ToastedRav.com: ToastedRav Press Releases

February 5, 2009: ToastedRav Celebrates 1 Year

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:00:34 -0700

MEDIA CONTACTS:
February 5, 2009
Jen Danker
New Media Director
Bonneville Interactive Group – St. Louis
(314) 983-6228
jen@toastedrav.com

TOASTEDRAV.COM CELEBRATES FIRST BIRTHDAY WITH A REDESIGN

Bonneville St. Louis Media Group's Portal Boasts More Interactivity and Social Networking

ST. LOUIS – Not everyone gets a facelift for their first birthday. But Bonneville St. Louis Media Group's ToastedRav.com decided to adopt a fresh look for the web site, created to be all about St. Louis, in order to celebrate the positive metamorphosis the web site has recently experienced. The newly refreshed web site destination is an upgrade and refinement of the initial web site that launched just one year ago, on January 31, 2008.

Combining the strengths of their FM products with the latest in new media content and online features, the updated ToastedRav.com web site has evolved into the place to find out what makes St. Louis truly one-of-a-kind, and what makes the locals tick.

ToastedRav.com was developed and designed as a destination website that takes Bonneville’s ability to engage and entertain listeners to an entirely new level.

Over the past year, the appeal of ToastedRav.com has gone beyond gooey butter cake and that proverbial "Where did you go to high school?" question to become one of the social media meccas for St. Louisans. With the tagline "Entertainment St. Louis Style!" the web site extols the uniqueness of St. Louis through the inclusion of originally produced audio and video, as well as the audience interaction aspects popular on social media web sites like MySpace, Facebook and Twitter.

According to Bonneville St. Louis Media Group's New Media Director Jen Danker, "Since our initial launch, we've seen 60% more engagement, 30% more user sign-ups and 35% more page views. And the content of the web site has grown tenfold since our launch."

Danker comments, “For ToastedRav.com’s first birthday, we thought some "nips and tucks" were in order to keep it fresh and interesting. We've enhanced the web site with various upgrades, consisting of a different look and updated navigation, to allow for user-generated content where visitors can have a bigger role and 'start' the online – and even the on-air – conversation."

ToastedRav.com now includes features such as the "Loutopia" section with articles, audio and video highlights; distinct buttons on the navigation bar that lead directly to the radio station's main pages; expanded video features such as "Ask St. Louis" and "The Toast", which explores celebrity gossip gone wrong; an expanded Community Guide where businesses, churches, charitable groups and community organizations can post the latest information about upcoming events and activities; and a blog/forum area for visitors and staff to "Shout!" their thoughts and opinions, or to post whatever they are passionate about.

"We've tried to keep everything about the location of content and functionality intact, but with a more polished look and distinct styles for each of the radio station sections," notes Danker. "We're hoping the redesign will be a hit with our staff, our listeners and online fans alike."

Besides the changes to the web site's look, feel and navigation, Bonneville also changed up and expanded the staff of ToastedRav.com over the past year, adding new media journalists Audrey Holaday and Melody Meiners, as well as videographer Mike Merenda into the mix. Danker comments, "Mike, Melody and Audrey have played key roles in the metamorphosis that ToastedRav.com has experienced this past year, along with the help of Lead Developer Mike Flynn, Video Producer Chris Files and Graphic/Web Designer Margo Hughes."

ToastedRav.com's increase in traffic and content over the past year has also translated into more advertisers on the web site. New Media Sales Manager Kim Grant comments, "We've experienced a tremendous increase in the number of savvy advertisers that are combining their on-air efforts with a presence on our website.” She adds, “Our revenue from on-line advertising has consistently grown over 25% each year by building high-value, high-engagement, integrated marketing solutions for our clients. More and more of our "traditional" radio advertisers now have "interactive" budgets while others have shifted a portion of their traditional media spend to our on-line products."

Grant notes, "When you look at all the research being done, it just makes good business sense to combine an interactive campaign with your traditional radio buy. Not to mention the fact that our listening audiences expect to find out more about our on-air advertisers by going to our website."

Bonneville St. Louis Vice President and Market Manager John Kijowski comments, "Radio is inherently a localized, entertainment-based media, and ToastedRav.com is a natural extension from our core business. When we introduced the web site a year ago, our team initially looked at the localized new media opportunities available to the St. Louis market, and determined that local entertainment content and St. Louis-centric social media opportunities were greatly underserved on established St. Louis-oriented web sites."

Kijowski continues, "The recent local trend shows that our traditional radio advertisers have increased their ad expenditures to take advantage of the incredible audience opportunity ToastedRav.com offers." He adds, "Based on the popularity of the web site over the past year, both for our listeners and our advertisers, we believe that ToastedRav.com will continue its significant growth, both in audience and advertiser figures."

To learn more about Bonneville St. Louis Radio Group's new media opportunities and ToastedRav.com, please contact New Media Director Jen Danker at (314) 983-6228 or jen@toastedrav.com; or New Media Sales Manager Kim Grant at (314) 983-6225 or kgrant@bicstl.com.

About ToastedRav.com
ToastedRav.com is a website about, for and by St. Louisans. The website's goal is to entertain the public with engaging video, stories and opinions about St. Louis people, places, events and history while providing the public with a forum to contribute opinions, views and information.

ToastedRav.com topics span a broad range of categories - everything from where to eat dinner, take the family this weekend or find the latest fashions around town; to the hottest celebrity gossip; to views and perspectives all about the wonderful, strange and sublime around St. Louis. After all, like Toasted Ravioli, it's a St. Louis thing.

For more information, please visit www.ToastedRav.com.

About Bonneville International
Bonneville St. Louis is an affiliate of Bonneville International, which was founded in 1964 and currently owns and operates 29 radio stations in the Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Phoenix, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Salt Lake City markets. It also owns and operates KSL Television (NBC affiliate) and has operating divisions of Bonneville Communications and Bonneville Satellite in Salt Lake City. Bonneville's motto is "Do good, do well, make a difference, and have fun."

In addition to competing aggressively in major-market broadcasting by structuring its business model on the three principles of building its people, making a difference in the community, and meeting aggressive financial goals, Bonneville also enjoys a longstanding reputation and is known industry-wide for its nationally recognized and award-winning commitment to serving the communities where it broadcasts.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Bonneville is known for its innovative business model and is a national leader in providing quality, values-oriented media products.

August 22, 2008 Press Release: Tour De Frankfurter

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:43:00 -0700

MEDIA CONTACTS:
August 22, 2008
Jennifer Danker
New Media Director
Bonneville St. Louis Radio Group
(314) 983-6228
jdanker@bonneville.com

HOT DIGGITY DOG!

TOASTEDRAV.COM TOURS ST. LOUIS AREA IN QUEST TO EAT
24 HOT DOGS AT 24 PLACES IN 24 HOURS

Local Filmmakers To Make Video Documentary Of Tour de Frankfurter

ST. LOUIS – At least they're going to the dogs in a tasty way!

ToastedRav.com wants to close out the summer grilling season by hitting the road to eat 24 hot dogs at 24 St. Louis places in 24 hours.

This Tour de Frankfurter will take place on Thursday, September 11, 2008 and could go down as the most intense sausagefest in history. Beginning that morning at 6:00 am, the staff at ToastedRav.com will make stops along the journey to sample the best and worst hot dogs known to man in a feat that defies common sense and decency. Along the way, the ToastedRav crew will meet and eat at restaurants and landmarks with St. Louis notables for inclusion in the mini-documentary.

To join the crew as a "celebrity guest hot dog eater" for one of the 24 hour slots - or to submit your restaurant, attraction or landmark as one of the documentary's stops - please email chris@toastedrav.com or call 314.983.6258

For more information about the 24x24x24 Hot Dog Quest, please contact New Media Director Jen Danker at (314) 983-6228 or jdanker@bicstl.com or visit ToastedRav.com.

About ToastedRav.com
ToastedRav.com is the home of deep fried St. Louis entertainment.

ToastedRav.com is a website about, for and by St. Louisans. The website’s goal is to entertain the public with engaging video, stories and opinions about St. Louis people, places, events and history while providing the public with a forum to contribute opinions, views and information.

ToastedRav.com topics span a broad range of categories - everything from where to eat dinner, take the family this weekend or find the latest fashions around town; to the hottest celebrity gossip; to views and perspectives all about the wonderful, strange and sublime around St. Louis. ToastedRav.com takes a light or humorous approach more often than not, with stories that sometimes are a satirical take on reality. After all, like Toasted Ravioli, it's a St. Louis thing.

March 20, 2008 ToastedRav.com Press Release

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:32:30 -0700

March 20, 2008

LIKE YOUR ST. LOUIS LIGHTLY BREADED?
BONNEVILLE ST. LOUIS RADIO GROUP DEBUTS TOASTEDRAV.COM

New Media Venture for Bonneville Radio Is All About What Makes St. Louis Unique

ST. LOUIS – It goes beyond the Gooey Butter Cake, the Highway 40 Shutdown frenzy, and that proverbial question "Where did you go to high school?" There are things about St. Louis which are often loved, sometimes laughed at but definitely cherished by its locals.

But would these things draw the public in droves to a website all about St. Louis’ quirks, foibles, and unusual brand of hometown loyalty?

That is what Bonneville St. Louis Radio Group is betting on. In a nod to all things unique and entertaining in and about the St. Louis market, the local group of radio stations owned and operated by Bonneville International Corporation – 92.3 WIL, MOViN 101.1 and 106.5 The Arch – have officially launched their new website ToastedRav.com.

Bonneville St. Louis Radio Group, along with the other Bonneville media properties across the country, were recently asked to develop the best new media concept and model for new business development and revenue growth in a challenging economy and media industry. Each Bonneville marketing team created their own city-centric new media concept and presented their ideas to Bonneville corporate heads back in late 2007. Bonneville’s mandate to each team was to build a website concept that would deliver a "Top 3 local website ranking" within the next five years, as well as double-digit e-commerce revenue growth in the next three years.

Bonneville St. Louis thoroughly researched the local new media offerings in St. Louis, and developed their ToastedRav.com. Bonneville St. Louis thoroughly researched the local new media offerings and developed ToastedRav.com. It is a destination website that takes our ability to entertain St. Louisans to an entirely new level. Combining the strengths of our current FM content with the sites new elements , we will tell the story of St. Louis through the use of blogs, original video, and audience interaction.

concept based on key elements from their diverse radio station audiences and current station websites. The Bonneville St. Louis team ended up creating ToastedRav.com as an overall umbrella website that would act as an aggregator of local content using the strengths of their current radio station's listenership, website visitors and FM radio content, while incorporating a "St. Louis" focus on creating and adding human interest, community and entertainment content through a blogging structure and original video programs and web streaming. John Kijowski, Vice President and Market Manager for Bonneville St. Louis comments, "Our team looked at the localized new media available to the St. Louis market, and determined that local entertainment content was greatly underserved on St. Louis-oriented web sites." He adds, "Radio is inherently a localized, entertainment-based media, and ToastedRav.com is a natural extension from our core business."

The ToastedRav.com concept created by Bonneville St. Louis Radio Group's marketing/new media team, led by Marketing Director Sammy Simpson and New Media Director Jennifer Danker, received the highest evaluation from Bonneville corporate and earned the largest budget of all the Bonneville media properties in order to launch the web site project. According to Kijowski, Bonneville corporate is pouring $350,000 into the ToastedRav.com project. alone, and is investing in the company's other new media concepts.

The mission of the ToastedRav.com web site is to keep the content fresh, relevant and entertaining, and is designed so that people who might not be listeners to Bonneville St. Louis station will still have a reason to go to the website. In order to execute this mission, Bonneville St. Louis invested in a team of new media specialists to create and maintain the website.

Led by Danker, the ToastedRav.com website was built by the ground up by the Bonneville St. Louis web team consisting of Lead Developer Mike Flynn and Graphic/Web Designer Margo Hughes. In addition to the existing web team members, Bonneville St. Louis also realized the demands of the video programming component would require hired professionals to write, edit and produce both written and video content on a daily basis. They hired veteran award-winning television journalist George Sells and local TV and Radio personality Trish Gazell to anchor and produce the video programming content. Video producer and local satirist Chris Files was added to round out the writing and video production team.

The beta version of the ToasteRav.com web site was "soft launched" in January 2008, and after the new media team tweaked the format with audience feedback the official launch is occurring in late March. Plans to expand the website in the future include a social networking element, pod-casting and a mobile-friendly version for wireless phones and devices. Microblogs, video product placement and other various new media opportunities are already available for companies and advertisers interested in ToastedRav.com.

And already the rave reviews are flooding in from media pundits and reporters, as well as Bonneville St. Louis' advertisers. Industry insiders from national forums such as Radio and Internet Newsletter and Radio Daily News, as well as local new media guru Mike Anderson of STLMedia.net have commented favorably about ToastedRav.com. According to Anderson, the ToastedRav.com project has "hit a home run here, with a brand new way to present a radio group’s local websites."

To learn more about Bonneville St. Louis Radio Group’s new media concept ToastedRav.com, please contact Marketing Director Sammy Simpson at (314) 983-6252 or sammy.simpson@bonneville.com; and for more information about advertising opportunities on ToastedRav.com, please contact Bonneville St. Louis Director of Sales Scott Burwell at (314) 983-6201 or scott.burwell@bonneville.com.

New Media Director

Jen Danker

314.983.6228

jdanker@bicstl.com

About ToastedRav.com
ToastedRav.com is the home of deep fried St. Louis entertainment.

ToastedRav.com is a website about, for and by St. Louisans. The website's goal is to entertain the public with engaging video, stories and opinions about St. Louis people, places, events and history while providing the public with a forum to contribute opinions, views and information.

ToastedRav.com topics span a broad range of categories - everything from where to eat dinner, take the family this weekend or find the latest fashions around town; to the hottest celebrity gossip; to views and perspectives all about the wonderful, strange and sublime around St. Louis. ToastedRav.com takes a light or humorous approach more often than not, with stories that sometimes are a satirical take on reality. After all, like Toasted Ravioli, it's a St. Louis thing.

ToastedRav.com is owned and operated by Bonneville International an award-winning, dynamic and diversified media company with television, radio, advertising, and satellite operations in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Phoenix, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Salt Lake City. Known not only as a leader in the industry but also as a values-driven company, Bonneville’s mission is to "Make a Difference" in the communities where it operates. Bonneville is a national leader in providing quality, values-oriented media products and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.

For more information, please visit their web site at www.ToastedRav.com.