By Chelsea Stevenson NBC News is now the sole owner and operator of MSNBC Digital Network, after acquiring Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) 50% share in the joint venture. The venture, formed in 1996, includes msnbc.com, today.com and nightlynews.com, among other websites. Microsoft plans to launch its own online news service. The transition immediately turned msnbc.com into NBCnews.com, which will continue to provide users with news and information from the network's journalists, editors and producers. MSNBC TV will launch a new digital home next year, as an extension to the MSNBC on-air television brand. MSNBC will become fully incorporated into NBC's New York headquarters to create unified multiplatform teams, while NBC news will continue its presence in the Seattle, Wash., area, creating the NBC News Innovation Center. "This deal represents so many opportunities for NBC News, including the ability to better align television with digital, innovate around how we deliver content to consumers and fully integrate digital into everything we do" said Vivian Schiller, senior vice president of NBC News. Write to Chelsea Stevenson at chelsea.stevenson@dowjones.com
