Rush: Premiere Pushes Back

Rush Limbaugh's syndicator Premiere Networks is pushing back against a Radio Ink report that claimed 48 of the top 50 network advertisers “exclude Rush and [Sean] Hannity," the two highest-rated personalities on talk radio, according to a story by Dylan Byers at politico.com.

“That statement is completely inaccurate," Rachel Nelson, Clear Channel's director of communications, said in a statement.

"A number of the top spenders in the medium use talk radio to promote their brands and sell product, and many of them use The Rush Limbaugh Show and The Sean Hannity Show as the driving force of their marketing efforts."

Rush Limbaugh's Impact on Cumulus Media – Decoded

DC Radio: WTOP Website Victim of Cyber Attack

WTOP.com is currently dealing with a malicious cyber attack, which attempts to use our site to infect computers with malware when using the Internet Explorer (IE) browser.

To help protect website visitors and prevent any further damage, the station has blocked access to WTOP.com from Internet Explorer. We believe Chrome, Firefox and Safari are safe alternatives, and suggest you use one of these browsers to access the WTOP website.

WTOP's sister website, Federal News Radio.com, was also affected by the attack in the same manner.

The cyber attack which compromised our web servers injected code into FederalNewsRadio.com and WTOP.com, redirecting vulnerable browsers to rogue websites which spread the FakeAV malware or a variant of it.

The stations advises website visitors and if they have been on either site recently using IE, they should perform a malware scan to check for an infection and get it cleaned.

WTOP is still in the process of performing a thorough analysis to ensure their systems are free of malicious content. 

WTOP is one of several media websites that "were compromised and redirecting user traffic to an Exploit Kit serving the same FakeAV malware variant..." according to a blog post by Eddie Mitchell, a security engineer with Invincea.

Mitchell wrote the attacks against Federal News Radio and its sister station, WTOP, is "likely an indicator of a larger more widespread attack against online media sites."

Tweets by @WTOP

Older Media Lose Share As TSO Rises

US consumers’ enthusiasm for social media and digital video is showing no signs of fatigue, reports

eMarketer.com.

 According to Gfk, in partnership with the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), time spent online rose yet again in 2012, boosted by particularly notable growth in daily usage of social networks and viewing of digital video.

The average daily time spent online reached 3 hours, 7 minutes last year, up from just less than 3 hours in 2011. As more compelling content moves onto digital platforms—including social networks that appeal to every iteration of hobby and personality, and an expanding selection of online video content—old media continue to lose share to the internet. Radio and newspapers each lost minutes of daily time spent with media. And even daily TV time declined by a minute.

Besides the internet, video games were the only other media to gain daily time spent in 2012. And interestingly, magazines managed to hold on to an equal number of average minutes per day as in 2011.

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Phoenix Radio: Johnjay & Rich Form Radio Network

KZZP KISS-FM 104.7’S most buzzed-about morning radio team announced the creation of the Johnjay and Rich Radio Network on Tuesday.

“It’s a new and exciting time for us,” Rich Berra told azcentral.com. “We had the opportunity to sign on with many different companies, but we decided the only way to do it the way we want to do was to create it ourselves.”

This doesn’t affect the show in Phoenix or in any of the other 10 markets that carry the program. However, this puts the guys in charge of determining what markets they’d like to enter and what type of program they will present.

The two will work closely with Mark Kopelman, who is overseeing the launch of the network.

“It’s a show I really believe in,” Kopelman says. “They’re just tremendous people who really care about their listeners and their communities.”

That sense of community was another reason for the creation of the network. Johnjay Van Es reports that the guys have had offers to move to other markets but didn’t want to relocate.

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Chicago Radio: WLS-FM Adds Danny Lake

Danny Lake

Classic Hits WLS-94.7 FM has promoted radio personality Danny Lake for PM Drive (2p-6p).  Lake had been doing weekend and fill-in work.

Cumulus SVP/Programming and WLS-FM PD Jan Jeffries said, "Danny is a star player, consistently delivering the WLS gold standard of on-air performance. He is a great addition to our talent lineup including Brant Miller, Greg Brown, John Landecker and Dick Biondi."

Lake has extensive on-air experience as Bob Worthington on WQSR Baltimore, Star 104.5 Philly and he was the host of the nationally syndicated ‘Solid Gold Saturday Night’.

Arbitron: Revenue Increases 5.1% To $111.8 million

Arbitron Inc. Tuesday announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2013.

• Computed in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), net income for the first quarter was $16.3 million or $0.60 per share (diluted), compared with $17.8 million, or $0.64 per share (diluted), for the first quarter of 2012.
• Costs and expenses in the first quarter 2013 included $3.2 million of consulting, legal, and other expenses related to the pending acquisition of Arbitron by Nielsen Holdings N.V. ("Nielsen")—which impacted net income by $0.12 per share (diluted).
• Excluding the expenses directly related to the pending acquisition, earnings per share (diluted) for the first quarter would have been $0.72 per share (diluted), an increase of 12.5 percent over the first quarter 2012.

Additional Financial Highlights

• For the first quarter of 2013, the Company reported revenue of $111.8 million, an increase of 5.1 percent compared to revenue of $106.4 million during the first quarter of 2012.
• Costs and expenses for the first quarter 2013 were $81.4 million, an increase of $6.2 million or 8.3 percent compared to $75.2 million in the first quarter 2012. In addition to the $3.2 million of expenses related to the pending Nielsen transaction, costs in the quarter increased as a result of planned incremental investments in Arbitron Mobile panels, costs associated with address-based sampling, in-person recruiting, and cell-phone household recruiting.
• EBIT (earnings before interest and income tax expense) for the first quarter 2013 was $28.0 million compared with EBIT of $28.9 million for the first quarter of 2012.
• Excluding the costs for the pending Nielsen transaction, EBIT in the first quarter 2013 would have been $31.2 million, an increase of $2.4 million or 8.2 percent compared to the first quarter 2012, yielding EBIT margins of 27.9 percent as compared to 27.1 percent in the first quarter of 2012.

Other Matters

On April 16, 2013, Arbitron's shareholders voted to approve the proposed acquisition of Arbitron by Nielsen. The transaction remains subject to certain regulatory approvals, including expiration of the Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust waiting period, and customary closing conditions.

Sean Creamer

Said Sean R. Creamer, President and Chief Executive Officer:

"In the first quarter, we continued to pursue our long-standing objectives: maintaining our investments in the quality of our radio ratings services, growing our core revenue, and entering new markets such as digital radio, cross-platform, and mobile.

"Our focus on the quality of our core services helped us achieve Media Rating Council accreditation of four additional Portable People Meter markets in February. Our goal remains achieving or maintaining accreditation in all our syndicated radio markets.

"We continue working to leverage our investment in the PPM technology and consumer panels utilizing our platform in new initiatives such as advertising and promotion effectiveness studies, while enhancing our measurement capabilities for radio and across platforms."

Tweets by @ArbProgramming

Birmingham Radio: The Zone Cancels 'Straight Talk'

Matt Coulter

Birmingham sports-talk station WZNN ESPN 97.3 The Zone has discontinued the "Straight Talk" morning show with Matt Coulter and Wimp Sanderson, according to al.com.

Coulter, who has been in radio and television for 42 years, joined The Zone when it came on the air in August 2011.

Sanderson, the former Alabama basketball coach, joined Coulter as his partner last July.

"I want to thank all of the listeners and all of our sponsors for their support," Coulter said this afternoon. "They've been there since we started."

At least on a temporary basis, The Zone plans to extend the hours of the "The Sports Czars" show to fill in Coulter and Sanderson's slot, according sources at the station.

The cancellation of "Straight Talk" was the first major programming change since the sale of the Cox Media Group, which owns The Zone, to Summit Media became official on Friday.

The station hopes to hire Paul Finebaum to fill that slot. Finebaum has been in talks with The Zone and with rival WJOX 94.5 FM since his contract with WJOX owner Cumulus Media expired on Jan. 21.

The new SEC Network, which was announced last week, is also believed to be making a bid to hire Finebaum.

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Carrie Underwood New Voice For SNF Theme

Carrie Underwood

NBC has selected six-time Grammy Award-winner and multi-platinum recording artist, Carrie Underwood, to perform “Waiting All Day for Sunday Night,” the opening theme for primetime television’s No. 1 program, Sunday Night Football on NBC.

Country music superstar Underwood, the season-four winner of American Idol, makes her Sunday Night Football debut on Sunday, September 8 on NBC’s first SNF broadcast of the 2013 NFL season, a heated NFC East rivalry game when Dallas Cowboys host the New York Giants. The opening theme will continue each week kicking off Sunday Night Football every Sunday night throughout the NFL season on NBC.

“I am thrilled to be a part of NBC’s Sunday Night Football and am so honored they asked me,” said Underwood. “I have always loved football season, and it is so exciting to now become part of it every Sunday night!”

Since winning American Idol and releasing her debut album in 2005, Underwood has sold over 15 million albums, and placed 17 No. 1 singles on the charts.  Her recent album, Blown Away, made history by debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart, making Underwood only the second country artist in the 47-year history of the chart to have each of their first four albums debut at No. 1.

I am so excited to be a part of Sunday Night Football!!! I've been a football fan my entire life...We're going to have so much fun!
— Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) May 7, 2013

“Carrie Underwood was our first and only choice to perform the Sunday Night Football opening,” said SNF producer Fred Gaudelli. “She’s one of America’s most popular entertainers and the perfect fit for our show.”

“Waiting All Day for Sunday Night” is set to the original Joan Jett song, “I Hate Myself for Loving You” and marks Underwood’s first production with NBC Sports. From 2007-2012, the song was performed by music superstar Faith Hill and in 2006, the inaugural season of Sunday Night Football, Pink performed the open.

Underwood is currently headlining and selling out arenas across North America on her “Blown Away Tour.” The tour, which launched last June, has played in the United States, Canada, the U.K., Ireland, and Australia, and will perform a total of 112 dates by the time is wraps on May 23 in Abbotsford, BC, Canada.

Sunday Night Football, which averaged 21.8 million viewers in the 2012 season, is primetime television’s No. 1 program.

Tweets by @carrieunderwood

Nashville Radio: WNSR To Simulcast on 95.9 FM

Nashville's original Sports Station, WNSR, will begin broadcasting on 95.9 FM early this summer. The station will continue to broadcast on 560 AM as well and will position itself as "Nashville's SportsRadio 560 on 95.9 FM". The new FM translator (W240CA) is being moved from Reubensville, TN to a location near the Davidson/Williamson County line, to provide 24 hour coverage of WNSR's programming.

NSR's daytime programming features the nationally syndicated "Steve Czaban Show" in the morning, and "The Jim Rome Show" in the Mid Day, as well as local talk shows "The Upper Deck with Matt Segal and Joe Anthony" and "The Thom Abraham Show" in the afternoon drive.

Play by Play properties include the Atlanta Braves and Memphis Grizzlies, along with Vanderbilt Baseball and Woman's Basketball. The school will also broadcast Lipscomb Academy Football this fall, with Thom Abraham, Al Smith and Joe Anthony behind the mics.

"Before the Predators and Titans, WNSR brought sports programming to the airwaves in Nashville", said GSM and afternoon host Thom Abraham.

NYC Radio: WPLJ Personality Race Taylor To Host Pre-K Gala

Race Taylor

When they asked Race Taylor to host the Montclair Community Pre-K's Crystal Ball Gala, the WPLJ 95.5 FM radio personality didn't hesitate a second before saying yes.

"The Montclair Pre-K is just a fantastic organization," Taylor told TheMontclair Times. "Very few programs offer the range of services that the Pre-K offers especially when it comes to tuition assistance."

The Crystal Ball Gala, which celebrates the Pre-K's 15th anniversary, takes place this Wednesday evening, May 8, at 7 p.m. in the Montclair Art Museum's Leir Hall.

Taylor, who has lived in Montclair with his wife Patty and their three children for more than a decade, has learned a lot about the Pre-K through his oldest child who has done volunteer work there.

"My oldest has served as chaperone at the Pre-K's fall festival and has read stories to the children," Taylor said. "You can't help but be impressed by the work the Pre-K does."

Following his kid's lead, Taylor will be doing some volunteering of his own, serving as the gala's master of ceremonies. He'll be in good company with help from CNBC anchor Tyler Mathisen and his wife Joanne who will serve as auctioneers, during the ball.

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Gen Z Radio Listeners Using Tumblr, Snapchat

The newly-released Techsurvey9 from Jacobs Media (see original posting, Click Here) contains some very interesting data about the social networking preferences of Gen Z (born in 1993 or later) radio listeners.

According to marketingcharts.com, the study, which finds that radio listeners in the US and Canada are highly social overall, shows that compared to older generations, Gen Z listeners have a strong affinity for emerging social networks such as Tumblr and Snapchat, and are less drawn to Facebook.

In fact, the survey finds that Baby Boomers (born between 1946-64; 73.3%) are as likely as Gen Zers (72.9%) to have a Facebook account. The results come on the heels of research from Piper Jaffray which found Twitter challenging Facebook as American teens’ most important social network.

CNN Does Satellite Feeds From Same Parking Lot

In a bizarre television and spatial anomaly on CNN Tuesday morning, the blanket coverage of two true-crime stories led two news anchors to conduct an odd "satellite" interview from the very same parking lot, background traffic and all.

According to The Atlantic Wire, the two suspects are Ashleigh Banfield of CNN and Nancy Grace of Headline News, who were updating viewers on the latest from the ongoing and increasingly ugly Cleveland kidnapping story.

At first it seems like a normal TV "remote," as Banfield interviews Grace from another location. Then the channel's graphics alert viewers: both anchors are in Phoenix. That's odd. Also: They're both outdoors, sitting in what looks to be a parking lot. And is that same building behind them?

Then things truly get bizarre. Watch the cars moving in the background of both shots.

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Cumulus 1Q: Expenses Rise 6.9% , Revenue Drops 1.3%

Cumulus Media today reported financial information for the 1Q 2013, ending March 31.

• Direct operating expenses increased $10.6 million, or 6.9%, to $164.2 million, compared to $153.6 million for 1Q 2012.

The company noted, "The increase was primarily attributable to a $1.0 million increase in sales salaries, a $1.6 million increase in Arbitron fees and a $4.9 million increase in expense at our network division as we invest in various content initiatives."

• Net revenues for the 1Q 2013 decreased $3.1 million, or 1.3%, to $232.9 million, compared to $236.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2012.

This decrease was attributable to lower political revenues and general lower advertising spending in some of our markets.

Chairman/CEO Lew Dickety stated, "With the integration and turnaround of the Citadel assets now largely behind us, we are investing in several key content initiatives to drive growth beginning in the back half of this year and accelerating into 2014. We will post positive year-to-date revenue growth through May and expect our investments in CBS Sports Radio, Traffic, NASH and Sweetjack to contribute meaningfully to our cash flow beginning in Q4 of this year."

Aereo Launches Pre-emptive Suit Vs. CBS

Just days after CBS’ Les Moonves threatened to sue the TV startup every time it expands into a new market, Aereo slapped CBS with a lawsuit in a pre-emptive strike.

Yesterday, according to the NY Post, Barry Diller’s Aereo asked a Manhattan federal court to rule that its technology doesn’t violate CBS’s copyrights and to bar CBS from suing it in all of the 22 cities where Aereo plans to launch.

Aereo uses antenna farms to grab over-the-air broadcast signals. It then streams them via the Internet to tablets and other mobile devices for a monthly fee.

CBS and other broadcasters, which have sued Aereo for copyright infringement, have failed twice to get preliminary injunctions to stop the service while a federal suit wends its way through the courts.

Aereo insiders said that interest and subscriber numbers are rising, thanks to the publicity surround its legal battle. The company won’t say how many users it has, but estimates suggest it’s only a few thousand.

Aereo plans to launch in Boston on May 15 for those who have pre-registered for the service.

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