WebbAlert with Morgan Webb Launches

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Morgan Webb, host of the popular TV program X-Play, today announced the launch of WebbAlert (http://www.webbalert.com)–a daily online videocast covering major breaking developments in the technology and gaming industries, as well as important and intriguing technology lifestyle and culture stories. She is launching WebbAlert in close cooperation with Federated Media, the fast-growing network of author-driven websites.

Ms. Webb will produce and host WebbAlert. She will also continue to host X-Play, which is television’s longest-running and most-watched videogame-focused series. Available in over 62 million homes and well past its 500th episode, it’s aired by Comcast’s G4 network–America’s fastest-growing network last year. A graduate of Berkeley’s Rhetoric department and a former Internet developer, Ms. Webb is a respected technology and pop culture commentator who has appeared on networks as diverse as MSNBC, E!, and CNNFn, as well in countless publications. In April she was voted the 51st sexiest woman in the world in FHM’s closely watched annual survey.

WebbAlert will be frequent, succinct, and highly topical, covering eight to ten headline stories in a roughly four-minute daily format. The program will initially appear at 5 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Thursday, with Friday coverage added this fall along with advanced community and commenting features.

“The top technology blogs will be my primary sources, and I’ll be pointing my viewers to specific blog postings as part of almost every story that I cover,” said Ms. Webb. “Even when something’s the top story on every newspaper and news show, I’ll try to direct my viewers to a particularly analytical or thoughtful blog posting for deeper background.”

This blogging orientation makes WebbAlert a perfect fit with Federated Media, the leading network of high quality conversational media sites.

“Federated Media has been instrumentally involved in all elements of WebbAlert’s development,” Ms. Webb explained. “From our strategy and positioning down to minute details of our site design, they’ve been terrific partners and advisors.”

For its part, Federated Media sees WebbAlert as representing a key milestone in the development of the blogging world.

“We’re not aware of anyone in television with Morgan’s national daily broadcast presence who has launched a daily videoblog,” said John Battelle, CEO and Chairman of Federated Media. “But we expect to see more people of her stature following suit in the months ahead. As that happens, we hope that the experience that we gain in helping Morgan expand her video presence to the Internet will make us attractive partners to many of them.”

About Federated Media (FM)

At FM, we believe great voices attract great audiences. We’re in the business of supporting those voices by connecting them to great marketers, as well as providing a suite of services that let authors focus on what they do best: make compelling media. In so doing, we are creating federations of respected voices that prosper on their own terms. Current federations include Sports, Technology, Automotive, Business & Marketing, Media & Entertainment, Momentum, Travel & Leisure and Parenting. For more information, please go to http://www.federatedmedia.net.