WebProNews

The thought of Clear Channel Communications, all by its gigantic self, is enough to trouble some people.  The thought of Clear Channel teaming up with Google is even more worrisome.  Luckily, although the two have now formed a partnership, it’s a weak sort of deal at worst.

Inergize Digital Media, which is the interactive Web services arm of Clear Channel Television, will work with Google Apps in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Viewers of KOKI-TV Fox23 will be encouraged to get personalized email addresses and homepages, and use Google’s products.  That’s it.  That’s all.  For now, anyway.

Such a small deal between such huge corporations can’t end there, of course.  An official release proudly notes, “This partnership makes Inergize the first media company in the U.S. to offer the Google Apps service,” and unless something goes wildly wrong with this test (which is what the limited agreement must be), an expansion should take place sooner or later.  Other geographic markets might become involved, or Clear Channel Communications (as opposed to Clear Channel Television) could step in.

Still, for the time being, there’s nothing to get too alarmed about.  And for Google’s investors, the development may even be an encouraging piece of news.