Radioplayer opens up for all stations

Radioplayer is to open up its service to non-Ofcom licensed stations, but initially only 30 slots are being offered.

Any stations interested in joining – for a fee – can fill out an application for review.

The online player currently features over 300 Ofcom licensed live stations, 15,000 on-demand items, and attracts 7 million regular listeners.

Radioplayer Managing Director, Michael Hill told RadioToday.co.uk: “Radioplayer’s already full of incredible stations and programmes, but over the past year or so, we’ve come across dozens of brilliantly innovative new ideas too. We’re hoping we can bring some of them to life on Radioplayer, and help grow those green shoots into fully-fledged broadcast stations.”

The 30 available slots are being split up equally across Non-Ofcom non-profit stations, such as community and student radio, existing Ofcom broadcasters, wishing to launch new online-only services and non-Ofcom companies wishing to launch new commercial offerings.

Interested stations will be asked to accept some mandatory requirements, but will also be judged against a weighted list of factors, including:-

· The extent to which the new station complements existing Radioplayer services

· The amount of traffic and promotion the applicant will drive to Radioplayer

· The level of innovation in the content, technical, and commercial model

· The business model, including proposed annual licence fee

Michael Hill added: “I’m expecting an amazing array of new ideas, some from unusual sources. Let’s hope our application panel has a really tough time deciding on the winners!”

Application documents can be downloaded from radioplayer.co.uk/stationideas. Radioplayer was launched in March 2011, and is expected to release a mobile version of the desktop player this year.