BlackPlanet to Powers InteractiveOne's Network of Content Sites

InteractiveOne, LLC, has announced that BlackPlanet, will now serve as the social network connecting all of InteractiveOne's content sites and enabling a combined audience of more than 9 million unique visitors. Earlier this year InteractiveOne acquired BlackPlanet based on its success in the African American social networking space.

This marks the first major step in bridging together the InteractiveOne sites, NewsOne, TheUrbanDaily, and HelloBeautiful with BlackPlanet.

Radio One, purchased BlackPlanet's parent company, Community Connect Inc., for approximately $38 million dollars earlier this year.

"We are thrilled to be providing the African American community with a content focused social network that reflects the diversity of the community while giving them the tools to engage, exchange and empower themselves," said Tom Newman, President of Interactive One. "Our mission is to super-serve the African American audience by providing them with tools and authentic information that is relevant to them, information they are seeking, but can't find on other sites."

Members of the InteractiveOne community will be able to log on to BlackPlanet and generate communities and content around any one of the InteractiveOne sites from there, creating virtual neighborhoods that provide information, entertainment, news and advice and the social tools necessary to inform and connect.

Additionally, users will be able to act as citizen journalists and content creators, providing a grass roots connection that keeps the community informed, aware and in communication about niche interests and regional issues across all segments of the African American community.

"BlackPlanet is an authentic community and is a place where African Americans come to discuss the issues and topics that they find important," said Smokey D. Fontaine, Chief Content Officer, InteractiveOne. "This makes BlackPlanet the perfect launching pad for all of our content sites, enabling different sectors of the community to connect and engage on the topics that matter most to them."

Interactive One which was launched by Radio One in 2007 to complement it's existing portfolio of media companies targeting the African-American community, draws in over 18 million members, with over 9 million monthly unique visitors and more than 8 billion annual page views and features member aggregated news, events, video, photo sharing and social networking, along with groups, forums, and blogs.