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4th January 2006 - Motorola, Inc revolutionizes radio with
the public introduction of the award-winning Motorola iRadio,
a subscription music service that seamlessly moves from home,
to car stereo, to wireless headphones -- powered from the
one device youre never without: your mobile handset.
Motorola iRadio is initially launching with 435 commercial-free
radio channels, already one of the widest selections of subscription
music entertainment available. The services unique delivery
platform enables it to bring content portability together
with acquisition and discovery of music. This creates a powerful
new medium for artists and labels to directly connect with
fans, and for wireless service providers to deepen relationships
with subscribers.
Motorola iRadio is truly a revolution in digital radio
offering more choice, higher audio quality than satellite
radio, and features that allow listeners to identify and purchase
the music they like said Mike Gaumond, vice president
and general manager, Motorola Digital Media Services. Today,
weve taken a giant leap beyond traditional and Internet-delivered
radio by introducing a single service that incorporates incredible
choice, the discovery of new music, impulse acquisition, and
seamless portability.
Motorola is demonstrating the iRadio service at the 2006
International CES (Booth #8545, Central Hall) on a variety
of music-optimized Motorola devices, including the recently
announced ROKR E2.
Seamless Portability
ONE DEVICE YOU ARE NEVER WITHOUT. 700 million mobile phones
were sold worldwide in 20051, making the mobile phone a ubiquitous
hub to distribute music, talk and other digital content. Motorola
iRadio unifies content that has historically been segmented
across different devices and mediums, such as traditional
radio, MP3 players, Internet radio and car audio.
LISTEN WHEREVER YOU ARE. Using Bluetooth® wireless technology,
a users customized choice of content moves automatically
from the phone, through the car stereo, across the home stereo
system or on-the-go. When a call is received on the phone,
the music is automatically paused, resuming after the call
has been completed.
"Motorola iRadio lets us deliver top-rated talk content
and custom music channels to listeners wherever they are throughout
their day," explains Jeff Littlejohn, executive vice
president at Clear Channel Radio. "Whether they're underground
in a subway tunnel or traveling outside their local radio
market, they can still take along their favorite Clear Channel
Radio content. We believe iRadio is an important addition
to the choices now available to consumers and the service
has our unqualified support."
Motorola offers optional Bluetooth accessories to extend
iRadio, including stereo headphones for on-the-go use, an
adapter for a home stereo, and a wireless car kit compatible
with virtually all car stereos from major manufacturers such
as Pioneer, Alpine, Sony and Kenwood.
"Motorola has really raised the bar for consumer choice
and portability," said David Del Beccaro, president and
CEO of Music Choice. "We're thrilled to be a part of
this radio revolution."
Bringing Together Music Discovery and Acquisition
UNPARALLELED CHOICE. Motorola iRadios initial 435 commercial-free
channels cover genres and styles that break the mold of competing
radio services. Consumers can personalize their radio listening
by choosing from a comprehensive selection of musical styles,
including:
Over 40 styles of Rock, from Grunge to Heavy Metal to Hair
Bands to Classic Rock
Twelve different Jazz stations, from the fusion sounds of
Miles Davis to the smooth stylings of Lee Ritenour and David
Sanborn
Individual artist channels, such as 12 stations featuring
the music of Nashvilles top Country stars
Genre channels for every decade since the 1900s
Specialty channels spotlighting specific themes such as 1
Hit Wonders, Rockin Cowboys, Just Broke Up, and Angry
Women
EXPANDING SELECTION. Unlike other radio services, iRadios
proprietary technology frees it from bandwidth limitations.
This means the service can offer a nearly unlimited selection
of channels, and new ones can be added without removing older
ones. Motorola currently has a number of new channels in development
to expand iRadio the service offering even further.
GET HEARD. The Motorola iRadio platform also allows independent
artists, radio personalities and talk show hosts to create
their own iRadio channels. The Motorola iRadio Get Heard Network
provides a digitally protected distribution channel for music
and spoken word artists to expand their audiences and to be
discovered by new listeners.
New Options for Monetizing Content
DIRECT CONNECTION BETWEEN ARTISTS AND FANS. Motorola iRadio
establishes a more personal connection between artists and
fans. Listeners can go far beyond the Top 40 to discover new
genres and artists. Labels now have a new, low-cost forum
for introducing music or reviving long forgotten songs from
the back catalog.
Legendary multi-platinum musician Graham Nash, who will contribute
music and interview material to an upcoming Crosby, Stills,
and Nash channel, noted that "Motorola iRadio is a fantastic
new way for us to reach our fans with our music. We can improvise,
and experiment, and let the people decide what they like to
listen to."
Another exclusive independent artist channel is produced
by Academy Award-winning writer, actor, director, and musician,
Billy Bob Thornton. "Motorola iRadio is the best thing
to happen for variety in music since Jimmy Hendrix opened
for the Monkees," said Thornton. "This is radio
like it used to be, like it's supposed to be."
NAME THAT TUNE. Listeners can bookmark an individual song
by simply pressing a button on their phone or car stereo,
making it easy to recall the name of a long-forgotten favorite
or to discover a new artist. Artist, album and song information
along with offers to purchase downloads, CDs or even concert
tickets will appear on the iRadio Wish List viewed
on the computer.
SECURE PLAYBACK. Motorola iRadios proprietary rights
management technology offers content owners and artists an
advantage. Using the single-play model of radio, labels can
introduce consumers to new content and be protected from piracy
and unauthorized file-sharing.
Completing the Wireless Carrier Music Offering
ACQUISITION AT THE POINT OF DISCOVERY. Motorola iRadio completes
the music service ecosystem for the wireless carrier, by placing
the element of discovery right on the mobile device. Carriers
can now introduce subscribers to new music played from the
handset, and drive them to their wireless music store for
over-the-air acquisition of the tune they just heard. For
example, listeners can hear a song on their car stereo, and
simply press a key to purchase and download the track over-the-air.
INCREASED REVENUE AND CUSTOMER RETENTION. Wireless carriers
can extend their relationship with the customer beyond the
handset, by offering a branded music service thats accessible
from the mobile phone and the car stereo. This seamless service
offers the opportunity to increase customer loyalty and monthly
subscription revenue.
TURNKEY. Motorola iRadio has aggregated hundreds of channels
of content through agreements with major labels and other
producers, and continues to develop compelling new content.
Carriers can differentiate and customize iRadios vast
selection to enhance their existing music offerings.
EASY TO DEPLOY. Motorola iRadio can be deployed to subscribers
through a simple software application that can be downloaded
to a handset over-the-air.
NETWORK EFFICIENT. Motorola iRadio combines over-the-air
delivery with a sophisticated caching system that reduces
the cost of delivery for wireless carriers.
Award-Winning Variety, Innovation and User Experience
The Motorola iRadio® Service was recently honored as the
Best Radio Service at the 2005 Digital Entertainment
and Media Excellence Awards, recognized by a panel of judges
from across the entertainment and digital media industries
as the the best radio service (digital, Internet, satellite
or other format) with respect to variety, innovation and user
experience. Other finalists in this category included
XM® Satellite Radio, America Onlines AOL® Radio
Network, and Yahoo! LAUNCHcast Music Radio Service.
The award ceremony was part of the two-day Digital Entertainment
and Media Expo (DEMXPO), co-sponsored by Billboard Magazine,
The Hollywood Reporter, AdWeek, Nielsen Entertainment and
Digital Media Wire.
Availability
Consumers can subscribe to the Motorola iRadio Service by
simply tapping an icon on an iRadio-enabled mobile phone,
available through wireless service providers later this year.
Individuals interested in previewing the Motorola iRadio service
now may contact iradio@motorola.com.
System requirements include:
iRadio-enabled mobile phone
High-Speed Internet connection (cable modem or DSL) 2
PC running Windows XP
USB port on the PC
For more information, visit www.motorola.com/iradio.
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