iHeartMedia

iHeartCountry Announces Rod Phillips As Its New Leader, Anchored In Nashville

Nashville, TN – August 6, 2015 – iHeartMedia, which has the largest reach in the U.S. of any radio and television outlet, announced today that Rod Phillips will lead its Nashville-based iHeartCountry team.  iHeartCountry has more than 140 Country broadcast radio stations across the U.S. reaching more than 97 million Country music listeners per month, making it the largest Country broadcast radio group in America.

iHeartCountry heavily and uniquely supports country music through major events like the record-setting annual iHeartRadio Country Festival and original programs like Artists On The Verge, Artist Integration Programs, iHeartRadio Album Release Parties, its Country Music Summit and more.

Country artists make up four of iHeartRadio’s top five most listened-to artist stations, and the digital strength of iHeartCountry is also supported by iHeartRadio’s 70 million registered users and iHeartMedia’s 80 million social followers, which enable the creation of unique and interactive experiences for the benefit of Country listeners, Country artists, the Country music companies and advertisers.

The iHeartCountry team, which includes Brand Coordinators Doug Montgomery, Steve Geoffries, Gregg Swedberg and Chad Heritage, support the recent launch of iHeartCountry stations in key markets including Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh and more, as well as provide all iHeartCountry stations with unparalleled strategic resources and product leadership -- and connect key advertisers to iHeartMedia's unmatched and growing Country audience. iHeartCountry is built on the strength of its incredible local Country station franchises, which include KEEY in Minneapolis; WMZQ in Washington, DC; BIG 95.5 in Chicago; 94.9 The Bull in Atlanta; WSIX in Nashville; WPOC in Baltimore; KNIX in Phoenix; and more, and personalities and shows including Mason & Remy; Jason & Kristen;  Michael J; Ben & Matt; Tige and Daniel; The Chris Carr Show; The Crook and Chase Countdown; The Bobby Bones Show, heard on over 100 stations nationwide and reaching almost 9 million listeners a month; CMT After Midnight With Cody Alan, heard on over 200 stations nationwide and reaching 5 million listeners a month; and many others.
 
"iHeartMedia has more Country stations than any other format and reaches more Country listeners in America than anyone else across multiple platforms -- broadcast, digital, social and events.  And because Country is also one of the closest-knit music and radio communities, it's important that iHeartCountry has a leader like Rod who knows both the people behind the music and the nuances of the format,” said Tom Poleman, President of National Programming Platforms, iHeartMedia. “Given his programming experience with more than 40 Country stations, Rod is the right person to lead the iHeartCountry team and continue to build our Country platform for the benefit of our listeners, advertisers and the Country music community."
 
In 2011 Phillips helped develop The Bobby Bones Show, the top-rated nationally-syndicated Country music morning show, working closely with Bobby 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. The Bobby Bones Show is also available via iHeartRadio.com and the iHeartRadio mobile app.
 
“iHeartCountry is the leading Country music platform in the U.S. and we have the ability to connect our listeners to unique content, the newest tracks and exclusive album debuts from today’s top Country artists,” said Phillips. "I’m thrilled to have this amazing opportunity; Country music is truly my passion and being able to collaborate with all of our incredible Country brands, and the Country music community directly, will be a privilege."
 
Phillips is a respected radio veteran who has more than 20 years’ experience in programming. 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 cluster. He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky.

Radio Disney Launches on iHeartRadio

New York - August 6, 2015 - Radio Disney, the only 24-hour radio network devoted to families, and iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s free all-in-one streaming music and live digital radio service, today announced that Radio Disney is now available to even more listeners via iHeartRadio (iHeartRadio.com/Disney) and everywhere its app is available.
 
Radio Disney’s programming will now be accessible 24/7, streaming to millions of iHeartRadio listeners across the U.S. Programming features include Radio Disney 'Insider', Radio Disney 'Take Over', Radio Disney's 'Top 30', Radio Disney’s 'Saturday Night Party', 'The Alli Simpson Show', and a variety of on-air talent-hosted programming. As part of this new collaboration, Radio Disney and iHeartRadio will support cross platform promotion opportunities and develop joint broadcast/digital content initiatives.

"Radio Disney aims to continuously provide our listeners with the music and entertainment they want in the most accessible way," said Phil Guerini, Vice President, Programming and General Manager, Radio Disney. "By teaming up with iHeartRadio and its portfolio of platforms, we will be able to expand our content reach to millions of additional listeners that consume radio via digital streaming."

iHeartRadio is available across more than 60 device platforms including online, mobile devices, wearables, in-car, in-home, gaming consoles and more. The all-in-one platform delivers instant access to thousands of live radio stations from across the country, user-created Custom Stations inspired by a favorite artist or song, thousands of curated digital stations, and Podcasts featuring on-demand news, talk and entertainment content.

"Radio Disney is a great addition to iHeartRadio," said Chris Williams, Chief Product Officer, iHeartRadio. “Increasing the variety of family friendly programming is a priority and Radio Disney is sure to be a hit with parents and kids alike."

To see all available platforms and to download the app, visit iHeartRadio.com/apps.

About Radio Disney
Radio Disney is a multi-platform music brand known for introducing new artists and playing the music of many of today's most popular young artists, including, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift and Shawn Mendes. It is widely recognized by the music industry as an influencer to drive music awareness and is among a select group of mainstream radio stations tracked by Billboard and Mediabase music panels. Radio Disney's Top 40 playlist is driven by listener requests and represents major label recording artists, including One Direction, Katy Perry, 5 Seconds of Summer, Fifth Harmony and Demi Lovato. Billboard magazine has also twice cited Radio Disney in its "Maximum Exposure" list, which names the Top 100 ways to get music noticed. Radio Disney reaches millions of listeners each week across its national feed originating from Los Angeles.

iHeartRadio Joins Snapchat Discover
 
iHeartRadio Partners With Snapchat To Give Users Access To Exclusive Music, Pop Culture, And Entertainment News Content
 
NEW YORK, July 27, 2015 – iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s free all-in-one streaming music and live digital radio service, today announced its brand new iHeartRadio channel on Snapchat Discover. The channel will feature custom created music, pop culture and entertainment news content. The channel is available today on Snapchat Discover.
 
This new partnership will allow Snapchatters to explore daily iHeartMedia editorial content, including behind-the-scenes artist videos, exclusive celebrity interviews and stories, photo galleries and more. To check out iHeartRadio’s Discover channel, Snapchatters can simply tap on the iHeartRadio icon and then swipe left and up to browse fun daily content.
 
“We’re always looking for new and exciting ways to connect fans with the artists they love and to bring iHeartRadio’s signature events directly to music fans even when they can’t be in the audience,” said Vanessa Adamo, Senior Vice President, Entertainment Enterprises for iHeartMedia. "Snapchat Discover really embraces the power of storytelling through an easy, immediate and mobile platform. It’s a valuable partnership, and is the perfect platform for iHeartRadio’s short-form content, which features unparalleled access to today’s hottest artists and celebrities.”
 
Snapchat Discover is a collaboration with world-class leaders in media to build a storytelling format that puts the narrative first. Daily editions include full-screen articles, photos, videos, and vertical video advertising – all optimized for mobile viewing.
 
“iHeartRadio’s access to interviews with the biggest artists and celebrities is a daily bit of pop culture we think Snapchatters will love,” said Nick Bell, Head of Content at Snapchat  “At the heart of radio is live mobile entertainment and there’s no question that iHeart is a true innovator.”

Fans can also check out iHeartRadio’s organic Snapchat account by adding ‘iHeartRadio’ on Snapchat for instant access to iHeartRadio’s Snaps and Stories featuring artist takeovers and backstage concert event play-by-plays.

Kenny Day Named iHeartMedia’s Senior Vice President, Political Sales and Strategy
 
NEW YORK, N.Y. – July 17, 2015 – iHeartMedia announced today that Kenny Day will join the company as its Senior Vice President, Political Sales and Strategy, effective July 23, 2015.  Day joins iHeartMedia from Yahoo-owned BrightRoll and will report into Jeff Howard, President of National Sales.
 
In this new role, Day will oversee iHeartMedia’s political and advocacy efforts by building a Washington D.C.-based team focused on working with political and issue advertisers as well as advertising agencies to create custom strategies, campaigns and content that leverage the unparalleled reach and power of iHeartMedia, which includes 858 broadcast radio stations reaching more than 245 million consumers monthly; iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s free leading all-in-one digital music and streaming radio service with more than 70 million registered users, 600 million app downloads and 87 million monthly digital uniques; more than 75 million social media followers across the network; and nationally-recognized marquee live events.  In addition, the political and advocacy sales team will have the capability to fully utilize iHeartMedia’s first-of-its-kind programmatic and automated ad buying platform launched earlier this year for broadcast radio stations.
 
“Kenny is that rare executive with diverse and extensive experience in media, public policy and technology,” said Howard. “His background in digital and in programmatic ad buying will be integral as we provide our political and issue advertising partners with new opportunities that blend our new, groundbreaking automated and programmatic ad buying platform with our unmatched content creation and data.”
 
“With the introduction of its innovative programmatic buying platform and the upcoming 2016 election, there could not be a more exciting time to be joining iHeartMedia,” said Day. “I look forward to the opportunity to provide iHeartMedia’s political and issue advertisers with the most targeted, effective, affordable and powerful ways to deliver their messages.”
 
Day has 20 years of experience in the publishing and policy industries. As Director of Platform Solutions for unified programmatic video advertising platform BrightRoll, he was responsible for introducing the brand to the D.C. market, building new offerings and establishing new partnerships in addition to serving as a key liaison to political parties and candidates, issue and advocacy groups and coalitions, Fortune 500 companies and top digital agencies. Prior to BrightRoll, Day served as Digital Campaign Advisor for online advertising company Conversant, Inc., where he established their Washington, D.C. office and drove revenue from more than 50 political campaigns and issue groups in the 2012 election cycle. Day’s background also includes positions at POLITICO, which he helped launch, Roll Call and Bloomberg Government. He is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University.

Ryan Seacrest Extends Agreement With iHeartMedia, Reflecting His Critical Role With The Company’s Brand Partners And Media Platforms

July 13, 2015 - New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA - iHeartMedia, the leading media company in America with a greater reach in the U.S. than any other radio or television outlet, announced today that it has extended and expanded its agreement with Ryan Seacrest, the nationally-celebrated media and entertainment entrepreneur, radio personality, television host and producer, and unmatched creative talent, reflecting the impact that he continues to have on the company’s brand partnerships, media platforms and signature events.
 
Under the new agreement, Seacrest will increase his responsibilities with iHeartMedia, leveraging his leadership and unique perspective as one of the country’s best-known – and most trusted – curators and influencers. He will continue to be a key advisor to iHeartMedia, continuing to work closely with the company’s Chairman and CEO, Bob Pittman, and President, COO and CFO Rich Bressler, and will provide input into all the company’s major events and initiatives as well as developing new ways to connect advertisers closely to consumers.  Seacrest will also continue in his role as one of the core personalities across all iHeartRadio platforms, hosting and producing his market-topping #1 Los Angeles morning drive-time show for iHeartMedia’s 102.7 KIIS-FM; the nationally-syndicated “ On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” heard on 170 stations across America; “American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest”; and the weekday vignette “Direct from Hollywood,” and continue his key role in all of iHeartMedia’s nationally recognized events.
 
Seacrest brings to the company his unparalleled skill as a pop culture curator and stature with American consumers, his great relationships with America’s biggest artists and stars, and his enormous social footprint and influence – all of which highlight his unparalleled ability to interact with and respond to his millions of listeners nationwide.
 
“In the new iHeartMedia, where we connect our fans to their favorite programming and music – and advertisers to consumers – innovation and creativity is more important than ever,” said Pittman.  “Ryan is unique, standing alone in today’s world as someone who crosses all media as an expert on both the talent and business sides, and we are fortunate to have him as a member of our core team.”
 
“I’ve been active in everything from broadcast radio to digital, from television to social media and more – and the wonderful thing about my extended relationship with iHeartMedia is that it ties everything together,” said Seacrest.  “I’m grateful for the support of Bob and Rich. Their continued confidence fuels my creative spirit and inspires me to do a job I’ve loved since I was 15 years old.”
 
“Ryan is an amazing talent whose impact on iHeartMedia continues to grow,” said Bressler.  “He plays a critically important role in our company across all our platforms – everything from entertaining listeners and breaking talent on his top-rated morning show to working closely with advertisers, hosting tentpole events like our iHeartRadio Music Festival and iHeartRadio Music Awards, and interacting on a personal level with top celebrities and talent. We are thrilled to have him extend and expand his role with us.”

AT&T and iHeartMedia Team Up to Bring Streaming Radio to U-verse TV

iHeartRadio Becomes First Streaming Radio Feature for U-verse TV

DALLAS and New york, JULY 8, 2015 — AT&T* U-verse® and iHeartMedia launched iHeartRadio, the all-in-one digital music and streaming radio service, for U-verse TV customers**. The addition of iHeartRadio to AT&T U-verse marks the first live streaming radio application available on U-verse TV.

By tuning to channel 532/1532, customers can:

Search for radio stations based on genre, location or keyword
Select from thousands of live radio stations from across the country
Get personalized "For You" recommendations based on listening habits, location and musical preferences
Quickly access “My Stations,” a list of saved favorites and recently listened-to stations

AT&T and iHeartMedia plan to add additional features to the app later this year, including custom stations created from a library of more than 20 million songs and 800,000 artists, song lyrics, artist biographies, stations "Perfect For" any mood or activity and thousands of podcasts.

“Personalization is one of the key features of AT&T U-verse TV, so a highly-customizable app like iHeartRadio is a natural fit,” said GW Shaw, vice president of U-verse and Video Products, AT&T. “We’re excited to bring iHeartRadio and its extensive offerings to our U-verse customers.”

"Our integration with AT&T U-verse is one in a long line of successful AT&T/iHeartRadio collaborations," said Michele Laven, President of Business Development and Partnerships at iHeartMedia. "We strive to ensure our listeners are able to seamlessly access their favorite radio stations everywhere they are, across all platforms, 24-7, whether that's on their TV through U-verse, on their mobile phone or in their car."

iHeartRadio is the latest interactive app to launch on AT&T U-verse TV. U-verse offers customers more than 30 interactive apps that make TV-watching a customized, integrated experience. Customers can access iHeartRadio and other TV apps by pressing INTERACTIVE on their U-verse TV remote.

Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T U-verse services. For more information on AT&T U-verse — or to find out if it’s available in your area — visit www.att.com/u-verse.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

**Requires U-verse High Speed Internet 

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions of people and businesses around the globe stay connected through leading wireless, high-speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. We’re helping people mobilize their worlds with state-of-the-art communications, entertainment services and amazing innovations like connected cars and devices for homes, offices and points in between. Our U.S. wireless network offers customers the nation’s strongest LTE signal and the nation’s most reliable 4G LTE network. We offer the best global wireless coverage.* We’re improving how our customers stay entertained and informed with AT&T U-verse® TV and High Speed Internet services. And businesses worldwide are serving their customers better with AT&T’s mobility and highly secure cloud solutions.

Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at http://about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/att.

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Carter Brokaw Named iHeartMedia's President, Digital Revenue Strategy
 
NEW YORK, N.Y. – July 7, 2015 – iHeartMedia announced today that Carter Brokaw will join the company as its President of Digital Revenue Strategy, effective immediately. Brokaw joins iHeartMedia from Guardian News and Media and will report to Tim Castelli, President of National Sales, Marketing and Partnerships.

In his new role, Brokaw will oversee iHeartMedia's digital sales efforts driving digital revenue through new and existing sales channels as well as developing new digital revenue strategies for iHeartMedia.  He will be responsible for leveraging iHeartMedia's unique digital assets and massive reach, including more than 858 streaming radio stations and websites; 70 million registered users on iHeartRadio; 600 million app downloads; 87 million monthly digital uniques; and more than 75 million social media users across its network to implement a vast array of digital integrated media packages for the company's national advertising partners. Additionally, Brokaw will support local digital selling activities and collaborate with iHeartMedia's marketing, technology, field sales, revenue management and national integrated sales groups.

Brokaw will work closely with Brian Kaminsky, iHeartMedia's President of Programmatic and Data Operations, to take to market iHeartMedia's first-of-its-kind programmatic, real-time ad buying platform launched earlier this year for broadcast radio stations, enriched with unique and proprietary data as well as third-party data.

"Carter's impressive track record of developing business strategies and launching national sales organizations for several media companies makes him the perfect person to drive our digital sales strategy," said Castelli. "His vision and skill sets will be integral as we continue to build on the success of our digital sales team."

"At iHeartMedia I'll have the opportunity to use our rich and unique data and unparalleled reach to partner with advertisers to create breakthrough programs that reimagine traditional radio as a new and robust digital platform," Brokaw said. "I look forward to working with Tim and the entire iHeartMedia team during such an exciting time for the company."

Brokaw brings over 20 years of sales experience to iHeartMedia. As Executive Vice President at Guardian News and Media, he was responsible for the company's US commercial strategy, positioning, pricing, packaging and tiered account focus. Prior to his tenure at Guardian News and Media, Brokaw served as Chief Revenue Officer at both Slacker Radio and Meebo, Inc. and as Vice President of Digital Media and Sponsorship Sales for Warner Music Group. He began his media career at CNET Networks, Inc. where he spent 11 years in their sales division including serving as the company's Vice President of Global Accounts. Brokaw is a graduate of Colgate University.

NEW YORK – June 30, 2015 - iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s all-in-one digital music and live streaming radio service, today announced it has joined forces with Virgin America to bring a new music selection to 35,000 feet – curated for the airline by iHeartRadio and Virgin Produced (Virgin Group’s entertainment arm). The partnership will integrate iHeartRadio-branded music stations into Virgin America’s award-winning Red® in-flight entertainment system at every seatback and will also be available through iHeartRadio, allowing travelers to continue listening everywhere they go after landing via their own computer, tablet or mobile devices.

“We’re excited to partner with one of the most innovative and popular airlines to bring quality music and entertainment to consumers – even at 35,000 feet,” said Michele Laven, President of Business Development and Partnerships at iHeartMedia. “This is the first step in a robust partnership between Virgin and iHeartMedia and it paves the way for more exciting integrations in the near future.”

Earlier this month, Virgin America also announced the beta launch of the next generation of its Red in-flight entertainment system that creates even more of an immersive in-flight entertainment experience with higher resolution capacitive touch screens, Android-based software that will allow for faster, real-time updates, three times more content – including full seasons of favorite television shows, more interactive maps, video games including classics like Pac Man and Asteroids – and more. Virgin America features the largest in–flight entertainment library in the domestic skies via the touch screen Red platform. In addition to a more than 25–film library, live television, music videos and video games at every seat, Red offers more than 3,000 MP3s and allows guests to create their own playlist in–flight. The airline is known for featuring an eclectic and diverse range of artists in its onboard library.

Beginning immediately, iHeartRadio will bring six curated and branded stations to Virgin America’s Red in-flight entertainment system including:

Atmospheres: This perfect meditation station features mellow songs like “Healing” by Kamal that will help relax the body, mind and soul.

Dub & Dubber: Reggae sounds that features stripped raw elements, clear bass and low end. King Tubby & Friends, a Dub music originator from Kingston, Jamaica known for his groundbreaking techniques and raw elements, is one of the featured artists.

Dyna-Mic Flows: Trailblazing hip-hop that looks forward while also paying respect to its history – this station includes talented performers like Del tha Funky Homosapien & Parallel Thought.

Pop, Skip & A Jump: Hear the best new “Alterna Pop” artists like Nosaj Thing – a Los Angeles-based artist known for creating music compositions to groove along to – in this pop music station that leans just left-of-center.

Lat-Indie: Playing songs that embrace old traditions like música norteña and polka, but with a modern, indie-rock twist. Artists like Fernanda Ulibarri will make you shake your hips, even if you are in an airplane seat.

Soul-igarchy: Soul and classic R&B that takes you back to the golden age of rhythm and blues. Featured artists include Brownout, a band out of Austin, Texas whose music has an ultra hip funk-Latin-vintage-soul kind of style.

The stations will also be available everywhere iHeartRadio is including online, mobile devices, wearables, in-car, in-home, gaming consoles and more. When accessed through the iHeartRadio platform, listeners will also have access to its interactive station features such as Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down feedback and skip.

“As the music fan’s airline of choice, we’re thrilled to partner with iHeartRadio to offer more variety to our flyers with these curated music stations,” said Alfy Veretto, In-flight Entertainment Manager at Virgin America. “And as we begin to roll out the next iteration of our in-flight entertainment system, Red, this month – our guests can expect an even more immersive experience onboard with new features like faster, higher resolution capacitive touch screens and even more entertainment content at their seatback.”

“Music and entertainment have always been an integral part of the DNA of our brand,” said Jason Felts, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Virgin Produced. “In addition to developing and producing our own content, we work closely with like-minded partners such as iHeartRadio to produce fresh entertainment offerings.”

Virgin America and iHeartRadio will roll out several promotions in 2015 to introduce the iHeartRadio branded stations to passengers, including videos on Red and more.

Editor’s Note: Virgin America is a U.S.-controlled, owned and operated airline. It is an entirely separate company from Virgin Atlantic. Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group is a minority share investor in.

Known for its mood-lit cabins, three beautifully designed classes of service and innovative fleetwide amenities — like touch-screen personal entertainment, WiFi and power outlets at every seat, Virgin America has built a loyal following of flyers and earned a host of awards since launching in 2007 — including being named both the "Best U.S. Airline" in Condé Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards and "Best Domestic Airline" in Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards for the past seven consecutive years. For more: www.alaskaair.com.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Virgin Produced is the film and television development, packaging, and production arm of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group. Led by Co-founder/CEO, Jason Felts and Chief Creative Officer, Justin Berfield, Virgin Produced breaks the archaic models of traditional Hollywood by providing a collaborative environment that embraces talent to produce quality content reflective of the Virgin brand. Launched in 2010, Virgin Produced's films include Limitless, Machine Gun Preacher, Immortals, Movie 43, 21 & Over, bio-pic Jobs, and comedy That Awkward Moment which have cumulatively grossed over $724MM in worldwide box office. With an equal focus on television, commercials and branded entertainment, Virgin Produced has a robust slate of television projects in development and work hand in hand with Virgin companies to concept and produce branded content. This includes the CLIO and Shorty award winning Virgin America Safety Dance video garnering over 727 million media impressions and 10 millions views. In April 2012, Virgin Produced launched its own digital network of Virgin Produced Channels, with premium programming of lifestyle, music, travel, technology, and comedy content currently available onboard Virgin airlines and hotels and expanding across other Virgin transportation, mobile, broadband, health club, and retail operating companies. In 2013, Virgin Produced expanded into India with the launch of Virgin Produced India, developing, producing, and distributing Bollywood film and television content. Very simply: Virgin Produced creates content meant to inspire and entertain with direct access to reach over 60 million loyal Virgin brand fans globally. For more information, please visit www.alaskaair.com.