ABC News Internet Ventures, Starwave, and Progressive Networks Team Up to Deliver RealAudio and RealVideo Content for ABCNEWS.com

    NEW YORK, May 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Progressive Networks, pioneer and market
 leader in the delivery of real-time audio and multimedia over the Internet,
 today announced that RealAudio and RealVideo will be used to deliver all the
 audio and video programming for ABCNEWS.com (www.abcnews.com), the 24-hour
 online news venture from ABC News and Starwave.  As part of its strategic
 alliance with ABC News Internet Ventures and Starwave, Progressive Networks
 also will deliver the broadcast infrastructure for ABCNEWS.com.
     Progressive Networks' broadcast technology allows Internet users to
 instantly access live and on-demand audio and video programming from
 ABCNEWS.com.  The same core technology delivers a better audio and video
 signal over the Internet and allows ABCNEWS.com to reach the largest audiences
 on the Internet today.  Today, there are more than 15 million RealAudio and
 RealVideo users, and all will have access to live and on-demand audio and
 video content from ABCNEWS.com
     Separately, Progressive Networks announced a new beta 2 version of its
 RealVideo player and server.
     This new beta 2 product includes new 'destination' buttons that links
 users to the most popular audio and video programming on the Internet; a new
 'TV mode' and 'dynamic stream thinning' for better viewing of web video
 content, and a 'smart networking' feature that allows users to easily access
 web audio and video through corporate firewalls.  Each of these new features
 add new levels of quality, reliability and ease-of-use.  The RealPlayer beta 2
 product is available for free download at www.real.com.
     "We're very excited to partnering with ABC News Internet Ventures and
 Starwave," said Rob Glaser, CEO and chairman, Progressive Networks.
 "ABCNEWS.com is the first online news site built from the ground-up to deliver
 live and on-demand audio and video over the Internet, and fundamentally
 advances Internet as the next mass medium."
     "ABCNEWS.com represents a powerful combination of the best brand in
 network news, the best talent in real-time news reporting, and the leaders of
 Internet-based media," said Tom Phillips, president,  ABC News Internet
 Ventures.  "Progressive Networks is certainly one of the Internet pioneers in
 real-time audio and now video.  Being able to immediately leverage a base of
 15 million RealAudio and now RealVideo users powerfully complements ABC's
 excellence in news reporting, analysis and insight."
     ABCNEWS.com will provide up-to-the-minute world, national and local news,
 as well as sports, entertainment, business and technology reporting.  The site
 draws on the global resources of ABC News, with reports from correspondents
 around the world offering behind-the-scenes insight into the major stories of
 the day.  Already filing regularly for ABCNEWS.com are White House
 correspondent John Donavon; political and media analyst Jeff Greenfield;
 "20/20" co-anchor Hugh Downs and London-based senior correspondent Jim Wooten.
     The site will also rely on the strength of ABC News Radio and the news
 operations from more than 200 affiliated local TV stations plus Worldwide
 Television News (WTN), the international news service in which ABC has an 80
 percent interest, to deliver complete news on demand.
     ABCNEWS.com is produced by a dedicated editorial and technical team of
 more than a hundred people, with bi-coastal news desks and production
 operations at ABC News in New York and at Starwave in Seattle.  Original
 editorial content includes dispatches from ABC correspondents, biographies of
 newsmakers, and in-depth analysis of the day's headline stories, business and
 financial market news.  In addition, the site features an extensive "news to
 use" section with tips on health, personal finance, travel and advice for
 small business owners.
 
     About ABCNEWS.com
     ABC News Internet Ventures, the joint venture between Starwave and ABC,
 was founded in April 1997 to create and extend news and information services
 under the banner of ABC News.  The joint venture was formed as a result of an
 equity investment in Starwave by ABC's parent, The Walt Disney Company.
 Starwave has been a pioneer in producing original interactive programming,
 providing sports, news and entertainment services to millions of consumers on
 the World Wide Web.  The company has developed a host of award-winning online
 services, including ESPN SportsZone, Mr. Showbiz, CelebSite, Wall of Sound,
 Outside Online, and the official sites of the NBA, NFL and NASCAR.  Starwave
 was founded in 1993, by Microsoft cofounder and technology investor Paul G.
 Allen, and is privately owned by Mr. Allen and The Walt Disney Company.
 About Progressive Networks
     Progressive Networks, based in Seattle, Wash., is the streaming media
 market leader.  It develops and markets software products and services
 designed to enable users of personal computers and other consumer electronic
 devices to send and receive audio, video and other multimedia services using
 the web.  Since the launch of RealVideo, February 10, more than two million
 consumers have downloaded the beta RealPlayer, which plays both RealVideo and
 RealAudio programs.  More than 80 entertainment and technology companies also
 have embraced RealVideo.
 
 

SOURCE  Progressive Networks

    NEW YORK, May 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Progressive Networks, pioneer and market
 leader in the delivery of real-time audio and multimedia over the Internet,
 today announced that RealAudio and RealVideo will be used to deliver all the
 audio and video programming for ABCNEWS.com (www.abcnews.com), the 24-hour
 online news venture from ABC News and Starwave.  As part of its strategic
 alliance with ABC News Internet Ventures and Starwave, Progressive Networks
 also will deliver the broadcast infrastructure for ABCNEWS.com.
     Progressive Networks' broadcast technology allows Internet users to
 instantly access live and on-demand audio and video programming from
 ABCNEWS.com.  The same core technology delivers a better audio and video
 signal over the Internet and allows ABCNEWS.com to reach the largest audiences
 on the Internet today.  Today, there are more than 15 million RealAudio and
 RealVideo users, and all will have access to live and on-demand audio and
 video content from ABCNEWS.com
     Separately, Progressive Networks announced a new beta 2 version of its
 RealVideo player and server.
     This new beta 2 product includes new 'destination' buttons that links
 users to the most popular audio and video programming on the Internet; a new
 'TV mode' and 'dynamic stream thinning' for better viewing of web video
 content, and a 'smart networking' feature that allows users to easily access
 web audio and video through corporate firewalls.  Each of these new features
 add new levels of quality, reliability and ease-of-use.  The RealPlayer beta 2
 product is available for free download at www.real.com.
     "We're very excited to partnering with ABC News Internet Ventures and
 Starwave," said Rob Glaser, CEO and chairman, Progressive Networks.
 "ABCNEWS.com is the first online news site built from the ground-up to deliver
 live and on-demand audio and video over the Internet, and fundamentally
 advances Internet as the next mass medium."
     "ABCNEWS.com represents a powerful combination of the best brand in
 network news, the best talent in real-time news reporting, and the leaders of
 Internet-based media," said Tom Phillips, president,  ABC News Internet
 Ventures.  "Progressive Networks is certainly one of the Internet pioneers in
 real-time audio and now video.  Being able to immediately leverage a base of
 15 million RealAudio and now RealVideo users powerfully complements ABC's
 excellence in news reporting, analysis and insight."
     ABCNEWS.com will provide up-to-the-minute world, national and local news,
 as well as sports, entertainment, business and technology reporting.  The site
 draws on the global resources of ABC News, with reports from correspondents
 around the world offering behind-the-scenes insight into the major stories of
 the day.  Already filing regularly for ABCNEWS.com are White House
 correspondent John Donavon; political and media analyst Jeff Greenfield;
 "20/20" co-anchor Hugh Downs and London-based senior correspondent Jim Wooten.
     The site will also rely on the strength of ABC News Radio and the news
 operations from more than 200 affiliated local TV stations plus Worldwide
 Television News (WTN), the international news service in which ABC has an 80
 percent interest, to deliver complete news on demand.
     ABCNEWS.com is produced by a dedicated editorial and technical team of
 more than a hundred people, with bi-coastal news desks and production
 operations at ABC News in New York and at Starwave in Seattle.  Original
 editorial content includes dispatches from ABC correspondents, biographies of
 newsmakers, and in-depth analysis of the day's headline stories, business and
 financial market news.  In addition, the site features an extensive "news to
 use" section with tips on health, personal finance, travel and advice for
 small business owners.
 
     About ABCNEWS.com
     ABC News Internet Ventures, the joint venture between Starwave and ABC,
 was founded in April 1997 to create and extend news and information services
 under the banner of ABC News.  The joint venture was formed as a result of an
 equity investment in Starwave by ABC's parent, The Walt Disney Company.
 Starwave has been a pioneer in producing original interactive programming,
 providing sports, news and entertainment services to millions of consumers on
 the World Wide Web.  The company has developed a host of award-winning online
 services, including ESPN SportsZone, Mr. Showbiz, CelebSite, Wall of Sound,
 Outside Online, and the official sites of the NBA, NFL and NASCAR.  Starwave
 was founded in 1993, by Microsoft cofounder and technology investor Paul G.
 Allen, and is privately owned by Mr. Allen and The Walt Disney Company.
 About Progressive Networks
     Progressive Networks, based in Seattle, Wash., is the streaming media
 market leader.  It develops and markets software products and services
 designed to enable users of personal computers and other consumer electronic
 devices to send and receive audio, video and other multimedia services using
 the web.  Since the launch of RealVideo, February 10, more than two million
 consumers have downloaded the beta RealPlayer, which plays both RealVideo and
 RealAudio programs.  More than 80 entertainment and technology companies also
 have embraced RealVideo.
 
 SOURCE  Progressive Networks