WunderRadio for the iPhone launched; will include GPS-based ad insertion

Weather Underground has teamed up with RadioTime to develop the iPhone’s most comprehensive source of streaming Internet radio stations – available in the iPhone App Store now for $5.99. The application is available now and provides access to thousands of streaming internet radio stations. 

Listeners use the RadioTime guide to search over 60,000 terrestrial and internet radio stations for music, talk, sports and entertainment programming airing all over the world, and can access Weather Underground’s network of local U.S. weather stations.  Scanner bugs can even pick up police, fire and EMS agencies. 

WunderRadio utilizes the iPhone’s GPS capability to locate nearby radio stations including NOAA weather radio streams. RadioTime’s guide provides a quick and easy way to find radio content from thousands of stations across the world. Listeners can browse by genre or location to see what is available for their tastes, locations and connections. Users can build a list of their favorite stations providing instant access to a personalized directory. The list includes most everything in Shoutcast; Windows Media Directory; Accuradio; and all of the licensed stations in North America.

WunderRadio provides links to the web site of the radio station that you are listening to as well as information on any songs that are playing. When listening to the weather radio stations users can link to Weather Underground’s free iPhone weather. The application features internet radio stations that are streamed by Windows Media and MP3 formats - providing users with a vast number of stations.

We asked Bill Moore, CEO, RadioTime: With the GPS capability in the phone, will there be targeted ad insertion based off of that? Will you form ad insertion  networks?

“Yes, we have separately, but have not announced yet, been working with ad insertion and targeting companies for the national revenue model for our business. Today there is licensing revenue, but the broader goal is distribution across all of these connected products, and then cooperating with the broadcasters to do a better job of monetizing this.”

Will the GPS be used for targeted insertion? “Technology that we demonstrate now (but is not part of this step) with a set of companies like TargetSpot, AndoMedia, Spatial Audio, and campaign management companies, is audience distribution, access to devices and in particular, being able to map what kind of ad works on what kind of device. Is there a display? Can you show a video, or is it just a text or audio ad. And how do you collect the response to the ad?”

When you sign a station, is there a revenue share for any ad insertion made?

“Yes. The major broadcasters have thousands of people selling inventory with their own sales force, and RadioTime has relationships with companies selling in that space as well, but we have not announced that yet. One of the exciting strategic things that you can start to see happening is for a while we’ve been pitching to broadcasters, ‘you monetize your audience with local ad sales. You can also put your ads on other broadcast content.’ For instance, AccuRadio doesn’t sell ads, but there’s no reason if you’re listening to an internet radio station that you couldn’t hear the local drycleaner’s ad that was sold by a CBS Radio sales rep. That fixes a lot of problems for everybody.”

As part of the ongoing relationship between Weather Underground and RadioTime, Weather Underground powered weather radio stations are to be included in RadioTime’s directory of channels.