Corus Entertainment is adding MySpace.com to its radio stations’ call letters.
The national radio broadcaster has partnered with MySpace Canada and Montreal-based streaming technology company StreamTheWorld to bring its 52 radio stations to the social media site. The new venture, MySpace Radio (MySpace.com/radio), provides MySpace’s estimated 5.5 million Canadian users with real-time access to Corus radio stations. The venture will also enable MySpace users to integrate Corus stations into their MySpace profile.
This is MySpace Canada’s first foray into the online music space, according to general manager Dave Stevens, although in the U.S. MySpace has partnered with major record labels on a venture called MySpace Music.
MySpace has emerged as a hub for music lovers since its 2003 debut, with countless bands creating pages that enable users to discover and share their music. According to Stevens, the venture with Corus enables MySpace to build on that.
“Corus is one of the premiere entertainment companies in Canada, and what MySpace has been about is discovering people and discovering content,” he said. “This allows people to discover music in yet another way. We realize that listening habits for radio are making a significant shift, and that more people want to be in touch with their favourite radio station throughout the day. Something like this allows them to keep in touch when they’re in their car, at home, or at their computer.”
David Huszar, vice-president, interactive for Corus Radio, said the broadcaster was attracted to MySpace because it is “pretty much the social community for people that are music lovers.”
He noted that traditional radio’s competition is no longer confined to other in-market stations. “It would be naive for terrestrial radio stations anymore to think we’re just competing against the other FM or AM signals in the market,” he said. “We need to be wherever people are going to be interested in listening to audio streams.”
About one million Canadians currently access Corus stations online each month said Huszar. While that represents a fraction of its traditional radio audience (an estimated eight million a month according to BBM Canada), Huszar noted that time spent listening to Corus stations online has increased by about 40% in the past six months. “It used to be a fraction of a percentage point, and it’s not that anymore,” he said. “It’s becoming a significant portion of the audience.”
Corus is also using the MySpace partnership to promote its multi-platform Explore Music program featuring renowned music expert Alan Cross. Beginning next month, the “Found on MySpace” contest will enable MySpace users to recommend artists they’ve discovered on the social media site. A monthly winner will then be highlighted on Explore Music’s radio, TV and web properties.
“The tough thing has always been finding a great mechanism to inform us of indie and unsigned music for Alan to showcase,” said Huszar. “MySpace becomes the funnel that provides recommendations delivered by music lovers. We’ve been trying to find a way to showcase emerging artists, and this is a great way to do it.”
The MySpace platform will also enable Corus to provide added exposure for its conventional radio advertisers, said Huszar. “It’s extending the reach for our advertisers, no question,” he said.
