Streaming Helps Warner Music Post Revenue Growth

Warner Music Group Corp. reported double-digit quarterly revenue growth, as streaming music again helped drive digital growth and offset declines in legacy physical media, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The cast recording of the wildly popular “Hamilton” Broadway musical was a major seller during the quarter alongside tracks from Twenty One Pilots, Coldplay and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Warner also said the timing of concerts helped results.

Recorded music revenue grew 10.6% across all of its regions.

In all, Warner posted a revenue increase of 12% to $841 million. It posted a loss of $3 million, compared with a loss of $23 million a year prior.

Digital revenue now accounts for 46% of total revenue, up from 42% last year.

Warner, the third-largest music company behind Vivendi SA’s Universal Music Group and Sony Corp.’s Sony Music Entertainment, reported in May that streaming revenue surpassed download revenue for the first time.

R.I.P.: ELP Co-Founder Greg Lake Dies From Cancer

Greg Lake

Musician Greg Lake, who co-founded King Crimson and Emerson, Lake and Palmer, has died.

He was 69 years-of-age, according to USAToday.

Manager Stewart Young said in a statement that Lake died Wednesday after “a long and stubborn battle with cancer.”

Born in the southern English seaside town of Poole in 1947, Lake founded King Crimson with guitarist Robert Fripp in the late 1960s. The band pioneered the sprawling, ambitious genre that came to be known as progressive rock.

He went on to form ELP with keyboardist Keith Emerson, who died in March, and drummer Carl Palmer. With Lake as vocalist and guitarist, ELP impressed the crowds at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, in a lineup that also featured Jimi Hendrix and The Who.

The band released six platinum-selling albums characterized by songs of epic length, classical influence and ornate imagery, and toured with elaborate light shows and theatrical staging.

ELP broke up in 1979, reunited in 1991, later disbanded again and reunited for a 2010 tour.

Emerson died in March from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home in Santa Monica, California.

Lake’s songs as a solo artist include I Believe in Father Christmas, an enduring seasonal staple first released in 1975.

Bi-Partisan Bill Introduced To Repeal Cross-Ownership Rule

Legislation was introduced on Wednesday to eliminate a 41-year-old ban on common ownership of a newspaper and radio or TV station in the same market, according to Variety.

Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), the incoming chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.), are co-authors of the legislation to repeal the ban.

The broadcast and newspaper industries have long argued that the ban is outdated, particularly as daily publications struggle in a market with shrinking ad dollars and declining print subscribers.

The FCC has kept the ban in place despite reviews of media ownership rules, including ones completed this past summer.  Media companies can still obtain waivers, and FCC chairman Tom Wheeler said that exceptions could be made for failing entities.

“Eliminating this relic of the disco era will provide much needed flexibility to the many newspapers and broadcasters throughout the country that provide important local news coverage and encourage greater investment in original journalism,” Walden said in a statement. “We want what’s best for consumers and this bill provides a thoughtful solution that puts the public’s interest first.”

The legislation could be a prelude to further deregulation, given the Republican majority in the next Congress and the incoming Trump administration. Republicans will have a majority of the commissioners on the FCC.

Gordon Smith, the president of the National Association of Broadcasters, said in a statement that “for too long, radio and television broadcasters have been saddled with archaic regulations preventing them from investing in newspaper ownership. Striking this cross-ownership ban would save journalism jobs, create more investigative reporting and provide communities with greater local news.”

AT&T Touts Time Warner Merger at Senate Hearing

Randall Stephenson, Jeffrey Bewkes, Mark Cuban

By David Shepardson and Diane Bartz

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - AT&T Inc's planned $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner Inc will increase innovation and bring "better-priced options" to consumers upset by high cable bills, AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson told lawmakers on Wednesday.

"We want consumers to pay for their content once and watch it any where any time," he said at a hearing of the Judiciary Committee's antitrust panel.

Senator Amy Klobuchar, the ranking Democrat on the panel, expressed concern that the deal would create incentives for AT&T to refuse to license Time Warner's movies and television shows  to competitors. She also said AT&T could favor its own shows over independent content.

Time Warner owns HBO, CNN, Cartoon Network and the Warner Bros film studio.

Senator Al Franken, also a Democrat, expressed the same concern and pressed Time Warner CEO Jeffrey Bewkes on whether the new, combined company would raise rates to others who would broadcast its content. "It would not have the incentive nor would it have the ability," Bewkes responded.

AT&T's Stephenson agreed: "It would make no sense ... to do that."

Senator Mike Lee, a Republican who chairs the antitrust panel, said the review by the U.S. Justice Department would be "very fact-intensive."

"Consumer welfare is maximized by protecting competition, not necessarily by protecting competitors," Lee said.

The Justice Department will determine whether the deal is legal under antitrust law. If the agency decides to stop a proposed transaction, it must convince a judge to agree.

Stephen has said that the Federal Communications Commission would also review the deal if AT&T decides to assume any of Time Warner's licenses.

Franken said he wanted to see the FCC review the merger because of their tougher standard.

Senator Richard Blumenthal said he had "serious concerns about this transaction. I have yet to be convinced that the benefits outweigh the risks."

But he was also concerned that President-elect Donald Trump, whose administration will decide whether to approve the merger, had said during the campaign that it should be blocked.

"What troubles me is that the president-elect has said that his Justice Department will enforce a different standard of law depending" on whether he is angered by news coverage, said Blumenthal, calling the notion "absolutely abhorrent".

Stephenson said he had not been in touch with Trump's transition team on the issue and that he expected the Justice Department would review the merger fairly.

Billionaire investor Mark Cuban told the Senate panel that the merger would create another competitor against large companies like Apple Inc, Google, Microsoft Corp, Amazon.com Inc., and Facebook.

"Delivering content to consumers in this app-driven world is not easy," he said in written testimony. "Alone, it will be very difficult, if not impossible for either AT&T or Time Warner to compete."

And more change would be coming, he said: "There's going to be people cutting the broadband cord."

Radio-TV Simulcast Set for 'Smoky Mountains Rise'

The Dollywood Company announced Wednesday that Dolly Parton will head up "Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit for the My People Fund" to be aired at 8 p.m. Tuesday on Great American Country cable network.

Dolly Parton

The celebrity all-star guest list includes Reba McEntire, Kenny Rogers and Alison Krauss, reports WYFF-TV4.

The nationally broadcast, three-hour telethon will raise money for the Dollywood Foundation My People Fund, established by Parton, The Dollywood Company and Parton's dinner theaters in the wake of last week's wildfires in the entertainment icon's home area of Sevier County, Tennessee.

"Smoky Mountains Rise" also will be simulcast across multiple radio chains, including iHeart Media's digital and select on-air platforms, Cumulus Media's "NASH Nights LIVE," TuneIn's Country Roads channel and several other platforms.

"My home in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee is someplace special," Parton said. "Wildfires have affected many of the people -- my people --who live in those beautiful mountains. We want to provide a hand up to those families who have lost everything in the fires. I know it has been a trying time for my people and this assistance will help get them back on their feet."

The My People Fund will provide $1,000 each month to Sevier County families whose homes are uninhabitable or were destroyed in the recent Smoky Mountain wildfires.

Any family who lost a primary residence, whether renters or homeowners, to the wildfires in Sevier County will be eligible. A pre-application for those affected is available at dollywoodfoundation.org.

During the telethon, viewers will be asked to call 1-866-CARE MORE to donate to the My People Fund.

Tax-deductible contributions can be made to the My People Fund at dollywoodfoundation.org or mailed to:

My People Fund
c/o Dollywood Foundation
111 Dollywood Lane
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863

Seattle Radio: David Dean Snags PM Drive At KMPS

CBS RADIO Seattle Country station KMPS 94.1 FM has named David Dean as its new Afternoon drive time host and the station’s music director.

Dean can be heard on-air weekdays from 2-7 pm. KMPS can also be heard online at www.kmps.com and via the Radio.com app.

KMPS Program Director, Kenny Jay, said, "David has all the skills to succeed as the new afternoon host of KMPS and I’m looking forward to introducing him to the country music community and its passionate fans.  Seattle has proven to be a great market for new country and David will help us continue to dominate the space!”

KMPS 94.1 FM (73 Hw) Red=Local Coverage Area

Indy Radio: Brad Polston New MM For iHM Cluster

Brad Polston

iHeartMedia/Indianapolis announced Wednesdayday that Brad Polston has been named Market President.

iHeart's Indianapolis cluster is made up of Classic Rock WFBQ Q95 FM, Modern Rock WOLT Alt 103.3 FM, Urban WZRL Real 98.3 FM and Sports WNDE 1260 AM.

Polston will be responsible for all aspects of the market’s operations including sales, programming, digital, events and promotion initiatives.

"Brad’s ability to create and lead winning teams makes him a perfect fit for this position," said Earl Jones, President for iHeartMedia’s Kentucky-Indiana Region. "I’m confident that his experience and passion for driving results will lead iHeartMedia to continued success."

"I am thrilled to join the iHeartMedia family and to lead our efforts in Indianapolis," said Polston. "Having grown up in Indy, Q95 was a big part of my life and to have the opportunity to work with the great talent at that station, as well as WNDE, WOLT and WZRL, is exciting.  I am ecstatic and eager to help build upon our relationships with listeners, advertisers and the community."

Polston has more than 20 years of experience in the media industry, most recently serving as General Manager for Comcast Spotlight in Indianapolis.

Louisville Radio: Chelsea Thomas Added To Mornings At WDJX

Chelsea Thomas

Alpha Media/New Bern, NC night host Chelsea Thomas at Top40 WERO BOB 93.3 FM is relocating to sister Top40 WDJX 99.7 FM in Louisville, KY.

Thomas fills the third chair morning slot for Ben Davis and Kelly K and middays. She’ll also help Program Director Otis with Music Director duties.

"Chelsea is one of those rare talents with a natural ability for this industry." said Otis. "She’s got a passion for music and super relatable personality, that will be a huge asset to the amazing team/family we already have here in Louisville. This city will love her!"

WDJX 99.7 FM (24 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area

"I am extremely excited and honored to become a part of the DJX team!," said Chelsea. "This is an incredible opportunity, and I’m eager to learn and grow in Louisville."

Comedian J Anthony Brown Lands New Radio Gig

After his controversial exit last week from the Tom Joyner Morning Show amidst a contract dispute, J Anthony Brown has wasted no time in keeping the momentum going.

“I am happy my Brother of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, J. Anthony Brown, is coming to Sheryl Underwood Radio. We are going to crush it!” Underwood says, “We are glad that we are building a brand that talents, such as J. Anthony Brown, are proud to be a part of.”

J. Anthony Brown, known for his catch phrase, “Watch Out Deh Now,” is bringing all of the product produced and owned by him to the airways on Sheryl Underwood Radio.

Sheryl Underwood Radio airs on 70 radio affiliates across the country, in the Virgin Islands and online, with a reach of over 5 million listeners daily.

According to J. Anthony Brown, “Sheryl has the right to play all the murderous hits. We have released the hounds! Sheryl Underwood Radio will air all of the shows from last year, all of our hits; AND new original songs are coming soon! The hounds have been released!”

CNN, Turner Hit With Racial Discrimination Complaints

A new court filing alleges that Turner employees faced racial discrimination that held them back in their careers and led to at least one former assistant being fired.  Roughly two dozen current and former employees of CNN and TBS (both owned by Turner) claim that there is a systematic problem with “discriminatory practices being implemented throughout all of Turner’s Networks [sic],” according to a complaint filed Tuesday evening.

According to lawnewz.com, the complaint cites statistics showing that black employees at Turner are promoted at a much lower rate than whites. The lawsuit alleges that this “can only be attributed to the fact that Turner, specifically CNN has implemented formal written and unwritten policies and practices regarding promotions.” The attorney who filed the complaint, Daniel Meachum, told LawNewz.com that the statistics were gathered by Turner themselves as part of an internal study.

Black employees also historically received lower scores on their evaluations, according to the complaint. “There is no objective factor other than race that can explain this disparity, since performance is not linked to job title or education,” it alleges.

One of the named plaintiffs, Ernie Colbert Jr., claims that in 19 years of working at TBS, he has only been promoted twice, and was paid less than his white coworkers. The other named plaintiff, Celeslie Henley, alleges that she suffered discrimination, and then lost her job after she complained. Henley claims that after she received discriminatory treatment from white managers, she complained to human resources, and was promptly terminated five days later.

Meachum is also representing DeWayne Walker, a CNN producer who is also currently suing the network for race discrimination in a separate action. Walker first filed his $50 million lawsuit in December 2015, claiming that he has been passed over for promotion throughout his career at CNN because of his race. He also alleges that the company retaliated against him after he brought a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Megyn Kelly Trump Mention Gets Boos

On Wednesday morning, Megyn Kelly gave opening remarks at the annual Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment celebration, and had kind things to say about Michelle Obama ("who set the example for us all in standing up for her convictions") and Hillary Clinton ("who broke a barrier no one has ever done in America") and Melania Trump ("who was slut-shamed...but she held her head high"

According to USAToday, Kelly also made reference to Roger Ailes, commending her female colleagues at Fox News who "at great risk to their livelihoods brought down a very powerful, serial sexual harasser."

But then Kelly transitioned to the president-elect. "I have high hopes for him. Despite the tweets and all the rest of it there is much to admire about Donald Trump," she began.

Boo!" rang out a few scattered voices at the seated affair, followed by Kathy Griffin raising her middle finger in the air. "There is. Stop that," chided Kelly, before she spotted Griffin and followed up with a joke.



Tina Fey, who received the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award (and was introduced by Jon Hamm), later started her speech on a wry note. "What an amazing year it's been for women," Fey said, before buckling over the podium and laughing wildly. "How we can proceed in dignity in this increasingly ugly, misogynistic time?" she asked.

Look to Lansing, the former CEO of Paramount (and the first woman to head a Hollywood studio), she suggested. "You know Sherry Lansing has witnessed some nonsense and some behavior that the young people today would call 'triggering,'" Fey said. "And yet she was able to flourish with all of her humanity intact ... Maybe that's the mantra we can all take with us over the next four years."

Mary Berner, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cumulus Media, was among those named to The Hollywood Reporter's  2016 Women in Entertainment Power 100 list.

Berner is the only radio executive on the list and is one of 26 new names on this annual listing of Hollywood's most powerful women in entertainment. Click Here for the full listing.

Megyn Kelly: Trump and First Amendment 'Not a Beautiful Match'

Megyn Kelly

Fox News host Megyn Kelly criticized Donald Trump’s use of Twitter and warned of the potential "de-legitimization” of the media under the president-elect in a Wednesday interview with NPR’s "Fresh Air."

Kelly, who was the target of many social media attacks during the campaign, said Trump might not be aware “that every tweet he unleashes against you ... creates such a crescendo of anger and, in my case again, threatening behavior.”

The reporter cited "thousands of tweets" directed at her as an example — threats to "beat the hell out of me, to rape me, honestly the ugliest things you can imagine."

On Monday night at an event in Washington, the journalist blamed members of Trump's team for encouraging some of the hate online.

According to The Hill, the host of “The Kelly File” said she was determined not to let Trump’s behavior and the resulting threats impact her coverage.


She also called Trump’s relationship with the First Amendment “not a beautiful match” and said she’s worried for the press under a president Trump.

“The people, as much as it’s fun to hate us, they do need us. They need good, strong, skeptical journalists to be covering whoever it is — whether it’s Barack Obama or President Donald Trump,” Kelly said.

“We’re in a dangerous phase right now, where too many millions of Americans aren’t listening at all to what the press tells them."

Cumulus Addresses $2.4B Debt Problem

Cumulus Media Inc. Wednesday announced that it has entered into a refinancing support agreement with the holders of approximately $349.7 million, or 57.3%, of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding 7.75% Senior Notes due 2019 issued by Cumulus Media Holdings Inc.

The Refinancing Support Agreement sets forth the terms of a refinancing of the Outstanding Notes and pursuant to its terms the Supporting Noteholders have agreed to tender their Outstanding Notes in a private exchange offer to be made by the Company, subject to certain conditions set forth in the Refinancing Support Agreement.

The purpose of the Exchange Offer is to refinance the Outstanding Notes and thereby reduce, and extend the maturity of, the Company’s indebtedness, which the Company believes will promote its long-term financial viability.

The Company will not retain any cash proceeds from borrowings incurred in connection with the Exchange Offer. The Outstanding Notes tendered and refinanced in connection with the Exchange Offer will be retired and cancelled and will not be reissued.

Barstool Sports, SiriusXM Team for New National Daily Show

SiriusXM and Barstool Sports, a leading comedy, sports and men's lifestyle brand, have teamed up for an exclusive new daily show, hosted by Barstool founder Dave Portnoy, that will showcase the site's funny, irreverent and unfiltered approach to covering sports, men's lifestyle, popular culture and more.

Barstool Radio on SiriusXM will make its debut on the SiriusXM airwaves January 3 and air live every weekday from 12:00-2:00 pm ET/9:00-11:00 am PT on SiriusXM Rush, available nationwide on channel 93 on satellite radios and on the SiriusXM app.

Portnoy and his army of bloggers have built a cult following based on their takes on sports, pop culture, girls, entertainment and current events. For the common man, by the common man has become a point of difference for Barstool Sports's unique agenda-less view on the world. They will bring the same philosophy to Barstool Radio on SiriusXM, where they can connect live over the air with their listening audience and invite fans to be part of the daily discussion.

"We're excited to bring our brand of humor to SiriusXM and its listeners, and to bring our Barstool crew to the mix," said Dave Portnoy, Founder of Barstool Sports. "We have a unique take on most topics and we're looking forward to sharing this with listeners all over the country."

"Dave and the team at Barstool have built a huge and exceptionally loyal audience by consistently delivering content that attracts and entertains fans of sports, pop culture and so much more," said Steve Cohen, SiriusXM's SVP of Sports Programming.  "We're excited to bring the Barstool brand to our SiriusXM Rush channel and give fans across the country a new way to interact with the site's creators and be a part of the daily Barstool conversation."

Turner To Create Shows for Snapchat

(Reuters) -- Turner Broadcasting System Inc will create more video content for mobile app Snapchat and collaborate with the social media company on advertising, Turner said on Wednesday, as they expand a partnership to broaden their reach among millennials.

TV networks of the Time Warner Inc unit, including TBS and Adult Swim, will create original series exclusively for the unit of Snap, Inc, the broadcaster said in a statement.

The companies also renewed their March agreement for Snapchat to create Live Stories, collections of user-submitted photos and videos centered around a specific event, with sports shows from Turner. The shows include the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAAA) Division I Men's Basketball Championship and the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) Championship.

Turner will lead sales efforts for Live Stories and shows, while Snapchat will take the lead for sponsorships on the Discover channels.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Turner formed the partnership with Snap in 2015, and forged links with other digital media companies, to court younger viewers who prefer mobile gadgets to television. Turner said its networks reach more than 75 percent of millennials each month, the same audience that Snapchat targets.

The partnership began with the launch of Snapchat's Discover feature which allows companies to offer and manage their own content. The original channels included Turner's CNN and Bleacher Report, a San Francisco-based sports news website.

Bleacher Report, which had been available worldwide except in the United States, France and Australia, will launch a U.S. Discover channel on Jan. 4. CNN will increase its content on Discover.

Snap has partnered with multiple traditional U.S. media companies, including Viacom Inc and Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal, as it prepares to go public early next year.

This year Turner has also invested in digital media companies Mashable and Refinery29, and launched a digital video startup within CNN called Great Big Story.