Salon.com & Nerve.com Launch Online Personals Service

New Service, Aimed at a Combined Audience of 5 Million Users, Introduces New Revenue Initiatives for Both Companies

Published December 4, 2000 9:44PM (EST)

Salon.com (http://www.salon.com) (Nasdaq: SALN), one of the Internet's leading media companies, and Nerve.com (http://www.nerve.com), the publisher of exceptional writing and photography about sex, gender and culture, today launched Salon/Nerve Personals, the definitive space for online flirting. The Salon/Nerve Personals (found at either http://www.nervecenter.com or http://www.personals.salon.com) promise to attract a young, hip and urban demographic and will allow users to meet online in real time.

Michael O'Donnell, CEO of Salon.com, says, "We have a high percentage of singles visiting Salon on a regular basis and they're interested in meeting like-minded people. This new online personals offering from Salon and Nerve allows us to provide new services to our large and valuable audience and generate new revenue streams at the same time."

The Personals offer three levels of membership service, with prices ranging from $14.95 to $49.95. From now until Jan. 31, the Salon/Nerve Personals launch with a special "Charter Member Program." During this time only, users earn "credits" instead of spending credits. These credits can be used as currency to respond to personal ads in the future. (For more on the Charter Member Program and other membership features go to http://www.personals.salon.com/personals/). Other Personals features include an advice column by Em and Lo and horoscopes for those seeking love.

Says Rufus Griscom, CEO of Nerve.com, Inc., "The combined strength of the Nerve and Salon brands, with some of the highest quality online content and over 5 million combined users on a monthly basis, has the power to energize the world of online dating. Ten years from now, it will be taken for granted that you can find a great date online. Both Salon and Nerve can help accelerate this process."

About Salon: Founded in 1995, Salon.com is a leading Internet media company that produces 10 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 October, 2000, Salon.com launched Salon Audio, a site offering 24-hour music programming, daily downloads and streaming audio from Salon's favorite columnists, as well as hundreds of downloadable versions of short stories, poems and interviews in MP3 and Real Audio formats. Over 530 companies have advertised on Salon.com including IBM, Lexus, Microsoft, EDS, Hewlett-Packard, Mastercard, 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), TheStreet.com, CNN.com and CNet as well as wireless innovator AvantGo. The site had 2.6 million unique visitors in September 2000 as audited by ABC Interactive, a subsidiary of the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

About Nerve: After its smash debut on the Web on June 26, 1997 (the same day the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Communications Decency Act), Nerve.com has consistently brought its readers the best in material that is "direct with both word and image, whether the result is flushed faces or just reflective thought." With contributions from writers like Norman Mailer, Rick Moody, Camille Paglia, Joycelyn Elders, Erica Jong and A.M. Homes as well as photographers such as Andres Serrano, Sylvia Plachy and Edward Weston, Nerve has become one of the most-visited original online magazines. Through international expansion and multiple brand extensions, Nerve.com, Inc. has developed into a diversified, global media company. Its two online properties, Nerve.com and Bianca.com, reach a total of 2.8 million unique users and generate 150 million page views per month. Nerve is translated into four languages: French, Spanish, Portuguese and German. NerveRadio, a complete online experience for the mind and body, was launched in January, and Nerve Center, the online community of thoughtful hedonists, was launched in October 1999. Four books, including "Nerve: The New Nude," a daring collection of photographs from the site, have been or will soon be published. In April 2000, Nerve launched its print magazine, titled Nerve, to acclaim everywhere.

For more information contact: Dayna Macy at 415-645-9324, dmacy@salon.com.

SOURCE Salon.com


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