New MySpace launches in Spanish
Bloomberg News
Apr. 24, 2007

News Corp.'s MySpace will try to increase its appeal among Hispanics in the U.S. and South America with Spanish versions of its social-networking Web site.

The company started one version designed for U.S. Spanish speakers and another for South Americans, Los Angeles-based News Corp. said in an e-mailed statement. The sites are in addition to versions of MySpace focused on Spain and Mexico.

The new sites are part of News Corp. Chief Executive Officer Rupert Murdoch's effort expand the global reach of MySpace, which now includes Web sites designed for 12 countries. Local versions are necessary to keep users engaged, said Travis Katz, general manager of MySpace International.
"MySpace is not really a technical product, it's a cultural product," Katz said. "It has to have a local look and feel or it doesn't work."

MySpace, purchased by New York-based News Corp. in 2005, attracts 95 million unique users a month, the company said, citing data from ComScore Inc.

News Corp. has also been adding features to MySpace. Last week, English-language news stories were added and ranked based on viewership, and in March the company bought rights to show "Prom Queen," an online mystery series produced by Michael Eisner's Vuguru studio, before it appears on other Web sites.