Rumor: Sohu to Spin off Housing Site Focus.cn
Sina Tech, 8/19/10
An industry source has revealed that Chinese internet company Sohu (Nasdaq: SOHU) will spin off its real-estate site Focus.cn into "Focus Time," a real-estate information services JV with Beijing-based Beijing Shijian ("Time") Media. The source said that an official announcement would be forthcoming.
Focus.cn will reportedly package its listings for cities other than Beijing with Shijian Media's newspapers to offer news and information under a joint newspaper/web model. The real-estate discussion platform will be launched in late August, and will operate both newspapers in major cities and the Focus.cn site.
Media owned by Beijing Shijian include the Beijing Times, the Tianjin Evening News, the Nanchang Jiang Nan City Daily, the Qingdao News, and the Nanjing Oriental Guardian.
Focus.cn GM Zeng Fuhu confirmed that the site would partner with Shijian Media, but did not give any clear answer as to whether the site would be spun off, saying only that it would be "different from the way Sogou was spun off."
A Sohu spokesperson declined to comment.
Editor's Note: Zeng Fuhu denied that Sohu plans to spin off Focus.cn, stating that it is merely launching a new information platform with Beijing Shijian Media, not establishing a JV.
Keywords: Beijing Shijian Media Zeng Fuhu Internet JV Sohu Focus.cn online real estate
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