Thursday, August 7, 2014

Pittsburgh Radio: WPGB Goes Country, Talk Goes To WJAS


Two big changes were in the Pittsburgh market Thursday as longtime oldies station WJAS 1320-AM flipped to conservative talk radio, and at 3pm, N/T WPGB went country as “The BIG 104.7” on the FM dial. WPGB will compete with CBS Radio's WDSY and WOGI-WOGG-WOGH Froggy stations owned by Keymarket.

WPGB 104.7 FM (13Kw) 54dBu Coverage
The latter began its new life playing Florida Georgia Line's “This is How We Roll,” the start of 10,000 consecutive songs without commercials, with the Bobby Bones Morning Show waiting in the wings.

A new PD for Big 104.7 will be announced soon.

LISTEN TO BIG 104-7: Click Here

“It’s a great day for Pittsburgh Country music fans as we launch Big 104.7, a fresh new take on Country music. This station will give our listeners a front-row seat to Country’s biggest artists and concerts,” said David Edgar, Vice President of Programming for Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Pittsburgh.

“Listeners will also enjoy waking up with The Bobby Bones Show and his unique and entertaining insight on Country music. No one is closer to the heart of Nashville than Bobby Bones.” Pittsburgh fans of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and the other WPGB talk show hosts can now hear them on 1320-AM, WJAS, effective immediately.

Earlier in the afternoon, syndicated talk featuring Rush Limbaugh was simulcast on both stations as the 3 p.m. announcement neared, and "This is moving day!" promos were trumpeted during breaks. Others in the News/Talk 1320 WJAS lineup now include Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and David “Bloomdaddy” Bloomquist.

The change at WJAS (7Kw,  3.3Kw nights) means the end of a decades-long nostalgia format. Veteran DJs Jack Bogut and Bill Cardille said their goodbyes on air Wednesday, and Chris Shovlin also lost his evening show.

CBS Earnings Fall, Radio Revenue Down 3 Percent

CBS reported earnings of 78 cents per share in the most recent quarter, beating the expectations of analysts who predicted about 72 cents per share, according to THR.

Profit and revenue were both down slightly from the year-ago period, but that was to be expected since the popular sitcom How I Met Your Mother ended and competitors like ESPN stole some viewers away with their coverage of FIFA World Cup soccer.

Revenue was $3.19 billion during the quarter, down from $3.37 billion. Net earnings were $439 million, down from $472 million.

CBS also said Thursday it was doubling its share repurchase program to $6 billion, following on the heels of 21st Century Fox and Time Warner, both which also increased their buyback plans. CBS also said it would increase its cash dividend to 15 cents per share from 12 cents previously.

Local Broadcasting revenues for the second quarter of 2014 were $665 million compared with $698 million in the same prior-year period, primarily a result of softness in the advertising marketplace. An increase in affiliate and subscription fee revenues partially offset the decline.

CBS Television Stations revenues were down 6%, with three percentage points of the decrease attributable to the nonrenewal of a sports programming contract and the absence of the broadcast of the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament on CBS in 2014.

Radio revenues were down 3%.

ABC Radio News Breaks With Cumulus

James Goldston
ABC News has signed on with Skyview Networks to distribute and market ABC News radio content.

The new arrangement, which begins in January, comes as ABC’s distribution agreement with Cumulus Media comes to an end.

ABC News President James Goldston sent the following note to the news division today announcing the beginning of a new era at ABC Radio.

ABC News Radio will expand its operations to invest in new, premium programming and to take control of distributing and marketing its content and deepen affiliate relationships.  ABC Radio serves nearly two thousand stations nationwide and the most popular digital radio platforms – making ABC News, by far, the number one choice for radio news and information for over 50 million listeners each week.
Team, 
Today we’re announcing the beginning of a new era at ABC Radio. 
Starting in January we’re going to expand our operations to invest in new programming, take control of distributing and marketing our content and deepen our affiliate relationships.  A new relationship with Skyview Networks will help us deliver our content and bolster our sales efforts as our distribution agreement with Cumulus Media comes to an end.  These changes will help us invest in premium programming and continue to lead the industry in new ways to reach our loyal audience of over 50 million listeners a week. 
As a powerhouse for news and information, it’s critical we’re superserving our audience everywhere and all the time.  Stations count on our investigative reporting, exclusive interviews, unparalleled coverage of breaking news and entertainment and sports programming.  Over many years ABC News Radio has built an unmatched track record for exceptional service and radio reports from around the world thanks to the outstanding work of everyone at ABC News.  It’s one reason ABC News Radio was recently honored for journalistic excellence with two Edward R. Murrow awards, including its most prestigious award for overall excellence. 
ABC News is, by far, the number one choice for radio news and information.  We serve nearly 2000 stations nationwide and the most popular digital radio services, including iHeartRadio and Slacker Radio.   As we move ahead we see tremendous opportunities and know that we will have to work even harder to ensure a bright future.  We’re taking these important steps now to work more closely with our terrific, long-standing station partners and better position us for digital audio growth in the future. 
I’m confident that with Steve Jones and his team leading the charge, there are exciting new opportunities and many more great days ahead at ABC Radio. 
James

Boston Radio: CCM+E Wants More Bull

CCM+E wants to go non-DA with it's WBWL 101.7 FM in Boston.  It's the home of freshly-minted Country The Bull.

WBWL 101.7 FM (1.7Kw) 60dBu Coverage
For The Bull (licensed to Lynn, MA) to be upgraded, CC has submitted a proposal to the FCC which would allow it to go directional with its Providence WWBB on adjacent 105.1 FM.  That move in effect would mean Classic Hits WWBB would become a Class A signal instead of its current Class B designation.


Also...CC proposes the Commission allow Classic Hits WCIB 101.9 FM to use a directional antenna and reduce power from 50Kw to 13Kw. CC is acquiring WCIB as part of the three-way swap involving Connoisseur and Qantum, leaving the Qantum stations with Clear Channel.


The changes to the three stations would result in improved coverage south of Boston for “The Bull” although it would remains a Class A signal.   The Bull competes with Greater Media's WKLB 102.5 FM.

NAB: Broadcast Ownership Rules Lacking in Rationale

The rationale underlying several decades-old media ownership rules that broadcast television stations only compete against themselves in local markets is simply not true, the National Association of Broadcasters said in comments filed Wednesday with the FCC. The Commission should adjust its rules to better reflect today and tomorrow's marketplace that features competition from rival industries as it weighs relaxing ownership restrictions, NAB said.

In its comments submitted to the FCC for its 2014 Quadrennial Ownership Review, NAB included an economic study by Economists Incorporated that tested the Department of Justice Antitrust Division's position that broadcast TV stations do not face competition from cable and other media sources for local advertising revenue. The study found no evidence that in local markets where broadcasters are engaged in a joint sales agreement (JSA) or shared service agreement (SSA) are broadcasters able to charge higher advertising rates than in markets where these arrangements are not present.

"The presence of JSAs and SSAs is not statistically associated with increased advertising prices in local markets," concluded the study, which was conducted by economists Hal J. Singer and Kevin W. Caves. "There is even some evidence that markets with JSAs and SSAs have prices approximately 16 percent lower than other markets, suggesting that these arrangements benefit consumers by lowering costs."

The study, which analyzed pricing data from the past 10 years in 210 local markets, also found that in markets with a duopoly television station owner do not have higher advertising prices than in markets without a duopoly. "Increases in local television broadcast station concentration do not appear to have any effect on the advertising rates that broadcasters are able to charge," the study concluded. That result "is consistent with the conclusion that local broadcasting prices re disciplined by non-broadcast alternatives," the study found.

NAB also highlighted a number of other broadcast ownership rules that can no longer be rationally maintained in today's marketplace. Cross-ownership rules that prevent common ownership of a radio station and TV station or broadcast entities and newspapers in the same market do not promote the Commission's localism, competition or diversity goals, NAB said in its comments.

"The newspaper-broadcast cross ownership rule, in particular, should have been eliminated years ago," said NAB. "Failure to do so has likely led to the hastened diminishment of the newspaper industry and should serve as a warning to the Commission of what can happen to the marketplace when it ignores its deregulatory mandate and waits too long to adjust its rules."

Barriers that restrict access to capital are the cause of depressed female and minority ownership of broadcast radio and TV stations, NAB said. Ownership restrictions have not led to an increase in female and minority entities owning broadcast stations and in fact limit their ability to obtain sufficient capital to purchase and operate stations.

"Purposefully depressing the value of broadcast stations through ownership limitations only makes it more difficult for current licensees to maintain operating capital in order to compete or for possible new entries to secure funding," said NAB. "It simply has not worked. The time has come for the Commission to consider better incentives-based alternatives."

Obama Stand Shakes Up Net Neutrality Debate

President Barack Obama edged up to questioning the Federal Communications Commission's newly proposed net neutrality rules, a heavily criticized plan that would favor Internet content providers that can afford to pay more for faster delivery of their services.

Obama campaigned heavily on net neutrality during his 2008 election, but has been largely silent on the issue since the FCC voted to kill it with new Internet service rules that would create "fast lanes" for content providers that can afford to pay for them; those that can't will be hit with slower traffic.

The Huffington Post reports Obama echoed one of progressives' major criticisms of the new rules at the U.S. Africa Business Forum in Washington on Wednesday, saying he is in favor of "an open and fair Internet."

One of the issues around net neutrality is whether you are creating different rates or charges for different content providers. That’s the big controversy here," he said. "You have big, wealthy media companies who might be willing to pay more but then also charge more for more spectrum, more bandwidth on the Internet so they can stream movies faster or what have you. And I personally -- the position of my administration, as well as I think a lot of companies here is you don’t want to start getting a differentiation in how accessible the Internet is to various users."

The president said an open Internet will allow for "the next Google or the next Facebook" to enter the arena, and succeed.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has said that he, too, opposes paid prioritization -- but critics argue that his proposal will create just that. The FCC is an independent entity within the executive branch and is free to ignore the weight of the president's opinion.

Read More Now

Dickey: NASH To Generate $50M In 2016

Lew Dickey
During Wednesday's earnings conference call with analysts, Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey highlighted the development of the company's Country brand NASH.

Dickey said, "The NASH brand is being architected to connect artists, fans and advertisers across multiple platforms, including radio, television, magazine, digital, events, recorded music, touring and licensing."
  • In radio, Dickey says Cumulus has rebranded 35 of our 68 owned and operated country format stations as NASH. The rest of our stations are currently using their legacy brands, with the NASH brand woven in throughout the day. 
  • Cumulus expects to begin offering NASH affiliations through Westwood One early in 2015, with a strategy similar to the network television model. 
  • Cumulus expects to launch the NASH app and website in early 2015 and offering the NASH -- which will offer the NASH community of fans unparalleled access to their favorite artists, including breaking news, new releases for music and behind-the-scenes looks and the important trends in the country music lifestyle, which include food and travel. 
  • Dickey says he's confident in his forecast of $25 million in incremental NASH revenue in 2015 and another incremental $25 million of NASH revenue in 2016.
Dickey re-iterated the company's support of Rdio, calling it "a key pillar of our mobile strategy."

"We are leveraging our platform to contribute content, promotion and ad sales to Rdio over the next 5 years in exchange for an ownership stake of 15%. And then -- and it can be increased up to 20% through the exercise of performance-based warrants. That makes us the second-largest shareholder, behind its founder. Cumulus is focused on being a leader -- a leading provider of audio content in a widening audio space as consumers utilize digital music services to complement their broadcast radio listening.

Over time, we expect Rdio to become the digital platform for all of our local brands and nationally syndicated content distributed through WestwoodOne."

Orlando Radio: WCFB Takes-Over Sole Possession Of #1

The ratings compression which hit the Top 5 in June has been broken-up. The compression resulted in three ties in the Top5, including a two-way tie for #1 between UrbanAC WCFB and Contemporary Christian WPOZ. 

Now, there's just one station at the top and it's Cox Media's WCFB 94.5 FM Star. It moved 7.3—7.5, while June co-champ Central Florida Education Foundation's WPOZ 88.3 FM Positive Hits slipped 7.3—6.7.

Cox Media's WWKA 92.3 FM remains #3 thanks to a 5.9—6.6 move.

The July's big winner is CBS Radio's Classic Hits WOCL 105.9 FM Sunny, which improved 4.6 (#10 June) to 5.8 ending up #4 for July. Sunny's Rick Stacy morning show also placed in the Top 5 and the station tied for #5 in the 25-54 demo.

CCM+E's AC WMGF 107.7 FM remains at #5, with a steady 5.6 showing.

 Dropping out of the Top 5 is CCM+E's Top 40 WXXL 106.7 FM..it fell from #4 to #7, no thanks to a 5.9—5.1 share loss. XL106-7 has been trending down in Cume: 534,200 (May) 489,600 (June) 477,900 (July)

25-54: WCFB...WWKA...WPOZ...WTKS...3-way tie: WOMX, WOCL, WJRR

18-34: WXXL, WPYO...WCFB tie WJRR...WOMX

18-49: WCFB...WWKA...WXXL...WPOZ...WTKS

Cume: WOMX-FM 504,600...WXXL-FM 477,900...WMGF-FM 471,600...WPYO-FM 394,500 WOCL-FM 388,800...WPOZ-FM 357,600...WJHM-FM 355,800...WMMO-FM 334,600...WWKA-FM 302,900...WCFB-FM 271,900

Top Five Morning Shows (M-F 6-10a 12+ AQH)


  1. Tom Joyner Morning Show, WCFB Star 94.5 FM
  2. Monsters In The Morning WTKS, Real Radio 104.1 FM
  3. Ellis, Tyler and Tracy, WPOZ Z88.3  Positive Hits
  4. A-J & Ashley, WWKA K92 Country
  5. Rick Stacy, WOCL Sunny 105-9 Classic Hits

The Numbers Just Keep On Comin'...

July PPMs Were Released Wednesday For The Following Markets:
  • Portland OR
  • Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill
  • Pittsburgh
  • Sacramento
  • San Antonio
  • Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo
  • Cincinnati
  • Cleveland
  • Las Vegas
  • Orlando
  • Kansas City
  • Columbus
To see July PPM Topline 6+ AQH Numbers for subscribing Nielsen stations: Click Here

© 2005-2014 Arbitron Inc. All Rights Reserved. Arbitron radio audience estimates and data are federally copyrighted by and proprietary to Arbitron Inc. All Arbitron data are protected under U.S. copyright law, state misappropriation law, and other state and federal laws. Violations of Arbitron’s rights under U.S. copyright law may result in statutory damages per act of infringement and the recovery of Arbitron’s attorneys’ fees required to enforce Arbitron’s rights, in addition to other rights and remedies under other applicable laws, such as the Lanham Act.

Sprint, T-Mobile Merger Fizzles

Sprint Corp has dropped its bid to acquire No. 4 U.S. carrier T-Mobile after regulatory resistance showed no signs of softening despite months of lobbying, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The move is a rare setback for Sprint's Japanese parent, SoftBank Corp, whose billionaire founder Masayoshi Son had seen the acquisition as key to taking on U.S. market leaders AT&T Inc and Verizon Communications Inc.

Sprint, the No. 3 U.S. mobile carrier, and T-Mobile have not ruled out consolidation in the future but concluded that a deal is unlikely to be approved at this time, the sources said. U.S. regulators have insisted that they want to keep the number of major wireless carriers at four.

"We didn't think the opposition would be this strong," a SoftBank executive said, but added: "The environment will definitely change".

The failure to reach a deal could give added impetus to a rival bid for T-Mobile by French telecoms firm Iliad ILD.PA. Iliad made a lower bid than Sprint but is in talks with U.S. cable and satellite companies to sweeten its offer.

Sprint on Wednesday named Marcelo Claure, 43, as its chief executive, effective Aug. 11, to replace Dan Hesse, who has been CEO since 2007.   Hesse was Jeff Smulyan’s negotiating partner when Jeff put together the NextRadio deal with Sprint.

Claure founded mobile phone distributor Brightstar Corp, which was acquired last year by SoftBank.

Read More Now

Pandora Inks Indy Deal With Merlin

Charles Caldas
Merlin, the global rights agency for the independent label sector, and Pandora have  announced a comprehensive partnership designed to help independent labels and artists grow the audiences they reach and the royalties they receive.

The deal - which applies to Pandora's business in the United States - brings together Merlin's membership of leading independent labels with Pandora's unmatched scale and music discovery expertise, creating new opportunities to build audiences and connect with fans.

"For the independent sector, internet radio is an increasingly important part of the digital market, and we want to see it continue to grow, and grow fast," said Charles Caldas, CEO of Merlin. "For the thousands of labels Merlin represents, this agreement with Pandora provides a real best of both worlds scenario: a hugely important opportunity to increase our members' revenues and access unparalleled opportunities for exposure, whilst continuing to support a collective licensing framework."

Brian McAndrews
"This is an important step to advance Pandora's ongoing commitment to build a vibrant and sustainable music industry," said Brian McAndrews, CEO of Pandora. "It's a true partnership that will grow our collective businesses, help artists reach larger audiences and give our listeners an even better music discovery experience personalized to their tastes."

Merlin's membership embodies over 20,000 independent record labels and distributors worldwide. According to Merlin, these labels command around a 10 percent share of the global and US streaming music markets. The new partnership will enable participating labels and the artists they represent to take advantage of the unprecedented marketing capabilities of Pandora's connected platform.

IN Radio: Adams Group Closes On Radio One Com Stations


Adams Radio Group has closed on its acquisition of Radio One Communications stations in Northwest Indiana.

Ron Stone, president and CEO of Adams, said, "My excitement for this market is through the roof. There are so few opportunities like this ... The Ellis family's 50-year stewardship of these stations has been amazing, and we are fortunate to be the next stewards of these great properties. These stations serve the Region, a fast-growing area from Chicago to South Bend covering about a million people -- great additions to our company."

Leigh, Len Ellis
Radio One Communications owned WLJE-FM, WXRD-FM, WZVN-FM and WAKE-AM. Len Ellis, who's known as "Uncle Len," is 86, and Leigh Ellis, 60, said he wants to retire and pursue other hobbies and devote more time to his family. The staff and stations will continue as they are now for the foreseeable future, they said.

Leigh Ellis said the family hired a broker last May to actively market the stations nationwide. Four companies talked to them about buying it, and others expressed interest before Adams Radio Group was chosen.

"We're excited to be joining Adams Radio and becoming part of a larger group," said O.J. Jackson, market manager. "We are excited to work with the people at Adams and together bring the stations to the next level."

This is the third market for Adams Radio Group since reentering the radio business last July. Adams closed on Las Cruces, NM in December and its eight station cluster in Fort Wayne in June.

Report: Disney Pulling Back On TV Advertising

In the most candid admission of how downbeat the television ad market is right now, ABC and ESPN parent Walt Disney Co. said it had decided to reduce its reliance on advertising.

The Wall Street Journal reports during a conference call on Tuesday night, Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger acknowledged that ad spending is growing faster on new media platforms than on traditional outlets. Acknowledging what some ad buyers have been whispering in recent weeks, Mr. Iger said that some ad dollars that was held back from the TV upfront “clearly moved to new platforms.”

Noting that Disney sees “a much more competitive environment out there for advertising,” Mr. Iger said Disney has made a “conscious decision” to reduce its reliance on advertising, which now accounts for “the low 20% range of our total revenue.”

His comments, which so far have received little attention, highlighted generally dispirited comments from media CEOs about the ad market on June quarter earnings calls over the past week or so.

Read More Now (Paywall)

Nielsen: Social Media Drives TV Viewers Awareness


The jury is still out on how strong an effect social media has on television viewing habits, according to  marketingland.com.

An NBCUniversal executive made a big splash in April with an emperor-has-no-clothes statement, saying that social did nothing for Winter Olympic ratings but Twitter, Facebook and others beg to differ.

This week, Nielsen added more data to the social-matters side of the ledger, reporting a study showing that 25% of U.S. viewers said they were more aware of TV programs because of their social media interactions. The study, using data from the fourth quarter of 2013, also found that 15% of viewers say they enjoy television more because of their social media activity. Both figures were significant increases from 2012 results (18% for awareness, 11% for enjoyment).

However, social media isn’t the primary second-screen activity according to other Nielsen data. Two-thirds of tablet users and about half of the smart phone users said surfing the web was their No. 1 secondary activity while watching TV. Shopping (24% phone, 44% tablet), checking sports scores (27%, 29%), looking up actors, plots, athletes, etc. (29%, 41%) and emailing or texting friends about the program (29%, 23%) all surpassed reading social media commentary about the show (12%, 18%) in popularity.

FOX 2Q Beats Estimates

21st Century Fox reported quarterly profits that exceeded Wall Street expectations, driven by big box-office hits, including “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Rio 2” and “The Fault in Our Stars.”

The NY Post reports Earnings per share in the fiscal fourth quarter rose to 43 cents versus a forecast of 39 cents. Revenue rose 17 percent, to $8.42 billion — topping estimates of $8 billion — on the strong theatrical results and growth in cable network programming.

The company also said Wednesday it is authorizing a $6 billion share buyback over the next 12 months.

Commenting on the aborted $80 billion bid for Time Warner, Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch said, “The refusal of Time Warner’s management and board to engage with us to explore this compelling offer, coupled with the reaction in our share price that undervalued our stock, resulted in our conclusion that this transaction was no longer attractive to Fox shareholders.”

“Yesterday we walked away. This is our resolute decision,” said Murdoch.

Entravision: 8 Percent Increase In Radio Revenue

Spanish-language media company Entravision Communications Corp. Wednesday reported is 2Q earnings. The company says

Commenting on the Company's earnings results, Walter F. Ulloa, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "During the second quarter, we achieved continued growth in core advertising revenue (excluding retransmission consent revenue and political advertising revenue) as our television segment again outperformed the television broadcast industry, reflecting the contributions from our broadcast of the World Cup.

Our radio operations also produced revenue growth that we believe will be among the best in the industry. Continuing the trend of the last several years, we also experienced an increase in retransmission consent revenue. We also improved our free cash flow and net income over the second quarter of 2013 as we benefited from the successful refinancing of our debt last August."

Ulloa state Entravision continues to build it digital footprint and marketing solutions capabilities, "which provide us with an integrated platform to allow advertisers and marketers to connect with Latino audiences."


Net revenue increased to $61.8 million for the three-month period ended June 30, 2014 from $57.0 million for the three-month period ended June 30, 2013, an increase of $4.8 million. Of the overall increase, approximately $3.5 million was generated by its television segment and was primarily attributable to advertising revenue from the World Cup, and an increase in retransmission consent revenue. Additionally, $1.3 million of the overall increase was generated by the radio segment and was primarily attributable to advertising revenue from the World Cup. Radio revenue increased 8 percent, “among the best in the industry,” according to Ulloa.

Entravision Communications Corporation is a diversified Spanish-language media company with an integrated platform of solutions and services that includes television, radio, digital media and data analytics to reach Latino audiences across the United States and Latin America. Entravision has 58 primary television stations, including in 20 of the nation's top 50 Latino markets, and is the largest affiliate group of both the top-ranked Univision television network and Univision's UniMas network. Entravision also operates one of the nation's largest groups of primarily Spanish-language radio stations, consisting of 49 owned and operated radio stations.

Jim Jones Named Sr.Dir. For WWOne News Affiliates Sales

Jim Jones
Industry veteran Jim Jones has been named Senior Director, News Affiliate Sales. In his new position, Jones will be overseeing affiliate sales for Westwood One’s News vertical.

He will be based in Washington, DC, and will report to Dennis Green, Senior Vice President, Affiliate Sales for Westwood One.

This is a homecoming for Jones, as he was formerly Vice President of Affiliate Sales, News/Talk for Westwood One in Washington, DC, for 15 years. He was most recently with Focus 360.

Dennis Green, Senior Vice President, Affiliate Sales for Westwood One said: “Jim has an extensive knowledge of the news product and has been involved in the affiliation of major news networks with a high level of success.  Our affiliates will have the benefit of Jim and his team’s knowledge of integrating our new white label news product into the stations lineup as we find new audiences to bring news and information from around the world.”

Jones said: “I am excited to rejoin Westwood One, helping radio stations deliver meaningful news and information to listeners across the country. After more than 20 years producing and selling news/talk content, I am glad to represent the best news brands and content in the business. I look forward to continuing the highest level of service and delivery with Westwood One’s new white label news product, launching this fall.”

Arbitron's Sean Creamer Lands At MSG Company

Sean Creamer
The Madison Square Garden Company has announced that Sean Creamer, a well-regarded executive with nearly three decades of financial experience, has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective September 1, 2014.

Mr. Creamer joins the Company from Arbitron Inc., where he most recently served as president and chief executive officer. He will report to MSG president and CEO, Tad Smith.

As a member of the company's executive management team, Mr. Creamer will help lead the overall advancement of the company.  He will provide strategic financial insight regarding all facets of the business, helping prioritize opportunities and drive value creation. In addition, he will partner with the company's leadership in the strategic planning process.

On a day-to-day basis, Mr. Creamer will be responsible for all of MSG's financial and accounting matters, including forecasting, budgeting, and financial planning and analysis, as well as the company's treasury, investor relations, tax and risk management functions.

"We are extremely pleased to welcome Sean, who brings considerable financial and operating experience, along with a proven track record of creating value for shareholders at publicly traded companies," said Mr. Smith. "We look forward to his leadership as we continue to pursue excellence across our operations and strategic growth opportunities ahead."

"I have long admired the legendary and iconic brands and assets of The Madison Square Garden Company and am thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of its management team," said Mr. Creamer. "I look forward to working with Tad's and MSG's outstanding team to drive sustainable growth and value enhancement from the company's unparalleled portfolio of assets and support the continued development and execution of its strategic plan for the future."

Sac News Anchor Quits Over Shoplighting Charges

Sabrina Rodriguez
A popular Sacramento news anchor has resigned from her post at FOX40 over allegations that she conspired to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in luxury goods with her fiancé, who was recently arrested for manufacturing drugs, according to media reports and her Twitter account.

Sabrina Rodriguez, 31, had been at FOX40 since 2011 after stints in Bakersfield, Oregon and on the East Coast. The Bay Area native racked up prestigious honors, including multiple Emmy Awards and an award for investigative journalism from the Associated Press in 2008, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Rodriguez, though, was arrested last week on charges of orchestrating an extensive shoplifting plot with her fiancé Nicholas Gray, the Sacramento News and Review reported.

Court records and police reports obtained by Sacramento media outlets detail an alleged plan by the couple to shoplift high-end luxury items to sell on the black market.


According to data obtained from a cell phone seized from Gray, the couple allegedly drove from Vacaville to San Francisco in January 2013 to fence a number of stolen sneakers and wallets. Police said the phone contained a picture of Rodriguez holding up a pair of Nike AirMaxs that still had the security tag attached.

The next month, Gray allegedly texted Rodriguez, telling her he had shoplifted about $3,000 worth of cashmere sweaters.

“I got rent,” the purported text said.

FCC Receives Just 4 Miley Cyrus Complaints

Although TMZ has reported that the FCC received a "slew" of complaints about the poorly-rated concert special Miley Cyrus: Bangerz Tour, which aired on NBC over the July 4th weekend, the agency tells Rolling Stone it has received only four. Currently, the FCC is determining whether the program indeed violated any of its indecency and profanity rules.

Cyrus filmed the show, which was toned down from her usual exploits on the road, earlier this year at her Bangerz stops in Barcelona and Lisbon, incorporating behind-the-scenes footage that showed her doing far-from-shocking things like hanging out with her sister backstage and singing a Dolly Parton song.

Clips from the show reveal that, while onstage, Cyrus wore a skin-tight unitard with a hoodie – as opposed to the nudity of her "Wrecking Ball" video – and, at one point, dressed one of her backup dancers like a blunt and others like cigarette lighters. For "Get it Right" the singer snuggled up to several men and women in a giant bed. During one song, Cyrus also danced suggestively with somebody who was dressed like Abraham Lincoln, which prompted one complaint.

Although the Freedom of Information Act revealed the contents of three of the four FCC complaints, it presented an interesting look at what upset a handful of people about Bangerz, from one person feeling uncomfortable with the suggested homosexuality of the bed scene to another saying "F-no" to what he or she felt was an XXX performance all around. Read the grievances in full. (The FCC did not make the fourth complaint publicly available.)

Detroit Radio: Sports 105.1 Covers Lions From Above

Jimmy Kemp photo
WMGC 105.1 FM Detroit Sports 105-1 had hoped to broadcast shows live from Detroit Lions Training Camp.  Citing their rights agreement with the Lions, the “other sports station in town” blocked the move, forcing Detroit Sports 105.1 to think outside the box.

They approached Tech Shop Detroit, whose facility borders the Lions practice field, and obtained permission to broadcast from the Tech Shop parking lot.

The station then rented a 50-foot scissors lift from NES Rentals.  Wednesdat, from 10 a.m. – 12 noon, Ryan and  Rico broadcast live for the first time from the scissor lift.

They’ll bring Lions fans info on the Lions practice as it happens, from 50 feet above the field.

August 7 In Radio History


In 1886...Louis Hazeltine, who  invented the neutrodyne circuit, was born.


In 1942...NPR host, Garrison Keillor, was born. ("A Prarie Home Companion").


In 1969...Charlie Greer did his last show on WABC 770 AM New York.

Charlie Greer (1923-1996) did middays and overnight. Given WABC's 50,000 clear channel signal, Greer became a popular all-night disc jockey heard on more than 38 states punching his way through famous tongue twister commercials for an all night clothing store called Dennison's in Union, New Jersey.


Greer also spent time with New York City's WCBS-FM in 1973, then and became part of WCBS-FM's Rock and Roll Radio Greats Weekend in the eighties and nineties.

From WAKR in Akron Ohio, Charlie started at WABC on December 7, 1960. He moved back and forth between overnights and middays a couple of times. He was one of the original Swingin’ Seven from Seventy Seven.

He moved to Philadelphia's WIP in 1969 and then back to the New York area to WRKL in New City for a short while, and later worked at WHAM in Rochester, before returning to Akron.


In 1971... 93/KHJ - Los Angeles early evening Disk Jockey - “Humble’ Harve Miller pled guilty to second degree murder of his adulterous wife Mary. In a short statement, he said he accidentally shot his wife and still loved her. Miller was the subject of a 13-day nationwide search after the murder in May.

"Humble" Harve Miller began his career in 1958 at radio station WAAT in Trenton, New Jersey. Soon after, he moved to WIBG in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he worked from 1958 to 1962. Miller subsequently moved to Los Angeles, California, and became part of the enormous hit station KHJ as part of the "Boss Radio" DJ teams working under Bill Drake and other executives.

Humble Harve was the top-rated nighttime disc jockey throughout a five year period, and also did commercials, voice-over work, and narrated the 1967 counterculture documentary film Mondo Mod. He also narrated the late-1969 syndicated version of KHJ's The History of Rock and Roll 48-hour special, which aired throughout the early 1970s.

In 1971, Miller's career took a dramatic turn when he was found guilty of murdering his adulterous wife Mary and wound up serving a ten-year prison sentence for manslaughter. In 1980, Harve was released from prison and soon found work at LA station KKDJ.

Among the Los Angeles radio stations Humble Harve has worked for throughout the years are KIQQ, KIIS, KUTE, KRLA, KRTH, KCBS-FM, and KZLA. In addition, Miller also worked for WIBG in Philadelphia in 1985 and KVI in Seattle, Washington from 1986-1989, and also narrated a variety of syndicated radio specials during the 1980s and 1990s.

In 1995 Miller was inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame.




In 1974...Cousin Brucie (Bruce Morrow) did his last show on WABC 770 AM/New York and moved over to WNBC 660 AM.


In 1981...FCC established General Radiotelephone Operator License, ceased issuing First and Second Class Operator licenses.


In 2000...NYC's WADO 1280 AM increased power to 50 Kw Day / 7.2 Kw Night

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Buffalo Radio: Bans Bon Jovi Songs


The region’s top three radio groups – Entercom, Cumulus and Townsquare Media – that own 10 FM music stations have stopped playing Bon Jovi songs here in a protest of the belief that the Toronto group Jo Bon Jovi has aligned with may buy the Buffalo Bills and eventually move them north, according to The Buffalo News.

Bon Jovi
The reason for Buffalo radio’s way of making a statement less crass, but certainly equally as effective as Andre Reed’s R-rated comment directed at Bon Jovi last week, is simple, explained Entercom General Manager Greg Ried.

He said Entercom’s WTSS 102.5 FM Star stopped playing Bon Jovi’s tunes weeks ago after getting complaints.

“There is a saying in radio: ‘You only get hurt from what you air and not from what you don’t air,’ ” explained Ried. “The listeners don’t want to hear it, and we listen to them.”

Local radio certainly wasn’t about to change its tune after reading the letter carried in Sunday’s Buffalo News that Bon Jovi wrote to Bills fans in a public relations move that appears to have backfired.

John Hager, the program director of two Cumulus stations, WGRF 96.9 FM 97 Rock and Sports Radio WHDL 1270 AM The Fan, said the group’s local FM stations have stopped playing Bon Jovi as well. Besides 97 Rock, Cumulus owns WEDG 103.3 FM The Edge and Classic Hits WHTT 104.1 FM.

Rich Chiaino, general manager of the local Townsquare Media stations, which includes WBUF 92.9 FM JackFM said a former brand manager suggested WBUF, 92.9, which is called Jack FM, start a Ban Bon Jovi Summer. The station declared itself a Bon Jovi-Free Zone in early June.

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A-E-B Radio: Cumulus Promotes Elizabeth Pembleton To VP

Elizabeth Pembleton
Cumulus has  announced that it has promoted 30-year radio veteran Elizabeth Pembleton to Vice President/Market Manager of Cumulus Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton.

Pembleton has been Director of Sales for WCTO 96.1 FM and WLEV 100.7 FM in Allentown since 2011. Prior to that, she was Director of Sales/General Sales Manager for Citadel Broadcasting in Bethlehem, PA. She was also Senior Account Executive for Clear Channel Radio’s four Allentown stations for 10 years.

Gary Pizzati, Senior Vice President for Cumulus said: “This was a natural move elevating Liz to the VP/Market Manager level within Cumulus. The performance in the market speaks for itself. Liz has done amazing work assembling an award-winning team of broadcast professionals within Cumulus of Allentown. We look forward to many years working with Liz in her new role.”

Ron Giovanniello, Regional Vice President for Cumulus said: “I have had the pleasure of working side by side with Liz for the past two and a half years. Liz is a hard-working and very deserving person to join the Cumulus VP/Market Manager ranks. This is a great opportunity for us to recognize and promote one of our best.”

WCTO 96.1 FM (50Kw) 54dBu Coverage
Pembleton said: “I'm both honored and excited to continue in this new role with Cumulus Media, and specifically my Allentown team. I literally have lived and breathed these formats for more than a decade. Thirty years after selling my first radio spot, I still love the medium and am passionate about the expanding digital platforms that provide free access to our audiences…anywhere! Most of all, I am incredibly fortunate to have the best team in radio, mentors in Gary Pizzati, SVP and Ron Giovanniello, RVP as well as the support from an exceptional senior leadership team at Cumulus.”

Cumulus Media Reports Revenue Increased 21.4 Percent

Cumulus Media Inc. today announced operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014.

Cumulus said second-quarter net income declined to $15.14 million from last year's $27.10 million. Income per share was $0.06, compared to $0.11 in the prior year.

Income from continuing operations per share advanced to $0.06 from $0.05.

Net revenue was driven by the acquisition of Westwood One and climbed to $328.25 million from $270.31 million in the prior year. Analysts expected revenues of $330.55 million.

Operating highlights are as follows (in thousands, except percentages):

DC Radio: Makes It Seven Wins-In-A Row For WTOP

Hubbard's News WTOP 103.5 FM captured another #1 book during July, despite wobbling a bit 8.2—8.0 (6+ AQH). At #2 is American University's non-com N/T WAMU 88.5 FM. WAMU moved upward 6.2—6.4.

CCM+E Top 40 WIHT 995. FM Hot enjoyed an uptick 6+ 6.2—6.3. But that's not the entire story. WIHT took #1 honors 25-54, 18-34 and 18-49 and is the market's Cume leader.

Howard University's Urban AC WHUR 96.3 FM had an uptick 5.5—5.6 and is in the #4 spot, trading places with CCM+E AC WASH 97.1 FM which dropped to #5 after a 5.8—5.1 slip.

25-54: WIHT...WHUR...WOP...WASH...WWDC

18-34: WIHT...WKYS...WPGC...WMZQ...WWDC

18-49: WIHT...WHUR...WKYS...WASH...WWDC

Cume: WIHT-FM 1,269,100...WASH-FM 1,199,100...WTOP-FM 1,196,200...WBIG-FM 892,000...WPGC-FM 862,200

Philly Radio: Country WXTU Continues Hot Streak

Although WEAZ Radio's AC WBEB 101.1 FM More-FM (7.3—6.5) retained the #1 spot (6+ AQH) during the July PPMs, WXTU seems to be closing-in.  And WBEB dropped out of the Top 5 25-54. 

Beasley's Country station WXTU 92.5 FM wobbled a bit 6+ 6.4—6.3, the station is now #2 making life a bit uncomfortable for WBEB. However, PD Shelly Easton guided WXTU to #2 25-54, and #1 18-34 AND 18-49.

CBS Radio Classic Hits WOGL 98.1 FM dropped a full-share 6.8—5.8 and ended up in #3. CCM+E Urban AC WDAS 105.3 FM enjoyed some upward movement 5.3—5.5 to claim the #4 position. And Greater Media clustermates WMGK and WMMR are tied for #5 . Classic Rock WMGK 102.9 FM dropped 5.9—5.4 and Active Rock WMMR 93.3 FM was up 5.2—5.4.

25-54: WMMR...WXTU...WMGK...WDAS tied WRFF & WBEN

18-34: WXTU...WRFF..WUSL...WMMR...WBEB

18-49: WXTU...WMMR...WRFF...WUSL...WBEB

Cume: WBEB-FM 1,549,200...WOGL-FM 1,125,400...WMGK-FM 1,100,800...WIOQ-FM 1,083,900...WRFF-FM 982,600

Nielsen Releases PPMs For 12 More Markets

July PPMs Were Released Tuesday For The Following Markets:

  • Washington DC
  • Boston
  • Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood
  • Detroit
  • Seattle-Tacoma
  • Phoenix
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul
  • San Diego
  • Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
  • Denver-Boulder
  • Baltimore
  • St. Louis
To see the 6+AQH Top-Line numbers for Nielsen subscribing stations: Click Here.

© 2005-2014 Arbitron Inc. All Rights Reserved. Arbitron radio audience estimates and data are federally copyrighted by and proprietary to Arbitron Inc. All Arbitron data are protected under U.S. copyright law, state misappropriation law, and other state and federal laws. Violations of Arbitron’s rights under U.S. copyright law may result in statutory damages per act of infringement and the recovery of Arbitron’s attorneys’ fees required to enforce Arbitron’s rights, in addition to other rights and remedies under other applicable laws, such as the Lanham Act.

Radio One CEO Bearish On Radio

Radio One Tuesday reported 2Q revenue dropped by 9.4 percent and during earnings conference call, CEO Alfred Liggins was blunt with analysts.  He admitted to being "a bear" on radio for the past 10-years.

Liggins stated, "I think it’s a great business. I think it is wonderful particularly for region ethnic audiences African-American, Hispanics. But it is a mature medium, period, end of story. So we run our business looking at radio as the flat business is never going to grow and who knows maybe overtime it secularly declines. Although, it an audio medium and distributing audio is not all that complicated whether you’re a radio station or whether you’re a Pandora."

Liggins told analysts, "we used to have the car to ourselves then came satellite, okay, we have got the connected car, you have got Pandora, you have got Spotify. There are just more mindshare that you’ve got deal with, so I think that you’re going to continue to see radio would be a business that’s matured under pressure."

Radio One's KBXX
He added, "So we have got to reinvent ourselves."

Liggins also acknowledged the Houston market was 'disruptive' during 2Q and he cited competition from Clear Channel's launching of a hip hop station KQBT 93.7 FM The Beat.

Liggins stated, "I mean we had no urban competitor and Clear Channel puts a hip-hop station on and all of sudden they have got close to a four share and that (resulted in) share points off of our hip-hop station (KBXX 97.9 FM The Box) there, but that station is now bouncing back that happened in January, so it’s midway through the year now."

Liggins said the hip hop battles isn't over though. He stated, "There are still other levers we have to pull in that battle, but we’ve been in format battles 20 times before maybe 50 times, in fact we use to pick most of the fights and so we’ve got to make adjustment for this our biggest revenue in cash flow market."

According to Liggins others markets, like Detroit is showing significant growth.  He added Charlotte is doing well, but "we’re going to go through a bit of rough patch (in Houston) and we’ll come out on the other side in a good place."

Entercom CEO Field Is Bullish On Radio

David Field
Despite reportings a one percent drop in 2Q revenue, Entercome CEO David Field says he's still  bullish on radio's future prospects.

Field told analysts on Tuesday's earning conference call that broadcast radio fundamentals are strong, with growing mass of audience reach and a superior ROI to competitive forms of media.

He also cited Nielsen for providing outstanding research, "showing that radio is the #1 medium in the country from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and that radio delivers a 6:1 return on investment, outperforming television and digital."

Field elaborated that "with Nielsen as our research partner -- our research provider, we now have powerful information from the world's most respected research organization to support our efforts to get our fair share of ad spending. Currently, broadcast radio receives about 7% of ad dollars, while garnering roughly 23% of the public's time spent with media. Radio deserves a greater share of the media mix, and the Nielsen data provides an unprecedented and powerful catalyst for radio to be revalued by marketers and to be allocated a significantly larger share of ad dollars than it has historically received."

Field reported Entercom is actively focused on developing growth opportunities that will enable Entercom to post what he refers to as "meaningful revenue and cash flow growth, irrespective of radio secular performance. We continue to focus on investments in innovation, brand development and digital enhancements. Our goals are to improve our listener and customer experience and to enhance our growth potential."


For example, Field reminded anaylysts of June's relaunching of KNDD 107.9 FM The End, Entercom's alternative station in Seattle. The End now features the industry's first 2 Minute Promise, limiting commercials to 6 minutes per hour and never more than 2 minutes at a time.

"We expect that the enhanced listener experience will drive higher ratings. And we anticipate higher revenues and profitability from these improved ratings and from the enhanced value of the station's limited integrated advertising availabilities. While it is still early, initial response from listeners, both directly and across social media, has been outstanding.

Entercom’s decision to cut ad inventory in half at its Seattle modern rocker helped boost the station’s 18-34 audience share by one-third in Nielsen’s July survey. “107.7 The End” KNDD made the bold move only days into the July survey, which covers June 19-July 16. In survey results released Tuesday, KNDD’s 18-34 share improved 4.9-6.5, its highest mark since November 2012. Time Spent Listening in the demo shot up 30 minutes, from two hours and 15 minutes in June to two hours and 45 minutes in July

On the call, Field also touched on the launching last week of RhythmicAC KUZX 102.1 FM /Q102 in San Francisco.  In 2011, Entercom acquired KFOX, a Classic Rock station in San Jose at 98.5 FM from Clear Channel. The station was a high performer in San Jose, but Entercom also took their 102.1 FM San Francisco signal and used it to simulcast KFOX programming into San Francisco in the Northern part of the market, believing that the combined signals would generate outstanding market-wide ratings.

Fields admitted the tactic didn't work.  "Well, we were wrong. The experiment failed. The logic of the plan was compelling, but this is the media and entertainment business, and you never know for sure how audiences will react to content."

"So while KFOX continues to generate great ratings in San Jose, we were never able to duplicate that success across the rest of the San Francisco market. So now, KFOX will return to focusing entirely on building on its position as a leading San Jose station, while Q102 will provide us with the equivalent of a newly acquired San Francisco property at 0 capital cost.