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Is FiLife Running On Borrowed Time?

Less than two months after talking up the turnaround at Dow Jones-IAC (NSDQ: IACI) personal finance JV FiLife, paidContent has learned the site’s continued existence is no certainty. It survived the multiple trimmings as Barry Diller cut back on IAC’s portfolio of emerging businesses, but the company is now exploring options that range from leaving it open to a sale or a full shut down. When Ezra Kucharz, president and GM for just over a year, left for CBS (NYSE: CBS) in January, both IAC and DJ credited him publicly with turning around the site and building it to the #4 personal finance site with 4.4 million unique visitors in December. Now both companies are declining comment about the site’s future.

One possibility for IAC could be selling its stake to Dow Jones (NYSE: NWS), which recently bought out SmartMoney partner Hearst. But that’s a well-established brand with an 800,000-circ magazine. Whether DJ would even want to own FiLife outright is unclear—as is whether a deal actually would involve much money. What FiLife does have—more traffic than SmartMoney.com, where personal finance is just one category, and a digital mentality. Is there a way to combine the two?

FiLife has had a bit of a tortured life from its beginning: taking more than a year to move from an idea to a blog, then taking so long to emerge from that status the plans appeared to be dormant. Dave Kansas, brought in from the Wall Street Journal to launch the site, was replaced by online vet Kucharz in late 2008. Adam Wiener, executive editor and VP-content was promoted to GM when Kucharz left, but not given the title of president.

It’s made strides on the editorial side. Just last month FastCompany picked it as the most innovative company in the finance area for using “a Q&A format with a host of social and game-like features to get Americans talking about money. More as warranted—and please feel free to e-mail me if you have details.

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Staci D. Kramer
@sdkstl Mar 19, 2010 11:15 PM ET

Hourglass

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Posted In: Features, Exclusive, Media & Publishing, Online News, Companies, IAC, News Corp., Dow Jones

  • HELEN

    I too am having Corrie withdrawl. We changed our cable provider,and it does not have CBC out of Windsor. I have watched Corrie St for years. Found a site to watch it ,but the episodes are way in the future. I am a native Michigander, and love the British soaps

  • Arlene Mac Donald

    I watched Corrie the one time and now it says this contenet is not currently available WHAT a TEASE grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

  • Arlene Mac Donald

    Hi there I am in the SAME boat as Kelly I moved to Florida and can NOT watch Corrie I am dyin here I had to gove up my addictive Tim Hortons coffee AND Corrie

    How much more can I take

    PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do this for us

  • Ryan

    I am hearing you Kelly.  I moved to FL in May of 07 from VT and haven't seen an episode since.  I MISS IT TERRIBLY!!

  • Kelly A.

    Denver, Colorado

    WAAAA!  We cannot get Coronation Street on VOD outside of the UK!!  I spent the summer at our cottage in Ontario getting my Corrie fix, now I'm back in the US and am left hanging!  I don't even care if I watch 6 month old episodes!  I can't understand in this day and age why someone in the US cannot for the life of them watch Coronation Street.  I think they are afraid to put a real quality show on the airwaves for fear of people realizing the drivel that gets pumped through the cables here.

  • shirley lessard

    i agree with marion .  get some international advertising . after all it is the most watched soap in the world.

  • Terry

    Marlborough, Mass/North Delta B.C.
    I didn't see the responses to the earlier questions.  Will we be seeing the Canadian or British Episodes?  I am in the US for 1 year & am going through some serious Corrie Withdrawal - don't want to miss the up-comming DRAMA!!  Wink, Wink!
    Where do I sign up!!!

  • Peter McIntyre

    As an ex pat I would love to be able to watch episodes of Corrie.I really miss British television.We get a few shows but they are often repeats.Please find a way for loyal watchers who once lived in England to keep connected with their Homeland through television.The British Soaps are more realistic than the American Soaps.At least we see everyday people and not everyone looks like a movie star.

  • Marion

    Boo.

    Then get some Canadian advertisers for the Canuck Coronation Street episodes… more $$$ for you guys - yay!

  • Robert Andrews

    No detail on that. Personally, I doubt overseas viewing will be part of the offering as it's UK advertisers ITV needs - will advertisers be interested in reaching audiences who can't buy their products?

  • T Farrell

    Yes, same question.  Are we able to watch, and are they ahead of the Canadian episodes like in England or can we opt to stay current to our schedules?

    T Farrell,
    Penticton, British Columbia, Canada

  • Brian Reed

    Will the ITV VOD Coronation Street episodes be available for viewers from outside Britain?

    Brian Reed,
    Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

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