Companies Increasingly Cybercast Investor Relations Events

		PRNEWSWIRE - MICHELLE SAVAGE - INVESTOR RELATIONS ONLINE Veteran marketing executive Michelle Savage says Internet cybercasts, especially of conference calls, is gaining popularity as a cost-effective way to reach individual investors. Savage, speaking at the Investor Relations Online conferece in New York today, says the web broadcasts also can eliminate concerns over selective disclosure. (PRNewsFoto)[KC] NEW YORK, NY USA

Veteran Marketing Executive Says Conference Calls Are Opening Up to the Media and Investors NEW YORK, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The number of Internet cybercasts of conference calls and annual meetings has risen parallel to the increasing number of online investors trading after market close and demanding access to information, according to a veteran marketing executive. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990916/HSTH001C ) "Public companies are viewing holding cybercasts as a cost-effective way to reach the online investor and to position themselves as innovators," said Michelle Savage, director of investor relations services for PR Newswire, at the Investor Relations Online conference today. "There are around 4,000 sell-side analysts issuing research on companies. However, despite an increase in the number of equity analysts, there are still around 800 companies listed on a major stock market that have no sell-side coverage. These companies must look for other ways to get the word out," she said. Savage discussed broadcasting investor relations events on the Internet with the investor relations officers attending the IR online conference, which was held by First Conferences Ltd. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in New York City from Sept. 15-16. "Online conference calls typically receive from hundreds to thousands of visitors," she said. "Other events, such as annual meetings, press conferences, and live satellite interviews are slowly gaining in popularity." The popularity of open conference calls is also the result of selective disclosure concerns, Savage said. Many companies hesitate to allow individual investors and reporters on their traditional quarterly earning conference call. The chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Arthur Levitt, has expressed concern that this leads to selective disclosure in that sometimes additional information inadvertently is leaked out during the call -- information that was not disclosed in the earnings press release. Posting these calls on the Internet may eliminate this problem. Another factor in the increase of Internet cybercasts is the technology itself. The increase in high-speed modems coupled with the ubiquity of streaming media plug-ins means that many more individual investors and members of the media are capable of tuning in. The events, archived by providers such as PR Newswire, may be enhanced with slide shows, registration and indexing. Companies, who once had to pay upwards of $3,500 to cybercast an event can now do so for about $700 including having it archived for 90 days. Savage, a former equity analyst, oversees PR Newswire's introduction and sales of new services to corporate and agency investor relations executives. She spearheaded the development of vIRtual IQ, a complete investor relations web site that allows companies to provide investors with immediate access to key information, conference calls and other interactive tools. PR Newswire is the world leader in the electronic delivery of information directly from companies, institutions and agencies through its cutting-edge wire, fax, satellite, e-mail and Internet network. Forty-five years after founding the industry, it has 35 bureaus worldwide, an exclusive partnership with Canada NewsWire and a vast international affiliate system. PR Newswire provides a broad complement of services for public relations and investor relations professionals to reach the media, financial community and consumers.