CHICAGO, May 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Joining the
industry-wide effort to provide a compelling over-the-air radio
listening experience on the smartphone, Cox Media Group (CMG) has
chosen TagStation data service to supplement its FM radio
programming with enhanced hybrid content. The move will give its
more than 14 million radio listeners a new way to hear, see, and
interact with the local radio programming they love.
"The car is really a radio on wheels, and TagStation helps in
our quest to ensure radio stays cool, providing a richer in-car
experience for our listeners," said CMG's Executive VP of Radio Kim
Guthrie. "Now our on-the-go listeners have more ways to interact
with their favorite radio superbrands and personalities where ever
they are."
TagStation® is a cloud-based data service that
provides an interface for radio stations to synchronize images and
data with their broadcasts for display on the NextRadio app
(NextRadioApp.com), HD Radio™ Artist Experience (hdradio.com), as
well as the new breed of connected car dashboards expected in the
future. NextRadio® is a hybrid radio app currently
available on select smartphones from Sprint that pairs over-the-air
FM broadcasts with the internet to give users an enhanced radio
listening experience including album art, program information, and
the ability to provide station feedback and other interactivity
with the touch of a button.
"We are pleased to see Cox embracing this industry effort to
update the listener experience through hybrid radio via the
TagStation platform," said Paul
Brenner who leads the TagStation efforts for Emmis.
"Consistent user experience on FM-enabled smartphones and connected
cars will ultimately decide the future of terrestrial radio, and
Cox Media Group Radio is doing their part to ensure industry
success."
CMG joins a list of broadcasting groups as innovators who
recognize the importance of elevating radio in the presence of so
many current listening options. Its 47 FM radio stations have
completed the set-up process and will soon begin delivering
enhanced content to their audiences across the United States.
For information about licensing TagStation data services,
contact Libby Hiple:
ehiple@tagstation.com.
About Cox Media Group
Cox Media Group is an
integrated broadcasting, publishing, direct marketing and digital
media company that includes the national advertising rep firms of
CoxReps. Additionally, CMG owns Cox Target Media, which
operates Valpak, one of North
America's leading direct marketing companies, and
Savings.com, a leading online source for savings. The
company's operations currently include 14 broadcast television
stations and one local cable channel, 57 radio stations, eight
daily newspapers and more than a dozen non-daily publications, and
more than 100 digital services. CMG currently operates in
more than 20 media markets and reaches approximately 52 million
Americans weekly, including more than 30 million TV viewers, more
than 3.5 million print and online newspaper readers, and more than
14 million radio listeners. For more information about Cox
Media Group, please check us out online at www.coxmediagroup.com.
About TagStation, LLC
TagStation, LLC is a wholly
owned subsidiary of Emmis Communications Corporation. TagStation,
LLC in a partnership with NAB Labs has developed the NextRadio®
hybrid radio smartphone app which provides a rich FM radio
listening experience on a smartphone using a combination of the
smartphone's built-in FM tuner and the internet. It has also
developed TagStation®, the cloud-based data service for enhanced
radio broadcasting through HD Radio's Artist Experience® and the
NextRadio smartphone app. Founded in 2013, TagStation, LLC is
headquartered in Indianapolis, IN
with offices in Indianapolis and
Chicago, IL. For more information
about TagStation®, visit TagStation.com.
SOURCE Emmis Communications