b5media merges with About Weblogs Blog Network

We just announced our bigger announcement for the day over at b5media.

b5media has just merged with About Weblogs – bringing the network to 50 active blogs.

The full details are here.

The press release is below if you are interested in reading it.

News Release

Weblog Network b5media LLC Announces Merger with About Weblogs

Growing blog network b5media LLC today announced the merger of b5media with the About Weblogs network run by Shai Coggins.

The merger sees Coggins take a stake in b5media LLC and as well as all the blogs within About Weblogs becoming part of b5media.

The deal is effective 10 November, 2005, and brings the number of active blogs currently under the b5media banner to 50. The growth will continue to solidfy b5media’s place as a prominent and important member of the blog network industry.

“We’re excited in having a blogger with the experience of Shai Coggins joining us at b5media and her amazing team of bloggers,” said Jeremy Wright, President of b5media. “About Weblogs brings an amazing variety of niche topic blogs into the network. This merger will propel b5media further into the mainstream and allow for even greater growth and value for advertisers. This also allows b5media to appeal more directly to the valuable female audience, thanks to the large number of female bloggers in About Weblogs, as well as further broadening our international range of bloggers.”

Shai Coggins explained that the deal enables the networks and their bloggers to benefit from each other’s strengths and strategies.

“This merger is like a marriage in the world of blogging networks,” said Coggins. “b5media and About Weblogs are coming together like two people with different strengths, personalities and opportunities, but with very similar visions and goals. We need these similarities and differences to make a good partnership. And, I believe that we’re a great fit. I’m definitely looking forward to working with Jeremy, Darren, Duncan, and the rest of the wonderful b5 team.”

Duncan Riley of b5media explained that the full integration of all the About Weblogs blogs would take a number of weeks.

“As with any merger there are a number of technical issues to sort out.However, we would expect that all blogs would be fully integrated into b5media by the end of November”.

Darren Rowse, also of b5media and the author of the well-regarded Problogger.net <http://Problogger.net> site, said that Coggins’s strengths in people management would be regarded well within the company.

“Shai Coggins has an amazing ability in motivating and working with bloggers throughout the world and her skills will be well utilized as we continue to grow,” said Rowse.

About b5media LLC

b5media LLC is the owner of one of the web’s fastest growing blogging networks, being joint owned by Jeremy Wright (ensight.org), Darren Rowse (Problogger.net) and Duncan Riley (blogherald.com). The network currently owns 21 blogs and is currently in stage 2 of its corporate plan that will see some 40 new blogs be created on the network by January 2006.

About About Weblogs

About Weblogs is a blogging network that focuses on passions, personal growth and lifestyle. It is run by Shai Coggins, who is the Guide for About.com’s Web Logs site (http://weblogs.about.com). The network was initially launched in May 2005 with around five weblogs. By November 2005, it runs nearly 30 weblogs with almost 20 bloggers from different parts of the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Vietnam and the Philippines. Currently, it is an all-female team of published authors, professional writers, mothers, travelers, expert enthusiasts, expatriates, wives, grandmothers, managers, doctors and other professionals.