KOMO launches 43 hyperlocal sites

It’s been a big week so far for hyperlocal Web journalism; first MSNBC’s acquisition of EveryBlock and now the announcement that Seattle’s KOMO-TV has started 43 sites serving unique neighborhoods and regions in its viewing area.

The interactive sites are branded under the CommunityNameKOMO.com domain structure (such as BallardKOMO.com) and each serve a distinct area of the DMA. An umbrella brand, KOMO Communities, ties the whole network of sites together and into the main KOMONews.com site.

More details and video promo clips after the jump.

The new sites sport a casual and fairly clean design and allow users to comment on articles as well as submit items,  though it’s not clear to what extent the citizen journalism aspect will be taken to. There are also standing columns such as “Rants and Raves” and advice on “real world situations” and legal issues.

In addition, KOMO-TV has created a Twitter account for each of the community sites.

“These sites further integrate KOMO News into the fabric of the neighborhoods of Seattle,” said Fisher Seattle Vice President and General Manager Jim Clayton in a statement. “They will provide KOMO News with an excellent opportunity to build relationships with small local businesses and enhance the timeliness and breadth of our news gathering operations.”

To support its hyperlocal Web sites, KOMO will restructure its Seattle newsroom to effectively and efficiently capture and post community news on a real-time basis. Local stories and breaking news that KOMO reporters cover on a daily basis will be complemented with user generated content, and also with content provided through an innovative partnership with Windermere Real Estate, a company with local knowledge and strong presence in each community.

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The station has also produced several promos to complement the launch of the new sites: