CNET Networks, Inc. was a media company based in San Francisco, California, United States. The company was co-founded in 1993 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie. It was acquired by CBS Corporation in 2008 and its properties were merged into CBS Interactive.

History

In 1994, with the help from Fox co-founder Kevin Windle, CNET produced four pilot television programs about computers, technology, and the Internet. CNET TV was composed of CNET Central, The Web, and The New Edge.Fact: date=June 2007 CNET Central was created first and aired in syndication in the United States on the USA Network. Later, it began airing on USA's sister network Sci Fi Channel along with The Web and The New Edge.Fact: date=June 2007 These were later followed by TV.com in 1996. Current American Idol host Ryan Seacrest first came to national prominence at CNET, as the host of The New Edge and doing various voice-over work for CNET.Fact: date=June 2007

In addition, CNET produced another television technology news program called News.com that aired on CNBC beginning in 1999.

CNET acquired the Swiss-based company GDT in 1999. GDT was later renamed to CNET Channel.

In 1999, CNET granted the right to Asiacontent to set up CNET Asia, operation was brought back in December 2000.Fact: date=June 2007

In January 2000, the same time CNET became CNET Networks, they acquired comparison shopping site mySimon for $700 million.

In October 2000, CNET Networks acquired ZDNet for approximately $1.6 billion. In January 2001, Ziff Davis Media, Inc. reached an agreement with CNET Networks, Inc. to regain the URLs lost in the 2000 sale of Ziff Davis, Inc. to SoftBank Corp. a publicly traded Japanese media and technology company. In April 2001, CNET acquired TechRepublic Inc., which provides content for IT professionals from Gartner, Inc., for $23 million in cash and stock. On July 14 2004, CNET announced that it would acquire Webshots, the leading photography website for $70 million ($60 million in cash, $10 million in deferred consideration).

From 2001 to 2003, CNET operated CNET Radio on the Clear Channel-owned KNEW 910 AM in the San Francisco Bay Area, WBPS 890 AM in Boston and on XM Satellite Radio. CNET Radio offered technology-themed programing. After failing to attract a sufficient audience, CNET Radio ceased operating in January 2003 due to financial losses.

On October 11, 2006, Shelby Bonnie resigned as chairman and CEO as a result of stock options backdating scandal that occurred between 1996 and 2003. Neil Ashe was named as the new CEO.

In December 2006, James Kim, an editor at CNET, died in the Oregon wilderness. CNET hosted a memorial show and podcasts dedicated to him.