A station that bills itself as an Internet radio pioneer is adopting the business model of a public radio station to meet the challenges of escalating bandwidth and music licensing costs.
Triple A mvyradio (www.mvyradio.com) is shifting from an advertiser-supported to a listener- and corporate underwriting-supported station. Proponents say the new model will enable the station to play more music on its streams. The change does not affect the terrestrial version, WMVY(FM), Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., which is advertiser-supported.
The new model will be developed with the help of Public Radio Capital, a non-profit dedicated to strengthening and expanding the public radio industry. PRC Managing Director Marc Hand says this is its first Internet radio-only project.
