• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, April 5, 2010

Everyone knows publishers are racing to get digital versions of their products on the iPad, but how about... radio? Yes, online audio and broadcast radio groups are also introducing digital content services tailored for the new high-profile mobile device.

CBS Radio is one of the first big radio groups to unveil its new iPad app, a tablet-ready version of Radio.com, the online music emporium operated by CBS Interactive.

In addition to live streaming audio from CBS Radio stations, iPad users can access content from CBS Radio's online partners, including Last.fm, Yahoo and AOL. Radio.com also carries news and features for following music-related Twitter feeds, and integrates photos and artist bios from Last.fm.

Altogether, the CBS Radio iPad app will give users access to more than 550 music stations and dozens of stations featuring talk, news, and sports content.

The CBS Radio iPad app is just the latest in a series of apps created for mobile devices by big radio groups looking to leverage growing penetration by smartphones and now tablets. CBS Radio already has apps for the iPhone and BlackBerry, as do competitors like Clear Channel Radio. In December, Clear Channel Radio's IHeartRadio rolled out a parallel app for smartphones with the new Android mobile operating system distributed by Google.

On the advertising front, last week Westwood One, a network radio content provider, announced a new mobile ad partnership with Nexage, which will help Westwood handle the logistics of mobile advertising. Nexage will help centralize and monetize mobile ad delivery for Westwood One, which offers radio clients a number of mobile content and ad features.