Radio Industry: Don't Bother Me, I'm Drifting
WTOP Ranked #1 News Station In America
A panel of news and news/talk experts have named Hubbard
Radio's WTOP top news station in the country in Radio Ink's first listing of
news and news/talk stations.
Wednesday 05/22/2013
Spring Blossoming of Mid-Market Deals
After a slow start to
2013 — deal volume was off by 39% in the first quarter according to BIA/Kelsey
— station trading appears to be picking up with several mid-market deals
announced during the past several weeks.
TV Upfronts: Fingers in the Digital Dyke
The broadcast and cable TV networks have wrapped up their
spring narcissistic extravaganzas that try to seduce TV buyers to invest their
ad dollars in programming that will appear next fall.
Tuesday 05/21/2013
Radio Marshals Resources in
With cell phone service out or its capacity overloaded in
parts of the market, radio has become the lifeline for many residents of Oklahoma City as the
market begins to recover from a devastating two-mile wide tornado that struck
the area yesterday. “I don’t know if I
can put into words how horrific this is,” one broadcaster says.
Coppin’ Some Z’s
The news that
Yahoo is paying a reported $1.1 billion for Tumblr says a great deal about the
differences in how broadcast and digital media executives view teens –
otherwise known as Generation Z.
Monday 05/20/2013
Saga Restricts Webcasts To Local Listeners
Saga chief information officer Ray Eifler says streaming
provider Liquid Compass will put the limits in place using IP addresses.
Friday 05/17/2013
Country Radio’s Competing Formats
The Country radio station audience continued to grow and
remained the most listened to format. The growth came from listeners aged 18-24
and Country is ranked the number two most listened to format with teens
nationally.
Thursday 05/16/2013
Label CEO: iRadio Will Help FM/AM Webcasters.
Warner Music Group CEO Steve Cooper told analysts this week
the label would welcome Apple’s iRadio into the digital radio business, saying
it would “lead the charge” for other streaming music services and “accelerate
the growth” for broadcast radio’s digital radio services.
Wednesday 05/15/2013
Snooping and the News Media: It’s a 2-Way Street
Word on Monday that the Justice Department had obtained the
records of more than 20 phone lines at The Associated Press sent the Fourth
Estate into a frenzy. Big Government, Big Data, Big Brother, all the symbols of
an increasing surveillance-driven age were invoked.
Why Sports Talk Is Popular And Lucrative
At the Radio Ink Sports Conference in Miami , Tuesday, CBS Radio Boston Market
Manager Mark Hannon (pictured) detailed exactly why the Sports format is so
popular with listeners, and why it's a booming business for radio.
Arbitron Pressed To Further Relax Streaming Rules
Arbitron recently loosened its streaming simulcast rules to
allow out-of-market spot substitution in station streams without jeopardizing a
station’s Total Line Reporting status. It was a step in the right direction in
the eyes of some broadcasters.
Tuesday 05/14/2013
Released Kidnapped Victims Now Imprisoned By Media
Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry and Michelle Knight are still
trapped.
Freed last week after a decade of being held against their
will in a home on Cleveland 's West
Side , the three women are imprisoned by the media.
Friday 05/10/2013
ANA: Radio Still On Most Marketers’ Minds
The media buffet for ad buyers keeps getting longer, but
radio appears to be holding onto most of its advertisers. A just-released survey from the Association
of National Advertisers finds eight-in-ten of its members are either increasing
their broadcast radio spending or holding budgets flat.
Thursday 05/09/2013
McCain To Introduce a la carte Cable TV Bill
Consumers have long complained about the rising costs of
cable TV packages and having to pay for dozens or even hundreds of channels
just to gain access to the few that they watch.
Wednesday 05/08/2013
The Senate has approved an Internet sales tax proposal,
paving the way for shoppers to pay sales taxes on most online purchases.
Under current law, states can only collect sales taxes from
retailers that have a physical presence in their state. The Marketplace
Fairness Act would empower states to tax out-of-state, online retailers. Small
businesses that earn less than $1 million annually would be exempt.
Broadcasters and the FCC alike have stepped up their focus
on determining a path forward for the AM dial over the past year. But radio’s original band has remained a
tough sell. Some brokers are now
avoiding taking the listings.
Tuesday 05/07/2013
Nielsen
Just in time to help
offset the costs of its $1.26 billion deal to buy Arbitron, Nielsen has struck
a deal to sell its conference business.
Monday 05/06/2013
New Static For Digital Simulcasts
As SAG-AFTRA members vote on a new commercials contract, the
lead negotiator between the union and the ad community thinks the solution to
radio’s streaming simulcast debate is a no-brainer.
Friday 05/03/2013
25 Traits Of A Good Radio Program Director
1. A good radio
program director is a strategist. He studies the market, evaluates his
competitors’ relative strengths and weaknesses, and adjusts the station’s
programming accordingly.
2. A good PD respects
her staff and is careful always to treat them respectfully.
3. A good PD is a
perpetual student. He’s not ignorant enough to think he knows it all.
4
A good PD respects her audience. She understands that
the radio station’s mission is to serve its listeners. Read More....
Clear Channel Has No
Plans To Downsize
Fresh from major market deals in New York and Boston over
the past year, Clear Channel doesn’t plan to shed any of its smaller market
stations. Or any of its big city
clusters either. “We have no plans at
this time to exit any of our stations,” CFO Tom Casey told analysts yesterday.
What’s Next For 106.5 Jacksonville?
With the move of the FM simulcast of News/Talk WOKV
Jacksonville from 106.5 to 104.5 this week the attention now turns to what
format will appear on the 106.5 frequency.
Thursday 05/02/2013
Blog Wheeler Critical Of Broadcasting
The just-nominated FCC chairman has a cable and wireless
track record that may make broadcasters nervous. A look at his Mobile Musings
blog shows why — as well as offering tips about the sorts of potential business
opportunities that he might be amenable to helping broadcasters pursue.
Pittman, Moonves Weigh In On Digital Challenges
If there was a time machine, one wouldn’t need to go back
far to see a very different media world.
Given how quickly things are moving, Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman sees
keeping advertisers up to speed with consumer behavior as one of the radio
industry’s biggest challenges. He also
sees custom radio service as a side dish to main media entree.
Wednesday 05/01/2013
An Early Start Toward A Web Royalty Deal
It’s been more than four years since the radio industry and
SoundExchange reached an agreement on what stations should pay in digital
royalties. That contract won’t expire
until the end of 2015, but faced with what could be a contentious negotiation,
the National Association of Broadcasters has formed a task force to begin
laying the ground work on a new deal.
Tuesday 04/30/2013
George Jones Death Spotlights Radio’s Versatility
Satellite services and some stations respond quickly to
tragic events like deaths of Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson
Relevance is a funny thing.
Many of radio’s leaders will argue radio’s relevance is
proved by its widespread consumer usage.
Hogwash.
Here’s The Scoop
As radio looks back on the past four years of living in a
world rapidly filling up with smartphones and apps, there are more questions
than answers.
Monday 04/29/2013
Mid-Size Markets See Best Growth
While the industry grew by low-single digit percentages last
year, there were several metros that grew far more. BIA/Kelsey has compiled a list for Inside
Radio of the fastest-growing radio markets, and political was a big factor for
several.
Friday 04/26/2013
Memo to Online Radio Industry: Please Don't
Local internet radio is a nice thought. But low one-ad
rates, high performance royalties, lack of a "new" presentation, and
the low numbers of people who will tune in are all items needing more
consideration.
Lose The Bowtie
How often have you heard this comment in a focus group, a
Listener Advisory Board panel, or simply from your neighbor, your spouse, or
one of your kids:
“Why do all the radio stations in town play their
commercials at the same time?”
Now back in the “Diary Days,” the reality is that this
wasn’t always the case – usually. OK,
for some reason, everyone seemingly breaks around 50:00 after the hour. But in diary markets, stopsets are typically
all over the place. And strategically,
programmers often go to great lengths to reposition commercial cluster to
“pre-stop” the competition or employ other tactical methods. Or stations would build music sweeps – 10 in
a row, 45 minutes commercial-free – and other gadgets that were designed to
differentiate and create the illusion of more music and perhaps a better
listening experience.
Enter PPM, and everyone has lost their minds – or their
nerve.
What Radio Taught Me About Content Creation
Content marketing for the Internet and content marketing for
radio follow the same rules.
Thursday 04/25/2013
What Jimmy Fallon Can Teach You About Social Media
Even if you're not half as funny as the newly-named Tonight
Show host, you can learn a few tricks from him about how to Tweet and Tumblr.
Federated Builds Homegrown Personalized Radio
When it comes to online streaming, Federated Media wants
listeners to “have it their way.” So
while Clear Channel’s iHeartRadio and Pandora have been building a national
user base for their personalized radio products, Federated Media has set out to
prove personalization isn’t just for large markets or big companies. The testing ground is a single mid-market FM.
Wednesday 04/24/2013
Dear Arbitron, What about Asian Americans?
Arbitron makes no distinction between Asian Americans and
any other group of non-Hispanic, non-African Americans in their sample.
Low power Becomes Hot Property
In radio terms, translators were once an “added value” to a
station purchase. But demand has never
been greater for the 250-watt signals, and while hundreds more are expected to
sign-on over the coming years, demand remains strong — especially from AM
owners looking for what some say can be a station lifeline.
Tuesday 04/23/2013
Are The Stars Aligned For a Big 2013?
As we head toward first quarter earnings calls in early May,
Wells Fargo analyst Marci Ryvicker reports that while radio started out soft in
the quarter, business appears to be picking up.
When Crisis Strikes, Radio’s Web Traffic Surges
Bostonians turned to radio and its digital platforms in
record numbers last week to get important information on the Marathon
Monday bombings and the tense search for its perpetrators. On-air ratings won’t be available for several
weeks, but digital data is in and it shows across several clusters there were
massive swells in the usage of station websites.
Monday 04/22/2013
5 Things Neil Diamond Teaches Us About Communications’
I was genetically (and geographically) pre-programmed to
like him. Today, I am sharing my guilty
pleasure with you.
Here are five things Neil Diamond teaches you about communications.
Here are five things Neil Diamond teaches you about communications.
How to Cover A Story Like Boston
A growing number of operators are going old school to
monetize their investments in HD Radio. The number of analog FM translators
rebroadcasting HD side channels is growing steadily. And those with decent coverage areas and a
well-programmed format that fills a market hole are racking up sometimes
extraordinary ratings.
But monetizing those numbers can take some work.
But monetizing those numbers can take some work.
Friday 04/19/2013
Don’t Tred On My Profits, Aereo
Broadcast TV networks and stations are really pissed at
everyone’s favorite boss, Barry Diller, and Aereo, the TV-signal-grabbing
startup Diller is backing.
The TV networks and stations are furious at Aereo because
the company uses small, dime-sized antennas to pick up over-the-air TV signals
and route them over the Internet to people who pay Aereo a monthly fee of $12
so they can watch broadcast TV on devices such as PCs, smartphones, iPads and
other devices connected to a screen and the Internet.
Thursday 04/18/2013
I share this column with you with a heavy heart for the
victims and the families of those impacted by yesterday’s bombings in Boston . What happened was
a terrible tragedy.
Is Aereo Actually a Good Thing?
Streaming TV service may do broadcasters a favor by nudging
them over to the cable business
Audiences, New Journalists
Three things that worry me about the future of commercial
radio news.
- Few students are interested in radio.
- Radio is losing its immediacy advantage
- Local radio will have trouble replacing the local coverage provided by newspapers.
Wednesday 04/17/2013
What does A GM Do When Tragedy Strikes?
CBS Radio operates five radio stations including Newsradio
WBZ-AM in Boston . It's Mark Hannon's job to manage the
stations and all the employees that make them run smoothly. Hannon (pictured)
has been with CBS Radio for 24 years, the last five years running the Boston market. It was
hours after the explosions before Hannon was able to get confirmation that his
team was safe.
Philadelphia radio station WPHT, for mysterious reasons, has
handed its afternoon drive-time radio show over to a man who’s never hosted a
radio show, has no ties to Philadelphia save for a few long-ago political
consultancy gigs, and whose credibility—for a myriad of reasons—is at an
all-time low.
Tuesday 04/16/2013
Or Hurt
Legacy media owners take note: Yesterday was yet another sad
demonstration that you have lost control.
Many Americans first learned of the Boston bombings on Twitter.
Monday 04/15/2013
With more than 27 million listeners tuning in on a weekly
basis, the national networks are launching more audio spinoffs and paying big
money for big personalities in a genre that's proved immune to economic trends.
The Incredible Shrinking Radio Station
Suddenly, the echo in the hallway seemed a lot deeper.
Happy to say I was a disc jockey back when radio was fun. In
the ‘70s there were two formats that appealed to young listeners. Laid-back
album oriented FM stations where all the DJ’s were stoned or at least aspired
to be. And Top 40 where the presentation was high energy. Speed instead of
downers. I gravitated towards Top 40. There was more freedom to be zany, you
could talk every three minutes instead of every fifteen minutes (after long far
out album sets), and you could play jingles and sound effects and wild tracks
of people telling you to shut up. Top 40 was a better fit for my personality. I
was not cool. I was not mellow. I thought “Nights in White Satin” sucked.
Friday 04/12/2013
Since Rush Limbaugh’s 1992 bestseller “The Way Things Ought
to Be,” his conservative talk show politics have dominated GOP presidential
discourse – and the Republicans’ White House fortunes have plummeted. But when
the mainstream media reigned supreme, between 1952 and 1988, Republicans won
seven out of the 10 presidential elections.
Ross On Radio: First Listen - John Garabedian's Y101
Just as he is about to exit, FCC chairman Julius Genachowski
is setting up a question that will be left to his successor: Just how should
the agency deal with a backlog of indecency complaints.
Is AM Radio Worth Revitalizing?
Radio tends to play a very quiet second fiddle to television
and video at the NAB Show. But this year radio’s own second fiddle, the AM
band, received some attention with a panel moderated by FCC Commissioner Ajit
Pai.
Thursday 04/11/2013
My cell phone is almost always close at hand; I haven't missed a Philadelphia Eagles or Indiana University football or basketball game in years thanks to satellite television; and, with the click of a mouse, I can stream millions of songs from services such as Spotify or Rdio.
Wednesday 04/10/2013
In the Wireless Age, we can watch baseball in
high-definition on smart phones and computer tablets, not to mention large,
flat-screen TV's. Yet many fans still listen to the games, even prefer to
listen, on radio, as they have for more than 80 years.
Every April you can pretty much count on Spring flowers, the start of Major League Baseball, and very high-level radio meetings at some of the swankiest hotels on the Las Vegas Strip. The annual NAB show is an opportunity for those who have capital and those who have assets to get together to talk business.
NAB Show 2013 kicked off earlier this week, with broadcasters, video professionals and digital media startups gathering in
Tuesday 04/09/2013
Some bad news this year for many consumers is potentially
great news for radio.
A recovering economy translates to more gridlock, more traffic jams, and longer commute times – perfect for a medium where the majority of consumption takes place while driving.
A recovering economy translates to more gridlock, more traffic jams, and longer commute times – perfect for a medium where the majority of consumption takes place while driving.
It has been a common practice for programmers and
consultants to primarily focus on negatives and to a lesser degree berates
talent for their shortcomings.
This outdated style of coaching is a recipe for not getting the most creativity and productivity out of talent. It causes resistance, resentment and unnecessary conflict.
This outdated style of coaching is a recipe for not getting the most creativity and productivity out of talent. It causes resistance, resentment and unnecessary conflict.
Local Charity Can Play An Active Role In Your Successful
Social Media
Everyone tells stories.
Teachers. Salesmen. Marketers.
Employees trying to get a raise.
Preachers. Songwriters. Authors.
Movie producers. Even air
personalities. Winning in business is
directly related to skills in telling stories.
This issue touches on the five key elements of a story: Hook, Set Up, Dress Up, Pay Off and Black Out.
This issue touches on the five key elements of a story: Hook, Set Up, Dress Up, Pay Off and Black Out.
Monday 04/08/2013
To Grow, Webcasters Mine More Audience Data
Internet radio is entering a new phase where greater
emphasis is being placed on mining audience data to improve the listening
experience and to differentiate services from one another.
Friday 04/05/2013
When it comes to which technology people use to wake
themselves up in the morning, the clock radio is going the way of the 8-track tape.
Live sports have turned out to be traditional TV's best
weapon against growing competition from the likes of Netflix and disruption by
the DVR. Now as Spotify and Pandora chase listeners -- and Apple reportedly
prepares a streaming music service of its own -- radio broadcasters are hoping
they can use sports in much the same way.
Radio people are particularly vulnerable right now because
the industry seems so unsure of itself. Consolidation,
digital threats, and a soft economy have all conspired to create tremendous
uncertainty in a business that was riding high just a decade ago.
Thursday 04/04/2013
Online Directions for Lost Radio Industry
My online radio industry GPS would also carry one major instruction voiced each time it's turned on by your web designer: "Get rid of the crap!"
Next week’s NAB convention will include a panel on AM radio
“revitalization,” exploring methods for “sustaining and enhancing AM radio as a
unique entertainment medium.” To which one might say, “Staring into a cesspool,
what’s to enhance – or sustain?”
Wednesday 04/03/2013
Whenever an establishment media company like Arbitron that
exists because Clear Channel is its main client says radio is the first choice
for music discovery, I check my wallet next.
Yes, the happy talk radio press is slobbering all over
themselves again saying that the 21st Arbitron-Edison study firmly concludes
radio is great and digital media is not so great.
Using words, music, humor, solid journalism, whimsy and
unfettered imagination, he and his team of producers and writers weave stories
you can see in your mind’s eye. The result: “This American Life,” a weekly
one-hour show on public radio that consistently informs, entertains and
surprises. “On a good day, it’s a visual medium.”
Will the new FCC Chair’s mindset and instincts be
forward-looking, toward more Internet innovation and progress, or nostalgic for
the FCC’s telephone regulatory heydays of yesteryear?
Among the many format changes that took place on Monday one
has stuck out to as a template on how not to manage your audience before,
during, and after the change.
Tuesday 04/02/2013
In this brand-heavy enviroment that we live in, a name can
matter. It sends a message. It sends a signal, especially if it's new, to what
audience they're seeking. Clear Channel Atlanta last week named its newest alternative
rock station Radio 105.7. That's descriptive in one sense because yes, it's a
radio station. But does it mean anything? It almost like calling a restaurant
Restaurant. Or naming your dog Dog.
To make its PPM panels more representative of the markets
they measure, Arbitron started selecting new panelists based on their address
in August 2011. Some 19 months after
beginning to phase in the new system, about 75% of the installed PPM sample is
now recruited with address-based sampling.
But number crunchers say it’s not a “miracle drug” to get younger demos
into the sample.
Monday 04/01/2013
Arbitron Muddies The Waters
In case you are wondering why there hasn't been an article
regarding the rise and fall of Philadelphia 's
radio stations it is because there is really no point. Late last year Arbitron
Ratings decided not to publish any rating number that does not belong to a
station that subscribes to its service. Frankly, this reporter can not see how
that does anyone any good.
Friday 03/29/2013
What makes Jim Scott #1 on our Cincinnati Radio Top 40 list
of personalities from the last 40 years? Because at 70, he’s still going strong every morning on
WLW-AM, juggling all the news, weather, sports, traffic and information we need
to start our day.
Here’s Cincy media writer John Kiesewtter’s video of how he
does it.
Developer: New HD Chips Will Power-Up Reception
One of the biggest beefs with HD Radio has been limited
signal ranges. New technology that’s
said to improve the chips used inside receivers could change that.
John Records Landecker Releases Autobiography
This is a special day in the life of
CHICAGO RADIO & MEDIA
Also, WGN 720 AM’s Jonathon Brandmeier talks to Landecker about his new book.
Click Here.
Also, WGN 720 AM’s Jonathon Brandmeier talks to Landecker about his new book.
Click Here.
Thursday 03/28/2013
When Radio Suffers From 'Hit Lag'
Throughout my various looks at the stylistic fluctuations of
pop music and top 40 radio, I’ve tried not to proclaim the death of
“turbo-pop,” the kinetic, ’90s techno-influenced pop/dance music that has
dominated the charts during the last three years. After a year of fun., Phillip
Phillips and the Lumineers, the top 10 is still home to will.i.am, Calvin
Harris and Swedish House Mafia, with Krewella, Afrojack, Pitbull, another
will.i.am and, yes, Demi Lovato on the way.
Wednesday 03/27/2013
Disney Brings Marketers To Radio’s Youngest Demo
Recent research from Arbitron shows teen demos are listening
more to radio, taking another bite into the perception that young people are
abandoning radio for digital options.
Six months have passed since CBS Radio introduced its newest
entry to Atlanta ,
92-9 The Game (WZGC-FM). And so far, we
are seeing little sign of ratings traction.
Tuesday 03/26/2013
How To Successfully Execute a Format Flip
Changing formats can be an agonizing decision for a GM. How
many listeners will we alienate? How bad will they beat us up on social media?
Do we have the marketing budget for a new launch? What will the advertisers
think of our stability? Do we have to fire anyone? When companies own multiple
stations in one market, it's rare all of them are top performers. Connoisseur
was running into this challenge at its Long Island
cluster at 94.3 on the dial.
Putting You In the Mood
Radio has long been thought of as a mood service, with
listeners choosing formats to match or even elevate their emotional state. A new study from USA Touchpoints shows the AC
format delivers listeners in an overwhelmingly positive frame of mind. It comes as advertisers increasingly look at
tapping into radio as a mood service.
Monday 03/25/2013
Fox News, Talk Radio Need New Tune
But I'm frustrated.
Talk radio and Fox are getting so boring, so predictable, so shrill, I can barely tune in anymore.
Radio Fights Off Static From Rival Technologies
A far cry from local AM/FM sets of the past, the latest
units not only offer satellite or HD radio, but apps that bundle signals from
Internet radio broadcasters across the country. The result is that conventional
broadcasters are being forced to adapt by emphasizing quality local or targeted
content, working different distribution channels or maybe becoming part of a
bundle themselves.
Friday 03/22/2013
Niche Formats Seen As A Way To Revive AM
Classical in Los Angeles ,
bluegrass in southeastern Virginia , and a
free-form format in the Washington
suburbs. These specialized niche formats
are helping breathe new life into a beleaguered AM dial.
How TV Saved Janis Ian And The Beatles From Radio
The other evening I was listening to KZSC, college radio for
UC Santa Cruz. The deejays were pondering Michelle Shocked’s bizarre homophobic
outburst at Yoshis in San Francisco
(and for which she has apologized). As if to cleanse their palettes of this
incident, they played a relatively early Janis Ian tune: “At Seventeen.”
Suddenly I remembered (I’m 58) that there were these moments in the 1960s when
television rescued bands and songs that just couldn’t get the initial radio air
play that they deserved.
Thursday 03/21/2013
AM Revitalization Debate Steps Forward
FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai is staying focused on AM revitalization with his moderation of a panel dedicated to the subject at this year's NAB Show. This is encouraging news to AM broadcasters, many of whom have seen their technological, competitive and economic vitality sapped over the years.
DAVID WEBSTER / RADIO INK
DAVID WEBSTER / RADIO INK
The Twitter Approach To Streaming Songs
While rumors of a streaming music service from Apple and
Google have been prevalent lately, few expected the announcement last week that
Twitter is developing a mobile music application that will let its users play
and share songs.
Four Big Takeaways From Pew’s “State of the Media” Report
Four things jump out from the Pew Research
Center
Wednesday 3/20/2013
Are You A Radio ‘Iron Chef’?
The best radio talent understands how to mix everyday
ingredients to create an exceptional recipe.
If you’re not familiar with Iron Chef America, you should study it. All 4 chefs are given the same five
ingredients and an hour to create a masterpiece. The competition is fierce, fast paced and
brutal. Welcome to radio.
Talk Replaces News On Cable At 'Surprising' Rate
There was plenty of depressing if not very surprising news
in the annual report on the state of the news media released this week by the Pew Research
Center
But this particular finding jumped out at me: the
accelerated morphing of the cable news channels into talk cable.
That's not a healthy development for a democracy,
particularly one plagued as ours is by a toxic, highly partisan and deeply
polarized political climate. And politics is the coin of the realm on cable.
Media Frenzy Puts Bubba On Top in Tampa
What’s the cost of being the defendant in a nasty, drawn-out,
high-profile court battle? The legal tab
for “102.5 The Bone” WHPT, Tampa
morning man Bubba The Love Sponge Clem could have been in the millions of
dollars. What’s it worth? Incessant coverage of the trial and its
surreal legal side show kept the talker in the news for months. And that’s proven good for ratings.
Tuesday 3/19/2013
Dickey Details The Game Plan
Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey told investors and analysts Monday
morning that the company has had its hands full with integration, turnaround
and developing new growth initiatives, all which should pay dividends in 2014.
Survey: YouTube Growing Rival To Radio
Nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults reported listening to music
on AM/FM radio stations via broadcast or streamed radio in the past week,
according to a new survey by Vision Critical.
Monday 3/18/2013
At Retail Conference, Talk Turns To Radio
What do consumer brands say about radio when the radio sales
reps aren’t in the room? Broadcasters might be surprised.
What FM Rock Must Do To Survive
Is the demise of rock/alternative FM radio in that area a
sign of the times? With the popularity of Internet radio (iHeartRadio and
TuneIn, for instance), streaming stations (Pandora, Slacker) and the myriad of
other music options available on line like Rdio and Spotify, does this spell
the end of the viability of FM radio? Fred
Jacobs of Jacobs Media, a leading consulting firm in broadcast media (and
creators of the Classic Rock radio format) replies to that question with a
surprising answer.
Friday 03/15/2013
His Middle Name Really Is ‘Records’
Programmers Grabble With Connected Car
More than 50 car models have some type of web radio
integration, according to the Connected Vehicle Trade Association. As more connected cars roll off dealer lots,
radio faces a battle to remain relevant in a dashboard where every type of
audio entertainment is just a voice command or steering wheel button away. There’s also a growing sense that radio
needs to cozy up to carmakers.
Thursday 03/14/2013
Earlier Commutes Redefining Morning Drive
With commute times growing longer every year, alarm clocks
are going off and Americans are hitting the highways for work earlier than ever
before. While the 7am hour remains
radio’s prime time for in-car listening, the 5am-7am segment is nearly as big —
with one third of Americans heading out the door before 7am.
Wednesday 03/13/2013
Saga Continues To Shine
Ed Christian and company turned in another impressive quarter reporting a net revenue increase of 10.3 percent and a free cash flow increase of 11.2 percent for the three months ending December 31, 2012. RADIO INK
Alternative Acts Invade Hot AC
For a second time this year, half of hot AC’s most played
songs are tracks the format shares with alternative. Programmers say these and other alternative
crossovers are helping them differentiate hot AC from CHR, after a long period
of closely shadowing the format. The
results are coming in and hot AC stations are setting new ratings records.
Tuesday 03/12/2013
Will Automakers Kill AM and FM Radio?
Sorry, I know it’s self-serving, but in my experience
teenagers and pre-teens listen to a lot of radio in the car. I’m a dad’s taxi
guy, who’s been moving young women around for a decade, and most of the time
(when I let them) they listen to local FM hit radio, and an equal amount to the
same on satellite (if available). That’s why I have Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift
baked into my brain. Yes, they plug in their cell phones and iPads, too, but I
haven’t yet seen a big rush to Pandora and Spotify in the 18-and-under suburban
teenager.
The Sky Isn’t Falling
The digital dashboard is bringing all sorts of things to
drivers, but it won’t push FM/AM radio out of the front seat. That’s according to the big three
automakers. General Motors, Ford and
Chrysler each tell Inside Radio they’re committed to keeping broadcast radio
inside their dashboards — and some are even doubling down on their commitment
to it.
Online Radio Industry Data Sets
It's always amazed me that people who work in terrestrial
radio focus so heavily on data Arbitron provides them. Yet they appear
oblivious to the simple fact that advertisers are moving more money online
every month because of the data sets it delivers. The value of an advertising
campaign can now be identified, and it's the online radio stations which will
benefit most - especially the pureplay radio stations - if they begin to use
the data.
Monday 03/11/2013
FM Isn’t A Guaranteed Ratings Elixir
Broadcasters have been shuttling established spoken word
brands from AM to FM for several years now. But new Arbitron data suggests the
simulcasts are not necessarily a ratings elixir.
Friday 03/08/2013
Facebook Revamp Has Stations Thinking Visual
Facebook unveiled a new look for its News Feed yesterday at
a news conference. So what does it mean for stations using the service to build
a social fan base? Think visual. And experts say there are three things that
determine whether a station’s Facebook posts are seen.
Thursday 03/07/2013
Car Wars: The Big Challenge
Earlier this week, we reported that a strong majority of
radio’s top execs are, as a group, optimistic about traditional radio’s future.
But that doesn’t mean they’re oblivious to the challenges facing radio,
especially, the biggest one…
More Groups Switch To Digital Simulcasts
Six months after Saga Communications became the first group
to drop ad insertion on its internet streams and convert to a full simulcast of
its on-air product, a growing number of radio groups have taken a similar
course — at least with some of their portfolio.
For some broadcasters the issue isn’t how little web radio sales have
amounted to, but rather how much more they estimate they can make with higher
ratings from a full simulcast.
Wednesday 03/06/2013
How Starbucks uses Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Google+
Starbucks is often touted as having an excellent social
strategy, so it’s an excellent subject for our series of posts looking at how
brands use the four main social networks.
Arbitron CEO Creamer Has Deal - Will He Stay?
Arbitron’s deal with President-CEO Sean Creamer includes a
compensation package of up to $1.74 million for 2013. He also received at least
$1.45 million in restricted stock units granted as he accepted the post, which
began Jan. 1
Nielsen Sees Radio As Key Puzzle Piece
Nielsen may be king when it comes to measuring the average
American’s five hours of television consumption per day. But with more local advertisers making total
day media plans, there is a huge gap on its dayplanner: the two hours a day a
typical person listens to the radio.
Tuesday 03/05/2013
Solid Future for Internet Radio Industry
For anyone creating radio online, there are reasons to push
harder. They include the broadcast radio industry giving you a wide open
future, and the days of diminished advertiser support soon disappearing.
CBS’ Moonves On Radio: “We like the business.”
CBS has cut its dependence on advertising revenue from about
70% of company revenue a few years ago to roughly half today. One way to further reduce that level further
would be to sell CBS Radio.
Monday 03/04/2013
FCC Fines WMJX
Every so often, a radio station runs a contest, and loses.
We see an example of this in the FCC’s recently-issued forfeiture order against
WMJX, Boston .
One of the FCC’s basic contest rule requirements is that both the prize, and
the conditions surrounding the prize, must be accurately described.
Reading Writings About Radio
Books about radio and radio personalities do not sell. Never
have; never will. The only exceptions I can think of are "Private
Parts" and "Miss America ,"
by, who else, Howard Stern. Despite that
fact, publishers do take chances, as with my 1998 history of Top 40, "The
Hits Just Keep on Coming," which has sold dozens, at last count.
‘I Was Fired Today’
Friday 03/01/2013
Clear Channel To Attack 2014 Debt First
With its most recent $575 million debt offering, Clear
Channel Communications Inc. continues, brick by brick, to move the wall of
leverage facing the radio group since its giant leveraged buyout. Clear Channel will use proceeds from the February debt
issuance, funds from a revolver and cash to pay down a loan that comes due in
July 2014. The new debt will not mature until 2021.
For Now, Web-Only Contest Rules Aren’t Enough
The FCC has signaled it may be open to broadcaster pleas to
allow stations to move lengthy contest requirement disclosures online instead
of on-air. Such a change won’t come
soon enough for Greater Media AC “Magic 106.7” WMJX, Boston .
The Enforcement Bureau has proposed fining the station $4,000 over a
2008 contest.
Low-Power Radio Is About to Make FM Hot Again
Later this year, the Federal Communications Commission will
begin distributing licenses to registered nonprofit organizations that want to
start low-power FM radio stations. The goal is to dot the country with 100-watt
transmitters, primarily in urban areas, and restore some of the diversity lost
to corporate consolidation of radio.
Thursday 02/28/2013
Wanted: 2,900 Stations for Sprint
When Sprint activates FM chips in new handset models later
this year, the goal is to have the basic participation of at least 2,900
stations across the top 100 markets. That base-level involvement would, at the
very least, put the station logos on the NextRadio app that will allow listeners
to access the FM broadcasts.
INSIDE RADIO
It’s the Beginning Of ‘Nash’-ional Radio, And The Industry
Feels Fine?
For nearly two decades, the prospect of nationally
programmed radio has been one of the most charged issues in our business. And
yet, it has arrived in many ways during the last year -- to little controversy.
Wednesday 02/27/2013
Reinvention Returns CRS To Solid Ground
Thousands of country radio programmers, consultants and
artists are gathered this week for the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville . Now in its 44th year, the conference has
remade itself in recent years to adapt to a changing industry. The move wasn’t entirely voluntary — it
faced declining attendance and tighter travel budgets. But nearly four years after the makeover
began, the CRS has returned to solid footing.
Tuesday 02/26/2013
Audio Delivers Strong Brand Awareness
Audio advertising content is a strong channel for triggering
brand identification in consumers -- rivaling and even exceeding visual content
in some cases.
Sinclair Buys Four Cox TV Stations
Sinclair is paying $99 million, less $4.3 million of working
capital adjustments, for network affiliates in El Paso, Texas;
Johnstown-Altoona, Pa.; Reno, Nev,; and Wheeling, W.Va.
Monday 02/25/2013
Radio Aims For Another Record Digital Year
Radio industry revenue derived from digital inventory
rocketed up 8% in 2012 to a record $767 million, according to the Radio
Advertising Bureau.
Friday 02/22/2013
Nielsen Adjusts Its Ratings to Add Web-Linked TVs
For media executives, there may be nothing worse than a viewer or listener who is not counted.
Thursday 02/21/2013
Clear Channel/Cumulus: It's All The Same
None of that mattered. Instead, Clear Channel Tucson decided
to change the format at 97.1 to Wild Country. Yes, a country music station on a
largely scratchy FM signal that it's attempting to convince listeners is a real
alternative to the market's No. 1 station, Tucson country music juggernaut KIIM 99.5 FM.
Is AM And FM radio dying?
On-air talents defend the terrestrial medium, citing its
audience size
 |
| SF Gate photo |
KGO was a dominant #1 for 32 straight years, (from 1976-2008).
Radio One Feeling Good About 2013
With business currently pacing up mid-single digits, Radio
One CEO Alfred Liggins feels “very good” about first quarter pacing. “Even in a soft to flat market in radio we
should be able to post another strong year,” he predicted.
Wednesday 02/20/2013
The Birth Of The All News Radio Station
This past weekend, my wife and I had the pleasure of
spending a few hours with nationally known news reporter and author Diane
Dimond. She has been a favorite of mine for years since she was on Hard Copy
and later the FOX News Channel. When we said goodbye to her, it dawned on me
that the next blog I would do would be how the all news radio format came
about.
Cold War Bunker Repurposed For 21st Century Threats
There's an underground bunker at radio station WBT in
Charlotte, N.C., where time has stopped. Built decades ago to provide safety
and vital communications in the event of a nuclear attack, it's now a perfectly
preserved relic of Cold War fear that's gained new relevance.
PPM Ushers In More Format changes
Electronic audience measurement changed many aspects of
radio, from the currency used to buy and sell it to how stations are programmed
and marketed. It also ushered in a slew
of format changes: more than eight a month, to be precise.
Tuesday 02/19/2013
Urban is the category that dominates the Atlanta radio ratings. Each station just does
its usual thing and makes money.
Arbitron January 2013 Ratings Roundup
CBS Radio’s V103 Tops the 6+ list.
Ten Atlanta Radio Jocks Who Shifted Format Gears
Rodney Ho has found ten examples of Atlanta jocks over the
past decade who have tried other formats, with varying levels of success.
Monday 02/18/2013
Playlist Size: Where Are You Among Competitors and Winners?
Playlist size, the number of different songs in a playlist, is something we talk about every day. In this article, Jim Jones for Nielsen BDS, looks at playlist size from a new perspective, and showcase a tool for uncovering and comparing playlist sizes on radio stations and other music providers.
Friday 02/15/2013
Cumulus/Atlanta In Perpetual Construction Zone
When the new 98.9 The Walk signed on last week, I remembered
a story about legendary Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver. Pat Kelly, one of Weaver's players, led a
very religious life. One day, Kelly said
to Weaver, "Boss, you need to walk with the Lord." Weaver replied, "I'd rather walk with
the bases loaded."
Opinion: Terrestrial Radio Sucks
Asking Terrestrial Radio to clean up its act is like asking
Lindsay Lohan to clean up hers. You know it’ll never happen (even after that
jaw-dropping Liz Taylor movie). Terrestrial Radio needs to cut way back on the
commercials for starters.
KEN LEVINE BLOG
Borchetta: Pandora’s Biz Model Is Not My Problem
When it comes to Pandora's claim they pay too much for
content, Borchetta says, "I didn't ask them to take my content and build a
new business model with it." Here's more from our interview with Borchetta
that comes out on Monday.
Thursday 02/14/2013
Opinion: Music Radio Far From Dead
There’s been a lot of attention given to the spoken-word
formats over the past year, with News/Talk stations migrating to the FM dial
and Sports Talk networks being created by several companies. But music radio is
far from dead. Consumers love listening to music, however and wherever they can
get it. The only question is which format they love most. We asked industry
programming experts to help us analyze the Country, Rock, AC, Urban, and
Christian Contemporary formats. Today we focus on Country and Rock.
Michael Savage Rules the Radio World
Savage has re-defined the art of broadcasting. He is the
master of telling a story. Any story for that matter.
Radio Faces A New TSL Reality
Though radio’s cume
remains remarkably steady at 92% of the U.S. population, time spent
listening appears to be declining.
FCC Commissioner: iNet Still Under Attack
At a United Nations conference in December, 89 countries
voted in favor of international government regulation of the Internet. Specific
regulations have not been agreed upon, but FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell
told FoxNews.com he fears the U.N. may seek further rulings at a 2014
conference in Busan , Korea
Wednesday 02/13/2013
What Is Relatable? What is Relevant?
Relevant:: Closely connected or appropriate to the matter at
hand. Pertinent, appropriate.
Relatable: Able to be
connected to something or someone else.
Enabling a person to feel they know something. "Kate's problems make her more
relatable".
How to Grab Your Audience With Your Voice
What you say in your interviews and speeches is incredibly
important, but how you say it can make all the difference.
Tuesday 02/12/2013
The Online Radio Industry and Its Dilemma
Too many internet radio industry operations follow a
broadcast mindset on how they make money. Only, they are competing against a
nearly unlimited number of stations with no geographic confines.
The Game-Changing Revenue Opportunities for Online Radio
Mike Agovino is COO of Triton Digital, the company at the
leading edge of audio’s digital transformation and monetization. The digital
audio space is changing fast, as is its relationship to advertisers. And nobody
is closer to the action than Triton. So what’s new? And what does that mean for
broadcasters in particular?
Industry Mulls Impact Of A Nielsen-Arbitron Combination
There was a slowdown in Nielsen’s proposed acquisition of
Arbitron last week. After conversations with the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC), both companies agreed to give the regulatory body more time to review
the matter.
Arbitron has indicated it expected the deal to close as
early as March 15. Now, Nielsen will re-file documents with the FTC, the key
regulatory unit reviewing the acquisition, as late as March 8.
Does the delay offer any sign that the government will nix
the deal? No.
Monday 02/11/2013
The Diagnosis Is For Health Care Ad Boom
When AdMall asked local sales managers what the hottest ad category would be in 2013, seven-in-ten picked health care.
INSIDE RADIO
RadioInk Acquires RBR
B. Eric Rhoads, chairman of Streamline Publishing Inc., has
announced that the company has closed on the purchase of Radio Business
Report/Television Business Report (RBR-TVBR), a broadcast-industry trade
publication with a strong focus on the financial sector. Streamline is the
owner of Radio Ink magazine, Radio Ink Daily Headlines, and RadioInk.com.
Friday 02/08.2013
Clear Channel’s Sales Group Reorganizes
Connections, which is Clear Channel's national sales and
marketing division, is reorganizing into three regions.
Cox puts Christmas Format To The Test
The all-Christmas format has faded from the airwaves for
another year, but as the ratings roll in one station is testing a programming
theory that may work for other stations.
Atlanta AC “B98.5” WSB-FM says the results are good so far on its
real-world test of whether a part-time holiday format may prove to deliver more
sustainable ratings success.
Thursday 02/07/2013
KGO Radio News Funk: There is NO News Director
When Paul Hosley was shown the door last week, Cumulus
quickly replaced the ex-PD/ND with a SoCal guy named Ron Escarsega. Escarsega
is already at work but is the Opps Mgr and has no news position.
Radio PDs Face Facebook Fatigue
Facebook provides a critical tool for real-time
conversations with listeners but a new Pew Research study shows Facebook
fatigue has set in for some. With that
in mind, programmers say a “rent-to-own” strategy is best for the social
network – driving users to the station’s own web properties.
INSIDE RADIO
Sirius XM - What Management Did Not Say
When companies host their quarterly conference calls it is
often more important for investors to "listen" to what management
does not say than to focus on what they choose to emphasize. We can expect
management to stress those factors that are positive and gloss over those that
may have negative implications. There were many positives during the Sirius XM
Radio (SIRI) call, and management made sure to emphasize them. There were also
some negatives, and it is the negatives that can often catch investors by
surprise. This article will focus on two of those negatives.
Radio Listeners Can Now Skip Songs
Federated Media will test the service, now in beta, from
Abacast that allows listeners to skip songs while listening to their favorite
radio station online.
Wednesday 02/06/2013
Radio’s Lifeline Role Recognized at FCC Hearings
It has been three months since Superstorm Sandy struck the
Northeast, and as the FCC begins reviewing how radio and other communications
services held up there was a general consensus at the first field hearings that
broadcasters were an information port in the storm. From radio, the Commission saw a lesson in
resilience.
Shortest-Lived Radio Station Formats in Atlanta
Here's a list of radio stations in metro Atlanta that lasted three year or less since
then.
Tuesday 02/05/2013
Online Radio Industry - Time to Revamp
Of those online radio stations started over the past decade,
only a small handful will create - have created - something that's different,
worthwhile of returned attention by an audience large enough to matter. The
rest play songs, or talk topics that interest the owners.
Super Bowl Expletive Unlikely To Bring New Crackdown
What a difference nine years can make for indecency
enforcement. It was the 2004 halftime
“wardrobe malfunction” that set off a firestorm, ultimately ending in potential
$500,000 per-violation fines for radio and TV stations. But after a fleeting expletive made it to the
airwaves during Sunday’s televised game, the outcry is much more subdued.
Monday 02/04/2013
Arbitron Has New Option For Stations That Simulcast
Tom Poleman Takes Expanded Duties
When Clear Channel promoted Tom Poleman to president of
national programming platforms in an August 2011 reorganization, his marching
orders were to leverage the company’s assets to build content and capabilities
that all of its 850 stations could benefit from. More recently, Poleman’s oversight has
broadened with three additional areas now falling under his umbrella.
Friday 02/01/2013
Pandora's Goal: Be Ubiquitous
During this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, you would be
hard pressed to find launch materials that didn’t mention connectivity with internet
radio service Pandora. The streaming music provider’s senior vice president of
strategic solutions, Heidi Browning Pearson, spoke with eMarketer’s Lauren
McKay about Pandora’s latest listener milestones and the company’s
relationships with automakers and brand advertisers.
How CBS Plans To Bring You The Big Game
For three consecutive years, the Super Bowl has set a record
as the most-watched television show in U.S. history, a major factor being the
game was still up for grabs in the final quarter. Will Super Bowl XLVII surpass
the current record (held by NBC) of 111.3 million average viewers? This year it
will be difficult. Both conference championship games had down viewership from
2011 and neither San Francisco (No. 6) nor Baltimore (the No. 27 TV market)
possess pre-made star power at the skill positions (Tom Brady, Peyton Manning
etc...) that draws the ultra-casual NFL fan.
Thursday 01/31/2013
DJs In The '60s Would Never Survive Today's Ratings
Yes, morning radio personalities – Mark and Kristin, Kevin
& Bean, Ryan Seacrest,etc. – still entertain us, for example, but the
structure is now predictable. You know exactly when the music or comedy stops
and the commercials start.
Hosley Firing Latest Part of KGO Radio Abyss
Paul Hosley is the latest scapegoat that is the Titanic
called KGO Radio.
Cumulus Planning More Atlanta Moves
Cumulus has begun promoting the first part of the changes we
first reported on Monday.
FLIP WATCH: 98.9 The Bone, Rock 100.5, All News
FM’s Not An NFL Game-Changer
Winning usually stimulates ratings but what time of day and
TV blackouts are bigger factors to moving the ratings ball for stations
carrying NFL play-by-play. Based on four
years of PPM data, Arbitron Sports manager Chris Meinhardt says it’s becoming
apparent that an FM signal may not be the touchdown some stations and teams
may’ve hoped for.
Wednesday 01/30/2013
‘It Never Entered My Mind To Sue Howard Stern’
In 1986, Howard Stern was being piped into
Super Bowl 2013 Radio Row Is Open For Business
Remaining in the Railroad Business
In the 1980s and 90s I did a lot of sales consulting for
radio and TV stations and cable companies. One service I provided was a Sales
Audit. I would ask sales management a long list of questions, interview the
sales force, and ask the salespeople to complete a confidential survey.
Tuesday 01/29/2013
Lawsuit Offers Peek into Pandora Playbook
Pandora has gone public with its cross-selling efforts with
local newspapers in several markets. But
beyond that the company has only said it’s conducting “a number of different
experiments” as CEO Joe Kennedy put it last year. A lawsuit brought by Arbitron against one of
those partners is shedding light on what other sales attempts Pandora may be
using in local markets.
Balto Radio Ramps Up For Ravens
DJ to DJ
I vividly recall the Stern vs. Mancow wars in Chicago . During the ‘90s, there were many eyes and
ears on those battles when jocks duked it out on the air and the audience took
sides. Maybe that’s because those were
the days when radio personalities played a more important role in people’s
lives. A lot has changed over the years,
and while radio’s future is closely connected with its ability to build
sustainable personality shows that earn loyalty and viral sharing, the fact is
that “shock jocks” simply aren’t all that shocking anymore.
As Music Streaming Grows, Royalties Slow to a Trickle
Spotify, which began streaming music in Sweden in 2008,
lets users choose from millions of songs over the Internet free or by
subscription, and is increasingly seen as representing the future of music
consumption.
Monday 01/28/2013
How to be a Successful Talk-Show Participant?
In love with talk shows? Can miss those for world? Love the
heating sessions and furious debates? Ever wish to be a part of those? Not sure you have what it takes to shine in front of the
flashing camera lights
Here are a few must-haves to be a successful talk show
participant.
More Radio Ads Meld Into Content
More than ever advertisers are looking to radio look to
integrate their message directly into station content. The traditional spot isn’t in danger of going
away of course, but more national marketers say they like radio’s wide array of
assets and how they can use them. It’s a
trend that radio has begun to leverage to get into the ad planning process
earlier.
The Joke Is On Us
Friday was a big embarrassment for radio and everyone
involved in the Bubba The Love Sponge vs. Todd Schnitt court case in Tampa . The day started off
with audio from Bubba repeatedly and angrily calling Schnitt's wife Michelle
(pictured right) a whore while she sat on the witness stand and listened.
Friday 01/25/2013
Are Morning Hosts Worried?
So far, watching the trial, it's been hard to determine
exactly what Todd M.J. Schnitt is looking for from Bubba The Love Sponge (Todd
Clem) in his defamation lawsuit. It's also been hard to conclude exactly what
damage was done, other than the described unpleasentness of being verbally
harassed by the Bubba Army. A jury will have to decide if this all falls under
the "you decided to put yourself out there" argument. We reached out
to attorneys John Garziglia, Francisco Montero, and Kevin Goldberg for an
opinion on what might happen to radio shock jocks if Bubba has to pony up for
being too nasty to Schnitt.
Listener-Controlled Stations Face Fatigue
Since handing off 24/7 song selection to listeners one week
ago through crowd-sourcing, modern rock “97X” WSUN, Tampa has so far tallied
1.1 million song votes and nearly 12,000 app downloads. That’s the easy part. As some stations have found, the real challenge
is keeping listeners engaged long-term after the initial novelty of voting
songs up and down wears off. And that
can impact ratings.
Thursday 01/24/1023
Cumulus: No Big Deal For At Least Two Years
The chatter this week has been about CBS Radio selling to
Cumulus Media. But after gobbling up
Citadel Broadcasting in radio’s biggest deal in six years, Cumulus says its
focus will remain on digesting the $2.4 billion acquisition.
Why Do The Media Care About Beyonce’s Lip Syncing?
In a world where girlfriends can be fake and sports heroes
can cheat their way into the public’s hearts, Americans are desperate for
authenticity.
Wednesday /1/23/2013
Dickey Explains Why Country Will Work In NYC
Tuesday morning Cumulus gave more detail about its plan for "NASH," after the Monday flip to Country on 94.7 in New York City. The company plans to build new studios in Nashville for what will eventually become a big national brand over time, according to CEO Lew Dickey.
RADIO INK
What’s Next For NashFM?
The more we learn about Cumulus’ Country “NASH” initiative
the more questions are coming through about what happens next. In an attempt to
slow down the influx of messages to our inbox let’s answer some of the most
common questions we’ve been getting about Cumulus’ launch of Nash-FM.
Cumulus Banks On Country
Monday (1/21), Cumulus flipped what was once WFME to WRXP to
Country WNSH "NASH FM" ... and it's already apparent that the NASH FM
brand will not be confined to the Big Apple. Cumulus Media EVP/COO John Dickey
took a few minutes out of his obviously hectic day to offer some more details
on the big flip, to ALL ACCESS.
Tuesday 01/22/2013
Stop Relegating Women to Sideline Eye Candy
Were you as creeped out as I was by ESPN broadcaster Brent
Musburger’s on-air drooling, during the BCS National Championship, over
Katherine Webb, the gorgeous girlfriend of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron?
Shifting Focus: To Radio and Artists Online
Listeners Driving Radio is the next big thing. Like adding
self-checkouts to a grocery chain, the human resource savings will be immense.
I question the dropping of on-air staff if intent remains to live up to the
station's license requirements of serving the community.
Monday 01/21/2013
Radio DJs played name game
This was a history of Top 40 radio published by Backbeat Books in 1998.
The subject in this just-slightly tweaked
excerpt is fun - although not for the subjects.
t's all about DJ Names.
Friday 01/18/2013
Can Sports Talk Radio Get Any Luckier?
Not only are we only weeks away from the biggest event on
the planet, the 2013 NFL Superbowl, engaging hot-button topics keep falling out
of the sky like gifts from above. From Steroids in the Baseball Hall of Fame,
to the disgraced Lance Armstrong and now
this weird story about Notre Dame's Manti Teo.
Manti Te'o's 'Catfish' Story:
How the Media Bought It Hook,
Line and Sinker
Blame it on laziness, the ever-increasing pressures of the
24-hour news cycle, or just a desire to believe what appeared to be an
inspiring story, but journalists were duped.
Armstrong Emerges As Unlikable Liar
Oprah Winfrey didn’t pussyfoot around. She got Lance Armstrong to confess in the
first minute.
Rotating Your Imaging Messages
It's not important that you follow THIS strategy, but I do
think it's crucial that you HAVE a strategy for controlling and keeping your
branding fresh and relevant. I like to have a minimum of two imaging pieces per quarter
hour, one :15-20 seconds and one super brief, :02-:05.
Thursday 01/17/2013
Hispanic Stations Get Second Election Bump
Heading into this weekend’s inauguration, some Hispanic broadcasters say last November’s win by President Obama is already producing a windfall for their clients. The high-profile showcase of the power of the Latino population hasn’t been lost on some marketers. Hispanic ad agency executives agree — they’re also sensing a change in thinking among some clients.
Lance Armstrong’s Confession
Things are so bad for dethroned Tour de France champion
Lance Armstrong that he has taken to Oprah Winfrey’s coach to express remorse. From Oprah’s own mouth we hear that Armstrong did not go far
enough in his confession of doping to give the cyclist the winner’s advantage.
Tuesday 01/15/2013
As Long As FM Radio is on Sprint Phones….
On the surface, this is good news. After all, it means more ways for listeners
to listen to the stations they love and more ways to interact with those
stations. Looking deeper, however, we need to keep this announcement
in perspective. Consider these apparent facts…
Monday 01/14/2012
Why Morning Shows Deserve Their Own Facebook Page
Three clients have approached me in the last few months, all
worried because the station they work for is threatening to cancel their
Morning Show Facebook page. Not because their behavior on Facebook is out of
line with the station brand, or because it is distracting them from the on-air
product, but because they view it as a threat to the growth of the station’s
Facebook presence.
What's Up with AC?
Ok, I'll start by saying it. AC is having a challenging
time. This is the format that has been the darling for so many years. It was
not expensive to operate, all it took was some research, marketing and an air
staff, and the ratings were great. Best of all, sales loved to sell it! But
then along came consolidation, PPM, a few great years of CHR and boom...the
"easy child" is now having some issues. Sure there are some AC's that
are still dominating the ratings such as WLTW, WMJX and WBEB, but for the most
part, in most markets its time to really get back to work with mainstream AC.
Now don't get me wrong. I love AC. It's still a great
format. However let's look at a few things that have allowed us to take a
profitable product for granted. There are answers to the challenges that face
it now.
Friday 01/11/2013
Eight Reasons Cain Will Click
January 21 is Inauguration Day, for both our president, and his outspoken campaign opponent Herman Cain, whose nationally syndicated radio show debuts that morning.
TALK CONSULTANT HOLLANDCOOKE / TALKERS
Looking For Radio's Future? Check The Car
Looking For Radio's Future? Check The Car
Just like written news, audio content is delivered much more
effectively via the Internet than by traditional means. But FM radio is going
strong and Internet services comprise only a tiny percentage of total listening
time. Now, though, more and better in-car integrations are about to give
Internet radio a huge shove into the future.
Online Radio Will Start Serving Ads Based On Web Browsing
Websites show you ads based on other sites you visited. Now,
online radio stations will start playing you songs based on the same
information. This could spike growth in the radio ad industry and mean it won’t
be weird to hear a tofu ad after a country song.
Borrell: Half of Advertisers Holding Line On Radio
Growing revenue from small and medium size businesses may be
tough for the radio industry this year if a Borrell Associates survey proves
accurate. It found 49% of those
businesses plan to keep their radio advertising budget flat in 2013. Digital as currently sold may also not be
the answer.
Fans First
While just about everyone talks up customization, choice, and “it’s all about the consumer experience,” you can’t help but think the average person is suffering from digital overload.
FREDJACOBS / JACOBLOG
Thursday 01/13/2013
Kid Cudi Threatens Label Over Poor Radio Play
The Wizard, Kid Cudi wasn't too happy about his recent
numbers not translating into radio spins."To my label, I swear to all that
is f----n holy in this world, if things dont change soon, theres gonna be some
problems."
Sirius XM Passes On Royalty Fee To Users
The difference amounts to 41cents per month, but the
decision to raise Sirius XM Radio’s monthly “music recovery fee” is a response
to a decision by the Copyright Board.
CFO David Frear says the decision is based on a CRB decision last month
to increase what the company pays to artists from 8% to 9% of revenue, with
half-percent increases over the next five years.
Wednesday 01/12/2013
Well Timed: Sprint Will Put FM In Smartphones
How to Improve Your Strategic Position
The two kinds of entrepreneurs are those who create markets
and those who do not.
Tuesday 01/11/2013
Enough with the Liberal Bias, Huffington Post
Dear Huffington Post,
You are seven years old now. That is nearly 35 years old in Internet
years. Don’t you think it’s about time to grow up? Don’t you think it’s time
for a new you?
Monday 01/10/2013
Lawmaker Slams FCC Over Salaries
The House Energy and Commerce Committee is expected to take
up FCC reform once again in this new session of Congress and one of its leaders
thinks the issue of agency paychecks may be worth a look.
Radio Is Ruled by Men
When WHUD’s
Kacey Morabito, a local radio personality for almost three decades, recently
interviewed the authors of a new book, “Mean Girls at Work,” she cracked a joke
that pointed out the lopsided ratio. “You have to educate me,” laughed Morabito, “because I’m usually
the only girl at work.”
Friday 01/04/2013
To me, radio stations are like people we invite in our cars,
homes, and offices.
We don’t want them to change too much and we want them around forever.
But unfortunately that doesn’t apply in the radio business.
We don’t want them to change too much and we want them around forever.
But unfortunately that doesn’t apply in the radio business.
Radio’s Bad Ideas That Won’t Die
“Why Don’t Bad Ideas Ever Die?” That was a question posed
recently by Washington Post financial columnist Barry Ritholtz. “This time of
year is filled with retrospectives and ‘best of’ lists,” Ritholtz wrote. He
opted instead to take on “zombie ideas: the memes, theories and policies that
refuse to die, despite their obvious failings.”
SEAN ROSS – EDISON RESEARCH
Why I Left Talk Radio Network
After 11 years at TRN, it was time to retool how I
approached the business. That meant everything from whom I partnered with and
how the show is delivered to the topics I cover. Pounding on the same people
and themes doesn’t expand an audience. Conservatives limit themselves when they
just look at the world through a political lens. Politics is an important part
of what I do—my core beliefs haven’t changed—but people are disillusioned with
it.
Too Many Sports TV and Radio Shows
Check, please. Thank you, but we're good. Seriously: No mas!
There now is more than enough sports-related media content
in America to keep every man, woman and child occupied for many hours more than
the 24 each of us is allotted per day.
Since the turn of this millennium alone, the accumulation of
sports stuff has taken a turn toward the absurd.
Internet Radio Fairness Act Slips Into Hibernation
Despite some triumphant claims on Twitter, the Internet
Radio Fairness Act isn't really dead. It's just hibernating. The controversial bill, supported by the likes of Pandora
and Clear Channel and opposed by groups representing artists and
sound-recording owners, would change the standard by which Internet radio
royalties are set by a panel of judges.
Thursday 01/03/2013
Advice columns for radio are showing up on my RSS reader, and I thought I’d share some of the wisdom.
Edison Research has a fun post titled “Radio’s Bad Ideas That Won’t Die.”
What Happens to Radio when Technology Kills Mobile Phones?
Wednesday 01/02/2013
Internet Radio's Tom Leykis Is Sitting On Top Of The World
After giving the world's radio stations a three month head
start in 2012, numbers released this week by TuneIn reveal that The New
Normal's "Tom Leykis Show" finished 34th among over 70,000 radio
streams that can be heard through the popular streaming radio smartphone app
since debuting last April.
For Traditional Media, Digital Remains Elusive Promise
For over a decade, traditional media companies have pointed
to digital media as a promising source of revenue growth -- but as 2012 draws
to an end, it’s clear that this promise is still more theoretical than real,
while ad dollars continue to migrate away from traditional channels.
Friday 12/21/2012
Journal Acquires WNOX
Journal Broadcasting has acquired News/Talk 100.3 WNOX
Knoxville from John Pirkle’s Oak Ridge FM for an undisclosed price.
Fewer commercial Christmas stations in PPM markets.
A total of 112 stations went all-Yule in metered markets – the same amount as last year. But the number of non-commercial stations nearly doubled to 31 while the amount of commercial stations declined 15% to 81.
Thursday 12/20/2012
I must admit to breathing a sigh of relief when I saw this
morning’s announcement that Nielsen is acquiring Arbitron. The need for robust media measurement across
all platforms is clear. However, the
sampling of the Portable People Meter (PPM) is my more immediate concern.
Nielsen Will Measure Pandora
News that Nielsen will purchase Arbitron is good news for
online radio services like Pandora. Nielsen, which measures many media
segments, already has a strong foothold in digital and cross platform
measurement, not only in the US but globally.
Radio lineups get moved around, hosts get new co-hosts,
talents get new time slots, stations switch formats and even get sold. Great Denver sports radio is a
constantly moving target. So which are the top shows in the Denver market today?
Networks mostly clear out of Connecticut , but station reporters stick
with awful story.
Marking New Year’s Eve at Times Square Without Dick Clark
The world is poised to celebrate another New Year’s Eve in Times Square . But this one will be unlike any in the last
forty years, as there will be no Dick Clark preceding over the all-important
ball drop.
Wednesday 12/19/2012
Make Way for More Media Giants
The internet has been abuzz for the past month with news
that FCC chairman Julius Genachowski circulated a plan to his fellow FCC
commissioners to strike down the long-standing regulation preventing media
entities from cross-owning newspapers, radio and television stations in the
same market.
Opinion: FCC Rule Change Would Help Big Media
Deal Extends Nielsen’s Reach Into Consumer
Habits
Consumers today are gleaners of information, moving swiftly
from cellphones to newspapers, tablets to radio and social media to television.
The question for advertisers is how to reach them across a fragmented
environment.
Radio: Wait-and-See Attitude To Measurement Merger
Many radio group heads, managers and ad agencies says it’s
too early to know the impact yesterday’s blockbuster announcement will have on
their business.
Tuesday 12/18/2012
Yet again another music start-up has decided to give up on
their model over the cost of musical rights. Okay in this case perhaps Last.FM
is not a true start-up, but it had something other new entrants don’t
immediately have, which is a solid user base of subscribers.
EWAN SPENCE / FORBES
Understanding Newtown Shooting Coverage
It would be nice if the tragedy of 20 children killed in
their own elementary school was a big enough shock to prompt some movement at
least on the curbing of assault weapons ownership and boosting of mental health
resources in America. But at a time when politicians can't even agree on a plan
to avoid raising every voter's taxes by the start of 2013, I'm not holding my
breath.
Nielsen and Twitter Partner to Measure Social TV Reach
Will build off of SocialGuide platform, be available 2013-14
season
Monday 12/17/2012
I Read the News Today, Oh Boy
As the story unfolded, it was uncanny to witness how-far-ahead Twitter was, compared to all the news apps on my iPhone. Not hearsay, but fact-checked posts, first from Connecticut-based media who were first on-site; then from stations and newspapers from neighboring states. By 6:30 pm ET, letter-networks’ anchors were in-place for evening newscasts this gripping story dominated.
HOLLAND COOKE, RADIO-INFO
Chicago
Radio: WOJO #1 25-54 Thanks To TSL
For the first time in Chicago
radio history, a PPM-subscribing Hispanic radio station is perched atop the
market in the 25-54 demo. November was the second consecutive month that
Univision Radio’s regional Mexican “Que Buena 105.1” WOJO captured the top spot
in the money demo.
ACC12: Smart People Talking: Day 2
This is the second of two columns recapping some of the most
notable comments, thoughts, and observations shared by presenters and panelists
last week at the 2012 Arbitron Client Conference.
Friday 12/14/2012
Last.fm: Radio limitations Incoming
Anyone still using Last.fm to listen to Internet radio, keep
up to date with music news, chat with the community or to scrobble music? The
popular service just announced major changes for virtually all users of the
service from mid-January 2013 on.
Barbara Walters Displays ‘Embarrassing’ ‘Sexism’ In Clinton
Interview
Cohost of MSNBC’s The Cycle, Touré, trashed Barbara Walters
over her line of questioning when recently interviewing Gov. Chris Christie
(R-NJ) and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Touré found Walters asking
Clinton about her hair, while in the next breath noting that such a question is
inherently sexist, to be “embarrassing” and a “dereliction of duty.”
Fox Leads Cable News, CNN Dips
For 2012, Fox News Channel continued its commanding lead
among all cable news networks in terms of total viewer and key
advertiser-desired viewers. Both Fox and MSNBC made big gains during the year,
with CNN continuing to lose ground.
FCC Commissioners Grilled on Media Ownership
Lawmakers took their chance to grill FCC commissioners about
media ownership, and sought answers about what the agency intends to do to
raise the number of minority and women station owners.
Will Frank and Wanda’s departure hurt V-103? Doubtful
So will losing its top-rated morning show of 14 years led by
Frank Ski and Wanda Smith hurt V-103 in any tangible way?
Stewart to CBS
Former WPLJ all-night guy Dave Stewart is moving to classic
hits WCBS FM. Stewart will take over the all-night show, live and local, on
Monday, December 17th.
Thursday 12/13/2012
Europe’s Newspapers Are Dying Too
The implosion of the newspaper industry, long a dreaded
topic in the US, has finally hit the continent
Wednesday 12/12/2012
MSM’s Ignorance of Jenni Rivera Raises Image of Parallel Americas
Clear Channel’s Pittman Called Radio’s $3B Man
Radio was a mostly ignored medium until Bob Pittman arrived
last year as CEO of Clear Channel and launched iHeartRadio.com. Along with the
progressive digital initiatives at CBS Radio and other selected radio station
owners, Clear Channel is leading the radio industry to an unexpected surge in
digital ad revenues over the next several years, according to Jack Meyer’s Media
Business Report.
Myers refers to Pittman as radio’s $3 billion man and says radio
can no longer be ignored in the multi-media mix.
Tuesday 12/11/2012
There’s a lot of talk going around that country may be
making its way back to the New York
radio market. Rumor is that Cumulus will put a country format on their newly
acquired 94.7 FM, soon to be the former WFME.
This could be big news for fans of country music, considering we have not had aNew York City country radio outlet in some 10
years. I personally I would love to see it happen. I’ve been a fan of country
music for quite some time. So, I thought it might be fun to take a look back on
country radio in the city. It really used to be here and it really was big.
This could be big news for fans of country music, considering we have not had a
Smart People Talking: Part One
Last week the 2012 Arbitron Client Conference brought
together some of radio’s smartest people and experts from outside our industry
for two days of discussions about how to craft compelling content for our
audiences. I did my best to take copious
notes, and over the next two columns I will share some of the comments,
suggestions, and observations that stood out to me as being the most valuable
to anyone programming radio stations.
Taylor Swift Declines Inclusion on Spotify
Following the recent stunt turned tragedy at Kate Middleton’s hospital, a look back at some shock-jock antics that ended very badly.
Monday 12/10/2012
Words Matter
Gail Mitchell's enlightening Q&A with Billboard
Magazine's "Woman Of The Year," Katy Perry contains some great advice
for radio personalities, song writers, we communicators of all kinds.
Radio, It Begins with a Problem…
Anything radio creates across any platform isn’t simply the
distribution of content in numerous places.
It’s a solution to a problem.
The Program Director with the Worst Gig in the World
When I was a radio program director, I described the job
this way: Everything that comes out of
the speakers is my fault.
More Christmas stations in 2012
After two consecutive years of declines, there are more
Christmas stations on U.S.
broadcast radio in 2012 than a year ago.
Friday 12/07/2012
RECAP: Arbitron Client Conference Day Two
Scary Talk About In-Car, Straight Talk About
Sports, Plain Talk About Politics
Pandora founder: Spotify “not fundamentally competitive”
As Spotify and Pandora both look to achieve dominance in
internet music streaming, Pandora founder TIm Westergren said Thursday at
Stanford’s campus that he sees the two companies as offering fundamentally
different products, even as Spotify looks to compete.
Ross On Radio: First Listen - LA's new Exitos 93.9
Here's how you know KXOS (Exitos 93.9) Los Angeles is different
-- the core acts shown on its website are Maroon 5, Ke$ha, fun., David Guetta,
Lady Gaga . . . and Robbie Williams.
Television and Twitter: Together at Last?
The lines are blurring and your entertainment options and
experiences are getting more and more social and engaging, every day.
Particularly with new devices like Xbox 360 that bring the web to your tv.
Presenting Podcasting's New Top Honors
The podcasting community came out in numbers last night as
Stitcher Smart Radio presented its awards for 2012's best podcasts. The popular
listening app handed out honors in several categories at the ceremony, which
was hosted by WTF's Marc Maron. Big winners included The Nerdist, This American
Life, Kevin Smith's Smodcast, and All Songs Considered.
Thursday 12/06/12
Arbitron Client Conference: Day 1
Time Spent Listening about…Time Spent Listening
Aussie radio hoaxers sorry for crank call to hospital
Two Australian radio disc jockeys apologized Wednesday after
impersonating Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles in a prank call and getting
a London
hospital to tell them all about Kate Middleton’s condition. The King Edward VII hospital in London acknowledged that the Australian radio
station made the hoax call to the hospital in the early hours Tuesday — and
that the hospital fell for it.
Radio’s biggest users are wired for fun
In a new finding that represents a big digital opportunity
for broadcasters, Scarborough says heavy consumers of radio are significantly
more likely to use the internet and their mobile devices for entertainment than
the general population.
Wednesday 12/05/12
Pandora Clashes With Musicians Over Song Payments
Singers perform on Capitol Hill before hearing on Internet
Radio Fairness Act
How Pat Flynn Uses Podcasting to Build His Business
Pat Flynn lost his job as an architect in the fall of 2008.
Four years later, Mr. Flynn, who is 29, has one of the top business podcasts on
iTunes. It’s called the Smart Passive Income Podcast, and it offers information
and advice about online marketing and sales strategies. Introduced in July
2010, the podcast has been downloaded more than two million times and its
listeners have given it more than 500 five-star ratings.
Pandora shares plummet after hours on weak outlook
Pandora's stock price dropped more than 20 percent this
evening after the company reported a weak forecast for the current quarter.
Tuesday 12/04/12
RADAR 115: Radio Listening Remains Steady
Arbitron has announced highlights from its December 2012
RADAR 115 National Radio Listening Report. The newest report shows radio’s
audience holding steady year over year, reaching more than 241 million
listeners, or more than 92 percent of the U.S. population, on an average
weekly basis.
Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder To Host SiriusXM Radio Show
SiriusXM Radio announced Monday that Pearl Jam frontman
Eddie Vedder will host a new, limited-run show on its Pearl Jam Radio channel,
one of SiriusXM's original artist-branded channels dedicated to artists. The
news comes on the heels of l ast week's announcement of Dave Grohl's
"Sound City" SiriusXM show.
FCC Delays Media Ownership Vote
Under pressure from both Congress and a number of media
interest groups, FCC chair Julius Genachowski has relented and agreed to open
the media ownership docket to one more round of comments.
2016 Looms Large for Clear Channel
Moody’s Investors Service has issued a report that Clear
Channel is facing a stiff challenge in
managing the more than $10 billion of debt that will come due in 2016.
Five Practical Digital Lessons Radio Can Learn from the
Obama Campaign
Politics aside, Barack Obama’s winning presidential
reelection campaign has some great lessons for us about how to use these wacky
new digital tools we have.
Monday 12/3/12
Survey: Most managers budget for growth.
In a volatile year where revenue growth swung like a wild rollercoaster, budgeting for 2013 has been anything but easy.
Pandora Users And Radio's Opportunities
Ask Pandora listeners what they like most about radio and
they’ll tell you it’s ‘feeling connected.’
Their big dislikes? Radio is boring and fatiguing.
Insight: The All-Christmas Music Format Phenomenon
We have already witnessed how the presidential election and “Sandy” dramatically impacted ratings on news and talk outlets. Barring an unforeseen occurrence of monumental magnitude, many adult contemporary stations in PPM markets will post moderate gains in the December monthly and downright staggering increases in the “Holiday” report.
MIKE KINOSIAN RADIO-INFO
Friday 11/30/12
NAB's Smith: Broadcasters Eager to Participate in Sandy Hearings
Points out to FCC that medium was key lifeline when others were out of commission
Up next for the FCC: Space communications
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius
Genachowski’s office is decorated with equipment from long-dead technologies —
such as line-testing gizmos that date from the rotary phone era — but he’s got
an answer for critics who suggest communications regulation is a thing of the
past: Space is the next frontier.
FCC Poised to Act on LPFM, FM Translators
Barring a last-minute snag, on Friday the FCC will finalize
some decisions in its effort to balance the needs of those who’d like to own a
low-power FM, and existing broadcasters wondering about the fate of their
pending FM translator applications.
LESLIE STIMSON / RADIO WORLD
'Thriller' at 30: How One Album Changed
the World
When executives of CBS Records went about the business of
preparing for the November 30 release of Michael Jackson's "Thriller"
in the fall of 1982, they knew they had on their hands a terrific album by one
of the biggest superstars in the music industry. But they were also a bit concerned,
since the timing of Jackson's follow-up to his mega-selling 1979 album
"Off The Wall" could not have seemed worse.
Thursday 11/29/12
Fox News, CNN, MSNBC soar in November
November and the election were very good news for cable news
channels.
In prime time, MSNBC was up 76 percent from a year ago while
CNN jumped 64 percent and Fox News Channel climbed 47 percent.
Ryan Seacrest's 'New Year's Rockin' Eve' Announces Lineup
The lineup for ABC’s New Year’s Eve countdown has been
revealed.
Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve
will be headlined by Taylor Swift, Carly Rae Jepsen and Neon Trees live in
Times Square on Dec. 31. The New Year’s Eve show kicks off 10 p.m. ET.
Pete Bennett, Legendary Promotion Man for Beatles, Stones,
Many More, Dead at 77
Pete Bennett -- the promotion man who famously worked with
the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Nat King Cole, Steven Tyler, Sam Cooke and many
others -- died of a heart attack on Thanksgiving Day.
He was 77.
Opponents decry FCC plans on media ownership
Scuttling of federal rules that prevent the cross-ownership
of newspapers and radio and TV stations in top markets could further shut
minorities and women from the marketplace, opponents say.
MIKE SNIDER / USA TODAY
Hubbard's Reese Testifies at Music Licensing Hearing
Hubbard Radio President/CEO Bruce Reese testified at the
House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the
Internet hearing on Music Licensing on Wednesday. The 30-year industry vet, who
heads up WTOP in Washington, DC, testified on behalf of the NAB and local
broadcast radio, which is made up of 14,000 U.S. stations and reaches 240
million people each week in every local community across the country.
Wednesday 11/28/12
Imagining The Future of iNet Radio
In the last decade, technological advances have provided new
ways for people to listen to the music they love and explore new genres. This
innovation is no more evident than in radio, where new alternatives such as
cable, satellite and Internet radio have broadened the notion of what radio is.
Sandy delivers record ratings in Northeast
Sandy leveled homes, destroyed communities, took lives and
racked up billions of dollars in damage. The super storm also sent news radio
ratings into the stratosphere.
Arbitron’s “November” survey in the three PPM markets most adversely
affected by the storm was cut short by a week, ending October 31. Still, the
November numbers dramatically show the impact wall-to-wall storm coverage had
on listening levels.
INSIDE RADIO
New York City’s two leading news stations increased
listening ahead of the Sandy hurricane, according to the latest ratings from
Arbitron. WCBS-AM was up from ninth to fourth place with a marketshare
that grew from 3.8% to 5.3%, the best result in more than a year. Sister
station 1010 WINS went from 4% to 4.8% and jumped from seventh to sixth place.
News Radio Boosted by Hurricane
Jeff Zucker in advanced talks for top job at CNN
Former NBCUniversal Chief Executive Jeff Zucker is in
advanced negotiations to become head of the cable news channel CNN, people
familiar with the matter said.
Zucker would succeed Jim Walton, who said in July that he
was stepping down as president and chief executive of CNN Worldwide. CNN is a
unit of Time Warner Inc.'s Turner Broadcasting.
LA TIMES
Internet Royalties Showdown: What to Expect
Major stakeholders are expected to make their case on
Wednesday in a Congressional hearing that will set the stage for what is likely
to be a long battle over Internet radio royalty rates.
Tuesday 11/27/12
Labels plan royalty fight strategy
Before Congress holds a hearing on music licensing Wednesday, the giants of the music business will huddle in New York to fine tune their strategy for defeating the Internet Radio Fairness Act (IRFA).
Pinterest and Top 40 Radio: Embrace Her Lifestyle
There’s a reason so many brands and businesses are creating
a marketing strategy just for Pinterest. It’s a huge traffic driver. Recent
statistics show it provides more referral traffic to other websites than
YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn combined.
Is talk personality Laura Ingraham on the loose?
More specifically, is she leaving TRN? One affiliate was
told last night that they're in negotiations. Last Wednesday’s NOW newsletter
asked whether iHeartRadio was close to signing a big-name talk personality.
UPDATE:
Radio's Laura Ingraham off the air
Radio talk show host Laura Ingraham is off the air — at
least temporarily.
Monday 11/26/12
Collinsworth goes from NFL's small stage to big
Cris Collinsworth remembers the early days of his second
career as an NFL announcer like this: calling a Browns-Colts game before Peyton
Manning with only the road team's fans in Cleveland getting the broadcast.
Sponsor churn, ebb in digital, cut into NPR’s bottom line
With one of its biggest corporate sponsors pulling back from
a multiyear underwriting commitment, NPR has an uphill climb to rebuild its
sponsorship revenues from 2011, when the network’s sales reps reeled in enough
deals to set a new earnings record.
What Will Peter Liguori Do With Tribune Once He's CEO?
With the Tribune Company nearing the end of its interminable
bankruptcy and Peter Liguori poised to become its new CEO, the question arises
of what he will do with the reborn media company.
From what my sources tell me, most likely he will oversee
much of its dismantling.
Hearing Familiar Favorites: The More Important, the Better
the TSL
This week, we continue myth-busting, showing that people who
are looking for a any one of a variety of particular music attributes listen to
the radio longer than those who are less passionate. The truth is that the more passionate a
listener is about key attributes that have always defined Radio, the more
likely she boasts a long Radio TSL.
These are the attributes that continue to spell success for radio.
Online sales are flat-lining at newspapers
With total ad sales sliding 5.1% in the third quarter of
this year, newspapers have set what must be some sort of record in the annals
of American business by having their primary revenue stream fall for 24
quarters in a row.
Wednesday 11/21/12
Clear Channel Throws Annual Jingle Balls
Clear Channel Media and Entertainment will celebrate the
holiday season with its series of annual holiday concerts throughout the
country.
Slower rollout for Christmas format
As Americans get ready to over-indulge on Thanksgiving Day
and retailers ready preparations for Black Friday, scores of programmers are
putting the brakes on Katy Perry and busting out Bing Crosby. There are currently 144 Christmas stations on
the air. That’s well below the 175
holiday formatted stations that were on the air by this point in the previous
two Novembers.
CBS Sports Radio wooing ESPN Radio's John Kincade
Various industry sources are buzzing me about a possible
defection from ESPN Radio Network to the new CBS Sports Radio Network.
Tuesday 11/20/12
How Do Other Stations Feel About CC’s Cozy Artist Deals?
Exclusivity Ain’t What it Used to Be
The 5 stages of radio format change grief
I am reviewing the furious responses of our readers to Eric
Klein’s story on the format change at KPOJ in Portland . Only ten days ago it was
Progressive Talk Radio. Now it is a sports channel.
As expected, 790/The Zone has picked up ESPN radio
programming from 680/The Fan and will also start airing Colin Cowherd beginning
Dec. 1.
Click and Clack of ‘Car Talk’ Reruns on SiriusXM
Sirius XM Radio Inc., a national satellite radio service
with 23.4 million subscribers, said it will begin regularly airing reruns of
“Car Talk,” the long-running public radio show that starred Tom and Ray
Magliozzi, also known as Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers.
Monday 11/19/12
Listeners Who Want To Hear Currents Have High Radio TSL
The truth is that the more passionate a listener is about
key attributes that have always defined Radio, the more likely she boasts a
long Radio TSL.
Pandora says study indicates its listeners more receptive to
ads than on AM/FM
Pandora has published a white paper based on testing it says
shows radio listeners are significantly more receptive to advertising presented
on Pandora (or in similar environments) than on AM/FM radio.
Why Tweet? 7 Reasons Your Strategy Should Include Twitter
As of September 2011, there were 100 million active users on
Twitter. It’s is a social media powerhouse that radio shouldn’t overlook. If
statistics alone aren’t incentive enough, here are seven reasons your station’s
social media strategy should include Twitter.
Yes, Brad Pitt Is A Baby Boomer
Marketers, do you know your demographics? It helps to have a
face with a name. Here are the four main U.S. economic demographics with four
famous cultural icon examples for easy identification and spending facts.
Friday 11/16/12
Experts doubt no-AM car trend to grow
News that Porsche will begin selling the first car to not
include a built-in AM radio in decades may sound like the start of an ominous
trend. With half of listening coming
from in-car use, it’s something a lot of broadcasters have worried about as the
digital dashboard has rolled out. But
auto industry analysts think it is unlikely AM/FM will disappear in the short
term.
P1's rate radio with words
What amounts to big game of word association has delivered
some interesting insights into how radio’s biggest users rate the favorite
station. Eight-in-ten use words like
“friendly,” “informed” and “comfortable” to describe their P1 station.
WPOW-FM (Power 96)/Miami Appoints Pio Ferro as PD
Rhythmic CHR WPOW-FM/Miami appoints Pio Ferro as its new
Program Director, effective November 19. He replaces interim PD and consultant
Bill Tanner.
Brent Alberts Exits WCSX/Detroit as Program Director
44-year industry vet Brent Alberts exits Greater Media
Classic Rock WCSX-FM/Detroit as Program Director after his contract was not
renewed.
Thursday 11/15/12
Who’s to blame for Stern’s Hall of Fame shame?
FCC chairman Julius Genachowski Tuesday gave an "open,
transparent and data-driven" shout-out to the new Expanding Opportunities
for Broadcasters Coalition, which is being organized by former broadcast exec
and one time Association for Independent Television Stations president Preston
Padden.
Sale of KCOH closes chapter on Houston broadcasting history
It’s turning out to be a sour week for those who follow
Houston history. First came news that the Ben Milam Hotel across from Minute
Maid Park would be imploded next month to make way for an upscale apartment
complex.
Now comes word that KCOH (1430 AM) has been sold and will
relaunch next year as part of the Guadalupe Radio Network, a Catholic-oriented
broadcast outfit.
Bob Shannon to lead Conclave
The last time the Conclave had a new head, programmers
gathered at its annual conference could have been discussing the pros and cons of
the new Captain and Tennille release.
Wednesday 11/14/12
CC CEO Bob Pittman: 'We better be the ones to cannibalize ourselves'
Making Listeners Share Your Social Content
When radio personalities share in social media, those that
are best at it are timely and listener-focused, with content that makes
listeners feel smart to share that content with others. It’s one thing to say
it, but why don’t we look at some potential examples that are timely? As a
tease, I will say that anyone who has picked up a magazine lately knows how
well it works to talk about the five or the three best things in any category.
Future of Music 2012: A fight over Internet radio scraps
There were moments Tuesday during the annual Future of Music
Summit where the conversation about revenue in the digital music industry
sounded like a scrum over crumbs, a desperate fight over an increasingly
shrinking pie.
LPFM, FM Translators, on FCC’s Tentative Agenda
FCC Intends to focus on next step in balancing twin goals
for potential LPFM owners, existing broadcasters at Nov. 30 meeting.
Tuesday 11/13/12
Talk Renaissance Requires Open-Minded Ownership
Right now the people want solutions. They are tired of fighting. They don’t care who fixes the problems; just fix them.
Ideas For Building Morning Show Cume
If you're looking for ways to increase your cume but your
station is a little lacking in the promotional funding department, we hear you
loud and clear. So, we asked the the smart squad at the Randy Lane Company to
think cheap and come up with seven cume building ideas stations can use immediately.
Think Like A Politico
Monday 11/12/12
Radio looks to cut through AM’s static
Since a car radio was put in a dashboard in 1930, there’s
been an AM radio in every automobile rolling off assembly lines. But in the upcoming model year a car will be
arriving on dealer lots with an FM-only receiver. It’s symbolic of the challenges facing AM
broadcasters in 2012.
Bright Future for Fox News Anchor Megyn Kelly, Election
Night Star
The Fox News anchor who challenged Karl Rove on election
night is the network’s newest star. Howard Kurtz on why Kelly is destined for
bigger things—and whether she’ll jump to another network.
In honor of ‘Skyfall,’ a list of the 10 best James Bond theme songs
Ask someone to name the best James Bond theme song ever recorded and she’ll probably say “Goldfinger.” Unless she says “Live and Let Die” ... or possibly “Thunderball.”
How a Slew Of New Reporters Got To Top 40
Format booms are often propelled by a hot body of music, but
they don't always start that way. CBS launched Mike Joseph¹s Hot Hits format on
WCAU-FM Philadelphia in September 1981--hardly a great time for top 40 music.
WCAU¹s success prompted a similar move at sister WBBM-FM (B96) Chicago, and CBS
became, for several years, the most prominent of several top 40-friendly group
owners.
Radio Legend Art Laboe on Doing Business with Bob Hope,
Hanging with Elvis
Art Laboe has been a radio broadcaster for 68 years and is
credited as the first disc jockey on the west coast to play rock 'n' roll music
over the airwaves. He pioneered the “oldies” format, created the “compilation
album” and interviewed the biggest names in music, sometimes from long-gone
Scrivner’s Drive-in Restaurant in Los Angeles where he hosted a Saturday show
in the 1950s.
On Nov. 10, Laboe was inducted into the National Radio
Hall of Fame along with Howard Stern and a handful of other legendary
broadcasters. Laboe, who still hosts the syndicated show, The Art Laboe Connection,
spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about his storied career.
Friday 11/08/12
Q100 Atlanta: Melissa Carter celebrates 10 years of survival post kidney transplant
But a cousin Pat Price donated her kidney and Carter was
given a new lease on life.
Today, she celebrates ten years of transplant survival and is now hosting a news program on All News 106.7 just down the hallways from Q100, where she left the Bert Show in 2011.
Ivey Roast Feeds Hundreds
As we speak, a large, toxic cloud of F-words is still
hovering in space over the Sunset Strip, the site of Wednesday evening's comedy
ambush of "beloved" industry icon John Ivey, Clear Channel SVP of
Programming and the longtime PD of KIIS-FM/Los Angeles. A veritable who's-who
of industry legends, semi-legends and "Don't you know who I am?" types
filled the House Of Blues to capacity to pay tribute to Señor Ivey and raise
money for the City of Hope by weaving a verbal tapestry of insults,
obscenities, defamatory statements, outright lies and other possibly actionable
offenses.
ESPN Spurs Disney Gains, but Forecast Is Cautious
Disney’s theme park and consumer products units each
delivered strong growth, but ESPN — as usual — gave the entertainment
conglomerate its biggest boost. The operating income of Disney’s cable
television division, centered on ESPN and Disney Channel, climbed 9 percent, to
$1.38 billion. The growth was powered by higher fees that cable providers paid
for ESPN, as well as decreased marketing costs.
Two charged in Stevie Wonder concert scam
— A North Carolina man has been indicted on federal charges
for allegedly scamming the University of Hawaii out of $200,000 to organize a
Stevie Wonder concert that never happened, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Radio finds patience with all-news launches
As one-year and six-month anniversaries approach, a trio of
recently-launched all-news stations won’t be making headlines for their
ratings. Yet each says their growth is
right on schedule. The radio industry
isn’t known for patiently giving new formats time to build, but with half of
radio’s top billers – operators can’t say no to news.
Thursday 11/08/12
‘Everthing is Going Good’ for ‘Brooklyn’s Own’ Joe Causi on WCBS-FM
With the Nets debut in Brooklyn, this was a banner year in
the professional life of Joe Causi. He was named WCBS-FM nighttime jock after
Ron Parker moved to middays, when health factors caused veteran Bob Shannon to
retire.
Causi has been with the station since its return from the
“jockless” Jack format in 2007. Most notably, he was the host of a reworked
Saturday Night five-hour block, updated with 70s music.
“Ladies & Gentlemen, The Beatles!”
CBS 3Q earns beats views, revenue comes up short
The New York-based company said ad revenue fell 3 percent
due to poor results from CBS Radio and the impact of having programs pre-empted
by the Republican and Democratic national conventions. Viewer attention was
also drawn away by the London Olympics on NBC.
Joe Breezy Gone From Wild In Atlanta
Joe Breezy, afternoon host and assistant program director at
Wild 105.7/96.7, is out.
Obama wins with backing from biggest supporters – the media
It was a big win for President Obama on Tuesday night. Exit
polls had him scoring lots of minority votes – African-Americans again voted in
huge numbers for the first black president. But the political bloc that most
helped push Obama to reelection was the American media.
Pandora reports increased usage for October
Pandora Media Inc. P -1.90%
said more listeners tuned in to its online radio service and listened to
more hours of music in October from a year ago, a trend that will continue to
push royalty costs higher for the still unprofitable music-streaming business.
Wednesday 11/07/12
All Access Power Player Interview
Galaxy Communications Pres./CEO Ed Levine. Owner of clusters in Syracuse and Utica, NY,
Levine is doing just fine going up against the big boys - even in this
economically-challenged business climate. By staying true to his core beliefs,
Levine believes his stations will continue to survive and prosper. In a brief excerpt, Levine calls the Arbitron
PPM ‘a giant scam’
“Yet the PPM has been a gigantic waste of money at a time in history when the radio industry could least afford it. The bottom line is that the Arbitron guys did a much better selling job than the radio CEOs did in questioning it - and many of them are no longer in the business, leaving everyone else with the bill. Mind you, most of the Arbitron guys who were key in deploying this technology all cashed out and left the company with huge bonuses tied to its implementation. I believe the PPM has been a giant scam inflicted upon the radio industry.”
WFMU-FM still struggling to recover from Hurricane Sandy
Ever since the evening of Oct. 29, there’s been nothing but
static at 91.1 FM.
WFMU, New Jersey’s much-loved free-form radio station, took
a haymaker from Hurricane Sandy. The not-for-profit station, which depends on
donations, has been off the air ever since the storm.
Man uses Internet radio to spread community news
Internet radio is like the technology-savvy version of an
old variety show, where anyone brave enough to put their talents on display
might have a platform. There was no guarantee then, as now, that someone won’t
throw tomatoes. But at least on WEINetwork.com, the Royal Palm Beach Internet
radio station run and good-humoredly presided over by Peter Wein, the tomatoes
can’t hit you.
Evening news ratings jump with superstorm coverage
Superstorm Sandy was a boon for the television network
evening newscasts, most prominently for Brian Williams and NBC's "Nightly
News."
Broadcasters light up their boards on Election Night
High-tech paired with subdued election calls as the evening
unfolded.
Tuesday 11/06/12
Cousin Brucie Recalls His Brooklyn Roots
With apologies to Joe Causi, Cousin “Brucie” Morrow is the
original “Brooklyn’s own.” The legendary air personality is remembered fondly
by the last generation (or two) for his years at WINS, WABC, WNBC, and WCBS-FM.
Today, Morrow maintains a radio presence with his Saturday night show on
SiriusXM.
Pandora: Everything Is Riding On The Internet Radio Fairness
Act
Opinion: Pandora is a
company with a flawed business model and increasing competition.
Dizzying array of TV, media options available Election Night
Americans have an array of alternatives for following
returns on Tuesday night. Television news divisions are throwing everything
they have into the story, and second-screen options are abounding.
Monday 11/05/12
Does Radio Really Need A Makeover?
Recently, Clear Channel CEO Bob Pittman was featured in the Wall Street Journal. Pittman has been using every speaking opportunity to promote radio, tout its strengths and convince advertisers radio is still very relevant in the lives of consumers. Whether Clear Channel pitched the story to the Journal or they came knocking on his door doesn't really matter. He was featured. Radio was the topic. And Pittman stayed on point, letting the writer know listeners never deserted radio. The WSJ headline "Pittman Envisions New Life For Radio" apparently did not sit particularly well with everyone in the industry, including Northern Broadcast General Manager Charlie Ferguson who says radio doesn't need a makeover. We'll let you decide what to make of Ferguson's points.
Under The Radar
Last week, Politico’s Josh Gerstein wrote a great piece
about how radio has become the stealth weapon in this presidential
campaign. Both the Obama and Romney
teams have increasingly turned to radio in the late innings for a variety of
strategic and tactical reasons as each side anticipates a big win tomorrow.
Gerstein’s article is a sales piece for every radio station
in America ,
especially during the next campaign cycle where radio will hopefully be even
more proactive in securing advertising dollars nationally, statewide, and in local
markets.
Ad Dollars Follow Sandy to Weather Channel
New digital products attract sponsors
Study: News-Talk listeners most scan-averse
A new study of P1 listeners may help explain why recently
launched all-news stations are having a difficult time gaining ratings
traction. On the flipside, urban
programmers battle most scan-happy listeners of any format.
INSIDE RADIO
Opinion: Wave Goodbye
To The Obama Media
By tomorrow night we’ll likely know the name of the next
president. But we already know the loser in this election cycle: political
reporters. They’ve disgraced themselves.
Conservatives have long complained about liberal bias in the
media, and with some justification. But it has finally reached the tipping
point. Not in our lifetimes have so many in the press dropped the pretense of
objectivity in order to help a political candidate.
The media are rooting for Barack Obama. They’re not hiding
it.
Friday 11/02/12
So Far, Clear Channel’s Digital Strategy Is Breaking Even
The digital future is coming to radio, eventually.
For now, Internet radio still represents a small portion of
the radio listening audience. And, according to the latest earnings report from
Clear Channel Communications, a radio giant that has been moving aggressively
into the streaming world, its value is still unclear.
News/talk squeezing ratings juice from election
From Los Angeles to the Midwest to the nation’s capital, news/talkers increased their 6+ shares in Arbitron’s October PPM survey, which covered the period from September 13-October 10 when interest in the election was building. The uplift follows a less than spectacular September survey for many stations that typically get a shot in the arm in the fall of an election year.
While significant parts of
Radio: The Other Air War
A torrent of ads is flooding TV sets in the final days of
Election 2012 -- and fact-checkers, reporters and pundits are poring over
nearly every one. But there's another, less-noticed air war. Barack Obama, Mitt Romney and their allies have also
unleashed a flood of radio ads, which usually get little scrutiny. Yet industry
insiders say the radio spots actually could be more influential at this late
stage, as the eyes of swing-state voters glaze over after months of
near-constant television ads.
Steady Subscriber Growth Propels Profit at Sirius XM
Mel Karmazin, the chief executive of Sirius XM Radio, sounded as though he could not wait to jump on the line during the company’s quarterly earnings conference call on Thursday morning.
The Weather Channel Network Taps New President
The Weather Channel Network, the TV arm of what is now
called The Weather Company, has tapped David Clark as President.
Thursday 11/01/12
Rival becomes rescuer for Atlantic City FM.
From Hurricane Katrina to the tornadoes that tore through
the South last year, broadcaster helping broadcaster during an emergency has
become the norm. This week in the Northeast that has held true for stations hit
by Hurricane Sandy.
Q100’s Bert Weiss Upset With New Rival
WWWQ /Q100’s Bert Weiss told his Atlanta radio listeners he was deeply upset with one of his best
friends, who didn’t tell Weiss he’d be competing against him on morning radio.
RODNEY HO/ATLANTA CONSTITUTION
Analyst: Hurricane Sandy to Cost Ad Industry $500 Million
The climate for growth among U.S. ad companies had already
been looking stormy for the second half of 2012, and now, Hurricane Sandy is
leading to a worsened outlook.
AD AGE
How The Weather Channel Moves Streaming To Next Generation
Of Data TV
Although devastation caused by the "superstorm"
Sandy put data and technology to the test Monday and Tuesday, The Weather
Channel took the opportunity to move the traditional broadcast model online.
Not with video clips, but around-the-clock live-streaming, YouTube coverage of
storm-related events.
While The Weather Channel media managers touted the
network's ability to keep people informed and prepared, the move to stream live
video on mobile devices at a time when power outages threatened to shut down
the East Coast will do more in the long run than attract new viewers.
Wednesday 10/31/12
Sabo Cites CHR For Best Storm Coverage
Sabo Media CEO Walter Sabo checked in from his home in NYC —
where he and his family have been stranded without power or utilities since
yesterday — to give his professional opinion on that question and offer major
props to Clear Channel CHR Z-100 (WHTZ). Listen Here.
Radio Helped
Listeners Prepare for Sandy
Storms like Sandy ,
which made landfall Monday event, are when radio stations with a commitment to
local service can really shine.
Sandy Will Help FM
Chip Campaign
Hurricane Sandy may prove to
be another national episode that states the case that radio should be a
permanent icon on every cell phone sold in America . When the Director of FEMA
admits cell phones and the Internet are not 100% reliable when a natural
disaster strikes, and advises citizens to listen to radio, even the staunchest
critic of the chip has to take note.
Sandy Knocks Out 25% Cell Towers Serving 10 States
Hurricane Sandy knocked out a quarter of the cell towers in
an area spreading across 10 states, and the situation could get worse, federal
regulators said Tuesday.
Tuesday 10/30/12
Media companies and advertisers batten down hatches for spike in audiences, online visitors
One of the biggest beneficiaries of the brisk online traffic
was The Weather Channel, which began streaming its television feed live on
YouTube and on its own website late Sunday night.
October PPM Analysis: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago
All Access presents September PPM market highlights. All numbers reflect subscriber only data.
Monday 10/29/12
Stations brace for “Frankenstorm” arrival.
From Virginia to New England, broadcasters are gearing up
for what forecasts say could the biggest hurricane to strike the Northeast in
decades. Hurricane Sandy is massive
and her impact being felt across much of the region. More than two dozen markets may eventually
feel Sandy’s impact.
Can You Do A Show Like Taylor Swift?
On any number of levels it’s hard not to be incredibly
impressed with Taylor Swift.
But watching her at the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York do a
‘Live on Letterman' segment Tuesday night, I was way beyond impressed. 'Wowed'
wouldn't be too much.
Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame inducts 9
The newest Bay Area Radio Hall of Famers: Stan Burford
(left), Tony Salvadore, Alice Potter (front), Bob Melrose, Susan Leigh Taylor,
Steven Seaweed, Chuck Waltman and Ted Robinson. The absent Greg Kihn sent a
video.
Think Like A Consumer
These days, we’re all engaging in content marketing. That’s the essence of this blog. You’ll notice no advertising along the columns or at the top of today’s post. That’s because our blog’s goal has never had anything to do with increasing revenue – directly. JacoBLOG – and a lot of the social and digital activity that companies generate – has more to do with engagement and brand building. I am not alone.
FRED JACOBS
Weird Al Yankovic on How To Make A Great Parody
Weird Al Yankovic has been putting out albums for longer than some of his fans have been alive. Now with a new book out, pop culture’s top parodist schools YouTube satirical songsmiths on how it’s done.
CO.CREATE
Friday 10/26/2012
Sports Radio Goes Deep
Two biggest trends in-motion in Talk Radio right now: The Sports format is spreading intra-market;
and, increasingly, even intra-cluster.
Snapshot:
Sports flips are now leading the FM Talk migration.
By January there will be FIVE national longform networks.
Increasingly, there are multiple Sports stations under one
roof.
Often, FMs get the A-team & AMs get network longform or
ESPN Deportes
AM/FM Talk simulcasts will split: Talk to FM, Sports on AM.
HOLLAND COOKE (subscription)
Christian radio listeners most format faithful. INSIDE RADIO
Is Atlanta’s 99X
truly dead? Or in hibernation? RODNEY HO
Campaigns deploy radio ads to gin up base voters. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thursday 10/25/2012
Radio in the Northeast Should Prepare for a Potential Perfect Storm.
Howard B. Price of ABC News urges broadcasters in the
Northeast to learn the lessons of two radio group operators, who faced serious
operational challenges following the EF-5 tornado that leveled a third of
Joplin, MO in May 2011, and Hurricane Irene in August 2011, whose impact was
felt across the Northeast for days. RADIO INFO
Arbitron steps closer to web radio ratings
It’s been more than a year since Arbitron first said it
planned to roll out a web radio ratings product that would measure radio’s
on-air and online audiences. That product, in development since December 2010,
has taken another step forward with the company putting what it calls
“prototype reports” into customer hands. INSIDE RADIO
Internet Radio Fairness Coalition Launches
A wide spectrum of organizations, ranging from Internet
radio services to broadcast radio companies and groups concerned about the
future of the Internet radio industry, have come together to create the Internet
Radio Fairness Coalition. ALL ACCESS
You Are What You Tweet
Back in the day, it took a little time for a radio announcer
to say something really stupid that lead to an eventual firing. These days, you
can be gone in an instant thanks to social media. Scott Torgeson found that out
when he tweeted something he was thinking, most likely before he thought about
it too much.
Beware the ‘Commercial Cliff’
The spot load on some radio stations continues to
swell. But how much is too much? At what point will audiences and advertisers
decide to take their listening and their business, respectively, elsewhere?
MARK RAMSEY
Top 20 songs to put on while having sex
2,000 people in the U.K. between the ages of 18 and 91 –
with a fairly equal distribution between men and women – wilfully participated
in the “Science Behind the Song” study conducted by London music psychologist
Daniel Mullensiefen, revealing the top 20 songs to play for just about every
sexual innuendo. MICHAEL MacDONALD AT O.CANADA.COM
“Nashville” needs a push.
JAYE ALBRIGHT
Test Messaging vs. Phone Calls as part of your radio
programming. DAN O’DAY
Wednesday 10/24/2012
- The most impressive statement to come out of Apple's new product unveiling event was from CEO Tim Cook in reference to the growth of iPad: “We are not taking our foot off the gas.” FRED JACOBS BLOG
- Radio’s finding new ways to use PPM. INSIDE RADIO
- Smart-Phone: Radio Salvation or Another Nail in Coffin? RICHARD HARKER, RADIO INSIGHTS
- Mel, Malone & the Death of SiriusXm. Mel Karmazin is leaving. John Malone is taking over SiriusXM.And satellite radio as we have come to know it is over. JERRY DEL CALLIANO (Subscription)
- TAYLOR SWIFT'S 'RED' TO SELL 1 MILLION IN FIRST WEEK: Taylor Swift is poised to become the first female artist in the Nielsen SoundScan era (1991 to present) to have two albums sell more than a million units in a single week. According to industry sources, the album's first-day sales passed 500,000, including a record first-day sum at Target, which has exclusive rights to a deluxe version and sold more than 160,000. BILLBOARD
- Arbitron Q3 Revenue Jumps over 8% RADIO INK
- President Obama to take questions in a live MTV Special. Lisa de Moraes WASHINGTON POST
- Exploring "on demand attitude" Eric Deggans, TAMPA BAY TIMES
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