More Customized Radio

Terrestrial radio has been slow to adopt personalized radio solutions, but with the growth of satellite and online options, especially the widespread adoption of Pandora, terrestrial radio is jumping in with both feet. Clear Channel has released the beta version of its new iheartradio app with personalization added. The full version of the app is going to be rolled out this week in conjunction with its iheartradio music festival in Las Vegas.

Others are also in the game. CBS has been offering listeners customized stations, but CBS opted for a softer launch of its customization services. With the potential of cannibalizing the ratings for existing stations, the ambivalence of the traditional radio companies was understandable. But with Pandora growing rapidly and splashy launches for Spotify and cloud services from Amazon, Apple and Google, terrestrial radio realizes they have to act.