Clear Channel Radio today announced record audience levels for its digital properties; a host of improvements to its online platform; and more exclusive online and mobile programming. The improvements include a move to server-based traffic and audience analytics and the launch of a new media player. The company also announced that its iheartradio mobile application is thriving, showing consistent growth in engagement.
Long the leader in broadcast radio, Clear Channel Radio launched an intensive push into digital media nearly five years ago. Today, that effort has resulted in a massive content portfolio that includes more than 850 broadcast streams; differentiated digital channels focused on niche music genres and personalities; a vast library of on-demand music, news and entertainment content; and traffic data funneled to both in-vehicle navigation systems and mobile phones.
"Our continuing transformation into a highly successful content creation and distribution company is impressive," summed John Hogan, president and CEO of Clear Channel Radio. "Five years ago, we believed our content could be the most compelling on any platform. Today, that's a fact. We now produce and deliver original video, audio and data via broadcast streams and on demand. And the engagement statistics for our digital platforms are simply stunning. It's a tremendous validation of our strategy to grow organically, augmenting the expertise of our programming and engineering professionals with the knowledge and innovation inherent in new media. I applaud the ingenuity, perseverance and undaunted commitment of our incredibly talented team."
Users engaging with digital properties hit 22 million per month
In the first of its announcements, Clear Channel Radio revealed that its active, unique monthly audience across all of its digital properties now numbers 22 million, according to data from Omniture, Inc. The company also disclosed usage patterns for the full 12 months of 2008 and initial months of 2009.
In addition to industry-leading raw numbers, the company is showing strong gains in year-over-year audience growth.
The company also announced it's using Ando Media to measure size and behavior for its rapidly growing streaming audience. For some stations, online and mobile phone listening now amounts to an additional 15% in total listeners beyond the AM/FM broadcast.
Both Omniture and Ando are server-based measurements, meaning data is based on actual user activity instead of relying on panel-based methods. With real-time, validated measurement and behavioral data, Clear Channel Radio now offers unprecedented insight to both programmers and advertisers.
Separately, Clear Channel Radio and Ando Media announced today that results of a comprehensive audience survey - which saw an incredible 70% opt-in rate - will be available to advertisers immediately.
iheartradio mobile app thriving
Some of the company's strongest gains are coming from its mobile platform. To date, more than two million unique users have downloaded the iheartradio application. Just recently, iheartradio spent 10 days as the #1 BlackBerry app and has remained in the top 20 since launch. For the iPhone and iPod Touch, the application consistently ranks in the top five among free music apps.
iheartradio's user engagement is especially strong. According to data from Pinch Media (in a February 2009 study of more than 30 million downloads of free iPhone apps), engagement with the typical mobile application drops off precipitously within 30 days. Less than 5% of users who originally downloaded the app return to use it.
Clear Channel Radio is seeing exactly the opposite behavior with iheartradio. Some 80% of users have downloaded subsequent updates of the app from the iTunes App Store and a full 20% of those who have downloaded the app come back weekly.
In addition, iheartradio users are showing dramatically longer time spent with the app than the average user of mobile applications. A January 2009 study from Magid Associates pegged average time spent with all mobile apps at 39 minutes per week. iheartradio users listen an average of 99 minutes per week.
New media player aggregates station streams, on-demand content
Also today, Clear Channel Radio launched a state-of-the-art media player at iheartradio.com that uses Adobe Flash technology to provide a consummate user experience as well as unprecedented advertiser opportunities.
The player, for the first time, serves as a single gateway to more than 350 streaming AM/FM broadcasts (more are being added weekly), the company's exclusive digital streaming channels, its entire library of original on-demand audio and video programming, and social media elements including on-air talent blogs and photos.
The new media player is the culmination of five years of progress. Features now include dynamic controls that lets users access full-screen videos, complete song lyrics, favorite station and video playlists, content from emerging and unsigned artists, movie trailers and ticket ordering and local and national news feeds. The player will soon allow users to e-mail and embed content.
Advertiser benefits are equally impressive.
Clear Channel Radio saw the number of advertisers choosing its digital platforms grow by 23% in 2008, to some 100,000 advertisers. Through April 2009, the company is on track to grow that number by some 39% year over year.
White House Brief is all things Obama
The company also today officially launched a digital channel focused exclusively on the Obama White House. In just five minutes, listeners are now fully briefed on the latest developments from the Obama Administration.
"There is enormous interest in the current Administration, so we're serving up a channel that is all things Obama," said Evan Harrison, executive vice president of Clear Channel Radio and president of the company's digital unit. "This Administration has embraced technology in an entirely new way and offers a new level of transparency. Starting today, we're delivering that to our digital audience of 22 million."
Continually produced throughout the day, White House Brief broadcasts five-minute packages of exclusive interviews, schedule information, and other news about the President's activities. The channel, available now at iheartradio.com and on mobile phones, is directed by former NBC News producer Berkley Wilson.
About Clear Channel Radio
Clear Channel Radio is a leading radio company focused on serving local communities across the U.S. with more than 110 million listeners choosing Clear Channel Radio programming each week. The company's content can be heard on AM/FM stations, HD digital radio channels, on the Internet, via iPods and cell phones and used via navigation systems from TomTom, Garmin and others. The company's operations include radio broadcasting, syndication and independent media representation. Clear Channel Radio is a division of Clear Channel Communications, Inc. (OTCBB:CCMO), a leading global media and entertainment company. More information on the company can be found at www.clearchannel.com [1].
Links:
[1] http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clearchannel.com&esheet=5981519&lan=en_US&anchor=www.clearchannel.com&index=1