

Microsoft and NBC officially call it quits - SlipperySlope
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57472662-93/microsoft-and-nbc-officially-call-it-quits/

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zbowling
To clear up the confusion:

MSNBC's brand has always been two different companies: MSNBC TV and msnbc.com.
It's been extremely confusing. MSNBC TV has a hosting agreement with msnbc.com
to host the webpages for the shows on the network and some of the podcasts and
video clips.

In 2005, NBC bought back 32% of the interest in MSNBC TV and later bought the
last 18% in the next two years. They kept the name MSNBC in the process
though. Microsoft still owned 50% of msnbc.com.

Now Microsoft has sold off it's 50% in msnbc.com and as part of the agreement
is changing it's name. MSNBC.com will become the website for the shows on
MSNBC TV and NBCNews.com will become what msnbc.com is today in 2013.

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ambirex
Sounds like typical MS naming issues, although 8 looks like it will be
clearing it up some (with the exception of recent "Surface for Windows RT")

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SquareWheel
It's true that MS is not great at naming. Windows Live Mail is newer than
Window Mail but runs in conjunction with Microsoft Hotmail, previously known
as Windows Live Hotmail and MSN Hotmail. Oh, and not to be confused with
Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express.

~~~
cgranade
At least MS backed down from calling their smartphone platform "Windows Phone
7 Series" ([http://gizmodo.com/5471805/windows-phone-7-series-
everything...](http://gizmodo.com/5471805/windows-phone-7-series-everything-
is-different-now)). What the heck does the word "Series" even communicate in
that name?

~~~
shinratdr
That it was the start of a new mobile platform. It made a little sense at the
time. I think the logic was that Windows Mobile 6 to Windows Phone 7 just
sounds like a rebranding with a version number increase, whereas "Windows
Phone 7 Series" sounds like a reboot, a new lineup.

It's also entirely possible they planned separate editions, not unlike the
basic/pro/touch editions of Windows Mobile 6. So when they announced it as
Windows Phone 7 Series they has two or three versions in the pipeline but come
release the had cancelled all but one so it lost the "Series" moniker.

I'm not sure but I would be surprised if there was no at least slightly
logical explanation.

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SlipperySlope
I wish that MSNBC TV would change their name too.

There was a time years ago when Microsoft thought that set-top TV boxes were
the Next Big Thing - that they were falling behind in. Microsoft made huge
investments in associated media that they thought would result in demand for
Microsoft TV boxes ...

1\. 221 million dollar investment with NBC to form MSNBC.

2\. 425 million dollar investment in WebTV.

3\. 30 million dollar investment in RealNetworks.

4\. 1 billion dollar investment in Comcast, the cable TV operator.

5\. 5 billion dollar investment in AT&T

6\. Another 5 billion dollar invested in miscelaneous TV and Telco businesses.

Source: <http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-investments-2012-5>

~~~
isani
I would add the following:

* A short-lived redesign of MSN around the concept of "channels" and "shows" with a focus on animation and video (1996!)

* Partnering with broadcasters to deliver interactive content over a TV broadcast signal (circa 1996-1998)

* Including WebTV software and TV receiver support in Windows 98

Basically, I think that Microsoft followed a strategy focused around the early
90s "Information Superhighway" vision way into the late 90s. A key piece of
that vision was that the superhighway would enter people's homes trough
television, not computers. When the Internet started to gain popularity, many
people still felt that it was a "baby superhighway" or a step along the way to
the real superhighway.

~~~
currywurst
I think it was just a little ahead of its time and of course without the
polish of the current Internet TV executions like : Apple TV and Google TV

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prodigal_erik
"A while" and "a new URL" suggests they're going to break every link that ever
existed, which would be a loss to posterity and disappointingly predictable
from Old Media.

~~~
tantalor
It looks like deep links will not redirect or break, e.g.,
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9231761/>

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TheCondor
I can't help but imagine that there are some interesting stories that will
come out. When msnbc was created, it was when MS and NBC were both kings of
the world. Seinfeld, ER, and some other shows were incredibly popular, Windows
was bulldozing everything and NT was taking hold in a big way, it looked
unstoppable. I remember being worried about MS taking control of media content
and that looked effectively like an end game. Why would you run Linux or Mac
if the hottest content was only on Windows? I honestly believe that was the
plan too, but it didn't turn out. Next thing you know, msnbc is just another
news channel among the many, trying to stand out. Has to be some great culture
clash stories.

