The television, online and event capabilities of CBS will join the big-market power of CBS Radio to help promote core artists. The AMPLIFY program will give massive cross-media exposure to partner musicians.
Charter members of AMPLIFY are RCA Records recording artist Justin Timberlake and Warner Music-Nashville recording artist Blake Shelton. Swedish DJ Avicii is also on the runway.
CBS explained the program in a nutshell statement, saying, “Utilizing its massive reach across the country and deep array of traditional and new media platforms, CBS RADIO is taking a commanding step forward in the way they present and promote artists on-air, online, and through live experiences with listeners. Under the AMPLIFY program, CBS RADIO has created a series of exclusive national content initiatives that will grow the popularity of proven artists, as well as those on the rise across its Pop, Country, Rock, Adult Contemporary and Urban stations.”
CBS Radio President/CEO Dan Mason explained, ““Consumers have historically turned to radio to discover new music – a fact that remains true today. And with AMPLIFY, our stations are creating additional opportunities to showcase the incredible talents of the artists whose songs are destined to be among our favorites of all time, and providing fans with a deeper appreciation of what they hear on the radio.”
SVP Programming Greg Strassell added, “Our programmers take their role in helping create the next breakthrough artist seriously. We are pleased to put forward a platform that will cultivate new music fans and drive more interest in the industry.”
Elements of AMPLIFY include:
From CBS, here are key elements of the AMPLIFY program:
* IMPACT: When one of today’s biggest names in music is ready to unveil their
latest project, CBS RADIO listeners will be sure to know about it through its
IMPACT program. Extensive on-air promotion on format specific stations across
the country will begin in the days leading up to the song or album debut, and a
dedicated section on station websites will highlight the artist and provide an
array of editorial features.
* LAUNCH: Chosen exclusively by CBS RADIO’s reputable programming team, LAUNCH artists are those rising stars of the music industry you absolutely need to be listening to. On-air programming will highlight clips from their latest release, and an extensive online companion will be available complete with artist specific pages, multi-media content and links to purchase music.
* ARTIST HOOK-UPS: Not your ordinary radio station event – these are once in a lifetime, money can’t buy experiences. Listeners can expect front row access, intimate settings, and unusual destinations as they join their favorite artists on a thrilling musical journey.
* SONG INTROS: Continuing ona path CBS RADIO set down several years ago intended to familiarize the audience with song titles and artists, stations will incorporate into their programming personalized intros voiced by the musicians themselves, offering candid insight into the stories and meaning behind their hit song or album.
* RADIO.COM: The online and mobile destination for the best in music, sports, talk and news programming, RADIO.com will take an active role in engaging fans with original audio and video content including streaming, exclusive editorial features, live and on-demand concerts and events, and rich storytelling. Select CBS Television Stations will also have the ability to showcase a sampling of this programming during their local newscasts, an opportunity exclusive to CBS RADIO.
RBR-TVBR observation: This is not the same as the label deals we’ve been seeing, but it should serve artists well, taking the beneficial free airplay promotion radio has always provided in a quid pro quo for access to the artists’ music, and ramping it up exponentially.
Taken with the one-to-one deal-making being explored by radio companies as pioneered by Clear Channel and Big Machine, the CBS program should strengthen the professional bond between the two industries and we hope take the dispute over airplay royalties off the table.
