By: Staff reports KnightRidder.com Adds Streaming Music To Network
KnightRidder.com Wednesday added its Real Cities network to the
growing list of newspaper Web sites that want to take advantage
of Everstream's combination of streamed content - music, news,
or video - with targeted advertising.
The Real Cities network, made up of 36 regional hubs and integrated
online newspapers, can now provide not only music, but streaming
audio news as well. Everstream's affiliates, now totaling more
than 160 online publishers, will be responsible for creating their
own audio news that can later be distributed on Everstream's
platform.
No affiliates are yet live with the streaming audio news feature,
but three sites currently working on it are StarTribune.com,
AZCentral.com, and Black World Today, a special-interest portal.
In response, newspapers are adding recording studies for both
video and audio content to meet the demand for multimedia.
As for streaming video, it will be anywhere from three to nine
months before affiliates will be able to add that feature to their
sites. ?Our systems are ready for it, but it eats up a lot of
bandwidth,? says Stephen McHale, president and CEO of
Everstream.com. Once broadband appears, ?video will be full guns,?
McHale says.
Cleveland-based Everstream currently features streaming music
channels - such as rock, R&B, country, jazz - combined with
targeted advertising according to demographic groups and
geographic regions. Personalization of the audio channels will
be offered to users.
Audio commercials delivered by Everstream are accompanied by a
visual advertisement that links to the advertiser's Web site.
Ads can also be targeted according to the audience's musical
tastes.
?The ability to deliver localized content with synchronized,
interactive direct-response advertising is valuable to us,? said
Dan Finnigan, president of KnightRidder.com. ?Everstream's services
enable us to venture into streaming media and add another new
source of revenue. We searched for a streaming music and news
service for our users, and Everstream's quality of service, vision,
and business proposition stood out.?
Everstream has targeted online newspapers as its primary market and
more than 160 newspapers have signed up for its service.
Related story:
TUNE IN TO NEW REVENUES (12/01/99)
Stories from elsewhere:
Cleveland Plain Dealer's story on Everstream
Newsbytes story on Everstream
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