Breaking: CNN Launches Consumer Generated News Site....CNN Has Historic 37.5 Million Uniques in February

Long providing an opportunity for viewers to send in videos, text messages, camera phone videos, comments and photos through an area called iReport, CNN.com has launched a true consumer generated news portal.  It has its own url as ireport.com

This is completely different from what iReport had been, which had solicited contributed content, then edited it to essentially augment main CNN coverage. 

The site provides members with the opportunity to upload and share much like most video sharing sites.  Also, like video sharing sites like  YouTube, DailyMotion, Blip.tv, etc, it allows users to create their own channel.  Like the other sites, the clips are embedable.

Yes, there will be a Beet.TV channel on CNN!

Last night at a private dinner at the the McGraw Hill Media  Summit hasted by the NewsMarket.  I got the details from CNN.com's Mitch Gelman.

A couple of weeks ago I was in San Francisco where we visited Current TV.  Their new web presence has parallels to the new CNN initiative.  Users as reporters are creating a news environment.

While Current has a cool aesthetic and engaged audience, it's still small.   CNN's traffic is surging.  Beet.TV has learned that the Nielsen Online numbers for CNN.com  are historic:  37.5 million unique visitors in February.

-- Andy Plesser