Fox Interactive Media, News Corp.'s three-year-old Web publishing and development division, is branching out, marketing a new content management system not only to other media companies, but to any company seeking outside help in building and operating dynamic sites with the latest bells and whistles.

Based on know-how accumulated in its work for News Corp.'s in-house Web operations — most notably MySpace.com, FoxSports.com and the Fox O&O sites — FIM's Digital Publishing Platform (DPP) allows clients to assemble customized Web sites and operate them with their own staff.

As part of the licensing agreement, FIM is also willing to handle hosting and video and ad serving. (FIM will not be selling national ads for clients as part of the service, however.)

FIM's first customers for the new platform are the Fox O&Os and affiliates now using the FIM's MyFox platform. More than 50 will be switching to the new platform within the next three months.

Also jumping on the DPP is LIN Television. It has launched www.wpri.com and www.fox10tv.com onto it and the group's other Web sites are set to launch over the next few weeks.

In marketing the platform to other TV broadcasters, FIM will be going up against several well-established Web platform providers, including WorldNow, Internet Broadcasting, Inergize and Broadcast Interactive Media.

Charged with running the new enterprise in Ron Berryman, senior vice president and general manager of FIM's Digital Publishing Group.

In this interview with TVNewsday Contributing Editor James Careless, Berryman details some of the DDP's capabilities and his group's ambitious marketing strategy.

An edited transcript:

Why have you decided to offer the DPG Platform to the world?

We think that it's a great business opportunity for News Corp. and for FIM. In fact, we established the Digital Publishing Group specifically to market this platform. We think there are holes in the content management marketplace. Third-party providers can be expensive and trying to run your own Web site using today's available software is difficult and offers little flexibility.

What kind capabilities are you offering?

The DPG Platform can handle all forms of video, including HD. It can even serve as an online, full-resolution video archive for a station's news department. The application can also incorporates blogs, social networking, RSS feeds and video searching. You can pull in various content feeds, many of which are from Fox. You can also integrate your own content streams. If you're a CBS affiliate, plugging in its feeds is no problem. It also features geocoding. You can identify the physical locations of Web or wireless surfers so that they can be served with location-specific content and advertising.

What makes the DPG Platform different from what stations are using today?

It's a true plug-and-play solution. You don't have to be a Web designer to use this system. You just put things into the right places on the templates and then send it in to us to be published on the Web.

The way we do this is by providing an a la carte menu of features, from which you include what you see fit. This helps keep cost down — you pay for what you want — and it also ensures that each Web site is unique.

We set it up at your station and we provide onsite and remote Web training. We can teach someone to use this system in two days. I'm talking about someone who already works at a company handling their basic Web content, sending it to a third-party provider. We also have a complete manual, not something you see much these days.

Could you elaborate a little on how it works for the client?

Let's say that you are posting news videos from your station, for streaming and archiving on the Web. On your screen, you see all of your assets listed on the left side; that is, your videos. On the right side, you see the various folders where the stories go like sports, news, and so on. You can configure the folders so that the newest story automatically goes to the top of the playout list on your Web site. You can also include small screen captures for thumbnails. Once you're here, all you do is drag-and-drop your video files into the appropriate modules. You can then check on them by clicking on the modules and the video will be displayed in the modules you specify.

Typically, we use a split screen so that you can see your content without covering the entire page. Push one button to publish them, and the files are published. Our automation system handles the rest.

The bottom line is that the DPG Platform allows you to provision the kinds of complex Web services normally only provided by a third-party provider like WorldNow.

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