Software giant Microsoft has parted company with NBC News, pulling out of their joint venture MSNBC to launch its own online news service, NBC News announced on July 15.
Moving on "allows us to go out and innovate," Bob Visse, general manager of MSN.com, told NBC news, confirming that MSN.com had begun hiring for a new news operation - as yet unknown - that will launch later this year.
Under the joint venture, NBC News had been the sole provider of news for MSN.com, which will now be free to forge partnerships with other media organisations.
NBC News said it would continue to provide new for MSN.com and would continue to sell the rebranded NBCNews.com's advertising inventory for an undisclosed period to minimise the disruption in ad revenue. Anyone opening up the MSNBC.com website is now automatically redirected to NBCNews.com.