Red Apple Media’s Worldwide News Network (WWNN) has expanded into its first international market through an agreement that will make its English-language newscasts available to radio stations across Germany.
The network, which launched in the United States on May 23, has partnered with BLR, a German radio news and content syndicator. Through the agreement, BLR affiliates can carry WWNN’s top- and bottom-of-the-hour newscasts along with breaking news alerts.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Red Apple Media and WWNN are positioning the German launch as the first step in a broader effort to build an international distribution network.
“Expanding beyond the U.S. is an important milestone for Worldwide News Network,” Lee Harris, the Senior Vice President of News and Programming for WWNN, said in a statement. “This is the first step in building an international network of partners who value trusted, high-quality radio journalism.”
The partnership gives German broadcasters access to news coverage produced from an American perspective while extending WWNN’s programming beyond its initial domestic affiliate base.
Sebastian Steinmayr, Chief Executive Officer and Program Director of BLR, said the service could appeal to German listeners interested in U.S. affairs as well as Americans living near military installations in the country.
“The United States remains one of Germany’s closest and most important allies. For many listeners, it’s valuable to hear major news stories directly from a U.S. perspective. We also serve stations located near major U.S. military communities, including Ramstein Air Base, the largest U.S. military installation outside the United States,” Steinmayr said. “Many Americans have lived in Germany for years, listen to local radio every day, and we believe they’ll appreciate having access to news from their home country as part of that experience.”
Red Apple Media CEO John Catsimatidis said the company intends to pursue additional distribution agreements in Europe and other international markets.
“Audiences around the globe deserve the facts about what is going on in our world and that is why we created the Worldwide News Network,” Catsimatidis said in a statement. “We’re delighted to partner with BLR and look forward to working with them as we continue to expand our reach into more European markets and around the world.”
Technical distribution will be handled through Radio.Cloud, whose cloud-based newsroom and content delivery system is used by both WWNN and BLR. The shared platform supports live distribution and file-based delivery without requiring the companies to build a separate international transmission system.
