Lifetstyles: Fifty Is Nifty

What is the perfect age? Is there a perfect age overall? A perfect age for having children or getting married? Obviously circumstances matter but, overall, the perfect age appears to be 50. It's an age many fear, but it's also the average age Americans would like to live at if they could skip time and live forever in good health at a particular age.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,242 adults surveyed online between July 17 and 22, 2013 by Harris Interactive.

Interestingly, when The Harris Poll asked this question ten years ago, the answer was almost ten years less: in 2003, the perfect age was 41.

The perfect age also varies depending on how old one currently is, as younger generations want to be a little older while older generations are fine where they are. For Echo Boomers (those 18-36) the perfect age is 38, while for Generation X (those 37-48) the perfect age is 49. Baby Boomers (those 49-67) are happy in the mid-fifties, as 55 is their perfect age. For the oldest generation, Matures (those 68+), 67 is perfect for them.

The perfect age for various life events

• Each life event has an age that can be associated with it. But is it the perfect age? According to U.S. adults' averaged responses, the perfect age for graduating from college is 22; however, but one-third (34%) believe it should be between 23 and 25. Moving out and getting married are two other life events that happen at a younger age, but how young? Americans believe the perfect age to move out of your parents' house is 20 and the perfect age to get married is 26.

• Many life events revolve around children. First there's actually having them, and on average, Americans believe the perfect age to have a first child is 28. Then it's time to be an empty-nester, and the perfect age for having your last child move out is 45.

• Finally, it is time to retire and, while 65 may be considered the stereotypical age to do so, for U.S. adults, the perfect age to retire is actually a little younger - 61.

Penthouse: Can’t Sell Sex

Penthouse magazine may have a new sugar daddy waiting in the wings.

The fate of the 48-year-old smut rag is in question after parent FriendFinder Networks filed for Chapter 11 this week, sources told The NYPost.

As the reorganized FriendFinder scrambles for profits with a portfolio of social-networking sites, it’s doubtful whether creditors who are taking control of the company are committed to keeping the iconic porn publication alive, insiders said.

“Like all magazines, it’s struggling,” said one source briefed on the situation.

But the glossy girlie mag founded by Bob Guccione, whose monthly circulation has sagged to less than 200,000 from 5 million at its peak, is being circled by New Jersey-born entrepreneur Jeremy Frommer, according to insiders.

Last year, Frommer acquired a trove of memorabilia owned by the late Guc­cione that included nude photos of Madonna and a picture of former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger engaged in a sex act.

Reached Tuesday, Frommer declined to comment. A spokesman for FriendFinder also declined to comment.

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iTunes Radio Launches Today

HopesTo Pull Listeners from Pandora & Traditional Radio

With the arrival of iTunes Radio today, Apple is poised to tackle the streaming music market like no other entrant before it.

According to Paul Sloan at cnet.com, it's shaping up to be quite a big deal.

Not only will iTunes Radio pose the biggest threat to Internet radio king Pandora to date, but Apple now will get an opportunity to recast a decade-old debate about the respective roles of man versus algorithm when it rolls out this new piece of streaming music software. Apple has built a service in its own image that, to a large degree, leans on taste makers as well as mathematics.

In a still-young digital music industry, everyone from Spotify to Google is trying to figure out the best way to help music fans discover new music. Yet so far, most people are discovering music the old fashioned way -- via FM radio.

So here comes Apple, which very much wants to be your DJ -- albeit with a heavy dose of your iTunes behavioral data mixed in. And the big music labels, working closely with their largest digital partner, are rooting for Apple's success. iTunes Radio will roll out with 300 or so genres, from hip-hop to country and doo-wop. It also let's you enter an artist's name -- a la Pandora -- to build a station, and it does so for free with ads.

Because this is Apple, the potential stage is global, even though iTunes Radio is rolling out initially in the US only. The agreements Apple has with the music labels and publishers generally give it rights to the countries where iTunes operates, which is now in 119 territories -- many of those are countries that have no Internet radio service at all. Pandora, meantime, operates only in the US, Australia, and New Zealand.

For the music labels, the hope is not just that Apple lures people from Pandora -- the company has a rocky relationship with the labels -- but that iTunes Radio pulls millions of people from the FM dial over to streaming radio, a more lucrative place for the labels.

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Dickey: Cumulus, Rdio Deal Has 4 Key Components

Lew Dickey

Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey Tuesday sent a lengthy memo to employees concerning yesterday's announced deal with Radio.

The memo revealed the Rdio features Cumulus is likely to offer.

In the memo, Dickey confirmed Cumulus programmers will be tasked with "refining the technology" that Rdio uses to create its "custom radio" services. Dickey stressed "this is not radio," and takes a little poke at Pandora for selling this "feature" as "radio."

He also revealed Rdio functionality will be used to create nationally-focused audio content available from the recently acquired radio network Westwood One-Dial Global.

"The Rdio partnership will allow us convert this valuable programming into new digital audio products," he wrote.

"Cumulus will draw upon our stable of iconic brands, content and talent to produce new, exclusive channels and short-form programs that give listeners an unparalleled listening experience on a single digital platform."

Dickey said Cumulus local radio streams will remain on Clear Channel's iHeartRadio for the time being.

The complete memo follows:

Today At The Radio Show

Even if you’re not in Orlando, you can 'be there' thanks to Live Streaming sessions provided by the NAB/RAB.

Today's sessions at the 2013 Radio Show will be streamed live and archived at www.radioshowweb.com for viewing on demand until the end of the year.

Brightcove, Inc. will use its Video Cloud online video platform to support the live and on-demand streaming.

Today’s Live Stream Sessions

• 11:55 a.m. – 1 p.m.: Advertiser Luncheon: Q&A with Tim Van Hoof, assistant vice president of marketing, State Farm and Sumeet Kanwar, managing director, Midwest & Strategy for OMD
• 4 – 5 p.m.: Opening Remarks and Keynote: NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith, RAB President and CEO Erica Farber, FCC Acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn

Today’s select sessions available on-demand after the Radio Show concludes:

•  9 – 10 a.m.: Advertisers Speak!, sponsored by Local Focus
• 10:15 – 11:15 a.m.: Radio, Record Labels and Artists: Creating a Powerful Partnership, sponsored by Vallie Richards Donovan Consulting
• 1:15 – 2:15 p.m.: True Digital… Pay Paul without Robbing Peter, sponsored by RealMatch
• 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: State of the FM Enabled Smartphone

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Entercom’s Field: “Our Best Days Lie Ahead”

Entercom CEO David Field told attendees of Kurt Hanson's RAIN Summit in Orlando Tuesday year-after-year "radio reaches 93% of the American public”.

Then, according to RadioInk,  Field challenged Pandora’ listening numbers.

For what seems like years, Pandora has claimed approximately 7% of all radio listening.

 Those numbers are never questioned or challenged by analysts, and Pandora doesn't provide details on the methodology used to calculate those numbers. 

David Field

Field says they refuse to explain it, adding, "If you measure hours served, does that really mean hours listening? There is a massive audience gap. Broadcast radio has 20 times the audience of Pandora." Field was not done, though. He spoke about radio's local activation, saying, "Pandora does not bring any of that to the table."

Field then went back to his pro-radio presentation: "We entertain and inform. We deliver news and information. We set the mood for you. Radio is a community lifeline. Listeners are attached to their radio stations. The future of radio is bright. The opportunity is great. Listenership is growing. Radio continues to innovate at a rapid pace. Radio is playing offense in a bigger way than it ever has before. We are living in the golden age of radio, and our best days lie ahead."

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Congress To Again Consider Radio Royalties For Artists

The decades-old debate about how royalties should be paid when a song plays on the radio has re-emerged, with Congress taking up the issue and record labels breaking new ground by striking private deals with broadcast companies.

According to USAToday, the battlefront is in Nashville, where performers, labels, songwriters, publishers and radio stations accustomed to working side-by-side have renewed their disagreement. And it comes against the backdrop of Warner Music announcing a breakthrough deal last week to collect royalties when its artists have a song played on one of Clear Channel's 850 radio stations.

At stake are tens of millions of dollars in performance royalties that federal law exempts broadcast companies from paying to artists and labels for songs broadcast on terrestrial radio. Those payments go exclusively to the songwriters and publishers, as has been the arrangement for decades.

Mel Watt

But U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, D-N.C., said the time for change has come. He plans to file legislation soon that would recognize performance royalties for artists and require broadcast companies to negotiate royalty arrangements with labels. In 2009, Watt and others in Congress pushed the Performance Rights Act, which would have mandated a new royalty for artists and labels when a song is played on traditional radio.

The 2009 bill cleared the House Judiciary Committee, but never reached a floor vote over pushback against that mandate. In response, Watt said his new bill instead would recognize performance royalty rights and require broadcast companies and labels to work out their own arrangements over royalty payments.

"I've felt that it was unfair for AM/FM stations to use the works of artists to make money for themselves without paying the artists whose stuff they're using," Watt said

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Pandora Prevails In License Dispute

Pandora Media Inc has won a Manhattan federal court decision rejecting efforts by some music publishers to narrow a license that enables the largest U.S. Internet radio service to play their music, according to Reuters.

U.S. District Judge Denise Cote said an existing antitrust consent decree that requires the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers to license its works to Pandora from 2011 to 2015 "unambiguously" covers all its works, even if publishers seek to "withdraw" authority to license to "new media" services.

"We're obviously gratified by the result," said Kenneth Steinthal, a partner at King & Spalding in San Francisco who represents Pandora.

The decision could strengthen Pandora's case as it pursues related litigation on what constitutes "reasonable" licensing fees. Cote has scheduled a December 4 trial on that matter.

The case arose after publishers including EMI Music Publishing Ltd, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC and Universal Music Publishing Group withdrew or tried to withdraw new media licensing rights from ASCAP, allowing them to negotiate directly with Internet radio services.

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San Diego Radio: Rehabbed Dave Richards Returns

After 40 days off the local airwaves, San Diego morning radio fixture Dave Rickards returned to “the DSC” — Dave, Shelly, and Chainsaw — on KFMB-FM 100.7 JACK, according to utsnadiego.com.

During his departure, KFMB management and members of the show — consisting of Shelly Dunn, Cookie ‘Chainsaw’ Randolph, Chris Boyer, Ruth 66, and Emily Maguire — remained tight-lipped about Dave’s absence, concerning many longtime listeners.

Monday morning, he broke the silence.

“I had a moment where I realized that my life was getting away from me,” Rickards opened up. “I switched from Vodka to hot tea, which is why there is a black flag flying half mast at Ketel One.”

After digressing with a joke, he continued, “I had to take time off to start eating healthy and take control of my life; it was getting out of hand.”

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Post by The DSC on 100.7 JACK fm.

Fox News Channel Unveils New Primetime LineUp Oct. 7

FOX News Channel (FNC) will unveil its new primetime lineup on Monday, October 7th, marking the 17th anniversary of the network, announced Roger Ailes, Chairman and CEO, FOX News.

Greta Van Susteren will officially kick-off the new line-up with her signature On the Record with Greta Van Susteren at 7PM/ET.  From there, Bill O’Reilly will continue hosting the most-watched cable news program The O’Reilly Factor at 8PM/ET.  At 9PM/ET, Megyn Kelly will debut The Kelly File while Sean Hannity will take over the 10PM/ET timeslot with Hannity for his solo hour. Chief News Anchor and Managing Editor Shepard Smith will be available throughout to insert the latest breaking news into the new programming schedule via the FOX News Deck.

Megan Kelly

As the newest edition to the line-up, The Kelly File (9-10PM/ET) will focus on late-breaking stories in a live format as well as in-depth investigative reports interspersed with newsmaker interviews. While embracing a stronger social media presence, the new program will capitalize on Kelly’s skills as a former litigator, and create a unique platform for developing angles as events unfold.

In making the announcement, Ailes said, “As the network continues to dominate with the top 13 programs in cable news, FOX News already redefined primetime viewing to extend well beyond the antiquated 8-11PM format. We’ve developed a deep bench of engaging and thought-provoking personalities that have grown with FOX News as it has evolved into the most influential and successful cable network in television. These changes will enable the network to continue setting the industry standard for years to come.”

Now live at 7PM/ET weeknights, On the Record will showcase the news Americans care about and explore how they impact our everyday lives. Van Susteren will bring viewers the latest facts through interviews with high profile newsmakers in her tough and fair signature style as well as on the scene reporting.  The program’s popular blog, Gretawire.com will enable her to continue delivering updates at any given time via live steam technology.

In commenting on the announcement, Van Susteren said, “After 11 ½ years number one at 10pm and driving home near midnight, I am ‘to the moon thrilled’ at a new challenge (and a new drive! Half the year I won’t even need headlights!).”

Immediately following On the Record, The O’Reilly Factor (8-9PM/ET) will continue uncovering news items from the established wisdom, operating against the grain of more traditional interview style programs.  The number one cable news program since 2001, O’Reilly’s signature No Spin Zone cuts through the rhetoric as he challenges the players who make the story newsworthy.

Marking her 9PM/ET debut after The Factor, anchor Megyn Kelly said, “In 2003, I was an unhappy lawyer, and made a decision to change my life. Ten years later, I’ve been able to do that thanks in large part to Roger Ailes, a boss who always gives me the same directive:  ‘Be yourself and have fun.’  What a great job.  I am very grateful.”

Moving to the 10-11PM/ET timeslot, Hannity, will continue showcasing Sean Hannity’s provocative style and conservative commentary on politics and the American agenda. The show will also provide a highly interactive viewing experience utilizing tools such as viewer voting and the Hannity Live companion app, a web experience allowing viewers to gain access to exclusive content directly from the show producers in the control room. Hannity will also travel even more across America and expand his studio audience specials like the show’s College Forum.

Hannity held the number one ranking in his previous 9PM/ET timeslot for 56 consecutive months and eclipsed CNN’s Larry King Live in 2003 with Hannity & Colmes becoming the number one 9pm program in cable news.

In commenting on the move, Hannity said, “I am very happy to be moving to 10PM. The ability to be live or on tape greatly increases the flexibility of the show and offers me, after 17 years, the opportunity to be home at night with my family.”

iHeartRadio Music Festival Is Friday, Saturday

Clear Channel’s 2013 iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas will broadcast live on Clear Channel radio stations across the country and will video stream live via Yahoo Music and – new this year – the PlayStation®3 gaming console, for those fans who can't be in Vegas. In addition, the Festival will be televised as a two-night primetime special on The CW Network to kick off their fall season on Monday, Sept. 30.

Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, the sold-out Festival, now in its third year, will kick off on Friday, Sept. 20 and conclude Saturday, Sept. 21 at MGM Grand.

In addition to the star-infused lineup, this year's iHeartRadio Music Festival will also welcome celebrity guest presenters Britney Spears, actress Kate Hudson, professional athlete Shaun White, reality stars Khloe Kardashian Odom and Kendall and Kylie Jenner, actress Ashley Greene, singer Kelly Rowland, comedian Kevin Hart, “Pretty Little Liars” stars Lucy Hale and Shay Mitchell, “The Walking Dead” actor Norman Reedus, Ian Somerhalder of “The Vampire Diaries,” Stephen Amell of the CW series “Arrow,” Jessica and Jep Robertson from “Duck Dynasty,” and comedian and actress Rebel Wilson. Some of Clear Channel’s own amazing talent, including Elvis Duran, Bobby Bones, The Breakfast Club, Mario Lopez, Steve Harvey and more, will also make special guest appearances. Festival attendees will also enjoy sets by Clear Channel guest DJs Skee and Prostyle.

The iHeartRadio Music Festival will be televised as a two-night primetime special on The CW Network on Monday, Sept. 30 (night one) at 8-10 p.m. EST/PST and Tuesday, Oct. 1 (night two) at 8-10 p.m. EST/PST, to launch the network's fall season.

CBS Radio Helps With ‘Blessing In A Backpack’

For many students, returning to the classroom in the fall also means the return of steady meals. Blessings in a Backpack, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that elementary school children who may otherwise go without meals are fed over the weekends, has announced results of a partnership with CBS Radio that will feed over 700 students in 12 communities across the country during the 2013-2014 school year.

The unique method of providing financial support is part of CBS EcoMedia's program that uses advertising dollars to fund community projects working in concert with its nonprofit partners. CBS RADIO stations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston and Philadelphia, among others, are participating in the program.

Blessings in a Backpack works with volunteers across the country to collect and package backpacks full of food, distributing them on Fridays to children who qualify for the federally-funded National School Lunch Program. Blessings currently feeds more than 60,000 children across 43 states in over 500 schools. The $170,000 plus donation from CBS Radio will be dedicated entirely to feeding children.

R.I.P.: Legendary Chicago Personality Jerry G. Bishop

Jerry G. Bishop

A legend of Chicago radio and television died this past weekend. Jerry G. Bishop, best known as a DJ on WCFL-AM in the mid- to late 1960s and the original "Svengoolie" on WFLD-TV in the early 1970s, passed away on Sunday in San Diego, where he has lived since 1978, according to Chicago Radio & Media.

 Bishop was 77.

Jerry G. Bishop was born Jerry Ghan in Chicago in 1936. He began in radio working at WNMP-AM (now WCGO-AM) in Evanston in 1961. A Columbia College Chicago graduate, he heard the music on that station one day, just drove to it, and asked for a job there. He was hired as an announcer the next day, and quickly went on to host the morning show.

Around that same time, he also worked part-time at radio stations in Springfield and Rockford, IL. Within a year, he was hired at WPGC-AM in Washington, D.C. At all those stations, he used his real name on the air.

In 1963, he was hired to be a DJ at Cleveland's KYW/WKYC-AM. There, Program Director Ken Draper asked him to change his on-air name to simply Jerry G. During this period, Jerry G. also was picked to be a reporter touring with The Beatles in 1964 and 1965, covering their nationwide concerts and the Beatlemania surrounding them for NBC Radio and Group W radio stations.

After Ken Draper was hired  at WCFL-AM in the mid-1960s. One of the first moves Draper made was to hire Chicago native Jerry Ghan to came back home and take over as the new morning show host at 'CFL. Draper asked Ghan to pick a last name to go with the "Jerry G." name he had been using. A quick flip through the Cleveland phone book landed on the last name of Bishop. The rest is history.

For three years, Jerry G. Bishop enjoyed great success at WCFL-AM and was considered one of Chicago's top personalities. In 1969, a change in station management prompted Bishop to walk away from WCFL-AM and over to up and coming UHF station WFLD-TV.

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Inside Radio Releases Salary Survey

The best-paid employees at the typical radio station may not sit in the corner office, according to InsideRadio.   They may instead be rolling out of bed before the sun even comes up.

That’s one of the top findings from the Inside Radio Salary Survey, being released Monday and printed in a special supplement for the NAB/RAB Radio show in Orlando this week.

It shows that in a business where content is king, morning drive personalities in the top 25 markets have the highest average salary.

The average wake-up host earns $225,000 per year.  That’s 12% more than what the typical general manager in large markets earns.   The rest of the top-five paying positions include director of sales, general sales manager and program director.

More than 3,000 broadcasters took part in the 2013 Inside Radio Salary Survey, conducted in association with Strategic Radio Solutions.   The data shows that while digital is a growing part of the equation for station revenue, digital sales managers’ average salary is considerably below those managers who have oversight of on-air ad sales.

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Pandora Plans Stock Offering

Says Sales Growth Will Slow

Less than a week after appointing a new CEO, Pandora said Monday it plans to sell 10 million shares valued at $230.8 million to fund capital expenditures and acquisitions.

According to Forbes, it also expects its sales growth rate to decline as the business matures, royalties continue to eat into revenue and new competitors come onto the scene.

The shares fell 4.75 percent in late trading.

“We expect to invest heavily in our operations to support anticipated future growth. As a result of these factors, we expect to continue to incur annual losses on a U.S. GAAP basis in the near term,”the Oakland, California-based company said in a regulatory filing. “Our revenue increased rapidly in each of the fiscal years ended January 31, 2007 through January 31, 2013; however, we expect our revenue growth rate to decline in the future as a result of a variety of factors, including increased competition and the maturation of our business, and we cannot assure you that our revenue will continue to grow or will not decline.”

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