Cumulus Media plans to introduce ZoneCasting technology on 104.5 XLO (WXLO-FM) in Boston in the first quarter of 2027, in partnership with Aktira. The company said the station will be among the first in the U.S. to use the technology.
ZoneCasting will allow the station to air selected commercials to listeners in a designated area east of Route 128 while audiences elsewhere in the market continue to hear the primary broadcast. Cumulus said the system will give advertisers more flexibility to reach specific communities without giving up FM radio’s broad reach.
The company said the technology will complement its use of Xperi’s DTS AutoStage platform, which provides near-real-time data on in-car radio listening. Bob Goodell, vice president/market manager at Cumulus Media, said more than 90,000 connected vehicles in the Boston area provide daily listening data through the platform.
“Xperi’s DTS AutoStage platform, with more than 90,000 connected Boston vehicles providing daily radio listening data, gives us a clearer, near-real-time view of where in-car listening is occurring, while ZoneCasting gives us the ability to deliver selected advertising and content to those specific parts of the market,” Goodell said.
Chris Devine, chief executive officer of GeoBroadcast Solutions, said the deployment would preserve FM’s broad reach while giving the station more flexibility to serve different communities.
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