Network of regional news and classifieds websites set to launch across Australia
One of Australia’s major online publishers is set to launch a national network of regional news and classified sites.
The plan – which appears to be from APN – emerged after a job ad was placed on Mumbrella and elsewhere, which has since been withdrawn.
The ad seeks a $200,000+ general manager for the “Australia-wide regional online play… backed by a major Australian media company”. It states:
“After a market review and input by some of the smartest people in digital in Australia, they are launching a new online platform — a product set containing a unique mix of media, commerce, classifieds and community elements which they intend to roll out progressively across regional markets in Australia and potentially beyond. The business will be well funded but will operate independently like an internal start-up to maximise innovation and stay clear of corporate culture.”
The start-up will have a launch team of around 20.
A clue to the publisher is that the ad states that travel will include both Australia and New Zealand, making APN and Fairfax, who are active in both countries, the most likely candidates.
APN has already got a site called finda.com.au operating on the Sunshine Coast which would appear to match the business model of the job description. When users visit the site it asks them for their postcode to establish if there is a more local version of the site that can be delivered to them.
Mumbrella understands that despite Sydney being mentioned in the ad, the job may actually be based elsewhere, which again points towards APN and Finda.
APN Online’s CEO for Australia and New Zealand Warren Lee told Mumbrella that he could neither confirm or deny the company’s involvement.
The launch would mark a challenge to start ups such as streetcorner.com.au, run by former Macquarie Radio Network CEO Angela Clark and also to livinglocal.com.au.
The now removed ad:
Its fairfax
I think you might need to give me a little more detail to convince me of that, Insider.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
Its APN. Role will be based in Sydney or Brisbane, rolling out finda.com.au nationally as well as into NZ where there isnt a dominant player in the space just yet. Network of local sites mainly targeting regional Australia to begin.
Does anybody have 10yrs+ digital experience?
It’s APN, I suspect, possibly in conjunction with Fairfax, and they are reacting to the threat represented by this regional site:
http://www.toowoombanews.com.au
Look at the (full) URL. They are set up to expand well beyond toowoomba.
Their are many people from Europe and the UK in Australia who have 10+ years digital experience I have worked with a few personally.
But yes this does sound like a interesting project, especially if you are into GEO based domains.
Tim — it’s either or, neither nor
No fear – if it is Fairfax they’ll bugger it up!
News should already own this space.
It’s certainly there to be done, the models and technology requirements are well understood but as others allude it’s been a while since Fairfax or APN executed anything new with any success. Perhaps that’s why it’s being established as an internal startup.
This is a metrics driven business and not much sign of attention to that in the current finda.com.au site.
It’s academic who will own the classified web space with the rise of mobile commerce. The classified mobile.site space on the other hand – that’s up for grabs still.
It’s Fairfax with APN. Note the recent launch of Domain within APN publication The Northern Star as an example.
salary looks low to me – $180k-200k for a leadership role in something that has relatively high stakes. you have 25 year old digital account managers wanting that sort of money nowadays for their 12 month experience.