Channel 4 Show Launches Community Portal For New Music

Channel 4’s pithy Saturday morning music show, Popworld, has launched a dedicated online music portal, providing viewers with access to up and coming acts, and boosting the profile of struggling artists.

Centred around a chart of unsigned acts, the new Popworld Promotes site enables users to listen and vote on their favourites. The most popular artist each month will then be invited to appear live on the Channel 4 show.

“The launch of Popworld Promotes is a real landmark in the music business,” said Martin Lowde, CEO of Popworld Ltd in launching the service.

“Consumers seem to want to move away from manufactured bands to genuine musical talent. From the bands we have already signed it is clear there is a wealth of untapped talent out there and we are very committed to finding them and providing them with a platform to prove themselves to the public. We want to encourage real people to discover real music.”

In addition to a spot on the Saturday morning show, the website’s most popular artists will appear in the first Popworld Promotes gig at the Hard Rock Café on 24 April, with additional support offered in the next phase of their “road to fame,” including live tours around the country, music videos and marketing support.

The new site will work closely with Channel 4’s existing music website, channel4.com/music. Neil McCallum, commissioning editor for T4 Youth & Music, welcomed the activity, stating: “The music scene in the UK has never been so vibrant. Popworld Promotes will add a new dimension to the industry with this cutting edge multimedia experience giving musicians and songwriters a chance to get heard.”

The focus of traditional broadcasters on community-based and user-generated content was recently highlighted at the MediaGuardian Changing Media Summit (see NewsLine Feature:Blogging On To User-Generated Content). The growth in online services such as blogs and community spaces has led several traditional media operators to foster their own creations, such as Popworld Promotes, or buy out existing services, such as Myspace.

Channel Four: 020 7396 4444 www.channel4.com Popworld Promotes: www.popworldpromotes.com