Devoted to online marketing, viral marketing, and web marketing

Media Works interviewed Herb Scannell who has been in the traditional media industry for years, and helped to build into powerhouses of cable TV, Viacom's (VIA-B) MTV and Nickelodeon networks.

Now he's been recruited as CEO of Next New Networks, which has the goal of creating 101 micro-networks over the next five years.

They've already been busy as they've started up six networks so far, including Fast Lane Daily, and auto-related news network and another called Threadbanger, which is for those interested in creating their own unique fashions.

It is backed by some big money in Saban Capital, Spark Capital and former MTV Networks co-founder Bob Pittman.

When asked why people creating content would need a company like Next New Networks with all the places they can self-publish online now, Scannell said that the three reasons were production infrastructure, their experience in media, and they are going to build out an ad infrastructure as well.

He added that there are many people out there that want to monetize their creations but have no idea how to. This would give them a home if that's the direction they wanted to go.

Their plan is to offer enough variety so that you can buy in groups of networks if a company wants, or target specific demographic groups within the overall micro-network.

While I don't know if their former media experience has any value to this initiative, I do like the niche focus they're centering on, which will probably do more for increasing their chances at success than former experience of connections will do.

Just keep this stuff in mind as you're thinking of avenues you may want to go down. This is the future. The niche targeting and focus I mean, not only the micro-network aspect of it. Although I'm surprised that hasn't taken off even more as well.

It's probably the reason why MTV recently announced they're going to push out a ton of these types of networks as well.