RadioFlag Providing ''USA'' Call Signs for Intl. Radio

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, January 9, 2013 | 2:22pm CT

RadioFlag focuses on promoting original, non-mainstream radio content, by spotlighting Indie, Community, Alternative, and College Radio, broadcasted over the Internet and AM-FM airwaves, and now North American radio listeners, will now find it a lot easier to discover International Radio. RadioFlag looks to accomplish this by assigning American-style call signs to radio stations broadcasting from around the world, replacing they're more obscure and lesser known identifiers.

Starting with Europe, those who search for the stations they want to hear, on the web or on other apps who offer international radio, can only find their favorites if they can remember the name of the radio station. Considering radio is now available on mobile devices, screens allow very limited space to display full radio station names, not to mention the stations throughout Europe who go by similar names, make searching even more confusing.

RadioFlag prefers that international stations work with them in choosing a call sign that best fits the station's personality and branding objectives. The company offers these stations 4 character call signs, using a combination of both letters and or numbers, and in some circumstances up to 5 characters. In addition, the station's new call sign will be followed by a three letter ISO country code, such as - ZAF, which identifies stations broadcasting from South Africa. For example, 'Yona Ke Yona Radio', broadcasts from Johannesburg, and brands itself as 'Giving local music a platform, for unknown South African artists'. The problem is remembering the station name once listeners discover it. So RadioFlag assigned the station call sign: YKY-ZAF

A California tech start up, RadioFlag has already used this innovative method to better brand and identify 'Internet Only' radio stations in the U.S., which also do not use call signs. Reserving call signs for these stations also serves to secure call letters for American College Radio stations, many of which are losing their terrestrial signal due to cuts in funding. Reserving call signs, ensures that should they be forced to make a full transition to broadcasting only online, the call signs will not be lost, and their station branding continues.

RadioFlag's founder and CEO, Anthony Roman says his team has one goal in mind, "live radio is the original electronic social network, so from the start our team believes no other entertainment medium is more naturally equipped to connect people all around the world, based on shared opinions, ideas, interests and tastes. Live Radio is dynamic, stimulating and interactive, so I think by making international radio easily accessible to a global audience, we can help empower these DJs to better inform, educate, enlighten and entertain."

Roman says, "RadioFlag is not a push button playlist service. We are a different option. If you want a computer algorithm to select your music, there are plenty of good services who can offer you that. RadioFlag connects listeners with real DJs behind the mic. We can't wait to introduce listeners to international DJs and their local perspectives, which will surely open their ears to not only emerging artists and a fresh sound, but also new cultures entirely!"