Radio station group owner AMFM Inc. and CNET Inc., a San Francisco-based technology news and information company, are launching the country's first all-tech radio format.
CNET radio will debut on KNEW 910 AM in San Francisco and is expected to make a national appearance by the end of the year, the two companies announced. AMFM and CNET will share advertising revenues.
The all-tech radio format will include breaking news stories on technology and interviews with major industry figures. Stories will also be broadcast on CNET's online radio service and promoted on CNET's Web sites.
CNET produces news on computers, technology and the Internet for its own Web sites and for television. It also owns a 13 percent stake in NBC Internet Inc., the online arm of the NBC television network, currently valued at $494 million.
AMFM owns more than 440 radio stations in 100 cities. AMFM's pending acquisition by Clear Channel Communications Inc. of San Antonio, Texas, is expected to be completed this year. The combined company would become the largest owner of radio stations in the country with more than 800 stations.