Beasley, Alexa On A First-Name Basis

Beasley Media Group, Inc. is making it easier for listeners to play its stations’ streams and access on-demand content at home and at work using innovative multi-command skills for the Amazon Echo smart speaker systems. SonicAi, the partnership between mobile developer jācapps and Amplifi Media, is designing these skills in collaboration with Beasley’s programming team and they will be deployed across most of Beasley’s 63 stations over the upcoming months. Beasley recently launched Echo technology at WMMR/Philadelphia, providing voice access to station content when Echo users simply say, “Alexa, open MMR.”

“Alexa and the Echo device have taken off quickly, providing a huge opportunity for radio to get back into the audience’s home listening environment,” said Jacobs Media President Fred Jacobs. “Our latest Techsurvey shows that 11% of those surveyed already have an Amazon Echo or another smart speaker device in their home — and it’s growing.”

Amplifi Media’s Steve Goldstein noted, “SonicAi is thrilled to start right at the top with Beasley Media Group VP of Programming Justin Chase, EVP of Digital Steve Meyers, VP of Digital Operations Kimberly Sonneborn, VP of Programming Buzz Knight and their incredible talent in creating a multi-level listener experience that goes beyond the stream. Our focus is audience retention and creating more listening occasions.” Bob Kernen, COO of jācapps stated, “Beasley is a company that ‘gets it’ when it comes to digital.”