As other networks scramble to win the minute-by-minute ratings war, Fusion is digging deep.
The network announced Tuesday that it had hired former Gawker senior writer Adam Weinstein to lead its expanded investigative team, which will double from 10 to 20 employees. Fusion will also launch a new investigative series in 2016, which a source at the network said would be similar to "Frontline" on PBS but aimed towards a younger and more diverse audience. Weinstein will report to Keith Summa, head of investigations for the network.
In a memo obtained by The Huffington Post, Fusion CEO Isaac Lee told staff that the investigative unit would create content tailored toward digital platforms.
"The team has been a model for how great reporting can live across TV, digital, and social channels with distinct content on each. In addition to the new series, we will also be taking the team's digital efforts to a new level," Lee wrote.
The investment in the new team signals a larger shift for the network, which seems to be moving away from trying to compete in the 24-hour cable news game and more toward creating long-format investigative work.
Fusion's investigative work has gained recognition in the past. Its documentary "Pimp City: A Journey to the Center of the Sex Trade" received two Emmy nominations this past year. Meanwhile, a Gawker post in June said that based on internal traffic metrics, few people were reading the site in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon.
Correction: A previous version of this story said Fusion is struggling in the cable news ratings. The company is not tracked by Nielsen.