Editing Openai/69486775-45a4-8009-8cd1-c5cd3e355c65 (section)

== gpt-5-2-thinking ==
=== User: "Microsoft’s involvement ended over time — it sold its stake in the TV channel back to NBC in 2005 and later exited the… ===
"Microsoft’s involvement ended over time — it sold its stake in the TV channel back to NBC in 2005 and later exited the msnbc.com website in 2012. " did microsoft make money? was it a good venture/investment for them? and why did they exit?

=== Assistant: We can say some money was made, but the exact ROI is hard to pin down publicly because a the 2005 TV-channel buyout ter… ===
We can say some money was made, but the exact ROI is hard to pin down publicly because (a) the 2005 TV-channel buyout terms weren’t fully disclosed, and (b) Microsoft’s investment spanned two different joint ventures (the cable channel and the website/digital network).

===== Did Microsoft make money? =====

On the digital side (msnbc.com / “Msnbc Digital Network”): very likely yes, at least on paper.
* In 2012, Comcast/NBCUniversal bought Microsoft’s 50% stake in msnbc.com for a reported ~$300M. Reuters<ref>{{cite web|title=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/technology/comcast-buys-microsoft-stake-in-msnbccom-idUSBRE86F04W/|publisher=reuters.com|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>
* Microsoft’s own annual report later notes it recognized a gain on divestiture related to selling its 50% share in the MSNBC joint venture. Microsoft<ref>{{cite web|title=Microsoft|url=https://www.microsoft.com/investor/reports/ar13/financial-review/discussion-analysis/index.html|publisher=microsoft.com|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>
* One trade press breakdown put the total purchase price at $195M net (after backing out ~$100M cash held at the JV), which suggests the headline “$300M” number may include cash/value adjustments—either way, Microsoft booked a gain. Adweek<ref>{{cite web|title=Adweek|url=https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/nbcu-spent-195-million-to-buy-back-half-of-msnbc-com/|publisher=adweek.com|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>

On the TV-channel side (MSNBC cable network): unclear.
* Microsoft sold most of its stake in the cable channel to NBC Universal in 2005, but financial terms weren’t disclosed in the main announcements. Los Angeles Times<ref>{{cite web|title=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-dec-24-fi-msnbc24-story.html|publisher=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>
* Some contemporaneous coverage speculated the stake could have been worth a lot based on per-subscriber valuations, but that’s not the same as confirmed sale proceeds. Next TV<ref>{{cite web|title=Next TV|url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/nbc-buying-msnbc-368263|publisher=Next TV|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>

So: digital exit = we have numbers + a documented “gain”; TV exit = details are murkier.

===== Why did Microsoft exit? =====

It looks like a mix of strategy + brand/fit issues + control:
# Strategic focus shift: By the mid-2000s Microsoft was increasingly prioritizing its core businesses (Windows/Office at the time, later cloud/services). Exiting a media JV fit that “focus on core” direction reported at the time. Forbes<ref>{{cite web|title=Forbes|url=https://www.forbes.com/2005/12/27/gates-microsoft-msnbc-cx_po_1227autofacescan01.html|publisher=forbes.com|date=2005-12-27|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>
# The TV and the website drifted apart editorially: The cable channel evolved toward a stronger opinion/identity, while the website functioned more like a broad NBC News-style portal—NBC executives worried about confusion. Wikipedia<ref>{{cite web|title=Wikipedia|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBCNews.com|publisher=en.wikipedia.org|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>
# NBCUniversal wanted full control of the news brand: By 2012, NBC moved to consolidate its digital news properties under NBCNews.com and take full ownership of the joint venture assets. Reuters<ref>{{cite web|title=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/technology/comcast-buys-microsoft-stake-in-msnbccom-idUSBRE86F04W/|publisher=reuters.com|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>

If you want, I can try to reconstruct an approximate ROI range using (1) Microsoft’s disclosed original investments (where available) and (2) the sale-price reporting—just note it will still be an estimate because the 2005 TV terms aren’t cleanly public.

=== User: and what's the story with cnn? ===
and what's the story with cnn? that's also relatively new, isnt it? if all the big ones now (MS, CNN, Fox) were made quite recently, what were the big channels before then? and what happened to them?

=== Assistant: Ja, men her skal man skelne mellem hårde tal og sandsynlige motiver. ===
Ja, men her skal man skelne mellem hårde tal og sandsynlige motiver.

==== Gjorde Microsoft penge på MSNBC/MSNBC.com? ====

Hvad vi kan sige med tal:
* Microsoft gik ind i 1996-joint venturet med ca. $220 mio. for 50%. Reuters<ref>{{cite web|title=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/technology/comcast-buys-microsoft-stake-in-msnbccom-idUSBRE86F04W/|publisher=reuters.com|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>
* I 2012 købte NBCUniversal/Comcast Microsoft ud af MSNBC.com-JV’et for ca. $300 mio. (for Microsofts 50%). AP News<ref>{{cite web|title=AP News|url=https://apnews.com/general-news-11be3a53ddbb435c98feedeb73a71801|publisher=AP News|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>

Det peger på, at Microsoft i hvert fald fik en positiv gevinst på web-delen (groft sagt +~$80m før man indregner drift, investeringer undervejs, evt. udbytter osv.).

Men: Salget af Microsofts ejerandel i selve tv-kanalen i 2005 blev omtalt som uden offentliggjorte vilkår, så vi kan ikke “bevise” om de tjente eller tabte på tv-delen. AP News<ref>{{cite web|title=AP News|url=https://apnews.com/general-news-11be3a53ddbb435c98feedeb73a71801|publisher=AP News|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>

==== Hvorfor exit’ede Microsoft? ====

Det, der er bedst dokumenteret i samtiden, er:
* Partnerskabet begyndte at unwinde i 2005, hvor Microsoft solgte tv-andelen tilbage til NBC. AP News<ref>{{cite web|title=AP News|url=https://apnews.com/general-news-11be3a53ddbb435c98feedeb73a71801|publisher=AP News|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>
* I 2012 blev bruddet på web-JV’et forklaret som, at Microsoft ville stå friere til at bygge sin egen online news-satsning (dvs. ikke være låst til NBC-joint venturet). CBS News<ref>{{cite web|title=CBS News|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/msnbc-microsoft/|publisher=CBS News|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>

Min læsning (inference): Det var en kombi af strategisk fokusskifte (Microsoft ville styre sin egen portal/nyhedsoplevelse) og at NBC ville have fuld kontrol over nyhedsbrandet og integrationen. (Det er en slutning baseret på ovenstående kilder, ikke et enkelt citat.)

==== “Hvad er historien med CNN – den er også ny, ikke?” ====

CNN er faktisk ikke ny:
* CNN blev lanceret 1. juni 1980 som den første 24-timers kabelnyhedskanal. Wikipedia<ref>{{cite web|title=Wikipedia|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNN|publisher=en.wikipedia.org|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>
* CNN fik især stor status via breaking news og bl.a. Gulfkrigen 1991 (ofte nævnt som et gennembrud for 24/7-nyheder). Wikipedia<ref>{{cite web|title=Wikipedia|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_news_in_the_United_States|publisher=en.wikipedia.org|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>

MSNBC og Fox News er de “nyere” i den trio:
* MSNBC og Fox News blev begge lanceret i 1996 i høj grad som konkurrenter til CNN. Wikipedia<ref>{{cite web|title=Wikipedia|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_news_in_the_United_States|publisher=en.wikipedia.org|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>

==== Hvis de store kabel-nyheder er relativt nye, hvad var “de store” før? ====

Før 1980 var “de store” nyheder på TV primært:
* ABC, CBS og NBC’s faste nyhedsudsendelser (aften-nyhederne) + lokal-tv. EBSCO<ref>{{cite web|title=EBSCO|url=https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/communication-and-mass-media/twenty-four-hour-television-news-cycle-overview|publisher=ebsco.com|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>
* Offentlig service/in-depth som PBS NewsHour-traditionen (MacNeil/Lehrer osv.) voksede frem som et mere dybdegående alternativ til kommercielle nyheder. AP News<ref>{{cite web|title=AP News|url=https://apnews.com/article/e4ec419d2ad26170280287f0688bb145|publisher=AP News|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>

Hvad skete der med dem?
* De forsvandt ikke. Aften-nyhederne på broadcast-netværk findes stadig, men kabel og senere digital/streaming fragmenterede publikum og skabte en 24/7 “news cycle”. Encyclopedia Britannica<ref>{{cite web|title=Encyclopedia Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/art/television-in-the-United-States/CNN|publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=2025-12-22}}</ref>

Hvis du vil, kan jeg lave en super kort tidslinje (årstal + “hvad ændrede sig”) for hele skiftet fra Big Three → CNN → Fox/MSNBC → streaming/digital.