Entrepreneur Takafumi Horie has acquired a controlling stake in Kitakyushu-based radio station CROSS FM. The station plans to incorporate AI technology and introduce a synthetic voice called “AI Horiemon” to read news and traffic updates. In addition, Horie will serve as a city government advisor to Kitakyushu City and aims to explore themes around startup support in new programming. The station also plans to sell some airtime to YouTubers and influencers and aims to triple its revenue to 1.2 to 1.3 billion yen within three years. Kitakyushu Mayor Kazuhisa Takeuchi announced Horie’s advisory role, expressing high expectations for his contributions to the city. Source: RKB / Nikkei
Photo from Takafumi Horie official X
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