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Tech news radio in works
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January 4, 2000: 8:49 a.m. ET
CNET, AMFM to launch high-tech network, starting in San Francisco
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - CNET Inc., a popular technology news and information service, announced Tuesday that it’s teaming up with radio concern AMFM Inc. to provide all-tech news programming -- a move meant to extend its reach beyond the Internet.
The new station, to be called CNET Radio, will be an all-tech, all-the-time radio format that will include breaking news feeds, interviews with industry figures, and reviews of new technology products and services. Stories will also be broadcast on CNET's online radio service and promoted on CNET's sites.
The agreement marks CNET's latest push to make itself into a 21st century multimedia company -- one with a firm footing in both the Internet world and the more traditional ways of disseminating news.
CNET forged a relationship with General Electric (GE)’s NBC television unit in mid-1998 that set off a spate of Internet deal making in the industry. After selling off a chunk of its Snap online portal to NBC, CNET recently combined the rest of Snap with NBC's major Internet assets and those of another Web site to create a new company called NBC Internet Inc., or NBCi (NBCI).
CNET owns a 13 percent stake in NBCi, currently valued at $494 million.
The partnership will start off at San Francisco station KNEW 910 AM. CNET and AMFM will share revenue on advertising, which will be sold by both sales staffs. CNET radio will be promoted by AMFM on its six other Bay-area radio stations.
The two companies plan to roll out the format to other radio stations across the country by the end of 2000.
CNET is a media company that combines television programming with a network of channels on the Internet. It’s become well-known by Web surfers for its detailed reviews about technology products and for its vast repertoire of downloadable programs.
AMFM owns 465 radio stations in 105 markets, which reach a weekly listener base of 64 million.
Shares of San Francisco-based CNET (CNET) rose 4-11/16 Monday to 61-7/16, while Dallas-based AMFM (AFM) slid 1-1/8 to 77-1/8. 
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