• Reuters, Wednesday, March 7, 2007 11 AM

MTV Networks, whose TV networks include MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and Spike TV, is set to unveil a bold new Web strategy to build thousands of new Web sites where users could watch, contribute and even re-edit its television programs. Sites will be built around everything from personalities to particular aspects of its shows.

The new Web strategy is a brave move for MTV, whose name became almost synonymous with youth culture in the 1990s. However, the rise of Internet media and in particular, social networking and video sharing sites like MySpace and YouTube, loosened its grip on its key market.

The new Web sites are part of a broader effort by MTV parent Viacom to distribute content from its properties through multiple channels, though decentralization could dilute corporate branding. "People tend to find content on the Internet through thousands of front doors, as opposed to one," said Mika Salmi, president of the media giant's digital unit. MTV has already constructed interactive virtual worlds around "Laguna Beach," "Nicktropolis" and "The Hills."

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