NBC News got full control of msnbc.com as well as its digital network from Microsoft. It will undergo a rebranding and will be known as NBCNews.com. Most of the details of the deal are still being worked on and the financial terms were not disclosed to the public.
NBC News President Steve Capus said that the site would be part of the NBC News Digital, which is a new division to be headed by Vivian Schiller. She used to be the former president and chief executive of National Public Radio. She joined NBC News as chief digital officer last year.
MSNBC.com will now be directed to the homepage of NBCNews.com. It will be the home of MSNBC TV while giving it a dedicated address. This ends the agreement where the news site shared the MSNBC name with a commentary driven channel.
AT present, visitors to the site will see little difference. It has a new name and URL but the content remains the same. It would still focus on hard news and original reporting. The site won awards in online journalism that includes last year’s National Headliner Award for best television affiliated web site.
The deal ends the 16 years of 50-50 joint ownership between Microsoft and NBCUniversal, which is owned by Comcast Corp. The arrangement combined NBC News’ video content and exclusive news with Microsoft’s technological expertise.
The network said that it requires a two year transition period because the ties are deep. NBCNews.com will still provide news for MSN.com, which is Microsoft’s web portal. The portal will contribute back to the network.
