Virgin Radio To Launch Second Podcast Show
Virgin Radio has announced plans to make its second show available via podcast this Sunday, making its newest programme, The Tim Lovejoy Show, available to download.
Like The Pete & Geoff Breakfast Show, which currently has an impressive 85,000 downloads every month, The Tim Lovejoy Show downloads will be free, thanks to the show’s sponsorship by Nivea and in-programme advertising.
Earlier this year, The Pete & Geoff Breakfast Show became Virgin Radio’s first ever podcasted programme, allowing listeners to download the show for use on their mp3 players at a time convenient for them.
The show’s distribution via the internet was funded by the UK’s first example of podvertising, which saw a sponsorship deal with the COI and Expedia cover Virgin’s expenses and allow the download at no cost to listeners (see Virgin Makes Podvertising First With Pete And Geoff).
Commenting on the initiative, James Cridland, head of strategic development, new media, at Virgin Radio, said: “There was huge interest from listeners, advertisers and the radio industry when we brought the first daily podcasts to the nation back in March this year.”
He continued: “Building on this success and the popularity of the medium, we’re pleased to be offering another high-profile programme to podders so that the listener really is in control of when they listen to their favourite shows. The advertising interest in sponsoring the podcast is just another endorsement of the potential we’re opening up.”
The star-studded magazine-style sports show will be must-hear radio for millions of sports and music fans on Sunday afternoons from 4pm-7pm. From August 28th Tim, from Sky Sports Soccer AM fame, will bring life to the week’s hottest sporting and music news and views by interviewing top celebs from the worlds of sport, music and showbiz. Making the best bits of the show available to download straight onto an i-Pod or MP3 player will mean more people can enjoy the programme anytime, anywhere.
Earlier this month, Virgin Radio announced plans to extend its digital portfolio next month with the launch of a new station, aimed at a youth audience and playing only the newest guitar-based music (see Virgin To Launch Third Digital Station Next Month).
Explaining the launch, Paul Jackson, acting chief executive at Virgin Radio, said: “Virgin Radio Xtreme will be as passionate, demanding and on the edge of the best new music, as it’s listeners. We are the most credible rock station in the country and we are now reaching out to new younger listeners who have always been poorly served by the pop led stations across the country. They are about to discover how good a station designed just for them can sound.”
The new station will launch on 5 September, complementing Virgin’s existing digital offerings, Virgin Radio Groove and Virgin Radio Classic Rock.
Virgin Radio: 020 7434 1215 www.virginradio.co.uk