Radio industry delivers FM-enabled smartphone app to consumers

INDIANAPOLIS, USA: Unprecedented coordination by radio broadcasters led to the announcement that Sprint will begin installing the NextRadio application in a broad array of FM-enabled wireless devices over the coming years, allowing consumers to listen to their local radio stations on their smartphones.

"Today we set a new course as an industry, one that will bring exciting audience and advertiser engagement opportunities," Emmis chairman and CEO, Jeff Smulyan, said. "This announcement is a credit to the entire radio industry, which has unified to make this happen."

The announcement by Sprint also marks the official launch of NextRadio, the smartphone app that delivers a highly interactive artist and ad experience to FM-enabled smartphones.

Data for the NextRadio app is supplied by TagStation, the cloud-based engine that offers stations the ability to upload branding images that will display as default artwork in the NextRadio app, as well as call letters, format, station name and slogan. This basic, free level of station integration is open to all radio stations and creates a compelling experience within the app as the user is able to quickly associate their local stations with familiar visuals while browsing.

If a station does not register at TagStation, listeners using the NextRadio app will still be able to hear the radio station but may not see the station's logo displayed.