NBC's cash-strapped 'Breaking News' app & social media feeds to shut down this week

NBC is pulling the plug on its Breaking News service that feeds the eponymous iOS app on Dec. 31, and is leaving 9.5 million followers on Twitter in the dark as well.

On Dec. 8, NBC announced plans to cease all operations of the news aggregator that employed 20 people in Chicago, New York, London, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

"We're true believers of news that isn't designed for clicks, but a service that helps people and companies make smarter, safer decisions." said the service's co-founder and General Manager Cory Bergman. "As we discovered, such a model doesn't fit with advertising, and despite a surge of interest in our premium data, the money has run out."

NBC says that the staff will remain at the company until the end of January, if no work is found for them elsewhere within the company.

"Despite its consumer appeal, Breaking News has not been able to generate enough revenue to sustain itself," wrote Nick Ascheim, senior vice president of digital for NBC News in a memo to staff announcing the shutdown. "We have therefore made the hard decision to close its operations so that we can re-invest that funding into NBC News' core digital products."

Ascheim claims that NBC will attempt to incorporate the best of Breaking News' features into other NBC News products. To date, the inclusion does not appear to have happened.

The Breaking News service was founded in 2007, utilizing nascent social media venues to discover, confirm, and spread emergent news situations. It originally relied on tips from over 300 news organizations, and claims to drive around 200,000 clicks a day on links it publishes.

NBC ultimately picked up the service and domain, with completion of the deal in 2010 for an undisclosed sum.

The iOS app was last updated on Dec. 9. Recent review of the app mourn the impending loss of the service, citing its prompt identification of issues of global concern, with no editorializing.