iHeartMedia

The CW Network To Broadcast An Exclusive Two-night Television Special On October 7 and October 8 from 8:00 – 10:00 p.m. EST/PST

NEW YORK – September 24, 2018 – After two days and dozens of legendary performances, the eighth annual iHeartRadio Music Festival hosted by Ryan Seacrest, host and producer of “On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” concluded on Saturday evening at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with unforgettable performances by Justin Timberlake, Fleetwood Mac, Carrie Underwood, Mariah Carey, Imagine Dragons, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Panic! At The Disco, Kelly Clarkson, Shawn Mendes, Kygo, Rae Sremmurd, Logic, Childish Gambino and more, plus this year's Macy's iHeartRadio Rising Star winner, Heffron Drive.

The iconic weekend-long concert event included the biggest names in music across all genres, on the main stage at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on the evenings of September 21 and September 22, and at the Daytime Stage at the iHeartRadio Music Festival on Saturday afternoon at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds, which featured performances by Logic, Dua Lipa, 5SOS, Lil Uzi Vert, Dustin Lynch, Bazzi, Belly, Bobby Bones and The Raging Idiots, Greta Van Fleet, Bad Bunny, Grandson, Leon Bridges, MAX, Badflower, The Vamps, Drax Project and FOX’s The Four: Battle For Stardom Season One Winner and iHeartMedia’s “On the Verge” artist Evvie.

Throughout a summer-long on-air and online promotion, hundreds of lucky winners from across the country were awarded exclusive VIP trips to the two-day concert event. For fans not in attendance, Elvis Duran hosted a live backstage broadcast featuring exclusive artist interviews and performances that aired that aired across iHeartMedia radio stations throughout the country in more than 150 markets and on iHeartRadio. The CW Network exclusively livestreamed both nights of the festival via CWTV.com and The CW App, and will broadcast a two-night television special on October 7 and October 8 from 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. EST/PST.

The iHeartRadio Music Festival was a dominant social media topic throughout the weekend. The official hashtag #iHeartFestival was a trending topic on Twitter in the U.S. and worldwide. The Daytime Stage official hashtag #iHeartDayStage also trended in the U.S. #iHeartFestival continues to trend with tweets and retweets from fans as well as artists and Festival presenters.

Highlights of the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival and the Daytime Stage:

• On the dawn of the one-year anniversary of the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting, Jason Aldean and Bobby Bones honored all of the heroic police, firefighters, and all other first responders who selflessly worked to help survivors, as they invited a handful of them up on the main stage during night one of the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival

• Childish Gambino took to the iHeartRadio Music Festival stage to perform a few of his latest hits. The Atlanta star and creator gave fans a show of a lifetime as he delivered one of his last performances ever.

• Frontwoman Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac gracefully and effortlessly performed some of the band’s biggest hits on night one of the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival.

• Jack White took the stage by storm, delivering a rousing set that had the entire venue on its feet. Even Rae Sremmurd were caught backstage rocking out to his set.

• Mariah Carey performed a medley of her classic hits including “Always Be My Baby,” “Shake It Off,” “#Beautiful,” “Emotions,” “Honey,” and her brand new single and breakup anthem “GTFO,” for the first time ever.

• Rae Sremmurd displayed their SremmLife lifestyle by showing up on stage with an armored Brinks truck and throwing money into the crowd. The duo played some of their original hits like, "No Type," "No Flex Zone," and "Black Beatles." The brothers then switched to a performance of their latest hits "Guatemala," and "Powerglide," from their new album SR3MM.

• Hometown hero, Brendon Urie and Panic! at the Disco performed a mix of their new songs and classic hits.

• Kygo closed night one of the iHeartRadio Music Festival with an electrifying set featuring star-studded surprise appearances from Sandro Cavazza, Miguel and Conrad Sewell. Justin Jesso also joined him on stage to perform the previously unreleased song, “Happy Now.”

• Magician Julius Den made believers out of celebrity guests including Paula Abdul, Brendon Urie, Ryan Seacrest, Rae Sremmurd, Jason Aldean and more by performing some mind-blowing magic tricks.

• Justin Timberlake opened night two of the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival performing songs from his new album like “Say Something” and “Filthy” as well as classic hits like “Sexy Back,” “Cry Me A River,” and more. The crowd then went crazy as he welcomed surprise guest Shawn Mendes to the stage to perform a duet of “What Goes Around,” and shared a hug onstage. Timberlake closed his set with a rousing rendition of “Can’t Stop The Feeling.” Later on, he reunited backstage with Ryan McKenna, better known as Selfie Kid from the 2018 SuperBowl.

• Carrie Underwood and her budding baby bump took to the stage performing a medley full of some new music like “Cry Pretty” and “Love Wins,” in addition to fan favorites including “Church Bells,” “Blown Away,” and “Think Before He Cheats.” After performing “Last Name,” Underwood stated, “My baby was kicking during that one. My baby like you guys.”

• Shawn Mendes later delivered an exhilarating set of his own, including “Treat You Better” and “In My Blood,” a song he described as being very important to him.

• Kelly Clarkson paid tribute to the late Aretha Franklin by performing “Respect,” one of the songs she performed for the finals of her season of America Idol, during her set at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival.

• Luke Bryan brought Nashville to Las Vegas during his upbeat set at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival.

• Lynyrd Skynrd played an epic, moving 12-minute long version of their song, “Free Bird,” which featured silent video of late bandmate Ronnie Van Zant singing the track on the giant screen behind them, synced up perfectly with his brother Johnny Van Zant’s singing.

• Lady Gaga appeared on-screen to premiere an exclusive look at her new movie “A Star Is Born,” and to give two lucky audience members the chance to attend the film’s premiere in Los Angeles alongside Bradley Cooper and herself.

• Imagine Dragons performed rock anthem after rock anthem throughout their 25-minute long homecoming set at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival. The band paid tribute to the victims of the Route 91 Harvest Festival by proposing a toast to the city of Las Vegas.

• Logic closed out night two of the star-studded 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival with a positive performance of tracks that included “44 More,” “Everybody,” and “1-800-273-8255.” He was later joined on stage by OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder to perform their recently released collaboration, “One Day,” and described Tedder as the most talented person he’s ever worked with.
• The 2018 The iHeartRadio Music Festival also welcomed celebrity presenters and guests from across the entertainment industry includingTaran Killam from SNL; Ireland Baldwin; Erin Foster and SaraFoster from VH1’s Barely Famous; Ken Jeong; Sarah Hyland; Sabrina Carpenter; Nikki Bella and Brie Bella from Total Bellas; Iggy Azalea; Victoria Secret model’s Lais Ribeiro and ShaninaShaik; Jeff Gordon; Kristin Cavallari from E!’s Very Cavallari; KJApa, Skeet Ulrich, Casey Cott and Luke Perry from The CW’s Riverdale; Sharna Burgess from DWTS; The CW’s Candice Patton; Nicole Maines; Paula Abdul and Taylor Lautner; Sofia Carson; Debby Ryan; Lance Bass; Jana Kramer; Ben Higgins, BeccaTilley, Ashley Iaconetti, Jared Haibon, Wells Adams, JasonTartick and Blake Horstmann from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette; plus host Ryan Seacrest and iHeartRadio’s on-air talent, Big Boy, Bobby Bones, Elvis Duran, The Breakfast Club andWoody.

On Friday night, Ryan Seacrest introduced a moving video montage produced with collaboration from iHeartMedia, 23andMe and Peace One Day – the non-profit that established an annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence on September 21, featuring iHeartRadio Music Festival performers Mariah Carey, Carrie Underwood, Kygo, Logic, 5 SOS, Belly as well as Sam Smith, Nick Jonas, Troye Sivan, Dinah Jane and more, who came together to share a powerful Peace Day message – written by American singer-songwriter, poet and record producer Mike Posner – urging others to make peace and put their differences aside. These diverse artists rallied together as one for Peace Day which corresponded with the opening night of the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival.

In the past eight years the Festival has helped raise $1.9 million for a number of national charities, including the American Association for Cancer Research, Ryan Seacrest Foundation, Corporate Angel Network, Augie’s Quest to Cure ALS, Lalela, Genesis Foundation, Community Foundation of NW Mississippi, City of Hope, Kristen Ann Carr Fund and many more. Additionally, the Festival plays host to a number of critically ill children and their families through its long-term partnership with the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Proud partners of this year's event include: 1800® Tequila, 23andMe, A Star is Born. In theaters October 5^th, American Honda Motor Company’s Honda Stage, AutoNation, Bai Beverages, Bioré® Skincare, Capital One®, The CW Network, Lionsgate | A Simple Favor, Macy's, Norwegian Cruise Line, Orangetheory Fitness, Progressive® Insurance, T-Mobile, Taco Bell®, and The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's "If You See Something, Say Something®” Campaign.

The iHeartRadio Music Festival, which debuted eight years ago in celebration of the launch of the iHeartRadio digital service, has quickly become one of the most talked about music events of the year. The Festival is a live representation of the diverse music experience that fans find and enjoy through the iHeartRadio app, iHeartMedia’s free all-in-one digital music, podcasting and live streaming radio service – with more than 1.7 billion app downloads and 120 million registered users.

The iHeartRadio Music Festival is co-produced by John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises and Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer for iHeartMedia. For more details about the iHeartRadio Music Festival visit iHeartRadio.com/festival.

To access photos and b-roll from the event please visit:

Photo Credit: See Filename. If the filename is all numbers, please credit Getty Images for iHeartRadio.

Password: iHRMF_2018!!

Best Of 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival (Night One – September 21):

https://iheartradio.photoshelter.com/gallery/Best-Of-Friday/G0000L_mZqmqJE8A/C0000QCcbh3wiXq8

iHeartRadio Music Festival – Backstage (Night One – September 21):

http://assignments.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyipa_public?nav=pr609431137

iHeartRadio Music Festival – Red Carpet (Night One – September 21):

http://assignments.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyipa_public?nav=pr609438283

iHeartRadio Music Festival – Show (Night One – September 21):

http://assignments.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyipa_public?nav=pr609431344

Best Of 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival (Night Two – September 22):

https://iheartradio.photoshelter.com/gallery/Best-of-Saturday/G0000huUgYC_DRcU/C0000QCcbh3wiXq8

iHeartRadio Music Festival – Backstage (Night Two – September 22):

http://assignments.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyipa_public?nav=pr609439260

iHeartRadio Music Festival – Red Carpet (Night Two – September 22):

http://assignments.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyipa_public?nav=pr609454029

iHeartRadio Music Festival – Show (Night Two – September 22):

http://assignments.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyipa_public?nav=pr609463662

2018 Daytime Stage At The iHeartRadio Music Festival

http://assignments.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyipa_public?nav=pr609470618

To access b-roll from this event please visit:

2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival

https://we.tl/t-B34krCBp34

iHeartRadio Music Festival - Daytime Stage (September 22):

https://we.tl/t-ipaNTga510

iHeartRadio Music Festival - Fashion

https://we.tl/t-2m4uB0BeG4

IHEARTRADIO MUSIC FESTIVAL PERFORMERS AND OTHER ARTISTS COME TOGETHER TO SHARE SPECIAL MESSAGE IN SUPPORT OF INTERNATIONAL PEACE DAY

LAS VEGAS – September 21, 2018 – Peace One Day, the non-profit that established an annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence on September 21 via a United Nations resolution, announced today that it will team up with 23andMe, the leading consumer genetics company; and iHeartMedia, the leading audio company in America which also has a greater reach in the U.S. than any other media outlet to raise awareness of Peace Day today, September 21 and encourage peaceful action and celebration throughout the world. Nearly a billion people are already aware of Peace Day worldwide, a day where all people put their differences aside and let the power of music bring the world together.

The iconic iHeartRadio Music Festival taking place this weekend, September 21 and 22, at the Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena will kick off the unique collaboration for Peace Day with multiple Peace One Day activities taking place throughout the weekend from both the main Festival stage today Friday, Sept. 21 and The Daytime Stage on Saturday, Sept. 22.

iHeartMedia and 23andMe will bring together today’s top artists including iHeartRadio Music Festival performers Mariah Carey, Carrie Underwood, Kygo, Logic, Sam Smith, 5 SOS, Belly and others, as well as Nick Jonas, Troye Sivan, Dinah Jane and more, who will lend their voices to an original Peace Day piece – written by American singer-songwriter, poet and record producer Mike Posner – urging others to make peace and put their differences aside this Peace Day. A powerful video montage of these diverse artists rallying together as one for world peace will debut on the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival stage tonight, opening night, in conjunction with World Peace Day and later be released to the public with the support of iHeartMedia’s unmatched array of multiplatform assets, reaching hundreds of millions of people across the U.S.

“The Peace One Day mission is incredibly powerful and we celebrate the scientific fact that we are more alike than we are different,” said Tracy Keim, VP Consumer Brand for 23andMe. “We are 99.5% genetically identical. It’s only 0.5% that makes us different - in our DNA. Today is about collectively focusing on what connects us, which can lead to greater understanding and compassion, ultimately bringing us closer to achieving Peace One Day.”

"Collectively, we as humans have the opportunity and the responsibility to create a more peaceful world,” said Posner. “It says a lot about iHeartMedia, 23andMe, and Peace One Day for seizing that opportunity.”

“Together, we want to challenge people to step outside their comfort zones. True to 23andMe’s roots in hard science, we are more similar than different -- and instead of focusing on the zero point five percent that separates us, let’s celebrate the fact that we are all the same and find a way to make peace with each other,” said Gayle Troberman, CMO of iHeartMedia. “This on-stage moment at this year’s Festival represents the artist community coming together to deliver a very powerful message at the right time and at the right place— the biggest gathering of artists from different genres playing together on one stage, celebrating music, not just their own genre of music. And we will use our massive audience across the nation to help spread this important Peace One Day message.”

Additionally, attendees of The Daytime Stage at the iHeartRadio Music Festival will be invited to record their own messages of peace at the 23andMe interactive podcast sound booth. Select messages from the recording sessions will be integrated into a specially-produced Peace Day episode of the popular spit podcast -- an iHeartRadio and 23andMe podcast that explores how DNA testing gives us a new perspective on who we are and how we are all connected. The special Peace Day spit episode will be hosted by Bobby Bones, iHeartMedia’s nationally syndicated radio personality and No. 1 New York Times best-selling author, and will feature an open discussion with Mike Posner and Jeremy Gilley, the founder of Peace One Day, about the importance of the Peace One Day mission and how each of us is connected.

“I’ve been a Peace One Day ambassador for over 10 years and I’ve seen first-hand the impact the day has around the world,” said actor and ambassador Jude Law. “It’s been an honour to help raise awareness and manifest action on the day. I’m delighted that iHeartMedia and 23andMe are supporting Peace One Day this year, it’s a wonderful collaboration.”

Join iHeartMedia, 23andMe and PeaceOneDay.org in inspiring people everywhere by sharing acts of peace this Friday, September 21 and beyond using #PEACEDAY.

Tickets and further information about the iHeartRadio Music Festival can be found at iheart.radiomusicfestival2018.com.

Increases Lead as #1 Commercial Podcaster and #2 Overall

Acquisition Demonstrates iHeartMedia’s Continued Investment and Leadership Role in the Audio Space with its Multiplatform Assets and Leading National Reach

NEW YORK -- September 13, 2018 -- iHeartMedia, the leading audio company in America which also has a greater reach in the U.S. than any other media outlet, today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Stuff Media, LLC, the leading for-profit publisher of entertaining and informative podcast content, which includes the HowStuffWorks (HSW) podcasting business as well as a slate of premium podcast content. This acquisition will enable iHeartMedia to leverage Stuff Media’s original content, programming and experienced podcasting management team and to further expand its podcasting platform, increasing its position as the solid #1 commercial podcast publisher globally, #2 overall (Podtrac, 2018) and almost doubling its usage metrics.

iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s all-in-one digital music, podcast, on demand and live streaming radio service, is already partnered with all major podcast publishers and features more than 20,000 podcasts ranging from NPR and WNYC to ESPN and Gimlet, and the iHeartRadio Podcast Network hosts more than 750 iHeartRadio Original shows.

Originally founded in 1998 as a reference site, HowStuffWorks pioneered the podcast space and was one of the first companies to turn podcasting into a revenue-generating business, bringing the medium to a mainstream audience with its informative, easy-to-understand explanations of how the world works. Today, Stuff Media is one of the nation’s largest podcast publishers, with more than 61 million global downloads and streams per month. Its “Stuff” franchises have attracted a dedicated following for more than a decade, with signature podcast Stuff You Should Know surpassing 500 million downloads this year -- the first podcast to surpass half a billion downloads. Atlanta Monster, a Stuff Media/Tenderfoot TV original true crime podcast that recently partnered with iHeartMedia, became the biggest hit podcast of 2018, and maintained the #1 spot on the podcast ranking charts for four straight weeks. Stuff Media’s Stuff You Should Know, Stuff You Missed in History Class, TechStuff and BrainStuff podcasts have all reached ten years of podcasting and over 1,000 published episodes milestones. The transaction is subject to bankruptcy court approval.

“While podcasting has already experienced tremendous growth, the real opportunity to bring the full potential of podcasts to the mainstream still lies ahead,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc. “Stuff Media is the original trailblazer of the podcasting industry, and we’ve been impressed by its ability to grow a massive, loyal audience over the past decade, led by a strong, experienced and cohesive management team, who we welcome to iHeartMedia. This strategic acquisition will pair Stuff Media’s wildly popular content and strong creative capabilities with iHeartMedia’s extensive resources and massive scale through our digital platforms, social reach and broadcast radio stations, introducing podcasts to the vast majority of the country and offering even more unique opportunities for advertisers to reach their consumers.”

Before this acquisition, iHeartRadio podcast listening growth has been up 73 percent year-over-year in 2018 vs. 2017. In addition to its extensive catalog of original podcasts, iHeartMedia’s “Podcast, Meet Broadcast” initiative enables podcast creators to uniquely scale their audience through iHeartMedia’s broadcast radio stations, which reach more than 90 percent of Americans each month. This innovative distribution strategy introduces millions of listeners to podcast content that they may not have heard otherwise, providing valuable opportunities for content creators and advertisers to build new audiences and create additional impact.

In 2017, Stuff Media, led by its President and CEO Conal Byrne, raised a growth equity financing round led by The Raine Group, a technology, media and telecommunications global merchant bank, to establish partnerships with industry leaders, grow Stuff Media's content library across podcasting and other mediums, and invest in top-tier talent. “Podcasting has emerged over the last several years as a mainstream media distribution channel. With one of the largest and highest quality libraries in the industry, we believed that Stuff Media was well positioned to take advantage of accelerating demand from both consumers and advertisers,” said Jeff Sine, Partner and Co-Founder of The Raine Group. “Conal's ability to assemble the resources to capitalize on these tailwinds and his execution on growth strategy has been exceptional. We are very excited for Conal and his team as Stuff Media enters its next chapter of growth.”

Conal Byrne will join iHeartMedia as head of its podcast division. Stuff Media’s podcasts will maintain their branding and remain headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with Byrne continuing as President and CEO of that studio as well. Byrne will report into Darren Davis, President of the iHeartMedia Networks Group and iHeartRadio. Chris Peterson has been promoted to EVP of the podcasting division for iHeartMedia, and will oversee the full slate of iHeartRadio Original podcasts, as well as manage the affiliate relationships for the company, and will report into Byrne.

“HowStuffWorks was a proud pioneer of the podcasting medium more than 10 years ago, and we are truly excited to be taking the next step with iHeart to chart the industry’s course for the next decade,” said Byrne. “Combining our assets with the #1 audio and media company, and #1 commercial podcast publisher, gives us the unassailable position in the podcasting business and a platform like no one else. No company in the world has iHeart’s audience size and innovative drive, and coupled with the creative engine of Stuff Media, this is a game changer for podcast storytellers and advertisers alike, and I’m honored to be leading this effort.”

“In the past year alone, iHeartMedia’s podcasting has exploded,” said Davis. “Our robust slate of originals spans a wide range of topics, and we’re continuing to forge partnerships to bring the most compelling series to the iHeartRadio Podcast Network. In addition, our unique iHeartRadio podcasts from our influencers such as Bobby Bones, Elvis Duran, The Breakfast Club and others, have created a whole new category. By acquiring Stuff Media, we’ll not only integrate its slate of original content, but more importantly, we’ll gain the most innovative minds in the podcasting industry to turbocharge our efforts.”

iHeartRadio, with its more than 120 million registered users, provides an all-in-one listening experience that helps users discover new podcasts alongside their favorite live radio stations, personalities and on-demand music. With iHeartRadio, listeners can enjoy their music and podcasts across more than 250 device platforms including in-car, in-home, on wearables, across gaming consoles and more – making their favorite audio content available everywhere they are, on the devices they use most. Visit iHeart.com/apps to download and listen to iHeartRadio on your favorite device now.

About Stuff Media

Stuff Media is the leading for-profit publisher of entertaining and informative podcast content. With more than 30 brands, including Stuff You Should Know, Stuff You Missed in History Class, Atlanta Monster and Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities, the Stuff Media team reaches a highly engaged fan base across multiple platforms and distribution partners and has amassed a library of more than 10,000 podcast episodes and driving more than 1 billion downloads to date. With this expansive and award-winning collection of audio podcasts, Stuff Media’s HowStuffWorks is ranked #2 in global downloads and streams. Stuff Media is headquartered in Atlanta and also operates studios and teams out of Los Angeles and New York.

About The Raine Group

The Raine Group is a global merchant bank focused exclusively on technology, media, and telecommunications. The firm has offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, Shanghai, and Mumbai. With a global reach, Raine focuses on investment and advisory opportunities where its deep industry experience and unique network of strategic relationships can create value for portfolio companies and clients. For more information, visit www.raine.com.

New York – September 10, 2018 – iHeartMedia announced today that its National Programming Group has elevated respected programming veteran Rod Phillips to the new position of Executive Vice President of Country Programming Strategy, effective immediately. He will continue to report to Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer for iHeartMedia, and Brad Hardin, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the iHeartMedia National Programming Group.

iHeartCountry has more than 150 Country broadcast radio stations across the U.S. reaching more than 110 million Country music listeners per month, making it the largest Country broadcast radio group in America.  In his new role, Phillips will continue to lead the Nashville-based iHeartCountry team in overseeing iHeartMedia’s Country formats, and further extend the company’s Country brands across multiple platforms including broadcast, digital, social and live events. He will continue to guide and develop the company’s roster of Country programmers and on-air talent, as well as book artists and produce events for iHeartMedia including the nationally-recognized iHeartCountry Music Festival. He will also continue to head up iHeartCountry’s music discovery and emerging artist initiatives, including the Artist Integration Program and the On the Verge program, which has played a key role in breaking artists like Granger Smith, Maren Morris, Luke Combs, Lauren Alaina, Devin Dawson, Carly Pearce and Morgan Evans.

In addition, under Phillips’ leadership, iHeartCountry recently launched "Women of iHeartCountry,” an hour-long, weekend program devoted exclusively to female artists. Executive produced and hosted by Bobby Bones, along with co-host Amy Brown, the show features music from both established female artists and promising up-and-comers, and includes weekly guest appearances by other iHeartMedia female on-air personalities. Listeners can tune in to the show on 125 iHeartCountry stations nationwide as well as on the iHeartRadio app.

“Rod has done an amazing job leading our iHeartCountry brand, which reaches millions of Country music fans across America each month,” said Tom Poleman.  “He’s been the key force in our continued success in the format and our continued position as the largest and most well-respected Country broadcast network in the U.S. We’re excited that he’ll be taking an even larger role here to help further guide our Country programming in over 150 markets.”

Phillips has led the iHeartCountry team since August 2015 and has more than 25 years’ programming experience. He previously served as iHeartMedia’s Senior Vice President of Programming for the Southeast Region, Program Director and on-air personality for KISS 103.5 in Chicago, and Operations Manager for iHeartMedia’s Miami/Ft. Lauderdale market. In 2011, Phillips helped develop “The Bobby Bones Show,” the top-rated nationally-syndicated Country music morning show, working closely with Bones to expand the show’s original format and moving “The Bobby Bones Show” from Austin to Nashville for its successful transition into Country radio in February 2013. He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky.

“As Country music continues to increase in popularity with audiences across America, iHeartMedia has more Country brands than ever before and our station ratings are on the rise,” said Phillips. “I couldn’t be more excited to continue to lead the iHeartCountry brand based here in Nashville.”

New Season to Launch as “Monster: The Zodiac Killer”

“Monster: The Zodiac Killer” to join the iHeartRadio Podcast Network with first episode to premiere exclusively on broadcast radio nationwide before available anywhere else

NEW YORK AND ATLANTA – September 5, 2018 – iHeartMedia, the leading audio company in America which also has a greater reach in the U.S. than any other media outlet, today announced a partnership with the teams behind popular podcast Atlanta Monster — HowStuffWorks,  the largest for-profit podcasting company in the world and Tenderfoot TV, a hub for content creators and storytellers — to launch season two as Monster: The Zodiac Killer and continue tackling high-profile cases in subsequent seasons. 

Emerging from its debut season as 2018’s breakout hit with more than 30 million downloads, season two will be released in early January 2019, with trailers running through December. Under this agreement, the podcast will officially join the iHeartRadio Podcast Network, and iHeartMedia will become the primary distribution partner for all Atlanta Monster and Monster: The Zodiac Killer episodes. The partnership also includes plans for additional seasons to come.

Atlanta Monster host, director and award-winning documentary filmmaker Payne Lindsey will serve as an executive producer on Monster: The Zodiac Killer, in addition to lending his creative voice on the podcast throughout upcoming seasons. Tenderfoot TV and HowStuffWorks will continue to co-produce the series with Tenderfoot TV President Donald Albright and HowStuffWorks Head of New Initiatives Jason Hoch also serving as Executive Producers. Season two will explore The Zodiac Killer, a serial killer connected to a string of murders in California in the 1960s and 1970s whose identity, to this day, still remains unknown.

“It’s evident that our listeners across the country continue to have a huge appetite for true crime programs -- stories involving real people and actual real crimes.  Monster: The Zodiac Killer is not just about exploring the crime, it’s about the people and communities around the crime,” said Darren Davis, President of iHeartRadio and iHeartMedia Networks Group. “Atlanta Monstertold a powerful story that delved deep into the societal context and cultural significance of the events that took place. This is true crime flipped on its head, and we know season two will be even more captivating and compelling than the first.  We are excited about this partnership and being able to introduce this program to our hundreds of millions of listeners.”

The first episode is set to premiere January 3, 2019 exclusively on iHeartRadio’s broadcast radio stations across the country. A digital roll-out of the full season will follow the broadcast premiere and will be available on iHeartRadio. UTA brokered the deal on behalf of HowStuffWorks and TenderfootTV.

“iHeartMedia has extraordinary reach and the ability to engage millions upon millions of listeners via its vast network of broadcast radio stations and its highly engaged digital user base,” said Conal Byrne, President and CEO of HowStuffWorks. “This partnership is an immense opportunity to accelerate the growth of our listenership and expose the next phase of Atlanta Monster to an entirely new audience, thirsty for true crime.”

“With Atlanta Monster, we really tried to explore and understand all the layers of what was an integral and transformative time in not just the city’s history, but the nation’s history,” said host, co-creator and Tenderfoot TV Co-Founder Payne Lindsey. “I think the success of the podcast proved that listeners want more of these true crime stories where we are dissecting not only harrowing, oftentimes tragic, events, but the complex people involved in them. The new season examines the narrative around one of the most infamous serial killers in American history, and we believe that our partnership with iHeartMedia will allow us to bring this fascinating story to a massive audience that only iHeart can provide.”

iHeartMedia is the No. 1 commercial radio podcaster in the U.S. and the largest publisher of podcasts in the country, featuring more than 750 original shows on the iHeartRadio Podcast Network. With iHeartRadio, listeners can enjoy their music and podcasts across more than 250 unique device platforms including in-car, in-home, on wearables, across gaming consoles and more – making their favorite audio content available everywhere they are, on the devices they use most. Visit iHeart.com/apps to download iHeartRadio and listen to Atlanta Monster on your favorite device now.

About HowStuffWorks

HowStuffWorks is the leading for-profit publisher of entertaining and informative podcast content. With more than 30 brands, including Stuff You Should Know, Stuff You Missed in History Class, Atlanta Monster and Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities, the HowStuffWorks team reaches a highly engaged fan base across multiple platforms and distribution partners and has amassed a library of more than 10,000 podcast episodes and driving more than 1 billion downloads to date. With this expansive and award-winning collection of audio podcasts, HowStuffWorks is ranked #2 in global downloads and streams. The company, founded in 1998, is headquartered in Atlanta and also operates studios and teams out of Los Angeles and New York. 

About Tenderfoot TV

Founded by Atlanta director and independent filmmaker, Payne Lindsey, and music industry veteran, Donald Albright, Tenderfoot TV is a hub for content creators and storytellers. The company launched in August 2016 with the release of the viral true crime podcast “Up and Vanished” and has since created podcasts including the number one hit podcast “Atlanta Monster” and “Sworn.” Together these podcasts amass over 235 million downloads in total, with “Up and Vanished” making up 200 million of those downloads and “Atlanta Monster” and “Sworn” cultivating the remaining 35 million downloads. Additionally, Tenderfoot will transition into the television space with Up and Vanished, as it is now in development with Propagate as a docu-series for Oxygen. Tenderfoot strives to tell compelling stories that connect with the audience, delivering those stories in an entertaining fashion that keeps the audience engaged. No rules. No creative restrictions.

Revolutionary Data-Driven Analysis Tool Utilizes Daily Sales and Market Share Data to Optimize Advertising Campaigns for Auto Dealers

NEW YORK – August 28, 2018 – iHeartMedia and AUTOFLYTE announced today the launch of AUTOFLYTE EDGE, a new powerful automotive insights tool that features daily sales and market share data throughout each region to help dealerships market smarter and faster. AUTOFLYTE EDGE is available now exclusively through iHeartMedia.

In an age when real-time analytics and insights are vital to a business’ success, dealerships have been confined to analyzing OEM reports and 60- to 90-day old registration data to guide their sales and marketing strategies. Now, for the first time, auto dealerships will be able to utilize iHeartMedia’s AUTOFLYTE EDGE tool to receive up-to-date daily automotive sales insights from their surrounding area, allowing them to completely customize and quickly update their sales and marketing strategies based on current market dynamics and trends.

The EDGE platform houses insights for dealers across the U.S. and pinpoints the exact geographies where dealerships and their competitors are gaining and losing market share for specific nameplates down to a zip code, allowing dealers to identify where the most opportunity exists for their business right now.

“We are committed to technology-driven innovation and having the ability to offer even more targeting solutions for our advertisers that leverage the unparalleled local reach of radio,” said John Karpinski, Executive Vice President of Automotive Business Development & Partnerships for iHeartMedia. “AUTOFLYTE has partnered with the industry authority for automotive sales statistics to create the most powerful and credible insights tool available and we have partnered with AUTOFLYTE to bring this revolutionary technology to the market. With the new AUTOFLYTE EDGE platform, we will provide our auto partners the ability to break free from previous automotive marketing confinements and use timely information to precisely target new buyers.”

“With iHeartMedia and AUTOFLYTE’s exclusive real-time insights and data, this new tool is nothing short of a game changer for how we do business at our dealership,” said Steve Hurley, Owner of Stingray Chevrolet. “For the first time, we are able to specifically tailor our marketing plans based on what our customers want today versus months ago. We’ve been waiting for something like this and are already seeing success.”

AUTOFLYTE EDGE is part of iHeartMedia’s ongoing focus to assist brands and marketers in reaching consumers across its quarter of a billion monthly broadcast listeners. In May, the company launched iHeartMedia Analytics, the first fully-digital attribution service for broadcast radio. The company’s additional industry-leading marketing optimization tools include SoundPoint, its programmatic real-time radio ad buying platform, and SmartAudio, which enables advertisers to do impression-based audience planning and dynamic radio ad creative using real-time triggers to deploy different campaign messages based on what is happening in a specific market at a specific moment. SmartAudio has allowed brands to use broadcast radio ads to dynamically serve the most relevant message in each market, at each moment to ensure increased relevance and impact.

iHeartRadio’s Powerful New Artificial Intelligence Integration Leverages the Best of Live Radio Listening Experience to Provide Seamless Song Transitions and Gapless Music Playback for the First Time Ever on a Digital Music Service

NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES – AUGUST 2, 2018 – iHeartMedia, the leading audio company in America which also has a greater reach in the U.S. than any other media outlet, and Super Hi-Fi, a sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) platform that delivers innovative audio solutions, announced today the launch of an industry-first technology that provides an optimized digital music listening experience unlike any other. The new AI capabilities will allow iHeartRadio to revolutionize its digital music service by creating a listening experience that mimics the polished production of live radio.

The new integration brings the best of live broadcast radio to digital streaming music by delivering flawless song transitions, including precise crossfades, volume leveling and truly gapless playback to iHeartRadio’s listeners. iHeartRadio is the first and only digital music service to leverage AI for intelligent audio transitions that completely eliminate the space between songs to deliver a fluid and fully produced listening experience that preserves music’s energy and momentum from song to song.

“Radio DJs and programmers have mastered the art of segueing music to create beautiful transitions from song to song, maintaining the desired energy and mood of the listening experience that more than a quarter of a billion live radio listeners have grown accustomed to hearing,” said Chris Williams, Chief Product Officer for iHeartRadio. “Creating transitions that are unique to each individual song combination is not an easy task, and with the billions of potential song combinations available on our platform and new ones coming every day, it was impossible to scale this by hand. Working together with Super Hi-Fi we have made the impossible, possible, and we are excited to share this new listening experience with our listeners.”

“Broadcast radio sees the highest market penetration and longest user engagement over any of its digital counterparts, and this is in part due to the masterful capabilities of their on-air talent,” says Zack Zalon, Super Hi-Fi co-founder. “We are thrilled to be launching with iHeartRadio to deliver radio’s skillfully produced audio listening experience to its digital users. This is the next frontier for innovation and growth in the digital music industry, and we are excited to be working with iHeartRadio to roll out the first phase of these cutting-edge products.”

Beginning today, iHeartRadio listeners will experience three powerful enhancements architected from the ground up, and powered by AI technology that understands the nuances of music with a depth similar to a human DJ:        

• Perfect Transitions: Dynamically creates the perfect transition between songs every single time. Whether picking the ideal crossfade or recognizing when to simply place the right ending next to the beginning of the subsequent track, this next-generation solution uses real-time AI-processing to create the ideal transition every time a song plays. The result is a smooth tapestry of music listening, crafted to deliver an optimum experience for all listeners.
• Sonic Leveling: Automatically adjusts song volume to create smooth and consistent listening sessions. Not all tracks are created equal – some are louder or softer than others.  Sonic leveling capabilities eliminate the need to adjust the volume every time a new song comes on. The tech automatically recognizes the volume differential and adjusts it allowing listeners to just sit back and enjoy their favorite tracks.
• Gapless Playback: Eliminates the gaps between music tracks. On average, there are currently eight seconds of silence between songs on all streaming services that interrupts the music listening experience. The new AI technology now deployed on iHeartRadio automatically and completely eliminates the silence, bringing the listening experience in line with live radio.

These industry-first enhancements are now available across iHeartRadio’s custom Artist Radio stations, on demand Playlists, Playlist Radio and more for iOS users. Android users will experience the enhanced listening experience across custom Artist Radio stations with all features available for Android users in the coming months.

This will be the first in a series of planned innovative AI enhancements set to rollout throughout the year.

Bobby Bones to Executive Produce and Host New National Radio Show “Women of iHeartCountry” and to be named Vice President, Creative Director of iHeartCountry

New York, NY – July 30, 2018 – iHeartMedia, the leading audio company in America which also has a greater reach in the U.S. than any other media outlet, announced today that it has renewed and expanded its relationship with CMA and ACM Award-winning radio personality Bobby Bones, host of the hit national Country radio program The Bobby Bones Show.  

Bones, who reaches more than 9 million people monthly as host of The Bobby Bones Show and Country Top 30 with Bobby Bones, in addition to more than 5 million monthly downloads of his morning show podcast, will continue his current role as host of both radio programs. Originating from WSIX in Nashville, The Bobby Bones Show is nationally syndicated by Premiere Networks on more than 100 radio stations, in addition to airing on iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s free all-in-one digital music, podcasting and live streaming radio service. Country Top 30 with Bobby Bones is heard nationwide on more than 160 stations.  Bones will also continue hosting his popular podcast BobbyCast.

iHeartCountry has more than 150 Country broadcast radio stations across the U.S. reaching more than 110 million Country music listeners per month, making it the largest Country broadcast radio group in America. As part of the renewed agreement, Bones will become Vice President, Creative Director of iHeartCountry and will work with iHeartMedia on a variety of joint ventures and new creative programming initiatives including executive producing a new one-hour weekend program, Women of iHeartCountry.  Co-hosted by Bones and Amy Brown from The Bobby Bones Show, Women of iHeartCountry will feature music from established female artists and up-and-comers, with weekly guest appearances by other iHeartMedia female on air personalities.  The new program will be available to Mainstream and Country stations nationwide as well as on iHeartRadio beginning later this summer.

In addition, Bones will continue to participate in iHeartMedia’s marquee live events – including the iHeartRadio Music Festival and the iHeartRadio Music Awards – and host the iHeartCountry Festival, as well as iHeartRadio Album Release parties for top Country recording artists. 

“This is the opportunity I’ve been chasing my entire career,” said Bobby Bones. "Thanks to Bob Pittman, Rich Bressler and Kevin Legrett for their years of support and for the space to build this partnership.”

 “Country continues to be one of the fastest-growing music formats and Bobby is the leading on air personality connecting with Country fans across multiple platforms nationwide,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia. “He has created a relatable, fun and engaging brand of entertainment that drives unmatched results for our advertising and partners. We’re proud to be in the Country music business with Bobby, and look forward to developing new and exciting ways to reach this expanding community.” 

Dubbed "the most powerful man in Country music" by Forbes, Bones is an unstoppable force in entertainment. Each morning on The Bobby Bones Show, Bones and his co-hosts Amy, Lunchbox and Eddie welcome the biggest names in Country music and entertain listeners with their unique mix of pop-culture news and information, crazy stunts and hilarious conversations.  The show recently garnered its third Academy of Country Music award for National On-Air Personality of the Year, following a 2017 Country Music Association award for National Broadcast Personality of the Year, and earned Bones the title of youngest ever inductee into the prestigious National Radio Hall of Fame that same year. Bones also hosts his own podcast, BobbyCast, which features candid long-form interviews with top artists and industry figures. The podcast’s overwhelming success paved the way for Bones to launch the Nashville Podcast Network, an eclectic collection of podcasts from a variety of Nashville-savvy hosts, giving listeners an inside look at the lifestyle and pop culture in Nashville. With his undeniable knack for recognizing and supporting new talent, Bones brought his expertise to the latest season of ABC’s American Idol as a mentor. Bones is also a touring stand-up comedian, philanthropist, chart-topping comedy artist and best-selling author.  His latest book, "Fail Until You Don’t: Fight. Grind. Repeat.” experienced overwhelming response, debuting at No. 1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list.

NEW YORK – July 27, 2018, iHeartMedia, the leading audio company in America which also has a greater reach in the U.S. than any other media outlet, announced today that Medha Gandhi will join the nationally-syndicated Elvis Duran and the Morning Show as its new co-host, effective September 17, 2018. Elvis Duran and the Morning Show broadcasts weekdays from 6a to 10a.

Gandhi will join the team of the top-rated Elvis Duran and the Morning Show on WHTZ, New York’s Z100, which has experienced double-digit audience growth across multiple demos in the market in the past year, and is syndicated nationally by Premiere Networks on nearly 80 radio stations across the country. Elvis Duran and his on-air crew connect listeners with up-to-the-minute entertainment and pop culture news, hit songs, entertainment features and celebrity interviews with the biggest names in music and entertainment. The show’s programming and content is also available across various platforms including The Elvis Duran Channel on ElvisDuran.com, on iHeartRadio.com​ and on iHeartRadio, making it the most-listened-to Top 40 morning show in the U.S.

“We fell in love with Gandhi within the first five minutes of meeting her,” said Duran. “When you have a show as long established as ours, it's very important to continue to keep it fresh and in Gandhi we have found the perfect co-host to do that. I can't wait for her to join our dysfunctional family!” 

“Gandhi is a great storyteller with a dynamic personality and that’s what morning radio is all about,” said Mark Medina, Program Director for iHeartMedia’s Z100 New York.  “We’re excited to welcome her to New York and the Elvis Duran and the Morning Show.”

Gandhi joins Elvis Duran and the Morning Show from iHeartMedia Boston’s WXKS - KISS 108, where she served as executive producer and co-host for Matty in the Morning.  Prior to that role, she served as an on-air talent and executive producer of the Dave & Jimmy show at iHeartMedia’s WNCI, a Top 40 radio station in Columbus, Ohio.

The Daytime Stage at the iHeartRadio Music Festival will take place at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on September 22

WHAT:

iHeartMedia announced today that Leon Bridges, MAX, Badflower, The Vamps, Drax Project and FOX’s The Four: Battle For Stardom Season One Winner and iHeartMedia’s “On the Verge” artist Evvie, have been added to the lineup for the Daytime Stage at the 2018 iHeartRadioMusic Festival on Saturday, September 22. The Daytime Stage will take place at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds and in addition to live performances from today’s emerging artists, the event will also feature fan zones and interactive experiences by iHeartRadio's brand partners.

WHO:

Leon Bridges, MAX, Badflower, The Vamps, Drax Project and FOX’s The Four Season One Winner Evvie, join Logic, Dua Lipa, 5SOS, Lil Uzi Vert, Dustin Lynch, Bazzi, Belly, Bobby Bones and The Raging Idiots, Greta Van Fleet, Bad Bunny, Grandson and more on the Daytime Stage.

WHEN:

The Daytime Stage at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival takes place on Saturday, September 22.

WHERE:

Las Vegas Festival Grounds

311 W Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89101

MORE:

This year, the epic two-day main stage event will be hosted by Ryan Seacrest and will feature performances by Justin Timberlake, Fleetwood Mac, Carrie Underwood, Mariah Carey, Imagine Dragons, Jason Aldean, Sam Smith, Luke Bryan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Panic! At The Disco, Kelly Clarkson, Shawn Mendes, Kygo, Rae Sremmurd, Logic, Childish Gambino and more on Friday, September 21 and Saturday, September 22.

Each night, the iHeartRadio Music Festival will broadcast live for fans

via iHeartMedia radio stations throughout the country across more than 150 markets. The CW Network will also exclusively livestream both nights of the festival via CWTV.com and The CW App, and broadcast a two-night television special on October 7 and October 8 from 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. EST/PST.

Throughout a summer-long on-air and online promotion, iHeartMedia station listeners across the country will have the chance to win a one-of-a-kind dream trip to Las Vegas where they will join thousands of other dedicated music fans to experience the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena. One Grand Prize Winner will be chosen to receive a fantasy all-access experience.

Proud partners of this year's event include: 1800® Tequila, Bai Beverages, Bioré® Skincare, Capital One®, The CW Network, Macy's, T-Mobile and Taco Bell® with more to be announced.

Tickets are now on sale to the general public via iHeartRadio.com/Tickets. For more details about the iHeartRadio Music Festival visit iHeartRadio.com/festival.