Some PR stuff of note. -- NW
<< February 10, 1999
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COUNTRY.COM, TNN, DREAMWORKS NASHVILLE & STARWORKS JOIN FORCES TO ISSUE
COUNTRY MUSIC CD-ROM ENCYCLOPEDIA ON APRIL 6 STREET DATE
“Country.com’s Century Of Country” is Interactive Version of Author
Barry McCloud’s “Definitive Country” Encyclopedia...
TNN Will Cross-Promote In Year-Long “Century Of Country” Features
NASHVILLE—DreamWorks Records Nashville will combine forces with the
TNN cable television network and its country.com web site to launch
“Country.com’s Century Of Country: Definitive Country Music
Encyclopedia” the world’s first interactive country music encyclopedia.
The CD-ROM, based on country musicologist Barry McCloud’s book
“Definitive Country: The Ultimate Encyclopedia Of Country Music And Its
Performers,” is a product of StarWorks, Inc., an electronic publisher
and software developer. It is set for a street date of April 6, 1999.
Manufacturer’s list price is $29.98.
The comprehensive CD-ROM encyclopedia features photos, audio
interviews and videos, artist contact information and discographies
(with more than 50,000 albums and singles catalogued.) The CD-ROM
features a powerful search engine which searches by artist first or last
name, group, album title, song title, awards, birthday or style.
An aggressive pre-release sales campaign will be implemented from
March 8 through April 5 by TNN and country.com to pique consumer
interest. Designed to create a solid stream of consumer awareness
surrounding its release, the CD-ROM will be featured in a multitude of
TNN programming features. It will be spotlighted in TNN’s daily
“Historical Moments” feature as part of its year-long “Century Of
Country” campaign, as well as on a multi-month trivia contest on “Crook
& Chase.”
The “Country.com’s Century Of Country” CD-ROM is the first retail item
to bear the country.com logo as the heavily traveled World Wide Web
destination builds brand identity in the retail marketplace. Country.com
will present a Web chat with author McCloud following his appearance on
TNN’s “Prime Time Country” on the street date, April 6. Additionally,
the CD-ROM carries the distinction of being the first non-music sales
campaign to be jointly marketed by country.com and TNN.
The CD-ROM will make its presence known at Country Radio Seminar in
Nashville (March 10-13), at the annual gathering of programmers from
more than 2,000 country radio stations. It will be featured in
“Country.com’s Century Of Country”-branded trivia contests daily at the
TNN “Prime Time Country,” Westwood One and DreamWorks Records Nashville
areas.
“Country.com’s Century of Country” will be marketed to music retail,
software outlets and libraries. Universal Music Distribution will handle
music outlets and Navarre Distributors will supply software stores.
Author McCloud spent ten years and conducted hundreds of interviews
while researching his “Definitive Country” encyclopedia, which has been
added to the standard reference guide list for libraries throughout the
U.S. StarWorks spent an additional three years working with McCloud to
develop and update the CD-ROM. The British-born author/musicologist,
who relocated to Nashville in 1992, has also recorded and written music,
booked artists and promoted concerts, and worked as a record promoter.
“There was a time when innovation was almost a dirty word in country
music,” says McCloud. “Drummers were hidden behind screens and electric
guitars were frowned on. Now, with the CD-ROM of ‘Definitive Country,’
country music is on the cutting edge and serves as a beacon to the
worldwide musical community.”
According to Lynn Epstein, Vice President of Marketing for StarWorks,
Inc., "StarWorks is very excited about the opportunity to work with
DreamWorks, country.com and TNN – to be able to utilize its electronic
publishing technology to create exciting and innovative interactive
music products such as ‘Country.com’s Century of Country’.”
Martin Clayton, Vice President/General Manager of country.com, sees
“Century Of Country: Definitive Country Music Encyclopedia” as a natural
extension of the brand country.com has developed. “The Web attracts
people who can’t get enough of what they like,” he says. “Country.com is
encyclopedic in its depth, so it’s natural that our first consumer
product is a country music encyclopedia.”
“In numerous campaigns during 1998, TNN and country.com mounted
several highly successful pre-release CD campaigns, selling large
numbers of CDs and providing immeasurable branding and marketing
impressions through its on-air and online campaigns,” adds Brian Hughes,
Vice President of Programming for TNN. “The ‘Century Of Country’ CD-ROM
will offer the consumer an incredible online opportunity. TNN and
country.com are excited to provide a broad-based, year-long campaign in
offering this CD-ROM through online purchases.”
DreamWorks Records Nashville Head of Sales and Marketing John Rose
adds, “The ‘Century of Country’ CD-ROM began with a great country
musicologist/historian and his boundless passion for the music whose
vision was translated by a forward-thinking electronic publisher,
StarWorks, Inc. We were then fortunate in attracting two key strategic
partners – TNN and country.com – with whom to co-brand our product to
help put this innovative volume into the hands of its market.”
The “Century of Country” CD-ROM will be periodically revised.
Technical support, demo pages and upgrades will be posted at
http://www.countryworks.com .
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