Salon.com Gets Serious About Broadband

Media company Salon.com (http://www.salon.com) said it formed a broadband division to take advantage of the rich media world.

Salon.com promoted two senior executives to run the division, Leah Tracy, Vice President of Broadband and Janelle Brown, Director of Broadband Programming.

Salon.com says they'll use RealNetworks streaming and work with companies like Virage, TheDial, an Internet radio company, EchoStar andDISH Satellite Networks, and AvantGo a distributor of content via thePalm Pilot and other handheld devices.

Salon.com's broadband division will with the Independent Film Channel and Bravo to develop potential multimedia applications.

"With this division, we're marshaling our resources to become one of theleading players in the development and distribution of broadband content."said Michael O'Donnell, CEO and president of Salon.com. "Over the past sixmonths, Salon.com has rolled out multiple broadband features, such asstreaming audio and a video database on our new Politics2000 site. Theseinitiatives, coupled with the ones in development, including streamingsegments of the television show hosted by travel personality Burt Wolf on ourTravel & Food site, will make Salon.com a serious player in the broadbandspace."

Salon.com says theyre developing original talk and music programming for Salon Radio and the delivery of content to Internet-ready mobile phones and other handheld devices.