Clear Channel Radio has unveiled a new Internet radio service called erockster — an online music portal and social networking site featuring a collection of interviews, on-demand streaming, and programmed playlists. It also includes social networking elements and user-generated content.
Visitors have the opportunity to either listen to the programmed radio stream, or stream full songs and albums on demand from a limited catalog, also including video. Clear Channel hopes to grow its collection of available music to 5,000 songs by the end of May, and add 1,000 a week on an ongoing basis.
Listeners who sign up as members can register their musical tastes in order to influence the music played in the pre-programmed stream, which can be accessed online at erockster.com and via Clear Channel radio station Web sites such as KYSR-FM in Los Angeles, WWDC-FM in Washington DC, and WRFF-FM in Philadelphia. The grand plan is to syndicate the show as a two-hour program on FM stations as well.
The site is hosted by Eric Szmanda, who plays Greg Sanders on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. It debuted during the Coachella music festival, where it “pirated” local station KAJR FM in Indio/Palm Springs and streamed 1,000 uninterrupted songs by current and previous Coachella artists.
The social networking elements include the basic discussion boards, photo sharing and reviews.
