Emap Radio To Launch Online Gateway To The North

Emap Radio is ploughing £2 million into a new internet project which it hopes will form an online gateway to cities in the north of England by means of a consumer website.

Iain Clasper, managing director of the project, told Newsline this afternoon that Emap Radio hopes to recruit a series of editors who will be able to create online content of regional interest and value. The group already has a variety of internet projects based around radio stations, for example Key103FM.com and MagicAM.co.uk, and these will be involved in tailoring the new portal to have regional variety.

Although a separate product from its radio brands, Emap will use its radio stations, such as Kiss 100 FM and Magic FM to promote the site, and to encourage people to come online. Clasper believes that radio has an advantage as a driving force for internet traffic over press or magazine advertising, as listeners tend to spend more time listening to the radio than using the other media, and can do so whilst engaged in other activities. He commented: “We’re hoping to get more leverage from the relationship between the mediums of radio and internet.”

The new media project, which as yet remains nameless, is due to launch in 6 weeks time, and the group will be headed by Iain Clasper who will report to Emap Radio’s managing director Dee Ford. Clasper said: “We are putting a significant amount of money and a significant amount of marketing into this project. We are very serious.”

Emap Radio: 0171 504 6000