The plans to split up Inq7.net into a portal for Inquirer.net and GMANews.tv has been finally revealed.
I first reported about the possible break-up last October when an insider unintentionally confirmed a tip I got from another source. Of course, management repeatedly denied about it until a recent article in Inq7.net published to weeks ago hinted of a new deal between Inquirer.net and GMA 7 thru its own portal GMANews.tv.
A week before that, I’ve been noticing domain transitions from Inq7.net to Inquirer.net.
My hunch was proven correct as revealed in the new setup of the Inq7 portal. The red portion shows links to the GMANews.tv top stories while the one inside the green box re-directs to the Inquirer.net website.
The sectioning is now redundant as Inquirer has a Technology section while GMA 7 has an Infotech section. Even the Adsense accounts are different, the former having a Premium Publisher status while the latter only has a regular account.
The mystery still remains though — why did they decided to split?
14 comments
Their newsletter also changed. From Inq7 Alert, it became Inquirer Alert last Dec. 19 and now, it’s already Inquirer.net Alert.
I guess the adsense revenues are already becoming bigger than expected and both wanted a bigger slice of the pie and the branding has been diluted. The compromise would be just have both become prominent thinking it’ll just be business as usual (in the adsense revenues that is).
It was announced in 24 Oras a few weeks ago. They said they were relaunching INQ7.net as portal for the respective sites of Inquirer and GMA 7.
My not-so-fearless forecast:
Does this open the gates for new sources of information?
For 2007, will bloggers take over as the primary source of news and public affairs?
hopefully this split up would not affect the site’s performance as a news source. I’m a frequent visitor of the site. =)
INQ7.net will still remain a “front page” for both, but if ever it shuts down you can always opt to visit INQUIRER.net or GMANEWS.tv, whichever you prefer.
Or probably, just probably though, there could have been a conflict of interests between these news outfits.
If I recall right, GMA7 was offering only videos at the beginning. Then they moved into text content – the conflict?
baka lilipat ng kabila.
I seriously doubt that.
Inq7.net / Inquirer.net seems to be in an infinite loop of redirection as of 11am PST. check it out. weird!