Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

September 5, 2008 6:16:59 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Is MySpace Murdoch's Top Investment?

Posted Jan 21, 08 3:21 PM CST in Business,  Technology 

(Newser) – Two years after Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. bought MySpace, and shortly after its two founders signed up for another couple of fabulously well-paid years at the helm, the site is expanding and evolving. Despite challenges (read: Facebook), MySpace represents an impressive return for Murdoch. “He may find that this is the single best investment he has ever made,” Google’s CEO told the New York Times.

To attract advertisers who may distrust MySpace’s freeform configuration and to maintain its position as social networking leader, the site is becoming more of an Internet portal, going beyond its origins as a platform for user-created content and including original content. Most recently, the site unveiled a celebrity section that includes entertainment news and an index of stars’ profiles.

Source New York Times

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • When Is A Facebook Friend Just A Friend?

    Jun 27, 08 8:12 AM CDT
    When Is A Facebook Friend Just A Friend? There’s a movement among some social Web services, from MySpace and Yahoo to Plaxo, to let users share data, the MIT Technology Review reports. Take Google’s new Friend Connect, a service that lets users transport profiles and connections among sites. But Facebook, for one, is swimming against the tide, working to control its users’ data and arguing that control protects their privacy. More »

  • Facebook Just 'Flavor of the Month': Murdoch

    Jun 23, 08 3:11 PM CDT
    Facebook Just 'Flavor of the Month': Murdoch Rupert Murdoch today insulted the rival of his popular MySpace, calling Facebook the “flavor of the month” and a mere “directory”—on the occasion of his social networking sinking to the No. 2 spot in worldwide traffic. The media mogul said Facebook was not a real social network, and pointed to MySpace’s entertainment focus, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. More »

  • Networks Social Indeed, But Ad Dollars Remain Elusive

    Jun 16, 08 10:07 AM CDT
    Networks Social Indeed, But Ad Dollars Remain Elusive A makeover planned to begin Wednesday for MySpace is the latest sign of the continued struggle to make social networking the cash cow many thought it would be when News Corp. bought the site three years ago, the New York Times reports. MySpace's user base has grown from 16 million to more than 118 million since—but still falling short of profit targets. More »

  • 'Lifestreaming' Challenges Traditional Social Networking

    Jun 10, 08 4:47 PM CDT
    'Lifestreaming' Challenges Traditional Social Networking A new kind of open social networking is gaining a foothold with online leaders. “Lifestreaming” services like FriendFeed—launched in February by ex-Google employees—let users bring online social activities from various sources together in one feed. Leader FriendFeed is logging 150,000 visitors a month, but the big players won’t cede ground without a fight, one VC told the Financial Times. More »

  • Making Web More Social Has Google, Facebook Less So

    Jun 3, 08 3:35 PM CDT
    Making Web More Social Has Google, Facebook Less So Though Facebook cited privacy concerns in pulling the plug on a partnership with Google aimed at making the Web more social, dollar signs are more likely behind its withdrawal from Friend Connect, the Washington Post reports. "What Facebook is after really is control over their users," one analyst says of the threat to the company's advertising hold. More »

MySpace adds Skype services.   ((c) b_d_solis)
A MySpace page.   (KRT Photos)
News Corp. Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch, right, and MySpace CEO and Co-founder Chris DeWolfe listen to questions during a talk at Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco in this Oct. 17, 2007 file photo....   (Associated Press)
Tom Anderson, left, and Chris DeWolfe, founders of the social networking Website "MySpace," appear on the NBC "Today" television program in New York, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)   (Associated Press)
Chairman and CEO of News Corporation, Rupert Murdoch, right, and Chris DeWolfe, left, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, MySpace answers questions during a talk at Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco,...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 4)

Tags

Google  • social networking  • Rupert Murdoch  • MySpace  • News Corp  • Eric Schmidt  • MySpace Celebrity


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other Technology Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »