Cumulus Creates Content

Cumulus Media Networks, which boasts more than 5,500 affiliate radio stations, and production company Dick Clark Productions, have partnered to create original radio and digital content opportunities around the upcoming American Music Awards and the Billboard Music Awards.

As part of the partnership, which runs through 2014, Cumulus Media will create six hours of original programming that will be broadcast to its radio stations across the country surrounding the AMAs at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles on Nov. 24. Two hours will be dedicated to red carpet artist interviews in advance of the AMAs; three hours will focus on the broadcast itself; and the remaining hour will provide a wrap-up taking listeners backstage. The radio programming will be live and tailored to major radio formats, including country, pop, urban and rock.

“Ultimately, this partnership is about giving fans more of what they want,” DC Media president Mike Mahan tells Billboard.biz. “Fans of music are listening to radio and for us to service those fans in unique and exciting ways is a tremendous opportunity for us.”

Leading up to the televised broadcast of the AMAs, Cumulus Media radio stations will also build excitement about the show by announcing the artist nominees across its various platforms. About three weeks ahead of the show, approximately two-dozen radio listeners across the country will have the opportunity to win tickets to the AMAs. Following the broadcast, the event coverage will be available across the stations’ Websites and owned-and-operated social media profiles.

“There’s never been that level of interactivity and access to these shows that we’ve been able to bring to radio and our audience,” Cumulus Media Networks executive VP and co-COO John Dickey tells Billboard.biz. “We’re very excited about having that opportunity to get up close and personal, from the red carpet and backstage to embedding some of our talent with the artists as they get ready and dressed for the show.”

Dickey says that Cumulus Media will take a similar coverage approach to the Billboard Music Awards in 2014. “The Billboard Music Awards and the American Music Awards are going to have basically the same format that we’re going to apply,” he says. “There will be some minor tweaks and other things that we’re going to be doing for each show and venue, but the same premise will apply for both shows and the same level of interactivity, the same level of custom programming and the same type contesting with listeners.”

Dick Clark Productions and Billboard share the same parent company in Guggenheim Partners.