Mun2 to Add Social Networking to Web Site

Laura Martínez -- Multichannel News, 6/16/2008 12:52:00 PM

Mun2 is relaunching its Web site (holamun2.com) to include more interactive and social networking features for users to build profiles provide their email address, their age, and interests.

But as the network is quick to point out, the goal is not to compete with the likes of MySpace or Facebook, but to integrate the TV channel with user-generated content originating in the viewer’s computers and mobile devices.

“The idea is to combine the best practices of highly visited sites such as Flickr, MySpace and Vimeo,” said José Marquez, VP digital media, Mun2. And though he declines to give specifics, he says the June 16 soft launch will bring a whole new set of sponsors, which will woven their brands within the new interface. An official announcement is not expected until July.

Mun2, the bilingual youth-channel owned by NBC Telemundo, in 2006 launched holamun2.com and has since tweaked its features several times. With over 270,000 unique visitors each month, the site encourages viewers of the cable channel to upload images, text and video onto the site -- user-generated content that often ends up back on the TV screen.

At the end of 2007, for instance, Mun2 collected about 4,200 images and 500 videos from users who responded to a call to action by the host of Pepsi Música. Some of those images and videos were later featured on TV. “For the new features to work it has to involve two screens -- the TV and the Web,” said Marquez.