NBCi to Launch Internet Entertainment Site

Is Hollywood finally getting digital entertainment?

Earlier this year Time Warner launched Entertaindom.dom ( http://www.entertaindom.com), the first web entertainment site by a major studio or network.

Now it seems it has some company. NBCi (http://www.nbci.com) announced plans todevelop a new entertainment site called NBCx.com to be (well, in NBC's own words) "an edgy, digital, comedy-driven site targeted for theGeneration X and Y audience."

The site is set to launch in Fall 2000.

Content will include original animated and live action video from both NBC and outside outlets. It will also have re-hashed programming from its on-air shows like "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," "Saturday Night Live" and more.

"You can almost think of NBCx.com as NBC's Internet Studio -- anincubator for new comedic talent, writers, producers and directors.," said NBC West Coast President Scott Sassa. "Also, by partnering with NBCi -- NBC's broad-based portal -- NBCx.com will benefit from NBCi's extensive distribution in the marketplace."

Despite its late entry into the digital entertainment arena, NBCx.com will have a powerful support and promotional opportunity, something the net-only sites don't have.

NBCx.com will be headed by President Debbie DiMaio who was executive producer of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and president of Oprah Winfrey's HARPO Productions.

NBCi will receive a minorityequity stake in NBCx.com. Interestingly, it also took an undisclosed stake in Digital Entertainment Network (DEN) (http://www.den.net) earlier this year. What the relationship between the two companies will be like was not disclosed.

San Francisco-based NBCi was launched in November 1999 through the combination of Snap,XOOM.com, NBC.com, NBC Interactive Neighborhood, VideoSeeker and a 10 percentequity stake in CNBC.com.