WDRB, the Block Communications-owned Fox affiliate in Louisville, Ky., says radio is music to its ears. Last week the station launched two free music apps: WDRB Classic Hits and WDRB Hot Country. Classic Hits features the top songs of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, while Hot Country focuses on contemporary country music hits. “We wanted […]
WDRB, the Block Communications-owned Fox affiliate in Louisville, Ky., says radio is music to its ears. Last week the station launched two free music apps: WDRB Classic Hits and WDRB Hot Country.
Classic Hits features the top songs of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, while Hot Country focuses on contemporary country music hits.
“We wanted to get into radio without the expense of a transmitter and tower,” says Bill Lamb, WDRB’s general manager. “And we’ve pre-sold six-figures worth of advertising dollars already.”
People can listen to the station either through the station’s website or by downloading the app.
Lamb says as of yesterday, Oct. 13, almost 1,000 people have downloaded the apps.
“Local Internet radio stations have historically lacked two things,” says Lamb, “a promotional platform and a sales team. We have both.”
According to Lamb, this marks the first foray outside the traditional TV station/website product for WDRB.
“We’ll use our two TV stations and website to promote the apps,” says Lamb.
“If we’re successful building an audience — and monetizing it — we will have created a great promotional circle where TV promotes our radio stations, radio promotes our website, and both promote TV.”
Block Communications also owns the MyNetworkTV affiliate in Louisville, WMYO.
Lamb says he was listening to one of the radio stations the other day when a crawl appeared announcing that severe weather was in the area, giving listeners the option of clicking to a link to replace the crawl with video.
“From the listeners’ perspective, these are different from Pandora and other apps in that they will be locally relevant, with live DJs and local news and weather information,” Lamb says.
“The concept has instant credibility as an extension of the WDRB-TV brand.”
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