In the digital age the media services of greatest use will be the ones with deep vaults of video. Which is why CNN's new offering of a full wire service ought to be taken seriously by Associated Press.
CNN.com is a well-written site, so extending that effort into a supply of breaking news is clearly viable. Other challenges are a little tougher --- for instance, how to supply newsrooms with contextual and analytical material.
What CNN lacks in bsic text it can secure in part through its vast international bureaus and partly through several vertical relationships in its parent company's print stable. That stable of sources might be the key to the deal and to the attractiveness of taking CNN Wire over other services.
Even though AP and Reuters have successfully moved into video in the last decade, CNN's roster is pretty much unmatched worldwide. Its commentators are name brands (if syndicated on their own, something CNN will need to repatriate to achieve its best success). But overall, AP has to be taking notice in a hurry.
