June 12, 1998

In 3MR:

Portal-Crazed NBC Plans Must-Snap! TV

You lose "Seinfeld" and the NFL, pay "E.R." stars armored trucks of cash, and feel the slipping of audiences to cable, the Internet, horseshoes tournaments, and walks in the park. You're NBC and you're feeling desperate. The only nonsensical sensible thing to do is buy the laggard, bargain-basement, clearance-sale portal, Snap! Online. CNET chief Halsey Minor could barely hide his enthusiasm at dumping the service that was burning through CNET cash like Monopoly money.

We must begrudgingly move the Snap! horse in DeathRace 2000 down from the glue factory's door. However, the possibility remains that it could be axed in the 1999 NBC fall interactive season -- or when portals become passe (any day now)...