YS Online is the youth channel of phistar.com, the mega-portal for the Filipino global community. Although YS Online is a new channel of philstar.com, its origins actually date way back to 1996, when Philippine STAR lifestyle editor Millet Mananquil first introduced the Young Star section in the daily. Recognizing the need to address the issues and interests occupying the youth, Mananquil gathered a pool of young and dynamic writers to speak freely about their thoughts and opinions, in the language they were used to. And it worked. Eventually, other newspapers took the same path, but the Philippine STAR pioneered it all.
Tonight, philstar.com will prove that, like its sister company The Philippine STAR, it, too, knows how to grab onto a good idea and make it work. YS Online is different from other youth-centered web sites. It shares in the energy and diversity of the young, offering rich content coming from various sources. Naturally, the major content provider is the channel’s mother section, itself, Young Star. YS Online features the same prominent columnists and close-to-home articles as its broadsheet edition. The youth channel is also partnered with Teen Philippines, the newest youth magazine in town. It is a franchise of the popular youth-read magazine in the US, covering everything from fashion to celebrities, well-being to love.
Another partner of YS Online is Odyssey Records, the Philippine’s number one music and entertainment store. Odyssey provides YS Online with music content through Odyssey Planet.com, its new world-wide web site. OdysseyPlanet.com offers all of the hits and deep catalog selections Odyssey is known for. The site is a complete music portal offering the widest selection of Filipino music, video and karaoke titles for worldwide delivery. The site also includes various features such as music news, music reviews, donwloadable posters, music clips, chats with musical artists and a gimmick guide.
YS Online also recently partnered with Localvibe.com to be its exclusive guide to the metropolis. Localvibe.com is the first web site of its kind in the country, delivering the most comprehensive information about Manila in the most innovative medium to date – the Internet. Combining an online City Guide and Magazine, localvibe.com will change the way Manileños see their city. Providing the most complete information about restaurants, bars, movie schedules, museums and local events, Localvibe.com gives YS Online viewers new ideas on how to enjoy the city through the convenience of their personal computers.
YS Online features six key channels: Celebs, where the most happening and up-an-coming stars both here and abroad are probed; Gimmicks, for coverage of Manila’s party scene from rave parties to art exhibits; Pop Culture, featuring book, movie, and stage play reviews; Fashion, where one can check out the latest in style; Music, offering chart toppers, CD reviews and profiles on today’s hottest performers; and Love and Relationships, giving advice and tips on dealing with heartbreaks and other sticky situations.
Aside from these, YS Online also has its own chat room where youngsters network with their peers to talk about salient issues affecting their age group. YS Online also has a huge archive of photos, music rankings, online polls and much, much more.
So, join philstar.com as it celebrates the birth of its newest and youngest star – YS Online! Visit the new site and check out the new look at www.philstar.com.