Harris Publishing Systems Corp. (HPSC) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Baseview Products Inc. of Ann Arbor, Mich., will become the newspaper/new media division of MediaSpan, which also owns KOZ Inc. of Raleigh and NextAudio Inc. of Durham, N.C.

MediaSpan is owned by a group of venture capital firms, including Southeast Interactive Technology Funds of Research Triangle Park, N.C. Harris Corp. will retain a minority interest in HPSC and will continue its technology-sharing relationship with the company.

Briggs Kilborne, formerly HPSC's executive in charge of business development, marketing and corporate strategy, will become president of MediaSpan's newspaper/new media division. Kilborne will report to MediaSpan's chief executive officer, Steve Vetter, who is the former ABC Consumer Magazine Division executive who joined KOZ last April.

John MacEwen, formerly vice president of sales for HPSC, will oversee the day-to-day operations of Baseview in Ann Arbor.

A Harris spokesman told the Melbourne daily FLORIDA TODAY that HPSC employees were told about two years ago that the newspaper systems operation would be sold.