Gannett, Donrey to run Hawaii.com
By Frank Cho
Advertiser Staff Writer
Gannett Co. Inc. and Las Vegas-based Donrey Media yesterday announced plans to jointly develop and operate Hawaii.com, a tourism and entertainment Web site about the Islands.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Gannett said it will help develop content for the site and drive traffic to it through its network of more than 100 Internet sites, including USAToday.com and HonoluluAdvertiser.com.
Gannett is the parent company of The Honolulu Advertiser and 96 other daily newspapers. Gannett also operates 22 television stations.
Donrey publishes the Hawaii Tribune-Herald in Hilo, the North Hawaii News in Waimea and West Hawaii Today in Kona.
"Hawaii.com has the potential to become the definitive Hawai'i tourism site, and we're thrilled to be able to join with Donrey in making it so," said Mike Fisch, president and publisher of The Advertiser. "We're able to bring together Gannett's nationwide print and online resources to provide tourists and destination marketers a convenient way to connect."
Fisch said the Hawai'i resources of Donrey and Gannett, together with the Hawaii.com brand, can also provide entertainment resources for visitors and local residents.
Sheri Rolf, Hawaii.com general manager, said Gannett will assume management of the site from Donrey, but how that will be implemented is not clear yet.
"We are in the early stages of what we think will be the best Hawai'i entertainment and travel Web site," Rolf said. "Partnering with Gannett in this joint venture is the very best thing we can do to take Hawaii.com up to the next level."
Rolf said Hawaii.com employs five people in Honolulu, but it was not clear how the new deal will affect the site's staff.
"I do know we will share a lot of content with The Advertiser that will give us a lot more depth," Rolf said. "We also plan to continue our relationships with community organizations like the city and county and state Web sites."
Donrey acquired the Hawaii.com domain name in April 2000. It also operates one of the largest tourism Web sites, lasvegas.com.
Reach Frank Cho at 525-8088 or fcho@honoluluadvertiser.com.
