When the FM radio made its debut a few years ago, it brought an additional medium of entertainment to the masses. Over the years, it has grown into one of the most happening media to carry entertainment around with them. However, with the advent of Internet radio and Internet itself becoming more accessible to the masses, the platform is slowly adopting the new technology to improve its services and user experience. Web radio is currently the ‘big thing’, with listeners interacting with RJs and getting them heard more easily. So, where to go next?
Radio City, a prominent name in this industry for the past few years, has come up with a new initiative to extend radio to another dimension — video. They have introduced Video City — a radio channel with a video feed. Listeners, or rather viewers, will have to visit the Radio City website and visit the Video city page to catch up with the all the action inside the studios. To get a better perspective about this new venture, we talked to Abraham Thomas, CEO, Radio City 91.1FM and he had a lot to say about their latest venture.
What is the idea behind Video City?
Video City is India’s first Video FM platform that allows our listeners to consume FM in a video format, on-the-go. It will allow our audience to watch live content from the Radio City studio on any device of their choice. Video City is another dimension of Radio City and transforms radio from being a listener-only medium to an experiential digital multimedia platform by giving a sneak peek into all the happenings inside the radio studio. This platform will also help us seamlessly integrate radio with digital. We will be kick-starting this initiative in Mumbai and then plan to expand it to other cities in the future.
How is it different from an online radio channel?
Radio City has a strong network of 47 web stations through its digital interface www.radiocity.in. We also launched radiocity.in Hindi, becoming the only radio network in India to offer an exclusive Hindi website. Video City goes a step further to add another dimension to the radio, where consumers can catch live action from the radio studio on video. Video City enhances the radio experience by amalgamating the power of radio with technology. The ongoing momentum generated by these platforms adds credibility and puts Radio City in a unique position to expand and drive new age properties like Video City.
How much of viewership engagement are you expecting with this new platform?
Radio City has a strong network of 47 web stations through its digital interface radiocity.in. We also launched radiocity.in Hindi, becoming the only radio network in India to offer an exclusive Hindi website.Radiocity.in being a mobile-first digital platform, a majority of consumers consume content via mobile phones on our web platform. We are optimistic that Video City will resonate equally well with our viewers.
Will Video based radio platform become the future of FM radio channels?
Video City is another dimension to Radio City and attempts to leverage radio content on video. Keeping in mind the changing consumer preferences of consuming surround programming, Radio City’s Video City will offer the viewers a compelling and visually appealing FM experience like never before along with a sneak peek of RJs, celebrity visits, Bollywood gossips and trivia.
Will Video City be available to listeners in the form of a mobile app or as a YouTube channel in the future?
Radio City’s web interface is developed as a mobile-first platform and caters to the audience who like to consume content on-the-go. Video City’s content can be published across multiple platforms including social media, thereby providing an adequate opportunity for cross-platform content collaboration.
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