MUMBAI: Orbyt Media, a division of Astral Media Inc. (TSX: ACM.A/ACM.B), has reached an agreement with UBC Media Group's Unique Interactive of the U.K. and GrooveWorx, an international music house and exclusive North American distributor of UBC Media, to launch world-class, market-leading mobile streaming applications designed to enhance and extend the radio listener experience into the handheld space.

"We are thrilled to add mobility to our comprehensive interactive offerings," says Rob Farina, Executive Vice President, Content and Platforms for Astral Radio and Orbyt Media. "These new mobile applications will allow us to deliver a rich digital content offering integrated with a deep social media platform. It will create an engaging and innovative experience that will enhance the value of our offering to consumers and advertisers. The rollout of these exciting applications will be a game-changer from a user experience standpoint across all our platforms."

Unique Interactive will be providing the mobile streaming applications across the entire Astral Radio portfolio of 83 radio stations across Canada. Functionality will include the ability for users to enter contests, share events via the social network of their choice, stream on-demand content, discover new music as well as tune in to direct live music streaming. The applications will also provide music discovery channels, exclusive music, entertainment and news content, real time song voting and recommendations, artist info, tour dates, links to purchase music tracks and the ability for a user to interact directly with on-air personalities and each other.

Scheduled to go live in early 2011, the mobile applications are designed to be compatible with top tier mobile devices including iPhone4, Android-powered devices and RIM's BlackBerry product line. The three-year agreement will also see UBC Media provide future evolutions of the applications that can easily dovetail with individual station formats and branding.

"The extension of Astral Radio to mobile is in line with our strategy to increase participation on-air, online and on-site, and broaden two-way communication possibilities between our popular radio stations and our audiences," added Farina.