Voice of America and AudioNow® Digital Announce First App to Expand Global Connectivity over Voice Connections

VOA Mobile Streamer in Stores Now

July 7, 2015 – Washington, D.C.   The Voice of America, in partnership with AudioNow Digital, launched an audio-only app that will allow users to listen to VOA programming over data or cellular voice connections. That option is especially valuable for VOA audiences in emerging markets where streaming audio is not available or cost prohibitive.

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Check out the app in action:

 

VOA Mobile Streamer, which is available on Android and Apple platforms, will provide broadcast audio programming in 33 languages. In addition to on-demand programming, the app also offers live 24/7 radio streams in more than a dozen languages.

 

“We are very pleased to add this app to our suite of mobile products,” said Kelu Chao, Acting Director of the Voice of America. “VOA Mobile Streamer allows us to better serve and connect with audiences in low-bandwidth countries and provide them with high-quality news and information they can’t get elsewhere. By giving our audience access to our radio broadcasts via voice VOA is now available on even the simplest of mobile phones.”

 

“We worked with VOA and AudioNow to make a very non-traditional news app experience,” added Adam Martin, Acting Director of BBG’s Office of Digital and Design Innovation. “Mobile Streamer’s unique and refreshing design is particularly attractive to younger audiences, and its accessibility in low-bandwidth areas is crucial to reaching key audiences.”

 

VOA Mobile Streamer leverages AudioNow’s international Interactive Voice Response infrastructure and will showcase thousands of hours of VOA audio programs that are produced each week.

 

For more information on AudioNow, please contact Rebecca Walker, Director of Digital Partnerships, at rebecca.walker@audionow.com or 202-621-2223.

 

For more information contact the VOA Public Relations office in Washington at (202) 203-4959, or write to publicrelations@voanews.com. For more information about VOA, visit the Public Relations website at www.insidevoa.com, or the main news site at www.voanews.com.

 

About AudioNow® Digital

Apps from AudioNow® Digital create an immersive, two-way experience between broadcasters and their listeners. Features include: one-touch call-to-listen (where available); user control of bandwidth size to manage data costs; sharing through social media; and, push notifications.

About Voice of America

The Voice of America is a multimedia international broadcast service providing programming in 46 languages on radio, television, the Internet, live streamed audio and video, over social media platforms, and through more than 2,300 media outlets worldwide. It broadcasts approximately 1,800 hours of programming to an estimated audience of 164 million people each week. VOA is funded by the U.S. government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

About ODDI

The BBG’s Office of Digital & Design Innovation (ODDI) builds the solutions to the biggest digital challenges faced by U.S. international media. ODDI works with technology to improve US international news media by creating new ways for journalists to reach their critical audiences and understand the audience from a technology standpoint. The ODDI Mobile team’s previous apps have been internationally-recognized for their innovation by being selected as finalists for the 2014 GSMA Global Mobile Awards “Best Mobile Publishing Product or Service” and the 2014 Appy Award for “Best Multicultural App.”