REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 19 — Sidewalk
™
, the personalized city guide to entertainment published by Microsoft Corp., and The Village Voice have entered into an event listings agreement. Through this strategic business relationship, both Sidewalk and the Voice will be better positioned to deliver what their readers expect – current and comprehensive entertainment listings online. Under the agreement, the Voice will provide event listings to New York Sidewalk, and Sidewalk will provide the Voice with technology tools and resources it was looking for to expand its listings operation.
“This agreement makes complete sense because it takes care of the fundamentals,” said Cella Irvine, general manager of New York Sidewalk. “It allows us to focus more attention on creating Sidewalk, the next generation of city media, which will combine insightful and unique editorial content and personalized technology features that will differentiate online city guides.”
A Strategic Relationship
The Voice will provide New York Sidewalk with fully operational listings in time for its launch. The Voice, in turn, will be able to expand its own scope of listings and upgrade its research capabilities.
“We’ve been exploring ways to upgrade our technology and expand our listings resources, and this is the right opportunity to do that. This agreement allows us to deliver our renowned entertainment guides more comprehensively, efficiently and dynamically, and gives our editors tools to assist them in producing the opinionated editorial commentary that is the Voice’s tradition,” said Linda Nelson, vice president of new media at The Village Voice.
“We’re excited about efficiently collecting core entertainment listings information,” said Frank Schott, general manager of Sidewalk. “Now Eric Etheridge, the executive producer for New York Sidewalk, and his editorial team will be able to focus on creating the personality and editorial tone for New York Sidewalk, instead of spending their time researching listings across Manhattan.”
Sidewalk is the personalized city guide to entertainment, designed to help residents make better decisions about how they spend their leisure time. Sidewalk is scheduled to launch in Seattle in March, followed by New York and 10 to 15 cities worldwide by the end of 1997.
The Village Voice, founded in 1955, is the nation’s largest alternative newsweekly. It is owned by Stern Publishing, which includes the LAWeekly, the Orange County (Calif.) Weekly, and most recently the City Pages of Minneapolis-St. Paul. The Long Island Voice will be launched in spring 1997. Stern Publishing provides award-winning electronic editions for each of its papers.
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.
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