AirKast and Radio One Sign Agreement to Deliver iPhone, BlackBerry and Android Mobile Applications for 51 Radio Stations

Mobile Apps Target African-American and Urban Listeners in 15 U.S. Urban Markets, In case you were wondering the download is free


A couple of weeks ago we speculated in a post that Radio One would be making this move to develop a mobile app. Now they have made the announcement. Clearly Radio One's business model is to replicate Clear Channel and CBS Radio models to the African American community. Look for The Rickey Smiley Show and gospel personality CoCo Brother to become even stronger brands for the company to market to mobile device users.

- AirKast, the leader in digital content and advertising solutions, and Radio One, the urban media specialist based in New York, NY, announced today that the companies have signed an agreement to deliver iPhone and BlackBerry mobile applications for Radio One radio stations. In total, 51 Radio One stations will have both iPhone and BlackBerry mobile applications available to listeners by the end of summer 2010. Android mobile applications will be available soon thereafter.

"Since the majority of our urban listeners are often 'on the go,' we knew Radio One stations needed to get into the mobile app game. AirKast will help us get there quickly and with a great offering," said Dan Shelley, General Manager of Digital for Radio One. "We considered developing our own apps, but the barriers to entry are huge for the broadcasting market. AirKast offers the features and monetization opportunities that our stations need to attract both listeners and sponsors."

The mobile applications allow listeners to tune into their favorite Radio One stations in 15 of America's largest urban markets from the convenience of their mobile phones. Developed and delivered using both AirKast AirBridge and TuneKast, the Radio One mobile applications let listeners hear live broadcasts on the go as well as view song lyrics, see artist and album information, read reviews, watch videos, listen to station podcasts, hear samples of recently played songs and even buy music through iTunes and Amazon.com. There is no registration required and each application is free to download.

"Radio One wanted a mobile partner to deliver its content in a multimedia-rich fashion while maintaining the brand awareness of individual stations," said Simon Moy, president and COO for AirKast. "By allowing AirKast to create and deliver the mobile applications, each Radio One station can maintain its own content and branding as well as control station event and sponsor information. AirKast allows Radio One to focus on content instead of creation and delivery issues."

AirBridge, the industry's award-winning hosted digital media delivery platform, is used to build enterprise-class mobile applications that are reliable, secure and scalable so companies can target large audiences that require simultaneous access. AirBridge currently supports market-leading mobile devices, including iPhone, BlackBerry (all models including Storm) and Android. Designed for terrestrial and Internet-based radio stations to increase AQH, TuneKast is a mobile application framework that features real-time digital media and online content within branded mobile applications. Used by 850+ popular terrestrial and Internet-based radio stations, TuneKast, together with AirBridge, helps radio stations increase their digital content distribution to attract sponsors and advertisers.



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