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Belo Interactive Launches a New Online Car Shopping Resource In Four Markets

by Staff
August 13, 2002
3 min to read


The Cobalt Group and Belo Interactive, the Internet

subsidiary of Belo Corp., announced August 13 the launch of

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"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

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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.



According to the company, visitors to the television station-affiliated Web sites can locate a

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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

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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

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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 provider of

e-business software and services to automotive manufacturers and dealers and

provides online automotive e-business services to a number

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of local media companies across the country. Cobalt's clients include 12,000

franchised dealers and 16 manufacturers.



About The Cobalt Group



The Cobalt Group works in the automotive retail

market to help manufacturers and dealers develop integrated e-business

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programs. Cobalt offers a 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; an OEM parts locating and marketing service; dealership

e-business best practices training, consulting, and process compliance

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analysis; and wholesale used vehicle remarketing services.

Cobalt operates a dealer network including 12,000

franchised dealers and 72 of the 100 largest dealer groups.

With headquarters in Seattle, Cobalt has offices in five

U.S. cities, and a field sales and services force in 30 states, including

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all major U.S. metropolitan sales areas (MSA).

For more information, please contact Mike Martinez, vice

president, product management, at 206-219-8434, or visit

www.cobaltgroup.com.


About Belo Interactive

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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 range of Internet-based products and

services.

Belo is a media company with a

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group of television, newspaper, cable and interactive media

assets. 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

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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.

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For more information, contact Linda Fisk, vice president/marketing of Belo

Interactive, at 214-977-4017.



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