CHANNEL 4 TO BROADCAST "NAPSTER LIVE" TELEVISION SERIES PRODUCED BY BLAZE TV
New live music TV series scheduled for broadcast every Saturday night on Channel
4 from April 16 for six weeks beginning with spotlight on rock band Garbage
LONDON - (April 5, 2005)
Napster UK, Ltd. a subsidiary of Napster, Inc.
(Nasdaq: NAPS), has announced a deal with Channel 4 to broadcast "Napster Live", a
series of 6 x 11 minute music television programmes featuring established and
emerging acts. Each episode of Napster Live will consist of an exclusive performance
of two songs by a featured artist, along with an interview, biography and competition
spot. The programmes are being put together by independent television production house
Blaze TV, responsible for the UK's most watched weekly music show CD:UK, and will begin
transmission on Channel 4 as part of its T4 Youth and Music programming at midnight on
Saturday April 16 with a performance by rock band Garbage.
Other acts confirmed for Napster Live on Channel 4 include MOBO-winning UK R&B artist
Estelle and hotly-tipped new UK rockers The Subways. Napster Live on Channel 4 is the
UK's first ever national terrestrial television programme to be programmed by a digital
music service. Napster Live already exists on the Napster digital music service as
audio-only recordings, but the television show is a new format produced exclusively for
Napster and Channel 4 by Blaze TV. Its music content will also be made available online
at a later date on the Napster UK service.
"We're incredibly excited to be teaming up with Napster on what feels like a truly unique
and exciting proposition for 4Music," said Neil McCallum, Commissioning Editor, T4, Youth
& Music. "The bands booked are exactly the sorts of artists we've been supporting and this
allows us to capitalise on bringing even more live music to a wider, up-for-it audience."
"To extend the Napster experience to television is the logical next step in the UK roll
out of the biggest brand in digital music," said Leanne Sharman, Napster vice-president
and UK general manager. "Channel 4 has a deserved reputation for groundbreaking and
forward-looking programming as well as championing live music, so we're delighted to make
our TV debut on their platform. Napster is also extremely fortunate to have a partner like
Blaze TV whose production skills, expertise and contact book have proven invaluable in
creating this series."
"In a world where the production and consumption of music are changing so drastically and
so rapidly we are delighted to be involved with the market leader in music digital
downloading and to have been given the opportunity to create exciting new programming for
Channel 4 whose commitment to music, and especially new music, is unparalleled in the UK.
We look forward to building a long relationship with Napster," said Conor McAnally, Blaze
TV director of programmes.
About Blaze TV
Blaze is the music and entertainment division of Zenith Entertainment Ltd. Music productions
include CDUK, which now broadcasts in the UK, Italy, Germany, Middle East, China and Japan,
CD:UK Hotshots, Headliners, Re:Covered, H Side Story and Napster Live. Blaze has won 22 major
awards in the past five years including 5 British Academy awards and four Royal Television
Society Awards.
About Napster
Napster, the world's biggest brand in digital music, is a subscription service that enables
fans to access the world's largest and most diverse online collection of music and experience
the largest number of features. Napster subscribers have more ways to discover, share and
acquire new music and old favorites with community features like the ability to email tracks
to friends and browse other members' collections. Subscribers to Napster can listen to
full-length songs from every major record label and hundreds of independents on demand and
transfer songs to their favourite
Napster To Go™ compatible MP3 player for a low monthly
fee. Napster also offers Napster Light, a "lighter" version of the service for those who just
want to purchase songs and albums a la carte. Napster is headquartered in Los Angeles.
Copyright © 2005 Napster, LLC All rights reserved. Napster, the Napster logo, Napster To Go,
and Napster Light are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Napster, Inc. or its
subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks used are owned
by their respective owners.
Napster contact:
Adam Howorth
Communications Director
Tel: +44 (0) 207 1017281
adam.howorth@napster.co.uk
Blaze TV contact:
Jo Hyland
Account Director
Premier PR
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7292 8331
jo@premierpr.com