Dive Brief:

• iHeartMedia has announced plans to use automated tools to sell ads similar to the online ad market. The technology could also allow iHeartMedia clients to target based on specific content or purchase behavior.
• The radio giant is partnering with tech vendor Jelli to create a programmatic marketplace to sell ad inventory across 850 radio stations. 
• The effort aims to make buying radio ads easier for marketers and boost the under-monetized medium. 

Dive Insight: 

Radio is sometimes seen as a dinosaur medium, partly because of its practices. A programmatic marketplace—especially from a behemoth like iHeartMedia—will make the process of buying radio ads smoother for advertisers. The move could also change the perception of the radio industry and help the medium get a stronger foothold in today's digital and automatic buying world.