Naxos Announces Agreement with Clear Channel That Enables Leading Classical Music Label to Participate in All Radio Revenue Streams

Naxos Announces Agreement with Clear Channel That Enables Leading Classical Music Label to Participate in All Radio Revenue Streams

Naxos Will Apply Its Unequalled Genre Expertise to Programming ‘Classica’ Station on iHeartRadio
Agreement Builds on Clear Channel’s Groundbreaking Big Machine and Glassnote Deals; Recognition Grows that Market-Based Solutions are the Right Business Model for the Future Growth of Digital Radio
 
October 29, 2012 - FRANKLIN, TN - Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, which has the largest reach of any radio or television outlet in America, and Naxos, the world’s leading classical music label, today announced they have entered into an agreement that aligns their business interests, focusing on accelerating the growth of digital radio and benefitting classical music fans across America.
 
The agreement, which follows Clear Channel’s groundbreaking agreements with Big Machine Label Group and Glassnote Records, serves to further highlight that market-based solutions are the right business model to enhance the future growth of digital radio and benefit both artists and listeners.

As part of the new agreement, Naxos will bring their unparalleled genre expertise to programming “Classica,” the digital classical station on iHeartRadio, Clear Channel’s industry-leading digital radio platform.
 
Naxos http://www.naxos.com/, the world¹s leading classical music label is known for recording exciting new repertoire with exceptional talent. The label has one of the largest and fastest growing catalogues of unduplicated repertoire available anywhere with state-of-the-art sound and consumer-friendly prices. The catalogue includes classical music CDs and DVDs as well other genres such as jazz, new age, educational and audiobooks.

Naxos of America is the largest digital distributor of independent classical music.   It supplies a catalog of over 30,000 albums from hundreds of classical labels, including 6,500 titles on its own labels, to digital download stores and mobile outlets worldwide.

“As Naxos celebrates its 25th anniversary, I can think of no better way to inaugurate the next 25 years than a partnership with Clear Channel that helps align the business interests of artists, labels, and broadcasters, while benefitting music fans across America,” said Jim Selby, Chief Executive Officer of Naxos of America. “Naxos has long been a leader in the digital music space and we have found a perfect partner in Clear Channel that will help to grow digital radio as well as enable artists to reach a new generation of classical music lovers.”
 
“We are enormously impressed with Naxos’s digital distribution, which makes them an ideal partner for Clear Channel as we continue to change the industry in bold and innovative ways,” said Bob Pittman, Chief Executive Officer of Clear Channel. “Mozart, Brahms, Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, Haydn—these composers wrote the original power chords, and their work is as vital today as when it was first written. Our agreement with Naxos further demonstrates that the market-based business model we unveiled this past summer makes sense for labels, artists, broadcasters, and fans.”
 
 
About Naxos
Since 1987, Naxos has redefined how classical music is presented and marketed. Innovative strategies of recording exciting new repertoire with exceptional talent have enabled the label to develop one of the largest and fastest growing catalogues of unduplicated repertoire available anywhere—currently over 2,500 titles—with state-of-the-art sound and consumer-friendly prices. Visit www.naxos.com.
 

Contacts:

Naxos
Raymond Bisha
Director – Media Relations
Rbisha@naxosusa.com
347-669-4417

Clear Channel
Wendy Goldberg
Senior Vice President – Communications
WendyGoldberg@clearchannel.com
(212) 549-0965

About iHeartMedia, Inc.

iHeartMedia (NASDAQ: IHRT) is the number one audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month. It consists of three business groups.

With its quarter of a billion monthly listeners, the iHeartMedia Multiplatform Group has a greater reach than any other media company in the U.S. Its leadership position in audio extends across multiple platforms, including more than 860 live broadcast stations in over 160 markets nationwide; its National Sales organization; and the company’s live and virtual events business. It also includes Premiere Networks, the industry’s largest Networks business, with its Total Traffic and Weather Network (TTWN); and BIN: Black Information Network, the first and only 24/7 national and local all news audio service for the Black community. iHeartMedia also leads the audio industry in analytics, targeting and attribution for its marketing partners with its SmartAudio suite of data targeting and attribution products using data from its massive consumer base.

The iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group includes the company’s fast-growing podcasting business -- iHeartMedia is the number one podcast publisher in downloads, unique listeners, revenue and earnings -- as well as its industry-leading iHeartRadio digital service, available across more than 500 platforms and 2,000 devices; the company’s digital sites, newsletters, digital services and programs; its digital advertising technology companies; and its audio industry-leading social media footprint.

The company’s Audio & Media Services reportable segment includes Katz Media Group, the nation’s largest media representation company, and RCS, the world's leading provider of broadcast and webcast software.

Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.