UK commercial radio broadcaster Virgin Radio is blazing the innovative ad trail with the introduction of the nation's first 'podcast'.
Made up from highlights of its breakfast show, the 40 minute 'podcast' - coined after Apple's ubiquitous iPod - will be accessible as an MP3 download from 10:30am each morning.
In an agreement forged by OPera, ad revenue will make the service free. The first two advertisers to seize this opportunity are online travel agent Epedia and COI Communications, with its police specials drive on behalf of the UK Government's Home Office.
Advertising will appear at the beginning and end of the transmission, with a peppering of shorter ads throughout, amidst the spoken dialogue of the presenters. Due to copyright issues, music, news and weather will not feature.
Virgin Radio sales director Lee Roberts championed the scheme saying: "Podvertising is a new revenue channel and can target a specific audience with a personalised message. Radio stations have to adapt to the changing market and new platforms in order to create new revenue channels, we're proud to be the first with podvertising."
Data sourced from Brand Republic (UK); additional content by WARC staff
