MUMBAI: The Viacom Television Stations Digital Media Group has partnered with the California-based internet automotive marketing services company Autobytel to bring automotive information to its newly designed station websites as part of the previously announced "Always On" digital media initiative.
Autobytel will provide comprehensive vehicle information, state-of-the-art research tools, video test drives, reviews, reports and more to each of the Viacom Television Station's websites.
Visitors to each of the newly designed and re-launched websites will now have access to automotive information on the local station's homepage. In addition to reading articles and reviews, users will have the ability to choose a vehicle, submit a request to buy a new or used vehicle and receive a no haggle price quote from Autobytel member dealers in their local market. Autobytel's content, stories and updates will be supported by each television station's broadcast and broadband video creating a very unique and powerfully informative local automotive portal, stated an official release.
"Autobytel is pleased to have been selected to provide online services to one of the largest media companies in the world," Autobytel president & CEO Rick Post said. "The new auto channel, which is designed to help Viacom's visitors make smart, confident car-buying decisions, is another example of Viacom's focus on providing the best Internet resources for its vast consumer audience."
"The combination of our local station's content and Autobytel's auto research and car buying platform provides our local market users with instant access to the very popular online automotive category," Viacom Television Stations Digital Media Group president & GM Jonathan Leess said. "The database and local inventory that Autobytel provides to our television websites helps to enhance the goals we've set for the 'Always On' initiative."
The group will be re-launching websites for all of its CBS stations, including wcbstv.com (New York) the week of August 1, kyw.com (Philadelphia) on September 13 and wbz.com (Boston) on September 19. The station websites in Salt Lake City (kutv.com), Minneapolis (wcco.com), Denver (cbs4denver.com), San Francisco (cbs5.com), Chicago (cbs2chicago.com), and most recently, Baltimore (wjz.com), have already launched. In total, 17 CBS stations will re-launch their websites in 2005, followed by UPN stations in 2006, the release added.
