By Tom Taylor
The following article comes from Tom Taylor’s newsletter, Taylor on Radio-Info.
Pandora hits 125 million registered users – and it’s thinking “global.”
Pandora (NYSE:P) founder Tim Westergren, talking at last week’s CES in Las Vegas and quoted by USA Today, has an impressive update on his numbers – registered users up from about 100 million last quarter to 125 million. Average monthly usage of 18 hours. Partnerships with 16 different carmakers. But USA Today checks in with Bob Pittman at Clear Channel (PINK:CCMO) about the scenario of Pandora conquering the world, and Pittman says “Not a chance in hell.” Pittman does his universal-coverage rap (radio is “in every car and most homes, it’s embedded in the world”). And he points out that CC’s iHeartRadio can now perform some Pandora-style personalized radio tricks. Pittman’s brought new visibility to Clear Channel and to broadcasting. He’s also scouting for new revenue, with the support of an old friend —
Bob Pittman, building his team at Clear Channel, imports John Sykes as President of Entertainment Enterprises.
These two media-thinkers have been working together off and on since the MTV startup days, and since 2008, Sykes has been hanging his hat at Pittman-controlled Pilot Group. (The path from Pilot to Clear Channel has become well-trodden – just before Christmas, Steven Cutler came over as Senior VP/Corporate Strategy.) What will Sykes be doing? He’ll “use the unparalleled assets of Clear Channel to develop new businesses for the company across a range of media, including television and live events, as well as create value for Clear Channel advertisers and key partners.” John Parikhal of Joint Communications has known Sykes since they were both around VH1, and he tells TRI “Sykes is one of the most connected people I know, and he has tremendous passion for music. [Expect to see a drum kit set up in his office.] He’s very personable and very multi-dimensional.” Sykes’ past gigs include VH1, Champion Entertainment, Chrysalis Records (as president) and Creative Artists Agency. For a while, he was CEO of Infinity/CBS, which wasn’t an ideal fit. He tells the L.A. Times he’ll use Clear Channel’s “muscle and reach” to make “850 independent shops” into a one “large-scale media company.” Expect a lot of partnerships.
Tom Taylor is the Executive News Editor at Radio-Info.com.
Contact the Author: tom@in3media.com
