iHeartMedia Launches BIN: Black Information Network

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Today marks the launch of BIN: Black Information Network, the first and only 24/7 national and local all news audio service dedicated to providing an objective, accurate and trusted source of continual news coverage with a Black voice and perspective. BIN is focused on service to the Black community and providing an information window for those outside the community to help foster communication, accountability and a deeper understanding.

A study of Black listeners found that 86% believe a service like BIN is necessary and are likely to use it as an important news source, and 83% think BIN provides a key service and important information they can't get on radio or TV today. The study also shows that the BIN concept is equally strong among both the 18-34 year old and 35-54 year old segments of the Black community.

Instead of traditional ad supported media, BIN is enabled by the support of National Founding Partners who share and support the mission of BIN: Black Information Network. These partners are Bank of America, CVS Health, GEICO, Lowe's, McDonald's USA, Sony, 23andMe and Verizon.

BIN will be distributed nationally through the iHeartRadio app and accessible via mobile, smart speakers, smart TVs and other connected platforms, and on dedicated all-news local AM/FM broadcast radio stations providing local news, weather traffic and sports in addition to national news -- all focused on the Black community and from the Black perspective -- in markets including Atlanta, Augusta, Charlotte, Cleveland, Columbus, GA, Detroit, Greenville, Macon, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, Norfolk, Riverside, San Francisco and Seattle, with additional local markets being added over the next 60 days.

BIN will also provide the news service for iHeartMedia's 91 Hip Hop, R&B and Gospel stations across the country, including Power 105.1 in New York, Real 92.3 in Los Angeles, WDAS and Power 99 in Philadelphia, WGCI and WVAZ in Chicago, WJLB in Detroit, The Beat in Houston, The Beat in Miami, WQUE in New Orleans, KMEL in San Francisco and more.

BIN will be a standalone business unit within iHeartMedia, and its executives and talent will reflect the community they serve. The business will be enabled and supported by the full resources of iHeartMedia, including shared use of technology; data and insights; marketing; digital services; monetization; and corporate resources, including Legal, HR and Finance.

BIN's unique partner supported business model is tailored to its mission of providing comprehensive, accurate and trusted information and news. The national Founding Partners of BIN: Black Information Network will support building this new platform for Black journalism and trusted news, and this partnership support will enable BIN's focus to be on providing a reliable, responsible and responsive news service to the Black community without the daily pressure of ratings.

Founding Partners will be able to deliver important messages to BIN's audiences and serve as a platform for philanthropic and community outreach to build brand connection and support the Black community, as well as use it for advertising messages as needed.

Tony Coles will be President of BIN: Black Information Network. Coles, who also serves as Division President of the iHeartMedia Markets Group, has more than 35 years' experience in the radio industry, from on-air to programming and management, with a strong record of success and team-building. He began his career in Ft. Wayne, IN, as a programmer and in Zanesville, OH as an on-air personality, and has since served as National Hot AC Brand Manager; Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Chicago; and most recently as Executive Vice President of Programming for the company's West Region. As Division President, Coles oversees the complete P & L for 21 iHeart markets across America.

Tanita Myers will be Director of News Operations for BIN: Black Information Network. Myers is a seasoned network and local Producer, Broadcaster and News Anchor with 15 years' experience at Reach Media. She was formerly Director of Operations for The Tom Joyner Morning Show; Executive Producer of Rickey Smiley Morning Show; and a reporter in News, Traffic and Weather for various major market stations.

BIN: Black Information Network will also have an Advisory Board consisting of leaders of the community from both inside the company and externally who will bring their unique and important perspectives as an ongoing resource to the business.

In addition, Clear Channel Outdoor Americas (CCOA) will be a national marketing partner.

"BIN: Black Information Network will fill a void by providing continual news and objective information with full focus on the Black community," said Coles. "We began developing our 24/7 Black news source last year, and events of the last few weeks, especially the senseless and tragic death of George Floyd, highlighted the need for this network. Now is the time for our voice to be heard, and I could not be more proud of our work and the team we are assembling at BIN."

"We are pleased and proud to support the launch of BIN: Black Information Network by contributing resources that will have the greatest impact - our reach, our multiple platforms, our technology infrastructure and our broad, in-depth relationships with consumers," said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia. "The commitment to service, and the immediate need we saw for a news and information destination for the Black community, accelerated the launch of BIN: Black Information Network to serve this community in an important new way. We are honored to be joined by some of the most important companies in the world that are also committed to this mission."

Selections of BIN's broadcast radio content will also be distributed every day as podcasts across iHeartRadio's podcast network, now the largest in the world. A selection of iHeartRadio's Black culture podcasts will also be distributed and amplified on BIN's broadcast radio programming, and a new daily BIN podcast will launch shortly, providing 10-20 minutes of on-demand daily news and culture analysis uniquely for the Black community.

BIN is actively hiring for various positions. For information on these positions, candidates can visit HERE. For more information about BIN: Black Information Network, please click HERE.