iCAST Partners With RioPort for Digital Download Solutions; RioPort to Deliver Downloadable Audio Music, Spoken Word and Custom Branded Software Tools to icast.com

Business Wire, Feb 29, 2000

Business Editors

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 29, 2000

RioPort Inc., a pioneer in the digital audio download market, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive agreement with iCAST, an online entertainment and majority-owned operating company of CMGI Inc., (Nasdaq:CMGI), to provide RioPort's digital audio download service and technology infrastructure to the icast.com entertainment destination site.

Under the agreement, RioPort will also aggregate downloadable digital content, including MP3s, from a broad range of major and independent record labels and compelling spoken word content from third parties for secure distribution through icast.com.

The iCAST-branded site will join RioPort's network of digital audio download destinations powered by RioPort. icast.com will feature music and movie channels and consist of a variety of multimedia content. It will offer members broadcasting tools and services, personalization and community features and in-depth entertainment news, features, reviews and interviews.

J.D. Heilprin, executive vice president and general manager at RioPort, said, "We are excited to provide iCAST with the full range of our service platform, technology and content and program partnerships as well as adding icast.com to our network. We expect this relationship to further accelerate our momentum in providing consumers with quality content through RioPort's extensive distribution network."

Margaret Heffernan, president and COO at iCAST, said, "Our relationship with RioPort allows us to offer a wide variety of digital content to our members. RioPort's service and technology complements our commitment to providing high-quality downloadable content and best-in-class services."

RioPort will work closely with iCAST to expand their relationship by implementing RioPort's security and digital rights management (DRM) technology for downloading in a secure SDMI-compliant environment.

iCAST

iCAST (www.icast.com) is a multi-media rich, online entertainment company that champions self-publishing within a personalized, community oriented environment. iCAST.com will empower individuals with the tools to create, customize and share their personal entertainment passions. It will offer original, user-generated and syndicated audio and video content, entertainment news, features and interviews, live and archived events, and more. iCAST and the iCASTER, its downloadable media player, use Microsoft's Windows Media as its preferred streaming media format.

RioPort, Inc.

RioPort, Inc. is redefining digital audio by delivering an integrated, secure platform for acquiring, managing and experiencing digital media programming from the Internet. A pioneer in the digital audio market, RioPort partners with companies to provide them with an easy-to-use platform that includes access to a wide range of digital audio content, customizable software solutions and device design services. The RioPort Audio Manager is an easy-to-use software application for the acquisition, management and playback of digital audio content from desktop PCs or RioPort compatible portable appliances. The company licenses its RioPort Audio Manager to third-parties and also provides content companies with production services, including encoding and secure packaging, allowing them to easily get their content into the hands of digital media enthusiasts. RioPort's investment partners include Vulcan Ventures, Oak Investment Partners, MTVi Group and S3, Inc. RioPort is based in San Jose, Calif., with offices in Los Angeles and Loveland, Colo., and located online at www.rioport.com.