WorldwideUKIrelandAustraliamore
media.info

Six new stations for iHeart Radio and more partnerships on the way

By James Cridland for media.info
Posted 15 October 2015, 3.00pm edt

iHeart Radio Australia




iHeart Radio may have pulled out of their investment in Australia's ARN, but that deal came with a sweetener: a ten year contract to continue operating the iHeart Radio network in Australia and New Zealand.

ARN - known in New Zealand as TRN - have been using their iHeart Radio credentials heavily over the past few months. On-air, listeners have been offered the chance to win tickets to the iHeart Jingle Ball across the US; and ARN have just announced a slew of new online radio stations on the iHeart platform in Australia.

The stations range from a kids' station to dance, comedy, the Asia Pop 40, an old skool hip hop station and a station replaying Melbourne's Favourite 1000, carried initially on ARN's Gold 104.3.

ARN also add, in their press release, "stay tuned for more announcements on upcoming partnerships with stations from some of Australia’s largest radio networks." My guess is that this is likely to be the appearance of radio stations from companies like Southern Cross Austereo and Nova Entertainment, as well as the ABC, aiming to position iHeart Radio as a more comprehensive choice for Australians who want their favourite radio stations all in one place. The Australian iHeart Radio already contains radio stations from Fairfax.

In June 2015, Southern Cross Austereo launched the 'Radioapp' - which launched with ABC and Fairfax stations but without ARN content.

iHeart Radio, and the UK's Radioplayer, benefit from an ecosystem in use in various different countries. Both have firm integration with in-car connected platforms, wearables, and a wide range of apps for many different services. While SCA's Radioapp is, to my mind, the prettiest of the apps seen so far, it lacks the multi-platform investment inherited from other countries. Neither Radioapp nor iHeart benefit from a neutral ownership strategy either: it's a brave step to entrust distribution of your station to your main competitor.

Meanwhile, the UK's Radioplayer looks set to launch their much anticipated hybrid radio device for cars shortly.

Press release

IHEARTRADIO AUSTRALIA LAUNCHES NEW STATIONS

LITTLE ROCKERS, iHeartRadio DANCE, iHeartRadio OLD SKOOL, ASIA POP 40,LOWIE LIVE and MELBOURNE’S FAVOURITE 1000

with more station announces to come…

Australian Radio Network (ARN) has launched more new genre stations on iHeartRadio Australia. Everyone from little music lovers through to big kids can now get their fix of fun and all the latest music and content with new genre stations, Little Rockers Radio, Lowie Live, iHeartRadio Dance, iHeartRadio Old Skool, Asia Pop 40 and pop up station Melbourne’s Favourite 1000.

This latest announcement comes as iHeartRadio Australia gears up to get fans even closer to the artists and music they love with plans to launch further genre stations in coming months. Fans of hip hop, country, and RNB will soon have dedicated stations where they can find the latest music, interviews and news. And if that’s not enough, stay tuned for more announcements on upcoming partnerships with stations from some of Australia’s largest radio networks.

The new stations on offer at iHeartRadio Australia are:

Little Rockers Radio - designed for newborns through to six-year-olds, youngsters can tune in for non-stop fun on the Little Rockers Radio station.

Launched early 2014 by Australian mum of two, Sarah Morrissey, Little Rockers Radio has quickly become a mainstay for parents around Australia.

Available 24/7, with no ads, Little Rockers Radio plays songs and nursery rhymes, but also has story time, yoga perfect for kids, smiling-mind meditation and other fun music for littlies through the day, before a change of pace with lullabies to soothe right through the night.

iHeartRadio Dance - The all new iHeartRadio Dance station will feature Pete Tong’s show Evolution Beatport and an ever-evolving line-up of Aussie DJs and electronic artists on hosting duties including Stafford Brothers, Feenixpawl, Nervo, Steve Aoki, Tenzin and more to come.

Listeners can tune in for weekly DJ mixes from these hosts, guest DJ mixes, and interviews.

Kicking off on October 29, the station will also feature fortnightly show from Melbourne-based Lucky & Friends with Tenzin, showcasing great mixes from guest DJs.

Lowie Live - Join Aussie comedian Craig “Lowie” Low from 3pm every Saturday for Lowie Live.

Get your fix of the latest news and views with a difference, as Lowie unapologetically takes to the street with pop culture questions, breaks down the latest celebrity news, and talks one-on-one with all your favourite stars, but like you’ve never heard before. It’s irreverent, it’s raw and it’s only on iHeartRadio.

Asia Pop 40 - Asia’s first home-grown radio chart show will now be added to iHeartRadio Australia’s platform.

Hosted by Asian media celebrity, Dom Lau, the English-language station features tracks and artists from all over Asia as well as the best of the rest from all over the world.

One of the most recognised faces on Asian TV, Dom has worked as an anchor for E! News Asia and music network Channel [V]. He loves catching up with the biggest names in music, which recently included superstar Justin Bieber.

Tune in to Asia Pop 40, to hear Dom’s own brand of highly-charged entertainment and great music.

iHeartRadio Old Skool – Get your fix of classic Old Skool Hip Hop from the days of the Golden Era through to 2008, with Run DMC and NWA through to the Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill. Plus rare grooves, collaborations and remixes splashed with Reggae, RnB, Soul, and a dash of local (Aus/NZ) throwbacks.

Melbourne’s Favourite 1000 - Melbourne’s GOLD 104.3 has been counting down the city’s favourite 1000 hits, it’s been so popular iHeartRadio Australia has created a pop up station to celebrate.

The first of its kind for Melbourne, the Melbourne’s Favourite 1000 station will replay the countdown and feature all the music Melbourne loves from INXS and Queen through to Madonna and Split Enz.

iHeartRadio Australia’s Content Director Brett “Nozz” Nossiter said he was excited to see this further expansion of iHeartRadio Australia’s listener experience and was looking forward to announcing many more new genre stations soon to be added to the platform.

“Giving fans more of the music they love is what iHeartRadio Australia is all about so I am thrilled to be able to add these new genre stations to the platform,” he said.

“From music for kids with Little Rockers through to the latest music on Asia’s pop charts, there’s brilliant, expert entertainment for everyone on iHeartRadio Australia, no matter what your niche. And with plans to soon add dedicated hip hop, country and RNB stations, iHeartRadio Australia is the place to find the best music, artists and content across all your favourite genres.”

Head of iHeartRadio Australia Geraint Davies adds: “iHeartRadio’s growth in Australia is driven by our desire to give Australian audiences more of what they love. Whether that be through the launch of new stations as we have announced today, giving fans unrivalled access to their favourite artists through the roll-out of an unprecedented iHeartRadio Live events programme, or by giving listeners the chance to go to the USA to see iconic concert events like the iHeartRadio Music Festival or iHeartRadio Jingle Ball later this year. There is still more to come, it is a very exciting time for Australian music lovers … watch this space!”

More information

James Cridland — James runs media.info, and is a radio futurologist: a consultant, writer and public speaker who concentrates on the effect that new platforms and technology are having on the radio business. He also publishes a free daily newsletter about podcasting, Podnews, and a weekly radio trends newsletter.