Former Clear Channel, Google Execs Launch Goom

Goom Ramps Up

GOOM RADIO (www.goomradio.com) launched TODAY (3/17) with the mission of "reinventing radio for the Internet generation." GOOM RADIO plans to launch its U.S. service later this year, based out of the historic CLEAR CHANNEL Top 40 WHTZ (Z100)/NEW YORK studios in JERSEY CITY, before its recent relocation to MANHATTAN.

The executive team is led by CEO ROBERT WILLIAMS, who most recently served as CLEAR CHANNEL/NEW YORK Pres./Market Mgr.; Chief Sales Officer DREW HILLES, who led dMARC BROADCASTING through an acquisition by GOOGLE, where he served as a director for four years; and Dir./Programming TIM HERBSTER, who was recently the MD/night personality formerly known as ROMEO ON THE RADIO at (Z100).

WILLIAMS commented, "We have put together a stellar team, all with a strong background in radio and an eye toward the future of programming for the Internet generation to establish GOOM RADIO as a unique alternative to what is currently available in the world of online music. Our objective is to create remarkable radio experiences, something we feel the current generation of online offerings has not really focused on, truly bringing together the best of both the radio and the Internet."

Also on the GOOM team are marketing leaders HAYEON KIM and ADAM KLEIN, both joining from past positions at Google. GOOM launched in FRANCE last year and is already a proven success there and will be adapted to meet the varying needs of the U.S. market.

One On One With Williams And Herbster

ALL ACCESS got some exclusive Q&A time with ROB WILLIAMS and TIM HERBSTER.

AA: ROB, you mention reinventing radio for the Internet generation -- how will this be accomplished?

RW: "We're going to create a radio station that is being created and staffed by folks from radio and create a remarkable experiences -- with formats that may bot be able to be sustained by terrestrial radio. At its core, GOOM is music discovery, finding content and playing it. We can show a depth of format and content, along with two-way communication, which is what attracted me to this project.

"GOOM also has exceptional audio processing, plus user interaction to share the experience across the various social platforms, which make us different from traditional radio. This is a blending of art and science, and art and commerce. We will have on-air personalities, artist interviews and other things that will make a difference."

WILLIAMS noted that most of the marketing will be online strategies "through social networking and reaching out to bloggers. Users can create an audio blog with as little or as much of what they want to have. I've never been more excited about anything I've ever done, than I am now."

AA: TIM, as the programming architect of GOOM, can you let us under the tent?

HERBSTER: "We're going to let the individual users create their own user-generated radio stations. Real human being, real DJS, real content. Not like LIVE365 or anything similar.

"We will have 15 premium stations that will cross from mainstream formats to niche, and from there users can pick what they identify that they like most. They can set their own rotations, eliminate and include songs and content and they can become the DJ. The radios will be embedable online, anywhere. If I had this when I was a teen, I'd have never left my room. This will be great for the record labels who can make their own stations as can their artists."

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