• June 20, 2008

Will the Weather Channel Interactive be the next high-profile publisher to launch a vertical ad network? Joe Fiveash, executive vice president and general manager of the cable channel's online arm, seemed to welcome the idea at OMMA's Publish conference this week.

"Certainly a vertical network makes a whole lot of sense to us," said Fiveash, when asked about the topic following his presentation on online media fragmentation. During his talk he also cited "Martha's Circle," the home-focused ad network started by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, as an innovative response to audience fragmentation.

He also noted that his company's core subject--the weather--lends itself to building a network around because it touches on so many aspects of life. "The weather gets you to so many things, the possibilities are limitless," he said.

--Mark Walsh