Electronic Newsstand

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

For Immeditate Release

Contact : Paul Vizza
(202) 331-7494
Info () enews com

ELECTRONIC NEWSSTAND Launched on the Global Internet

     (New York, July  25, 1993)-- The  New Republic, Inc.   of  Washington,
D.C.  and  The Internet  Company of  Hudson, MA  today launched  Electronic
Newsstand Inc., a  new company  created to market  subscription and  single
copy sales for magazine publishers via the Global Internet -- the worldwide
computer communications  network  spanning more  than  45 countries  and  5
continents.  The new company will also be involved in providing advertisers
access to Internet.

     "We think this could become the newest and most efficient subscription
source for a wide range of  publishers," says Jeffrey Dearth, President  of
The New Republic  magazine, founder  and CEO of  Electronic Newsstand  Inc.
"The estimated 10  to 15  million Internet users  can browse  the table  of
contents and selected articles  from the publications  of our newsstand  24
hours a day, seven days a week, and send orders to us electronically.  It's
like being  in the  mail every  day  as far  as circulation  acquisition is
concerned.  The publishing industry has been looking for a new subscription
source, and this  is it,  particularly as  the Internet  continues to  grow
among consumers."

     Publications that have signed up during the launch phase include:  The
New Yorker,  The Economist,  The New  Republic, Foreign  Affairs,  National
Review, Technology Review,  Eating Well, Outside  Magazine, The Journal  of
NIH Research,  The Source,  and  New Age  Journal.   These  magazines  will
receive subscription  and  single copy  orders  daily via  electronic  mail
generated by Electronic Newsstand.   Other publications will be invited  to
participate in the Electronic Newsstand in the coming months.

     "The culture of the  Global Internet is such  that the information  it
provides is shared freely and openly among its users," said Robert  Raisch,
President of  The  Internet  Company,  and  COO  of  Electronic  Newsstand.
"That's why each of our first wave of publishers will be providing  a table
of contents  and one  or more  editorial features  free through  Electronic
Newsstand to users on the Internet."

     "The idea  is  that  the  more people  are  exposed  to  a  magazine's
editorial content, the more likely they are to be interested in subscribing
to a hard copy, or in purchasing a single issue.  We've tested this concept
on one  on-line computer  network, and  it works.   Since  the Internet  is
really a collection of thousands of  computer networks, all of which  share
the same information, it's the next logical step," adds Dearth.

     "The Internet Company was formed specifically to develop opportunities
like Electronic Newsstand," says Raisch.  "Electronic Newsstand  represents
one of the first attempts to  develop general content specifically for  the
Global Internet.  As Internet users visit our 'store', so to speak, we will
provide them with valuable information about  a wide range of products  and
services  and  this  will  allow  them to  make  truly informed  purchasing
decisions."

     "Our service  is designed  to showcase  an advertiser's  products  and
services -- providing a 'point of  presence' from which they can  represent
their products and take orders.   Once a customer accesses our service,  we
are  able  to  collect  information  from  customers  actively,  by  asking
questions, or  passively, by  simply  watching where  they visit  and  what
documents they retrieve," Raisch continues.

     "Most users access  the Global  Internet by  using personal  computers
over  traditional  communications  channels  --  channels  which  excel  at
transfering simple  text.    As  these  channels  become  faster  and  more
powerful, we'll  provide a  full  multimedia service,  including  pictures,
sound and video, all over the same channel.

     In the meantime, the Internet can serve vast amounts of information to
benefit advertisers and their customers.  It's a win-win scenario."

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Connecting to Electronic Newsstand --

Connections to the Electronic Newsstand are made via the 'gopher' protocol
to host 'gopher.netsys.com' on port 2100.  If you are unable to use gopher
to access this host, you can telnet to gopher.netsys.com, login: enews

If you have any difficulties, please send mail to 'staff () enews com'