GM's OnStar To Offer Financial News To Drivers.(Brief Article)

General Motors said its OnStar unit struck a deal that will let its users get access to news from Dow Jones & Co. Inc.'s Wall Street Journal Online while they are driving. The companies said in a statement that users of Onstar, which provides directions and the ability to call the police in emergencies using satellite network and wireless technology, will have access to the content beginning in May.

For consumers, the service will be free with a subscription to OnStar, which costs $199 or $399 a year, depending on the level of service. The only added charge will be the wireless airtime used while listening, for which GM charges between 18 and 35 cents a minute. Drivers will be able to select from a menu of Wall Street Journal offerings, including regular market updates, on OnStar's Web site, where they also may choose stocks to follow and sports scores they want to hear. The information is delivered by voice through the car stereo, with the driver controlling the system by voice commands.

Among the things users will be able to access include hourly market reports, as well as news from its "What's News" and "Heard on the Street" sections. Terms of the deal were not disclosed

Users will be able to access the news through the OnStar Virtual Advisor, which combines wireless communications with voice recognition technology to provide Web-based information. It is available now in some markets on 2001 model-year OnStar-equipped General Motors cars.

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