Corus Radio, which currently reaches eight million listeners weekly from Quebec to BC, has launched ExploreMusic, a new on-air and online music service on its network of new rock stations. The daily half-hour radio show and online destination features music news, interviews with established and emerging artists and behind-the-scenes information hosted by the longtime host of The Ongoing History of New Music, Alan Cross, who has a following of over a million listeners weekly.
The site hopes to attract musically inclined advertisers, many of whom have already expressed an interest. ‘HMV heard about the concept and came on board before we even launched,’ Cross tells MiC.
Toronto-based Splice Interactive Media, the interactive arm of Corus radio, is providing the website with interactive tools for its audience and advertisers. ‘It offers advertisers the opportunity to be associated with Canada’s best-known music personalities in the first venture that takes the spirit of music radio beyond the airwaves,’ David Huszar, GM, Splice Interactive Media, tells MiC.
ExploreMusic will showcase features such as Five Songs You Gotta Hear Today, The List (featuring two Top 17 lists – one with recommendations from the ExploreMusic team, the other from listeners), Music News and the Music Geek Blog.
‘We want to participate in the evolution of music radio, not as an appliance, but as a service for music fans,’ Huszar tells MiC. ‘Nowadays, music is a commodity available pretty much everywhere. What is important is to provide trusted recommendations on what is worth checking out. Historically, music stations were the place where people first heard music that mattered to them, delivered by personalities that in the best of cases were like personal friends.’
Offering a resource for context, recommendation and music exploration, the in-house initiative brings Cross’s music knowledge and industry expertise to his new role as senior program director and host of ExploreMusic.
‘Technology and the Internet have greatly expanded the musical choices available to everyone, but it’s all a bit overwhelming,’ said Huszar. ‘We thought this was the right time to extend this service to the million or so music fans across Canada who regularly turn to Alan for his vast knowledge of the music that matters.’
‘While there are a lot of online music services, ExploreMusic is different in that it’s run by real people with real passion for music, not a pre-determined algorithm,’ says Cross.
The broadcast, which launched this week on Corus Radio’s network of new rock stations, can be heard weekdays at 7 pm from Monday to Thursday and at 8 pm (ET) on Sunday on 102.1 the Edge (Toronto), as well as Monday to Friday on Y108 (Hamilton) at 1 pm (ET), FM96 (London) at 6:30 pm (ET), Power 97 (Winnipeg) at 6:30 pm (MT) and 99.3 The FOX (Vancouver) at 8:30 pm (PT).
