BusRadio: Needham Company Finds a Way to Keep Kids in Their Seats

BAY STATE BIZ

The clamor to turn on the school bus AM/FM radio – or change the station – often starts as soon as students climb on board.

Many bus drivers are happy to comply. It seems to calm students, and drivers can use the radio to bargain with them: If they stay in their seats and are quiet, the radio stays on.

Needham-based BusRadio Inc. is cashing in on rambunctious bus riders by providing free music and public-service announcements for school districts to use in their buses. And, yes, commercials. But the company promises students will hear fewer than on regular radio and that none are inappropriate for young people.

“We find that the kids are better behaved if we can play the radio,” said Diane Komoto, transportation director of the Central Unified School District in Fresno, Calif.

While many transportation directors and bus drivers are high on the BusRadio concept, others are critical.

“My major concern is we are being asked to provide a captive audience to a group of advertisers,” said Ginny Hovsepian, a member of the school board in Clovis, Calif. “By doing that, we would be putting our seal of approval on music and advertising.”

BusRadio’s push comes at a time of increasing concern nationwide that young people are harmed by constant bombardment from advertisers. The Mansfield school board, for example, in June 2006 rescinded a vote to contract with BusRadio after parents complained about the advertising.

BusRadio co-founder Steven Shulman said the program’s features and age-appropriate programming are far better for students than regular radio. Big entertainment companies such as Buena Vista Entertainment and the Cartoon Network are among the major advertisers.

“They won’t hear Budweiser commercials or Viagra commercials,” Shulman said.

The company limits advertising to eight minutes per hour, which supporters say is far less than regular radio stations. BusRadio programs also feature announcements about bus safety, underage drinking, bullying and obesity.

Since launching the company about three years ago, Shulman said, nearly 8,500 buses in 24 states have been outfitted with BusRadio equipment. In Eastern Massachusetts, buses in Mashpee, Taunton and the Triton Regional School District on the North Shore carry the programs.

Programming is delivered to districts via the Internet, with 10 hours of new programming downloaded every night in separate tracks for elementary, middle and high school students. Bus depots are installed with a WiFi network and microserver, while special radio units are installed in buses.

Programming is sent to the microserver in the depots, then transmitted to the buses every night.

The programming is a mix of music and talk. BusRadio sends top 40, urban music or country music – depending on the area. The talk portions are hosted by DJs Mat and Lucia.

Shulman said BusRadio fills a niche since few radio stations target listeners who are under age 18.

“We’re a trendy radio station,” Shulman said. “We still have got that cool factor. Our DJs talk (to the kids). We play songs that the kids actually request and like.”

Districts get a share of BusRadio’s advertising revenue, depending on the number of buses tuning in.

The fast-growing company, which was founded by Shulman and Michael Yanoff, employs about 40 people at its office and radio studio on Gould Street in Needham.

Originally published by Patriot Ledger staff and news services.

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