Belo Interactive Launches a New Online Car Shopping Resource in Four Markets
SEATTLE & DALLAS--Aug. 13, 2002--The Cobalt Group and Belo Interactive, the Internet subsidiary of Belo Corp. , announced today the launch of "AutoCenter," an online automobile classifieds portal that enables four of Belo Interactive's local news and information Web sites to provide car shoppers with over 60,000 new and used vehicle listings from more than 240 dealerships.
Belo Interactive introduced AutoCenter on azfamily.com, the Web site affiliated with KTVK-TV in Phoenix; NBC6.com, the Web site affiliated with WCNC-TV in Charlotte, NC; WHAS11.com, the Web site affiliated with WHAS-TV in Louisville, KY; and KTVB.com, the Web site affiliated with KTVB-TV in Boise, ID.
Visitors to the television station-affiliated Web sites can locate a dealership and search its inventory, compare potential purchases side-by-side, and request a price quote online.
"The addition of AutoCenter to Belo Interactive's Web sites streamlines the car-buying process and provides a comprehensive online resource for local car buyers," said Eric Christensen, vice president/General Manager, Belo Interactive. "We're excited to partner with Cobalt, a leader in automotive e-business, to provide visitors to our sites with online access to a large number of local dealers and thousands of new and used vehicles."
Seattle-based Cobalt is the technology partner for Belo Interactive, responsible for building, hosting and maintaining the auto classifieds section of the site. In addition, Cobalt is responsible for polling and managing the vehicle data for all participating dealers, ensuring that the new and used listings are updated daily. Cobalt is a leading provider of e-business software and services to automotive manufacturers and dealers and provides online automotive e-business services to a rapidly growing number of local media companies across the country. Cobalt's clients include 12,000 franchised dealers and 16 manufacturers.
"By providing dealers with a comprehensive solution for marketing vehicles online to local buyers, the television stations in these four markets are supporting local dealers, driving traffic to their sites and ultimately increasing dealer vehicle sales," said Terry Smail, executive vice president of Global Client Services for The Cobalt Group.
About The Cobalt Group
The Cobalt Group works exclusively in the automotive retail market to help manufacturers and dealers develop integrated e-business programs by leveraging its industry-leading technology, broad range of services and deep domain knowledge. As the automotive e-business leader, Cobalt is uniquely positioned to help its customers maximize their overall operating efficiencies and profits.
Cobalt offers a broad range of products and services developed specifically for the automotive marketplace including enterprise software for manufacturers and dealers; customer relationship management (CRM) software applications; online automotive commerce applications; the industry's largest OEM parts locating and marketing service; dealership e-business best practices training, consulting, and process compliance analysis; and wholesale used vehicle remarketing services.
Cobalt operates a dealer network larger than any other technology provider in the automotive retail industry including 12,000 franchised dealers and 72 of the 100 largest dealer groups. Cobalt is the only software technology provider ever endorsed by 16 manufacturers and the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).
With headquarters in Seattle, Cobalt has offices in five U.S. cities, and a field sales and services force in 30 states, including all major U.S. metropolitan sales areas (MSA).
About Belo Interactive
Belo Interactive, Inc., Belo Corp.'s Internet subsidiary, includes the Web site operations of Belo's television stations and newspapers, interactive alliances and partnerships, and a broad range of Internet-based products and services. Belo Interactive's Web properties include seven of the 25 most-visited local television-affiliated sites in the United States, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. Belo Interactive's newspaper-affiliated sites in Dallas and Providence are the leading local media sites in those markets.
Belo is one of the nation's largest media companies with a diversified group of market-leading television, newspaper, cable and interactive media assets. A Fortune 1000 company with approximately 7,800 employees and $1.4 billion in annual revenues, Belo operates news and information franchises in some of America's most dynamic markets and regions, including Texas, the Northwest, the Southwest, Rhode Island, and the Mid-Atlantic region. Belo owns 19 television stations (six in the top 16 markets) reaching 13.9 percent of U.S. television households; owns or operates six cable news channels; and manages one television station through a local marketing agreement. Belo publishes four daily newspapers: The Dallas Morning News, The Providence Journal, The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA) and the Denton Record-Chronicle (Denton, TX). Belo Interactive's new media businesses include 34 Web sites, several interactive alliances, and a broad range of Internet-based products.
