REDMOND, Wash., March 18, 1999 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that Microsoft® Internet Explorer 5 customers now have the easiest access to Internet radio stations from around the world through the new Windows® Radio toolbar. Integrated directly into Internet Explorer 5 browser software and based on the popular Windows Media Technologies, the Windows Radio toolbar provides seamless access to the most popular audio content on the Internet with a single click and allows users to browse the Web while listening to streaming audio within the browser.
More than 300 radio stations worldwide are available today for use with the new Windows Radio toolbar feature. In the United States, users of Internet Explorer 5 in 16 of the 20 largest cities can enjoy a local radio station via the Windows Radio toolbar - with many more local and Internet stations on the way. Some of the premier Internet stations available today online include the BBC, Bloomberg, CNN, House of Blues Internet Radio, LAUNCH.com LaunchCast, National Public Radio (NPR), MUSIC CHOICE, MSNBC and ZDTV. More than 100 radio stations are expected to become available in the coming months.
By providing the easiest access to a broad variety of streaming audio technologies, the Windows Radio toolbar will enable new opportunities for streaming audio on the Internet. Web sites can now make streaming content available through the Windows Radio toolbar to a maximum number of users with minimal effort. In addition, the Windows Radio toolbar offers opportunities for traditional broadcasters to move into the Internet radio space by offering a larger market with simpler, more convenient access to their content.
"Being able to listen to your favorite radio station over the Internet, whether your local station, the most popular nationally syndicated shows, or a station on the other side of the world, is a real benefit for our customers and is now simpler than ever," said Yusuf Mehdi, director of Windows marketing at Microsoft. "By offering a breakthrough in the usability of streaming audio, we expect that the Windows Radio toolbar will further accelerate the rapidly growing market for streaming audio on the Internet."
Popular Internet Radio Stations Accessible With Toolbar Today
Leading Internet radio stations have enthusiastically signed on to broadcast via the Windows Radio toolbar. More than 300 stations, with additional stations becoming accessible quickly, are currently available via a single mouse-click. (See addendum with a partial listing of participating stations).
"As a featured station on the Windows Radio toolbar, we look forward to offering our award-winning programming to an even larger audience and expanding service to NPR member stations," said M.J. Bear, director of new media for National Public Radio. "This is the first continuous feed that NPR Online is making available to its Internet users. Key NPR programs such as" Morning Edition "and" All Things Considered "will be included in the Windows Media stream after their initial on-air broadcast on the West Coast. Users will also be able to listen to NPR hourly news updated in between the program streams."
"We are pleased to offer Internet Explorer users the ability to listen to more than 100 broadcast.com radio stations through the innovative Windows Radio toolbar," said Mark Cuban, chairman and president of broadcast.com. "We will be able to offer our radio station content partners extended distribution of their programming to the large audience of Internet Explorer."
House of Blues is incredibly enthusiastic about this exciting new medium - Internet radio offers a truly worldwide reach to disseminate House of Blues' world-class music experience to people all over the world, "said Stephen Felisan, vice president of House of Blues Digital." The reach, flexibility and technology will enable savvy programmers of rich content, like the House of Blues, to tell a story in an unprecedented way. "
"We're excited to debut the Internet streaming of our service along with the launch of the Windows Radio toolbar," said Dave Del Beccaro, president and CEO of MUSIC CHOICE. "Users will find that MUSIC CHOICE is different from radio in that our library is deeper, the channels are meticulously programmed, and it's commercial-free, so the music sounds better."
"We are thrilled to be unveiling LAUNCH.com's LaunchCast with the debut of the Microsoft Radio toolbar," said David Goldberg, CEO, LAUNCH. "We are excited to be providing a great way for consumers to discover new music directly from Internet Explorer 5."
Internet Explorer 5 Available Today
Internet Explorer 5, the world's fastest modern browser for Windows, works faster to save users time. For the first time, Microsoft will simultaneously deliver Internet Explorer for the Windows 98, Windows 95, Windows NT® 3.51, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 3.1, Sun Solaris and HP-UX operating systems. In addition, Internet Explorer is available internationally, with more than 26 languages being rolled out in the next several weeks.
Availability
Internet Explorer 5 is available today for free download (connect-time charges may apply) at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ .
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" ) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, Windows and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft's corporate information pages.
Windows Radio Toolbar Partners Include:
United States Internet Stations
All Things Considered
American Family Radio
Bloomberg Financial News
Blues Summit
Christian Pirate Radio
CNN
CNN En Espa ñ ol
CNN Headline News
CNN International
CNN/SI
Cyber Radio Channel 3
Cyber Radio Channel 7
Cyber Radio Channel 9
DAER
Glossy Radio
GRIT
Hard Radio
House of Blues
Husky Webcast
Jazzy
KLASI
K-LOVE
KNAC
LAUNCH.com
Mega Mix 96
Morning Edition
MSNBC
Music Choice - '80s
Music Choice - Alternative Rock
Music Choice - New Releases
Music Choice - R & B Hits
NPR
Pick Online
Radio Fusion
Rejoice Radio
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rocktime Radio
Rush Limbaugh
Superadio
Talk of the Nation
The Bob and Tom Show
When Radio Was
ZDTV Radio
United States Terrestrial Stations
Call Letters City State Country
KMLEPhoenixAZUS
KNSTTucsonAZUS
KQSTSedonaAZUS
KRQQTucsonAZUS
KWFMTucsonAZUS
KBAYSan JoseCAUS
KFOGSan FranciscoCAUS
KFREFresnoCAUS
KIBGMercedCAUS
KKSFSan FranciscoCAUS
KNBRSan FranciscoCAUS
KOGOSan DiegoCAUS
KPLNSan DiegoCAUS
KRSISanta MonicaCAUS
KSJOSan JoseCAUS
KYXYSan DiegoCAUS
KZQZSan FranciscoCAUS
XTRASan DiegoCAUS
KOADenverCOUS
KSPZColorado SpringsCOUS
KTWKColorado SpringsCOUS
KVORColorado SpringsCOUS
KVUUColorado SpringsCOUS
WHCNHartfordCTUS
WKSSHartfordCTUS
WMRQHartfordCTUS
WPLRNew HavenCTUS
WPOPHartfordCTUS
WWYZHartfordCTUS
WYBCNew HavenCTUS
WYBC FMNew HavenCTUS
WBIGWashingtonDCUS
WILMWilmingtonDEUS
WAPEJacksonvilleFLUS
WBWLJacksonvilleFLUS
WFLATampaFLUS
WFYVJacksonvilleFLUS
WKISMiamiFLUS
WKQLJacksonvilleFLUS
WLVEMiamiFLUS
WMXQJacksonvilleFLUS
WOKVJacksonvilleFLUS
WPOWMiamiFLUS
WTANClearwaterFLUS
WALRAtlantaGAUS
WCCVCartersvilleGAUS
WKLSAtlantaGAUS
WNNXAtlantaGAUS
WKQXChicagoILUS
WABXEvansvilleINUS
WBCLFort WayneINUS
WFBQIndianapolisINUS
WIKYEvansvilleINUS
WJPSEvansvilleINUS
WNDEIndianapolisINUS
WRZXIndianapolisINUS
WUEVEvansvilleINUS
KEYNWichitaKSUS
KFHWichitaKSUS
KKRDWichitaKSUS
KNSSWichitaKSUS
KQAMWichitaKSUS
KRBBWichitaKSUS
KRZZWichitaKSUS
KSALSalinaKSUS
KWSJWichitaKSUS
KZSNWichitaKSUS
WJIELouisvilleKYUS
WHTQShelbyvilleKYUS
KHLALake CharlesLAUS
KQIDAlexandriaLAUS
WBSNNew OrleansLAUS
WAAFBostonMAUS
WFNXBostonMAUS
WHMP FMSpringfieldMAUS
WHMP AMSpringfieldMAUS
WPKXSpringfieldMAUS
WBALBaltimoreMDUS
WIYYBaltimoreMDUS
KFNSSt. LouisMOUS
WDCGRaleighNCUS
WGQRElizabethtownNCUS
WHSLGreensboroNCUS
WKKTCharlotteNCUS
WLYTCharlotteNCUS
WMAGGreensboroNCUS
WMFRGreensboroNCUS
WRDURaleighNCUS
WRFXCharlotteNCUS
WRRZClintonNCUS
WRSNRaleighNCUS
WTCKGreensboroNCUS
WTRGRaleighNCUS
KFABOmahaNEUS
KGOROmahaNEUS
KIBZLincolnNEUS
KKNBLincolnNEUS
KTGLLincolnNEUS
KTNPOmahaNEUS
KXKTOmahaNEUS
KZKXOmahaNEUS
WBLSNew YorkNYUS
WCAANew YorkNYUS
WGNAAlbanyNYUS
WHTZNew YorkNYUS
WORNew YorkNYUS
WPYXAlbanyNYUS
WTRYAlbanyNYUS
WXLEAlbanyNYUS
WYNYNew YorkNYUS
WCLVClevelandOHUS
KKJJAshlandORUS
KRWQMedfordORUS
KXLPortlandORUS
KZZEMedfordORUS
WDRVPittsburghPAUS
WDVEPittsburghPAUS
WJJJPittsburghPAUS
WLCHLancasterPAUS
WRTSEriePAUS
WXDXPittsburghPAUS
WMYIGreenvilleSCUS
WROQGreenvilleSCUS
WSSLGreenvilleSCUS
WLACNashvilleTNUS
WNRQNashvilleTNUS
WRVWNashvilleTNUS
WSIXNashvilleTNUS
KBFBDallasTXUS
KBXXHoustonTXUS
KDAVLubbockTXUS
KKDADallasTXUS
KKRWHoustonTXUS
KKZNDallasTXUS
KLOLHoustonTXUS
KMJQHoustonTXUS
KODAHoustonTXUS
KQUEHoustonTXUS
KRBEHoustonTXUS
KRTSHoustonTXUS
KTJMHoustonTXUS
KTXQDallasTXUS
KSOPSalt Lake CityUTUS
KALEKennewickWAUS
KAQQSpokaneWAUS
KASBBellevueWAUS
KCDASpokaneWAUS
KEGXKennewickWAUS
KEYFSpokaneWAUS
KGNWSeattleWAUS
KIOKKennewickWAUS
KISCSpokaneWAUS
KISWSeattleWAUS
KKZXSpokaneWAUS
KNFRSpokaneWAUS
KNLTKennewickWAUS
KPLZSeattleWAUS
KTCRKennewickWAUS
KUJKennewickWAUS
KVISeattleWAUS
WISNMilwaukeeWIUS
WLTQMilwaukeeWIUS
WDMXParkersburgWVUS
WLTPParkersburgWVUS
WNUSViennaWVUS
WVAQMorgantownWVUS
International Stations
Argentina
102.3 FM Aspen
98.3 News
RadioCultura
2Day FM
2WS
4BC
9inety6ix.1
Channel V
MIX 106.5
OzWorld
PMFM
Radio City
Triple J
Ttalk
TT-FM
Mulray FM
Radio 4BC Brisbane
Australian Music to the World
Belgium
AXXES
Radio Contact Live
International Stations, cont...
Brazil
97 FM
Alpha FM
Antena 1
Boa Vista
Brasil 2.000
Jovem Pan AM
Jovem Pan FM
Lider FM
Metropolitana FM
Radio 89
Radio Cidade
Radio Mundial
RNB
Scalla FM
Canada
680NEWS
CFAX
CHFI-FM
CHIK
CHMB
CKMF
CyberRadio
Edge102
EnergyRadio
KISS92
Czech Republic
LIMO
Bayern 3
Charivari
cyberchannel.de
CyberRadio
Energy 97.1
Hit Radio N1
Radio F
Radio Gong
relax fm
International Stations, cont...
Greece
ERA Aegean
MRB
Radio Gold
International Stations, cont...
Italy
L'Olgiata
Radio 105
Radio101
RDS
RTL102.5
Japan
AVEX
CHMB-CANADA
fm osaka
Impress
JOBU-FM
JOKR
JOLF
JOOR
JOQR
JOZZ3AJ-FM
J-WAVE
MBS
SHIBUYA-FM
Sound Explorer
TBS-J Radio
TOKYO FM
YOMIURI NEWS
Korea
EC-Net
SBS
Latvia
SWH
ALFA 91.3 FM
CNNE
Formato 21
JOYA
Radioactivo 98 1/2 FM
Radio Fusion
Red FM
Stereo Joya 93.7
Stereo 97.7
Universal Stereo
International Stations, cont...
Norway
NRK P3
NRK P1
Radio P4
Radio 1 - Oslo
Radio 1 - Bergen
Radio 1 - Trondheim
Radio 1 - Stavanger
Portugal
Radio Moliceiro
S é n é gal
Radiodiffusion Television S é n é gal
WALF
South Africa
5FM Music Radio
Spain
Cadena COPE
CADENA SER
CNNE
ONDA CERO
RADIO EXTERIOR DE ESPA Ñ A
REE
Sweden
Vinyl 107
Power Hit Radio 106,3
Wow 105,5
Rix 101,9
Switzerland
Radio Fribourg
Taiwan
HiMedia
Philharmonic Radio Taipei
Public Radio System
Taiwan Radio
Love 94.5 FM
Love 103.5 FM
Love 104.5 FM
ThaiCast
Turkey
radyo5
show radyo
United Kingdom
BBC
Classic Gold (AM)
ClassicFM
JazzFM
Mercury FM
Premier Christian Radio
Release Radio
Virgin Radio
World Radio Network