BringMeTheNews Raises $3 Million

MINNEAPOLIS, July 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BringMeTheNews (BMTN) has raised $3 million in capital from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC), which has been a sponsor of the pioneering online broadcast news curator for nearly two years. 

"There's a lot to be proud of with the tremendous growth we've seen in BMTN in just three years," said Rick Kupchella, founder of BMTN. "We've grown to nearly 20 employees, including some of the biggest names in journalism in this state, and we've seen our broadcast product recognized every year as the #1 radio newscast in the state by our peers. The fact that it's a long-time client of ours seeing such value in what we do, speaks volumes. We have aggressive plans for growth in the next couple of years."

The $3 million investment will allow BMTN to further enhance the user experience of the site to improve the speed and relevance of the content delivered. In addition, BMTN will add additional staff including the company's first Chief Operating Officer, and continue its expansion plans in the state as well as into additional markets. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community will be a minority investor in BMTN.

"As investors, when we look at BringMeTheNews, we see the face of 21st century media," said Stanley R. Crooks, chairman of the Mdewakanton Sioux Community. "It's local, social and mobile. It's highly useful for readers and highly effective for sponsors. We also look forward to generating more awareness about the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community – both our history and traditions and our efforts to apply those traditions today through our philanthropy and environmental initiatives. It is clear to us this news site and radio network resonate with the public and that improves our ability to generate awareness about our Community." 

BMTN is a digital news delivery system for the general public and other news organizations throughout Minnesota. Producers curate the top stories from hundreds of sources – creating narrative collections of news around single topics. Those collections are pushed out on BringMeTheNews.com, and through a digital network (including KFAN.com and mspmag.com), social media and broadcast radio. The BringMeTheNews Radio Network has been judged by the Society of Professional Journalists as the #1 radio newscast in the state – each year since its existence. BMTN radio programming reaches nearly one million listeners each week on 36 stations covering virtually all of Minnesota.  

BMTN recently added longtime WCCO-TV anchor Don Shelby to its team as an on-air personality. In addition to Shelby and Kupchella, the BMTN team of on-air personalities includes former KARE-11 news anchor Amy Hockert, KARE-11 sports anchor Eric Perkins and former MPR reporters Art Hughes and William Wilcoxen. Joining these veteran journalists are a team of BMTN content curators who sift, edit and gather local news from hundreds of online sources and distribute it through a network of online and social media sites.

For more information, go to http://www.bringmethenews.com/2012/07/27/growing-on-a-great-foundation/

About BringMeTheNews

Founded in September 2009 by longtime newsman Rick Kupchella, the BringMeTheNews team of journalists gathers and provides news from hundreds of sources and delivers it through many platforms including Bring.MN, dozens of local digital media partners (i.e. KFAN and mspmag.com), through social media, and by way of several dozen radio stations across the state. BringMeTheNews is sponsored by OptumHealth, The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Children's Hospitals, Explore Minnesota, Twin Metals and Flint Hills Resources. For more information go to http://www.bringmethenews.com/.

SOURCE BringMeTheNews