NEW YORK (AFP) - CBS News announced plans to create a 24-hour on-demand Internet network that bypasses cable television and could transform one of the oldest US broadcast news operations.
The move would transform CBS News into a "multiplatform" operation available to Internet users worldwide, with news and other features available on demand.
"This represents a significant shift for CBS News," said CBS News president Andrew Heyward.
"We are redefining the mission of CBS News and the people who work here to meet the demands of a 24-hour digital universe."
The company said it would make a "significant investment" in CBS News and its CBSNews.com website as part of the strategy.
CBS, among the pioneers in radio and television news, said it is making the move amid projections homes connected to high-speed Internet or "broadband" will equal or surpass homes serviced by cable and satellite by 2010.
Additionally, it said broadband delivery systems are improving to make video over the Internet equal to that of television.
"CBS News will move from a primarily television and radio news-based operation to a 24-hour, on-demand news service, available across many platforms," said a statement from CBS, which is a unit of media giant Viacom but is in the process of being spun off in a division of the company.
I really hope CBS concentrates more on the video aspect of this than anything else. After all, we already have plenty of news websites on the internet. What would be creative is a live video feed of a news channel that internet users could watch. The NRA already has an online news channel like this (though its not 24 hours) complete with live video. If the NRA can do it, why not CBS?
Why not Fox? Or CNN?
Heck, I'd probably have it playing in the background on my desktop all day while I'm working just so that I could listen to what's happening. I imagine that a lot of other people would do the same.