VH1, a unit of Viacom's MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), announced today the launch of a new standalone celebrity and pop culture blog, Scandalist.com (http://www.scandalist.com/). The new online and mobile blog features breaking entertainment news, celebrity gossip, glossy celebrity photos and videos, as well as commentary on the latest and greatest in fashion, music, television and politics.
At launch, Scandalist.com will unveil its "Top 100 Celebrity Scandals" (http://www.scandalist.com/tag/100-greatest-celebrity-scandals-of-all-time/) -- a comprehensive list of the most talked-about scandals of all time* (see below for full list). From the recent woes of Amy Winehouse and Britney Spears and the death of Anna Nicole to Monica, Bill and the blue dress, Scandalist.com has compiled the most buzz-worthy scandals. All of the scandals on the list are accompanied by photos and/or video, making the list a must-stop spot for pop culture fans.
While Scandalist.com is part of the larger VH1 Digital portfolio, it will operate separately from VH1.com and will cover pop culture and celebrity in a distinct style with a fun, yet informative tone. Daily posts will include the most up-to-the-minute celebrity photos and interactive features like quizzes and polls for users to weigh in on the day's hottest gossip and entertainment news. In the coming weeks, original video will also be incorporated into the site's daily posts.
The launch of Scandalist.com follows the successful launch and growth of the VH1 Blog (http://blog.vh1.com/) on VH1.com. Both audience and engagement numbers have skyrocketed on the VH1 Blog in the past year, as visits have nearly doubled and page views have more than tripled (2Q08 vs. 2Q07). The VH1 Blog will continue to live on VH1.com and will focus primarily on VH1's shows, artists and events.
"After taking a look at how quickly we were able to grow the VH1 Blog on VH1.com, we decided to look at ways we could go deeper with our blog coverage of pop culture and our VH1 shows and events separately," said Tom Calderone, President, VH1. "With a dedicated staff of writers, Scandalist.com will serve as a distinct, yet complimentary site for fans of pop culture, entertainment news and all things celebrity."
In an effort to keep users in the know wherever they are, VH1 Mobile is launching a version of Scandalist.com that fans can access from their mobile devices. A mobile headline feed will update each time a new post is published. Users can go to the site on their mobile devices by typing Scandalist.com on any phone's browser. iPhone users can also view a version specially created for the iPhone by going to http://iphone.scandalist.com. In the next two weeks, VH1 Mobile will launch a feature that allows users to post and read comments from their mobile devices in real time, as well as a Scandalist.com widget created for the Yahoo! Go mobile application.
"In addition to the daily celebrity commentary on the site, Scandalist.com gives fans ample opportunity to weigh in on the day's entertainment news," said Tina Imm, General Manager, VH1 Digital. "In the coming weeks, users will be able to make real-time comments online and on their mobile phones, create profiles, rate stories and interact with other fans of the site."
Scandalist.com writers and editors have years of experience in the entertainment and celebrity space and have written/contributed to media outlets including, Blender, CollegeHumor.com, Idolator, Metro, The New York Times, New York magazine's Vulture blog, PageSix.com, Time Magazine and the Village Voice.
VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 90 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, VH1 Games and extensive broadband video on VH1.com. Connect with VH1 at VH1.com.