Upscale publishing site Salon.com on
Friday said it would sponsor the next thirteen episodes of a television
series hosted by travel and food author and television personality Burt Wolf, which launches on public
television in April.
As part of the deal, Salon.com will be able to sell advertising time around
each TV episode to its clients.
“As the Internet begins to converge with traditional media such as
television and radio, Salon.com is positioning itself in that new
environment,” says Michael O’Donnell, Salon.com CEO and president.
“Teaming up with Burt Wolf allows Salon.com to do just that, while at the
same time offering multiple online and offline options to our advertisers.”
Wolf’s new program focuses on travel and cultural subjects around the
world. At the end of each program, Wolf will direct viewers to the
Salon.com network to read his new, weekly column and view segments of his
archive of more than 100 television travel shows that originally appeared
on PBS, CNN and the Discovery Travel Network.
This isn’t Salon.com’s first foray into television. In December, the
company announced the development of its first television program with Bravo Networks.
Under the agreement,
Rainbow acquires a ten percent equity stake in Salon.com and both companies
will exchange content on each other’s Web properties, cross-sell
advertising and explore broadband distribution opportunities.
Salon.com also today re-launched its Travel site as
Salon Travel & Food. The newly
re-launched site features Burt Wolf’s weekly column, a reader service
designed to help travelers in distress, short news items from around the
world, and weekly features by food writers.