Flow Communications was founded in the same Stanford University neighborhood as Facebook, in a house on Columbia Street. In 1998 Flow Communications entered a strategic partnership with Information Network Radio (INR) and moved to 114 Sansome Street in the historic Adam Grant Building at the corner of Bush Street in the Financial District of San Francisco. Flow Communications’ task was developing content for their 5 Talk Channels for the soon-to-be-launch Sirius Satellite Radio and overseeing their 2 foreign language Channels on XM Satellite Radio, in the early days before the merger. Flow Communications spearheaded hiring programming staff, naming the channels, and producing imaging and demo programming, prior to the “birds” in space going live. Paul Wells served Director of Programming, and as Creative Director for Business Radio 1220AM (Now KDOW). In January 1999, they moved operations to historic roundhouse building at 1500 Sansome Street.
In 2000 Gavin Magazine, the SF Music and Radio Industry Trade Publication founded by Bill Gavin as a “Tip Sheet”, named Flow Communications “A company to watch,” along with such companies as Napster, ARTISTdirect Records, Dolby Laboratories, AOL Music and Launch Yahoo!.
In 2002 Flow Communications moves to its current location at 69 Green Street in the heart of San Francisco’s Media Gulch. The neighborhood is where CBS, ABC and numerous post production companies, advertising agencies and other media companies have their headquarters. In that same year, Flow Communications launched the Nationally syndicated radio program the SF Bay Radio hour, also known as Lobsters Rock Box which aired in 25 markets from Coast to Coast running from 2002 to 2007. Flow also created the imaging for the pioneering streaming internet radio networks ChoiceRadio.com and AudioFeast.
In 2005, Flow Communications signed a half-million dollar deal with Clear Channel Radio to produce a local morning show for their then Air America affiliate radio station, then KQKE, the Quake at 960 AM, San Francisco. For this program, Flow teamed Political Icon, former San Francisco Mayor and Speaker of the California State Assembly, Willie Brown and nationally renowned Political Comedian, Will Durst. “Keepin’ it Real with Will and Willie” increased the ratings by 50 percent over the previous morning show which was hosted by Jerry Springer, in the first month. The program also had 3 times the ratings of it’s successor. Paul acted as both Producer and Announcer for the program. The Will and Willie show continues as a now monthly ” Tri-Cast” on the radio at both Talk 910 and 960 AM, as a podcast and TV version, which has aired on KOFY TV 20 and MySourceTV.com. In that same year, Flow Communications produced
San Francisco Saturday Night programming for the Moonlight Groove Radio Network, broadcasting from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum in Cleveland. The programs were hosted by former Managing Editor of Rolling Stone Magazine, columnist and author Ben Fong Torres and Paul “Lobster” Wells.
In 2006 Flow Communications also began producing the Trail Blazing “Green” radio program Eco Talk with Betsy Rosenbrg which also aired on the Air America radio network and locally in the Bay Area on 960AM the Quake.
Flowstream.com predicted in 1999 that “Show Business is coming to the World Wide Web.” This vision has been more than fully realized in the years since, and Flow Communications, and it’s Internet Brand, Flowstream, continue to innovate content in the integrated media mix. As the dust settles around the “Tectonic Plate Shift” that has altered the traditional media landscape, Flow Communications has also returned to it’s roots as a boutique Ad Agency, with the goal of aiding clients to negotiate and make the right choices with their advertising budgets, be it Radio, TV, Print, The Internet, Social Media or any combination thereof.