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Saturday, March 23, 2013

Saturday Aircheck: KILT-AM Houston 1977

Aircheck from 1977 with Beau Weaver and Sheila Mayhew on Houston's then powerhouse top 40 radio station, KILT AM 610.


Friday, March 22, 2013

Consumers Not Yet Sold on “TV Anywhere”

Most pay TV subscribers in North America have no concrete cord-cutting plans, at least for now, according to a February 2013 study by video discovery platform DigitalSmiths.

eMarketer.com reports just 4% planned to cut cable or satellite service in 2013, and a relatively minor 1.3% planned to abandon pay TV altogether for an online app or rental service. That being said, a sizeable 28.1% said their plans were still up in the air.


Customers reported being more satisfied than not with their TV packages. According to the study, over half were “satisfied” and about one-quarter were “very satisfied.” Still, a solid one out of five respondents reported that they were “unsatisfied.” The biggest cause of dissatisfaction: rising fees.

But the study also called attention to the extent that TV providers are contending more and more with the additional screens that are popping up in households. In Q1 2013, 33.4% of respondents said their household owned a tablet, up from 28.6% in the previous quarter.

Can cable and satellite providers hold customers’ interest on these new devices and offer a service that makes pay TV subscriptions more valuable? The jury is still out.

According to eMarketer.com, Digitalsmiths found that 26% of respondents with tablets had downloaded their service provider’s tablet app. But even of those who had downloaded the app, only 18% said they’d used it, suggesting that consumers still have not integrated it into their routines. However, some who have begun using the app are clearly addicted; 6% of respondents said they used their pay TV app every day.



Ratings: More Good News for Country

Austin: Clear channels KASE is steady 10.2-10.1, while Clear Channel’s other country station moves 2.1-3.0.  CCM+E’s Top 40 KHFI is off a bit 11.0-10.3, but still #1 6+

Note: KHFI’s former morning Bobby Bones Show is now country-fied, synidcated and airing on KASE.

Milwaukee: CCM+E’s WMIL moves 9.0-9.7, good for #1.

Indianapolis:  Country is 1-2  Cumulus’ WFMS nudges 8.2-8.6. “Hank”, Emmis’ WLHK #1 7.9-8.1.

Nashville:  Cumulus WKDF 5.2-6.2. Clear Channel’s WSIX 4.5-5.0. Cumulus’ WSM-FM is off 5.5-4.8. 

PPMs were released yesterday for Austin, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Raleigh, Providence, Norfolk, Nashville, Greensboro, NC, West Palm, Jacksonville, Memphis and Hartford. Click Here.

As Expected, Genachowski Resigns FCC Chair

UPDATE 3/22/2013 10AM:  Julius Genachowski, the Federal Communications Commission chairman since June 2009, who set out ambitious plans to expand broadband Internet service throughout the country and to free up additional airwaves for sale to mobile phone companies, said Friday that he would leave the commission “in the coming weeks.”

No successor has been named, according to nytimes.com. Genachowski’s departure, on the heels of the resignation earlier this week of Robert M. McDowell, a Republican commissioner since 2006, will leave the agency with only three of five board spots filled, although Democrats will retain a 2-to-1 majority.

READ CHAIRMAN GENACHOWSKI'S REMARKS:  Scroll below

The decision brings to an end a tumultuous term that has seen bruising battles over the openness of the Internet to the reform of the nation's major telephone subsidy.

The decision to resign has been expected for months. The Democrat’s decision would come in the same week that senior GOP Commissioner Robert McDowell announced his plan to leave.

Nominations for critical agencies like the FCC are often paired, making it easier to get the confirmation through the Senate if there is one Republican and one Democrat.

Genachowski took over as chairman in 2009 and pushed the agency to look at telecommunications differently with broadband supplanting old technologies like broadcasting and telephone service.

He managed to win approval for the first major overhaul of the Universal Service Fund, pushed through controversial network neutrality rules and popularized the idea of an incentive auction that would move some TV broadcasters off their channels and open them up for advanced, high-speed services.

Genachowski also oversaw a series of telecommunications deals that helped reshape the landscape. The Comcast/NBC-Universal deal was approved by the FCC on his watch, as was a deal that allowed Verizon to purchase the wireless licenses held by a consortium of cable companies. Most recently, the commission approved the deal that allowed T-Mobile to buy a controlling stake in MetroPCS.

He also pushed the commission to kill AT&T's attempt to buy T-Mobile despite GOP objections.



NRB President Frank Wright Announces Resignation

Dr. Frank Wright
National Religious Broadcasters President & CEO Dr. Frank Wright announced that he will be stepping down from his position in October, completing a decade of service for the Christian association, according to the Christian Post.

"I have prayerfully concluded that my season of service at NRB is drawing to a close," Dr. Wright said in a letter to NRB Board Chairman Richard P. Bott II. "Accordingly, I do hereby resign my position as president and CEO of NRB, effective October 4, 2013."

Bott accepted the resignation and expressed appreciation for Dr. Wright's "dedicated service" during his 10 years as president. Wright had been unanimously selected by the NRB Executive Committee back at the NRB 2003 Convention & Exposition.

"We especially appreciate the top-notch team of dedicated professionals he has assembled to do the work of NRB, serve our membership and protect religious free speech on Capitol Hill," Bott said.

The NRB chairman revealed that a search committee comprised of NRB Board of Directors and Executive Committee members will be established to discuss candidates to succeed Wright.

Chicago Ratings: A Look At 25-54 Numbers

The Arbitron ratings for the Chicago radio market for the February period -- which covers the dates of 01/31/13-02/27/13 -- were released on Monday. Chicago Radio & Media again provides a terrific study of the Chicago ratings for the demographics of Persons 6+ (All Ages), Persons 25-54, and Persons 18-34, along with quick looks at some key stories.

Looking now at the highly-desired demographic (by advertisers, and therefore station owners) of Persons ages 25-54...

In the overall numbers (Monday-Sunday 6:00am-Midnight), WTMX-FM remains in first place, adding 1.0 share to the 1.6 share increase from January to a massive 7.2 share in this important demographic -- the station's highest share since 2011. Second place goes to WVAZ-FM, with a 5.6 share. Jumping up to #3 from #6 is WKSC-FM, now with a 4.4 share. WGCI-FM jumps even more, from #10 to #4, increasing its share by .5 to 4.1. Tied for fifth place are sister-stations WBBM-AM and WBBM-FM, each with 4.0 share. In four weeks time, WBBM-AM increased by .6 share and WBBM-FM increased by .5 share.

Hit radio stations had their best month since last summer, with WKSC-FM, WBBM-FM, WGCI-FM, and WTMX-FM each seeing decent increases. The only hit music station having an off month was WUSN-FM, which slipped .6 share.

Besides WUSN-FM, there are a few other notable decreases for the February ratings period. WDRV-FM/WWDV-FM had an unusually large 1.0 share drop here in their target demographic, knocking it out of the Top 10. The station (or its competition) did nothing unusual or different in the February period to explain the decrease.

Two Regional Mexican radio stations saw decreases: WOJO-FM slipped down by .8 share and WLEY-FM fell by .5 share. With the football season over, both of Chicago's full-time sports stations, WSCR-AM and WMVP-AM fell by .6 share each.

In the Classic Hits format battle between WLS-FM and WJMK-FM, K-Hits continues to win in this demo. WJMK-FM/104.3 K-Hits increased its share by .2 in the February period, now sitting at a 2.9 share, good enough for a tie at #14. WLS-FM also increased by a .2 share, but only has a 2.2 share now and sits at a tie for #20. In comparison, for the February 2012 ratings period, WLS-FM had a 3.9 share and was tied at #9, while WJMK-FM was #21 with a 2.2 share. In 2013, these two stations seem to be on opposite paths for the Persons 25-54 demographic.

Read More Now


Ratings data © Copyright 2013 Arbitron Inc.

Mike Shannon Cutting Back On Cards’ Games

Mike Shannon
Mike Shannon is about to enter his 43rd season in the Cardinals’ radio booth. He is starting his 56th year working for the team (as a player, a member of the promotions department and as an announcer). And he turns 74 in July.

So not surprisingly, writes Dan Caesar at stltoday.com,  he is cutting back a bit in his broadcast schedule this season.

He had been taking off about 15 games in recent seasons, but that number is set to roughly double this year. Cardinals senior vice president Dan Farrell, who oversees the team’s broadcast operations, said most — if not all — absences will be for road games and primarily on three-city trips beginning with one in mid-April. Shannon is set to miss either part or all of those long voyages.

A reduced schedule is something common among long-tenured baseball broadcasters. Jack Buck, Shannon’s partner before Buck died in 2002, dropped almost all road assignments at age 70. Legendary Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully, 85, long ago stopped calling games east of the Rockies.

St. Louis Radio: KXFN Host Passes Out During Show

Thursday was an unusually busy day for sports-talk radio, with the NCAA Tournament ramping up in full force all day in addition to the regular heavy load of athletic activities that occur every March. But things quickly turned from the comparatively trivial jock-jabbering to a scary health situation at KXFN 1380 AM when afternoon drive-time program co-host Jeff Gordon passed out while on the air shortly after the show signed on at 3 p.m.

Gordon, who is a sports columnist for stltoday.com, and partner Brian McKenna were broadcasting from Bruno’s American Grill, when Gordon became ill and fainted.

“It was really frightening,’’ McKenna told Dan Caesar at stltoday.com. “He wasn’t feeling well all day but he wasn’t vomiting and I don’t think he had a fever. But he was dehydrated . . . It was such an important day to be on the air, but I said, ‘Gordo, why don’t you just go home? He said, ‘No no, I feel fine.’ But toward the end of the first segment he started getting white. He looked at me, he put his hand up like 'I can’t do this right now.’ He put his head on his laptop (computer) and the next thing I know he went to his left and he blacked out. He hit the (floor), he was on his back.’’

A Brentwood firefighter and emergency medical technician was in the building and got Gordon on his feet.

Gordon was given some fluids and food, and after sitting up for about an hour was able to go home.

Early Thursday night, Gordon said he was feeling better.

“It was an after-affect of either the flu or some food poisoning,’’ he said. “I just suddenly had a blackout there, was able to shake it off and get home.’’

Yuma Radio: Russ Clark Quits KBLU

Russ Clark
A popular news/talk radio show host surprised his listeners when he suddenly announced his resignation live, on-air.

Russ Clark who had a show on KBLU 560 AM quit after 10 years of being with the station. Clark says the show is moving to crosstown KCYK-A Outlaw Country 1400 AM starting April Fool’s Day.

Clark tells KSWT News 13 that management wanted him to take the show in a different direction. They wanted less opinion and more news.

Clark says his on-air resignation wasn't personal, it was a business decision.

Drones Expected to Replace TV New Choppers

TV's eyes in the sky have been around for decades and are often indispensible for covering news scenes.

On the horizon (figuratively, if not literally) are drones that do the same thing.

One is available now for $400,000, and Mike Cavender, executive director of the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), CBS News it -- or something like it -- will probably catch on.

"The ability to put a camera, if you will, high above a news event or a situation for which you want coverage, at minimal expense, when you compare it to a live, staffed helicopter, I think that's a potentially tremendous advantage for a news station," Cavendar told CBS Station KYW.

Vincent Duffy, chairman of the RTDNA, wrote in a blog post earlier this week that drones are the latest "must-have toys" for a newsroom, while recognizing that certain ethical issues remain regarding their use.

Upstate NY Shootings Unite Media Personalities

Just a little over a week since the Utica-Rome, NY market was jolted by a deadly shooting rampage, an unprecedented effort by local broadcasters.  According to cnyradio.com, Journalists and radio personalities set competition aside to help raise money for community organizations that are helping victims of the horrific events of March 13.

Broadcasters from several local stations gathered to videotape a series of public service announcements, encouraging residents to donate to a special “Valley Support Fund” which has been established, to help the aforementioned organizations.


From left, NewsChannel 2 (WKTV) anchors Kristen Copeland and Don Shipman, 950 WIBX anchor Kristine Bellino, Kiss-FM (WSKS/WSKU) morning host Gary “Big Poppa” Spears, WIBX morning host Bill Keeler, 92.7 The Drive (WXUR) afternoon host Genesee Joe Trisolino, WUTR/WFXV anchor Elsa Gillis, 100.7 WUTQ talk host Mark Piersma, and WUTR/WFXV anchor/news director Joe Parker.

The group gathered at the WUTR/WFXV studios on Smith Hill on Wednesday, to record a series of PSAs.

Report: Woods-Vonn PR Match Made In Heaven


Tiger Woods’ relationship with Lindsey Vonn may not be all that it seems. Sources tell nypost.com their announcement that they are dating “was a carefully crafted p.r. move.”

Woods, 37, and Vonn, 28, confirmed Monday on their Facebook pages that they are seeing each other, then asked for privacy because they want to live, in Woods’ words, “as an ordinary couple.”

He wrote, “Lindsey and I have been friends for some time, but over the last few months we have become very close and are now dating. We thank you for your support and for respecting our privacy. We want to continue our relationship, privately, as an ordinary couple and continue to compete as athletes.”

Their carefully orchestrated announcement was accompanied by a set of cozy pictures that would slot in perfectly at People magazine.

But a source tells The Post, “Actually it is a match made in marketing heaven. It immediately makes him more sympathetic, and makes Vonn a household name as she reaches a crucial point in her skiing career, the 2014 Winter Olympics. They know the sponsors are watching.”

Read More Now

R.I.P.: Ed Schumacher, WTUZ New Philadelphia, OH

Ed Shumacher
Ed Schumacher was all the things that you don’t think of in a radio personality — but he was everything that one expects from a community leader. The owner of WTUZ 99.9 FM in New Philadelphia died of cancer Wednesday at age 60.

“Ed was very humble; he preferred to be behind the scenes — which is strange for someone in show business — and was much more comfortable letting others take credit for what he did,” Carey Gardner, a former co-worker at WJER Radio in Dover told the times-reporter.com.

Although those who knew him said unanimously he did his best to escape the spotlight, Gardner fondly recalls once when he couldn’t. The Tuscarawas County Chamber of Commerce honored WTUZ as its 2006 Small Business of the Year.

“He had to be there to accept the award, but he had his mother and all of his employees there,” he said. “I know he was very proud of that. It was recognition from his business peers and an affirmation that he’d made it. He had to be there and accept the applause and the spotlight. I had a lot of fun just watching him.”

Schumacher also was president and general manager, and the full-time staff at WTUZ grew from five originally to 19 in 2006.  WTUZ also received the prestigious 2009 National Association of Broadcasters Crystal Radio Award for community service.

Read More Now

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Orlando Ratings: WOMX #1, WPOZ Scores Four

Orlando’s PPMs again are topped by CBS Radio’s HotAC WOMX Mix 105.1.

The station nudged 9.2-9.1

Interesting is the performance of the Central Florida Educational Foundation’s non-com Christian music station WPOZ.  Z88.3 was off a bit 8.5-7.3, but still good for a tie at #2 with Cox Media’s Uurban AC WCFB Star 94.5 FM .

WPOZ’s Christian Urban Hot 95.9 HD2/translator dual broadcast nudged up 0.6-0.8 And it’s Christian Rock ‘The Rock’ HD3 was steady at 0.5 and WPOZ’s stream showed with 0.1 share.


Other PPM Markets released Wednesday include: Portland, Charlotte, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, San Antonio, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Kansas City and ColumbusClick Here.

Baltimore/DC Radio: Country’s Michael J Recovering

Michael J
WPOC Baltimore and WMZQ Washington country air personality Michael J is recovering from a hemicolonectomy performed Wednesday.

As he posted on his station website Wednesday:

Could be 1-a ruptured appendix, 2-could be Crohn's disease or 3- could be cancer.
Obviously, this is the first time in my life, I've ever hoped for an appendicitis. I'm confused because I haven't experienced the symptoms that we hear about that come with appendicitis but apparently it's possible and happens occasionally in men. What I have had is bleeding where I shouldn't be and other irregularities!

Last night Michael J got good news from his doctor and found out about the results of my surgery NO CANCER!

Today, Michael posted good news on Facebook:
I had a congenital birth defect called Meckel's Diverticulum until yesterday. Along with my appendix, (which Doc said was abnomal and scarred), this bleeding tissue was romoved. Happy to report there is a little less 'junk in my trunk tonight'! Thank you so much for you sweet thoughts and prayers over the past several days. Now I can plan to return as soon as I am able to get out of this motorized hospital bed on or about April 15th. 
Remember, this all started with my colonoscopy. Did you call your Dr. to set up yours yet?
Best,Mj
He’s expected to remain in the hospital until April April 15 and if all goes well back-on the radio shortly thereafter.

Fallon Replacing Leno Talk Heats Up

Report 'Tonight Show' Moving to N.Y.


The recent talk that NBC is set to replace Jay Leno as host of The Tonight Show with Late Night's Jimmy Fallon is heating up, with the newest reports out yesterday (March 20th) saying the network also plans to move the show from L.A. to New York, where it began six decades ago before moving out to California in 1972, 10 years into Johnny Carson's 30-year tenure.


NBC confirmed Wednesday that it's building a new studio for Fallon in New York, where he hosts Late Night.   But it didn't comment on the New York Times report that the studio may become home to a Fallon-hosted Tonight Show.

Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter said yesterday that Fallon has contacted Leno in an effort to help smooth the potential succession. Leno's Tonight Show contract expires in September 2014, but The Hollywood Reporter story says some at NBC are eyeing a Fallon takeover as early as next February, to take advantage of the promotional platform of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

In a Fallon cover story for the April issue of GQ, Late Night executive produce Lorne Michaels seemingly confirmed the transition, stating, "I'm not allowed to say it -- yet. But I think there's an inevitability to it. [Fallon's] the closest to Carson that I've seen of this generation."


Report: ‘Tonight’ Show Returning To Its Roots

A move to New York would return “Tonight” to its roots, after an absence of more than four decades, according to a story by Bill Carterat nytimes.com.

Beginning in 1954, it was broadcast every evening from Manhattan, first from the Hudson Theater with Mr. Allen as host, followed by Jack Paar and Johnny Carson, both of whom worked at 30 Rockefeller. But in 1972, Mr. Carson, looking for easier access to Hollywood guests, as well as a different lifestyle, moved the show permanently to Burbank.

Fallon now occupies the studio where Mr. Carson was working in the 1960s and early 1970s. His “Late Night” show is broadcast at 12:35 a.m. Eastern time, after Leno on “Tonight.”

A New York “Tonight Show” will join a metropolitan landscape already filled with late-night comedy programs, including “Late Show With David Letterman” on CBS and shows featuring Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central. One lingering question is what NBC will do with its “Late Night” franchise, which has always been based in New York.

O’Brien hosted that program before Fallon, and it had been speculated before his ascension to “Tonight” that he might try to keep working in New York, where he had thrived. But at the time, NBC insisted “Tonight” had become a Hollywood-centric show and needed to stay in California.

Fallon has quickly impressed NBC’s new management under Comcast, and his succession has been widely expected for at least a year. The only question has been when.

NBC Sport Radio Adds Brian Kenny

Brian Kenny
NBC Sports Radio announced today that Brian Kenny, MLB Network and Showtime host, and formerly of ESPN, will host The Brian Kenny Show in the 9am-12n ET Monday-Friday slot, as the network completes its roster and rolls out 24/7 sports talk programming on Monday, April 1st.


Kenny will go one-on-one with some of the biggest names in sports. Additionally known for his adept skill as a “numbers cruncher,” he will also go beyond the scores and delve into the data, breaking down the analytics of the games.

A 25-year national television and radio veteran, Kenny hosts the popular Clubhouse Confidential on MLB Network and covers boxing for Showtime. Kenny formerly hosted The Brian Kenny Show on ESPN Radio. He also anchored SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight, and called play-by-play for ESPN's Wednesday Night Baseball and the World Baseball Classic. Kenny was named "Media Personality of the Year" by SI.com in 2004.

Brian Kenny says, “I'm thrilled to be joining the team at NBC Sports Radio and Dial Global and I am excited to be back on the airwaves.

We look forward to building a show that fosters intelligent sports conversation with in-depth analysis. It's going to be a blast."

NBC Sports Radio is launching 24/7 talk programming on April 1, 2013:

Weekday (Monday-Friday) Lineup
6am-9am, ET The Erik Kuselias Show
9am-12n, ET The Brian Kenny Show
12n-3pm, ET Voices of the Game with Newy Scruggs
3pm-7pm, ET Under Center with McNabb & Malone
7pm-10pm, ET The Jon Stashower Show
10pm-1am, ET Amani & Eytan
1am-6am, ET The Dan Schwartzman Show

NBC Sports Radio is a joint venture between NBC Sports Group and Dial Global.
To listen live or to find a station, visit www.nbcsportsradio.com.

Report: Michael Baisden Locked-Out At Cumulus Studio

Michael Baisden
Nationally syndicated afternoon radio host Michael Baisden, heard in Atlanta on Radio One’s  WAMJ-FM Majic 107.5/97.5, tweeted Wednesday morning that he is leaving radio.

His final day is next Friday, March 29.  Based on his commentary below, it's clear he couldn't come to agreement with his syndication company Cumulus and the departure is not  voluntary.

According to media writer Rodney Ho at ajc.com,  Cumulus was upset Baisden released information about his pending departure before negotiations were over, which is why they locked him out of his studios.

Baisden, an author and speaker who loves talking about relationships during his afternoon show, has been hosting a radio show since 2003.

He was first heard on Atlanta radio on what was then known as Grown Folks 102.5, which was an interesting amalgam of R&B and talk. He migrated to Majic in 2009 when Radio One dropped smooth jazz at 107.5.


Baisden leaving creates a potential opening for Frank Ski, who left V-103 because CBS couldn't provide him a syndicated show. Ski is currently pitching a syndicated show.

Baisden is one ingredient why R&B station Majic is doing so well. It's currently ranked No. 2 in listeners in Atlanta, only behind V-103.  In February, it drew a 7.7 share, its best month ever in its history. A year ago, its share was 5.4.

DC Area Radio: Hubbard Ends The Fed Simulcast On 820 AM

Hubbard Broadcasting is flipping it’s 820 AM signal licensed to Fredrick, Maryland to an eclectic music format The Gamut.

The outlet is dropping its simulcast of Federal News Radio, which remains on  WFED1500 AM and at federalnewsradio.com. The 820 signal will keep the WWFD call and continue to carry sports events, including the Capitals, Wizards, and Ravens, plus weekend paid programming, according to DCRTV.

The Gamut will also be heard on the HD Radio digital FM subchannels of all-newser WTOP's 103.5 and 107.7 signals.

The Gamut is described as a cross-section of music genres and features an array of recorded music types that span from pre-World War II to present day. The sampling of artists includes Boney M, Doris Day, Devo, Mumford And Sons, Scissor Sister, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash.

"Our hope is that by being on 820 AM listeners will sample The Gamut and then want to listen on our HD signal at 103.5-3 as well," says Joel Oxley, who heads Hubbard's DC radio cluster.

The format boasts an extensive 10,000 song library from WTOP engineer Dave Kolesar. Sam Brown is consulting.

Utica-Rome Radio: WODZ Shuffles Line-Up

Keith James
Even though it doesn’t look or feel like spring in Central New York, there’s been some “spring cleaning” on at least one local radio station.

According to cnyradio.com, Classic hits WODZ Oldiez 96.1 has shuffled its jock lineup.

Keith James jumps from weekends and fill-ins at the Townsquare Media cluster to weekday morning host for WODZ.  That allows programmer Davey Jones to slide to afternoons, the same air shift held by the programmers of the cluster’s other FM music stations, WLZW Lite 98.7  and WFRG Big Frog 104.

Jones’ move to afternoons bumps Kevin Quinn to the night shift.  That in turn, takes Alex Cooper off the weekday lineup, though we hear he’s got plenty of other duties in the building to keep him busy.

Middayer Chip Douglas remains unaffected by the changes.

In addition to the schedule shuffle, the station has rolled out a new collection of promos, imaging liners and jingles.

TV Distributors Slammed for Customer Service

Publix and Trader Joe’s earned the top two spots in the 2013Temkin Experience Ratings, as grocery chains and fast food chains earned 13 of the top 19 spots.

The Temkins Experience Research asked 10,000 U.S. consumers to rate their recent interactions with companies across three dimensions of their experience: functional, accessible, and emotional, using their responses to rate 246 companies across 19 industries.

Thirty-seven percent of companies received a “good” rating or better, an increase over 28% of companies in 2011 and 16% in 2010.

Grocery chains, fast food chains, parcel delivery services, and retailers earned the highest average scores while TV service providers, health plans, and Internet service providers earned the lowest.


Publix and Trader Joe’s have the highest functional ratings, Ace Hardware has the highest accessible rating, and Publix has the highest emotional rating. Wireless carriers improved the most and appliances declined the most since last year. Citibank, TriCare and TD Ameritrade made the biggest gains while Alamo and Budget lost the most ground.

"Bad customer experience is an ongoing epidemic in the TV services sector," states Bruce Temkin , managing partner of Temkin Group told mediapost.com. "Even the best firm in the industry is rated in the bottom third of all companies."

Temkin says Bright House Networks and Dish Network were tied for 166th out of all 246 companies in the ratings across industries -- lower rated than many companies in the parcel delivery service, grocery and fast -food industries. The two companies earned "okay" ratings.

At the opposite end of TV distributors, Temkin rates Time Warner Cable (244th place, tied with Days Inn ) and Charter Communications (239th place) with the lowest marks.

The ratings looked at 10 TV multichannel distributors -- AT&T (233rd place), Bright House Networks, Cablevision (182nd place, Charter Communications, Comcast (222nd), Cox Communications (232nd place), DirecTV (191st place), Dish Network, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon (222nd place).

Talk on Twitter Corresponds To Higher Ratings


In a classic "which came first, the chicken or the egg" scenario: more talk on Twitter and higher TV ratings, or is it quality TV and more talk on Twitter?

Whatever the case according to Dara Kerr at cnet.com, market research firm Nielsen has discovered that there is a correlation -- but not necessarily causation -- between Twitter and live TV ratings.

Using data from analytics platform SocialGuide, Nielsen found that 32 million unique people tweeted about TV in the U.S. in 2012. This may have led to Twitter being one of the top three variables aligned with TV ratings. The other two variables are prior-year rating and advertising spending.

"While prior-year rating accounts for the lion's share of the variability in TV ratings, Twitter's presence as a top three influencer tells us that Tweeting about live TV may affect program engagement," CEO of SocialGuide Andrew Somosi said in a statement. "We expected to see a correlation between Twitter and TV ratings, but this study quantifies the strength of that relationship."

The group with the strongest correlation is the 18 to 34 age group; Nielsen numbers show that an 8.5 percent increase in tweets corresponds to a 1 percent increase in TV ratings for season premieres. For midseason episodes, a 4.2 percent increase in tweets corresponds to a 1 percent increase in ratings. The 35 to 49 age group needed a 14 percent increase in tweets to get a 1 percent TV rating increase.

Tweeting about live TV may be increasing because people are using their tablets and smartphones more and more while watching television shows. According to a report by Forrester last year, 85 percent of U.S. tablet owners use their device while watching TV.

FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell To Resign

Robert McDowell
The Federal Communications Commission’s Robert McDowell announced during the panel’s open meeting Wednesday that he will resign his post in the coming weeks, but did not say what his future plans are.

McDowell, a Republican, has been serving a second term on the commission, having first been appointed in 2006. He was reappointed in 2009.

His resignation was expected, as the Washington Post reported, and many think it will pave the way for the resignation of FCC chairman Julius Genachowski, as McDowell’s resignation leaves Ajit Pai as the only Republican on the commission.

FCC chief counsel also to leave agency:  It was a day of turnover at the FCC, with the agency also announcing Wednesday that chief counsel Sherrese Smith will also be leaving the agency in the coming weeks. He is the last remaining member of chairman Genachowski’s original team of legal advisors.

In an e-mailed statement, Genachowski said that it would be difficult for him to say goodbye to Smith, and credited her with leading the agency’s work on the issues of bill shock, online posting of files and broadcast spectrum issues.

Smith has served as the agency’s general counsel since January 2012. She was once the vice president and general counsel of Washington Post Digital.

Report: How Digital Behavior Differs

While internet usage is nearly ubiquitous in the US, mobile phone and mobile internet usage are taking a far greater role in digital activity among consumers of all ages—and uptake is poised for further growth.

eMarketer estimates that overall, 75.7% of the population goes online at least monthly, and penetration is even higher among younger demographic groups.

Among Gen Xers, for example—defined as people born between 1965 and 1980—88.8% were monthly internet users as of December 2012, according to eMarketer estimates. Gen Xers are also highly connected on the go, with nearly 95% using mobile phones, and 60.3% of that group using smartphones. In 2012, 38.4 million Gen Xers, or 62.2% of Gen X mobile users, used the mobile internet at least monthly. That accounts for three in 10 mobile internet users in the US.

Former Minneapolis PD Talks About Brain Injury

For the first time, a former program director at KSTP-AM radio Minneapolis-St. Paul  is speaking out about his motorcycle accident and subsequent brain injury.

According to woodbury.kstp.com, three years ago Steve Konrad hit a mattress on I-94 that had fallen off a vehicle in front of him.

Had he not been wearing a helmet, doctors say he would have died.

He suffered a traumatic brain injury, was in a coma for months, and when he woke up had to learn to walk, talk, and eat again.




The Konrad's say brain injuries are misunderstood.

"It's not a physical injury that you can see, its mental, people say that's nothing, but it is, its really debilitating, " says Konrad. His wife Melodee says it's been tough, "He's not the same man that I married, I have to get used to that, he's a different man now with a brain injury."

Despite his injuries, Konrad says he has a positive attitude and is recovering better than doctors ever expected.

Infographic: What Happens Every Minute On The Internet?

The internet: it’s kind of a big deal.

According to a posting by Shea Bennett at mediabristro.com, it’s where stuff happens. Lots of stuff. Too much to count, in fact. Even when you break it right down – like, for example, looking at what happens online each and every minute of the day – the numbers are staggering.

For example, did you know that every 60 seconds on the internet:

  • 204 million emails are sent
  • $83,000 in sales are made on Amazon
  • 20 million photos are viewed on Flickr
  • 100,000 new tweets are published
  • 277,000 people login to Facebook
  • 2 million search queries are made on Google
  • 30 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube



Nat'l Recording Registry Adds Joplin, Simon & Garfunkel

Simon & Garfunkel
Musical performances by Janis Joplin, Chubby Checker, Simon & Garfunkel, Van Cliburn and The Ramones, as well as news reports recorded at the scene of the D-Day invasion and the first broadcast by a president from outer space, are among the recordings marked for preservation by the Library of Congress.

According to cbsnews.com, the Library Thursday named 25 audio recordings to be added to its National Recording Registry, a collection of sound recordings representative of America's cultural, artistic and historic treasures.

The registry contains commercial recordings of every music genre, as well as radio broadcasts, documentary and news recordings.

Among the latest additions to the Registry are: Chubby Checker's "The Twist"; Simon & Garfunkel's album "Sounds of Silence," recorded after a producer re-mixed a failed acoustic version of "The Sound of Silence" with electric guitar and drums to create a hit; "Cheap Thrills," Janis Joplin's second album with Big Brother and the Holding Company; and Pink Floyd's landmark 1973 album "The Dark Side of the Moon."

Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian of Congress -- with advice from the National Recording Preservation Board -- selects 25 recordings annually that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and are at least 10 years old.

This year marks the 11th anniversary of the registry, which now contains 375 recordings, including the earliest recorded sounds dating back to 1853.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

DC Ratings: WAMU Scores 6+ Win

Non-Com N/T WAMU moved 9.2-9.4 in the latest PPM Ratings for our nation’s capital.  Meanwhile Hubbard’s WTOP also was up 8.3-8.9.  Plus WTOP is #1 25-54 Total Week and during Drive Times. CBS Radio’s WNEW made some headway moving 1.3-1.5.

CCM+E’s AC WASH fell 10.8-6.4-5.6, since the Holiday book. WMAL now ranks #7 moving 3.3-4.3.


In Boston – CBS suits gotta be happy for some bad winter weather as  news/talk WBZ, moves 5.7-7.2.  CCM+E’s CHR “Kiss 108” WXKS-FM was up 7.3-7.7 WBZ ties at #1Greater Media’s AC “Magic” WMJX 7.9-7.2.


For more, plus PPM results in other markets, Click Here.

Report: IBiquity Says Pew HD Data Not Accurate

Pew Research concludes fewer stations aired an HD Radio signal in 2012, compared to 2011. (See original posting, Click Here)

In the audio component of the Pew Research Center State of the Media 2013 media consumption survey, researchers believe fewer stations, 2,048, were transmitting an HD Radio signal in 2012 compared to 2,103 the year before, citing BIA data and Pew’s own analysis. The researchers don’t detail whether those are main or multicast signals, nor why the number dropped.

But, iBiquity Digital says the Pew numbers aren’t accurate. “We believe we know the source of the data error and are working with BIA and Pew to try and correct” that, company President/CEO Bob Struble tells RadioWorld.

Bob Struble
IBiquity says on Dec. 31, 2011, 2,034 stations were on-air transmitting an HD Radio signal. That number increased to 2,048 in 2012. Struble says there’s actually been a net gain in stations broadcasting in HD since 2002; that’s when the first facilities in the initial seed markets went on the air.

Struble also points to growth in multicast channels, and stations increasing their commitment, implementing advanced data features like Artist Experience. Four hundred HD Radio stations have upgraded their HD to include AE, the ability to sync the audio with images like album art. As of today, there are 1,146 HD2 channels, 277 HD3 channels and 25 HD4 channels, for a total of 1,446, according to iBiquity.

 “HD failed to both entice AM/FM listeners to pay up,” presumably for a new radio … “and to draw those willing to pay away from satellite,” concludes Pew, though the report concerns the number of stations transmitting a digital signal rather than listening data. Pew is comparing that to SiriusXM, which ended 2012 with 23.9 million subscribers.

In 2012, manufacturers of HD Radio receivers sold a total of 3.9 million; that compares with 2.2 million in 2011 and 1.8 million in 2010. “That’s 50% annual growth rate, and we forecast similar growth for this and the next several years,” according to Struble, who points to a total of 12 million HD Radio receivers sold to-date.

Report: Pandora Forecasts Music Costs to Shrink

Pandora Media Inc., grappling with rising music costs, expects the royalties it pays to artists and record labels to decline to 40 percent of revenue from about 60 percent now, Chief Financial Officer Mike Herring said.

According to Bloomberg, the company, the biggest Internet radio provider, expects to reach that target over the next few years, Herring said today at an investor conference sponsored by Roth Capital Partners in Dana Point, California.

The company is tackling royalty rates and seeking to boost the revenue it gets from advertising. With targeted ads and interactive features, Pandora is able to levy a premium over radio spots, Herring said. The company is working to close the gap between its ad revenue, now at about 1 percent of the radio industry’s total, and its 8.5 percent listener share, he said.

“It’s a long road,” Herring said.

Enid Radio: FCC Pulls LPFM License

An Enid, OK radio station’s license was rescinded Monday by the Federal Communications Commission after the station failed to follow guidelines and file proper reports, according to a story at enidnews.com..

KEIF-LP, or 104.7 The Rocket, lost the grant for renewal of its license following fines in 2010, for selling advertisements and broadcasting from an antenna nearly two times the legal height. Its license has been declared expired and its call letters deleted from FCC databases.

KEIF-LP, a low-power FM station licensed to Enid Public Radio Association, was allowed to broadcast nonprofit educational programming from an antenna height of 33 meters.

The FCC issued sanctions and fines of $10,000 for the violations, which were dated and sent via certified mail July 13, 2010, according to the FCC letter. A copy of the renewal order was received by The Rocket and signed for July 23, 2010.

According to a 2010 FCC report, KEIF was distributing advertising rate cards to local businesses and broadcasting promotional advertisements on its station. The rate card stated The Rocket’s “classic rock” format offers “great result for your advertising dollar.”

 KEIF 60 dBU Coverage Area

The report also alleged the station broadcast from an antenna height of nearly 62 meters.

Chisholm Trail Broadcasting, which owns several stations in northwest Oklahoma, blew the whistle on The Rocket in May 2005.

“Specifically, we find sufficient evidence of violations of the Commission’s enhanced underwriting and technical rules that, when considered together, evidence a pattern of abuse,” the 2010 report stated.

In the letter dated Monday, FCC said KEIF filed a license application renewal Feb. 27, and the application was to have been filed no later than June 1, 2011.

FCC stated the license for the station will be listed as expired as of 12:01 a.m. June 1, 2011, and the station’s call sign will be deleted from databases.

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Howard Stern To Take Over 'The Tonight Show'?

Howard Stern
Howard Stern has always been vocal about his dislike of “The Tonight Show” host Jay Leno, and now the self-proclaimed “King of All Media” is going after Leno’s high-profile gig.

On this morning's radio show, Stern and his sidekick Robin Quivers were discussing the Matt Lauer/Ann Curry controversy that stemmed from her "Today" show exit. According to newyork.newsday.com, during the chat, Stern said that he spoke to Lauer about guesting on “The Tonight Show” once he took over for Leno.

Yep, Stern said that’s he’s taking over the late-night institution, and what’s more, that NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt told him, “You’ve got to take over the show.”

Entertainment Weekly was the first to report Stern’s comments.