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Clear Channel, Ticketmaster Subsidiary Partner in Online Radio Platform

June 14, 2009 at 9:25 pm Jennifer Lane Leave a comment

Clear Channel and Front Line Management will partner to create new Internet radio channels hosted by well known artists. The platform will be called A.P.E.  Radio, which stands for Artist Personal Experience. Front Line artists as the Eagles, Christina Aguilera, and Weezer will host their own channels, choosing the music and creating exclusive content, including personal commentary, opinions, and anecdotes.

“Fans always write to ask me what I like and listen to, which makes this such a great opportunity for me to share my musical inspirations with them,” Aguilera said in a statement. “My channel is going to be a special place for my fans to find out about my new music, upcoming tours and lots of other news and original content. It’s going to be fun.”

A.P.E. Radio will rollout next month and be featured on IHeartRadio, Clear Channel’s Internet radio platform. Individual artist channels will also be featured on those artists sites. The idea, says Evan Harrison, President of Clear Channel Digital and CEO of A.P.E. Radio,” is to have an additional creative platform to connect with fans…while ultimately exposing fans to new music.”

Front Line Management is a subsidiary of Ticketmaster. Irving Azoff, Founder and Chairman of Front Line Management, is serving as Chairman of A.P.E. “High-quality digital platforms create the opportunity for artists to realize the full value of their brands while remaining in complete artistic control.”  he said, ” In Clear Channel Radio, we’ve found a digital partner whose reach is unprecedented, and who understands the business value of artistic quality.”

Earlier this year concert ticket giant Live Nation partnered with CBSRadio, which may have propelled Ticketmaster and Clear Channel to partner.

This partnership is not the first time artists have found their way to programming their own Internet radio stations. David Byrne of Talking Heads has had a channel on Live 365 for several years.

This looks like a win/win for Clear Channel and Front Line – the artists channels will enhance the online radio programming available on IHeartRadio with some big names and personalities, and the artists get some nice online exposure, which they can use to build their own brand awareness, and drive music sales and ticket sales.

Entry filed under: Internet radio, streaming. Tags: Aguilera, Clear Channel, Internet radio, Ticketmaster.