By: Staff Reports Content Sites Unite
Advance.net and Feed magazine's founders have formed a company that will
build an online network of sites, service, and applications.
The new company, Automatic
Media, has launched with several high-profile sites besides Feed
magazine's edgy site.
Lycos Inc. has taken a 25% equity stake, and its Webby award-nominated site
Suck.com will become part of the Automatic Media network. Lycos also
committed to a distribution agreement that disperses Automatic content
throughout the Lycos Network. Another network addition is Alt.Culture, an
online encyclopedia of alternative culture, which Automatic Media has
acquired.
Partner sites, which Automatic hopes to add more of, will retain independent
publishing schedules and editorial teams. However, the Automatic network
will share a single national advertising sales force, along with technology and
administrative resources.
Besides editorial partners, Automatic Media has partnered with the creators of
Slashdot.org to expand their 'Everything2' software for integration into the
network. The software is a community and information management tool
which Automatic will add to its e-commerce and community features.
Initial funding, reportedly in the $4 million range, came from Advance
Publications Inc., parent of Advance.net; Lycos Ventures LP; and Paladin UK.
Advance.net is the parent company for Advance Internet, which also handles
the online publications of Advance's newspapers.
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Staff Reports
(c) Copyright 2000, Editor & Publisher
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