New Century Networks
Encyclopedia
The New Century Network is a defunct news aggregator that was run by a consortium of newspaper
companies. The company launched in 1995 during the time when Internet
first started to enter the public consciousness, and ceased operations in 1998.
, Times Mirror, Advance Publications
, Cox Enterprises
, Gannett Company
, Hearst Corporation
, The Washington Post Company, and The New York Times Company
each contributed $1 million to fund the company. Lee de Boer was appointed as CEO.
Over its 3-year life, the nine member companies reportedly poured $25 million into the venture. Leadership and management was confused, as the participating companies had different ideas about the best direction for the company; Tribune Co. became so exasperated at NCN that they joined America Online in offering a classified service with them. Small papers worried of neglect and lack of power in the organization, and large papers feared it would take away page views from them if it became too popular. As a result, official links to New Century Networks were often small and hidden at the member newspapers.
In February 1998, New Century Networks shut down NewsWorks, its main news aggregation website, and laid off a third of its staff. It changed itself to a search engine of the major affiliated newspapers instead, and moved to reorient its purpose toward advertising. Instead, two weeks later, the board of directors voted to close the company entirely.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
companies. The company launched in 1995 during the time when Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
first started to enter the public consciousness, and ceased operations in 1998.
History
New Century Networks was formed in 1995 as a collaborative effort among the major newspaper companies to aggregate their content. The forming companies, Knight-Ridder, Tribune CompanyTribune Company
The Tribune Company is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with ten daily newspapers and commuter tabloids including Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida...
, Times Mirror, Advance Publications
Advance Publications
Advance Publications, Inc., is an American media company owned by the descendants of S.I. Newhouse Sr., Donald Newhouse and S.I. Newhouse, Jr. It is named after the Staten Island Advance, the first newspaper owned by the Newhouse family...
, Cox Enterprises
Cox Enterprises
Cox Enterprises is the successor to the publishing company founded in Dayton, Ohio, United States, by James Middleton Cox, who began with the Dayton Daily News. He was the Democratic candidate for the President of the United States in the election of 1920...
, Gannett Company
Gannett Company
Gannett Company, Inc. is a publicly-traded media holding company headquartered in Tysons Corner, Virginia, United States, near McLean. It is the largest U.S. newspaper publisher as measured by total daily circulation. Its assets include the national newspaper USA Today and the weekly USA Weekend...
, Hearst Corporation
Hearst Corporation
The Hearst Corporation is an American media conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower, Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, the company's holdings now include a wide variety of media...
, The Washington Post Company, and The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company is an American media company best known as the publisher of its namesake, The New York Times. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. has served as Chairman of the Board since 1997. It is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City....
each contributed $1 million to fund the company. Lee de Boer was appointed as CEO.
Over its 3-year life, the nine member companies reportedly poured $25 million into the venture. Leadership and management was confused, as the participating companies had different ideas about the best direction for the company; Tribune Co. became so exasperated at NCN that they joined America Online in offering a classified service with them. Small papers worried of neglect and lack of power in the organization, and large papers feared it would take away page views from them if it became too popular. As a result, official links to New Century Networks were often small and hidden at the member newspapers.
In February 1998, New Century Networks shut down NewsWorks, its main news aggregation website, and laid off a third of its staff. It changed itself to a search engine of the major affiliated newspapers instead, and moved to reorient its purpose toward advertising. Instead, two weeks later, the board of directors voted to close the company entirely.