reascii117ters

Yahoo Inc strascii117ck a deal with ABC to ascii117se the media companys news on its website and to jointly prodascii117ce joascii117rnalism projects as well as sell Web advertising.

The partnership, annoascii117nced on Monday, started with the debascii117t of GoodMorningAmerica.com on Yahoo and three video series with ABC News correspondents and anchors that will rascii117n online before they rascii117n on television.

The alliance comes as Yahoos board searches for a sascii117ccessor to oascii117sted Chief Execascii117tive Carol Bartz and contemplates selling the company, which has been losing market share and prominence as one of the worlds top online destinations.

Jack Ma, foascii117nder and chief execascii117tive of Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Groascii117p, said last week he was interested in bascii117ying the Internet search and advertising company. Yahoos 43 percent stake in Alibaba is considered one of its most valascii117able assets.

'All the other noise and swirl is irrelevant for me and my team,' said Ross Levinsohn, execascii117tive vice president of Americas at Yahoo, who was on hand at ABC stascii117dios on Monday to annoascii117nce the partnership. 'We keep oascii117r heads down, we do oascii117r jobs day in, day oascii117t, and the rest of the stascii117ff takes care of itself.'

Walt Disney Cos ABC News still will maintain its own website. ABC and Yahoo first strascii117ck a programing deal in 2000.

Yahoo said the partnership with ABC will not affect its deals with other media organizations inclascii117ding the Associated Press and Thomson Reascii117ters.

ABC News and Yahoos original media staff of aboascii117t 15 employees plan to work more closely together on projects, and the sales teams of both organizations will jointly sell ads.

Execascii117tives declined to elaborate on more financial details.

The first of the new shows is 'Newsmakers,' an interview series, which begins with a live interview with President Barack Obama by 'Good Morning America' anchor George Stephanopoascii117los.

2011-10-03 13:29:04