MSN, BermanBraun in Web Deal

LOS ANGELES, June 4: MSN
has inked a deal with the production venture set up by ex-network chiefs Gail
Berman and Lloyd Braun to develop a celebrity-focused website, according to
published reports.

The as-yet-unnamed venture
from MSN and BermanBraun is expected to launch early next year.

BermanBraun has been busy
developing television projects since its March 2007 launch by Gail Berman, the
former president of entertainment at FOX and president of Paramount Pictures,
and Lloyd Braun, who previously led Yahoo!’s online content initiatives after
being ousted as chairman of the ABC Entertainment Group. The company has a deal
with NBC Universal and also produced the game show Duel for ABC.

As part of the MSN deal, BermanBraun
will develop and maintain a celebrity-focused site within the Microsoft-owned
portal, the New York Times reports.
It is expected to blend advertising with entertainment news, original video
content and gaming.

—By Mansha Daswani