Essence Communications to Partner With iClips.net for Live Video Streaming of the 2008 Essence Music Festival

Essence Communications to Partner With iClips.net for Live Video Streaming of the 2008 Essence Music Festival

First Time Broadcast of the 14th Annual Essence Music Festival Expands the Festival's Footprint Online

NEW ORLEANS, July 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Essence Communications, Inc. and iClips Network, L.L.C. today announced a partnership to present live video streaming of the 2008 Essence Music Festival on essence.com and iclips.net. The live video stream will be comprised of musical performances from the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans this Fourth of July Weekend, as well as interstitial programming including celebrity interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

This first-time broadcast of the 14th Annual Essence Music Festival inaugurates a three-year deal with iClips to expand the Festival's footprint online. In addition, select performances will be available on-demand on essence.com and iclips.net at the conclusion of the Festival. Viewers can register at Essence.com and iClips.net from July 4-6 to access the iClips player and launch the video streaming event.

"Essence Communications is pleased to partner with iClips to smartly extend the Essence Music Festival footprint to the Web," said Michelle Ebanks, President, Essence Communications, Inc., "By creating a live streaming experience, the Essence Music Festival -- already the nation's largest annual celebration of Black music and culture - is poised to reach fans all over the world with fantastic performances and backstage highlights."

"iClips has always been a huge fan of this event and the Essence brand. We are ecstatic about the opportunity in bringing the Essence Music Festival to a worldwide audience over the Internet. Furthermore, the stellar line-up, the great city of New Orleans, and the fantastic backdrop that the Superdome Venue creates could not be any more spectacular," Nate Parienti, Co-Founder of iClips was quoted as saying.

The 14th annual Essence Music Festival will celebrate another momentous year in New Orleans this July 4, 5 and 6 with the biggest names in entertainment. Performing on the mainstage at the Louisiana Superdome: Kanye West; Mary J. Blige; Chris Brown; Rihanna; Chris Rock; Keyshia Cole; Jill Scott; Maze featuring Frankie Beverly; Morris Day & The Time; LL Cool J; J. Holiday; Musiq; plus, a star-studded celebration of living legend Patti LaBelle featuring original LaBelle members Sarah Dash and Nona Hendryx; Angie Stone; Ledisi; Chrisette Michele; Ruby Amanfu; and more!

Running concurrently with the mainstage performances in the Superdome's four Superlounges are shows by some of today's rising stars, living legends and New Orleans hometown favorites: Bamboula 2000; Big Sam's Funky Nation and the New Orleans Funk Soul Explosion; Terence Blanchard; Peabo Bryson; Mint Condition; Cupid; Raheem Devaughn; Estelle; Grandmaster Flash; Gil Scott-Heron; Lyfe Jennings; Karina; Kermit Ruffin's Tribute to Louis Armstrong; Ledisi; Irma Thomas and the Professionals; Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra; Chrisette Michelle; Nicholas Payton Quintet; Preservation Hall Jazz Band's Gospel Revival; Purple Disrespect; Rebirth Brass Band; Christian Scott; Solange; Angie Stone and Marva Wright.

Sponsors of the 2008 Essence Music Festival include presenting sponsor, Coca-Cola; major sponsors Chevrolet, CoverGirl Queen Collection, McDonald's, Pantene, U.S. Army, and Wal-Mart; and official sponsors Budweiser, My Black is Beautiful, Southwest Airlines, TBS, TVOne, Vaseline and VH1 Soul.

About Essence Communications Inc.:

Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) is the leading media and communications company dedicated to African-American women. With a multi-platform presence in publishing, live events, and online, the Essence brand is "Where Black Women Come First". The company's flagship publication, ESSENCE magazine, is the preeminent lifestyle magazine for African-American women; generating brand extensions such as the Essence Music Festival, Women Who Are Shaping the World Leadership Summit, Window on Our Women (WOW I, II & III) and Smart Beauty I, II & III consumer insights, the Essence Book Club, Essence.com, and ventures in digital media (mobile, television and VOD) via Essence Studios. For 38 years, ESSENCE magazine, which has a readership of 8.5 million, has been the leading source of cutting-edge information relating to every area of African-American women's lives.

   Additional information about ECI and ESSENCE is available at essence.com.    About iClips:  

Since December of 2006 iClips.net has streamed countless sets of live music and events over the internet including most recently Nelson Mandela's 90th Birthday Concert live from Hyde Park London. iClips has filmed and streamed close to 1,000 individual sets of music and has worked with artists such as 311, Phil Lesh, O.A.R, The Black Crowes, Ani Difranco, Peter Gabriel, The Flaming Lips, Common, and hundreds of others. iClips has also worked with world leaders and dignitaries such as Nelson Mandela and The Dalai Lama. iClips recently produced all of the video for the Green Apple Festival in several cities simultaneously and last month produced video for the Off Broadway Awards, featuring a performance by multi Tony Award nominated musical, Passing Strange.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Essence Communications, Inc

CONTACT: Dana Baxter, +1-212-522-1634, dbaxter@essence.com, of ESSENCE

Web site: http://www.essence.com/
http://www.iclips.net/

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Profile: International Entertainment