Toronto Online Coupon Company Throws Support behind Internet Radio by Pam Chiotti Pam Chiotti Photo From left, Ilan Liberman, Eleonora Rubinov, Foster Moos, Russ Horton and Don Andrews at a recent gathering in support of Internet radio at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square How many mayors do you know of who have a radio station named after them? None, you say? Ever hear of Mississauga, Ont., Mayor Hazel McCallion? She, along with a few thousand others, are all ears when it comes to Haze FM, the Internet radio station named in her honour. It’s a station that not only draws listeners from Mississauga – it also has listeners from around the globe. Yet, Haze FM is just one of thousands of How many mayors do you know of who have a radio station named after them? None, you say? Ever hear of Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion? She, along with a few thousand others, is all ears when it comes to Haze FM, the Internet radio station named in her honour. It’s a station that not only draws listeners from Mississauga, it also has listeners from across the globe just like every Internet station. Yet, Haze FM is just one of thousands of Internet radio stations in North America that are tearing listeners away from conventional AM and FM radio, and turning them into Internet radio junkies. Advertising on Internet Radio is still in the infancy stage, but that’ll likely change in very short order. Deals Gone Crazy (www.dealsgonecrazy.com) is a company that sends out daily bargains to subscribers. Aware of their heavy competition, the pair decided to try something unique with their marketing dollars. So, they began a radio advertising campaign on four Internet radio stations:    D-Moos (a Halton Hills station that broadcasts out of the McGibbon hotel); www.rtds.ca (based in Toronto and stands for Radio that Doesn’t Suck); Swisssh Radio (based in Orillia) and The Haze. Thirty and sixty second commercials are aired in all day parts with some newscast and program sponsorship sprinkled in. Mr. Rubinov says their radio exposure is having a positive impact on his business. According to Statistics Canada, more than 80 per cent of the population went online in 2010. Nearly 37 per cent of Canadians over 16 years of age listened to radio online last year. That works out to about 10 million people. Sure, many listen to conventional radio that happens to stream online. Thousands of others however, are tuned into stations that broadcast only on the Internet where an eclectic mix of music, news and talk runs 24/7. And, to add to that, there are significantly fewer radio commercials on these stations, which is one of the main attractions for listeners – for now anyway. “We have 15,000 plus hours tuned each month,” says Rob Reid of Swisssh Radio. His listeners tune in from all over Europe as well as Brazil, Viet Nam, Australia and Romania. His station is also a favourite amongst Orillia residents who fully support his radio station. “Commercial-free radio is what drew us to Internet radio,” says one of the investors. “We thought that if someone heard a dozen or so songs in a row and then one commercial, our company would really stand out.” Clearly, as time progresses, more and more advertisers will be looking to “air” their radio commercials online where the cost is minimal and the airplay is maximized. Rates for Internet radio are pennies on the dollar compared to conventional radio rates. And since Deals Gone Crazy is in the deals business, they knew where to look for a bargain. The decision to invest in Internet radio is paying off. Investor Ilan Liberman says the deals are coming in and customers are appreciating saving money. “We’ve had about 2000 hits since we started advertising in November, and some subscribers are from as far away as Greece and Rome.” He says he listens to Internet radio now and carries his laptop around the house. “I’ve been hearing music I know and like, and I’m also hearing a lot of music and really creative programming that I haven’t heard before,” says Deals Gone Crazy. “I’m excited to be part of this.” Perhaps it’s true that listeners of Internet radio are more relaxed than people who are driving, walking, or doing something else with conventional radio humming in the background. That’s because they’re at home, keeping busy online. “They’re probably in a better frame of mind and ready to make a purchase,” says Liberman. What Liberman also has to realize however, is that Internet Radio is just as portable as the venerable transistor radio. To listen in your car, you currently require a blue tooth and Blackberry, but the day is coming when all car manufacturers will provide Internet access technology. Russ Horton, the man behind D-Moos radio, says he’s ecstatic about having Deals Gone Crazy on board. “They’re thee first company to throw their full support behind Internet Radio.” “We want to reach all Canadians, and since the Internet has no boundaries,” explains Liberman, “I decided to take a chance. We’re an online company so it stands to reason that we want to support Internet Radio.” He admits he was skeptical at first, wondering who exactly listens to Internet Radio. But as he heard from Don Andrews, who has a late night show on Swisssh Radio, listeners of Internet radio are fiercely loyal. Andrews, an Internet radio pioneer who is also well known from his days on conventional Toronto radio, says there are likely thousands of Internet stations across North America. “I told a story on the air,” he recalls, “about a Vancouver woman who couldn’t afford a plane ticket to Toronto to see her parents. One of my listeners phoned up. He works for an airline, and arranged for her to get a free flight. It’s a nice thing to have happen over the holidays. That’s what Internet radio listeners are like.”

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