NY-Based Aronow Communications Launches Digital Broadcast Network With Live Interactive News Show

NY-Based Aronow Communications Launches Digital Broadcast Network With Live Interactive News Show

'NewzViewz' is First of Five 'ChannelBlast(TM)'-brand Broadcasts to Launch in 2005 Under Direction of Media Executive Mark Lipsky and Communications Specialist Jani Aronow

NEW YORK, Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The first-ever, fully interactive live digital broadcast network premiered in a soft-launch mode on Sept. 26 in advance of an official roll-out later this month. NewzViewz(TM), hosted by educator and veteran TV actor Bill O'Reilly, airs every Monday through Friday at 7pm ET. Produced by Aronow Communications, the half-hour series features five 'citizen commentators' whose topics of discussion are determined by the show's viewing audience. Designed to engage its audience on multiple levels, NewzViewz(TM), when fully launched, will feature several live, interactive components and a variety of on and off-line elements including exclusive in-market community events.

NewzViewz(TM) is just the first in a series of live shows that Aronow will premiere this year under its ChannelBlast(TM) umbrella. ChannelBlast(TM)-brand broadcasts, developed exclusively for broadband and designed to be as interactive as possible, will air live from Aronow's midtown studio. Subsequent broadcasts in 2005 will include shows devoted to music, sports, food and gay issues, and lifestyle. The company expects to have no fewer than one dozen ChannelBlast(TM)-brand shows launched by the end of the first quarter of 2006.

Jani Aronow, founder and CEO of Aronow Communications, expects the company's ChannelBlast(TM) network to catch on quickly with a diverse audience whose viewing habits are changing dramatically. Says Aronow, "Video webcasting has been around for years but it was unreliable, unimaginative and its cost was a significant barrier to entry. Today, with better technology and lower productions costs, the true power of the Internet is about to be unleashed. We're at the cutting edge of that revolution."

According to Mark Lipsky, senior vice president of Aronow and executive producer of the ChannelBlast(TM) network, "With broadband increasingly widespread and with all forms of digital broadcasting migrating to the home theater environment, we're riding the edge of a lava flow that we believe will hit home with an extraordinary impact. ChannelBlast(TM)-brand shows take the middleman completely out of the equation. Network executives aren't updating their resumes just yet but they are looking over their shoulder. The power to instantly communicate eye-to-eye with a mass audience, once the absolute domain of television, is about to belong to all the people."

According to Aronow, the advent of ChannelBlast(TM)-brand broadcasting also presents the most compelling alternative to the escalating inefficiency of the 30-second commercial. "Some ChannelBlast(TM) shows will be specifically designed to play a pivotal role in boosting the reach and overall effectiveness of a particular sponsor's messaging, branding, advertising campaign or any other marketing goal. They'll provide a persistent, truly intimate and organic platform through which to connect with and build upon their customer base."

Lipsky is a former executive of Miramax Films, Bravo, The Independent Film Channel and AOL's multimedia search company Singingfish.com. Aronow's work over the past 13 years with the American Egg Board and the Tea Council of the USA has lead directly to dramatic changes in how virtually all food-related companies market their products.

Viewers of NewzViewz(TM) can interact with the show on three distinct levels. First, NewzViewz(TM) is a convenient and distinctive source of breaking news 24 hours a day. The NewzViewz(TM) web site features top news headline updated literally minute-by-minute. Clicking into a headline reveals a drop-down menu featuring links to the full story at any number of featured news sites. All visitors to the site can watch the live show, view archived shows and interact with the live show via a toll-free call-in line.

The next level of viewership begins with free registration. Registered users gain instant access to several interactive options for participation in live broadcasts including the power to determine what breaking or persistent news stories will be discussed on the evening's program. Immediately following each broadcast, registered users can also vote on their favorite commentator. The commentator who accumulates the most votes Monday through Thursday is invited back the following week, plus Friday's NewzViewz(TM) broadcast is all theirs. The winning commentator joins O'Reilly and up to four invited guests for a gourmet meal and a freewheeling conversation - all broadcast live to the viewing audience.

The third and most resonant level of participation is free membership. NewzViewz(TM) members enjoy all of the interactive benefits of registered users plus they're entitled exclusive entrée to local community events with their fellow NewzViewz(TM) members.

Contact: Kim Becker +1-914-834-0422 kim@kimbeckercommunications.com

Mark Braff +1-201-612-0707 mbraff@braffcommunications.com

Source: Aronow Communications

CONTACT: Kim Becker, +1-914-834-0422, kim@kimbeckercommunications.com, or Mark Braff, +1-201-612-0707, mbraff@braffcommunications.com, both for Aronow Communications

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

------- Profile: Ent