Posted by chicagomedia.org on September 11, 2009 at 12:48:48:
CBS To Launch Last.fm On HD Radio
September 11, 2009 | FMQB
CBS Interactive Music Group announced today that it will bring Internet music site Last.fm to terrestrial radio, as the HD side channel for stations in four major markets. Beginning Monday, October 5, the all-new Last.fm station will be heard on Last.fm itself, selected CBS Radio stations' websites, CBS' streaming platforms including its partnerships with AOL Radio and Yahoo! and mobile applications for the iPhone, iPod Touch and Blackberry. The Last.fm station will be an HD side channel for AC WWFS #Fresh 102.7#/New York at 102.7 HD-2, Adult Hits KCBS #Jack FM#/Los Angeles at 93.1 HD-2, Triple A WXRT/Chicago at 93.1 HD-3 and Modern Rock KITS #Live 105#/San Francisco at 105.3 HD-3.
According to CBS, the station "will feature an eclectic mix of music aggregated and influenced by the service's user-generated weekly charts, combined with live performances and interviews from the Last.fm studios in New York, and event updates. The new station will expose audiences to underground, breaking and established artists and songs popular with Last.fm's more than 25 million monthly users."
"Last.fm's newest initiative is a novel way for the CBS Interactive Music Group to exercise its radio programming knowledge with a fresh and innovative approach," said David Goodman, President, CBS Interactive Music Group. "Last.fm has a large and loyal following both here and abroad, and we're thrilled to be taking this step to expose additional listeners to the world class service. Millions of people have helped create one of the best music discovery sites out there, and the information they provide us about their listening preferences will be at the core of everything we do on this new station. Additionally, we believe this is exactly the type of programming that will help bring new listeners to the HD multicast frontier."
The station's flagship program, "Last.fm Discovers," will be hosted by Sat Bisla and feature music popular on the site and up-close and personal interaction with the artists themselves. Additional elements on the station include programming devoted to Last.fm's weekly charts, determined by the service's users - top tracks and artists are based on total weekly play on Last.fm; hyped tracks and artists have shown significant weekly growth in listenership; loved tracks are the songs most "favorited" by listeners in a given week.
Seth Neiman, Digital Content Manager of the CBS Interactive Music Group will direct the programming for the Last.fm radio station.