D Magazine : The Front Burner

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Return to Front Burner

A SITE FOR LOCAL MUSIC FANS

No, it's not DConstruction again. It's Texas Gigs, which has been around for a while, but now it's bigger and better, thanks to a new partnership with Pegasus News. Some Friends of FrontBurner really want you to check it out. So, um, check it out. The press release is after the jump.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contacts: Colby Walton or Molli Samuels
Cooksey Communications
972-580-0662, ext. 23 or ext. 22
colby@cookseypr.com or molli@cookseypr.com

PEGASUS NEWS™ POWERS TEXASGIGS.COM WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY, FORMAT, FEATURING 400+ LOCAL BANDS, COMPREHENSIVE CONTENT
Site Offers Preview of Deep Local Coverage, Ease-of-Use, Extensive Bandwidth and Innovative Technological Tools to be Available Soon Through New Local Media Venture

DALLAS — January 6, 2006 — Pegasus News™ announced today that it has re-launched an existing local music website, www.texasgigs.com, with more in-depth coverage, a streamlined site format and innovative tools to affirm the status of TexasGigs as the premier provider of local music information in North Texas. The newly re-launched site also offers a preview of many of the attributes that will differentiate Pegasus News from other media outlets when it launches in early 2006, including deep local news coverage, ease-of-use, user interactivity and powerful deployment of extensive site bandwidth and new technologies.
TexasGigs now offers the most complete database of local bands in North Texas, with profiles of more than 400 local acts, many featuring audio and video tracks. The site’s calendar of upcoming local shows is also the most robust available, offering links to the bands and venues for each show, as well as maps, ticket information and more. Feature stories from TexasGigs profile local bands and musical influencers, with opportunities for all users to provide feedback on each story.
Audio and video features include a virtual radio station showcasing the bands playing locally each week, as well as dozens of streaming radio stations featuring local artists. The newly-updated www.texasgigs.com also offers five Podcast shows, with four audio Podcasts and one video Podcast.
Drawing further on innovative technology, registered users of TexasGigs can get reminders via e-mail and text messages about upcoming shows by their favorite bands. TexasGigs also offers a Yahoo! Widget to provide local show updates on a user’s computer desktop. Even mobile device users can access a daily calendar and “Best Bets” recommendations via http://mobile.texasgigs.com.
“TexasGigs provides a sneak peek of many of the capabilities of Pegasus News, with unusually deep coverage of local news through the contributions of both professional journalists and users, as well as timely delivery of information in the user’s preferred format through use of the latest technology,” said Mike Orren, president and publisher of Pegasus News. “What TexasGigs is now to the local music scene, Pegasus News will soon be for everything from neighborhood news to local entertainment, politics and youth sports.”
“Prior to our re-launch and partnership with Pegasus News, our site offered a wealth of content, but organizing it for ease-of-use and true user interactivity was a challenge,” said TexasGigs founder Cindy Chaffin. “Three-and-a-half years ago I started TexasGigs as my personal blog about the local music scene. With the help of Pegasus News, TexasGigs has now evolved into a one-stop outlet for information about local music fans’ favorite bands, upcoming show details and the latest news about the North Texas music scene. There’s no more powerful source for local music lovers.”
Launched in 2002, TexasGigs has twice been honored by the Dallas Observer as a readers’ pick for “Best Blog,” in both 2003 and 2004. The Dallas Observer’s editors also honored the site in 2005 as a “Best Not-Quite Podcast” for its recordings and online rebroadcasts of local music shows.
Pegasus News is a new online media venture launching in Dallas, Texas, in early 2006 with an innovative media model benefiting readers, advertisers and the local community. The Pegasus News brand of journalism combines the best qualities of traditional and new media, allowing for unprecedented local news coverage and the delivery of relevant, personally customized content to each reader. Pegasus News also offers a first-of-its-kind media advertising model, basing advertiser costs upon results generated by ads in the company’s media mix.
Pegasus News boasts six primary attributes never before combined in a media organization:
(1) The Daily You™: Personally customized, hyperlocal content
(2) Journalism 2.0™: Professional journalism and reader engagement
(3) Highly-targeted advertising based on users’ geographic preferences and behavior
(4) Pay-for-performance advertising model for most advertisers
(5) Multiple distribution media options
(6) “Cool tools” – comprehensive, downloadable dining, entertainment and city guides, as well as interactive maps accompanying stories
At launch in early 2006, subscriptions to Pegasus News will cost $12 annually for most users, although access to TexasGigs will remain free. However, with rebates from patronage of Pegasus News’ pay-for-performance advertisers, Pegasus News readers could find that their subscriptions are, in effect, free or even profitable over time. For more information about Pegasus News, including subscriptions, visit www.pegasusnews.com. For advertising or other questions, call (214) 514-4710 or email publisher@pegasusnews.com.
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Adam McGill · January 6, 2006 02:09 PM