VIRGIN RADIO STREAMS TO CELL PHONES

From The Times of London: "Virgin Radio yesterday became the first commercial British station to be heard around the world by listeners on the move, as it made available software allowing the station to be picked up on mobile phones."

"The move is the latest step taken by the SMG-owned station — the target of a £100 million hostile bid — to reverse the decline in listening on its traditional AM channel by broadcasting over the Internet and third-generation mobile. Other radio stations are expected to follow suit…"

"’Less and less people are tuning in to AM, but we can see platforms that are replacing it. Obviously digital radio sets are one way, but this is another useful way of getting audience,’ James Cridland, head of new media at Virgin Radio, said."

"Over the past five years, Virgin Radio has lost about 40% of its listeners as the public has begun to shift away from the poorer quality AM to FM and digital services… However, Internet broadcasting has worked well for Virgin Radio; the flagship station claims a reach of 1.03 million listeners in February, making it the ‘most listened to online radio station in the world’."

Read the full article online here.