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Wizzard Signs Leading Language Podcast to Exclusive Advertising PartnershipPITTSBURGH --(Business Wire)-- Wizzard Software (OTCBB:WIZD), the industry-leading podcast network, is pleased to announce it has signed Learn Spanish-Survival Guide, a top-ranked podcast in iTunes, to an exclusive advertising partnership with the Wizzard Media Network. Wizzard is also pleased to announce that as of today, Learn Spanish surpassed 2 million downloads, exactly one year to the day after its launch date. Learn Spanish-Survival Guide is currently a Featured Education podcast in iTunes, where it is the #3 Education and Language podcast, and ranks #38 among all podcasts available in iTunes. The podcast, which presents 15-minute lessons on speaking Spanish in every-day situations, is one of the first shows to present the learning of a foreign language phonetically, with built-in pauses for listening and repeating. Learn Spanish can be found on www.wizzard.tv, on its own website at www.myspanishconnection.com, and on the Wizzard Media channel in iTunes. Under this agreement, Wizzard Media will work on behalf of Learn Spanish to secure advertising campaigns from national brands relevant to the show's content. In addition, Wizzard Media will invest time and money to provide Learn Spanish with marketing and content development support to help grow the show's audience. Financial terms and conditions of the agreement were not disclosed. Learn Spanish offers a variety of advertising opportunities within the podcast, including strategically positioned ads, automatic ad insertion and "live" read promotions. Advertisers can also reinforce their message from the podcast by advertising on the podcast's website and blog, as well as through other forms of communication between podcaster and audience members. Learn Spanish also provides custom sponsorship solutions, allowing advertisers to extend their marketing efforts throughout all facets of the podcast. "When I started this podcast last year, I anticipated success, but the popularity of the show exceeds even my wildest expectations," said David Spencer, creator and host of Learn Spanish-Survival Guide. "I believe I've found a home with Wizzard Media and I am looking forward to taking my podcast to the next level with them. This is a great way to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Learn Spanish-Survival Guide!" "We congratulate David on the success of his podcast and are delighted to welcome him to the Wizzard Media Network," said Jim Else, vice president of ad sales for Wizzard Media. "We believe that Learn Spanish is a perfect example of the type of podcast that will help build our business and aide in our efforts to monetize podcasts for all of the other hard-working content creators out there." Total spending on user-generated online media, which includes blogs as well as podcasts, is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of 106.1%, reaching $757.0 million in 2010, according to Blog, Podcast and RSS Advertising Outlook, released by PQ Media in 2006. About Wizzard Media Wizzard Media is the industry's leading podcast hosting network. Podcasts are a means for independent and professional content creators to publish audio and video shows for the world to enjoy over the Internet or on mp3 players, such as the Apple iPod. Podcasting is a relatively new phenomenon, but Wizzard Media collectively broadcasts 87 million podcast downloads per month through media aggregators like Apple's iTunes and other podcast directories. For more information, please visit www.wizzard.tv. Wizzard Media is a division of Wizzard Software, a leader in speech technology development. Legal Notice Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: "Forward-looking Statements" as defined in the Private Securities litigation Reform Act of 1995 may be included in this news release. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance. These statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future results or events. We disclaim any intention or obligation to revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. There are important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to risks associated with changes in general economic and business conditions, actions of our competitors, the extent to which we are able to develop new services and markets for our services, the time and expense involved in such development activities, the level of demand and market acceptance of our services, changes in our business strategies and acts of terror against the United States. |
