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Technology Stocks : America On-Line (AOL) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Steve Robinett who wrote (32762)	10/18/1999 10:35:00 AM
From: Jim Lamb	Respond to of 41369

AOL's Digital City Announces Expansion Plans to Reach More Than 200 Cities Nationwide AOL's Digital City Strengthens Lead as no. 1 Local Content Network and Expands Entertainment Offerings VIENNA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 18, 1999-- AOL's Digital City, the Nation's leading Local Content Network, today announced plans to dramatically expand its local content offerings. In an effort to bring Digital City's award-winning and timesaving local products and services to the hometowns of virtually everyone online in the United States, Digital City will expand from 60 cities to more than 200 cities in Spring of 2000. There are indications that the Internet is increasingly becoming a key source for local entertainment information. The 1999 America Online/Roper-Starch CyberStudy reports that 54% of users who have been online at least one year check local entertainment offerings online. 200 Markets Nationwide This expansion will make Digital City the leader in the local content arena with the largest National ``footprint' of any local content provider. New Digital City markets will be determined by both population size, and by certain cities' rankings as travel destinations. Each new market will be programmed with a variety of content making each new Digital City site a one-stop destination for local information. The program offerings will include: entertainment, dining and local planning guides; directory services and local informa0tion in key areas such as auto and health; as well as the community and communications content and functions that have made Digital City famous. ``Local is one of the fastest-growing uses of the Internet,' said Ted Leonsis, President of AOL Interactive Properties, which oversees Digital City. ``Our expansion into 200 markets nationwide will bring Digital City's award-winning local content and services to more people than ever before -- helping them save time and get the most out of the communities they live in, visit and are passionate about.' Said Paul DeBenedictis, President of AOL's Digital City, ``Digital City's expansion plans will strengthen our lead as the no. 1 local content provider and position us for continued growth as local online content becomes increasingly important to consumers.' Digital City continues to provide local advertisers with the tools and services they need to market their brands at the regional and local levels. As local online content becomes an increasingly significant part of consumers' daily lives, advertisers are seeing the value and power of Digital City in reaching their target audience. Expanded Entertainment Offerings Digital City has expanded its entertainment offerings across the top 60 markets. The newly expanded Digital City Entertainment Guide features numerous categories and enhanced functionality including: What's Nearby: Now, when a Digital City user reaches information about a specific event or destination, the new ``What's Nearby' feature provides additional helpful information such as nearby restaurants, museums, hotels and more. An easy-to-use mapping feature graphically displays this information. Visitor's Guide: A new feature that makes it easy and convenient for both the business and leisure traveler to plan a city visit. The Visitor's Guide includes: Visitor Essentials -- easy access to area hotels, museums, dining and attractions in the selected city; a ``Quick Find' search for a specific place or event; an event calendar allows users to plan a day or plan their vacation week within a 6 month time frame. Easy-to-use maps and directions are featured throughout the area. Bars & Clubs: Tailored area highlighting frequently updated top picks by Digital City Editors and additional picks from Digital City editorial staffs. The ``Top Clicks' feature lists the venues receiving the most views from consumers while Category and Neighborhood search allow searching for clubs and bars by category and/or neighborhood - Karaoke or Cigar Bar tonight? -- East or West Side? MovieGuide: Digital City offers an enhanced theater database with thousands of theaters and film houses nationwide. The ``My Theater' feature allows users to personalize and preselect their favorite local theaters to get quick movie and showtime information. MovieGuide also features Video movie reviews, a ``Coming Soon' area that previews soon-to-be-released films, and a new consumer 5-star member rating system for all movies and movie theaters. Music: A new Digital City category that highlights regularly updated editors' picks on each city's main music page. A convenient music search lets users search for shows by music genre -- I said Opera not Alternative! By clicking on a music genre, consumers can then search the database for all events scheduled for up to 6 months. Arts & Culture: Digital City allows consumers to browse and search events by categories including: Comedy, Dance, Festivals, Film, Gallery, Lecture/Tour, Museum, Parade, Performance Art, Tasting and Theater. Editorial top picks are regularly featured in each city. Kids and Family: Digital City features an Editors pick, top clicks and more featured ``kid friendly' events in every city. Message boards allow parents and kids to voice their ratings and reviews on events and venues. Sporting Events and Recreation: Combining professional sports with recreational events and places to go for the weekend warrior too, users can search for a pro football game or a soccer tourney in their own neighborhood. About AOL's Digital City, Inc. AOL's Digital City, the nation's leading local content network delivers locally relevant news, community resources, entertainment and commerce in a dynamic and easy-to-use format. The Digital City Network is available on the local channels of America Online, AOL.COM, CompuServe, Netscape's NetCenter, ICQ, MCI WorldCom Internet and DigitalCity.com. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------