Emmis International: Belgium
In June 2004 Emmis International launched Be One, a network of nine city stations with a "pop-rock" format serving the major cities in the Flanders region of Belgium, including Brussels, Antwerp and Bruges. Be One has since grown to eleven stations throughout the region. Since the end of 2007 Be One's Pop and Rock music can also be heard in North-East Belgium.
Be One operates as a network of stations which reach virtually all of urban Flanders, a dynamic, densely populated region with one of the highest GDP per capita rates in the world. Be One is Flanders' newest radio network, targeting 25-49 year olds with a pop-rock format created from the ground up after extensive market research. After just two years, Be One has "established itself as an important pop-rock player" according to Radio World.
Be One's music is a unique mix of the best-tested songs from the '80s and '90s, all presented by warm, personable presenters. Be One is managed by a team of local professionals and its almost talk-free weekend program has the second highest average listening time in the country.
Be One was created with the listener and the advertiser in mind.
Really making a difference...
Even more... Be One is making a double difference.
First of all by our original music format. We make a perfect mix of pop and rock music. This means you're taking your morning shower together with Madonna and Bryan Adams... Then driving to work with co-pilots Robbie Williams and Tina Turner... Enjoying your job with colleagues Phil Collins and Rod Stewart... And even spend the rest of your life with Anastacia, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, George Michael, Bruce Springsteen and many, many more of your favourite artists.
And second: by using state of the art equipment you can tune into Be One in every important city in Flanders. A general signal from our studio's in Ternat (Brussels) relaying on the Be One network combined with several local breaks every hour: the real city station. The perfect marriage of IT and broadcast technology! Made by a professional team and coming to you live, from our high tech studio's in the capital of Europe.
Bee Day
Paramount Home Entertainment has chosen Be One to do the DVD-release of Bee Movie. On April 23rd Be One and Bee Movie joined forces for Bee Day: free Bee Movie DVD's to win, interviews with the actors (who did the dubbing of the Flemish version) and a lot of sweet music.
And on that one day, all our listeners were called honey...
In Concert
Summer time is concert time! The Police, Duran Duran, Doe Maar, Lenny Kravitz and REM... they're coming to Europe. Be One listeners can win tickets for concerts in London, Rotterdam, Leipzig, Madrid and Milan. And being a city radio, Be One upgrades this concert trip to a real city trip.
This is really summer in the city!
Be One Band
Last years' success continues. Flanders' best musicians in one band: The Be One Band. On the road again! Visiting cities and festivals all over the country, playing Be One songs.
Once you've seen and heard them, you loved and enjoyed it! That's probably why everyone is shouting all the time "We want more! We want more!"
We just call it pop rock fun.
About Emmis International
Already known for its energetic and innovative approach to the radio business, in 1995 Emmis Communications launched Emmis International, a division dedicated to putting Emmis' experience to work in markets outside its domestic sphere. Emmis is one of the few U.S. media companies to look beyond its shores for new and exciting expansion opportunities, recognizing the convergence of two factors:
First, the relationships between a radio station and its listeners and commercial advertisers are fundamentally the same throughout the world. As a result, the operational experience Emmis developed in the U.S. could be successfully "exported" to other countries.
Second, the world economy and political landscape were both changing radically and for the better: Top-down economies were being overtaken by market forces, and state-run radio and television were being privatized or forced to compete with new, independent commercial media.
The combination of these factors created an environment in which Emmis believed it could contribute value and succeed. Impressive results and progress in each new market have reinforced this belief and validated Emmis' conviction that the dynamics of radio transcend nationality, culture and language.
Drawing on its decades of experience in the U.S. - the most competitive radio market in the world - Emmis has translated its domestic success into an impressive international track record. First and foremost in its strategy, Emmis recognizes local partners and employees are the key to its success. Emmis has just one American employee in its entire European operation, and relies on the expertise and know-how of its local team and investors to get the job done. This marriage of equals has produced winning results.
For example, just 30 days after its initial launch of a new radio station format in Buenos Aires, Emmis catapulted Mega FM from "worst to first" in a market of 15 million people. The company performed a similar feat in Hungary in 1998. Just 90 days after launching with a novel oldies format, Sláger Rádió became Hungary's No.1 national commercial station - Sláger continues to dominate with an average weekly reach of over 3 million people.
In 2004, Emmis won a government tender for nine city licenses in the Flanders region of Belgium and created Be One, a national network of city radio licenses. With a mixture of national branding and local focus, Be One is targeting 25-49 year old consumers in one of the world's wealthiest commercial markets. Since December 2007 listeners in North-East Belgium can also enjoy the Pop and Rock music played by Be One. Emmis Belgium is also the exclusive partner for the local sales of the Radio 2 network. This network is the flagship of public broadcaster VRT and has a 30% marketshare.
In 2005 Emmis acquired Rádio Expres in Slovakia, the top-rated station in the country, and Radio FM+ in Bulgaria, the first commercial radio station to broadcast in the country. In 2007 Emmis International became the majority shareholder in a second national station in Bulgaria - Radio Fresh! - the Number One Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR) station in the country and in December 2007 acquired Inforadio, a national radio chain broadcasting in 13 Bulgarian cities. The Emmis International portfolio is solid and diverse, and Emmis International is poised for growth. Rádio Expres and FM+, both market leaders, typify Emmis' intent to grow globally and program locally. Emmis will seek to build on its successes and expand in markets where it can combine its skills and experiences with those of local collaborators, creating real growth and value.