AMP Radio Networks is Malaysia’s first radio broadcaster to feature the iPhone radio application, and only second in the world to feature its technology in Grid-Casting. In such, AMP has been given its first award for its mobile content initiatives, winning "The Best Mobility Applications and Services" for The 2009 inOvation Malaysia Awards, at the recent Mobile World Star Awards & Gala Dinner at Istana Hotel, KL.

The 2009 inOvation Malaysia Awards honours and recognizes innovative and outstanding achievements and ventures in mobile content and solutions, where AMP won in the category of applications and services i.e. software applications and services that run on smart-phones and other mobile devices including widgets.

AMP’s winning radio streaming applications, introduced on the popular iPhone, features AMP’s top four vernacular stations ERA, MY FM, hitz.fm and THR Raaga. Available on the iTunes Application Store, listeners can download the applications for free and transform their iPhone into a radio! In just five days of their introduction, two of the four iPhone radio applications made it to No. 1 and No. 2 on the Top 10 Free Downloads list of the Malaysian iTunes Store. As of Press time, the applications have been downloaded over 25,000 times and are still Number 1 and Number 2 in the Music Category of the iTunes Store.  Not only does it enable listening of the radio station via the Maxis 3G Network or any WiFi Connection, the application allows you to “rewind” up to 45 minutes of audio, which means you can listen to a song you’ve just heard for over and over again!. Listeners can find out more on www.hitz.fm/iPhone, www.era.fm/iPhone, www.thr.fm/iPhone, www.my.com.my/iPhone.

AMP’s mobile application was developed in house completely. AMP and CGY Net entered into an agreement to enable a new type of broadcasting technology using the grid-casting method of propagating content. Since its implementation, AMP had faced many challenges as the traditional testing platforms proved to be “obsolete” for the new technology. Nevertheless, AMP launched the application on the 27^th of August in conjunction with our 52^nd Merdeka Day Celebration. AMP is the first radio broadcast company to completely build mobile applications in house in Malaysia, and plans for expansion into other platforms are already underway.

 “We have had a very interesting last 2 years especially with regards to our online division. AMP sees almost 800,000 unique visitors across its online platform every month. Users, attracted to the HD based video content and blog updates from announcers, also come in to listen to the stations,” says AMP Interactive Manager Jayaram Gopinath Nagaraj. 

“Based on our survey results – average time spent online has increased from 1.6 hours in 2007 to 2.1 hours in 2009. With the emergence of newer wireless based ISP’s and the government’s national broadband plan – we expect this number to keep growing. AMP is committed to offering rich media content online and on all interactive platforms, keeping in line with the stations’ content initiatives,” he added.

AMP’s eight radio stations and their websites (ERA, MY FM, hitz.fm, MIX fm, LiteFM, SINAR, XFM, THR Raaga and Gegar) provide internet radio to over 18,000 concurrent users with diversified businesses ranging from traditional Ad Banner buys to content and service based revenue streams. With the launch of AMP’s iPhone Application range, AMP continues to explore mobile application development as well as other new media platforms.