Former CBS Interactive Head Neil Ashe to Lead Wal-Mart’s Global Online Commerce Biz

Can he give the retail giant the oomph it has yet to find online?
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News Byte

LivingSocial Fuels Aggressive Growth Plans With $400 Million in Financing

As expected, LivingSocial has raised $400 million in funding, bringing the company’s total raised to date to more than $600 million. The round included new and existing investors, such as Amazon.com. As we reported on Monday, LivingSocial has added Neil Ashe, former president of CBS Interactive, to its board. LivingSocial now has 26 million members signed up for its daily deals service in 206 markets. It employs more than 1,300 people and expects to reach 400 markets in 2011.

LivingSocial Expects $1 Billion in Revenues in 2011, Adds Former CBS Exec Neil Ashe to Board

We are hearing that Neil Ashe (pictured right), former president of CBS Interactive, is joining the board of LivingSocial as part of the company’s new mega-round of funding.

TV.com Head Anthony Soohoo Leaves CBS

More bodies moving around at CBS’ digital division: Last week, the broadcaster bought Clicker.com for a reported $100 million, and put its CEO Jim Lanzone in charge of CBS Interactive. Today, CBS Interactive entertainment head Anthony Soohoo says he’s leaving.

Neil Ashe Talks About Departure From CBS Interactive

After BoomTown broke the news earlier today that CBS Interactive President Neil Ashe was stepping down from his job, we had a little chitchat as to why and what’s next. Apparently, a little breathing of some fresh air.

CBS Interactive Head Neil Ashe Stepping Down

Neil Ashe, president of CBS Interactive, is stepping down from his post. CBS confirmed the move after BoomTown made inquiries recently, after hearing of various executives who had been contacted by the media giant about the position. It is not clear where Ashe is headed, nor who his replacement will be.

CNET Boss Joe Gillespie Has Left the Building

Joe Gillespie, the CBS executive who oversaw the company’s CNET and CBS News.com sites, has left the company amid a reorg. Gillespie’s old unit, the CBS Interactive News Group, has been folded into a group with the company’s “business brands,” including BNET and MoneyWatch. Greg Mason, who was running the business group, now oversees the whole thing. But CBS says it doesn’t have any other shake-ups planned for its digital division.

Exclusive: CBS Digital CEO Smith to Leave to Start a Silicon Valley Advisory Firm (First Customer? CBS)

Quincy Smith, the high-profile CEO of CBS Interactive, is planning on leaving his job at the media giant in January to start an advisory firm in Silicon Valley, according to several sources. But, in an interesting twist, Smith will remain an adviser to CBS under a multiyear contract, sources added, making it his first client. Apparently, Smith will focus intently on authentication issues for the company.
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CNET and Yahoo Broadly Expand Editorial and Ad Relationship

When it reports its first quarter earnings this afternoon, CNET Networks will also announce a much-expanded editorial and advertising relationship with Yahoo that will give the tech news site broad distribution on the highly trafficked Internet portal. CNET and Yahoo have had content licensing deals in the past, in which some CNET content has been featured in the tech areas of Yahoo.

CNET's Activist Investors Write the Book of (Not-So-Much) Love

Unfortunately, for CNET (CNET) Networks, it’s not an April Fool’s joke, but more lump of coal to the tech news and review site’s management and board. Today, a group of very obviously stubborn activist investors, who have been seeking to gain CNET board seats and make other major changes at the company to boost its [...]