Removal Of NBC News Chief Remains Controversial

NBC News president Noah Oppenheim quietly exited his division and was given a vague new gig last week.   The move remains controversial after more than five years he was largely blamed for refusing to expose since-disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein as a sexual predator.  

Fox News Digital reports Oppenheim famously told Ronan Farrow that his Weinstein reporting wasn’t up to snuff, so Farrow took it to The New Yorker where it won the Pulitzer Prize and helped launch the #MeToo movement. Rich McHugh, an investigative journalist who spent a year working directly with Farrow as NBC’s supervising producer for his Weinstein coverage, still blames Oppenheim for the decision to spike their reporting. 

"Weinstein’s best PR person," McHugh told Fox News Digital via text message once news of Oppenheim’s departure broke.

McHugh and Farrow attempted to hold Oppenheim, who was well liked by many staffers, accountable for years. McHugh penned a 2019 Vanity Fair piece that placed blame directly on Oppenheim and then-NBC News chairman Andy Lack. 

Comedy News Network...Sound Funny?

CNN is reportedly considering hiring a comedian to host one of its struggling prime time hours - the latest in a series of sweeping changes to the network under new CEO Chris Licht.

According to The Daily Mail US citing people familiar with the matter, the not-yet-named funnyman or woman would be tasked with filling the hallowed 9pm time slot, previously held by Chris Cuomo.

Brass at the famously progressive news network have reportedly floated names such as Bill Maher, Trevor Noah, Arsenio Hall, and Jon Stewart, as candidates, to offer a nontraditional, late-night-esque take on the day's news.

Sports, Especially The NFL, Dominated Viewing In 2022

Sports in general and the NFL in particular dominated television viewing in 2022. According to Forbes citing recently released data from Nielsen, sports accounted for 94 of the 100 most watched telecasts last year. The NFL alone accounted for a record 82 of the 100 telecasts, up from 75 in 2021. The remaining top- rated sporting events for the year were five college football games, three World Cup matches, two college basketball games, one Winter Olympics (airing after the Super Bowl) and the Kentucky Derby.

Four of the remaining six telecasts were live news events that aired on multiple channels; the State of the Union address, mid-term election results, the first telecast of the January 6 committee hearing and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky address at U.S. Capitol. Rounding out the top 100 were the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Oscars. There were no World Series games or NBA Finals games that cracked the top 100.

Sports has been rightfully called the last sustainable remnant of linear television’s once dominance.

 According to Sportico, the most watched scripted entertainment telecast of the year was the premiere Yellowstone’s fifth season which aired across several Paramount Global networks. The program averaged only 12.5 million viewers. The highest rated entertainment program for all of 2022 was the FBI on CBS which averaged a paltry 7.2 million viewers.

Wake-Up Call: 68 Dead In Nepal Plane Crash

➤A plane making a 27-minute flight to a Nepal tourist town crashed into a gorge Sunday while attempting to land at a newly opened airport, killing at least 68 of the 72 people aboard. 

One of those killed in the Nepal plane crash was Moscow travel blogger Elena Banduro, 33, (inset). She posted excitedly about her latest trip showing her on a plane with the message in English: 'Go to Nepal'. Her social media was today full of messages of condolences, and she was described as 'the brightest, kindest soul we knew'. Police have confirmed at least 68 people were killed today when a domestic flight crashed into a gorge while landing at a newly opened airport in the central resort town of Pokhara.

Rescuers resumed searching on Monday in Nepal for four people still missing after the Himalayan nation’s deadliest plane crash in 30 years, officials said. Rescuers had recovered 68 bodies out of the 72 people onboard. https://t.co/Z1g4PK3PYx

— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 16, 2023

➤FAMILIES SPENDING MORE FOR FOOD: As inflation continues to decimate the budgets of American families, the December report from Moody's Analytics showed that families are spending an estimated $72 more on food per month than they were a year ago. That figure is pulled out of a report that says the typical US household is shelling out $371 on goods and services more than they were a year ago. That figure has fallen since inflation hit its peak in June, when families were spending a whopping $502 more than they were a year prior, but is still disturbing the abilities of Americans to keep up with their bills.

➤RECESSION SAID TO BE APPROACHING: Leading economists are warning that a recession is coming in the near future, despite the Biden administration's attempts to downplay the risks. Lakshman Achuthan and Anirvan Banerji, cofounders of the Economic Cycle Research Institute — which determines recession dates for 22 global economies — say the United States is on track to face another recession like the one in 2008. They said in an op-ed for CNN that the Biden administration's efforts to quash an impending economic downturn have come too late. And even though the GDP grew in the last quarter of 2022 and the economy added more jobs , Achuthan and Banerji say that will soon change. The Economic Cycle Research Institute has been predicting a recession since last spring, and Achuthan and Banerji say that prediction has not changed despite the Federal Reserves' efforts to raise interest rates.

Podcast Listeners Slightly Prefer Video

Podcasts in several genres, including sports, entertainment, comedy and pop culture, are increasingly utilizing visual media to market their brands, reach new audiences and generate additional revenue, said podcasters, production executives and media experts, according to Morning Consult.

“If your goal is to find the largest audience possible and you’re not figuring out a way to put it on YouTube, you’re pretty shortsighted,” said Rachael King, founder and CEO of production company Pod People.

This is the new era of podcasting, in which the once audio-only format has evolved toward a hybrid model of distribution that often prioritizes video — specifically YouTube and live paid events. Video has allowed fans to know not only what their favorite podcasters sound like, but also what they look like and who they are on a much more personal level.

“I see the hybrid model becoming just as large, if not larger, in a short time period than audio-only formats,” said Scott Purdy, national media industry leader at KPMG US.

A recent Morning Consult survey suggests these initiatives are working: U.S. consumers now arguably see podcasts as more of a video-based medium than an audio one. 

The business case for video podcasting 

MLB Hires Executive To Oversee Local Media

Major League Baseball has announced it has hired Billy Chambers to fill the newly created position of executive vice president of local media. The creation of the job is meaningful as the league confronts a murky future for regional sports networks, which broadcast the vast majority of games in local markets

RSNs have been crucial to league business and one of the most important revenue streams for teams since the 1990s; they have helped drive up team valuations and pay for player salaries. But they have faced the head winds of cord-cutting more recently as consumers have dropped their cable subscriptions. Around 70 million households pay for cable today vs. more than 100 million in 2012.

The trouble has been felt most acutely by Sinclair Broadcast Company, which in 2019 paid more than $10 billion to buy around 20 networks from Disney. Late last year, Sinclair wrote down the debt from the purchase for a second time, citing losses of more than $1 billion in the third quarter of 2022. The company also said that its linear TV subscribers were down 10 percent year over year, and its cash flow was half of what it was projected to be at the beginning of the year.

In December, Commissioner Rob Manfred said the RSN model as it exists today is “probably not sustainable over the long haul as a result of the number of people that are opting out of the cable bundle.” Manfred said he was interested in “trying to come up with a new model that is more sustainable and, most important from our perspective, gives us better reach in terms of fans being able to get games, whether they’re in the bundle or out of the bundle.”

Hiring Chambers is a step in that direction.

Report: NBC Lost 7% of Its Primetime Viewers But Still Led Linear

As media conglomerates led by Warner Bros. Discovery conduct terrorized, ashen-faced retreats from the free-flowing red ink of the Streaming Wars, they should keep this in mind: Linear will provide them no safe quarterly shelter. 

The latest distillation of 2021-22 primetime average audiences by major broadcast and cable networks, assembled by Nielsen and blasted out to social Wednesday night by LightShed Partners, lays it pretty bare. 

NBC, which saw its average primetime audience decline by a whopping 7% year over year, won the 2021-22 TV season averaging 5.148 million viewers in primetime, narrowly surpassing CBS, which lost 8% of its watchers and averaged 5.144 million souls. 

Fox finished fourth among the Big Four broadcast webs losing 14% of its audience -- no doubt in part because it lost NFL "Thursday Night Football" to Amazon. 

ESPN, until now, the lynchpin of the pay TV ecosystem, lost 14% of its primetime viewers. 

Nielsen Figures

And as LightShed's Rich Greenfield pointed out, TNT lost 12% of its average primetime audience, affirming WBD's stated reluctance to charge into an NBA licensing renewal. 

Oh, and Fox News was essentially the only major linear network that managed to come close to flat year over year.

Report: YouTube Tests New Hub of Free Streaming Channels

YouTube is testing a new hub of free, ad-supported streaming channels, the latest in a series of moves by the company to expand its ambitions in video.

The Wall Street Journal reports the Alphabet Inc.-owned video platform is in talks with entertainment companies about featuring their shows and movies in the hub of cable-like channels and is testing the concept with a small number of media partners, according to people familiar with the discussions. It could launch the offering more broadly later this year, some of the people said.

YouTube, already a dominant player in online video, is looking to become a go-to destination across various streaming formats and genres. Adding a hub of free, ad-supported streaming TV channels—or “FAST,” as it known in the media industry—would put it in competition with players such as Roku Inc., Paramount Global‘s Pluto TV and Fox Corp.’s Tubi.

Spokane Radio: KEZE Imports Joey & Lauren In The Morning

Iliad Media Group’s self-syndication unit announced Joey & Lauren in the Morning have added Rhythmic CHR KEZE Hot 96.9 in Spokane, WA, as a new affiliate for their award-winning syndicated morning show.

“We are so excited that Joey and Lauren chose to work with us, they are the perfect fit for Hot 96.9 in Spokane,” said Tery Garras VP of Radio for Morgan Murphy Media. “They are a talented on-air duo, that is fun and engaging to the audience, proven out by their ratings success! In addition, Joey and Lauren grew up in our Metro listening to Hot 96.9 in high school, so they are locals who know how to connect with our audience.”

Salem Media Group Promotes Andy Massingill

Salem Media Group, Inc. has announced  the promotion of Andy Massingill to the position of Senior Director of Digital Sales. 

Andy Massingill

Jon Latzer, Vice President/General Manager of Salem Surround said, “Over the past three years, Andy has led his team to unprecedented revenue heights. His leadership across the Western Region played a significant factor in Salem's overall revenue growth. In addition to Andy’s leadership for the Western Region, Andy will work closely with Chris Gould, Senior Vice President National Programming and Ministry Relations and all our National Ministry partners to better leverage our digital assets, generating more time with our quality audience while delivering outstanding results," Latzer said.

“The last three years have been an incredible journey with Salem and the Western Region. I'm proud of our work, the work we will continue to do, and the relationships established across the board. I am very excited to work with Chris and our National Ministry partners who are at the core fabric of what Salem stands for," said Massingill.

NAB Accepting Entries for Celebration of Service to America Awards

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Leadership Foundation is now accepting entries for the 2023 Celebration of Service to America Awards. The awards competition spotlights excellence in community service by local radio and television stations across the country.

Stations and broadcast groups are encouraged to enter their best community service campaign from the past year. Award categories are based on market size, and both NAB members and non-members are eligible to enter. The 2023 Celebration of Service to America Awards entry window will close on Monday, March 13, 2023 at 11:59 PST.

NAB To Celebrate Centennial Years

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the premier advocacy association for America’s broadcasters, and NAB Show, the preeminent global trade show driving the evolution of media and entertainment, are celebrating their centennial year in 2023 with activities, events and a commemorative website.

The 2023 NAB Show Centennial Celebration, April 15 – 19, in Las Vegas, commemorates 100 years since the first NAB Show in 1923 and offers opportunities for attendees, exhibitors and stakeholders to share their memories, participate in interactive engagements and enjoy exclusive onsite parties and events.

“This year marks our century-long legacy of advocating on behalf of America’s broadcasters and driving global innovation and industry growth through NAB Show,” said NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. “We invite the entire NAB community, including broadcasters and content professionals from around the world, to join us for the Centennial Celebration as we honor our rich history, recognize our unparalleled impact and celebrate our next 100 years.”

Edison Research Webinar To Explore Gen Z Media Habits

Edison Research will present their first webinar of the year, Media Habits of Gen Z, next Wednesday, January 18 at 1pm ET.

This custom study, examining media habits of Gen Z through survey research and qualitative interviews, was originally commissioned by the PRPD and presented at their annual conference recently. The findings are now being made available in a webinar. Discover how Gen Z see themselves, how they consume media, and how they share with their peers.


Learn how to relate to and connect with this essential audience in this live presentation from Edison Research Vice President Megan Lazovick and Senior Director of Research Gabriel Soto.

Click here to register for the Media Habits of Gen Z webinar on Wednesday, January 18th at 1pm

January 16 Radio History

➦In 1939....the shrill siren call of radio’s “I Love a Mystery” was heard for the first time as the show debuted on NBC’s West Coast outlets. Creator Carleton E. Morse already had an established hit in a completely different genre, ‘One Man’s Family.’

FLASHBACK:

Click Here to Flashback to Radio January 16, 1926. How's this for an astounding headline?

➦In 1944...the family sitcom ‘The Life of Riley‘ began a 7 year run on radio, the first 18 months on the Blue Network, thereafter on NBC. A blue-collar William Bendix starred as Chester A. Riley.

➦In 1947...SiriusXM Radio host Dr. Laura Schlessinger was born in Brooklyn, New York.

Schlessinger's first appearance on radio was in 1975 when she called in to a KABC Los Angeles show hosted by Bill Ballance. Impressed by her quick wit and sense of humor, Ballance began featuring her in a weekly segment. Schlessinger's stint on Ballance's show led to her own shows on a series of small radio stations. By 1979 she was on the air Sunday evenings from 9:00 to midnight on KWIZ in Santa Ana, California. That year, the Los Angeles Times described her show as dealing with all types of emotional problems, "though sex therapy is the show's major focus".

In the late 1980s, Schlessinger was filling in for Barbara De Angelis' noon-time relationship-oriented talk show in Los Angeles on KFI, while working weekends at KGIL in San Fernando. Her big break came when Sally Jessy Raphael began working at ABC Radio, and Maurice Tunick, former Vice-President of Talk Programming for the ABC Radio Networks, needed a regular sub for Raphael's evening personal advice show. Tunick chose Schlessinger to fill in for Raphael.

Ultimately, Schlessinger began broadcasting a daily show on KFI which was nationally syndicated in 1994 by Synergy, a company owned by Schlessinger and her husband. In 1997, Synergy sold its rights to the show to Jacor Communications, Inc., for $71.5 million. Later, Jacor merged with Clear Channel Communications and a company co-owned by Schlessinger, Take On The Day, LLC, acquired the production rights. The show became a joint effort between Take On The Day, which produced it, Talk Radio Network, which syndicated and marketed it to radio stations, and Premiere Radio Networks, (a subsidiary of Clear Channel), which provided satellite facilities and handled advertising sales. As of September 2009, Schlessinger broadcast from her home in Santa Barbara, California with KFWB as her flagship station. Podcasts and live streams of the show have been available on her website for a monthly fee, and the show was also on XM Satellite Radio.

At its peak, The Dr. Laura Program was the second-highest-rated radio show after The Rush Limbaugh Show, and was heard on more than 450 radio stations.

In May 2002, the show still had an audience of more than 10 million, but had lost several million listeners in the previous two years as it was dropped by WABC and other affiliates, and was moved from day to night in cities such as Seattle and Boston. These losses were attributed in part to Schlessinger's shift from giving relationship advice to lecturing on morality and conservative politics. Pressure from gay rights groups caused dozens of sponsors to drop the radio show as well.  In 2006, Schlessinger's show was being aired on approximately 200 stations. As of 2009, it was tied for third place along with The Glenn Beck Program and The Savage Nation.

On August 17, 2010, during an appearance on Larry King Live, Schlessinger announced the end of her radio show saying that her motivation was to "regain her First Amendment rights", and that she wanted to be able to say what is on her mind without "some special interest group deciding this is a time to silence a voice of dissent."  Several of her affiliates and major sponsors had dropped her show after her on air use of a racial epithet on August 10.

On January 3, 2011, Schlessinger's show moved exclusively to SiriusXM Radio.

David Seville

➦In 1972....David Seville died of a heart attack in Beverly Hills, just days short of his 53rd birthday.  

Born Ross Bagdasarian, the musician was the force, and artist, behind the Alvin and the Chipmunks novelty songs of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s.  Seville first claimed fame, not through the novelty impact of the hit, “The Chipmunk Song” (it sold 3.5 million copies in five weeks); but by writing Rosemary Clooney’s biggest hit, “Come on-a My House”, in the early 1950s and the number one hit, “Witch Doctor”, in 1958.

➦In 1986...evangelist Herbert W. Armstrong, founder and longtime leader of the Worldwide Church of God, and original voice of the longtime radio/TV religious broadcast, “The World Tomorrow,” died at the age of 93.  His son and fellow preacher,Garner Ted Armstrong, succeeded him on the air in 1957.