Clear Channel Launches New Digital Alliances

Clear Channel Radio is offering a number of new digital content features at its station Web sites. The first wave of rolling launches began a few weeks ago with Erockster, a new socially mediated online broadcast that tweaks content according to listener ratings. It culminates today with the official unveiling of a new partnership with Gracenote to make song lyrics readily accessible to Web visitors and a deal with Clearspring for widget syndication.

The nation's largest radio group is also announcing a partnership with StudioNow, an online network of video advertising freelancers, to help local advertisers get online.

The Gracenote partnership capitalizes on the eternal interest in song lyrics, hoping to make Clear Channel station Web sites more "sticky," according to Evan Harrison, executive vice president of Clear Channel and head of its online music and radio unit.

With the new feature, people who listen to music at Clear Channel station Web sites--including both live streaming and on-demand video and audio content--can bring up the lyrics for a song by clicking on a small link in the song listing. The listings already contain links to buy a song on iTunes or watch the music video (when one is available).

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To attract more visitors and spread awareness of the station Web sites, Clear Channel has also partnered with Clearspring for a new widget feature that will allow users to import content from station sites to other Web pages. The first widget offerings are for Stripped, an online video series of live in-studio performances by well-known artists.

Clear Channel has already used widgets to promote two specific performances by Sara Bareilles and the Jonas Brothers. According to Harrison, the Jonas Brothers widget has been placed on about 6,000 sites around the Web, driving almost 1 million plays--a full third of the total plays. The Clearspring deal will allow fans to use a widget template to link to other Stripped performances.

On the advertiser side, Clear Channel has struck a deal with StudioNow that gives local advertisers access to its stable of online video ad freelancers. StudioNow, launched in 2007, has already created thousands of video ads for local businesses. The deal will help local advertisers produce professional-grade video and display ads for Clear Channel station sites. Harrison said Clear Channel decided some time ago to maintain quality standards in online video advertising, as the quality of ads will determine whether advertisers succeed and come back for more.

Clear Channel also has other new features in the works.

Recently it quietly launched a new national Web site, www.Iheartmusic.com, that includes an interactive directory of over 750 of the group's station Web sites. In addition to linking to the sites, the directory allows users to listen to the current live broadcasts from different stations and view the station playlist.

The national site also hosts a blog, "The Daily Throb," and offers visitors the same library of on-demand audio and video available on individual station sites, including a library of over 10,000 music videos. Audio content includes thousands of original tracks from the 15,000 unsigned, aspiring artists who have created profiles at Clear Channel station sites.

Finally, Clear Channel Radio is also developing a feature that allows online listeners to create their own customized radio tuner on their streaming music player. The listener can customize the tuner with their preferences for particular artists, genres or songs. The custom tuner feature is tentatively scheduled to launch in June.

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