Beleaguered network CBS has announced a wide swathe of interactive products to establish an online presence, according to the company's official press releases. Still smarting from a bad press week due to the egregious remarks of a certain now fired CBS on-air personality, the network is looking for all the silver linings it can scrape up. Thus, like sister (previously parent, possibly future mate?) company Viacom, CBS is partnering with Joost to bring full-length episodes of CBS series to web viewers. Currently still in beta, Joost offers consumers an ad-supported option to view content from its partners. The roster of shows slated for availability include the members of the CSI franchise, NCIS, NUMB3RS, and Survivor, with other products to join soon.

CBS also intends to bring content to the web via AOL's new video service and Microsoft's MSN Video. TV.Com will build a site specifically geared toward forming an official community for CSI fans. (No word on the hundreds of unofficial communities already out there.) Via a new partnership with Comcast, the upcoming Fancast site will also provide in-depth content for CBS shows.

"Today marks an important step in our strategy to distribute content broadly across the online interactive landscape on an open, non-exclusive basis," said CBS President and CEO Leslie Moonves. "Each of these partners offers value to our audience and our advertisers, who can now come to CBS not only for the most watched network on television, but for the most widely distributed professional content online."

It's certainly an ambitous step for CBS. Whether anyone even notices in the midst of the current hailstorm is another story.

(Source: PR Newswire)