December PPMs Released For Portland OR, Orlando, 10 Other Markets

Nielsen on Wednesday 12/21/16 Released the third batch of December 2016 PPM Data for the following markets:


   23  Portland OR

   24  Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill NC

   26  San Antonio

   27  Pittsburgh

   28  Sacramento
   
   29  Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo UT

   30  Las Vegas

   31  Cincinnati

   32  Orlando

   33  Cleveland

   35  Kansas City MO

   37  Columbus OH

To view the Topline Numbers for subscribing Nielsen Stations, Click Here

iHeartMedia Dealt Another Setback

iHeartMedia Inc. was dealt another blow Wednesday as the company’s financial condition continues to deteriorate under the weight of its $20.5 billion in debt.

According to The San Antonio News-Express, a New York group determined that iHeartMedia’s partial debt payment last week triggered repayment on financial contr

acts tied to the company’s bonds. The decision will primarily affect the hedge funds and other Wall Street investors that speculated on iHeartMedia’s financial future and won’t necessarily have a big or immediate impact on iHeartMedia’s books.

But the decision is another marker of distress in the radio and billboard giant’s troubled finances. The struggling company has made a series of unusual maneuvers in recent months in an attempt to restructure its finances. The costs to service its crushing debt load are burning through cash as it struggles to keep up with interest payments and repay bonds as they mature. It reported its 27th consecutive quarterly loss last month.

The three major bond rating companies all downgraded iHeartMedia’s debt ratings earlier this month, with S&P Global and Fitch Ratings both saying that the company’s current financial situation was “unsustainable.” The company is likely to default on its debt over the next year or two as it faces bankruptcy or some other form of debt restructuring, Fitch said in a recent analyst note.

Philip Brendel, a senior analyst covering distressed debt for Bloomberg Intelligence, said that iHeartMedia has been “engaging in financial engineering for a while now” as the company has tried for years to figure out ways to deal with its more than $20 billion in debt.

The company announced plans last week to repay $192.9 million of a $250 million bond payment due Dec. 15. It withheld $57.1 million in notes held by subsidiary Clear Channel Holdings Inc. — money it essentially owes itself — due to a technicality that would have triggered collateral requirements on other debt.

The so-called springing lien could have required iHeartMedia to put up “principled property” — or some of its 850 radio stations — as collateral against some of its older debt as the result of a series of complex bond deals negotiated before iHeartMedia was purchased in a leveraged buyout in 2008, said Fitch analyst Patrice Cucinello.

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Cumulus Pays Two Execs $586K In One-Time Incentive Awards

Troubled radio giant Cumulus Media Inc. has given two top execs $586,875 in one-time "discretionary cash incentive compensation awards."

According to The Atlanta Business Chronicle, Cumulus reported Wednesday that it paid John Abbot, executive vice president, treasurer and chief financial officer, $421,875; and Richard Denning, senior vice president, secretary and general counsel, $165,000. The company said the cash awards "were made in recognition of, among other things, the exceptional efforts and contributions made by those executive officers during 2016, both individually and as members of the management leadership team, in the initial phase of the company’s operational turnaround plan and ongoing operational and financial restructuring."

The payments are in lieu of any award the execs might have been entitled under the company’s annual incentive plan for 2016, Cumulus said.

Atlanta-based Cumulus -- the nation’s second largest radio network with 447 owned-and-operated radio stations -- in October passed the one-year mark for new CEO Mary Berner, as well as her efforts to turn around the company. Cumulus lost $546 million in 2015. For the nine months ended Sept. 30 it reported net income of $33 million and adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization of $149 million, down 24 percent from the nine months ended September 2015.

On Dec. 12, Cumulus proposed a refinancing intended to reduce Cumulus' debt -- which is $2.4 billion -- by up to $305 million. That proposal led Cumulus to sue J.P. Morgan Chase for allegedly trying to block the refinancing, which would retire some senior notes at a discount of up to 50 cents on the dollar.

Chicago Radio: Boers And Bernstein End Long-Run

Today marks the end of an era at WSCR 670 AM The Score and in Chicago sports talk radio.

The Boers and Bernstein Show will broadcast for the final time Thursday, in a live remote from 1-6 p.m. at Real Time Sports in Elk Grove Village, according to CBS Local.

Longtime host Terry Boers will retire in early January, and due to the holidays and usual vacation time late in the year, Thursday will be the final time Boers and co-host Dan Bernstein will hold a show together. In addition to an audio stream, there will be a live video stream to the 670 The Score Facebook page.

The duo has been a staple of Chicago radio, as the Boers and Bernstein Show has been on for more than 17 years, making it the longest-running show in Chicago sports radio history.

“A huge accomplishment, one station, one show for 17-plus years is unheard of in today’s times,” 670 The Score program director Mitch Rosen said.

Boers’ final show will be Jan. 5, a day in which he’ll host by himself with a bevy of old friends and special guests set to join him as 670 remembers his historic career. That show will take place in Blue Cross Blue Shield Performance Stage in the CBS Radio offices.

Dave Ramsey Calls Bank 'Slimy' As Sponsorship Ends

Syndicated radio personal finance guru Dave Ramsey is taking aim at Fifth Third after the regional bank said it would no longer sponsor his youth financial literacy program.

In a Wednesday statement to The Enquirer of Cincinnati, Ramsey's company Lampo Group accused Fifth Third Bank of “attempting to steal our customers” and likened the move to “going to a dinner party and stealing the silverware.”

Here's the full statement:

“Now, for the first time in our company’s history we have a sponsor attempting to steal our customers, bypassing us. That’s like going to a dinner party and stealing the silverware.  Fifth Third acted in an unethical — and to be blunt — slimy manner. 

That’s not how we do business! We have great sponsors across the country. More than three million students have completed Foundations in Personal Finance at the high school level, and we will continue to provide quality financial curriculum to high school, middle school, and college students across the nation. Ramsey Solutions looks forward to working with honorable businesses that wish to join in that effort.”  

Fifth Third officials said Tuesday the program by next summer will have educated one million students. However, officials said the bank is "reviewing other alternatives" for financial literacy. There was no immediate information available on how much Fifth Third spent to sponsor Ramsey's programs.

"The issue of financial literacy is one we are committed to," bank spokesman Larry Magnesen said Tuesday. "We will share more news soon but aren’t ready to make an announcement. … We wish the Dave Ramsey team the best."

Fifth Third officials confirmed the change after the best-selling author, radio host and personal finance guru alluded to it on Twitter.

Fifth Third sponsored the program, which consists of more than 10 weeks of classes targeted at juniors, in 1,700 high schools. Bank officials declined to say how much they spent supporting the program.

ESPN Signs Bomani Jones to Multi-Year Extension

ESPN has signed Bomani Jones, one of the most distinct voices on radio and television whose commentary and opinions resonate with a diverse audience, to a multi-year extension. Jones, who joined ESPN full time in 2013, will continue to host The Right Time with Bomani Jones on ESPN Radio weekdays from 4 – 7 p.m. ET. He will also remain co-host of Highly Questionable, with Dan Le Batard and Papi, weekdays on ESPN at 4:30 p.m. Additional projects featuring Jones will be developed.

"I'm really happy to continue my relationship with ESPN,” said Jones. “I've spent the last three-and-a-half years working with some of the best and brightest people in sports, and it's great to know that will continue. More than that, I'm excited about everything that will be possible in the next few years on television and continuing to build The Right Time on ESPN Radio."

Traug Keller, senior vice president, ESPN business divisions, added, “Bomani Jones is so much more than another sports radio and television host. He brings a depth and perspective to the conversation that is singularly unique. It is a privilege to announce we are extending and building our relationship with Bomani.”

Jones has been a fulltime co-host of Highly Questionable since May of 2013. In March of 2015, ESPN Radio launched The Right Time with Bomani Jones, which allows Jones, in his entertaining and humorous manner, to focus on sports commentary and a frank discussion of social topics, while engaging in compelling dialog with his guests.

Jones has also regularly appeared as a panelist on ESPN’s Around the Horn and has appeared on other ESPN programs including SportsCenter, First Take and Outside the Lines. He sometimes joins Dan Le Batard on ESPN Radio’s The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz. Jones started his relationship with ESPN as a columnist for ESPN.com.

Milwaukee Radio: WTMJ Tweaks On-Air Line-Up

Jeff Wagner

WTMJ 620 AM debuts a new on-air lineup on Tuesday, January 3, 2017.

Midday host Jeff Wagner will move to the weekday mid-morning show from 8:30am-Noon. Wagner’s highly rated show features conversational common sense and discussion of today’s top stories.

In addition, WTMJ alumnus John Jagler will return to the station for a special interim engagement to host “WTMJ Today” from 12-3pm weekdays. Jagler hosted Wisconsin’s Morning News with Gene Mueller until 2010. He now serves as a Representative for Wisconsin’s 37th State Assembly District. He will work with WTMJ's Erik Bilstad, discussing the days' top stories.

“WTMJ listeners love Jeff Wagner’s program. His personality engages our audience on the many issues and the big stories of the day,” said Tom Langmyer, Vice President and general manager of WTMJ and WKTI and vice president, news/talk/sports programming – radio for E.W. Scripps Company.

John Jagler

“In addition, we are excited to welcome back an old friend in John Jagler. John will appear in the interim until we announce our permanent midday host.”

“I consider it a privilege to be able to talk each day with the WTMJ listeners,” said Jeff Wagner. “In good times and bad, the WTMJ audience is extremely thoughtful, curious and very proud to be from Wisconsin. I couldn’t agree more.”

“I’m thrilled to go back to my radio home to lend a hand for a while,” said John Jagler. “I’m looking forward to having a good time and reconnecting with the WTMJ listening family.”

The new WTMJ lineup comes after long time host Charlie Sykes stepped away from his daily radio show in mid-December.

Louisville Radio: Darrick Williams New PD At WGZB, WMJM

Darrick Williams

Alpha Media Louisville announced today Darrick Williams has been named Program Director for Urban WGZB 96.5 FM  / B-96.5 and UrbanA/C WMJM Magic 101.3 FM.

Over the past 20 years Darrick has been involved in every aspect of the creative process in Radio Programming, from Washington DC, Charlotte, and Philadelphia to New York City. Add to that, over a decade of experience working with some of the biggest names in the industry, Donnie Simpson, Wendy Williams, Steve Harvey, Salt N Pepa, Cedric The Entertainer, Sommore, Jay Stevens, Tony Gray, Skip Dillard and so many more. Darrick is looking forward to working at a company where that kind of commitment to the Community is at the center of everything they do.

Alpha Media’s Market Manager, Bill Gentry, added, “We are excited to have Brown join our team and utilize his vast experience to aggressively lead GZB and MJM to new heights.”

“Darrick is one of those ‘diamonds in the rough’ who has the major market experience, strong leadership skills, strategic thinking, and long line of success stories that follow him. I can’t wait to watch Darrick lead this hungry and talented staff. Alpha Media continues to recruit the most talented players in the industry!” remarked Alpha Media’s Operations Manager, Ben Davis.

Darrick said, “I am very excited to take on this new journey! It’s an honor to be given this amazing opportunity by Mr. Gentry, Mr. DAVIS, and ALPHA MEDIA’s programming top brass to join this awesome team. I’ll be surrounded by an abundance of talent, and look forward to a successful 2017 serving and living in Louisville aka KENTUCKIANA.”

New Tool Developed To Show How Fake News Spreads

By Patricia Reaney

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Researchers at Indiana University have developed a new tool that shows how fake news and unverified stories spread through social media.

The search engine, dubbed Hoaxy, is the latest effort to combat the proliferation of fake news, which proliferated during the U.S. presidential campaign, with one bogus post-Election Day story sparking a real-life event when a gunman fired shots into a Washington, D.C., restaurant.

"It is a very serious problem," said Filippo Menczer, the director of the university's Center for Complex Networks and Systems Research, which launched Hoaxy.

Misinformation and propaganda are not new, but Menczer said social media has added a new component because the information is pre-selected to be in line with people's own opinions.

"Social media makes it more likely that I am more exposed to false information that I am likely to believe," he added.

Hoaxy does not determine whether a story is real but it shows how it is spread online and shows related fact-checking.

The free website, hoaxy.iuni.iu.edu, can be used by reporters, researchers and the public. If a user suspects a story is false they can search it in the website to see how it was spread and to what degree it went viral.

"There is no editorial judgment," Menczer said in an interview. "We don't look at the claims, or vet them, or say they are true or false."

It examines websites, compiled by news organizations and fact-checking sites, that are known to post satire, hoaxes or conspiracy theories. It also tracks links to the stories on Twitter and Facebook so users can see how often the stories have been shared.

"You can observe who are the hubs, who are the main spreaders and most influential who have spread these claims and fact-checks," said Menczer.

News and tech companies including Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc are also trying to tackle fake news and have formed a coalition to improve the quality of information on social media.  

Menczer said he started looking into the phenomenon of false news in a research experiment several years ago. He created a website with celebrity stories clearly marked as fake and promoted them on social bookmarking websites that were popular at the time. A month after launching the site he received a check for ad revenue from the site.

"That early experiment demonstrated the power of the internet to monetize false information," he said.

ESPN Radio To Celebrate 25th Anniversary

In 2017, ESPN Radio will celebrate its 25th anniversary, kicking off with a 25th Anniversary Special hosted by Keith Olbermann, with guests Tony Bruno and Chuck Wilson – all voices on the first ESPN Radio broadcast — airing Wednesday, Jan. 4, from 7 – 9 p.m. ET. The anniversary special will re-air on ESPN Radio periodically throughout 2017.

“ESPN Radio has been around for 25 years serving sports fans on the go wherever and whenever.  We have evolved over time, adapting as sports fans have adapted, to new ways of listening while all along maintaining strong relationships with our over 500 affiliates across the country,” said Traug Keller, senior vice president, ESPN Audio. “From compelling talk programming to the strongest package of play-by-play content in the industry, ESPN Radio has consistently been the leader among sports broadcasters. We’re incredibly grateful to all the hard-working individuals who have contributed so much to the network over the years — both behind and in front of the mic. Bringing back Keith, Tony and Chuck was a way for us to tip our hats to the folks who got us started.”

Throughout 2017, ESPN Radio will revisit pivotal moments in sports from the past 25 years. From January 9 through December 11, the network will offer the bi-weekly 25 Stories in Sports from the Last 25 Years podcast series, which will be hosted by various ESPN Radio voices and discuss some of the landmark sporting events since 1992. The podcasts will be available on the ESPN app and as a series on ESPNRadio.com.

Also beginning in January, ESPN Radio will explore the Top 25 of the last 25 years – Best Coaches, Best Fights, Most Underrated Athletes and more – with one list debuting each month through 2017 on ESPNRadio.com. In addition, vignettes showcasing “This Week in Sports History” will run weekdays during ESPN Radio’s talk programming.

ESPN Radio launched on January 1, 1992, with 16 hours per week of sports news and information. The network has since grown to provide more than 9,000 hours of talk and event content annually, and reaches 20 million listeners a week on 500 nationwide stations. Over the last quarter-century, ESPN Radio has created provocative and entertaining programming including Mike & Mike, The Dan Le Batard Show, The Fabulous Sports Babe, The Dan Patrick Show, The Herd with Colin Cowherd and more.

Top Trending Searches Unveiled From Google

The 2016 US presidential election may have generated strong interest around the world, but neither it nor its participants cracked the top 5 trending searches in the US, says Google in its year in review. Instead, January’s $1.5 billion Powerball was the top trending search in the US, also cracking the top 5 globally.

Seven of the top 10 search trends from the US also appeared on the list of top trending search terms globally. The only three top trending topics from the US that were not on the global list were Hurricane Matthew (#3), Election (#9) and Hillary Clinton (#10), replaced by iPhone 7 (#2 on the global list), Deadpool (#7) and Suicide Squad (#10).

In terms of global news, the US election and the Olympics were the top trending topics globally, followed by Brexit, the Orlando shooting, and the Zika virus.

December 22 Radio History

In 1899...Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America registered.


In 1901...orchestra leader Andre Kostelanetz was born in Russia.

Arriving in the US in 1922, he conducted concerts for radio, and in the 30s he was given his own weekly show on CBS, Andre Kostelanetz Presents. He was known for arranging and recording light classical music pieces for mass audiences, as well as orchestral versions of popular songs and Broadway show tunes. His numerous recordings garnered sales of over 50 million and became staples of Beautiful Music radio.

He succumbed to pneumonia Jan. 13 1980 at age 78.

In 1917...game show host/announcer Gene Rayburn was born in Christopher Illinois.

He was half of the first two-man radio morning show team on WNEW 1130 AM New York (Rayburn & Finch), and broke into TV as announcer for Steve Allen on the original Tonight Show.

Besides Match Game, for which he is best remembered, he also hosted the TV games Make the Connection, Choose Up Sides, Dough Re Mi, and Tic Tac Dough. He died Nov 29, 1999 at age 81.


In 1920...WEAF in New York City, aired the first broadcast of a prize fight from ringside. The fight was broadcast from Madison Square Garden where Joe Lynch defeated Peter Herman to retain the bantamweight title.


In 1922...pioneer New York radio station WEAF once again proved to be the pillar of radio promotion. This time they broadcast radio’s first double wedding ceremony. 4,000 spectators watched as the two couples exchanged vows at Grand Central Palace. The broadcast was made in conjunction with the American Radio Exposition. The couples each got $100; a hefty sum in 1922.




In 1962...The Tornados became the first British group to have a #1 record in the U.S. when they topped the singles chart with their instrumental "Telstar."


In 2000...SIRIUS Satellite Radio completed its satellite system





In 2010...Radio and TV announcer (The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, The Dick Cavett Show, The Generation Gap)/National Radio Hall of Famer Fred Foy died at the age of 89.

Shortly after graduating from high school in 1938, Foy began in broadcasting with a part-time position at WMBC, a 250-watt independent station in Detroit. He moved to WXYZ in 1942, but World War II interrupted his radio career.

He was inducted August 28, 1942, entering the American armed forces September 11, 1942.

Attached to the 14th Special Service Company, Sergeant Fred Foy became the American voice on Egyptian State Broadcasting, delivering news and special programs to the Allied Forces in Cairo. He handled the distribution throughout the Middle East of American recordings, in addition to local broadcasts of Command Performance, Mail Call, Personal Album, Radio Bric-a-Brac and Front Line Theatre. He also announced The American Forces Programme. For Stars and Stripes he did American News Letter, a weekly summary of news from America, plus sport flashes and items from various theatres of war. For Cairo cinemas, he announced Headline News of the Day. Foy helped stage and announce USO sponsored programs, including a Jack Benny broadcast from Cairo to New York and an Andre Kostelanetz concert with Lily Pons.

After the war, Foy returned to WXYZ in Detroit. He took over the position of announcer and narrator for radio's The Lone Ranger beginning July 2, 1948 and continuing until the series ended on September 3, 1954.

Nielsen To Increase Sample Size In 48 PPM Markets

Today, Nielsen announced an increase in the panel in 48 Portable People Meter (PPM) markets as part of its ongoing efforts to advance audio measurement. Nielsen will boost the effective sample size of the panel by 10% across all markets and demographics starting mid-2017.

Nielsen’s enhanced PPM panel will have more than 80,000 installed meters. This means that on an average day over 65,000 panelists will contribute to the ratings. The increase represents more than 6,000 additional panelists on a daily basis across the aggregate of PPM markets. The sample increase will be distributed proportionally across all demographics.

“An increase in the PPM sample size is the number one priority for our clients,” said Brad Kelly, Managing Director for Nielsen Audio. “With this investment, Nielsen is doubling down on its commitment to the radio industry and addressing the needs of our clients. We are thrilled to rollout this enhancement that will continue to build a stronger radio advertising marketplace.”

With the recently announced acquisition of Gracenote, Nielsen will be exploring ways to leverage Gracenote’s vast footprint in over 70 million Car Infotainment systems as well as their expertise as the industry standard for automatic content recognition (ACR) to help expand our measurement of in-car audio and in-car digital listening.

“Larger sample sizes are important due to the continuing fragmentation of audiences and the need for more granular analysis of the data. This expansion will be an important step forward in the accuracy and quality of our audio estimates,” said Megan Clarken, President for Nielsen Product Leadership. “Increasing the size of our PPM panel will allow our clients to continue to share their story with confidence and in a way that resonates with advertisers.”

Chicago Radio: Robert Murphy To EXIT WLS-FM

Robert Murphy (Robert Feder photo)

Veteran radio personality Robert Murphy will be exiting WLS 94.7 FM at the end of the month.

Murphy was informed in November than his 3-year contract was not being renewed.

According to Chicago Radio& Media,  Murphy was a top-rated radio star on WKQX Q101 FM for a decade in the 1980s and early 1990s, Murphy was one of the biggest media celebrities in town during this period.

Prior to joining WKQX-FM in 1983, Murphy worked at radio stations in Knoxville, Nashville, Milwaukee, and Charlotte.

After leaving WKQX-FM in 1993, Murphy bounced around with many other radio jobs.

Murphy made a surprise return to Chicago radio in July 2011 hosting a morning show on the temporary Adult Contemporary station airing on Merlin Media's WKQX-FM/WWWN-FM.

However, that brief time on the air led to Hubbard Broadcasting contacting Murphy to have him come to WILV 100.3 FM /Rewind (now WSHE-FM) to help boost their morning show ratings. Murphy accepted the offer and started there on September 8, 2011.  However, the ratings did not happen. In fact, ratings went in the wrong direction. On March 23, 2012, less than seven months after his long-term comeback began, Murphy was released.

A year and a half later, Murphy joined WLS-FM -- his third return to Chicago radio in less than three years.

CRM reports tther on-air changes will be coming to WLS-FM in the new year.

Holiday Music, Trump Drive December PPMs Results

Holiday music and the forthcoming start of a new presidential administration are two factors, which only intersect on a quadrennial basis, powered the storylines coming out of Nielsen’s December portable people meter (PPM) ratings.

News/Talk scored another big month as Election Day fell in the first week of the December survey. At the same time, the yearly shifts in listener habits that we notice each year once the all-Christmas format takes hold clearly affected the results for a handful of major music formats as well.

News/Talk’s share of audience spiked around the culmination of the election season, which was expected based on everything we’ve seen so far this year leading up to November 8th. This month’s data reveals the highest shares for News/Talk since the last time an election was held. The chart below compares News/Talk results in the PPM survey month from the last two presidential elections (November in 2012 and December in 2016).

According to Nielsen, even more notable is the fact that December’s 4.7% share among Millennial listeners aged 18-34 was the highest ever recorded in PPM measurement for the format. It’s also further proof that interest in the American political process reached an all-time high for consumers of all ages in 2016. We will monitor what comes next for News/Talk into the next year as we move away from the influence of holiday programming, which will commandeer the headlines until the release of the January survey. But for a sneak peak at what may lay in store for News/Talk below we analyzed the four-month period from September to December four years ago, and now.

In the near term, radio programmers will be focused on the annual impact of holiday music on their formats and stations. With Christmas this week, spins of the classic holiday tunes are hitting a peak.