Astral Radio Creates a Unique Experience for Listeners with Its New
Interactive Platform

Astral Radio's 83 websites provide an engaging interactive environment for listeners across the country

MONTREAL, Oct. 28 /CNW Telbec/ - Astral Radio, a division of Astral Media Inc. (TSX: ACM.A/ACM.B), announces the deployment of its brand new interactive platform in all of its stations across Canada. Developed by Emmis Interactive, a leading North-American interactive solutions company, this new platform allows each station to favourably differentiate themselves by creating highly-engaging interactive content for their listeners and by providing local and national advertisers with outstanding value add via new high-performance multiplatform tools.

All of the radio station websites today boast a new graphic interface that displays Astral Radio's creativity and innovative spirit. Radio hosts at the 83 Astral stations across the country can now create a unique experience on air and online, as well as provide an interactive environment conducive to live interactions with listeners through relevant content discussed on air during their shows.

"The evolution of radio stations in the interactive environment marks a new chapter in our content strategy," says Rob Farina, Executive Vice President, Content for Astral Radio. "We now have the technical ability and all the desired flexibility to develop our online content in each one of our markets and offer our audiences across the country a unique and rewarding experience—on air, online, and on site."

Over the past few weeks, several interactive initiatives in different Astral Radio markets achieved tremendous success with listeners. For example, the NRJ network launched the contest "Crée ta méchante pub" (create your own wicked ad) across Québec. More than 140 listeners answered the call made on the air and created their own 30-second video adverts that they uploaded onto radionrj.ca to promote the brand. Over 428,000 users watched the video segments produced by contest participants. 

In Western Canada, the Cutest Baby Contest on Vibe 98.5 also enjoyed a huge success with over 5,500 participants who registered online via the radio station's website to upload a picture of their little sweetheart. Over 570,000 users (400 per cent more than the previous year) visited the site and voted for their favourite cutie.

Astral Radio's new interactive platform also provides local and national advertisers with the possibility of building even more engaging interactions with their customers. Thus advertisers can leverage new innovative ideas for fully integrated, multiplatform campaigns that complement each other.

With these new high-performance tools, such as cyberreporting, geotargeting, cyberevents, as well as other interactive tools and games, hosts can now interact with a narrowly targeted clientele, engage listeners to share an exhilarating experience, receive a comprehensive analysis of the targeted clientele's demographics, and achieve better results. For example, a house builder recently used Astral's cyberreporting to promote his product on air and on the web. Listeners could go to 102.9 K-LITE FM's site for a virtual and interactive tour and take advantage of the builder's exclusive offer. As well, a retail business leveraged the cyberevent on Virgin 98.5's airwaves to promote products and invite listeners to select different pieces of clothing to create a virtual fashion show. What's more, the new and unique interactive platform allows the quick and efficient deployment of a campaign across the country.

The migration of all Astral Radio websites follows the signing last March of a long-term agreement with Emmis Interactive Inc. to provide a unique and evolving interactive platform, as well as tools to increase participation and create two-way communication possibilities between radio stations and audiences.

Astral Radio, part of the Astral family. Astral is one of Canada's largest media companies. It operates over 100 of the country's most popular pay and specialty television, radio, out-of-home advertising and digital media properties. Astral plays a central role in community life across the country by offering diverse, rich and vibrant programming that meets the tastes and needs of consumers and advertisers. To learn more about Astral, visit astral.com.

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