The elements, developed by the company’s Content Research & Development Group, are the product of a previously secret initiative now called the Format Lab.

Created in 2004, the Format Lab blends veteran radio programmers with fresh voices and is co-led by Clear Channel Radio’s executive vice president for Content and longtime programming veteran Tom Owens and Online Music & Radio head Evan Harrison. A virtual community of more than 200 programmers and production professionals, the Lab is developing fresh and unconventional radio and online content, irrespective of what devices ultimately carry it.

 “We have become agnostic about delivery and are completely passionate about content,” said John Hogan, president and CEO of Clear Channel Radio. “And we’ll continue to lead the radio industry on to new platforms. Radio programming is the most engaging and compelling media today. Our power to connect with, and hold, consumers will continue to reveal itself as we supplement our outstanding AM/FM properties with programming for new devices.”

The new channels include programming elements for both mainstream and hyper-niched programming. Live streams of the first 75 channels can be heard at http://clearchannelmusic.com/formatlab/.

One of the more unconventional ways the Format Lab helps to drive such diversity: the decision to draw on a number of non-professional radio programmers to lead or consult on some of its channels. Examples include a personal trainer consulting on the Lab’s workout channels, a Broadway veteran programming the Lab’s show tunes channel, and an information technology expert driving the Lab’s Americana channel.

* A foundation for localized channels or subscription content

“We’ve created this programming to give broadcasters the most flexibility and the best return on investment,” added Hogan. “The massive amounts of programming needed to feed rapidly growing numbers of HD2 multicast channels, Internet streams and other near-term opportunities dwarfs the real estate that our industry had to fill with the advent of FM. By making extraordinary programming available even more broadly, the radio industry will be able to fully capitalize on the opportunities we are creating for ourselves daily.”

 Specifically, radio broadcasters can use the programming as-is for subscription services or can choose to supplement the elements – which include continually refreshed playlists, imaging and spoken-word vignettes – with their own locally customized content to create fully localized radio channels.

Indeed, while originally intended to feed personal entertainment and information devices beyond AM/FM radio, programming for at least one of the Format Lab channels has already been adopted by traditional radio stations. For example, a West Virginia station, WTCR-AM has taken the Americana NewGrass foundation and localized it to include more of an emphasis on bluegrass. In its Format Lab form, Americana NewGrass ranges in style from folk to country blues to bluegrass to alternative country to rockabilly to neo-traditional and roots rock.

Clear Channel Radio’s Content Research & Development Group is focused on six content areas: music, spoken word, multimedia, interactive, advertiser-based and so-called “light stage”.

About Clear Channel Radio

Clear Channel Radio is a leading radio company focused on serving local communities across the U.S. with more than 110 million listeners choosing Clear Channel Radio programming each week. The company's content can be heard on AM/FM stations, HD digital radio channels, on the Internet, via iPods, through Motorola's iRadio cell-phone service, and via mobile-navigation devices from Cobra, Garmin, Kenwood and others. The company's operations include radio broadcasting, syndication and independent media representation. Clear Channel Radio is a division of Clear Channel Communications, Inc. (NYSE:CCU), a leading global media and entertainment company.  More information on the company can be found at www.clearchannel.com.