While CNN is still one of the major names to conjure with when it comes to television news, even they are starting to catch on that the future of news isn't just television. Ignoring the digital component—especially the mobile component—is a recipe for obsolescence, and thus, something that needs to be addressed. CNN is taking the lead on this one, embarking on a new project that will end in a major digital revamping for CNN's Web operations.

At last report, the project was set to cost $15 million over the course of this year, and will revamp a website that was last updated in 2009. The new website will be darker, and more streamlined, with the left-hand link column pulled in favor to one big story above the fold. Colors will change according to the perceived relevance of the story in question, with less urgent stories getting darker colors, and colors like bright red going to big stories like the events at the Boston Marathon recently.

Underneath that big news story is a set of beige boxes, much in the style of Pinterest, which will offer lists of stories with headlines, thumbnails, and a little more. Video clips will be used regularly, and can even be watched on that main page. It's being compared at least somewhat to the front page on The Huffington Post (News - Alert), and has some valid points of comparison in there.

Of course, some might wonder why a site that got 42 million unique viewers in the last month in the United States alone—according to figures from the network—would want to make changes in the first place. A presentation from CNN President Jeff Zucker and senior vice president and general manager of CNN.com, KC Estenson, made the case rather clear. While the numbers are substantial right now, the presentation showed, the numbers may not stay so for much longer. “Desktop (traffic) is flat. It's aging. Mobile growth is off the chart,” said Estenson in the presentation.

What's more, the growth is clearly showing in CNN's own numbers. Mobile Web traffic is up 46 percent over the same time last year, and CNN's apps are up 70 percent. Mobile now represents over a third—39 percent—of all of CNN.com's traffic. But CNN's plan looks to solve much of these issues by offering an experience that tailors itself to the current screen viewing same. A desktop viewing CNN.com will see something different from a mobile device, and both will be able to enjoy and easily work with the experience.

There's also some work going on to the back end, with a new API that allows for multiple platform publication simultaneously, as well as what's called a “robust tagging system” that allows for content to better go where it should without a lot of what's described as “human interference.” The site will stay in private beta until September 30, and November should see the fullest range of changes go into effect.

CNN is making some clear moves here, taking into account the size and complexity of its audience and working to preserve that audience in the face of a lot of competition from a variety of news sources. It's a smart idea from the company, and one that should likely keep CNN near the top of the market when it comes to getting access to news. It's never a bad idea to serve up what the audience wants in the manner that it wants it, and CNN is likely to prove that out here.