LDR Interactive Launches Gruvr Mobile Apps to Transform Everyday Music Radio Into an Interactive, Multimedia Experience

CLEVELAND and DALLAS, Aug. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- A new mobile app that transforms passive broadcast radio listening into a real-time, interactive experience fully integrated with social media, has been introduced by broadcast technology company LDR® Interactive (www.LDRinteractive.com).

Called Gruvr™, the app is actually a family of applications – iPhone, iPad and Android – that zooms broadcasters into the future by transforming mobile devices into live interactive portals for radio brands. When a consumer clicks on the Gruvr app for their favorite radio station, the live audio stream begins automatically and their interactive experience starts.

Gruvr users vote, real-time, for what songs they'd like to hear next. An 'open mic' feature allows listeners to create a high quality audio dedication in their own voice and send it directly to the station for instant on-air play. Complete social integration with Facebook and Twitter connects users with their friends to share and dedicate songs through social media. Listeners may also win badges for using the app – local stations can design new badges anytime to reward listeners for voting on a particular song or artist, for making an open mic recording, using the app during a certain time of day, or even showing up at a remote broadcast or event.

Extensive research on top performing radio stations reveals that a high quantity of early morning listening is critical for achieving robust ratings through the day. Answering the need for morning tune-ins, Gruvr has a novel 'alarm clock' function, which awakens listeners with a custom greeting including their local weather forecast, names of Facebook friends having birthdays, and station contest reminders – before automatically starting the station's audio stream.

"Gruvr transforms everyday radio listening into an interactive social music experience," said Daniel Anstandig, president and CEO of LDR Interactive. "We're providing radio stations with a turnkey strategy to fully engage with their audiences in a very personal way. Often, tech entrepreneurs poeticize the future as "So Lo Mo" (social, local and mobile). At LDR Interactive, we're bringing 'bro' to the table… broadcasting. We believe that the mashup of social-local-mobile-broadcasting has potential to drive interactive engagement around music listening in an unprecedented way for the radio industry."

Cox Media Group, an integrated broadcasting, publishing, direct marketing and digital media company, is the first media group to sign up for Gruvr. The mobile app will be used by 33 of its radio stations in 11 markets around the U.S. on an exclusive basis. Complete details at http://www.feintuchcommunications.com/LDR-CMG.

Gruvr is an outgrowth of LDR Interactive's core patent-pending crowdcasting^TM technology it has been marketing to stations worldwide since 2009. The company's 'LDR.1' and 'LDR.Takeover®' interactive music platforms are on the air at over 260 stations and networks in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa and Asia reaching more than 65 million listeners monthly. Major domestic clients include Clear Channel Radio, Cox Media Group, Hubbard Radio and Cumulus. Since 2012, LDR Interactive's cloud-based service offerings have helped radio stations to generate more than $3 million dollars in new, non-traditional ad revenues and sponsorships.

But the new mobile app addresses a significantly larger business opportunity for traditional radio broadcasters who have been fighting against a splintering of consumers' attention from smartphones, tablets, satellite radio, MP3 players and other channels/devices.

Gruvr is integrated by LDR Interactive into a station's broadcast automation system providing a live feed of broadcast content into the app. LDR Interactive also provides custom training for radio group and station staffs and offers turnkey programming and sales guides and marketing materials.

"Our goal is to make mobile engagement a straightforward and profitable proposition for broadcasters with attractive features for listeners and unique mobile sponsorship capabilities for marketers," said Mr. Anstandig.

For more information about Gruvr, visit www.LDRInteractive.com/Gruvr or contact Jami Mumley at (972) 934-6740.

About LDR Interactive
LDR Interactive is a global leader in innovative interactive broadcast technology. Its LDR.1 and LDR.Takeover platforms are on the air at over 260 radio stations, networks, and broadcast groups in the USA, Canada, Europe and Asia, reaching over 65 million listeners monthly. LDR empowers listeners to become real-time collaborators in on-air programming, automatically adjusting content based on audience input. LDR Interactive's new TopicPulse^R system provides valuable real-time information to newsrooms and content producers on what topics are getting local social buzz. More information on LDR Interactive at http://www.LDRinteractive.com.

Broadcasting to Crowdcasting, Crowdcasting, Gruvr and #WhatShouldPlayNext are trademarks and LDR, Listener Driven Radio, TopicPulse, ClickToPlay and Takeover are registered trademarks of LDR Interactive. All other trade names are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE LDR Interactive