Real Cities Network Deploys Streaming Digital Music And News

Market Wire, 20050229

KnightRidder.com, a leader in interactive information and creator of the Real Cities network, and everstream, a global leader in interactive, localized streaming media, announced today that everstream will provide streaming music, news and entertainment to KnightRidder.com's Real Cities national Web network of 36 regional hubs and integrated online newspapers.

Through the everstream service, visitors to Real Cities will have free access to everstream's rich media services (audio news and music today, and soon, streaming video capabilities), and advertisers will gain entree to specifically targeted audiences. The agreement combines KnightRidder.com's strength in Internet publishing with everstream's interactive abilities.

"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."

The everstream service features a growing array of music channels, including current hits, rock, R&B/hip-hop, country, jazz, alternative, classical, Christian and oldies, which enables advertisers to target specific demographic groups and geographic regions. Once a selection is made, the audio plays continuously while the computer user is free to visit other parts of a site, go to other sites, or work in other applications.

everstream's service creates a locally branded tuner with multiple music channels that is available to Real Cities Web users. The tuner carries audio commercials that are synchronized with a visual advertisement that will link to an advertiser's Web site. Through the wide variety of music formats, advertisements can be targeted to specific audiences and/or regions. Advertisements are sold both locally and nationally, and everstream's locally 'architected' systems greatly improve traditional demographic targeting mechanisms.

everstream brings KnightRidder.com an ability not available from any other service to deliver local- market content in advertisements that are synchronized with direct-response links to advertisers' Web sites, or other locations. That connection - local appeal with instant ordering capability and guaranteed targeted audio with visual messaging - are the key components that enable newspaper Web sites to compete for advertising that traditionally goes to broadcast outlets.

"This agreement represents a major deployment to Real Cities' extensive market reach," said Stephen McHale, everstream president. "everstream gives KnightRidder.com the opportunity to capture a greater share of local broadcast dollars and offer current advertisers additional interactive products. Online publishers are recognizing that future information distribution will be streamed. By partnering with us, Real Cities is now able to offer content in an interactive manner. As we continue to expand, so will revenue opportunities for our partners."

About KnightRidder.com and Real Cities:

KnightRidder.com, a leader in interactive information, is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., the heart of Silicon Valley. KnightRidder.com operates and manages the emerging network RealCities.com. Real Cities, a national network of 36 regional information hubs, offers a variety of online services covering news, classified ads, entertainment, shopping, search, community publishing, Internet access, and archives. Real Cities partners include some of the nation's leading media companies including Belo Corporation, Central Newspapers, E.W. Scripps Co., and Macromedia, Inc. Among its member Web sites are: BayArea.com, DFW.com, Indy.com, KansasCity.com, Kentucky.com, Miami.com, Ohio.com, Philly.com and TwinCities.com. KnightRidder.com is an independent business unit of Knight Ridder (NYSE: KRI), the second largest newspaper publisher in the United States.

About everstream:

Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, everstream is a global leader in providing highly personalized -- and localized -- interactive digital streaming media. By partnering with newspaper publishers' Web sites, the company furnishes profitable, tailored solutions for incremental revenue and delivers extensive cobranding opportunities. With more than 160 newspaper and publishing affiliates internationally, everstream boasts one of the largest digital streaming networks in the world. The company's customized, cutting-edge Internet model, powered by proven experience in e- technology, broadband deployment and the radio industry, uniquely positions everstream to help make online newspaper sites the "info-tainment" destinations of choice now, and in the future.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT everstream or Real Cities VISIT:

www.everstream.com, www.realcities.com