Knight Ridder to launch national Web ad network

Abstract

The Real Cities Network was created last October as a new cyberspace brand name for the Web sites of Knight Ridder's 32 newspapers in 28 US markets. It was designed to build recognition of the company's news properties as a national network and lure national advertisers for a combination of print and online buys. According to Bob Ingle, president of Knight Ridder New Media, the phone has been ringing off the hook since the announcement, with non-Knight Ridder newspapers interested in joining the Real Cities online ad network. Taking advantage of the situation, Ingle says that Real Cities is now being opened up to other newspapers, though primarily in major metro markets.

Headnote

Rushing in to pluck business opportunities from the wreckage of New Century Network, KR teams with Real Media

Moving quickly to fill the void left by the collapse of New Century Network (NCN), Knight Ridder has teamed with a Web advertising services company to expand its "Real Cities"Web network into a national newspaper ad network.

The Real Cities Network was created last October as a new cyberspace brand name for the Web sites of Knight Ridder's 32 newspapers in 28 U.S. markets. It was designed to build recognition of the company's news properties as a national network and lure national advertisers for a combination of print and online buys. Real Cities was viewed by some as competitive with NCN's newspaper Web ad network. Knight Ridder was one of NCN's nine owners.

The "agreement in principal" announced this week is between Knight Ridder/Real Cities and New York-based Real Media, an Internet advertising management company backed by Swiss media conglomerate PubliGroupe. Real Cities and Real Media have no common ownership links; the use of "Real" in both names is coincidental.

Real Media had a relationship with NCN's ad network until that effort was folded - the New York City-based company continues to temporarily maintain the existing Web ad campaigns of NCN. Under the terms of the new deal, Real Media will serve as the exclusive outside sales arm for Real Cities online, although Knight Ridder's sales force will continue to sell into its own properties.

Real Cities now open to non-KR papers

According to Bob Ingle, president of Knight Ridder New Media, "our phone has been ringing off the hook" since the announcement of NCN's shut down, with non-Knight Ridder newspapers interested in joining the Real Cities online ad network.Taking advantage of the situation, Ingle says that Real Cities is now being opened up to other newspapers, though primarily in major metro markets.

The focal point of the Real Cities network will be newspapers in the 20 largest U.S. metro areas. Real Media will be selling Web banner ads into the Real Cities network members' sites with an estimated staff of between 15 and 20 people, according to Real Media president Dave Morgan.

Ingle says that a focus on just the top markets is imperative to the network's success, and failure to do so was a mistake made by NCN. Both Ingle and Morgan say that the national advertising community has been adamant in its desire to place ads only in the top 20 or so markets. The reality both executives say, is that at this time there's not much demand by national advertisers for ad space on newspaper sites in smaller markets.