Tina Brown to Launch Web Talk Show, Daily Beast TV

NEW YORK - Tina Brown, editor-in-chief of the Daily Beast and Newsweek, is looking to launch a Web talk show, Daily Beast TV, in November, AdWeek reported.

A representative for the Newsweek Daily Beast Co. told AdWeek that the new online show would be a mix of original videos like an Ask Andrew Anything feature starring blogger Andrew Sullivan, who is answering reader questions, that launched in September.

Currently, the Daily Beast mainly offers videos in the form of repurposed TV news. An ad in Newsweek describes Daily Beast TV as “the smartest take on the day’s most engaging stories,” according to AdWeek.

It said that the people in charge of Daily Beast TV are executive producer Kathy O’Hearn, who previously worked at CNN as executive producer for Campbell Brown's and Christiane Amanpour's shows, and former ABC News staffers Susie Banikarim and David Wharton. O'Hearn also worked on CNBC's short-lived weekly talk show about politics and culture, Topic [A] With Tina Brown.

The video series is seen as a way to make additional money. IAC chairman Barry Diller this summer had said that he is willing to accept losses at the Newsweek Daily Beast joint venture for now. Diller predicted "reasonable losses" in the $50 million range until the venture breaks even, which he estimated to happen in the next year or year and a half.

Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com

Twitter: @georgszalai