CNET purchases EDventure Holdings and WGR Media.

CNET Networks (San Francisco, CA) has acquired EDventure Holdings (New York) from founder Esther Dyson and company management for cash and stock. EDventure was represented in the deal by Jordan, Edmiston Group (New York).

Established by Dyson in 1978, EDventure produces the subscription-based Release 1.0 newsletter and the annual PC Forum conference that began in Arizona the Sunday after the deal was announced (March 21). Dyson and associate Daphne Kis will both join CNET. CNET said that through EDventure's "long-established and carefully maintained network of global, corporate, Wall Street" and government leaders, the deal allows CNET to "deepen its ties with C-level and IT executive audiences and establish new entry points into financial, political and technology start-up audiences."

In related news, CNET has signed an agreement to acquire WGR Media (Cambridge, MA), its Wireless Gaming Review web site (wgamer.com) and related services in a cash deal. Wireless Gaming Review provides editorial reviews, previews and commentary to mobile gamers and will be integrated into CNET's GameSpot family of web site. WGR Media also produces the Wireless Content Tracking Service, a product that monitors the availability and pricing of mobile content offerings across multiple categories, and Mobile Entertainment Analyst (mobenta.com), a unit that offers mobile entertainment strategy and consulting services.