andPOP Acquires CHARTattack.com
Canadian multiplatform pop culture news source andPOP has acquired CHARTattack.com, a well-established and respected Canadian music website. The online video network intends to revive the site’s popularity through more targeted content including a video platform.
“The internet provides an incredible opportunity for sharing, promoting, and celebrating great music, and our goal is to tap into that with originality, honesty, and insight,” says andPOP CEO Robert Ostfield who intends to promote the more cutting-edge artists who are driving the indie genre to new levels. “The CHARTattack audience can expect to see video and text interviews with acclaimed artists like The Arkells, Portugal The Man, Memory House, and Tory Y Moi this season.”
CHART started out in 1990 as a print publication, and was deemed Canada’s longest-running and most-respected music magazine for nearly two decades. In 1996, CHARTattack.com brought it online featuring music news, CD reviews, interviews with Canadian and international artists, and of course its notorious “Charts”. When CHARTattack.com decided to close its doors after being online for fifteen years, andPOP couldn’t let this Canadian music institution die. That said, CHARTattack will be receiving a major overhaul as it enters its second life, but staying true to the fundamentals that made it a success. Dan Busheikin, the new Editor-in-Chief, says “We are honing back in on the independent and alternative music scene for which the magazine was famous,” says Busheikin, whose background is steeped in music journalism. “Through relevant video content our audience can explore indie music and new artists in a more engaging way.”
The acquisition comes at a time of growth for andPOP with new programming set to launch on its own redesigned site, which already streams to a syndicated audience of more than one million. “We’re excited to add three new shows that reflect the changing media climate,” says Mr. Ostfield referring to Small Talk, T.W.O.T.I. and #FreshPressLive listed below. “Our audience simply isn’t watching traditional media interviews that profile artists– shorter interviews with a catchy format resonate better online, and capture more attention.” Recent interviews for the site include Joe Jonas, Wiz Khalifa, The Cast of Footloose, T-Pain, and Justin Bieber.
andPOP offers marketers unique opportunities to promote their brands through innovative approaches to sponsorship and brand integration. It’s also attracting investment as new stakeholders recognize media organizations no longer need to be defined by large studios and overhead. Jordan Banks, Managing Director of Facebook Canada, joined the board of directors in January 2010 and two others have recently followed suit. Additionally, Jaimie Grossman, former CEO of UPTREND Media, which was acquired by the Yellow Pages Group, has come on board as a key advisor. He recognizes andPOP’s structure and approach is different from other outlets, operating out of a modest space and streaming its high definition content through UStream’s platform. The platform provides powerful features allowing producers to create TV-quality content at a fraction of the price.
andPOP’s New Online Video Shows:
Small Talk
After the huge success of andPOP’s MMVA coverage where Katy Perry helped us make Justin Bieber a fake ID, it was clear our audience was looking for something different. Small Talk is a way for fans to see their favourite artists as regular people, by creating strange scenarios like getting a tattoo or going on a speed date. Celebrities are willing to drop the personas we see in every other interview when they’re genuinely having fun! Hosted by Jordan Bortolotti, these fun interviews are broken into “small” chunks (hence the name Small Talk) that resonate better with an online audience.
This Week On The Internet
This show features and dissects the most popular viral videos each week. Similar to a sports highlight package format, Comedian Paul Henry Murphy adds his satirical spin to the videos trending on the internet. Not only does T.W.O.T.I. keep you up to date on the best “fails” and accidentally awesome content, it also features real reactions from random people on the street.
#FreshPressLive on andPOP
Daily news is pulled from andPOP.com and discussed by hosts Jordan Bortolotti and Natalia Buia. #FreshPressLive is based on pop-culture headlines without the stereotypical bull you’re used to seeing on TV. This show is raw, uncut, and live from the floor, and includes the casual daily conversations you have with your friends. We share new music videos, spread gossip and laugh about the random stuff we can find on the internet.
