Palestra.Net Announces Acquisition of UWIRE

Move Expands Venture’s Reach in College Media Distribution 

Palestra.net, the Columbus-based provider of online video content serving the college market, recently acquired UWIRE from CBS Corp.  UWIRE is considered to be the richest provider of content to the college media market, distributing stories to student-run newspapers, radio and TV stations, much the way the Associated Press serves traditional media outlets.

“UWIRE is a good fit for Palestra because it’s (UWIRE) such a foundation for journalism students,” says Joe Weasel, co-founder and CEO of Palestra.net.  “We’re trying to find the mechanism whereby students can get even more engaged in not only print and text, but digital journalism.”  

Weasel says the company plans to both launch new programs and expand existing initiatives in support of journalism education.  One such program he cited is the UWIRE 100, a program that currently exists to showcase the top 100 college journalists in the nation, honoring their achievements and giving them broadened exposure within the workplace.

“We hope to increase our presence with some of the college organizations and try to become as much of a partner as possible with schools,” says Weasel.

For more details, read Joe Weasel’s interview with CollegeMediaMatters.com http://www.collegemediainnovation.org/blog/2009/03/25/breaking-palestranet-buys-uwirecom