Press Conference Article

Rolling Stone Radio, a new streaming internet music service, was unveiled by RealNetworks and Rolling Stone during a press conference earlier today at Washington State University.

Rolling Stone Radio is a streaming radio service that will be available free of charge and feature 12 channels at launch today, said Brett Atwood, editor of music services for RealNetworks.

RealNetworks, a pioneer of streaming audio and video based in Seattle, anticipates this service will be the top music service within a year, said Atwood. The radio service is the result of a partnership between the trusted and established music magazine Rolling Stone and technology company RealNetworks, he said.

“Rolling Stone Radio is democratic,” said Atwood. Users will be able to switch instantly between 12 channels and rate songs that they listen to on a scale of one to five, he said.

For example, if the user tunes into a rock station but does not like the song that is playing, that person may choose to give it a low rating, which will be collected by the programmers at Rolling Stone who will adjust the playlist accordingly, Atwood said.

“We think the internet audience will respond well,” he said.

“This is going to be the year when Internet radio emerges from the shadows into the mainstream. This could become a truly mass medium … and when that happens, radio as we know it will cease to exist,” said Seema Williams, analyst at Forrester Research.

Other features include uncensored rap and hip hop, along with the ability to instantly buy any song from Amazon.com.

An exclusive David Bowie channel is anticipated in the next month, which will be programmed and hosted by Bowie himself, said Atwood. “We believe this is the first of what will be several artist specific channels,” he said.

"As DJ for the BowieNet radio station on Rolling Stone Radio, my first playlist will include favorite songs from the last five decades. I'm hoping music fans all over the world tune in and join me," said David Bowie.

Rolling Stone Radio will also feature significantly less commercial advertising than traditional radio, roughly three to four minutes per hour of music, said Atwood.

Atwood believes Rolling Stone Radio will penetrate the internet audience quickly. “We think within a year’s time we will be a leader of internet radio.”