• by Wendy Davis  @wendyndavis, November 1, 2005

America Online has launched AOL Vegas, a CityGuide site devoted to Las Vegas, but, unlike other CityGuide sites, it's geared toward non-residents--both prospective tourists and armchair visitors.

The site, which contains hotel and event listings, a blog by television host Robin Leach, and video clips, will include content and ads by Vegas.com--a property of the Greenspun family, which also owns a host of other media businesses and real estate throughout Nevada.

Scott Richman, AOL CityGuide vice president and general manager, said the move to create the site was in large part driven by advertisers, especially hotel and airline advertisers--including AOL partner Travelocity.

At launch, AOL has 14 four- to-eight-minute video clips ready to go, which will be streamed with pre-roll ads and ads within programming. For now, said Richman, ads will likely be run-of-network.

The clips, produced by Robin Leach's production company, Total Vegas Television, will go behind the scenes at Vegas fixtures. For instance, one broadband video offering, the four-episode "Beacher's Madhouse," looks at the backstage goings-on of Jeff Beacher's Comedy Madhouse, an actual live show at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Richman said that AOL will likely roll out other CityGuide sites geared toward tourists in the next several months. New York and Orlando, Fla. are the most probable candidates, he said.