NextRadio/TagStation President Paul Brenner gave a “State of NextRadio” talk as part of the NAB Show 2017 session, “Digital Strategies Exchange for Radio.”
Some of the facts and figures:
● 3,500 stations are using NextRadio
● The NextRadio app has been downloaded 13 million times
● 63 million phone handsets are enabled for FM reception
● 55% of all new smartphones are enabled for FM reception
A version of TagStation is now free to stations. Brenner says that was done to help the industry and also to help stations leverage connected car connectivity. The free version includes basic data; a subscription of $10 per month allows the station to change data, such as a picture of an on-air personality, promotions and enable the ability to sell enhanced ads.
Brenner also announced some enhancements to the NextRadio app: “We’re writing code in NextRadio so when users pair their phone with the car, the form factor changes and the user experience looks a lot like NextRadio, but the FM tuner in the car is what’s being used to drive the audio and forgives FM reliance on the smartphone.”
TagStation does not just enhance the listener experience; Brenner says it helps spot sales of radio time: “All the great stuff that we build is becoming a platform that can be used to really show the value of radio; to really say that if you spend 100,000 or a million dollars on radio we’re going to show you exactly what that money did for you.
