Clear Channel to Offer Music Videos

Clear Channel is launching on Tuesday a beta of an on-demand music video service across 16 of its radio stations in five cities. Altogether, videos from 40 labels would be featured, including content from major labels Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and EMI Music.

Videos on Demand would be completely interactive, Clear Channel says, giving users the ability to customize the service and vote for their favorite music videos. Each radio station would have the ability to customize the site to its own liking.

Features such as "Featured Artist," "Top 10 Video List" or "DJ's Favorite Pick" would be different from site to site.

The service will initially be available in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington D.C. and St. Louis. Clear Channel has plans to expand it to other markets during the year. The service would also have the capability to insert 15-second ads in between music videos, giving stations another method to sell advertising.

"We see Videos on Demand as a powerful complement to our on-air programming and the next natural step in serving our audience's growing appetite for on-demand content," Clear Channel Radio executive vice president Evan Harrison said in a statement.

Users would also be able to buy CDs of the artist whose music video they are watching, or share the video with friends via e-mail.