Cumulus Media Launches Network of Custom Amazon Alexa Skills

Embracing Alexa

CUMULUS MEDIA has launched AMAZON ALEXA skills for 300 local radio stations, some WESTWOOD ONE brands, plus CHRISTMAS RADIO.

This week marks the kick off of a national consumer marketing campaign designed to educate listeners on how to find and enable skills, fueled by local on-air, video, and social promotion. Individual stations will create localized messaging that speaks directly to their unique listenership. The custom skills can be enabled vocally by using unique key phrases for each radio station; top CUMULUS markets including NEW YORK CITY; LOS ANGELES; WASHINGTON, D.C.; CHICAGO; ATLANTA; SAN FRANCISCO; and DALLAS stations are now available. 

“Voice-interactive technology is bringing radio listening back into the home and office, and will enable interactivity with our stations in the connected car,” said EVP/Programming and Content MIKE MCVAY. “Our strategy to create a custom skill for individual radio stations and programs, while educating consumers, is critical as smart speakers have created an entirely new, and rapidly growing platform to consume audio content.”  

“At an aggregated network level we will have access to valuable data and insights on this rapidly-evolving audio ecosystem,” said CUMULUS EVP/Corporate Marketing and WESTWOOD ONE Pres. SUZANNE GRIMES. “We are dedicated to educating, testing, and learning to evolve the listening experience for our listeners and brand partners.”

“CUMULUS MEDIA has a track record as media innovators. It is a pleasure working with executives with a long-term vision for how voice interaction will change radio. CUMULUS challenged us to move quickly because they wanted to have an immediate impact; no company has brought hundreds of media properties as individual and local custom skills to AMAZON ALEXA with this speed and at this scale,” said XAPPMEDIA CEO/Co-Founder PAT HIGBIE. “Their AMAZON ALEXA skills network will yield tremendous insight into listener behavior. We are excited to be a part of this important milestone that’s defining the direction for the voice interactive radio era.” 

« see more Net News