Variety Inc., Reuters unveil joint service
Officials of the two companies will unveil the service today at the Cannes Film Festival. The service is available immediately to North American newspapers and broadcasters and is also being marketed to media and entertainment analysts, corporations, entertainment industry professionals and computer database users.
Reuters and Variety plan to make the service available beyond the U.S. and Canada later this year.
The Reuters-Variety Entertainment Report offers news, features, columns, reviews and industry listings from the global news staff of 70 Variety and Daily Variety correspondents.
Additional entertainment coverage will come from Reuters' worldwide network of 120 bureaus, including business, financial and corporate news about the industry.
Instant access
Subscribers will have instant access to regular Daily Variety and Variety features, such as its authoritative film and TV reviews, domestic and international box office charts, production reports and Army Archerd's daily column of show business news.
The service will report on Federal Communications Commission and other regulatory news, and will provide Wall Street financial coverage of media and entertainment company mergers, acquisitions and market-moving deals.
Peter Bart, vice president and editorial director of Variety Inc., said: "News of the entertainment industry occupies a position of growing importance on the overall news menu, and consumers are increasingly sophisticated in evaluating coverage ofshowbiz. "Given that pop entertainment remains the one uniquely American product that few have been able to replicate, Variety is delighted to join with the global resources of Reuters in presenting the full spectrum of industry news."
Andrew Nibley, editor for America of Reuters, added: "This service is a unique combination of Variety's authoritative entertainment coverage and Reuters' international coverage of business, finance and noteworthy personalities. Officials confirmed a successful three-month test of the service in America.
The Reuters-Variety Entertainment Report is accessed via high-speed printer or computer, delivered in real time over FM radio band and small-dish signal. Computer database dial-up via modem is also available.
Reuters America Inc. is the primary operating division in North and South America of Reuters Holdings PLC (NASDAQ: RTRSY), the international news and financial information group.
Variety and Daily Variety are owned by Cahners Publishing Co., a division of Reed Publishing (USA).
