MSN Launches Official Web Site for Mark Burnett Productions' 'Rock Star: INXS,' Giving Viewers New Ways to Engage With Reality Show

MSN Launches Official Web Site for Mark Burnett Productions' 'Rock Star: INXS,' Giving Viewers New Ways to Engage With Reality Show

Interactive Rockstar.msn.com Site Includes Weekly Online Voting, Exclusive Video, Contestant Blogs, Music Downloads, Rock-and-Roll Trivia, Photo Galleries and More

REDMOND, Wash., July 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MSN is giving fans new ways to take part in the reality-show craze by launching http://rockstar.msn.com/ , the official Web site for Mark Burnett Productions' "Rock Star: INXS." The show, which aims to find a new lead singer for the multiplatinum rock band INXS, premieres July 11 on the CBS Television Network in the U.S. The fully interactive Web site will complement the TV show and bring viewers further inside the competition through weekly online voting, exclusive video, contestant Web logs (blogs), music downloads and more. The site marks the first time a Mark Burnett Productions TV reality show has used online voting to influence the outcome on a weekly basis.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )

Rockstar.msn.com extends and enhances "Rock Star: INXS" by giving fans unique opportunities to connect with the contestants and with one another. Fans who log on will get the inside scoop on the contestants' dreams and struggles from childhood through today, as well as the fights and friendships that develop when 15 ambitious rockers are put together in one house. Rockstar.msn.com also includes exclusive community-building features that allow fans to connect with one another to talk about their favorite songs and contestants as they vote on who will make it to the next round. Beginning July 11, viewers can do the following:

-- Vote for their favorite contestants through http://rockstar.msn.com/ and MSN(R) Messenger, which allows people to vote while chatting with friends about the show in real time. Wireless voting also will be available. -- Watch exclusive "Rock Star: INXS" video not seen on TV, available only through MSN Video. -- Watch streaming video of contestant performances on MSN Video to relive the highlights and the lowlights before casting a vote. -- Purchase the contestant performances on MSN Music. Not only can fans download and own their favorite musical moments from the show, downloads of the original artists' versions of contestant performance songs also will be available for purchase on MSN Music. -- Read contestant blogs on MSN Spaces that tell fans about everything from their backgrounds to what it's really like onstage, offstage and backstage. -- Chat with other "Rock Star: INXS" fans through MSN Messenger and download special "Rock Star: INXS" emoticons, dynamic display pictures, backgrounds and winks to spice up their instant messaging (IM) conversations. -- Play rock-and-roll trivia games created by Cranium Inc. for MSN Encarta(R). -- Sign up for MSN Alerts and a weekly newsletter that give fans the scoop on everything related to "Rock Star: INXS." -- View weekly "Rock Star" photo galleries and rock-and-roll fashion features. -- Buy merchandise featured on "Rock Star: INXS" through MSN Shopping. -- Get weekly fashion tips from the "Rock Star: INXS" official show stylist.

Beginning July 18, visitors to http://rockstar.msn.com/ also can enter the "You Be a Rock Star" sweepstakes to win a trip to Los Angeles, where one winner be treated like rock royalty. The winner will stay at a luxury Hollywood hotel, spend an afternoon at an L.A. celebrity spa, and be whisked by limo to the red-carpet finale of "Rock Star: INXS" and the exclusive post-show party. The winner also will receive $1,000 spending money, a digital music player with 100 free downloads from MSN Music, and a rock-and-roll makeover from the "Rock Star: INXS" official show stylist. Sweepstakes details and full rules can be found at http://rockstar.msn.com/ .

"We're thrilled to work with MSN to not only give fans the opportunity to get to know this incredibly talented group of contestants, but also bring them inside the competition," Burnett said. "MSN's great combination of high-quality video and music services and interactive communications tools like MSN Spaces and MSN Messenger give fans an amazing opportunity to develop a powerful connection with the show and with fellow 'Rock Star: INXS' fans watching around the world."

"The contestants on 'Rock Star: INXS' are an amazing group of people -- talented, fun and unbelievably charismatic," said Yusuf Mehdi, senior vice president of the MSN Information Services & Merchant Platform division at Microsoft Corp. "Working with 'Rock Star: INXS' gives us the opportunity to work with one of the best television producers in the game, while giving fans a great interactive experience and a taste of what it's like to live the rock-star dream."

"Rock Star: INXS" will be broadcast on CBS three times a week beginning with a special one-hour premiere on Monday, July 11 (9-10 p.m. EDT/PDT), followed by a one-hour broadcast on Tuesday, July 12 (10-11 p.m. EDT/PDT) and a half-hour edition on Wednesday, July 13 (9:30-10 p.m. EDT/PDT). Beginning the following week, "Rock Star: INXS" will be seen regularly on Mondays (9:30-10 p.m. EDT/PDT), Tuesdays (10-11 p.m. EDT/PDT) and Wednesdays (9:30-10 p.m. EDT/PDT).

The show also will be aired in Canada, Australia and some Asian countries. Airtimes, stations and voting windows will vary by market.

About MSN

MSN attracts more than 400 million unique users worldwide per month. With localized versions available globally in 41 markets and 20 languages, MSN is a world leader in delivering Web services to consumers and online advertising opportunities to businesses worldwide. The most useful and innovative online service today, MSN brings consumers everything they need from the Web to make the most of their time online. MSN is located on the Web at http://www.msn.com/ . MSN worldwide sites are located at http://www.msn.com/worldwide.ashx .

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

NOTE: Microsoft, MSN and Encarta are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the 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. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.mspx . (MSFT)

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com Source: Microsoft Corp.

CONTACT: Garland Harwood of Maloney & Fox, +1-646-356-8313, or gharwood@maloneyfox.com, for Microsoft; or Rapid Response Team, Waggener Edstrom, +1-503-443-7070, or rrt@wagged.com, for Microsoft

Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/

------- Profile: Ent