Emmis-owned NextRadio announced the finalists and winner of its radio spot contest this week. The winner, by college student Thomas Baker III, is called “Data Pigs.” The spot is well-produced, but mixes up NextRadio marketing in a way that could detract from its effectiveness. Continue Reading
Fresh from its celebration over AT&T’s commitment to ask its phone builders to activate internal FM reception chips, Emmis-owned NextRadio campaigned for T-Mobile to do the same. Today CEO John Legere agreed. Good momentum for NextRadio, but still an uphill climb before radio benefits. Continue Reading
NextRadio is pushing to get T-Mobile to unlock FM chips on its phones. The company has launched a campaign with the tagline “Help Get NextRadio on T-Mobile.” It asks people to turn to social media and voice their support for unlocking the chips for phones on T-Mobile plans. Continue Reading
In an unexpected announcement by NextRadio that will be greeted warmly by all advocates of FM reception in smartphones, AT&T has added FM chip activation to the specification list that it gives OEM phone makers. This development carries a hopeful message to Emmis-owned NextRadio, and the stations which participate in that app. Continue Reading
Last week Emmis Communications held its fiscal-Q1 2016 earnings call. In it, CEO Jeff Smulyan expressed confidence and optimism about terrestrial radio, skepticism of streaming as a primary business model, and continued enthusiasm for the NextRadio initiative. Continue Reading
NextRadio announced an adoption milestone: two-million downloads of the NextRadio app. Downloads jumped from 1.5-million in two months. We charted the entire growth curve of app downloads, listening hours, and participating radio stations. Continue Reading
Today Clip Interactive announced a new capability of its Total Audience Solution platform, allowing FM reception as an alternative to streaming a radio station. In smartphones, FM reception must be enabled by activation of the phone’s FM chip. The first phone… Continue Reading
Two members of Congress wrote a letter to FCC Chair Tom Wheeler, advocating for activated FM chips in smartphones. RAIN founding editor Kurt Hanson analyzes why this is the best strategy for getting those chips activated. Continue Reading
NextRadio has launched an ad campaign aimed at promoting the use of its app and the activation of FM chips in all smartphones. The campaign, in partnership with the National Association of Broadcasters, is asking terrestrial radio stations to run the spots. The main focus of these ads is to educate more listeners about NextRadio. NextRadio faces a three-fold challenge. Continue Reading
TagStation, the industry-facing part of the NextRadio consumer mobile app, shared its wrap-up from this year’s CES, and the focus for the company this year was cars. It kicked off the event by announcing the launch of a car listening platform that showcases the interactive features of NextRadio. This joint project by TagStation and iBiquity looks to straddle several approaches to the connected car by blending online offerings with HD radio and the more traditional analog radio. Continue Reading
TagStation, the company behind NextRadio, released a blog post to close out 2014 by announcing its plans for attending the CES trade show in January, partnering with HD Radio developer iBiquity. In addition, TagStation shared statistics for NextRadio’s progress during 2014. Continue Reading
NextRadio, the Emmis-owned smartphone app that tunes in FM station over the air, has employed New York ad agency DeVito/Verdi to build an awareness campaign, according to a press release from the agency. The NAB “is supporting” the agency choice. NextRadio rrecently passed the million-download milestone. Any awareness campaign faces complicated messaging. Continue Reading