Press Release

INDEPENDENT WEBCASTERS DECLARE "MAYDAY!"

Foster City, CA - April 30, 2002 - Live365, along with the growing Independent Webcasting Community is actively working to ensure a healthy future for the nascent Internet broadcasting industry.

On February 20, a panel of three arbitrators, (the Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel, or "CARP") released a proposed royalty rate structure which could price many independent webcasters out of existence.

On May 1, Webcasters - including Live365 - will be crying "MAYDAY!" to express concerns over the CARP rates. Some will go silent for the day; others will be playing PSAs to raise listener awareness, while others will completely overhaul their programming with creative exercises of Freedom of Speech.

With 47,000 stations, Live365 is the largest network of independent Internet broadcasts in the world. On May 1, a subset the Live365 Activists will be broadcasting special programming.

LIVE365 CARPCASTS INVITE DIVERSITY, FREE EXPRESSION

Some examples include:

  • The Wiz, one of Live365's long-time broadcasters is doing a special "WiZARD CARP RADIOTHON" wherein his Freeform station features special CARP editorials, as well as PSAs encouraging listener calls to action. (http://www.live365.com/stations/wizardfkap).

  • Java Jane, broadcaster of "Generation 80s Retro" who was quoted in the New York Times shortly after the royalty rates were announced, will be taking listener calls at her toll-free number, and airing them throughout the day in her broadcast. (http://www.live365.com/stations/javajanedm)

  • Live365's own "Stinky Fish" broadcast, programmed by Senior Editor, J Betty Ray, will feature interviews of a number of Live365 Activists, creative editorial submissions from members of the Live365 community, as well as interviews with EVP and General Counsel, John Jeffrey. (http://www.live365.com/stations/stinkyfish)
You can obtain additional information about the CARP by clicking http://www.live365.com/carp

To find out more about MAYDAY, visit http://www.kurthanson.com or contact pr@live365.com.

ABOUT Live365:

Live365 (www.Live365.com) is the world's largest broadcaster of streaming MP3 content on the Internet and has been rated by Arbitron as the No. 1 Internet Radio network for the past seven months. Listeners can tune in to tens of thousands of broadcasts anytime day or night. Through innovative proprietary technology, users can also create a one-of-a-kind personal station to broadcast worldwide. Live365 is both a member of the Digital Media Association (DiMA) and a member of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). Founded in July 1999 in Foster City, CA, Live365 won the People's Voice Award in the Music Category at the 2001 Webby Awards, and has been nominated again in the Music Category for the 2002 Webby Awards.