Xperi Holding Corporation has released details of a year-long campaign to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first commercial radio broadcast in the U.S., and to highlight the continuing importance of radio, especially in the current crisis. The campaign kicked off with “HD Radio Sound Space Sundays,” in partnership with Entercom, a leading media and entertainment company and one of the two largest radio broadcasters in the U.S.
As part of the partnership with Entercom, the special Sunday series will be heard on the World Famous KROQ (KROQ-FM) in Los Angeles as well as on the station’s website and on the RADIO.COM app. The series will feature an exclusive new interview each week, coupled with an archived performance of some of the biggest names in music including AWOLNATION, Cage the Elephant, Bishop Briggs, Rufus Du Sol, and more. “HD Radio Sound Space Sundays,” which began with a Q&A session with Tyler Joseph of Twenty One Pilots, continues each Sunday at 6 p.m. PT, with lovelytheband scheduled for this Sunday, June 21st.
Xperi’s “100 Years of Radio” campaign, which will extend into 2021, also includes a dedicated website featuring a timeline of important moments in radio history, as well as broadcasts on DTS and HD Radio of clips of radio hosts and personalities from around the country recalling some of their greatest moments and memories in radio. The campaign will also offer a series of events, involving prominent broadcasters and organizations, throughout the year, all with a goal of highlighting the influential past, and continuing importance, of radio.
“We believe that DTS Connected Radio and HD Radio will be key to launching radio into its next 100 years, and, with this campaign, we are so pleased to have the opportunity to work with great partners like Entercom to bring exciting digital entertainment events to the public,” said Joseph D’Angelo, SVP – Broadcast Radio, Xperi Corporation.
“Radio is the most consumed media channel, surpassing television and reaching more adults 25 – 54 than any other audio source. The current health crisis has further emphasized the importance of radio as a critical source of news, health information and entertainment. While our HD Radio Sound Space events were originally conceived as in-person events, we have been able to pivot to a digital format that has the benefit of making these unique events more easily accessible to the wider public,” continued D’Angelo.
Xperi’s DTS Connected Radio combines over-the-air radio with IP-delivered content to provide the quality and experience that today’s digital consumer expects, and Xperi’s HD Radio offers the leading solution for high-quality digital broadcast of local AM/FM stations in North America. HD Radio broadcasts daily to almost 400 million people through over 2,400 transmission sites in North America alone, and is integrated by 41 automotive manufacturers in 300 different vehicle models throughout North America, totaling more than 60 million automobiles.
“Over the last century, radio has informed, entertained and touched the lives of generations of listeners,” said Jeff Federman, Regional President, Entercom. “We are pleased to partner with Xperi to help honor radio’s significant role in history, and celebrate the future of this important communications medium through the creation of exclusive content for our consumers across multiple platforms. These virtual events will unite audiences with their favorite artists and provide much needed entertainment during this tumultuous time.”
To experience “HD Radio Sound Space Sundays,” listen on your radio, smart speaker (“play one oh six point seven k-rock”), desktop/laptop, or nationwide on the RADIO.COM app and website. You can also watch the performances at KROQ’s website, and on Twitter and Facebook. Visit KROQ.radio.com for more information, and to find out about upcoming featured performances. Xperi’s “100 Years of Radio” campaign launched in February 2020 and will span 2020-2021 with a series of special events. Follow these stories on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #Radio100.