Clear Channel Announces At Slumber Party That Everyone Has To Call It iHeartMedia Now

When I was 11, I scrawled “Maribeth” with a star over the “i” over anything I could get my hands on, homework and diary alike, and told all my friends that they had to write my name that way from now on. That lasted about a month. And now that Clear Channel has everyone’s attention at this sleepover, it’d like you all to know that its new name is iHeartMedia, okay? Who knows how long this will last.

Because the kids these days love anything with a lowercase letter in front of it and saying “heart” instead of “love,” or so it would seem the radio company formerly known as Clear Channel thinks, iHeartMedia will soon be scrawled across all those company notebook covers and backpacks.

The name comes from its online radio network, iHeartRadio, notes CNNMoney, and appears to be a further attempt to go with the digital flow in the industry. Clear Channel dumped “radio” from its name in 2012, and says the new change is to stress that multi-platform listening.

“iHeartMedia reflects our commitment to being the media company that provides the most entertainment to the most engaged audiences wherever they go,” Bob Pittman, the company’s chief executive, said in a press release, without revealing who he thinks Kevin has a crush on.

Clear Channel changes name to iHeartMedia [CNNMoney]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist