Clear Channel, AOL and Yahoo! Veterans Join Forces in Online Radio

Advertising Venture

    NEW YORK, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Two radio advertising veterans, Eric
 Ronning and Andy Lipset, whose careers have spanned years working for
 traditional radio powerhouse Clear Channel and online radio pioneers America
 Online and Yahoo!, have formed the first online radio representation firm
 aimed at bringing traditional advertisers into the new era of online radio, it
 was announced today.
     Ronning/Lipset Radio is the first company poised to capitalize on the
 rapid growth of the online radio industry. According to the most recent
 Arbitron/Edison study on online radio, 4 in 10 Americans have listened to
 Internet Radio, with 16% of the country listening in the past month and 8% of
 the population listening in the week.
     "Online radio has come of age and grown to a size where marketers can now
 make an impact by reaching this audience," said Ronning, whose pedigree
 includes executive work for Clear Channel/Interep and Yahoo! "There have been
 a handful of entities who tried this business several years ago, however, the
 conditions of the medium were not right at the time. Today, the conditions are
 different, and we feel, optimum. We now have real numbers in terms of
 listeners, Arbitron is on board with measuring the audience, and the language
 of online radio is finally consistent with the language of traditional radio.
 The pieces are in place."
     Lipset, who has directed advertising sales efforts at D & R Radio/Interep
 and America Online's Music division, believes that they are no longer voices
 in the wilderness regarding the upward trend.
     "Research shows that the consumer sees online radio as another form of
 radio rather something that's new and different," Lipset said. "Our goal is to
 bring that same concept to the marketing community. Most online listening
 takes place either in-office or at-home versus traditional radio that
 primarily takes place in-car. All of the research shows that the audience is
 incredibly upscale and has high purchase intent. Finally, the ability to take
 what works and is effective in traditional radio, run it on online radio, and
 bring the consumer one step closer to the brand or purchase by accessing the
 internet immediately is a tremendous advantage to the marketer, and a great
 complement to a traditional buy."
 
     About Ronning/Lipset Radio
     Ronning/Lipset Radio will help advertisers reach the growing online radio
 listening audience through the sale of :30 and :60 second commercials to run
 on online broadcaster's stations. The principals have spent a significant
 amount of time in the sale and marketing of traditional radio and, later, the
 online space, which allows them to have a complete understanding of how radio
 and online marketing come together to meet a marketer's objectives.
 
     About the Principals
     Eric Ronning has more than 20 years experience in Radio sales and four
 years in online marketing. Ronning's career started with Blair/Banner Radio,
 Los Angeles and later became Director of Sales for Durpetti &
 Associates/Interep, Los Angeles. Later, Ronning was named Vice President,
 Director of Sales for D&R Radio/Interep, Los Angeles and Atlanta, where he
 helped build the company and manage it to become one of the leaders in the
 radio rep business. In 1997, Ronning was named Senior Vice President/Regional
 Manager for Clear Channel Radio Sales/Interep, Southeast Region. In 1999,
 Ronning was hired by Yahoo! Inc. as Executive Director to help the company in
 the sale and marketing of the company to Fortune 200 companies.
     Andy Lipset, a 12-year Radio sales veteran, started in Radio as an Account
 Executive at Hillier, Newmark, Wechsler and Howard Radio Sales/Interep, New
 York. He was then named Vice President, Director of Sales for D&R
 Radio/Interep, New York, where he built the New York office and managed it to
 become one of the leaders in the radio rep business. While at Interep, Lipset
 also wrote the curriculum for and directed the Radio Apprentice Program,
 Interep's industry leading training program from 1993-1996 and 1999-2000.
 Lipset joined America Online, Inc. in 2002 as Director/Sales for AOL Music
 where he worked with marketers on creating programs centered on the company's
 Music and Radio properties.
 
 

SOURCE  Ronning/Lipset Radio