Reaching Niche Markets Key to Satellite Radio Success
Industry Experts Outline Opportunities to Engage and Cultivate Subscribers
SILVER SPRING, Md., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Satellite radio's
ability to target and program for niche markets will be the key to its lasting
success, according to the industry experts gathered recently at a WORLDSPACE
(R) Satellite Radio (Nasdaq: WRSP) roundtable event.
"It appears that there are three major barriers facing all communications
industries today: language, culture, and geography," said Steve Kovsky, senior
analyst, digital industry, at Current Analysis who served as the moderator of
the roundtable session. "Satellite radio enables us to overcome geography on
a global scale. What it also enables us to do is customize content to best
serve niche markets -- groups of like-minded listeners and groups formed by
common language or common culture. The path to breaking down those barriers
is clear, and with satellite radio doing so seems possible."
When exploring the necessity of addressing niche market needs, experts
focused on availability and variety. They also keyed in on the satellite
radio opportunity to deliver a level of diversity unparalleled in mainstream
terrestrial radio, thus creating a captive and appreciative audience.
According to Neil Curry, commissioner for BBC World Service English
networks, BBC, "The beauty of satellite radio, especially on the international
scale, is that you can offer programming that people want and need but that
previously was unavailable to them. I love that I can listen to the quality of
the BBC programming anywhere in the world, and there are people out there who
want the same thing. Marketing to niches means they can get it."
"There are niche markets out there that desperately want to be served and
are willing and able to pay for the content they are seeking," added Miles
Copeland of the Copeland Group. "That's the great thing about satellite radio
-- you can create and offer up so many channels that it is possible to serve
those previously underserved niches."
WORLDSPACE has always been committed to providing quality content to niche
audiences. The Company has assembled an extraordinary combination of news,
sports, music, and talk, which it delivers to Africa, Asia, the Middle East,
and Western Europe. WORLDSPACE currently broadcasts 62 channels -- 32 of
which are content provided by international, national and regional third
parties and 30 WORLDSPACE-branded stations produced by or for WORLDSPACE.
These stations represent some of the most popular and diverse international
music and talk formats and include: Radio Amore (love songs), Farishta (retro
Hindi film music), Gandharv (Hindustani classical music), Moksha (spiritual
and inspirational compositions), Radio Tara (from traditional to today's
Bengla pop), Play (India's first 24-hour sports station), and many others.
"The identification of niche audiences as key to the success of satellite
radio is a concept that WORLDSPACE embraces fully," said William Sabatini,
vice president of global content, WORLDSPACE. "Our production centers in the
Washington, DC area, India, Singapore, Dubai, and Nairobi create content for
30 original music and lifestyle channels -- all aimed at reaching these types
of subscribers. We look forward to continuing to meet their needs by offering
the highest quality and most diverse programming available."
About WORLDSPACE(R) Satellite Radio
Based in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, Worldspace, Inc.
(Nasdaq: WRSP) is the world's only global media and entertainment company
positioned to offer a satellite radio experience to consumers in more than 130
countries with five billion people, driving 300 million cars. WORLDSPACE
delivers the latest tunes, trends and information from around the world and
around the corner. WORLDSPACE subscribers benefit from a unique combination of
local programming, original WORLDSPACE content and content from leading brands
around the globe including the BBC, CNN, Virgin Radio UK, NDTV and RFI.
WORLDSPACE's satellites cover two-thirds of the earth's population with six
beams. Each beam is capable of delivering up to 80 channels of high quality
digital audio and multimedia programming directly to WORLDSPACE Satellite
Radios anytime and virtually anywhere in its coverage areas. WORLDSPACE is a
pioneer of satellite-based digital radio services (DARS) and was instrumental
in the development of the technology infrastructure used today by XM Satellite
Radio. For more information, visit http://www.WORLDSPACE.com.
SOURCE WORLDSPACE Satellite Radio
CONTACT: Judith Pryor of Worldspace, Inc., +1-301-960-1242,
jpryor@worldspace.com; or Dan Martin of Brodeur, +1-617-585-2780,
dmartin@brodeur.com, for WORLDSPACE Satellite Radio
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