Nexstar Broadcasting Group is partnering with web programmer Mixx to launch a "real-time social media gossip channel" called "Gossip Hot Spot." The broadband channel, which aggregates A-list gossip from the likes of Twitter and Facebook, launches July 16. Heat-seekers such as Lady Gaga, Lindsay Lohan and various Kardashian sisters will contribute "via social media postings," says Nexstar, as will Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres.
The channel had tested on Nexstar's YourJax.com site in Jacksonville.
"The Gossip Hot Spot is an innovative one-stop, real time source of gossip and celebrity news and reflects Nexstar's commitment to providing audiences with additional content and interactive options through our community portals," said Nexstar eMedia Senior Vice President Marc Montoya. "Beta testing of the Gossip Hot Spot on our Jacksonville portal met with excellent consumer response and we expect the channel to be the go-to source to satiate users' interest and curiosity in the happenings of the world's biggest stars."
Montoya said Gossip Hot Spot "aligns Nexstar with the massive growth of social media and broad consumer interest in news-making stars, which will allow us to further increase loyalty to our community portals."
The celeb channel will appear on Nexstar's station sites in Jacksonville, Hot Springs (AR), Austin, Shreveport/Texarkana, Beaumont (TX), Hagerstown (MD) and Joplin (MO).
"We're thrilled to be expanding our relationship with Nexstar Broadcasting as we build on the success of the Jacksonville market test and launch these channels on a greatly expanded platform," said Mixx Founder/CEO Chris McGill. "We are providing white-labeling of our Mixx Channels platform, enabling Nexstar to increase its audience, content, engagement and revenue."
