Chevrolet says that the NPR News app is among the initial offerings in its in-car AppShop, available this summer in select Chevrolet vehicles with MyLink technology. The NPR News app will also premiere in the Opel Insignia sedan for the European market in 2014.
The app is the first dedicated news app Chevrolet plans to offer, and provides U.S. drivers with programming from NPR and more than 900 public radio stations, including live broadcasts and all-music streams. All NPR newsmagazines and programs are available through the app, which also uses a vehicle’s GPS location to automatically localize listening to the nearest NPR member Station. The NPR News app can be downloaded for free by accessing the AppShop through an on-screen icon.
Opel announced its own version of AppShop for the European market Insignia sedan at the recent Frankfurt International Motor Show.
The international version of the NPR app features NPR’s news stream, hourly news updates, on-demand listening to news and entertainment programs, as well as the option to hear a continuous mix of stories from across public radio.
“This partnership offers our domestic and international audiences the ability to listen to the best of NPR and public radio, when and how they want,” said Zach Brand, vice president of NPR Digital Media.
The NPR News app for General Motors is the latest step in NPR’s effort to make content accessible for audiences across multiple platforms. The app is already compatible with Ford’s SYNC AppLink system, and NPR content is being integrated into in-car systems by Aha Radio, CloudCar, Livio Radio, OpenCar and others.
The U.S. version of the app enables listeners to personalize stations and favorites by location, as well as search based on location. It includes 25–30 on-demand NPR programs, and listeners can pick from a selection of topics to get an automated playlist of news and other stories. It also features more than 80 continuous music streams from NPR and member stations, which can be narrowed by a featured stream or chosen from genre-based lists.
The international version plays the latest hourly newscast upon launch and then begins the international NPR news stream, which feature stories based on listener preferences and location. Users can also set favorite programs and topics. The interface supports English, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese for menus and popups.
