, including the National Show, to be held next year in Las Vegas.
The Summit newswire is the second event-specific midday report published by Multichannel News. The reports debuted in June from the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers Cable-Tec Expo in Denver, with Karen Brown’s Journal, which also was published daily at midday.
To head up its expanding efforts to deliver news and information to the video, Internet and audio services industry, Multichannel News today also announces the promotion of two staff members.
Leading the creation of new electronic products and services will be Steve Donohue, who had served as Internet editor of Multichannel News, covering the development of new multimedia services by Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, YouTube and other digital content companies. He will be editor, digital news, effective immediately.
“Steve has a great capacity to figure out what is changing in the way programming is being delivered to consumers, regardless of format,” Steinert-Threlkeld said. “And he can explicate it, in an instant. That, and his creativity, will help ensure that Multichannel News is the leader in multimedia services coverage, on screen, as well as in print.”
Among Donohue’s early ventures will be the broadening of coverage found in Multichannel Newswire, an electronic newsletter circulated to 20,000 industry executives every day.
Newswire, which has mainly been a headline service with links to stories on the Multichannel.com Web site, will now include stories, photos and commentary, in one concise package. Links to Web stories for more information will also be included.
A new newsletter, Multichannel News International, also will debut in a few weeks. That electronic report will cover cable, satellite and Internet-delivered video developments outside North America. Its editor will be George Winslow.
Collaborating closely with Donohue will be David Cohen, promoted to deputy editor, digital news. He has been the editor of Multichannel.com.
“Dave is a remarkable fellow,” Steinert-Threlkeld said. “He figures out the right way to deliver news, and makes sure it happens, any time of day or night. Few newspeople can keep up Dave’s pace. But it’s the pace of the news world we now compete in.”
News that doesn’t attract the eye doesn’t get read, however, whether on pixel or paper. To improve the look of both screen and print products, Multichannel News has named Nimish Shah design director, also effective immediately.
Shah has been with Multichannel News for three years, most recently as art director. In his new role, he will continue to manage the day-to-day operations of the graphics and page production operations of MCN. But his overriding task will be to improve the design of Multichannel News and its related electronic products, in a clear, coherent and consistent way, over time.
“Nimish sizes up a situation in the blink of an eye,” said Steinert-Threlkeld. “Now, his challenge will be to make a lasting impact with his talent and design sense. He’s up to it and will deliver outstanding results that any pair of eyes can recognize.”
Multichannel News also announced the promotion of Linda Moss from satellite editor, to programming writer and satellite editor, to reflect the breadth and depth of her reporting; and the hiring of Christian Lewis as Editorial Assistant.
Moss, who has been with Multichannel News for 15 years (except for three months spent at another publication), has and will continue to cover a wide range of topics for the magazine. She has spent most of her time at the magazine reporting on programming and program distribution, and more recently added satellite-TV distributors to her beat. But she also notably wrote a series of stories detailing Cox Communications’ recovery efforts in the New Orleans area following Hurricane Katrina and others about the difficulties facing independent companies operating in smaller media markets.
“Linda has always covered a lot of ground, energetically and with insight,” Steinert-Threlkeld said. “She has plenty of proven ability to cover not just programming and satellite services effectively, but a lot more.”
Lewis recently completed a master’s degree in writing program at The New School, and prior to that spent two years planning conventions for the travel division of Carlson Marketing Group and one year reporting for Hersam Acorn Newspapers in Connecticut.
