Television Internet Launches LALate.com: Broadcaster Promotes Sitcom's New Season by Turning Viewers into Hollywood VIPs

SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA AUGUST 27, 2002. The Television Internet Broadcasting Network, the world's largest internet broadcasting network, announced today the launch of a new business line in conjunction with its runaway hit series "Sitcom, a sitcom": LALate.com. LALate.com is the first ever one-stop website for Los Angeles residents to get into Hollywood's most exclusive VIP parties. LALate.com offers a continually updated calendar of Hollywood's top VIP parties in the Southern California from the top promoters, parties that often draw entertainment celebrities and/or executives.

The free of charge site uses a proprietary business model and site design created by Television Internet that modernizes the industry of club promotions. Events are listed on the LALate's weekly calendar by subscribing promoters. For a fee, Television Internet grants these subscribing promoters access to the LALate calendar where promoters can post, themselves, as many events to the calendar as they wish, making changes as often as they wish. In turn, Television Internet lists the promoter's RSVP contact with encoding that enables Television Internet to track exactly the number of referrals each promoter receives from the service.

For example, the week August 27 to September 2, 2002, some of the listed parties currently include a Jay Mohr Party, the Opening Ceremonies Party for the Los Angeles Brazilian Festival, the Island Eyes Calendar Models Party, and a Labor Day Party in Hollywood featuring DJs of 100.3 THE BEAT.

Ancillary Promotion
Why is a broadcasting network interested in promoting VIP parties? LALate.com is a form of marketing Television Internet calls "ancillary promotion" for its hit series "Sitcom, a sitcom" which is premiering its second season this fall.

"Sitcom" focuses on a group of Hollywood executives that converge nightly at fictitious clubs up and down the Sunset Strip. "The rationale behind LALate.com for 'Sitcom' is that people who want to experience nightlife in Los Angeles may then watch 'Sitcom' that depicts that nightlife," explains Television Internet CEO & Founder Anthony Kling, "while existing fans of 'Sitcom' already want to get into the same type of VIP events that their favorite characters get into in every Tuesday night on 'Sitcom'."

"This type of marketing is becoming ever more prevalent for hit shows trying to stay on top," states Kling. For example, to promote the new series of its hit series "Sex in the City", HBO this August joined forces with fashion and cosmetic companies in Bangkok and Manila to launch fashion shows, including one called "Shoes in the City", featuring products like those seen in the series, with discounts on shoes, bags and lingerie. Similarly, Television Internet previously successfully cross-promoted its first hit series "Muscle Beach" with an offering of printable workouts that viewers printed out and took with them to the gym. However, what sets LALate.com apart is that it's a cash-positive business that runs itself.

Case Study
One charter subscriber is the top promoter, BluEVinyL Productions, a Los Angeles-based company, that will host this September 5, 2002 its monthly event "A&R" at Boardner's in Hollywood. A&R allows industry people, along with music lovers, to see and hear talented musicians perform their music. Past headliners and special guests have included DJ Feelgood (Moonshine), Simply Jeff (Phonomental Music/Moonshine) and a first time Los Angeles appearance for Toronoto-based Luke Fair (Bullitt Bookings/ Yoshitoshi). Opening DJs have included Christian (Moonshine), John Hunter (Dubcoast Music/Roam), JT Taylor (Golden Rule), Sean Montgomery (AstralFX), Jeff Pedigo (LADJ2NITE) Odeed (LABA/Moonshine) and Bionic (Moonshine).

BluEVinyL sends out personal invites that include the Television Internet logo to hand picked labels, producers, magazines, and radio stations, with a mailing list numbering in the thousands and a street promotion team who distribute over 15,000 flyers for each event to record stores, clubs, and clothing stores carrying the Television Internet logo.

Other Television Internet business units have previously formed successful marketing alliances also, like TelevisionMobile.com in 2001 with Microsoft's Content Partner Division, Microsoft's Mobile Solutions Division, and product launch of Microsoft Pocket PC 2002 Edition in two continents.