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CNN Acquires Social-Video Startup Beme, Co-Founded By YouTube Star Casey Neistat (variety.com) 62

CNN announced Monday that it has purchased video-sharing app Beme, and will work with its founder, Casey Neistat, to build a new media brand next year focused on storytelling for a younger audience. Casey Neistat is a YouTube celebrity and tech entrepreneur who launched Beme last year. Variety reports: CNN said the new venture that it's forming out of the acquisition -- aimed at reaching millennial viewers with the street cred of Neistat's reporting and commentary -- will launch in the summer of 2017. All 11 of Beme's employees will join CNN; the cable news network will be shutting down Beme, which had garnered more than 1 million downloads. New York-based filmmaker Neistat, who has more than 5.8 million subscribers on YouTube, announced earlier this month on his channel that he would be suspending his personal vlog to focus on new projects, one of which turns out is the pact with CNN. His daily vlog dispatches cover current political and news events as well as action sequences like his viral "Snowboarding With the NYPD" video last winter. Led by Hackett, formerly VP of engineering at Yahoo's Tumblr, Beme's development team will "build technology to enable the new company and also develop mobile video capabilities for CNN's portfolio of digital properties," according to the Turner-owned cable news network. Neistat, 35, will lead the new venture's "editorial vision" as executive producer. CNN said it will employ its global resources to launch the new media brand, and plans to hire dozens of producers, builders, developers, designers and content creators for the new company. CNN said the new Beme-based company will operate as a standalone business under the CNN Digital umbrella.
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CNN Acquires Social-Video Startup Beme, Co-Founded By YouTube Star Casey Neistat

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  • by ls671 ( 1122017 ) on Tuesday November 29, 2016 @08:05AM (#53383959) Homepage

    I don't know if Casey Netstat is really a star but his netstat program sure came handy to me many times.

    https://linux.die.net/man/8/ne... [die.net]

    • I don't know if Casey Netstat is really a star but his netstat program sure came handy to me many times.

      https://linux.die.net/man/8/ne... [die.net]

      Guessing this was a veiled dig on the lack of News for Nerds here, but it's Casey Neistat.

      As far as the "celebrity" moniker, I'd award that to the netstat author any day over some guy who likes to pimp his life for clicks.

      • by ls671 ( 1122017 )

        I'd award that to the netstat author any day over...

        Read the fine link (RTFL) provided in my OP, there was many contributors...

  • Well, CNN is already really good at telling stories to an audience of millennials who live in fantasyland, so this should be a raging success for them.

    • Well, CNN is already really good at telling stories to an audience of millennials who live in fantasyland, so this should be a raging success for them.

      Very true. I fully expect an army of Kardashians filling news anchor positions very soon.

      Of course, religion will be covered by Yeezus himself...

      • It kinda seems to me that it has already happened. The news anchors are such drama queens. And then they waste everybodys time by airing crazy bitches like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

        It's a freak show already, why would I want to get cable TV again?

  • Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Tuesday November 29, 2016 @08:14AM (#53384009)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • Eyeballs, my friend. They are back.
    • Re: (Score:1, Interesting)

      I've never heard of these people. Are they supposed to be important or contributing to society in any way?

      After all, every time we hear about a new mission to Mars or somewhere in space someone always asks why we're "wasting" money on research and discovery rather than poverty (which has always existed) or some fantasy about "curing" cancer.

      • by roninmagus ( 721889 ) on Tuesday November 29, 2016 @08:50AM (#53384201)
        I'm 32 and I know and watch all of the people mentioned. I don't want Casey Neistat. His content is garbage that doesn't apply to me.

        They probably acquired his company because of the political pull that he has; he convinced hundreds/thousands of other youtubers to publicly endorse Hillary on their channels.
    • by Godai ( 104143 ) *

      I spent about two months trying to figure out how to tell the suggestion service on Android TV that I was not interested in his crap. I still don't know how he got into my rotation and I'm still not sure why he was finally removed. But it's good to know that CNN is going to inflict him on a whole generation; I feel like my pain should be shared.

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Well then tell his viewers that because he's making massive cash based on people viewing his videos. There are way too many to just be "elitist pricks". The kids love him.

      Keep in mind that millenials are not really the force behind youtube views. The main force is little kids 12 and under. These kids no longer watch TV or play video games or do anything other than watch content on YouTube. I'm exaggerating a bit but seriously if you have kids this age you understand what I'm talking about. If you let them t

    • by Anonymous Coward

      You must not have actually watched many of his videos. The guy came from nothing, had a kid at like 18. With no money moved to NYC on whim and made it. He is a very motivating personality.

    • Casey's vlogging of his problems may not be relatable but they're certainly entertaining which is why he has nearly 6M subscribers on his YouTube channel. This fits perfectly with CNN's focus on infotainment rather than news.
    • by idji ( 984038 )
      he didn't buy that $21,000 ticket.
  • The same as tech companies sometimes acquire a company to get its engineers rather than its failed products.

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