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RadioFX Helps College Stations Grow With Mobile App

A Q&A with Kelsey Danca of RadioFX

RadioFXCollege radio operations are often hamstrung by limited budgets and a limited choice of products and services. Most products and services are geared towards commercial or large nonprofit operations. A company called RadioFX is specifically targeting the college radio market. Radio World recently spoke with Kelsey Danca, marketing and promotions for RadioFX, about the company’s mobile app that it says is helping college radio stations engage with their listeners.

Radio World: What is RadioFX and who is behind it?
Kelsey Danca: RadioFX is a leading mobile technology provider for college radio. With its mobile app focused exclusively on college radio, RadioFX provides an affordable ‘custom’ mobile solution for college radio stations, including a number of highly innovative features not found on any other platform. CEO John Wanzung worked closely with Vanderbilt University and Cal. St. Long Beach to develop the platform. There was common view among college radio stations that there was no mobile solution able to specifically serve the college radio market to engage listeners, drive social interactions, grow listenership, at an affordable cost.

Mr. Wanzung has brought technology solutions to the music and entertainment industry for over 15 years. Mr. Wanzung’s companies and partnerships include helping to build and manage internet radio stations for Kenny Chesney’s “No Shoes Radio,” the UFC, Kid Rock, the City of Nashville, and others. Developing digital marketing solutions for Lollapalooza, ACL Fest, Country Thunder, and the first ever digital music hub for independent artists.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: College Radio Shows the Way]

RW: What is the market for RadioFX?
Danca: From a client perspective, college radio stations. From a listener perspective, music, sports and entertainment fans … anyone who loves hearing and discovering unique, diverse and specialty content that appeals to their individual tastes.

RW: How does RadioFX benefit a station?
Danca: Each station gets its own custom app within the RadioFX platform that provides each station the opportunity to reach new listeners and provide interactive experiences to engage with current listeners.

Jim Hayes, the assistant director of Student Media/Electronic Media at Vanderbilt University said, “We think this platform could revolutionize the way our DJs interact with their listeners, while also serving as the premiere mobile marketplace for college radio.”

And, for the stations looking to generate more revenue through their underwriting/sponsorship campaigns, each station’s app includes the RadioFX “smart ad” technology which allows listeners to have a visual and interactive experience on their mobile app when an audio spot or song plays on-air … and it is all measured. At the exact time the audio spot plays on-air, the station’s app can be triggered to show more info/details about the call-to-action happening in the audio spot. It allows the user to take immediate action.

RW: What are the features of the app?
Danca: RadioFX offers real-time chat between on-air personalities and listeners, social media integration, live poll and contest features, a dynamic programming schedule with mobile alerts, the ability for listeners to “follow” DJs and shows (the station can send push notifications to these “followers.” Each school is provided an administrative dashboard which enables coordination for every aspect of the app, along with valuable user and app analytics.

RadioFXRW Are there branding opportunities for a station’s RadioFX app?
Danca: Absolutely. Each station’s app is customizable with their logo, station/school information, programming schedule, social media accounts and more.

RW: How is RadioFX integrated into a college station (i.e., what needs to be set up at the station, if anything)?
Danca: It’s extremely user friendly for the stations. All that’s required from the station is their logo, and their streaming URL … We set everything up for the station, there are zero technical requirements on the station’s end.

RW: Can stations share the RadioFX Charts with the public like Billboard charts?
Danca: Yes. The RadioFX Charts provides stations, artists, labels, promoters … and listeners, an easy and effective, digital way to access what’s playing on college radio. It’s data-driven, organized, and gives a weekly breakdown of spins with the Top 200 Chart. It’s the only 100% college radio chart in existence. We’ve recently given our charts a makeover for an even more accurate representation by splitting up the charts by format (Free Form/Top 40), and labels can upload new releases for the stations to access. Stations have access to the charts since they are RadioFX partners

The current Top 200 and Top 50 college charts are readily available on our website to the public (http://radiofxcharts.com). But, for more detailed breakdowns of spins, top songs, genres, and historical information, users can subscribe.

RW: What else can you tell our readers know about RadioFX?
Danca: I’ll leave that to Mr. Wanzung — “We are proud to be able to share our app with listeners and with the college radio community at large. We wanted to provide listeners a simple way to access college radio stations without downloading a different app for each station, but instead give listeners the opportunity to access each station’s app under one umbrella. College radio serves as an incubator and launching pad for music, thought, exploration and experimentation, and we want to help more people discover all the amazing and diverse content happening on college radio.”

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