Nielsen and West Virginia Radio Corp. have reached an agreement for Nielsen Audio measurement in the Charleston, W.Va. market.
West Virginia Radio Corp. is a West Virginia owned and operated broadcast company with operations that span several West Virginia cities including Morgantown, Charleston, Clarksburg, Fairmont, Elkins and Martinsburg.
West Virginia Radio Corp. has returned to the roster of valued Nielsen Audio clients after a brief hiatus. Credibility and stability of the data were cited as key drivers for the broadcaster’s decision to renew ties with Nielsen. The agreement includes access to Nielsen’s local market report, PD Advantage and Tapscan’s suite of services.
Dale Miller, President and CEO of West Virginia Radio Corp., affirms his decision to re-engage the company’s relationship with Nielsen stating, “In a time when audience metrics are so important, Nielsen remains the only ratings currency that consistently reflects the value of our radio stations. Having reliable research is more important now than at any other time, and we feel that Nielsen Audio is a partner in our business, allowing us to generate true ROI. We tried plan B for a time, but you can budget cut yourself out of the business.”
“We are very pleased to have West Virginia Radio Corp. return to Nielsen Audio,” said Brad Kelly, Managing Director of Nielsen Audio. “They deliver a large and compelling platform for advertisers in Charleston and across much of the great state of West Virginia. We’re happy to be working together again with Dale Miller and his team to demonstrate the power of radio which reaches more than 93% of the 25-54 population each week in the state’s capitol.”
Florida officials and Comcast Corp. CEO Brian Roberts announced plans on Thursday for a big expansion of the Universal theme park operations in the Orlando with a new park expected to employ about 14,000 workers.
The current park employs about 25,000 workers.
According to inquirer.com, Comcast did not disclose a timeline for the project or say how much would be invested. The company said that its Universal unit has agreed to finance $160 million in road extensions to open an area for Epic Universe.
The Philadelphia-based company has faced deep cable-TV subscriber losses as people look to cut their cord and cable bills, opting for streaming services instead. Looking for growth, Comcast has focused on high-speed internet services, theme parks, and global markets.
“Our new park represents the single-largest investment Comcast NBCUniversal has made in its theme park business and in Florida overall,” Roberts said in a statement. “It reflects the tremendous excitement we have for the future of our theme park business and for our entire company’s future in Florida.”
Epic Universe will include hotels, shops, and restaurants, in addition to entertainment attractions. The new park will be located within a 750-acre site.
The highly profitable theme park business has boomed for Comcast. In the Philadelphia company’s recently reported second-quarter earnings, theme parks comprised about 18 percent of revenues in its NBCUniversal division but 24 percent of earnings.
Entertainment Studios, Inc., one of the largest independent producers and distributors of film and television, with 43 shows on the air, and owner of nine 24-hour HD television networks now serving nearly 160 million subscribers — including The Weather Channel television network and its streaming service Local Now — proudly announces the conclusion of its acquisition of Bayou City Broadcasting Evansville, Inc., and Bayou City Broadcasting Lafayette, Inc.
The Federal Communications Commission formally consented to transfer the television station licenses to Allen in mid-June, with Allen formally assuming control of the station groups on July 3, 2019. Allen purchased the station groups through his company, Allen Media Broadcasting LLC.
Byron Allen
Byron Allen, who recently joined Sinclair Broadcast Group to successfully acquire the Fox/Disney 21 Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) for $10.6 billion, and also purchased The Weather Channel in 2018, has publicly stated he has been aggressively pursuing additional media assets to purchase. The purchase of these four Bayou City Broadcasting entities — WEVV (CBS) & WEEV (Fox) in Evansville, Indiana and KLAF (NBC) and KADN (Fox) in Lafayette, Louisiana — provides Allen’s television unit with a broader audience and strategically positions the company in broadcast and digital media.
“Byron Allen is a visionary, and a brilliant entrepreneur who always gets it done,” said Bayou City Broadcasting Owner/President/CEO DuJuan McCoy. “Byron Allen’s companies, which exemplify excellence, are perfectly positioned to continue the strong tradition these stations have in serving their communities.”
“DuJuan McCoy is an outstanding broadcaster and he has done a phenomenal job of assembling a strong management team to operate these network affiliate stations,” said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Entertainment Studios/Allen Media LLC. “This is another milestone for our company, as we have now agreed to purchase our very first broadcast television stations and continue to look for other opportunities to grow our global media company through strategic acquisitions.”
Allen’s expansion into broadcast television is the latest step Entertainment Studios has taken in further expanding the global reach of its programming and content.
Roughly a quarter of papers with an average Sunday circulation of 50,000 or more experienced layoffs in 2018, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis.
The layoffs come on top of the roughly one-third of papers in the same circulation range that experienced layoffs in 2017. What’s more, the number of jobs typically cut by newspapers in 2018 tended to be higher than in the year before.
Mid-market newspapers were the most likely to suffer layoffs in 2018 – unlike in 2017, when the largest papers most frequently saw cutbacks. Meanwhile, digital-native news outlets also faced continued layoffs: In 2018, 14% of the highest-traffic digital-native news outlets went through layoffs, down slightly from one-in-five in 2017.
About one-in-four U.S. newspapers with an average Sunday circulation of 50,000 or higher (27%) experienced one or more publicly reported layoffs in 2018, according to the study, which examined news articles that cited staff layoffs at these outlets. This is slightly lower than the 32% of newspapers in this circulation range in 2017.
The specific papers with 50,000 or more Sunday circulation can vary year to year, but the vast majority (85%) fell into this category in both years included in this analysis. Of these, 9% had layoffs in 2017 and 2018. In other words, the papers that experienced staff losses in 2018 were for the most part different from those that did in 2017, widening the span of outlets with depleted staff.
While news reports did not always provide the exact number of newsroom staff being laid off, some broad conclusions can be drawn from the data. Among the newspapers for which the Center could determine the number of laid-off staff, 62% laid off more than 10 people in 2018, more than the 42% that did the same in 2017. This suggests a year-over-year increase in the number of jobs typically cut by newspapers during layoffs.
These findings come amid warnings that the news business is on pace for its worst job losses in a decade in 2019.
As more Florida consumers choose cutting edge communications technologies, landline phones continue to disappear, according to the Florida Public Service Commission’s (PSC) annual Report on the Status of Competition in the Telecommunications Industry.
“Many Florida consumers now live in wireless only homes and use wireless and broadband services,” said PSC Chairman Art Graham. “As the pace for technological innovation quickens, companies are investing in advanced technologies that best serve the diverse needs of today’s consumers, while also boosting Florida’s economic growth.”
The 2018 report, released today, shows consumers continue to move from landline telephone service to wireless and cable/Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. The data also indicates that residential migration might be increasing slightly, while business customers are still migrating to VoIP services in large numbers.
For the eighth year in a row, the number of business landlines exceeded residential landlines, although both experienced significant drops in 2018. Residential landlines declined 23.6 percent, while business landlines declined 23 percent.
CenturyLink continues to be Florida’s largest residential landline provider, despite experiencing a 30.2 percent decline in residential lines last year. AT&T’s residential landlines declined 19.8 percent, and Frontier’s declined 24.1 percent during the same period.
As in past years, wireless, VoIP and broadband drove the telecommunications markets in 2018. There are an estimated 20.8 million wireless subscriptions in Florida and more than 4.5 million VoIP connections. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 93 percent of households in Florida had fixed broadband connections of at least 200 kbps, and 20 percent had connection speeds of at least 100 Mbps at the end of June 2017.
The FCC-reported overall telephone penetration rate of 92.7 percent for Florida suggests that most consumers are able to afford telephone service. For eligible Floridians needing help on their monthly phone bills, the Lifeline Assistance program for discounted voice and broadband service is available. Florida’s Lifeline participation rate increased from 41.3 percent in eligible households in 2017 to 42.7 in 2018.
The Country Oldies Show aired for the first time from New York City in August 1994. Host Steve Warren celebrates his Silver Anniversary with one of the longest consecutive running country radio shows on air.
“When I started the weekly show it was a quirky little Sunday night program playing oldies in a Country music world of “Hot,” “Young” and “New” Country radio formats, little did we know that those legendary country songs and artists had the staying power to survive and continue to attract a weekly national audience,” said Steve Warren. “When I sit down to record each week’s program, it’s like being in the company of old friends … because that’s exactly what it is for me.”
Steve Warren
During the past season, host Steve Warren has shared some of his best memories and stories from the last 25 years.Having gotten his start in country radio at an early age, Steve’s career ran parallel to many of country music’s earliest superstars leading to many firsthand interactions with some of the biggest names in country music history.
This cascade of country royalty has included Ray Price, Dottie West, Steve Wariner, Crystal Gayle, The Oak Ridge Boys, Larry Gatlin, John Denver, Johnny Cash, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and Janie Fricke just to name a few.
Exactly twenty-five years later, the 2019 Country Radio Hall of Fame Nominee is still spinning those classic country favorites as he hosts and produces the three-hour weekly The Country Oldies Show, syndicated nationwide and globally by Envision Networks.
Steve’s extensive resume includes stops at all NYC country stations (WHN, WKHK and WYNY). He programmed powerhouse country outlets WPTR in Albany, N.Y. and KKYX in San Antonio, and he designed and implemented the country channels for Sirius Satellite Radio. Steve can be contacted directly at steve@countryoldies.com.
The show’s a perfect weekend play on country stations, call Envision Networks at 216.831.3761 and say that you want to join The Country Oldies Show family or email countryoldiesshow@envisionnetworks.com.
CHED 630 AM Edmonton legend Bruce Bowie announced that, after 47 years behind the mic, he will be retiring at the end of August.
“After listening to CHED 630 for years, I thought it was beyond my reach. Somehow I wound up spending 21 years of my life here,” Bowie said. “I feel like I was embraced by the Edmonton listeners from the start and will be forever grateful. This city has been good to me.”
“There is something magical about talking with people and interacting with people and that’s what fascinated me with it at first. I just thought it sounded like these guys were having so much fun,” he said.
Bowie’s career started in 1972 at CKSA in Lloydminster, Alta., according to Global News.
“There is something magical about talking with people and interacting with people and that’s what fascinated me with it at first. I just thought it sounded like these guys were having so much fun,” he said.
“I have been so blessed, this has not really been a job,” Bowie said of his career. “I can’t say I’ve enjoyed every day, but almost every day coming to work.
“When I left home I planned to go and try radio for a couple of years because it always fascinated me and then I thought I’d go back ranching after I gave it a shot. So, 47 years later I’m going to call my brother and see if he’s got any openings. Hopefully by this point the hay bales weigh about five pounds each and I’m ready to go.”
Bowie isn’t sure what he’ll get up to after retirement, but said he will take some time to work with a number of charities that are close to his heart.
“After 47 years it won’t be all about me, maybe I can go help somebody else,” he said.
➦In 1922...Alexander Graham Bell died at age 75 (Born - March 3, 1847). He was a Scottish-born American inventor, scientist, and engineer who is credited with inventing and patenting the first practical telephone. He also founded the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) in 1885.
Bell's father, grandfather, and brother had all been associated with work on elocution and speech and both his mother and wife were deaf, profoundly influencing Bell's life's work. His research on hearing and speech further led him to experiment with hearing devices which eventually culminated in Bell being awarded the first U.S. patent for the telephone in 1876. Bell considered his invention an intrusion on his real work as a scientist and refused to have a telephone in his study.
Many other inventions marked Bell's later life, including groundbreaking work in optical telecommunications, hydrofoils, and aeronautics. Although Bell was not one of the 33 founders of the National Geographic Society, he had a strong influence on the magazine while serving as the second president from January 7, 1898, until 1903.
Bell died of complications arising from diabetes on August 2, 1922, at his private estate in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Bell had also been afflicted with pernicious anemia. His last view of the land he had inhabited was by moonlight on his mountain estate at 2:00 a.m. While tending to him after his long illness, Mabel, his wife, whispered, "Don't leave me." By way of reply, Bell signed "no...", lost consciousness, and died shortly after. ➦In 1964...Comedic radio actor Jack Kirkwood died just days short of his 70th birthday. He had a well know repeated role on The Bob Hope Show. Some called Kirkwood Bob Hope's second banana, but in actuality Bob Hope often played the straight man to Jack Kirkwood's hijinks.
IHis contributions to golden age of radio was extensive. He was on such shows as The Bob Hope Show, Edgar Bergen, Ozzie & Harriet, The Alan Young Show, Fibber McGee and Molly, Jack Benny Program, the star-studded show train Railroad Hour, and many more.
➦In 1983...WHTZ 100.3 FM, licensed to Newark, NJ signed-on with Scott Shannon and the "Morning Zoo". It went from "worst to first" in just a few months.
The station, which now had the call-sign WHTZ, went on the air at 6:08 AM. The first two songs ever played on the station were "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, followed by "America" by Neil Diamond.
Initially, the station called themselves by their new call letters, but by late August, they began calling themselves "WHTZ Newark, New York's New Z100". The station signed on from its new and still-incomplete studio in Secaucus, transmitting from the old FM tower site in West Orange, New Jersey, as their antenna was not moved to the top of the Empire State Building until August 4 at 6 AM.
Z100 was the second station that summer to attempt to bring the Top 40 format back to New York, with rock station WPLJ having begun the evolution to top 40 in June. WHTZ was programmed to remind listeners of one-time AM powerhouse WABC, which had gone from a tight Top 40 format to leaning Disco in early 1979 to leaning adult rock later in 1979, to leaning adult contemporary in 1980 and then evolving to Adult Contemporary/Talk in 1981, before it finally flipped to an all-talk format on May 10, 1982.
Within 74 days of signing on, WHTZ had climbed from last place to first in the New York Arbitron ratings book. Over the years, Z100 stayed with a top 40 format, with WPLJ behind them in the ratings
➦In 1993...Shamrock Broadcasting, a Disney company, officially takes ownership of Cleveland's WMMS 100.7 FM & WHK 1420 AM from Malrite.
➦In 2004...Sportscaster Bob Murphy died at age 79 (Born - September 19, 1924). He spent 50 years doing play-by-play of Major League Baseball games on television and radio. The Oklahoman was best known for announcing the New York Mets, from their inception in 1962 until his retirement in 2003. He was honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick Award in 1994.
Bob Murphy
The Tulsa Oklahoma-born Murphy made his first appearance in a baseball broadcast booth with the minor league Muskogee Reds. His first major league job was with the Boston Red Sox in 1954, working alongside Curt Gowdy. In 1960, he moved to the Baltimore Orioles for two seasons, replacing Ernie Harwell.
Murphy's call of Roger Maris' record-tying 60th home run of the 1961 season became an audition tape that landed him a job with the expansion New York Mets in 1962.
Murphy's broadcasts were known for his optimistic outlook. He would rarely be critical of players and would always strive to emphasize the positive. According to Gary Thorne, who was his partner in the Mets radio booth from 1985 to 1988, Murphy felt that, "the game was to be enjoyed and he sought out the joy in that day's game to bring to the fans."
Murphy, despite his long association with the Mets, never openly rooted for the team from the booth. Listeners knew that he was happier when the Mets won, as evidenced by his mention of a "happy recap" after a Mets win and a "recap" after a Mets loss.
Murphy occupied the broadcasting booth in every stadium in the National League, including Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, which was named after his brother, Jack, a popular San Diego sportswriter.
From the Mets' first game in 1962 through the post-Tom Seaver days of 1978, on radio and television, the Mets games were announced by the trio of Murphy, along with Lindsey Nelson and Ralph Kiner. Nelson left after the 1978 season and was replaced by Steve Albert. Albert broadcast the Mets for three seasons.
Prior to 1982, the Mets announcers had done television and radio on a rotational system. While two were on TV, the other would take over on radio.
However, in 1982, Murphy was taken out of the television booth, in order to announce the games on radio only. He was joined by Steve Lamar, who also strictly did radio for the Mets. Murphy became known for "painting the word picture;" many say that play-by-play of baseball on radio requires a lot more skill than television, because on radio, the broadcaster must be able to inspire the listener's imagination. For the rest of his career, with the exception of emergency situations, Murphy announced exclusively from the radio booth. Left to turn his attention strictly to the radio listener, Murphy thrived. Murphy was paired with Gary Thorne from 1985–88, and Thorne was his broadcast partner for his memorable call of Bill Buckner's error in game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Gary Cohen—the current TV voice of the Mets and Murphy's longest tenured partner after Kiner and Nelson—shared the booth with him from 1989 through his 2003 retirement.
In 1994, Bob Murphy was honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame as a recipient of the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award. There is a display about Murphy in the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, as there is for former Mets partner Nelson, who had also won the award. In addition to this honor, Murphy was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1984.
He was voted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 2002.
➦In 2014…Longtime Atlanta Braves broadcaster Pete Van Wieren died at age 69 (Born - October 7, 1944). A native of Rochester, NY, he was a sportscaster best known for his long career calling play-by-play for Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves.
From 1976 to 2008, he called the team's television and/or radio broadcasts, teaming with a number of on-air partners including Ernie Johnson, Don Sutton and Skip Caray (who was hired by the club at the same time as himself). Johnson originally nicknamed Van Wieren "The Professor" because Van Wieren looked like pitcher Jim Brosnan. The moniker stuck for his in-depth knowledge of the game and thorough preparation before broadcasts..
Along with Caray, Van Wieren was inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame in 2004, joining an impressive list in Braves history that already included Hank Aaron, Lew Burdette, Del Crandall, Tommy Holmes, Ernie Johnson, Eddie Mathews, Phil Niekro, Dale Murphy, Kid Nichols, Ted Turner, Johnny Sain and Warren Spahn.
On December 18, 2006, the Braves announced that Van Wieren had signed a three-year contract to continue doing Braves broadcasts on the radio.
On October 21, 2008, Van Wieren unexpectedly announced his retirement from broadcasting effective immediately, after 33 seasons with the Braves. His departure came less than three months after the death of his longtime on-air partner Skip Caray.
On November 4, 2009, Van Wieren was diagnosed with cutaneous B-cell lymphoma. He suffered a relapse and additional rounds of chemotherapy after a recurrence in the fall of 2010. On August 2, 2014, Van Wieren died from complications of lymphoma.
News/talk WSB is no longer marketing it's 50,000 watt 750 AM signal. The change co-incides with the move-in of it's 95.5 signal from Flowery Branch, GA to East Atlanta.
According to to ajc.com, it’s a major 45-mile move that provides the WSBB 95.5 signal a major upgrade in places such as Douglasville, Griffin and Peachtree City. The signal will be on the same tower as: Newstalk WABE 90.1, R&B/hip-hop station WVEE V-103 and sister AC WSB B98.5 FM.
The removal of any reference to AM in the slogan is symbolic and historic. The AM signal is not changing or going away. The new slogan reflects the reduced importance of the AM signal for its listening audience.
WSBB 95.5 fM (100 Kw) Blue=Old, Red=New
The station's program director Pete Spriggs said only 10 percent of its target 25-to-54-year-old audience now listens via AM. Nearly as many stream the station. “The AM signal is still extremely important and is considered the most historic radio signal in the Southeast,” Spriggs said.
“But for marketing purposes, if I want a new listener to tune into my station, it’s going to be a lot easier to find us on the FM dial.”The new signal, he said, should be comparable to the 100,000 watt power of B98.5, which covers all 20 metro counties.
To get a sense of what the new signal’s reach might be, here is B98.5’s FM new estimated coverage map. The new map will cover a significantly bigger, denser population.
WSB’s AM signal can be heard in several states as one of the few “clear channel” signals in the country. But fewer and fewer people listen to AM in part because the sound quality is inferior to FM.
WSB added its 95.5 FM signal in 2010 with management well aware at the time of the weakening hold AM was having on the Atlanta public. Cox, which owns the station, sacrificed its successful rhythmic top 40 station 95.5 The Beat for its higher revenue-producing news/talk station.
In fact, once WSB added its FM simulcast, AM listening in Atlanta fell across the board.
Cox Media Group confirmed Wednesday that Kim Guthrie will continue as head of the station group after its acquisition by an Apollo private equity fund is approved by the FCC and closes.
She will carry the title of chief executive officer, according to TV NewsCheck.
Prior to being named president of CMG in 2016, Guthrie was president of CoxReps and EVP of the national ad platform business which includes Gamut and Videa.
Before that, she was EVP of radio where she was responsible for all programming, operations and sales for CMG’s radio division.
With a background in journalism, she began her more than 21-year career with Cox in 1998 as VP and GM for its Long Island, N.Y., radio stations.
Guthrie played a key role in the formation of CMG more than a decade ago when she was one of the first group VPs, overseeing a group of radio and television markets.
The voice of the MLB NY Yankees, Michael Kay, will be out another week to 10 days as he still needs more time to recover from vocal cord surgery, reports The NY Post.
Kay had hoped he could return to the YES booth and his WEPN 98.7 FM ESPN New York afternoon radio show this Friday, but after a doctor’s visit on Wednesday, he was informed that he needed more time to heal.
“It is a precautionary measure,” YES president of programming and production John Filippelli said. “Without question, his health is first and foremost in my mind.”
Filippelli relayed there is optimism that Kay will return to full health and his voice should be fine.
Ryan Ruocco will fill in for Kay over the next week with Bob Costas calling one game of the Yankees-Red Sox doubleheader this Saturday.
Kay, 58, will continue to be silent as he recovers. After having a nodule removed from his vocal cord, Kay was told he could not talk, clear his throat or belch for three weeks.
Kay is eager to return and, in his mind, he wanted to work both his radio show and the Yankees-Red Sox game Friday. But his bosses want him to take it easy.
“He’s going to take a few more weeks,” said Tim McCarthy, ESPN New York’s GM. “We want to be really cautious with his schedule.”
Even if doctors had said Kay could return, McCarthy planned to hold him off radio a bit longer.
Entercom has announced Mitch Rosen as the new Program Director of WSSP 105.7 FM / 1250 The Fan.
“Having worked closely with Jimmy de Castro and the Entercom Chicago team over the last year and a half, it was the logical next step in the partnership,” said Chuck Sullivan, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, Entercom Milwaukee. “Mitch has become quite familiar with the market and the WSSP staff over that time and we are very fortunate to now have him calling the plays in Milwaukee as well.”
“It’s an honor to be part of this great Milwaukee sports brand,” said Rosen. “The Fan team has great personalities who identify with the sports fans who live and breathe Milwaukee and Wisconsin sports. I plan to be here to help in any way I can to expand the brand both on the air and through all the digital platforms, including RADIO.COM Sports.”
Rosen will continue in his role as the Program Director of WSCR-AM in Chicago while assuming the day-to-day programming duties in Milwaukee. Rosen has managed the programming duties of WSCR-AM for nearly 15 years.
Tom Parker, former Program Director of WSSP-AM, will continue as a programming consultant at Entercom Milwaukee after his August 1 retirement date. He has also had stints programming WTMJ 620 Milwaukee, WRVA 1140 & WRNL 910 Richmond, WGST 640 Atlanta, and WGY 810 Albany NY.
Listeners can tune in to 105.7 FM The Fan in Milwaukee on air, as well as nationwide on the RADIO.COM app and website. Fans can also connect with the station on social media via Twitter and Facebook.
USF Athletics and IHeartMedia & Entertainment, Inc. will start a new partnership beginning in the 2019-20 season that will make WDAE 95.3 & 96.7 FM & 620 AM the home of USF football radio broadcasts and expand USF’s popular “Bulls Unlimited” digital radio offering to two channels on iHeartRadio.
“We are very excited to be partnering with one of the most widely listened to sports stations in the state to bring USF football games to our fans and expand our groundbreaking digital platform,” Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly said. “WDAE is synonymous with sports in the Bay area and we look forward to a tremendous partnership that will continue to expand the USF brand and help connect more fans with the excitement of our Bulls sports teams.”
The three-year agreement will begin this fall with WDAE airing USF football games live on three stations that simulcast the WDAE signal – 95.3 FM, 96.7 FM and 620 AM. All Bulls football games will be carried on the WDAE stations except when conflicts arise with Tampa Bay Rays baseball games. When Rays game conflicts exist, USF football games will air on WHNZ 1250 AM over the air and continue to be carried on the “Bulls Unlimited” iHeartRadio channel.
“We are thrilled to welcome USF to the iHeartMedia family,” Market President Chris Soechtig said. “Having a partnership with Tampa Bay’s home team on 95.3 WDAE further solidifies our commitment to deliver exceptional local sports coverage to our listeners. We are counting down the days to kick off!”
As part of the new iHeartMedia agreement, USF will expand its popular digital radio outlet to two “Bulls Unlimited” channels, allowing much greater bandwidth and flexibility in carrying game broadcasts and other programming surrounding USF’s 19 sports teams. The “Bulls Unlimited” digital channel on iHeart Radio, which launched in 2017 as just the second digital radio channel in college athletics, will continue to carry all football games and will become the primary home of USF men’s and women’s basketball and baseball broadcasts. WDAE will carry broadcasts of some postseason contests involving USF basketball and baseball over the air.
WDAE will also broadcast the USF Football Radio Show on a weekly basis throughout the season as well as the last hour of the pregame show and a 30-minute postgame show during football game broadcasts. The first hour of the Bulls’ traditional two-hour football pregame show will air exclusively on “Bulls Unlimited.”
The two “Bulls Unlimited” stations on iHeart Radio will continue to carry 24/7 digital streaming of USF Athletics content, including live game broadcasts across several sports and coaches shows.
The four major broadcast networks have filed a suit in federal court to shut down Locast, a nonprofit streaming service funded in part by AT&T Inc. and founded by Dish Network Corp. lobbyist David Goodfriend that offers their feeds to subscribers for no charge.
The Wall Street Journal reports CBS Corp. , Walt Disney Co.’s ABC, Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal and Fox Corp. argue that Locast is retransmitting the signals of their local TV stations without permission, in violation of copyright law. The fees that broadcasters receive from pay TV distributors have become crucial to their long-term survival, and there is concern that if Locast grows in popularity, it could cut into that revenue stream.
Locast has positioned itself as a free alternative to consumers who are tired of rising cable bills, in addition to serving as a distribution alternative for people who can’t get local TV signals through their antenna. In the lawsuit, the broadcasters argue that Locast is a pawn for AT&T and Dish, two of the largest pay TV distributors in the country. The suit says Locast’s primary reason for existence is to help them avoid paying to carry broadcast content.
“Locast is not the Robin Hood of television,” said the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York. “Instead Locast’s founding, funding and operations reveal its decidedly commercial purposes.”
Broadcasters also said when Locast retransmits their signals it strips out vital information including Nielsen codes that are used to measure ratings, according to the lawsuit. At the same time, Locast, a nonprofit, is gathering its own customer data and requiring registration, “even though there is no technological reason to do so.”
“Locast has been operating for more than a year and a half, and no broadcaster has filed until now,” said David Hosp, an attorney at Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, representing Goodfriend. Hosp said the group’s non-profit status and the fact that it was not charging for the service put it on “sound legal footing.”
Reuters reports Goodfriend, a lawyer who also worked for the Clinton administration and the Federal Communications Commission, launched Locast in early 2018 in New York City, and the service now covers 30% of U.S. TV households, including the nine largest markets.
The case draws parallels to Aereo Inc, a startup launched by Barry Diller in 2012 that streamed broadcast TV signals to subscribers for $1 a day or $80 per year. Like Locast, Aereo did not pay the broadcasters for the retransmission.
Aereo was sued in 2012 by numerous broadcasters. The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled the next year that Aereo violated copyright law, making it illegal. Aereo ceased operations.
Launched in early 2018, Locast says it has signed up more than 250,000 users. The service isn’t yet available nationwide but is present in many of the country’s largest TV markets and reaches more than 30 million households.
While Locast markets itself as a free alternative, the broadcasters note that it seeks donations during its retransmissions and “promises that the commercials will abate if viewers commit to the recurring monthly ‘donation.’
Nexstar Media Group Inc and Tribune Media Co must divest television stations in 13 markets to resolve antitrust concerns over their proposed $6.4 billion merger, the U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday.
Reuters reports the markets are Davenport, Iowa; Des Moines, Iowa; Ft. Smith, Arkansas; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Hartford, Connecticut; Huntsville, Alabama; Indianapolis; Memphis, Tennessee; Norfolk, Virginia; Richmond, Virginia; Salt Lake City; and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
“Without the required divestitures, Nexstar’s merger with Tribune threatens significant competitive harm to cable and satellite TV subscribers and small businesses,” Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim said in the statement.
Nexstar said in December it had agreed to buy Chicago-based Tribune in a transaction worth $6.4 billion, a deal that would make it the largest regional U.S. television station operator.
In March, Irving, Texas-based Nexstar said it was selling 19 television stations to Tegna Inc and E.W. Scripps Co for $1.3 billion to satisfy regulatory demands before it buys Tribune.
