AirKast, a developer of smartphone apps (slogan: “Extending the Mobile Boundary”), has announced another deal, this one with broadcaster Radio One to provide apps dedicated to 51 of the broadcast group’s properties.
Urban specialist Radio One has stations in 16 markets, mostly on the East Coast, in the Southeast and the Midwest.
Dan Shelley is general manager of digital for Radio One; he said in the announcement, “We knew Radio One stations needed to get into the mobile app game” and though the company had considered developing its own apps, “the barriers to entry are huge for the broadcasting market.”
The free apps, for iPhone and BlackBerry platforms, should be finished by the end of summer, according to AirKast. An Android version is to follow.
Among features the apps promise are audio streaming, podcast downloading, purchase songs, view song lyrics and album info.
AirKast publishes an online map showing locations of its radio station customers.
