The largest player in the U.S. commercial radio market is dropping the word “radio” from its name.
Clear Channel Radio is now Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, saying the change reflects evolution of its business.
“The core of Clear Channel’s business will remain its more than 850 radio stations, but the new brand more clearly signals its successful expansion into new areas,” the company stated in its announcement.
“Clear Channel Media and Entertainment delivers music, news, talk, sports and other content to diverse audiences across multiple platforms, including: broadcast stations; online, via iHeartRadio and on its stations’ hundreds of websites; HD digital radio channels; satellite; smartphones; iPads and other tablets; in-vehicle entertainment and navigation systems; and via live events.”
Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman and John Hogan, the CEO of what had been called the radio part of the company, made the announcement.
Hogan stated, “Radio is both our history and the foundation upon which we will grow our company moving forward. That will not change.” But he said the company wants to prove that “our relationship with our listeners is so much more than just our transmitters and towers.”
In addition to radio stations and cross-platform events operations, also within Clear Channel Media and Entertainment are Premiere Radio Networks, a content creation and distribution business; Total Traffic Network, which provides broadcast traffic reports and traffic data; Katz Media Group, a media sales rep firm; and RCS, which sells scheduling and broadcast software as well as research.
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