MySpace, remember that? Back in the olden days it was a hot web property. It was founded in 2003 and was bought by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation in 2005 for $580 million. Why would Murdoch pay so much for a web property? Well, *logs onto Wikipedia*, “from 2005 until early 2008, MySpace was the most visited social networking site in the world, and in June 2006 surpassed Google as the most visited website in the United States. In April 2008, MySpace was overtaken by Facebook in the number of unique worldwide visitors.” The rest, as they say is history.

‘Timber!’
In 2011, Myspace was sold to Specific Media and Justin Timberlake for approximately $35 million. Industry watchers asked why anyone would want to buy a giant, falling web firm but Timberlake & Co. have very different ideas.
At the giant CES fair in the US yesterday, Timberlake even made an appearance to big up a new MySpace app that will be installed on the new Panasonic VIERA ConnectT-enabled HDTVs. Timberlake’s ‘big idea’ is that the MySpace TV app will let viewers see what their mates are watching and allow them to make comments through the TV set and using smartphones and tablets. (Has anyone told him about Twitter and Facebook?)
“Why text or email your friends to talk about your favorite programs after they’ve aired when you could be sharing the experience with real-time interactivity from anywhere across the globe?” he asked in a press release. (Has he seriously not heard about Twitter?).
As for his future vision for MySpace, Timberlake waxed lyrical in a previous release: “There’s a need for a place where fans can go to interact with their favorite entertainers, listen to music, watch videos, share and discover cool stuff and just connect. MySpace has the potential to be that place. Art is inspired by people and vice versa, so there’s a natural social component to entertainment.” His firm also plans “socially-activated advertising campaigns”.
Somehow I don’t think Mark Zuckerberg is losing any sleep.

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