WebNewser

AdWeek‘s Mike Shields reports that NBCUniversal is in talks with Microsoft to buy the tech company’s stake in MSNBC.com.

Several sources with first-hand knowledge of the situation say that negotiations between the two companies have progressed to the stage where NBCU parent company Comcast is conducting its due diligence. They said that the partnership could be unwound by this summer.

A spokesperson confirmed to TVNewser that conversations were taking place between the two companies.

Microsoft sold a majority stake in the cable channel MSNBC to NBCU back in 2005, but it maintained control of the website, which is an enormously popular online destination.

The deal, if consummated, could result in two separate websites, NBCNews.com and a reworked MSNBC.com, according to an NBC News staffer.

Inside NBC, there has been talk of a new website for weeks. The site is believed to be NBCNews.com, which would serve as a news hub, as well as the online home for programs like “NBC Nightly News,” “Meet the Press” and “Rock Center.” MSNBC.com would probably serve as the home for the cable channel’s politically-focused programming and news.

Read more

Launch a social media campaign that will build your brand and deliver results in our online Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting June 7. Speakers include Abigail Cusick (Bravo Digital), Gregory Galant (Sawhorse Media), Alex Leo (Thomson Reuters Digital), Jim Tobin (Ignite Social Media), and many more. Read the reviews.

As we have noted, former Fox News host and GBTV founder Glenn Beck recently moved his studio from New York to Dallas, Texas.

One of the biggest benefits of being in Texas is the space. There’s lots of it. GBTV is putting that space to effective use, building out its studio in ways that could not be done in New York. Among them is a new area where Beck will promote advertisers and sponsors, taking the formula that has worked on radio for 100 years and trying to make it transfer to video.

There is also a full-size replica of the Oval Office, featuring replicas of The Resolute Desk and the Oval Office rug. Some of the props even came from the set of Oliver Stone‘s film “JFK.”

Watch Beck show off his new studio in this exclusive video:

The Huffington Post’s web television network is coming together. Capital New York’s Joe Pompeo has details about the service, which is now called “HuffPost Live,” rather than the more tumescent “Huffington Post Streaming Network,” as it was originally called. The service is apparently on track for a July launch.

While other outlets with a print focus, such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal have expanded their video output in recent years, Pompeo notes that HuffPost’s project appears to be an order of magnitude larger, and will have some recognizable faces attached to it.

They include former Al Jazeera English co-host Ahmed Shihab-Eldin (whose hiring was previously reported by Ad Age); Alicia Menendez, the daughter of New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, who is a co-host of “Power Play” on SiriusXM Cristina Radio and a contributor to NBCLatino.com; and Marc Lamont Hill, a Columbia University professor and former Fox News analyst…

Huffington Post’s plans, however, are more ambitious than those of some of its competitors in the live-video space, which include The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Politico.

The site is calling for 12 hours of such programming every weekday produced by a staff of at least 100.

For anyone missing “Larry King Live,” there is some good news: Larry King‘s new talk show on Internet TV network Ora.TV will launch this Summer, earlier than expected. The show, now called “Larry King Now,” had originally planned to launch in the Fall.

Unlike on CNN, where his show went on-air at 9pmET every night, the new show will air weekly, and will be posted in the early evening, around 5 or 6 PM. The AP has more:

But King said he wanted to “get into the political mix.” The Democratic and Republican national conventions to name presidential nominees are this summer.

King said he expected the format of his show to be similar to “Larry King Live,” which aired on CNN in prime time for 25 years, and he’s retained much of his old production staff. The new show will generally be 30 minutes in length, instead of an hour, although there will be flexibility to go shorter or longer depending on who’s being interviewed, said Jon Housman, Ora.TV’s CEO.

No word on guests yet, but King tells the AP he is aiming for President Obama or Mitt Romney.

At the annual industry gathering The Cable Show on Monday, King will be inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame.

In the latest episode of mediabistroTV’s “My First Big Break,” we hear from radio personality, author, former Fox News host and GBTV founder Glenn Beck. While he has found tremendous success across many different forms of media, did you know that he almost left the business to go to cooking school? If it wasn’t for a heart-to-heart conversation with his father, he may never have found his professional voice.

For more videos, check out our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter: @mediabistroTV

On Thursday, mediabistroTV will present the next installment of our series “My First Big Break,” featuring radio personality, author, GBTV founder and former Fox News host Glenn Beck.

Beck, who got his first taste of the radio business at the surprisingly young age of 12, argues that radio is “the most powerful form of communication out there, that is why they always keep trying to shut it down.”

Get the whole story when the episode debuts on Thursday.

Now we know why ABC’s Robin Roberts made a quick trip out West after last Thursday’s “Good Morning America.” Roberts got a sit-down with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. In a press release ABC News says, “Zuckerberg gives Robin Roberts the first look at a new Facebook tool which has the power to save lives.” In addition, ABC “World News” anchor Diane Sawyer interviews Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to “discuss the personal stories that led to this new initiative and its goals.”

Interesting that Facebook has chosen ABC News as the place to reveal the new tool, considering ABC’s online partner Yahoo! has just added two patents to its infringement lawsuit against Zuckerberg’s company which was first filed last month.

The “GMA” and “World News” interviews air tomorrow.

ABC News is giving Katie Couric her own program… though it will only exist online. In advance of her ABC talk show debuting this Fall, Couric will host a weekly series for ABC News and online partner Yahoo! called “Katie’s Take.”

Launching May 1st, the series sounds somewhat like a preview of the talk show, focusing on issues like “health, nutrition, parenting, and wellness.”

Continuing with that health theme, Poland Spring water is on board as the launch partner for the web series.

AdWeek’s Sam Thielman spoke to ABC News president Ben Sherwood about the show, and asked what Couric’s role at the news division will look like over the next few months:

ABC News president Ben Sherwood said that Couric’s main focus would still be the syndicated show, which launches in October, but that she’d continue to appear on ABC’s properties without headlining a particular program. “She’ll participate in our political coverage as we get closer to the elections,” said Sherwood. “But [with the syndicated show,] she’s got a real full-time job.”

Read more

At the NAB show in Las Vegas, BreakingNews.com (owned by NBCUniversal) unveiled a new app for Samsung TVs and connected Blu-Ray players that adds a “Breaking News” ticker to any TV channel the viewer is watching.

Unlike the news tickers that have become ubiquitous on cable news, the Breaking News ticker will not always be on screen. Instead, the ticker will pop up when there is a breaking news alert, scrolling across the bottom of the screen and disappearing afterwards. Users can also search for news using a keyword, and will receive headlines based around that keyword. BreakingNews says that advertisers will be able to offer placement in the ticker.

More information in the announcement, after the jump.

Read more

Soon, viewers will be able to “Hang Out” with CBS “Face the Nation” moderator Bob Schieffer. At a party last night in Washington, CBS unveiled plans to do monthly Google+ “Hangouts” with Schieffer, correspondents and political guests.

People that normally wouldn’t be able to be in the same room would be able to participate, with excerpts appearing on the show, which is now an hour long (which means more airtime to fill!).

FishbowlDC’s Eddie Scarry was there, and a has a full breakdown of what went down.

TVNewser hears that among the attendees were CBSers Chris Licht, Norah O’Donnell, Chris Isham, John Dickerson and Bill Plante. Also in attendance: former CBSer and current Googler Daniel Sieberg, FNC’s Ed Henry and CNN’s Jessica Yellin.