• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, December 10, 2012

Pandora today announced the Internet radio service is now fully live in Australia and New Zealand with the availability of its iOS and Android apps in addition to its Web-based  player. The company also hired a local managing director for the countries, Jane Huxley, with more than 20 years experience in digital media. She was most recently head of digital for Fairfax Media, one of Australia’s largest diversified media companies.

The localization effort includes creating genre stations on Pandora geared to Australian and New Zealand listeners, with offerings spanning current hits, roots and reggae dub, indigenous, classic pub rock and other music styles. Pandora founder and chief strategy officer Tim Westegren is also holding “town hall” events in Auckland, Melbourne and Sydney this week to meet with Pandora fans and discuss the local service.

The expansion comes a week after Pandora reported third-quarter earnings that sent its stock down because of a reduced outlook. Pandora CEO Joe Kennedy blamed the disappointing guidance on revenue and earnings on advertiser uncertainty stemming from fiscal cliff negotiations and other economic concerns.