KPLU EXPORTS JAZZ TO THE WORLD ON JAZZ24 --STREAMING WORLD-CLASS JAZZ 24/7

"I am ecstatic to have discovered Jazz24!!  Where have you been all my life?  Will you marry me?"
--Jazz24 listener in Montpelier, Vermont

(Seattle-Tacoma, WA)  As far as jazz webstreams go, KPLU gets it right.  Not only has the station's jazz stream been rated number one worldwide, according to Webcast Metrics, which measures online radio listeners, but it's been consistently ranked in the Top 20 worldwide among online radio streams.  KPLU's jazz webstream garners 85% of its listenership from outside the Puget Sound area, including all 50 states, and 135 countries.

Now, the best just got better.  KPLU has devoted its renowned jazz expertise and its energies to developing Jazz24, a new incarnation of the station's jazz webstream that features the station's unique blend of world class jazz, 24 hours a day, brings jazz to a global audience, and preserves the art form for jazz appreciators around the world.  KPLU launched the new service in February of 2008.  Jazz24 is currently enjoyed by a monthly audience of 72,000, representing approximately 758,000 streaming hours per month.

The jazz repertoire on Jazz24 is punctuated by humorous sound bits including comedy and movie clips about jazz, musicians, and popular culture, ranging from campy to edgy.  The songs are presented by KPLU on-air personalities.  The major differences between Jazz24 and KPLU's previous jazz webstream are the absence of NPR news and underwriting, and everything heard on Jazz24 is independently programmed.  The new service also utilizes its own fundraising vehicles with recorded messages and a place on the Jazz24 website for listeners to pledge their support.  During KPLU's most recent spring fund drive, Jazz24 generated about $50,000 in listener support.

"I stay tuned to Jazz24 almost all day long at my home office in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  I also have a second computer in my room, so I fall asleep listening to Jazz24.  I think it is love, isn't it?  Although I have a reasonable collection of jazz records, I seldom play them because you guys do it for me, always surprising me."
            --Jazz24 listener in Sao Paulo, Brazil

"Jazz24 has been described as 'pleasantly eclectic'," says KPLU and Jazz24 Program Director, Joey Cohn.  "Our listeners love the variety of artists and styles they hear on the channel.  A typical hour includes timeless jazz from Miles Davis and Billie Holiday, but you can also hear something bluesy from Ray Charles, Latin jazz from Poncho Sanchez, and jazz that pushes the boundaries from The Bad Plus."

Jazz24 is featured on the Windows Media player and iTunes.

In addition to the 24-hour jazz stream, Jazz24's website at www.Jazz24.org provides listeners with a "now playing" feature, a playlist, links to KPLU's live studio sessions and concerts and the new NPR Music website, which features content contributed by KPLU.

Jazz24 can also be heard on KPLU's second HD Radio channel.