Fox Interactive Media (FIM) recently announced it will build and manage over 160 local Fox TV affiliate websites. The decision follows a deal signed by FIM with the Fox affiliate board of governors.
For about a year, FIM's MyFox platform has managed the sites of Fox’s 24 O&Os. The new arrangement makes the platform available to other companies that own Fox affiliates.
As part of its management of the Fox affiliates’ sites, FIM plans to port them over to the MyFox platform and branding. The platform manages the media on the websites, including streaming video of news, weather, and sports—plus the organization and presentation of various community postings, message boards, and blogs.
However, the deal leaves out some large Fox affiliate owners, including Sinclair Broadcast Group, which is said to be mulling its options, including outsourcing to non-Fox companies.
FIM manages MySpace and other web entities owned by News Corp., Fox’s parent company. The deal puts FIM in competition with such companies as TV station site builder Internet Broadcasting, which manages sites for stations owned by Hearst-Argyle Television, Post-Newsweek, and McGraw-Hill Broadcasting.
