WBTV to Implement AOL Social Networking Platform

NEW YORK/BURBANK: Warner Bros. Television Group (WBTVG) is set to roll out AOL’s recently launched social networking platform, called Socialthing, across its digital destinations, including CWTV.com and TheWB.com.

Announced last week, Socialthing is a new platform allowing websites to implement social networking functions for their users. WBTVG will utilize the service on CWTV.com, TheWB.com, KidsWB.com, DCHeroZone.com, Essence.com and Momlogic.com, among other sites. “Socialthing, combined with the stories and programs on our sites, will create a powerful and engaging combination of content, community and conversation for our users," said Craig Hunegs, the executive VP of business management at WBTVG.

Socialthing will allow users to login to sites using their AOL or AIM credentials, and in the future, users will also be able to log into Socialthing using their Facebook, Gmail, Yahoo! or OpenID credentials.  Users can publish their online activities in a real-time feed. WBTVG will use this feed to create online identities for characters from its popular TV shows. Users can also interact with their friends on the sites and meet up in fan chat rooms, as well as share video, photos, articles and comments with their friend networks, starting with the AIM network and in the future adding other top networks, including Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. 

Joanna Shields, the president of AOL People Networks, noted: “AOL is enabling leading media brands such as Warner Bros. Television Group to tap into the power of the social graph by combining the strength and global reach of our messaging networks with our powerful social networking tools,. With Socialthing, fans can converse and connect around hit TV shows such as Gossip Girl and broadcast their passion and opinions to anyone across the Internet.”