Univision CEO Meets The Analysts

Spanish-language media giant Univision Communications on Tuesday reported improved first-quarter financials amid revenue growth in its TV, radio and digital units.

On a conference call, CEO Randy Falco also discussed broadcasters' continuing litigation with digital TV streaming service Aereo and the company's possible options, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Asked by an analyst about Univision chairman Haim Saban's recent comments on the issue and how it could be forced to go pay-only, Falco said: "In fairness to Haim, he never said that we would move our signal to cable. What he said was that in our judgment, like all broadcasters, we think Aereo is a clear case of piracy that will ultimately be settled in the courts. But until it is settled in the courts, we have to review all of our options."

Falco was asked by David Hebert of Wells Fargo about Univision’s current relationship with Arbitron.

In the early days of the PPM rollout, notes NOW’s Tom Taylor, Univision actually pulled its encoding at some major-market stations, as a protest against how the sample reflected Spanish radio listeners.

Randy Falco

“We’re going through a period of time where the sample was getting a little bit out of whack with the universe estimates, and the proportion of Spanish-dominant people in the sample is less than what it should be.” Arbitron can “weight that up,” but that Falco says it’s “better to have the sample correct.”

He says “we’re working with Arbitron to maintain their samples.”

Second-quarter TV ad revenue is trending up in the mid- to high-single digit percentage range, the company said. Radio ads are seeing a low single digit upwards trend. Overall ad revenue is pacing up in the high single digits.

Falco also touted continued digital growth. In the first quarter, Univision recorded 150 million video impressions online and on mobile platforms, an increase of  150 percent over the year-ago period.

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NBC’s Today Show Adds Feature With Elvis Duran

Elvis Duran, WHTZ Z100 NYC and national morning-show radio host, is now featured in a new monthly feature about the hottest music groups.

Elvis introduces Kathie Lee and Hoda to Timeflies, musicians from New York City he thinks will be the next big music duo.

Glenn Beck Is Talking Conspiracy

Glenn Beck

Syndicated radio talker Glenn Beck says the Boston bombing investigation is a coverup conspiracy and yesterday he revealed the facts that supposedly support his case.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Glenn Beck is alleging a coverup and conspiracy in the Boston bombing investigation in the case of the Saudi national named Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi. Alharbi was supposedly in violation of section 212 3B of the Immigration and Nationality Act, citing “security and related grounds” and “terrorist activities.” The Saudi national was was cleared of involvement in the bombings, but it was also discovered that his visa to stay in the US had expired, and ICE may be readying to deport him on those grounds.

Glenn Beck isn’t the only one watching this part of the Boston bombing investigation closely. Congressman Jeff Duncan (R-SC) expressed concerns that the Saudi national was being deported “due to national security concerns.” Duncan says, “I’m not saying it’s related to Boston, but he is being deported.”

In response, Janet Napolitano only said, “Like I said, again, I don’t even think he was technically a person of interest or a suspect – that was a wash. And I am unaware of any proceeding there. I will clarify that for you, but I think this is an example of why it is so important to let law enforcement do its job.”

Glenn Beck claims his Boston bombing investigation conspiracy will cause some of his sources to be under threat of 20-year prison terms. Glenn Beck claims, ”We don’t know at this point how [the Saudi national Abdul Rohman Ali Alharbi] was involved … but I do know he was involved [in the Boston bombing.]” Glenn Beck says the Saudi national was once flagged on a terror watch list but was granted a US student visa anyway.

Glenn Beck claims the Saudi national’s deportation under section 212, 3B indicates “proven terrorist activity” and says “it is very difficult to charge someone with this — it has to be almost certain.” Glenn Beck claims that after Secretary of State John Kerry met with Saudi Foreign Minister Saud the FBI began “backtracking on the Saudi national from suspect, to person of interest, to witness, to victim, to nobody.”

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Rush Limbaugh Celebrates Fox’s Ratings Victory

Rush Limbaugh shared the big news with his radio audience today that during the Boston bombing coverage last week, Fox News ranked number one among all cable networks, not just its news competitors.

Becoming a media analyst for a few minutes, Mediaite reports Limbaugh remarked how “fascinating” it is that a network can reach number one with less than 3 million viewers in primetime predicted what the ratings mean for the future of cable news.

Limbaugh relished the fact that in such a big news week, CNN only reached third place and MSNBC “dropped off the radar” and ended up at nineteenth place. He insisted that this was a momentous shift in the cable landscape because “CNN used to be the go-to network when any disaster or major breaking news occurred.” But now that that doesn’t appear to be the case anymore, he declared that “left-wing liberal cable news networks are dying.”

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Don Imus Rips CNN

While CNN may have pulled off good ratings with their Boston coverage, the network has been widely criticized for the inaccuracies in reporting the story's developments, according to a story that first appeared at mediaite.com.

Syndicated Cumulus talker Don Imus joined the crowd on Tuesday, remarking on last week's "absurd and frustrating" coverage. During the show segment which also aired on FBN, he called out CNN specifically, even going after its new president, Jeff Zucker.

As a consumer, Imus expressed frustration with the news last week, given how difficult it was simply to find out the facts. Save for some analysis, Imus argued there's no need to hear what the anchors think about the situation — adding, "These people are so melodramatic and there's so much hyperbole, and it's absurd and frustrating."

Reflecting on CNN specifically, Imus recalled, "There was a time whenever something would happen, we would all turn to CNN" — "but that was a long time ago." Noting that he himself watched NBC and Fox, Imus also pointed to the information available on Twitter, stating, of CNN, "It's over for them."

Later in the segment, Imus turned to Zucker, who he guessed is "a nice enough guy," but that he "got so lucky" with Katie Couric. That success had little to do with him, he argued, but "he took all the credit."

Survey: Newspapers Get High Marks for Ad Efficacy

An online survey of 5,000 US adults, conducted by Nielsen on behalf of the Newspaper Association of America (NAA), reveals that respondents rate newspapers (in print and on the internet) as the most effective advertising source among various media.

The study measured advertising effectiveness across various metrics, with print newspapers coming out on top overall, ahead of radio, internet, and TV. Breaking the media types down into different segments, the local paper topped the ratings for likelihood to purchase and propensity to notice ads.

The results – which put TV at the bottom of the list for overall advertising engagement and effectiveness – are interesting in that they contrast with numerous previous surveys which show TV to be the most influential advertising medium. 

Typically, newspapers tend to be seen as more effective by older consumers – however the NAA study doesn’t provide demographic data in its methodology.

Denver Radio: CCM+E, Broncus Extend Deal, Add FM

Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Denver announced Tuesday a four-year extension of 850 KOA’s broadcast agreement with the Denver Broncos. Also announced, 850 KOA’s Broncos play-by-play coverage will simulcast on  KRFX 103.5 The Fox, beginning with the 2013 season.

Since 1969, 850 KOA has been the radio rights holder and flagship station of the Denver Broncos. 850 KOA will continue its tradition of providing unique content throughout the week for Broncos fans, including exclusive interviews with starting quarterback Peyton Manning, Executive Vice President of Football Operations John Elway and Head Coach John Fox as well as Broncos-themed talk shows. 

850 KOA’s Dave Logan is entering his 24th season in the Broncos broadcast booth and 17th season as the radio play-by-play voice of the team. Former Broncos wide receiver Ed McCaffrey will be back for his second year as color commentator. In addition to serving Broncos fans in Denver, 850 KOA’s game coverage is heard on more than 60 Denver Broncos Radio Network affiliate stations throughout Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming.

“850 KOA and the Denver Broncos have been a winning combination for more than 40 years.  Now, in 2013, we’re thrilled to extend our Broncos coverage to a wider audience with the  addition of 103.5 The Fox as our FM simulcast partner,” said Pat Connor, Market President of  Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Denver. 

“This new Broncos agreement, along with  recent long term extensions with the Colorado Rockies and University of Colorado Football and  Basketball, will ensure 850 KOA remains the play-by-play sports destination for Colorado’s  sports fans.”

“The Denver Broncos and 850 KOA have a partnership spanning more than four decades and we  are excited to continue that Rocky Mountain tradition,” Broncos Senior Vice President of  Business Development Mac Freeman said. “The new simulcast agreement with 103.5 The Fox  will further enhance our ability to reach fans with a first-class radio broadcast.”

CCM+E, MLB Rays Reach Agreement On Conflict Games

The Tampa Bay Rays and CCM+E have announced their coverage plans for certain 2013 season game dates with programming conflicts on 620 WDAE. For conflicting game dates, Rays play-by-play broadcasts along with the pregame and postgame shows will be simulcast on both WXTB 97.9 FM (98ROCK) and WHNZ 1250 AM, according to examiner.com.

98ROCK is one of the most powerful FM stations on Florida’s west coast, with coverage extending to 10 counties. The FM and AM simulcast will ensure that fans will receive the same market-wide coverage that they currently receive on Rays flagship station WDAE 620 AM.

On Thursday, April 25, the broadcast of the Tampa Bay Rays vs. the Chicago White Sox game will move to 98ROCK and WHNZ AM due to previously committed event coverage on WDAE. Baseball coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. with the Rays pregame show.

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Study: Rays Best As Getting Most Bang For Their Bucks

The Tampa Bay Rays are the best, the St. Louis Rams the worst. According to a report based on a Bloomberg Businessweek study, the Rays are best when talking money spent per win by pro sports teams.

Len Berman, for on.aol.com, says the least economical sports city should come as no surprise.

Philly Radio: Phils Phans Get Baseball 24/7

CBS Radio’s WOGL 98.1 FM already has the Phillies 24/7 format on its HD4, and now it is filling out that format with live Spanish-language play-by-play of Phillies games.

According to Radio World, the production is courtesy of Spanish-language sports broadcast specialist Béisbol Productions. The company also handles local Spanish-language broadcasts for several other Major League baseball teams and the Philadelphia Eagles.

The package includes pregame and postgame shows. The broadcast team consists of Bill Kulik, Rickie Ricardo and Angel Castillo. The broadcasts start May 3. English-language play-by-play is on WPHT 1210 AM and WIP 94.1 FM.

Phillies 24/7 says it is the first HD Radio channel dedicated to a single team. A release notes that in addition to the game coverage, “Phillies 24/7 broadcasts a full schedule of unique daily and weekly programs centered on the team.

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Newsrooms May Revisit Security After AP Hacking

News organizations may have to revisit policies on retweeting breaking news and shore up the security of their social-media accounts in the fallout from Tuesday's hacking of the Associated Press' Twitter account, media watchers say.

According to Roger Yu at USAToday, the drama — which unfolded within an hour and sank the stock market by 143 points before it rebounded — is yet another reminder that news agencies' Twitter accounts are indispensable but occasionally unwieldy tools ultimately controlled by a third party.

The official AP account tweeted early Tuesday afternoon that the White House was attacked and President Obama was injured. Six minutes later, the same account confirmed that it was "a bogus tweet."

The AP also subsequently confirmed that its account was hacked, and AP reporter Mike Baker told his followers on Twitter that it was a result of a phishing e-mail, in which the culprit tries to get personal information under false pretenses.

The Syrian Electronic Army, which supports President Bashar al-Assad, later took credit for hacking the AP account.

The same group also reportedly hacked into BBC Weather's Twitter account earlier this year and posted several political messages related to Syria.

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AP Twitter Account Hacked

False White House Report Tweeted

The Associated Press said Tuesday its Twitter account had been hacked, with a Twitter feed falsely stating there had been two explosions at the White House and sending stocks on a steep, but brief decline, according to Fox News.

The tweet from the AP account briefly caused U.S. stocks to drop, with the Dow Jones industrial average falling more than 150 points before quickly recovering. White House spokesman Jay Carney will hold his daily press conference as usual.

"The AP twitter account has been hacked," the news cooperative said moments after the incident. "The tweet about an attack at the White House is false. We will advise more as soon as possible."