Radio Disney is getting some competition for young ears.

Nickelodeon and Clear Channel are launching “Nick Radio” on IHeartRadio today. Like Radio Disney, the channel will focus on youth and tween listeners with a mix of CHR hits, music and promotion for their television series, and guest appearances from network stars and celebrities.

The channel’s launch today features Nickelodeon star and singer Ariana Grande guest DJ’ing. The station will be programmed by “Z100” WHTZ New York PD Sharon Dastur and feature Z100’s Mo’ Bounce, WKTU’s Wendy Wild, and “Q102” Philadelphia’s Maxwell as on-air hosts.

INSTANT INSIGHT: This is a brilliant move for Nickelodeon and Clear Channel. Get the young listeners streaming via IHeartRadio particularly in the car and you get the parents familiar with the service. As Radio Disney shifts its priority from AM to streaming, Nick will be on equal footing but also with the marketing might of IHeartRadio paired with the strong Nick brand.

The press release announcing Nick Radio follows:

Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids, and Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, the leading media company in America, with a greater reach than any other radio or television outlet, announced today the launch of Nick Radio, where listeners will get “All the Hits, All the Slime,” on iHeartRadio — Clear Channel’s industry-leading digital radio platform. Nick Radio will feature today’s hit music; guest DJ stints by Nickelodeon stars, kicking off with Sam & Cat star Ariana Grande, Big Time Rush and Austin Mahone; and Nick-branded entertainment and celebrity interviews, all which will reflect Nickelodeon’s personality and surprise-filled brand of humor. The brand-new family-targeted station will be programmed by Sharon Dastur, Program Director for the world-famous Z100 — New York’s Hit Music Station, and will stream on Nick.com, iHeartRadio.com and the iHeartRadio digital app. Additionally, Relativity and Reel FX’s Free Birds, which hits theaters nationwide November 1, has signed on as Nick Radio’s exclusive launch partner.

“Nick Radio is the perfect place for Nickelodeon to serve kids with the music they love and entertain them with our great characters and funny content,” said Pam Kaufman, Chief Marketing Officer and President of Consumer Products, Nickelodeon Group. “Our partnership with Clear Channel’s iHeartRadio will allow us to further deepen our relationship with kids across this great platform.”

“It is such a great opportunity to work with Nickelodeon and create the first ever Nick Radio,” said Tom Poleman, President of National Programming Platforms for Clear Channel. “The combination of Clear Channel’s reach and programming expertise with the fun and dedicated audience of Nickelodeon is unique in the digital and on-air space. Introducing a family focused station like Nick Radio to the iHeartRadio platform and supporting it with an industry expert from Z100, one of the nation’s top radio stations, is destined to be a homerun with both our listeners and Nick’s viewers.”

Rising pop music sensation and co-star of Nickelodeon’s hit live-action series Sam & Cat, Ariana Grande, will take over Nick Radio as guest DJ during the station’s first day, playing a selection of the current hits she loves most. Joining her as guest DJs for Nick Radio’s debut will also be Austin Mahone and Big Time Rush. Post-launch, Nick Radio will also feature guest DJ stints by Nick Cannon, Cody Simpson and Jennette McCurdy, co-star of Sam & Cat.

Nick Radio will feature some of the most popular DJs in America including Mo’ Bounce of New York’s hit music station Z100, Maxwell of Q102 Philadelphia, and Wendy Wild of 103.5 KTU , the beat of New York, who will host the station’s three dayparts, with Z100’s Erica America on weekends. Nickelodeon will roll out additional programming, showcasing the network’s talent and content, including:

— On the Set With…- featuring interviews with Nickelodeon’s live-action stars from the sets of their hit shows.

— Nick Radio Top 10 Countdown – a radio version of the weekly top ten video show that airs on TeenNick, Nick’s 24-hour digital channel for and about teens.

— Nick Radio Dance Party – hosted by Nickelodeon’s own J. Boogie, this two-hour mix of the best in Top 40 music will air every Friday and Saturday night to get listeners up on their feet and dancing.

— Nick Radio Top 10 – a daily hour-long countdown of the most popular songs on the airwaves.

— Hangin’ With… – celebrity interviews with some of the biggest music, TV, film and sports stars.

Additionally, on October 24, Nickelodeon and iHeartRadio will celebrate the new Nick Radio station with an event at the iHeartRadio Theatre presented by P.C. Richard & Son in New York City, featuring live performances by Syco Music and Epic Records recording artists Fifth Harmony and Atlantic Records recording artist Cody Simpson. Fans can enter for a chance to win tickets by listening to Z100, 103.5 WKTU and 106.7 Lite fm and listeners who follow iHeartRadio on Twitter or Facebook will also have a chance to win tickets to the exclusive Nick Radio event on October 24. A live stream of the event will be available through iHeartRadio.com.

Nick Radio’s family-focused digital station will be promoted across Clear Channel’s Top 40, HOT AC and AC stations across the country, including Z100 New York, KISS-FM LA and Chicago, as well as across Nickelodeon’s multiple platforms, including on-air, Nick’s social media platforms and Nick.com, where Nick Radio will also stream.

iHeartRadio, the No. 1 all-in-one digital service, reached 20 million registered users faster than any digital service in Internet history. iHeartRadio offers listeners instant access to more than 1,500 of the nation’s most popular live broadcast and digital-only radio stations from more than 150 cities, mood-related stations “Perfect For” any activity and user-created Custom Stations inspired by favorite artists and songs. With a library of more than 16 million songs and 400,000 artists, iHeartRadio’s Custom Station feature offers listeners more music than any other service available. Plus, the new iHeartRadio Talk feature gives users access to the best on-demand news, talk and entertainment content available today.

iHeartRadio is available across all major platforms including web, mobile, tablets, automotive, television and gaming devices. Visit iHeartRadio.com for a complete list of app availability and to download.

Relativity will distribute Free Birds, produced by Reel FX and Relativity and starring Owen Wilson, Amy Poehler and Woody Harrelson, nationwide on November 1. The film is a story of two turkeys from opposite sides of the track who must put aside their differences and team up to travel back in time to change the course of history – and get turkey off the menu for good.