Radio Goliath Clear Channel has made a clear statement about comedy: they think it’s bankable. And that’s why they’ve just entered into the business of 24-hour comedy radio programming. In a deal announced this week, Clear Channel will now oversee the well-established upstart 24/7 Comedy (247Comedy.com), which will be incorporated into Clear Channel syndication company Premiere’s new online property MattysComedy1200.com, so named for Matt Siegel, the Boston radio host who appears on KISS 108 and who will act as the host and face of the new comedy channel. The station will also air on WXKS 1200 AM, replacing conservative talk programming.
24/7 Comedy has been operating as a 24-hour online comedy radio network for years. Since its launch it has been adopted by terrestrial stations in Austin, Grand Rapids, Raleigh, Phoenix, Norfolk, Santa Rosa and London, Ontario. The all-comedy station has also been available through the iHeartRadio smartphone app, which is owned by Clear Channel. As of now, MattysComedy1200 is populated by much of the same editorial content offered on 247Comedy.com and is also streaming identical comedy programming.
The comedy stations under the Clear Channel umbrella will continue to play stand-up and sketch clips that span classic pieces to up-to-the-moment recordings. Unlike the majority of SiriusXM’s comedy stations — where comedy clips are played continuously without intros (human or otherwise), 24/7 Comedy has and will continue to use on-air hosts to intro clips in order to give its channels a traditional radio feel.
