SpotTaxi.com and Lightningcast Form Strategic Alliance; Alliance Will Streamline and Integrate Internet Radio Advertising Systems

Business Wire, Sept 20, 2000

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 20, 2000

Central Media, Inc. (CMI), owner and operator of SpotTaxi.com, the first Internet radio spot trafficking system, and Lightningcast, Inc., a company that inserts ads into streaming media, announce a strategic alliance to integrate radio technologies.

This alliance will enable advertising agencies to seamlessly traffic and place ads in the Lightningcast affiliate network.

This integration will enable advertisers to upload ads at the studio, whereby the Traffic Manger will distribute ads to Lightningcast and traditional radio stations. Additionally, the ads will arrive on the desktop of the Lightningcast Traffic Manager in the preferred format -- digital audio.

The alliance between Lightningcast and SpotTaxi.com also includes a plan to integrate radio-advertising systems. This will enable the SpotTaxi.com-delivered audio file and traffic instructions to automatically be placed into the Lightningcast ad scheduling system. This will ready the advertisement for automatic insertion in Lightningcast's affiliate network.

"As the Internet radio industry emerges, so does the necessity for improved ad trafficking. Fed Ex and old, legacy spot distribution systems are simply too slow and cumbersome for the new medium," said Vince Werner, vice president of Product Strategy at CMI. "The alliance of SpotTaxi.com and Lightningcast enables ads to air on the Lightningcast network within minutes of the time they're trafficked, rather than days."

"This alliance will have an incredible impact on the advertising industry," commented Tom DesJardins, CEO/CTO of Lightningcast. "It also clearly positions us as a `technological advocate' for advertisers. We are focused on developing unparalleled technology on their behalf. Our mission is to ensure that ads reach the right person, in the right place at the right time."

SpotTaxi.com will begin trafficking spots to Lightningcast in October 2000. Since its national launch at NAB2000 in April, SpotTaxi.com has converted over 1000 U.S. radio stations and hundreds of advertising agencies and production studios to its online spot distribution and management system.

Advertising agency customers include offices of nationally known agencies such as Publicis, DDB, McCann Ericson, Wong Doody and others.

Over the past year, Lightningcast has sealed partnerships with 2000radio.com, a traditional radio station that operates entirely on the Internet; CyberRadio2000.com, an interactive broadcasting network; DiscJockey.com, a leading Internet broadcaster of originally programmed audio entertainment; E-RadioLive, an Internet-only contemporary music radio station; and Morfeo.com, the Internet's first Latin radio network.

Through the Lightningcast affiliate network, these webcasters can generate additional revenue using the company's ad-insertion technology, and they are exposed to new global audiences, which was a previous impossibility for terrestrial broadcasters. Lightningcast also exposes advertisers to key audiences using profiling techniques based on behavior, geography and demography.

This approach is ultimately more effective for the advertiser because the right ad gets to the right person at the right time.

About Lightningcast

Lightningcast, Inc., a first-to-market leader, inserts ads into streaming media. Its technology meets the needs of webcasters, online publishers and advertisers. Affiliate network partners include 2000Radio.com, ChoiceRadio.com, CyberRadio2000.com, DiscJockey.com, E-RadioLive, Golfvision.com, Kundi.com, Morfeo.com and TradeMentor.

Headquartered in Northern Virginia, Lightningcast is a privately held corporation with approximately 70 employees. Offices are also located in New York and Atlanta. The company's founders include Tom Des Jardins, CEO/CTO, Jayne Johnson, vice president of engineering, and Scott Berg, vice president of operations.

About SpotTaxi.com

SpotTaxi.com is a service of CMI. Based in Seattle, Washington, CMI is committed to offering breakthrough, Internet-based services to radio, advertising and production industries.

The company was founded in January 1999 and has received financing from private investors and The Ackerley Group, Inc. (NYSE:AK).

CMI's board of directors includes Bill Ackerley, CEO for Horizon Broadcasting Group; Chris Ackerley, co-president for The Ackerley Group; Denis Curley, co-president and COO for The Ackerley Group; Russell Daggatt, vice chairman for Teledesic; and Ron Elgin, president and CEO for DDB Seattle.

SpotTaxi.com replaces current electronic and physical means of radio spot distribution with a faster, fully integrated and cost-efficient method, based on Internet technology. It launched nationally at the NAB Convention in April 2000.