TMZ.com flying high with TV spinoff on deck

Don Day June 25th, 2007

Most of the items posted here detail what TV entities are doing to propel the Internet future. But for TMZ.com, the opposite is about to take place. The Time Warner-owned site will soon sprout a 30-minute syndicated newsmagazine. Founder Harvey Levin has been just about everywhere these days - truly out front of the story of the Paris Hilton media storm. “We work as hard at breaking a Britney Spears story as NBC would work on breaking a President Bush piece,” Levin told the NY Times in fascinating look behind the site’s star-studded curtain. TMZ’s influence is huge, according to Levin - “We’ve become like The Associated Press in the world we cover.” TMZ’s television cousin launches September 10. Need proof of TMZ’s influence? Check out the the 1,700+ Google News hits for the site’s name (without duplicates).

Slightly related: Larry King had to bump Michael Moore for his Wednesday exclusive with Paris.