CNET: The Design Foundation

A discussion with Fred Sotherland

With the start of a new year, it is time to get back going on the history of CNET. Between a political insurrection and holidays, mine and I am sure everyone’s focus was elsewhere. We sit in 1994 and, as I said earlier, it wasn’t an easy year. That said, 1994 laid the foundation for much of what would go well in the future. With little to do other than pitch potential distribution partners, there was a lot of thought-work done on the future and what the interactive future held for us and others. Halsey with an incredible feel and vision for interactive would really push the organization forward.

I did find some additional pictures from the pilots, I will sprinkle them in over the next couple of newsletters. In this release, I have a pretty long interview with Fred Sotherland. Fred who was the design force for early CNET. Force is the correct word. He was visionary, opinionated, at times unbending, and a force of nature. His background was graphic design for television, but he would then transition into web design. His talent and design was critical to our early success in a world where we did not have millions of dollars for advertising as later dot coms would.

Shelby and Fred Sotherland as the set is being built at 150 Chestnut in early 1994.

Here are my interviews with Fred. Please give these a watch:

Some pictures from the pilots.

The CNET redball before the logo was added.

Halsey Minor.

Bettina Cisneros.

Kevin leading a production meeting with Fred and Rick Brown. Not sure who is at end of the table.

Howard Bolter.

Kevin, Fred and Frank. Someone will have to help me with other two.

Bonus. When you have time on your hands, a production team and nothing to do, why not create a direct-to-consumer VHS to sell? I introduce to you, the The Ultimate Internet Tour:

This will introduce Richard Hart for the first time who was working with Dan Sexton on a Discovery show called the Next Step. Both would later join and become core folks in our TV operation and history of the company.

This video gives you a pretty good view of early Internet. Remember this was the summer of 1994. This slightly older version and cover the our launch on TV and the launch of cnet.com.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and are glad, like me, to see 2020 go and welcome in a new year.

Shelby