Interactive One Adds BlackNews.com And Collegiate Social Media Site HBCUConnect.com To Its Roster, Growing Its Online Footprint And Advertiser Offerings

Interactive One Adds BlackNews.com And Collegiate Social Media Site HBCUConnect.com To Its Roster, Growing Its Online Footprint And Advertiser Offerings

Interactive One Studios to lead advertising sales efforts for the African American news site and the leading online community of students and graduates of historically Black colleges

NEW YORK, July 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Interactive One, the largest digital media company serving Black Americans, announces an exclusive partnership with Lee Moss Media, owner of HBCUConnect.com, the largest online community for historically Black college students, alumni and supporters and BlackNews.com, a news and commentary site focusing on positive news relevant to African Americans. Interactive One Studios, the company's business unit that offers product, technology, content, advertising sales and marketing services to digital publishers, will manage all advertising sales activity for the sites.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111109/PH03195LOGO)

Under the partnership that went into effect July 1, HBCUConnect.com will join BlackPlanet NEXT.com, BlackPlanetRADIO.com and BlackPlanet.com in Interactive One's social media offerings. BlackNews.com will become the latest addition to Interactive One's suite of news offerings to advertisers, which include NewsOne.com and TheGrio.com.

"Adding BlackNews.com and HBCUConnect.com to our roster is another signal of our commitment to provide advertisers with unparalleled opportunities for creating authentic connections with the African-American audience," said Keith Bowen, Chief Revenue Officer, Interactive One.

Founded in 1999 by HBCU graduates William Roger Moss III and E. Shawn Starks, HBCUConnect.com was the first and is now the largest online meeting place for historically Black college students, alumni and supporters. BlackNews.com, launched in 2001 by Dante Lee, provides news and commentary for African-American audiences with a commitment to reporting positive stories in the community. The social media site and news outlet will have access to a wider pool of advertisers thanks to Interactive One' deep knowledge of the African-American digital landscape and its advertising sales relationships and expertise.

"We look forward to reaping the benefits of Interactive One's talented sales team and their relationships with marketers looking to target our audience," said William Moss, co-founder, Lee Moss Media. "Bringing on more advertisers as a result of this new partnership will allow us to continue to grow and expand the brands."

ABOUT INTERACTIVE ONE
Interactive One has more than 15 million members and reaches millions of Black Americans each month. With approximately 3 billion annual page views on its suite of sites, the company has become the definitive online resource for Black America through it's suite of social, content and radio sites such as the iconic BlackPlanet (www.BlackPlanet.com), the newly launched BlackPlanetNEXT (www.BlackPlanetNEXT.com), and the new BlackPlanet RADIO (www.BlackPlanetRadio.com), the digital industry's first social radio website created for the African American community. Interactive One is also home to several leading content sites including: NewsOne (www.NewsOne.com), which provides up to the minute, comprehensive coverage of newsworthy events relevant to Black Americans across the country and the world; TheUrbanDaily (www.TheUrbanDaily.com), the eyes and ears for Black Americans looking for what's hot online, on the airwaves, in theaters, and on the street; HelloBeautiful (www.HelloBeautiful.com), the definitive lifestyle resource for today's Black woman; Elev8 (www.Elev8.com) a site devoted to elevating the mind, body and spirit. Interactive One was launched by Radio One, Inc. in 2008 to complement Radio One's existing portfolio of media companies targeting Black Americans. Since its launch, Interactive One has quickly become the #1 online platform for the African American community. Interactive One is powered by the mission to create an online community that engages and positively impacts the lives of African Americans.

SOURCE Interactive One

Interactive One

CONTACT: Kristen Tate Communications, kristen@kristentate.com, +1-646-452-8747


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