Support For NextRadio App High at NAB Show

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Last month NAB President Gordon Smith proclaimed in his keynote address at the NAB Show, "NAB is pleased to support the NextRadio campaign, as this technology is widely supported by our members and strengthens the future of radio." He must be right as NextRadio has broken into the top 10 free music apps for Google Play at number nine and is up to over 2.33 million app downloads.

According to the TagStation Team, over 11,665 FM radio stations have been tuned to from the app, with over 4.38 million hours of listening through NextRadio and an 18-minute average listening session per station through NextRadio.

The TagStation Team noted on its blog that FM access in smartphones as a lifeline in the event of emergencies was also a hot topic at the show's sessions. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel also voiced support for the concept of FM activation on handsets and applauded the role of local radio stations during emergencies. FEMA's Damon Penn reiterated the agency's support for FM-enabled cellphones, saying the phone you are holding could be an "extremely valuable" tool during a disaster.

As mentioned, the average station listening session length in NextRadio now stands at 18 minutes. The TagStation Team says continued rise in session length can be attributed to a healthy and expanding pool of returning users. It should also be noted that on weekdays that number is closer to 21 minutes, and that's just not for one station. Metrics show that a person's time spent in the NextRadio app usually consists of listening to more than one station-equaling a whole app session closer to 48 minutes.