Technology >> CEO Interviews >> April 1, 1998
GEORGE BELL, 41, is President and CEO of Excite, Inc., a Redwood City,
Calif.-based Internet media company offering the first free online
service on the Web. Excite offers consumers topic-based channels of
content, free community-building services such as e-mail and instant
messaging, and a secure environment for electronic-commerce. Mr. Bell
joined Excite in January 1996. Since his arrival, the Company closed a
round of strategic financing with Tribune Company, America Online, Inc.,
CUC Investments Inc., and Itochu Corp., went public on April 4, 1996
(NASDAQ; XCIT), acquired the Magellan Internet Guide, Go Media, Kirkwood
Interactive, the WebCrawler search and directory service, Netbot, Inc.,
and signed a long-term distribution agreement with America Online, Inc.
In addition, the Company has launched its services in five European
countries, Australia, as well as a joint venture service with Itochu in
Japan. Excite's flagship brands Excite.com and WebCrawler attract over
two million visitors per day. The services are ad-supported and free to
consumers. From 1991-1995, Mr. Bell was Senior Vice President of Times
Mirror Magazines, publisher of special-interest magazines with a total
combined monthly circulation of over 9,000,000. At various times, he
held direct operating responsibility for Field & Stream, SKI, Skiing
Trade News, Trans World SNOWboarding, Snowboard Life, Salt Water
Sportsman and Yachting magazines, as well as the company's multimedia
efforts. In 1992, Mr. Bell developed the multimedia department, and was
responsible for all television, CD-ROM, online and other new media
development. Mr. Bell was instrumental in the 1995 launch of the Outdoor
Life Network, a special interest cable channel reaching 6 million homes.
Prior to joining Times Mirror Magazines in 1991, Mr. Bell was a producer
and writer of conversation and adventure documentaries for clients such
as ABC, CBS, National Geographic and the Discovery Channel. From
1985-1990, Mr. Bell independently packaged specials that focused on
environmental issues and vanishing cultures around the world. He has won
four national Emmy Awards. From 1980-1985, he was head writer and
producer of ABC's 'American Sportsman' series, and head writer for ABC's
coverage of the 1984 Olympics. Altogether, Mr. Bell has produced films
in over 40 countries, from Mt. Everest to Africa's Ituri rainforest, and
written multi-part series for magazines and periodicals such as The Los
Angeles Times. Mr. Bell received his BA from Harvard in 1980. He serves
on the Executive Committee of the National Forest Foundation, and lives
in Menlo Park, Calif. with his wife Carrie and their three sons. Profile
positioned now?
Mr. Bell: Sure. Excite came to life as a search engine, roughly 97
percent of all of our traffic came
