Billboard Bits: David Bowie (from Billboard Online, 4/5/01) David Bowie will launch an online radio station, "BowieRadio," via his BowieNet Web community on Thursday (April 5). Using RealNetworks software, the station will stream Bowie favorites and live performance clips, as well as non-Bowie material. Affirming his hands-on role in BowieNet, the artist himself will eventually launch a channel broadcasting his own DJ mixes. "The possibilities are endless," Bowie said in a statement. "We have developed programming that not only satisfies the musical tastes and personal requests of our members, but also does not infringe on the rights of the writers and publishers." Bowie Launches Online Radio Service (from Yahoo!, 4/5/01) LOS ANGELES (AP) - Rocker David Bowie has another online proposition. Bowie says his Internet Community BowieNet is launching its online BowieRadio service on Thursday. It includes a comprehensive collection of Bowie recordings as well as ``stations'' streaming non-Bowie material. BowieRadio will roll out additional stations in coming months, including one featuring Bowie as a disc jockey. ``The possibilities are endless,'' Bowie said Tuesday. ``We have developed programming that not only satisfies the musical tastes and personal requests of our members, but also does not infringe on the rights of the writers and publishers.'' BowieRadio will use a proprietary Internet radio solution from AxisPoint that automates reporting to performing rights organizations like ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Unlike file-sharing sources like Napster (news - web sites), BowieRadio will not allow users to copy and exchange music. Listeners can only hear preselected tracks via streaming audio, similar to conventional AM and FM radio. The singer's subscription-based Internet site was launched in 1998 and has paved the way for other artists such as the Dave Matthews Band, Hanson and Prince who recently adopted a similar model. Bowie Goes Radio, Radio (from Spin Online, 4/3/01) David Bowie might as well curl up into a small ball, climb into his modem, and live there forever… as a little Cyber-Bowie. But then, he does have a small child, so perhaps that's not the best idea. But whatever the case, you can't ever say that the man is not Internet-savvy. Bowie and his BowieNet web-world (at www.davidbowie.com) have now announced the birth of his first-ever online radio station, titled BowieRadio. The network will be a streaming system featuring rare Bowie live and studio tracks, as well as a number of other stations that will feature music by artists other than the Thin White Duke. And as most of Bowie's online initiatives go, the man himself will take in active role in choosing what kinds of material will play on the radio station. We're told we can expect even more stations from Bowie in the coming year. And who knows, he might even play DJ himself on one of them. What's more, the Bowie radio network has utilized certain technologies to ensure that the streams do not infringe on the copyrights of artists and music publishers. None of this controversy stuff, yo. Why? Well, Bowie-Radio does not give users the ability to swap and download files. No, no, they are only allowed to listen to those tracks being streamed. See? This Bowie is a smart man, he is.