INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Unprecedented
coordination by radio broadcasters led to today's announcement that
Sprint will begin installing the NextRadio® application in a broad
array of FM-enabled wireless devices over the coming years,
allowing consumers to listen to their local radio stations on their
smartphones.
"Today we set a new course as an industry, one that will bring
exciting audience and advertiser engagement opportunities," Emmis
Chairman & CEO Jeff Smulyan
said. "This announcement is a credit to the entire radio
industry, which has unified to make this happen."
The announcement by Sprint also marks the official launch of
NextRadio®, the smartphone app that delivers a highly interactive
artist and ad experience to FM-enabled smartphones.
Data for the NextRadio® app is supplied by TagStation®, the
cloud-based engine that offers stations the ability to upload
branding images that will display as default artwork in the
NextRadio® app, as well as call letters, format, station name and
slogan. This basic, free level of station integration is open to
all radio stations and creates a compelling experience within the
app as the user is able to quickly associate their local stations
with familiar visuals while browsing.
If a station does not register at TagStation®, listeners using
the NextRadio® app will still be able to hear the radio station but
may not see the station's logo displayed.
"Whether the station is large market, medium market, small
market, commercial or non-commercial, this free service will
provide listeners with a visual radio listening experience on the
FM-enabled smartphone. Radio stations no longer have to add the
cost of Internet Streaming to get local FM radio on a mobile
device," said Paul Brenner, Emmis'
Chief Technology Officer and President, NextRadio, LLC.
"Adding full TagStation® capabilities allows radio stations to
offer listeners features like album art and artist information,
listener feedback, song tagging capabilities, enhanced advertising
options and social integration, which dramatically enhance the
listening experience."
Smulyan noted that more than 1,500 stations signed up for the
free services offered by TagStation® and thousands more are
expected following today's product launch. Additionally, industry
leaders like Beasley, CBS Radio, Entercom, Greater Media and
Hubbard registered for the additional services through
TagStation®.
The Radio Advertising Bureau and National Association of
Broadcasters enthusiastically endorse the idea of FM receivers
in smartphones. The NextRadio® system brings that
feature to select Sprint smartphones and includes every
radio station in America on the service. To see a
demonstration of the NextRadio® app, go to
http://tagstation.com/NextRadio/. To sign your station up for
this free service, visit http://www.tagstation.com/signup
Emmis Communications – Great Media, Great People, Great
Service®
About Emmis Communications
Emmis Communications Corporation is a diversified media company,
principally focused on radio broadcasting. Emmis operates the 10th
largest publicly traded radio portfolio in the United States based on total
listeners. Emmis owns 18 FM and 3
AM radio stations in New
York, Los Angeles,
St. Louis, Austin (Emmis has a 50.1% controlling interest
in Emmis' radio stations located there), Indianapolis and Terre Haute, IN. One of our FM radio
stations in New York is operated
pursuant to a Local Marketing Agreement ("LMA") whereby a third
party provides the programming for the station and sells all
advertising within that programming. TagStation® and
NextRadio® are registered trademarks of Emmis' wholly owned
subsidiary, TagStation, LLC. The NextRadio® app is
distributed by Emmis' wholly owned subsidiary, NextRadio, LLC.
Note: Certain statements included in this press release which
are not statements of historical fact, including but not limited to
those identified with the words "expect," "will" or "look" are
intended to be, and are, by this Note, identified as
"forward-looking statements," as defined in the Securities and
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such statements involve known and
unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the
actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be
materially different from any future result, performance or
achievement expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement.
Such factors include, among others:
- general economic and business conditions;
- fluctuations in the demand for advertising and demand for
different types of advertising media;
- our ability to service our outstanding debt;
- increased competition in our markets and the broadcasting
industry;
- our ability to attract and secure programming, on-air
talent, writers and photographers;
inability to obtain
(or to obtain timely) necessary approvals for purchase or sale
transactions or to complete the transactions for other
reasons
generally beyond our control;
- increases in the costs of programming, including on-air
talent;
- inability to grow through suitable acquisitions or to
consummate dispositions;
- changes in audience measurement systems
- new or changing regulations of the Federal Communications
Commission or other governmental agencies;
- competition from new or different technologies;
- war, terrorist acts or political instability; and
- other factors mentioned in documents filed by the Company
with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Emmis does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or
revise any forward-looking statements because of new information,
future events or otherwise.
SOURCE Emmis Communications