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Viacom’s “New” Digital Soda Pop: Flux, VBS.tv and Tagworld

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Not particularly new, because Flux has been in existence for a while in both online and mobile form internationally, VBS.tv’s investment is old news, and we broke the news early this year about MTV’s (NYSE: VIA) big investment in Tagworld (now called Social Project). But Fortune “has learned of two stealth projects” after interviews with MTV Networks CEO Judy McGrath and Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman…how convenient.

SEE ALSO: Audio Interview: MTV’s New User-Gen TV Service Flux

Anyway, MTV’s moves sound like old soda pop in a new bottle: rehashing present disparate projects and trying to bring them together, or at least pump them up in U.S.

—So Flux.com will relaunch tonight,  Flux, and registered users of MTV.com, Comedycentral.com, and other MTVN sites to personalize pages with blogs, video, photos, and other social media tools. Also, Flux will also be syndicated through 20 other launch partners, and among them site for the girl group Pussycat Dolls and Sk8site.com, a website for skateboarders.

—The Flux site/tech comes from TagWorld (now called Social Project), the Santa Monica-based company in which Viacom has invested around $40 million for a 40 percent plus stake late last year.

—Then investment in VBS.tv, which debuted in March, and video offshoot of Vice, the 13-year-old magazine.

Add them to the mix of other arguably “wobbly” moves from MTVN, including ditching iFilm.com brand and focusing on Spike, as well as launching 12 TV show destination sites.

Sep 13, 2007 10:35 PM ET

Posted In: Social Media, Companies, Viacom, MTV

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