WEEI Sports Radio Network Releases iPhone Application

“WEEI Live,” fueled by Irving Oil, integrates live & OnDemand audio from the nation’s top sports radio station; the latest news, scores, analysis and opinion articles from WEEI.com; and video in a user-friendly, free iPhone application

For Immediate Release

Boston (January 21, 2010) – The WEEI Sports Radio Network has released “WEEI Live,” a new iPhone application that gives fans of Boston sports access to live and On Demand audio, breaking news, stories, video and scores from the WEEI Sports Radio Network. WEEI Live is fueled by Irving Oil and free to download in the iTunes store.

The application, designed by WEEI in partnership with jacAPPS, the mobile division of Jacobs Media, is the most complete sports radio and news application available for the iPhone. All content from WEEI Radio and WEEI.com is available in this application, including popular features like LIVE streaming, On Demand Audio, live local scores, the breaking news blog “This Just In,” and other WEEI.com blogs & columns featuring news and commentary from WEEI.com’s world-class team of journalists.

“If you love Boston sports, this application will provide optimal utility in terms of staying real-time aware of all news and opinions regarding your favorite teams,” said Tim Murphy, Vice President/General Manager of WEEI.com. “The ability to listen to live WEEI audio, while scrolling through news, scores and stories is an amazing breakthrough for iPhone users. The functionality of the application will give fans a full 360-degree Boston sports experience right in the palm of their hands. This app is the hyper-local mashup of everything the sports fan of our local teams expects.”

WEEI Live features a state-of-the-art streaming audio player to listen to the station’s top-rated programming like “Dennis and Callahan” or “The Big Show.” An innovative “listen in the background” feature allows users to listen to WEEI, while performing other tasks on their iPhones such as checking email or surfing the web. The live streaming audio feature can also jump backwards up to 10 minutes to replay audio for users.

The application also includes access to WEEI’s popular On Demand library featuring the latest interviews from prominent Boston sports athletes, coaches and front offices members, including regular segments with Red Sox manager Terry Francona, Patriots star Tom Brady and Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. The On Demand feature also allows users to use other functions of the application while listening, including checking scores and reading columns and blogs. The user-friendly search function allows users to search the On Demand archives by team or show.

Another innovative function of WEEI Live pertains to On Demand video. This video feature, which is connected to the WEEI YouTube page, automatically takes users back to WEEI Live after the video has finished, unlike many similar applications that force the user to close out the host site.

“This is just the latest move that speaks to our mission – give the fans of Boston’s sports teams what they want, how they want it, wherever they are,” said Jason Wolfe, Vice President of AM Programming for Entercom New England.  “We pride ourselves on being ahead of the curve in terms of expanding the quality and quantity of our content, and just as importantly, expanding our distribution platforms.  The iPhone app is another big step forward in terms of broadening the reach of the WEEI Sports Radio Network for our consumers and our business partners. ” 

“WEEI has been leading the digital shift in Boston Sports media since we made our initial upgrades in content and design back in August 2008,” Murphy continued. “We’re convinced this new cutting-edge iPhone application will help us continue to dominate in the digital space.”

Fans of Boston sports that do not have iPhones can still access WEEI streaming audio on their mobile device through Entercom’s partnership with Flycast. For more information about the WEEI Live iPhone application, visit WEEI.com.

About jacAPPS
jacAPPS, a leading developer of smartphone apps, is the mobile division of strategic marketing firm Jacobs Media.  jacAPPS has developed and posted 130 iPhone applications that have generated more than 1.7 million downloads in the past fifteen months.  jacAPPS has designed smartphone applications for leading public radio, commercial radio, and Internet radio stations in the U.S. and around the world.  Additionally, the company has created highly popular smartphone applications for C-Span Radio, personalities like Dan Patrick and Dennis Miller, and major events like the Detroit International Jazz Festival. 
 
For more information, contact Paul Jacobs at pauljacobs@jacapps.com or at www.jacapps.com.

About The WEEI Sports Radio Network
The WEEI Sports Radio Network, comprised of Sports Radio WEEI and WEEI.com. WEEI is the nation’s leading sports talk radio station, with affiliates in markets all over New England: WEEI-FM in Providence, WVEI-FM in Springfield, and WVEI-AM in Worcester. Additionally, WEEI has made significant expansion into Maine and New Hampshire, with the addition of four new syndicated stations. Beginning in August 2008, WEEI.com made significant upgrades to the website’s design and content. The website hired Rob Bradford as editor-in-chief and has since hired over a dozen contributors to the site. In March 2009, the web site unveiled a major face lift and re-launched itself as “the sports page of the future.” For more information and to check out Boston’s best sports content, log onto WEEI.com.

About Entercom
Entercom is one of the nation’s largest radio broadcasters with operations in San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Denver, Sacramento, Cincinnati, Portland, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Austin, Norfolk, Buffalo, New Orleans, Providence, Memphis, Greensboro, Rochester, Greenville/Spartanburg, Madison, Wichita, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Springfield and Gainesville/Ocala.