NEW YORK, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ROO Group (BULLETIN BOARD: RGRP) , a global leader in digital media and advertising solutions, today announced new content partnerships with FOX Television Stations (FTS), Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Chat the Planet, a provider of Web video covering global issues. With these deals, ROO moves significantly closer to its goal of creating the largest collection of news content available for syndication on the Web.
"These partnerships constitute another milestone in ROO's mission to provide more of the unique, compelling, daily refreshed content that drives viewers to sites, keeps them there longer and generates new revenue streams," said Robert Petty, Chairman and CEO of ROO. "Our work with FOX, AFP and Chat the Planet means our customers will have unparalleled choice in original video news content, including local and regional U.S. news as well as new International programming."
Through the partnership with FTS, ROO will receive daily local and regional news videos from 24 of the FOX owned-and-operated affiliates in major markets around the country, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, DC. Capitalizing on ROO's proprietary content management system, Web publishers throughout the ROO network will be able to mix and match the selections to ensure the content offerings resonate with their site visitors.
For AFP, ROO will launch a new International channel that includes both English and German news video. AFP is a globally recognized news agency with a network of 40 video reporters working with the support of the most far reaching global network of journalists in 165 countries. AFP videos include in-depth coverage of news related stories, exclusive interviews with world leaders and original storytelling features with human and social interest. Its unique production will bring a truly global perspective on news events.
ROO will be featuring the original Chat the Planet series, "Hometown Baghdad," which will tell the stories of three young Iraqis struggling to survive the war. Chat the Planet is a global dialogue company that creates unique, user-generated Web programming by encouraging online discussion of issues of concern to young people around the globe, including politics, foreign affairs, music, lifestyles and more
"Our work with FOX, AFP and Chat the Planet means our customers will have an unparalleled choice in the Web's strongest vertical, news," continued Petty. "Citizen journalism, local U.S. news and now a major global news perspective put ROO at the forefront of providing our customers the broadest package of syndicated news content available on the Web."
About ROO
ROO Group Inc. (OTCBB: RGRP) through its 100% subsidiary ROO Media Corporation, is a global service provider enabling businesses to leverage their digital media assets and provide an enhanced user experience. The company's proprietary platform, the ROO Video Exchange, simultaneously services multiple video channels, audience segments and advertisers and, as such, has become a leading platform in content aggregation, distribution and targeted advertising. ROO's unique ability to offer a "many-to-many" service has helped secure its position as the service provider of choice for companies seeking effective strategies for monetizing digital media assets. The company also operates an advertising agency business specializing in a variety of media and services including direct marketing, brand planning and identity, and media buying and packaging. ROO has offices in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. For additional information, please visit the Company's Web site at http://www.roo.com/.
About Fox Television Stations
The Fox Television Station group, one of the nation's largest owned-and- operated network broadcast groups, comprises 35 stations in 26 markets, covering nearly 45% of U.S. television homes. This includes six duopolies in the top 10 markets: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Washington, D.C. and Houston; as well as duopolies in Minneapolis, Phoenix and Orlando.
About AFP
AFP maintains a network of journalists and photographers in 165 countries covering events 24/7. The AFP brand guarantees editorial quality and reliability built since the agency was founded in 1835. It offers text, pictures, graphics, animated graphics and video as well as multimedia content in seven languages. AFP covers all the news worldwide, from politics and diplomacy to economy and finance, sports and culture to science, technology, health and people. Its clients include the world's major media organizations as well as corporations, governments and international agencies. Its services are edited at regional centers in Paris, Nicosia, Washington DC, Montevideo and Hong Kong. For more information about AFP, please go to http://www.afp.com/
About Chat the Planet
Chat the Planet is a global youth dialogue company. We connect young people from around the world to talk about everything from politics, prejudices and war to sex, music and life in general. Chat the Planet produces television and Web video that is authentic, unscripted and unlike anything else in the mainstream media. In 2008, we are launching an innovative internet platform that will transform the way people engage globally. It will transcend both cultural differences and long distances. Founded by celebrated media executives Laurie Meadoff and Kate Hillis in 2001, Chat the Planet has produced award-winning video, Internet, and radio programming that continues to reach millions of people around the world.
