Also under terms of the agreement, Shelby Bonnie will remain CEO of CNet Networks and Dan Rosensweig, current CEO of ZDNet, will become president of CNet Networks. The two companies share a common media goal. CNet, which has been on a buying spree having made ten acquisitions last year, has been hopping into more traditional mediums like radio and television production, and Ziff-Davis has swapped magazine publishing for internet publishing. ZDNet will continue to receive content for it's website from prior licensing agreements with CNet's new properties, but whether those deals remain active is in question. If they do, analysts familiar with the two companies say the CNet brand will triumph.
Advertisers stand to make huge gains also.
The companies say that 25 percent of their audiences and top advertisers overlap, even though both focus on the information technology market. Copyright 2001 INT Media Group, Incorporated All Rights Reserved.