Salon Audio now offers hundreds of downloadable versions of short stories, poems and interviews through its recent acquisition of MP3Lit.com, the first Web site dedicated to spoken word and audio literature recordings in MP3 format. Salon Audio also includes the weekly spoken word show "The Word," as well as 24-hour music programming.

"Salon Audio gives new featured prominence to Salon's strategic audio initiatives," says Michael O'Donnell, Salon.com's CEO and president. "By aggregating and expanding our audio content into one site, we are offering our advertisers and syndication partners new opportunities, and Salon new revenue streams. Salon is already running sponsorship audio ads in all its audio downloads."

Salon Audio also features Salon Audio columns, daily downloads and streaming audio from some of Salon's favorite writers and columnists. Each weekday, users can hear new original commentary including Michael Sragow on movies, political commentary from Salon's Washington bureau, Amy Reiter's wildly popular "Nothing Personal" column, technology news and commentary and Salon editor Laura Miller on books.

"Salon Audio will become one of the Internet's premier destinations for compelling listening with a combination of daily commentary and entertainment from Salon's all-star roster of contributors," says Gary Hustwit, MP3Lit.com founder and CEO, and now Salon's vice president of audio in charge of Internet audio initiatives.

Coming soon are full-length audio books, breaking news audio and downloadable music, as well as audio versions of the highly successful Brilliant Careers series. Sponsored by Lexus, the series profiles some of today's most outstanding achievers. Recent luminaries include Lou Reed, Robert Altman, Charles Schulz and Charles Barkley.

ABOUT SALON: Founded in 1995, Salon.com is a leading Internet media company that produces a network of 12 award-winning, original content sites; maintains Salon Shop, an e-commerce gateway; and hosts two communities -- Table Talk and The WELL. In May 2000, Salon acquired MP3Lit.com, the pioneering Web site offering quality spoken word and audio literature recordings in MP3 and Real Audio formats. Over 450 companies have advertised on Salon.com including IBM, Lexus, Microsoft, EDS, AskJeeves, Virgin Megastore Online, Kimberly Clark, and Intel. In December 1999, Salon.com announced a content and equity agreement with Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation and NBC. Strategic distribution partners include America Online (AOL), Reuters, TheStreet.com, CNN.com and CNET as well as wireless innovator AvantGo. Salon.com content is also syndicated to print publications through United Features Syndicate. The site had 2.5 million unique visitors in June 2000 as audited by ABC Interactive, a subsidiary of the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

SOURCE Salon.com