The world of radio station streaming just became more competitive. Pandora, the largest internet radio provider, signs a deal with Ando Media that will put its ratings side-by-side with station webcasts. Ando EVP Paul Krasinski says advertisers will get a “truer picture” of how large the internet radio audience is.
Radio has long been recognized as the theater of the mind but more and more it is becoming an interactive medium. New interactive technologies are opening up new and possibly fruitful opportunities for radio stations – but they also require a fresh new approach for salespeople.
Today selling radio also includes online sponsorships, videos, text messaging, online streams, podcasts, display ads, etc. One size fits all packages are not the way to go when you have so many new weapons in your arsenal. To be successful, account executives must create custom solutions that both benefit their clients and the radio station they represent. The perfect ad buy not only brings in fresh new revenue but also drives traffic to the on-air product and reinforces the power of your station.
Los Angeles’ Indie 103, one of the nation’s most renowned alternative rock stations, announced on air today that they’ll end their FM broadcast “effective immediately” and instead only exist on the Web. [MORE]
Listen to the top (music) radio stations around the country and you will hear a great mix of music for the masses. Experienced program directors know that success hinges on the right mix of popular artists, up-and-comers, and an occasional surprise or two. This intricate balancing act will keep a mass audience coming back day after day, but what happens when that same audience goes online? Music for the masses becomes music for me.
JamLegend takes the familiar anyone-can-be-a-rockstar model made popular by videogames likeGuitar Hero and Rock Band and puts it on the Web. [MORE]