MUSIC fans will give an instant verdict on the latest hits when Nokia launches handsets with an interactive Visual Radio service next year.

Virgin Radio is the first British station to sign up to the service, which brings the “red button” digital television functionality to radio.

Listeners will be able to buy downloads and text back their verdict on the station’s songs, allowing programmers to make swift changes to the playlist.

The multimedia phones will also relay content synchronised to the radio programming, including video clips of artists and an option to buy tickets for forthcoming concerts.

Listeners will be able to make instant purchases of polyphonic ringtones of records being played when the touch-screen Nokia 7700 handset arrives in Britain next year. Radio stations will send advertisements directly to listeners’ phones.

Video messaging and the ability to download MP3 files are also expected to be available via the new “clamshell” designed handsets by the end of next year. The phones contain a built-in FM radio, and Nokia, which is developing the GPRS network technology alongside Hewlett-Packard, is signing up radio stations across Europe.

Advertisers are being sold the benefits of Visual Radio since it creates immediate feedback on potential customers. A car advert allows a listener to “click-through” to information on local dealers and details of how to book a test drive.

Through the two-way connection between the phone and the radio station, Virgin can produce a graph of who is listening, for how long, and their musical or purchase preferences.

Talk radio stations are expected to sign up to the service since it invites listeners to vote on the latest debates. The software also allows users to see news, sport and traffic report pictures relevant to a show’s content in real time.

Steve Taylor, Virgin Radio station manager, said: “Visual Radio will be a key part of our strategy to extend the station across other platforms.

“The interactive applications have great potential for competitions and the feedback on records will play into our Most Wanted music tracks programme.”

Virgin is discussing partnerships with various network operators for the new service.

Kiss FM is also examining the potential of Visual Radio, but the station’s owner, Emap, is currently focusing on the interactive opportunities created by digital radio listened to through the television. Emap is heartened that Kiss FM competitions generate around 4,000 “red button” responses from users of the Freeview digital terrestrial service.

Shaun Gregory, Development Director at Emap Performance, said: “Visual Radio will play a real role by allowing people to buy downloads of tracks as they are being played. We are already able to give digital listeners added value by telling them how long until they hear their favourite record.”

Nokia is expecting 300 million subscribers to come from new growth markets by 2007. The Visual Radio service was designed to exploit the potential for “impulse purchases”.

Rival services include a joint venture set up by Digital One and BT Wholesale to broadcast multimedia services through digital radio data technology.

The “datacasting” project, being tried out later this year, will let users watch films, download games and access music through a variety of devices including 3G phones, PDAs and digital radios.

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