The Radio League listening app (covered by RAIN here), continues to be one of the most interesting developments in the broadcdast/Internet platform relationship. To summarize: Journal Broadcast Group launched a mobile listening app explicitly to give its radio listeners an alternative to broadcast’s high commercial load. “More music and fewer interruptions” is what Journal VP Michael Gay told us last week. Today we learn that the app, which currently features seven pureplay stations, is powered by Radionomy.
“Radio League is a fantastic radio experience. Our partnership with Journal Broadcasting Group proves that broadcasters can expand their role in the future radio landscape by using the right tools to develop their digital strategy and broaden their reach,” commented Thierry Ascarez, VP of Business Development at Radionomy. (Thierry Ascarez will appear at RAIN Summit West, Sunday, April 6, in Las Vegas.)
Ascarez’s comments, and the concept behind Radio League, falls in line with the multi-platform drumbeat that comes from Dr. Mark Fratric, SVP at BIA/Kelsey. Fratrik’s latest comments (in a conversation with RAIN here) were associated with BIA/Kelsey’s summary of radio revenues in 2013, which showed a slow-but-steady growth of online revenues mixed in with broadcast ad income.
In the case of Radio League, it is a startling foray into pureplay listening separated from the radio’s web streams. It seeks to monetize a behavior (pureplay listening) that is commonly regarded as radio’s competitor, get in front of user who likes low-commercial app listening, and bundle that usage along with its monetization into Journal’s bottom line.