CBS Reorgs Interactive

CBS interactive announced a series of changes to their operations, including several mergers that further consolidate several of the properties they picked up in their purchase of CNET networks earlier in the year (according to Paidcontent’s original post, this is the third re-org in 9 months).

Changes include (notes cribbed from Rafat Ali, then edited with my own 2 cents):

Combining Sports, Games and Music properties into a single group led by Steve Snyder. Tom Jones will be moving over from CNET to head-up the sales efforts for this group. Jason Kint, Rich Calacci, Jaci Hays, Kevin Menard, Felix Miller, Doug Schmidt and others will report to Steve and to Tom.  I don’t particularly take advantage of any of these properties online from either CBS or CNET (not a gamer or a sports guy) so I doubt this has much impact on my viewing habits online.

Moving its lifestyle properties, CHOW and UrbanBaby, to the Entertainment group (TV.com, CBS.com, The CBS Audience Network and TheInsider.com). This group will continue to be led by Anthony Soohoo with sales led by Ken Lagana.  I do actually use Chowhound quite a bit – I have since before it was a CNET property.  CNET actually did an excellent job of cleaning up and improving the venerable hound, so i’m hping little to nothing changes here.

The Technology & News division will bring CBSNews.com and CNET News.com into a single CBS Interactive News Group but each site will maintain its own brand identity. The unit is led by Mark Larkin, with Dan Farber as Editor-in-Chief; the two sites will share content and collaborate on stories. This is mildly distrubing to me – I am a big fan of the tech coverage provided by CNET and worry that it will get muddied by CBS.  That in mind, CNET’rs are being placed in charge, so maybe their ways will bear out.  I do know (thanks to being a regular Buzz Out Loud listener) that many CNET production folks have been used in the past 6 months behind the scenes for many CBS related online streaming productions (including the Democratic National Convention).

Bringing together its marketing functions into a new group called CBS Interactive Marketing led by Mickey Wilson.  I believe Mickey is also a CNET legacy hire, not a CBS-I employee (I know, I could search for it, but I’m not going to!).

Bringing together all of its biz dev activities, led by Mike Marquez. This group will responsible for the development of all new partnerships, investments, and acquisitions (which Les Moonves said earlier this week they weren’t likely to do for some time to come).

The complete memo outlining the reorg can be found here.

Hope all the CNET folks I love to listen to & watch make it through any layoffs!

Tags: CBS, CNET, drink, interactive, these troubling times