MSNBC said Thursday it is putting much of its TV lineup on its parent company’s Peacock service, an effort to increase its offerings as competition in streaming news heats up.
The Wall Street Journal reports beginning this spring, shows including “Morning Joe,” “All In With Chris Hayes, ” “The ReidOut,” “Deadline: White House” and “The Beat with Ari Melber ” will appear on Peacock hours after they air on TV, MSNBC said. The shows will be available to Peacock Premium subscribers, who pay at least $4.99 a month for the service.
MSNBC President Rashida Jones said in an interview that the streaming push will introduce the TV shows to viewers who watch the network’s channel on Peacock, which until now had been called “The Choice.” The network is doing away with that brand soon, putting all of its streaming programming under the banner MSNBC on Peacock, she said.
“The idea is, you can watch it live on cable or you can watch it at your leisure on streaming,” Ms. Jones said.
The decision to put some of MSNBC’s programming on Peacock with a delay allows the network to capture streaming subscribers without competing directly with the cable bundle, a profit center for TV news. Some of the network’s programs, including “The Rachel Maddow Show,” “The Last Word” and “The 11th Hour” aren’t slated to appear on Peacock, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The move is part of an effort by NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde to transition the company’s news networks toward streaming as viewers cut the cable cord. The group’s offerings include NBC News Now, an advertising-supported streaming service that is widely distributed on services including Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube and Roku Inc.’s the Roku Channel.
Competitors of NBCUniversal, a unit of Comcast Corp., also are making significant investments in streaming. CNN has said it plans to hire hundreds of employees to launch CNN+, a coming streaming service that is slated to cost $5.99 a month and include shows from prominent journalists including Chris Wallace, Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper.
SiriusXM Thursday announced an exclusive distribution and sales agreement with reVolver Podcasts, the leading multicultural, audio-on-demand content creator and publisher in the U.S.
reVolver is home to some of the biggest Spanish-language podcasts, including Erazno y La Chokolata and El Show de PiolĂn. The new deal gives SXM Media, the combined advertising revenue organization of Sirius XM Holdings Inc., exclusive global ad sales rights to reVolver's extensive lineup of podcasts. Additionally, the agreement calls for Stitcher, the Triton-ranked #1 podcast company and SiriusXM subsidiary, to distribute all reVolver content across all podcast platforms.
With more than 70 programs spanning sports, music, finance, entertainment, lifestyle, health and wellness, inspiration, news, and more, reVolver's podcast network offers something for everyone. Listeners can continue to stream and subscribe to reVolver podcasts on Stitcher, the SXM App, Pandora, and all major podcast listening platforms.
"reVolver Podcasts is honored to be entering into this exclusive agreement with such a respected leader in the audio space," said Jack Hobbs, CEO of reVolver Podcasts. "We are confident that this relationship with SiriusXM will help solidify reVolver's place as the leader in multicultural podcasts, while providing new audiences and advertising opportunities for our network of incredible creators."
"Across SiriusXM, we are proud to represent a broad set of creators that reflect our diverse listenership," said Mike Reid, Vice President of Multicultural at SXM Media. "By working with reVolver, we're thrilled to expand our offerings even further with an incredible lineup of multicultural programming that our audience and our advertisers are craving."
The addition of reVolver follows other recent and notable podcasting announcements by SiriusXM and Stitcher, including the acquisition of 99% Invisible; a global advertising agreement with podcast company Audiochuck and its top-rated program Crime Junkie; an agreement with Tom Segura and Christine P's YMH Studios to distribute and develop content; and an agreement for the exclusive rights to manage all audio and video ad sales for the beloved comedy horror show The Last Podcast on the Left.
A Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the New York Times was caught on video bashing his colleagues as “f–king bitches” while ripping “the left’s overreaction” to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, reports The NY Post.
Project Veritas released footage Tuesday showing Matthew Rosenberg, who covers national security for the Gray Lady, mocking coworkers who said they were “traumatized” over the insurrection last year.
“But like all these colleagues who were in the building, and they’re young and are like, ‘Oh my God, it was so scary.’ I’m like, ‘F— off,'” Rosenberg, 47, who didn’t know he was being filmed at the time, tells an undercover journalist.
“It’s not the kind of place I can tell somebody to man up, but I kind of want to be like, ‘Dude, come on. Like, you were not in any danger.’”
In the heavily edited footage, he then lambasted colleagues who “keep going on about their trauma.”
Rosenberg also seems to call two colleagues, Emily Cochrane and Nicholas Fandos, “f—ing bitches” and refers to other co-workers as “f—ing little dweebs,” the footage shows.
He also described “a tug of war” at the Times “between the reasonable people and some of the craziest leftist s–t,” according to the video.
SiriusXM will offer listeners nationwide extensive coverage of NCAA® March Madness® carrying play-by-play of the entire 2022 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, as well as expanded play-by-play coverage of this year's NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship.
In addition to tournament game broadcasts, listeners will also get the most in-depth expert analysis leading up to and throughout the tournament on SiriusXM's exclusive 24/7 college sports talk channels.
From the First Four® on March 15-16 through the Final Four® and National Championship game on April 2 and 4 SiriusXM will air every game - from the tip to the final buzzer - of the 2022 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
SiriusXM will air NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship games, this year carrying more live play-by-play than ever before, from the Sweet 16 games through the Women's Final Four® and championship game.
All Men's and Women's NCAA Tournament game broadcasts are provided to SiriusXM by Westwood One, the official network radio partner of the NCAA.
Tournament match-ups and SiriusXM channel assignments will be available at siriusxm.com/sports starting Monday, March 14.
On Selection Sunday®, March 13, SiriusXM listeners will get up-to-the-moment coverage as tournament teams and first round match-ups are announced. On Mad Dog Sports Radio (SiriusXM channel 82), Chris "Mad Dog" Russo and Steve Torre will host special Selection Sunday coverage live from 5:00 to 9:00 pm ET. ESPNU Radio on SiriusXM (channel 84) will air Selection Sunday specials from 5:00 to 11:00 pm ET. At 5:00 pm ET, Fran Fraschilla and Jon Crispin will host coverage of the men's bracket reveal, then Nicole Auerbach and Krista Blunk will take over as the women's bracket is announced at 8:00 pm ET. The official NCAA Tournament Selection Show produced by Westwood One will air on CBS Sports Radio (SiriusXM channel 158) from 6:00 to 9:00 pm ET and will cover the reveal of both the men's and women's tournament brackets. The shows will feature interviews with special guests, including team coaches as well as NCAA Men's Basketball Committee Chair Tom Burnett and NCAA Women's Basketball Committee Chair Nina King.
Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, in his final NCAA Tournament with his Blue Devils, will continue to host his weekly SiriusXM show throughout the tournament. Basketball and Beyond with Coach K airs on ESPNU Radio on SiriusXM and is available on the SXM App.
Last week, 300 media executives from America’s largest and most respected advertisers attended the 2022 Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Media Conference. Another 700 attendees participated virtually.
This week’s Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group® blog outlines some of the key takeaways.
“Humanity needs to be at the center of everything we do [in media and marketing],” Bob Liodice, CEO, the Association of National Advertisers. Studies show ads that make you feel something generate stronger sales and profit than rational ads. People-centered media such as AM/FM radio generate double the attentiveness of music platforms without humans (Pandora/Spotify).
Marc Pritchard, Global CMO, Procter & Gamble offered five objectives for media: Respect consumer data as their data; Innovate in media buying and placement; Connect media to commerce; Innovate to engage consumers; Accelerate growth with multicultural media.
Manuel Reyes, CEO of Cortex Media, an advisory firm that works with marketers on their media investments, indicated the mounting pile of Audience Deficiency Units is a “huge issue” for brands.
Ad fraud risk and lack of verification and transparency are major issues for programmatic CTV open exchanges, according to DJ Perea, Director, Media Center of Excellence at Boehringer Ingelheim.
Mark Stewart, SVP of Media of the ANA, reported on their PwC study that found “only 50¢ of every dollar marketers invest in programmatic media reaches publishers and only half of that results in a viewable impression.”
Luke Kigel, VP, Walgreens Media & Head of Walgreens Advertising Group found no impact from the elimination of their company’s circular. This is a powerful lesson for any retailer who thinks their business would plunge without the circular.
Lou Paskalis, long-time client-side marketer and former Senior Vice President of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, explained that the news audience is exceptionally valuable, attentive, and deserving of greater investments from brands.
Making advertising less interruptive and a valued part of the media experience is a key focus for GroupM CEO Kirk McDonald. Ads that are a key aspect of content have low levels of ad skipping.
Speaking of consumer attentiveness, Visa’s Mary Ann Reilly revealed the “hidden metrics” of media, those who have actually been exposed to the ad with sufficient attention time.
➦In 1903... Lawrence Welk born in Strasburg, ND (Died May 17, 1992). He was a musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted the TV program The Lawrence Welk Show from 1951 to 1982. His style came to be known to his large audience of radio, television, and live-performance fans (and critics) as "champagne music"
During the 1920s, he performed with various bands before forming an orchestra. He led big bands in North Dakota and eastern South Dakota, including the Hotsy Totsy Boys and the Honolulu Fruit Gum Orchestra. His band was also the station band for the popular radio programming WNAX in Yankton, South Dakota.
When he settled in for 10 years at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom, his dance remotes developed a national radio following. In 1951 Welk began weekly appearances on KTLA Los Angeles, which led to an ABC television show beginning in 1955. His show was near the top of the ratings throughout the 1950’s and ’60s.
His big hit was the 1961 million seller, Calcutta.
➦In 1969...After several failed auditions for Motown Records, Berry Gordy Jr. signed The Jackson Five to a contract. Gordy sent them to Hollywood in July, hiring Suzanne de Passe to become their mentor.
Starting in August, the Jackson Five performed as the opening act for the Supremes, whose lead singer Diana Ross was planning to leave for a solo career at the end of the year. The group then recorded their first single "I Want You Back", written by the Corporation which consisted of Freddie Perren, Deke Richards, and Alphonzo Mizell with Gordy as a fourth partner. In October, their first single for Motown was released and the group promoted it while performing at the Hollywood Palace with Ross hosting. In December, the brothers made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, and their debut album 'Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5' was released that same month.
➦In 2009...WXRK 92.3 FM NYC changed to Top40.
At 5PM on March 11, 2009, WXRK changed to a Contemporary Hit Radio format known as "92.3 Now FM". The last song played on K-Rock was "Right Now" by Van Halen. It was followed with the sound of a ticking clock, an announcement that K-Rock was moving to 92.3 FM HD2, and a montage of bumpers from stations such as WNBC, WABC, WMCA, WXLO, WQHT, and WHTZ, with a promotion saying in the following minutes, "it will be now".
An introductory montage was then played, followed by the launch of "Now" with the commitment to play "10,000 songs in a row, with zero minutes of commercials", beginning with "Boom Boom Pow" by The Black Eyed Peas. It has been speculated in online forums and trade journals that CBS Radio will continue to unfold or tweak towards similar Top 40 radio stations in other major markets in the coming months leaning towards younger listeners. The station ended the "10,000 Songs in a Row" promotion in early April 2009.
WXRK/WNOW had only held a 2 share trailing Hertiage Top40 WHTZ. In addition, WXRK/WNOW has had a constant turnover of program directors and airstaff, including the sudden releasing of all the then-current airstaff (with the exception of midday host Niko and evening host Toro) on May 21st, 2014, as rumors of a complete rehauling of 92.3's format abounded. The following day at 2 PM, after stunting by giving away $1,000 to callers every 9 minutes for 2 hours, WNOW-FM relaunched as 92.3 AMP Radio, launching with commercial-free weekends until Labor Day weekend.
The final song on "Now" was "Lose Yourself" by Eminem, while the first song on "AMP" was "Summer" by Calvin Harris. On June 23, 2014, WNOW-FM changed its call letters to WBMP to match the "AMP" branding.
On February 2, 2017, CBS Radio announced it would merge with Entercom. The merger was approved on November 9, 2017, and was completed on November 17. On that day, at 10 a.m., after playing "Too Good at Goodbyes" by Sam Smith and "Encore" by Brooklyn native Jay-Z, WBMP flipped back to alternative as Alt 92.3, launching with "My Hero" by the Foo Fighters.
The switch marked the return of the format to the market for the first time since 2012, when WRXP switched to a simulcast of WFAN as WFAN-FM after its sale to CBS. On June 12, 2018, the call letters were changed to WNYL to match their format.
➦In 2010...radio talk show host Glenn Beck singled out Bruce Springsteen‘s “Born In The USA” as a perfect example of the progressive politics he said were destroying the country. On his show Beck read the lyrics to the ’84 hit about the down and out experiences of a Vietnam era vet, concluding that it’s time to “wake up out of the propaganda.”
➦In 2011...Danny Stiles died at age 87 (Born - December 2, 1923). He was a radio personality at WNYC, WNSW, WJDM and WPAT in the New York City market. He worked on the radio for 63 years in the New York City area, up to the time of his death.
Danny Stiles
Stiles's first radio job was at WHBI in Newark on December 2, 1947, buying the air time for $65 a week. His career took him to WHOL in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and stations in New Jersey before returning to Newark on WNJR (AM) as the "Kat Man." At WNJR, Danny met Robert Smith, a young Brooklyn native working as a gofer, who would later move to the border blaster XERB-AM and broadcast as Wolfman Jack.
Stiles, who among other alliterative monikers called himself The Vicar of Vintage Vinyl, had a loyal fan following and a distinctive radio presence. At the end of his life, Danny was being heard on four stations in Metro New York, on WRCA 1330 AM, serving the Boston area, and was streaming 24 hours a day on the Internet. The broadcast material came largely from his personal collection of over 250,000 albums, many in their original 78 rpm format.
After his death, Stiles continued to be heard on the airwaves, with vintage shows re-aired Saturday nights at 8 PM Eastern time on WNYC 820 AM, until its final broadcast on January 3, 2015. His website dannystiles.com still offers a stream of archived shows.
➦In 2015...Donald E. "Don" Weeks died at age 76 (Born -November 23, 1938). He was the longtime host of the WGY Morning News on news and talk radio station WGY in Schenectady, New York. Prior to working for WGY, Weeks was a weatherman for WAST-TV (now NBC affiliate WNYT in Albany) and a DJ for Top 40 station WTRY, now sports station WOFX.
Don Weeks
Weeks joined WGY as a morning host in 1980, and won numerous accolades, including the NAB Marconi Award for Medium Market Personality of the Year in 2005. Weeks was also inducted into the New York State Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2009.
Known as "Uncle Don" to two generations of WGY listeners, he brought an avuncular presence and a folksy style to a variety format. His conversation with on-air sidekicks meandered across news items, weather updates, school closings and zany comedy bits. Fans found his homespun humor as welcome as a freshly brewed cup of coffee early in the morning.
Weeks retired in 2010 after 30 years on WGY and his 50-year broadcast career included stints as a TV weatherman and in marketing and copywriting.
"He was the most well-known radio personality in the Capital Region and his storied career was known on a national level, too," said David Donovan, president of the New York State Broadcasters Association, which inducted Weeks into its Hall of Fame.
Weeks wanted to be on the radio since he was a young boy, his daughter said. "He used to pretend he was a radio host when he was really little. It was his dream job," she said. His single-minded drive earned him his first job at WSNY of Schenectady just out of high school and he later was hired as a Top 40-format disc jockey on WTRY.
He moved to TV in 1965 and earned a following on WNYT Ch. 13 as a weatherman who used his cartoon drawing skills to create an endearing character known as "Wally Weather." He was a talented artist who also worked as art director at WRGB and as a copywriter for an Albany ad agency. He moonlighted on WABY before joining the morning show at WGY in 1980.
Hal Blaine February 5, 1929 – March 11, 2019
➦In 2019...Hal Blaine, the Hall of Fame session drummer and virtual one-man soundtrack of the 1960s and ’70s who played on the songs of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and the Beach Boys and laid down one of music’s most memorable opening riffs on the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby,” died at age 90.
Cheryl Lynn is 71
🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:
TV journalist Sam Donaldson is 88.
Accordionist Flaco Jimenez of Texas Tornadoes is 83.
Actor Tricia O’Neil (“Genghis Khan”) is 77.
Actor Mark Metcalf (“Animal House”) is 76.
Singer Mark Stein of Vanilla Fudge is 75.
Singer Bobby McFerrin is 72.
Movie director Jerry Zucker (“Airplane!” ″Ghost”) is 72.
Singer Cheryl Lynn is 71.
Actor Susan Richardson (“Eight Is Enough”) is 70.
Recording executive Jimmy Iovine (“American Idol”) is 69.
Country singer Jimmy Fortune of The Statler Brothers is 67.
Lisa Loeb is 54
Singer Nina Hagen is 67.
Actor Elias Koteas (“Chicago P.D.”) is 61.
Actor Peter Berg (“Chicago Hope”) is 60.
Actor Jeffrey Nordling (“Desperate Housewives”) is 60.
Actor Alex Kingston (“ER”) is 59.
Actor Wallace Langham (“CSI”) is 57.
Actor John Barrowman (“Arrow”) is 55.
Singer Lisa Loeb is 54.
Keyboardist Al Gamble of St. Paul and the Broken Bones is 53.
Singer Pete Droge is 53.
Actor Terrence Howard (“Empire”) is 53.
Keyboardist Rami Jaffee of Foo Fighters (and of The Wallflowers) is 53.
Actor Johnny Knoxville is 51.
Musicians Joel and Benji Madden of Good Charlotte are 43.
Actor David Anders (“iZombie,” ″The Vampire Diaries”) is 41.
Singer LeToya Luckett (Destiny’s Child) is 41.
Actor Thora Birch (“Ghost World,” ″American Beauty”) is 40.
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) announced today the presentation of the 2022 NAB Marconi Radio Awards, honoring radio stations and on-air personalities for excellence in radio broadcasting, will take place during a special dinner program at NAB Show New York on October 19, 2022 at the Javits Center.
Established in 1989 and named after inventor and Nobel Prize winner Guglielmo Marconi, the NAB Marconi Radio Awards is the industry's signature awards program.
“NAB Show New York is the perfect venue for the Marconi Radio Awards with its prime location and ideal timing in the fall when the Marconis have traditionally been presented,” said April Carty-Sipp, executive vice president of Industry Affairs at NAB. “We look forward to celebrating the best in radio in October.”
The entry window for the 2022 NAB Marconi Radio Awards nominations will be May 1 – 31. Award categories include:
Legendary Station of the Year
Legendary Manager of the Year
Radio Station of the Year by Market Size
Radio Station of the Year by Format
Personality of the Year by Market Size
Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year
Best Radio Podcast of the Year
NAB Show New York will take place October 19 – 20 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.
Amazon this week launched a new app in Beta that enables creators to share live radio shows, play licensed music from a library of millions of tracks, and take live callers.
A new take on social audio, Amp – which is available right now to a limited number of American iPhone users via a waitlist – was unveiled with a small group of creator shows headlined by syndicated radio personality Zach Sang; Southern California radio icon Kat Corbett, host of the long-running Locals Only on KROQ Los Angeles; B-EATS with Samuel Akainyah, a show exploring the intersection of culture, food and music; CRIOYO Radio hosted by Latin musician Daniel Bazan Jr.; Man vs. Radio with Christian James Hand (formerly of KLOS Los Angeles); and Graham in the Mornings, featuring The Bachelorette Season 4 contestant turned country radio and podcast host Graham Bunn.
The Amp music library enables users to add songs to their shows anytime during set up or while live by navigating a “Playlist” tab, however including music from outside the library is prohibited to only those that hold the rights required to share that music on Amp.
Livestreaming or recording content that includes music or other materials from the Amp music library is restricted outside of Amp. Playing and/or mixing pre-recorded music tracks is also discouraged. Additionally, the Amp music library has specific restrictions including not enabling play of more than two songs from the same album or more than three songs from the same artist in any three-hour period. It also won’t let hosts repeat a song more than one time in any three-hour period and restricts play of a full song until a creator has at least one listener. Shows can also not substantially consist of song requests from listeners.
In a Q&A with Broadcast Dialogue, John Ciancutti, Vice President of Amp, on the Amazon blog, the former Google Director of Product Management and Netflix Engineering VP, said the app infuses what listeners love about radio with what’s made possible by today’s technology.
“People are looking for an evolution in how they discover and share music; Amp is reinventing how fans can go deeper into the experience of live audio, while giving the millions of people creating and sharing playlists today a new way to turn their love of music into live shows,” said Ciancutti.”
Ciancutti said Amp brings music culture and digital music together allowing creators to build their own radio shows outside the need for satellite towers or recording studios and licensing deals.
Valerie Knight is out at 106.1 The Breeze, the longtime radio host told fans in videos posted to social media on Tuesday. The station, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer, is also undergoing a format change.
“Alas, the Breeze has blown — and so has ‘The Valerie Knight Show,’” Knight told The Inquirer.
106.1 is simulcasting broadcasts from its sister station, Q102. A representative for iHeartMedia, the owner of both stations, did not immediately respond to request for comment.
“It’s radio — it’s what I signed up for,” Knight told The Inquirer. “I think in the past several months, the handwriting was on the wall. I wasn’t shocked on Monday.”
It wasn’t immediately clear what format 106.1 will take up next. The Breeze initially launched in Nov. 2018 after the station made a format change from Real 106.1 WISX, which featured throwback hip-hop programming. With a tagline of “Philly’s relaxing favorites,” the Breeze focused on “relaxing adult contemporary music” like Whitney Houston, Chicago, and Air Supply, iHeartMedia said in a 2018 release.
As for what’s next for Knight, that also isn’t immediately clear. She said it could be retirement — maybe. But the “lure of the microphone,” as she put it, is strong.
“I’ve been around a while. I’m older and wiser, and I had been tooling with the idea of retiring,” she said. “Am I ready to hang up my headphones? I don’t know. I think I am. Someone’s got to call me and offer me a job first.”
Knight added that since announcing her departure from 106.1, she has received an outpouring of support from fans and longtime listeners. That, she said, has been a boon for her in the wake of her termination.
“It’s funny, when people die, everyone talks about how great they were,” she said. “I am lucky enough to see all these wonderful things people are saying, and that is such a bolster for me. When you are in that studio, you don’t realize how much you touch people until they write to you.”
Public notices, also known as legal notices, are a mainstay of newspaper-industry revenue. But in recent days they’ve come under assault, with at least five state legislatures moving to relax requirements that municipal and state governments post public notices in local newspapers, reports Mediapost.
Last week for example, a measure to allow state and county agencies to stop publishing certain official notices in Hawaii’s daily newspapers was approved by a state senate committee. The bill would allow Hawaii government agencies to publish some public notices on agencies’ web sites instead of in the newspapers. Agencies argue that they can save hundreds of thousands of dollars as a result.
Also last week, the Florida House of Representatives approved a bill that would give governmental agencies the option to publish legal notices on a publicly accessible website of the affected county instead of in a print newspaper.
In Oklahoma on March 1, a state house bill got committee approval for legal notices to be posted on government websites as well as newspaper websites, eliminating the need for print publication.
In Arizona last month, a bill is moving through the legislature to allow the state government not to publish public notices in local newspapers, but rather on local and/or statewide government websites.
Such legislative initiatives have become more common in recent years, as governments struggle to acknowledge reality — print newspapers don’t have the audience reach they once had, and a posting on a government website arguably serves the same objective of widespread community notification that a print newspaper does.
Most of these bills address only public-sector notification requirements, leaving legal and other commercial notifications, which include debtor property auctions, formation and dissolution of corporations, permit and license applications, as is.
According to the Poynter Institute, it’s hard to establish an accurate tally on public-notice revenue. In a 2020 report, Poynter reported that the New Jersey Press Association said the state’s newspapers generated $32.3 million from public notices in 2016. If that were representative of the whole country, then it would mean U.S. newspapers receive hundreds of millions of dollars from public notices, Poynter said.
The broader context here is that public notices have become a critical revenue source for the newspaper industry. Over the last two decades, both classified and display advertising in newspapers has declined precipitously, leaving legal notices —both government and commercial — as a vital revenue source, especially for community newspapers. And this all comes as the need for viable local news institutions has rarely been greater. “News deserts" are proliferating across the country, areas that have either little or no local coverage. "Ghost newspapers,” organizations stripped by massive disruption of resources needed to perform basic functions, might be more common.
Townsquare Media, Inc. announced today its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2021.
“I am proud to announce our very strong 2021 results that exceeded expectations and set Company records, driven by our transformation to a Digital First Local Media Company with nearly 50% of profit and revenue coming from our digital solutions. Over the past two years, the pandemic presented an optimal opportunity to separate from our local media peers, which we were able to achieve by continuing to execute our strategy, accelerating our strategic growth plan, and placing a spotlight on our world-class team and our unique and differentiated strategy, assets, platforms, and solutions.
Bill Wilson
"As a result, Townsquare’s 2021 net revenue, Adjusted EBITDA, and net income increased year-over-year by +13%, +69%, and +$99 million, respectively, and were even stronger excluding the impact of political revenue. Digital revenue increased +19% year over-year in 2021, and we expect double-digit digital net revenue growth to continue as we approach our new target of achieving $275 million of digital revenue by 2024. In addition, both net revenue and Adjusted EBITDA exceeded our previously issued guidance,” commented Bill Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of Townsquare Media, Inc.
“Importantly and impressively, Adjusted EBITDA, which surpassed 2019 levels by +3%, reached an all-time Company high of $105.1 million. Our strong profit growth, which was driven by our continued digital revenue growth, broadcast revenue recovery, and careful and strategic expense management, allowed us to reduce net leverage to 4.75x as of year-end, a meaningful reduction of 2.7x year-over-year. These results are due, in part, to the fact that Townsquare is the only local media and digital marketing solutions company of scale focused principally on markets outside of the Top 50 in the United States, a vital differentiator for our Company.”
Wilson added, “Beginning with our 2021 year-end reporting, we have re-segmented our business to provide greater visibility for our existing and prospective investors. Importantly, this re-segmentation will highlight the profit characteristics of our digital platform, which is essentially equal to those of our broadcast platform, each with profit margins of approximately 30%. Given this new and more detailed information, Townsquare should be viewed and valued as a Digital First Local Media Company, rather than being painted with a traditional broadcast radio brush. While we view local radio as an extremely valuable asset with significant and attractive cash flow properties, unparalleled consumer reach, and an important and trusted local connection to our audience, it is not our primary growth driver. Our growth engine is and will continue to be digital, which fueled our transformation into a Digital First Local Media Company. With nearly half of our total revenue and profit coming from digital today, we have a strong growth engine that will drive significant and consistent growth in the coming years. It is our hope and expectation that given this new more detailed information, Townsquare will be afforded a sum-of-the-parts valuation that gives credit to our digital assets, credit which to date we have not received.”
Saga Communications, Inc. reported today that net revenue increased 13.1% to $108.3 million for the twelve-months ended December 31, 2021 compared to $95.8 million for the same period last year.
Without political revenue, gross revenue increased 18.4% year over year. Station operating expense increased 2.0% to $83.2 million for the year. Station operating income was $30.5 million for the year compared to $20.4 million for the same period last year. Free cash flow was $13.8 million for the twelve-month period compared to $7.6 million for the same period last year. Operating income was $15.1 million for the period ended December 31, 2021 compared to $3.9 million for the same period last year when non cash impairment charges are excluded. Net income was $11.2 million for the period. Diluted earnings per share were $1.85 for the twelve-month period.
Net revenue was $29.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2021 compared to $28.8 million for the same period last year. Without political revenue, gross revenue increased 10.6% compared to the fourth quarter of 2020. Station operating expense increased 2.3% for the quarter to $21.6 million. Station operating income was $8.9 million for the quarter compared to $9.1 million for the fourth quarter last year. Free cash flow was $3.9 million for the quarter compared to $5.1 million for the same period last year. Operating income was $4.9 million for the quarter compared to $5.0 million for the same period last year. Net income was $3.7 million for the quarter compared to $2.3 million for the fourth quarter last year. Diluted earnings per share were $0.60 in the fourth quarter of 2021.
The Company paid a quarterly dividend of $0.16 per share and a special dividend of $0.50 per share on January 14, 2022. The aggregate amount of the quarterly and special dividend was approximately $4 million. Additionally, the Company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.16 per share on March 1, 2022. The dividend of approximately $970 thousand will be paid on April 8, 2022 to shareholders of record on March 21, 2022. After the recently declared dividend the Company will have paid over $78 million in dividends to shareholders since the first special dividend was paid in 2012.
The Company’s balance sheet reflects $54.8 million in cash on hand as of December 31, 2021 and $56.2 million as of March 7, 2022.
Capital expenditures in the fourth quarter of 2021 were $1.3 million compared to $434 thousand for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 and $4.0 million for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2021 versus $2.3 million for the same period last year. The Company expects to spend approximately $5.5 – 6.0 million for capital expenditures during 2022.
Popular Detroit sports radio host Doug Karsch will be the play-by-play voice of Michigan football games, and Jon Jansen, who was a two-time captain at Michigan, will handle the analysis beginning this fall. The announcement was made Tuesday by Learfield and Michigan.
The Detroit News reports they replace Jim Brandstatter and Dan Dierdorf, both former Michigan players who had shared the booth since 2014 and last fall announced their retirement after the 2021 season. Brandstatter had been part of Michigan radio in some form since 1987, while Dierdorf, the NFL and College Hall of Famer who had been with the Monday Night Football broadcast team, took over as color analyst in 2014.
Karsch, 52, made his radio debut in 1994 on Ann Arbor’s WTKA, He has been a longtime part of the Michigan radio crew as a sideline reporter and hosted pre-game coverage with Jansen. He currently is co-host of “Karsch & Anderson” on WXYT-FM 97.1 The Ticket. Jansen, 46, is co-host of the “Stoney and Jansen” show on 97.1 and also handles a number of MGoBlue podcasts for Michigan athletics and hosts the “Inside Michigan Football” radio show with football coach Jim Harbaugh every Monday during the season. Jansen also has filled in on Michigan football radio as analyst when Dierdorf was not available.
During the “Inside the Trenches” podcast on Tuesday, Jansen asked Karsch what it’s like to hear him described as the “voice of Michigan football.”
“I’m numb to this. It hasn’t sunk in,” Karsch said. “I think it will sink in as we get closer to the season. I already started watching film of (opening opponent) Colorado State. I started reading the entire college football rulebook.
“I’m completely numb to the fact this is reality. I had long talks with Jim Brandstatter and Dan Dierdorf, and (Tigers radio voice) Dan Dickerson and I had a long conversation. He told me he had done one inning of Tiger baseball before he got that job. I’ve been on the network for 16 years, I’ve done a bunch of games in studio, I’ve done a few spring games, I’ve done tons of Michigan baseball and softball, women’s basketball, I did some men’s basketball, some of their preseason scrimmages. You and I have been in studio working on it, so it’s crazy.”
Karsch then asked Jansen his reaction to being named the new radio analyst.
"I've been very fortunate throughout the course of my life to have a number of dreams come true, to be able to play football at Michigan, to play in the NFL, and this is the next, professionally, of a dream job," Jansen said. "To be able to learn from Dan and Jim for such a long time, I think it will shape a lot of what we will be doing in 2022 as well as in the future.
"I've got a lot of respect for what they were able to do professionally, but also the relationship that they have and also the relationship we also have as we look toward this broadcast, because you don't have as much fun as we had in the pregame show without having a personal relationship, professional relationship."
April Zesbaugh, co-host of “Colorado’s Morning News” on iHeartMedia Denver’s KOA 850 AM & 94.1 FM, has announced that she will retire in the upcoming months after a distinguished 30-year broadcast journalism career, including 25-years with KOA. Zesbaugh has co-hosted “Colorado’s Morning News” on KOA since 1996, and is one of the longest running news personalities in Colorado.
“Despite my 2:30 a.m. wake-up call for the last 30-years, I feel very fortunate for every second in front of the KOA microphone,” said Zesbaugh. “It’s time to hang-up my headphones to pursue more family time, play more tennis, travel in our RV and see what it feels like to sleep without an alarm clock.”
“April is one of the most-recognizable and popular voices in Colorado, and has set a professional standard which has contributed to the success of KOA,” said Greg Foster, Senior Vice President of Talk Programming for iHeartMedia and Program Director of KOA. “While we will miss our friend and colleague, April has earned the opportunity to enjoy her retirement.”
Zesbaugh is the winner of one national and numerous regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for journalism excellence by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), as well as countless awards for “Colorado’s Morning News” from the Colorado Broadcasters Association and the Associated Press. She has also been an influential member of the Denver community and has emceed numerous charity events, including those focused on mental health, Alzheimer’s disease, the challenges of single mothers and animal rescue.
In addition to providing daily breaking news and timely interviews, Zesbaugh has broadcast live from major events such as anniversaries of 9/11, national political conventions, presidential inaugurations and three Denver Broncos Super Bowls. Zesbaugh has also made national television appearances on CNN, MSNBC and other outlets to discuss Jon Benet Ramsey, the tragedy at Columbine High School, and the 2005 University of Colorado-Boulder recruitment scandal.
“I’m grateful to Jerry Bell, former News Director of KOA, for hiring me – calling me during my honeymoon to offer me the job – and to the current News Director, Kathy Walker, and the KOA news team who have been with me every step of the way in helping to make me a better broadcaster and journalist,” said Zesbaugh. “I’m leaving our listeners in good hands with my co-host, Marty Lenz. He has great news chops and asks really smart questions.”
Prior to joining KOA, Zesbaugh served as news director and an anchor for Denver’s KCNC-TV collaboration with KNUS-AM, and she anchored and reported the news at Wyoming Public Radio in Laramie. A native of Arizona, Zesbaugh started her broadcast career at National Public Radio affiliate KUNC-FM in Greeley, where she graduated with degrees in Journalism and English from the University of Northern Colorado.
Jackson County Broadcasting have announced the return of radio veteran JJ Hale. Hale to its staff.
J J Hale
Hale will serve as the Chief Operating Officer, Program Director, and head of all radio operations at Jackson County Broadcasting’s four station cluster in Southern Ohio. After spending the last several years in the insurance industry, Hale returns to the stations fulltime after a 22-year absence.
Hale says, “Although I have not been here on a day-to-day basis, I have always been involved with the stations on some level, I grew up and cut my teeth here” He went on to say “Radio has always been in my heart and is my true passion, so to have the opportunity to come home at this point in my life is a dream come true. I love these stations, our listeners, and this community. I can’t wait to get to work!”
Hale, best known for his stint as the morning show host of the popular “Nutt Hutt” morning show program which last aired in March of 2000, has over 30 years of broadcasting experience.
