More ducks in the pond. There is a lot of money to be made in this market.:
Gay.com Debuts Live Online Radio Channel
Alliance with GAYBC Radio Network Adds New Media Property to Gay/Lesbian Marketing Powerhouse
SAN FRANCISCO, September 13, 1999 -- In a move that blurs the lines between online and offline media, and further establishes #1 ranked Gay.com as a marketing powerhouse for the gay and lesbian community, Gay.com today announced that it has entered into a long-term partnership with the GAYBC Radio Network, the pioneer in global webcasting for the LGBT community, to co-develop and distribute live and on-demand radio programs for the Gay.com member community.
GAYBC's 24x7 schedule of live talk shows, music programs and hourly news updates highlight the initial Gay.com Radio programming. Gay.com Radio programs will be archived through the site's Rainbow Query Directory Service. The Daily Dose, a five-minute news report co-produced by GAYBC and The Advocate, the leading gay and lesbian newsmagazine, is accessible to Gay.com listeners on-demand. Hangin'OUT, a two-hour interviews-and-issues talk show hosted by John McMullen, will give Gay.com Radio listeners the opportunity to interact with newsmakers, celebrities, authors, activists and other people each weekday. TraQz, hosted by Charlie Dyer, is the only daily music broadcast in the world specifically focusing on LGBT artists.
With GAYBC, Gay.com will offer users a front-row seat at many major offline events, including awards shows, civil rights events, and concerts. For example, special daily broadcasts will occur live from the Gay.com Unity 2000 media room during the Millennium March on Washington, to be held in April 2000.
The GAYBC deal extends the company's reach into new Web site-complementary and offline channels. The programs, found online at the Gay.com Network Web sites, are also available for syndication to other Web sites. The company is also exploring several traditional broadcast radio syndication opportunities that will provide Gay.com public service programming to radio stations around the United States.
"By offering its users a fuller rich-content multimedia experience, where they can listen to Gay.com Radio broadcasts while Web surfing or chatting, the Gay.com Network reinforces its industry-leading site stickiness," said John McMullen, president of Stellar Networks, Inc., GAYBC's parent company.
The June 1999 Media Metrix Audience Measurement Web Usage Report indicates that Gay.com is the leading online community site -- surpassing such well-known properties as iVillage and women.com -- with members who visit the site more frequently, spend more time on the site, and review more pages than visitors to other online communities. As a result, advertisers have a much better-than-average chance of their ads being seen by Gay.com visitors than by other online community visitors.
"As advanced technology and high speed interactive access become more accessible, the demand for a richer multimedia experience must be met. Gay.com Radio is our first step to provide this experience, and we look forward to adding other new services, such as video programming, in the near future," said Mark Elderkin, president Online Partners.com, Inc., Gay.com's parent company.
About Stellar Networks, Inc. and GAYBC Radio Network
Stellar Networks, Inc., operates Internet radio broadcast networks serving niche audiences. The flagship service, GAYBC Radio Network, is the pioneering leader in global live and on-demand Internet radio programming for the gay and lesbian market. GAYBC Radio Network programming is broadcast exclusively using RealNetworks' RealAudio technology. The company is based in Seattle, Washington. GAYBC Radio maintains strategic relationships with Gay.com, onQ (AOL), and The Advocate.
About Online Partners and Gay.com
Online Partners develops and manages niche-oriented online communities with significant e-commerce potential. Its first global property - the Gay.com Network - is the leading online community serving gays and lesbians, hosting over 3.5 million hours of connection time each month -- 100 times greater usage than its nearest competitor -- with over 7 million visits each month. Online Partners is based in San Francisco, with offices in New York and Los Angeles.
The Gay.com Network includes Gay.com, Gay.net and onQ on AOL. It provides a mix of online and offline products and services to consumers and advertisers. In support of this, the Gay.com Network has forged partnerships with Internet leaders such as AOL, CommTouch, DoubleClick, and Volano; and leading gay content providers, including The Advocate, Girlfriends magazine, Rainbow Query, Hero, Genre, Lesbian News, GAYBC Radio Network, Ferrari Travel and over 70 influential gay and lesbian newspapers worldwide.
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Gay.com and Gay.com Network are trademarks of Online Partners. All other trademarks belong to their respective companies.
Contacts:
John Finco
Director of Marketing Stuart McFaul
President
Online Partners.com, Inc. Spiralgroup Marketing Public Relations
1-415-252-6700 x222
fax 1-415-252-6738 1-415-227-9747
fax 1-415-227-9755
John@onlinepartners.com StuartM@Spiralgroup.com |
