Radiko Announcing experimental distribution of NHK Radio

The streaming period runs from around noon on October 2 until March 30, 2018, and will only offer live (simultaneous) streaming within the free listening areas. The streaming areas are: Fukuoka Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, Hiroshima Prefecture, and Ehime Prefecture. The streaming content includes NHK Radio 1 (5 areas, 5 distinct streams), NHK Radio 2 (5 areas, 1 common stream), and NHK FM (5 areas, 5 distinct streams). Note that streaming will not be available via Radiko's "Area-Free Listening (Radiko Premium)" (paid/listening outside streaming areas) or "Time-Free Listening" (free).

Currently, Radiko has 86 commercial radio stations and the Open University of Japan participating, with over 10 million monthly unique users and over 1 million daily unique users. Furthermore, the premium membership for "Area-Free Listening (Radiko Premium)" (paid/listening outside broadcast areas), launched in April 2014, stands at approximately 440,000 members (as of September 2017). Additionally, the pilot test for "Time-Free Listening" (free), launched in October 2016, has reached approximately 2.4 million monthly unique users (as of September 2017).

Radiko states its vision: "To further enhance radio's significance, we aim to expand Radiko users (i.e., radio listeners) and elevate radio's media value by improving the listening environment and proposing new ways to enjoy radio through integration with the internet. Radiko's future vision is to create an audio platform connecting all these relationships: music and people, entertainment and people, technology and people, advertising and people, and local communities and people."
Official website: http://radiko.jp/