News Inkubator was an initiative to create a shared network of backend services for independent media, including legal, accounting, sales and other administrative tasks.
The project was developed by Technical.ly Philly cofounders Sean Blanda, Brian Kirk and Christopher Wink in summer 2009. The early concept aimed to grow into a shared newsroom for Philadelphia niche news media and include offerings like an advertising network. Various stakeholder meetings were held but no shared revenue was developed.
The original fall 2009 grant application for the Knight News Challenge can be found here.
Find additional writing about it here, including this early overview and a mention of its influence by Philadelphia magazine here.