News Corp buys up Aussie parenting sites

News Corporation's Australian division has acquired a series of parenting and child-related blog sites headed by Kidspot . The company is thought to have paid AU$45m (£29.7m) for the popular network, which also includes Birth.com.au, Kidspot.co.nz, The Spot, SheSpot, Mums Say and Baby and Kids Market/ The online start-up was launched by Katie May six years ago for a mere AU$30,000 (£19,800). She is now understood to own around 30% of the business. News Limited chief John Hartigan described the acquisition as a transformational deal that "makes us the leading player in the highly valuable online parenting market. "The fact that Kidspot alone accounts for around 10% of the total online FMCG advertising market... shows the strength and potential of the business." Source: News Digital Media