CBS Launches Ad-Supported Broadband News Feed In Effort To Vie With Cable-News Outlets

CBS launched what may be the modern media-industry version of a CNN with a new broadband-distributed news feed that will send live, anchored news programming to Internet-connected TVs and other devices -- an attempt by the company to monetize its CBS News unit without the old-world hassle of building a cable-TV network to do so.

The new outlet, dubbed “CBSN,” will be available on CBSNews.com and its mobile website and selected connected TV devices -- including Amazon Fire TV, Roku players and Roku TV, and others, as well as a newly launched CBS News app for Windows 8/8.1 and Windows Phone 8/8.1 The company said CBSN will also be available on the CBS News apps for Android and other leading platforms before the end of the year.