NBC News Digital has shuttered EveryBlock, the hyperlocal news startup it acquired in 2009.
“As we continue to grow and evolve the NBC News Digital portfolio, we are focused on investing in content, products and platforms that play to our core strengths,” wrote NBC news chief digital officer Vivian Schiller in an email to staff. “The decision to shut down the site was difficult, but in the end, we didn’t see a strategic fit for EveryBlock within the portfolio.”
The farewell blog post has garnered hundreds of supportive comments, with many regular readers disappointed that NBC didn’t keep it going that much longer.
NBC acquired sole control of EveryBlock last year when it parted ways with Microsoft. Schiller told the New York Times that they considered selling it, but that the numbers didn’t work out.