MSN Expedia Brings Online Travel to the Airwaves Via Innovative Radio Program

REDMOND, Wash., June 23, 1999 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the launch of Expedia® Radio, a one-hour, syndicated weekly travel radio program, designed as an audio companion to the critically acclaimed MSN TM Expedia travel service ( http://expedia.com/ ). Expedia Radio will air on leading radio stations in Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and Seattle beginning Saturday, June 26, 1999.

Seattle radio veterans Mike West and John Fisher will host the program, bringing their wit, humor and professionalism to this lively and entertaining show. Expedia Radio will offer timely, in-depth features on all aspects of travel, from exotic vacation destinations to practical advice for weekend travelers. The program draws on the expertise of not only the editorial staff for Expedia but also seasoned travel writers and correspondents such as Peter Greenberg of the
“Today”
show and syndicated travel writer Ed Perkins. In addition, listeners will be able to send questions in e-mail to Expedia Radio via the MSN Expedia Web site.

Planned program segments include Travel News, Best Places, Plan This Trip, Expert Advice, World Guide and Deals, all designed to encourage listeners to experience travel for themselves and to provide them with the information they need to actively pursue their travel aspirations. In addition, Expedia Radio will feature interviews with well-known celebrities.

“Expedia Radio is designed to be a comprehensive and listener-friendly resource on the radio for travel,”
said Renee Russak, group manager, Content and Programming, MSN Expedia.
“With this, we are bringing our established travel programming expertise to a new medium and are excited about the potential for building a first-class radio show.”

“The fact that Americans took more than 1 billion trips last year reflects how large the audience for this type of program is,”
said Lynn O’Connell, national sales manager, WRKO-AM in Boston.
“Joining with a proven travel industry leader such as MSN Expedia demonstrates our commitment to providing high-quality travel programming with instant name recognition.”

Expedia Radio Highlights

  • Travel News features breaking travel industry news, special fare sales and travel advisories.

  • Best Places highlights a different destination each week with information on top attractions, lodging and dining.

  • Plan This Trip is a how-to companion piece to Best Places. It is a guide for listeners on ways to get the most out of their trip, including where to stay, restaurant recommendations, advice on things to see and do, and tips on the easiest way to get there.

  • World Guide/360 Tours profile the culture and heritage of various destinations from around the globe.

  • Deals provides listeners with information on exclusive travel promotions and specials.

  • Expert travel correspondents Peter Greenberg, Ed Perkins, Douglas Ward and Alan Spira will lend their expertise on various travel-related subjects.

  • Guest celebrities will offer personal insights into their favorite pastimes and travel destinations.

The radio program will initially air on KLSX-FM in Los Angeles on Sundays, 7-8 a.m.; WCKG-FM in Chicago on Saturdays, 7-8 a.m.; WRKO-AM in Boston on Sundays, 6-7 a.m.; WPHT-AM in Philadelphia on Saturdays, 7-8 a.m.; and KOMO-AM in Seattle on Saturdays,
6-7 a.m. The shows will also be available weekly on the Expedia Web site starting June 29, then archived for future listening. In addition, the show will be featured on http://windowsmedia.com/ and on http://broadcast.com/ .

About MSN Expedia Travel

MSN Expedia ( http://expedia.com/ ) is the place to go on the Web to easily plan travel, purchase tickets, and make hotel and car reservations. Part of the MSN network of Internet services, MSN Expedia also offers in-depth destination content and travel news as well as mapping services. MSN Expedia is the Web’s leading online travel agency, with weekly travel sales currently exceeding $16 million and the top reach for online travel sites according to Media Metrix*. MSN Expedia is also the winner of PC Magazine’s Editors’ Choice Award for best leisure travel Web site, as well as awards from PC World, Macworld and PC Computing for top online travel site. A credit card guarantee is offered on MSN Expedia (U.S. and Canadian versions only) to protect credit cards used on the Internet from fraud. With this service, after an initial purchase on Expedia, customers’ credit cards are protected from fraud liability – up to $50 (U.S.) – on any purchases made in the subsequent 12 months on or off the Internet. Since the program’s introduction in June 1998, Microsoft is proud to state that, because of the top-level site security, the service remains unused.

MSN Expedia also offers exceptional customer service, with more than 250 customer service representatives available via a toll-free number and e-mail to answer questions and provide assistance to travelers 24 hours a day, seven days a week while they are en route.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and

personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

* Media Metrix, April and May 1999

Microsoft, Expedia and MSN are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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