MNF: ESPN’s Cash Machine

Monday Night Football" is one of the most powerful brands in sports. Now in its 44th year, the broadcast is one of the key components of the ESPN cash machine.

Bloomberg Senior West Coast Correspondent Jon Erlichman got an exclusive, behind the scenes look at how the games come together.

Report: Wall Street Places Value On Social-Media Users

What’s an active social-media user worth?

According to a story at Forbes.com, the surprising answer is: about $100, regardless of whether we’re talking about Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Even though each company has a unique business model — and sharply different success so far at monetizing traffic — Wall Street treats them almost as triplets. In fact, Twitter’s devotees, who generate the least revenue, are currently deemed most valuable, at $110 apiece.

Here’s how the math works. Twitter has a $25.5 billion stock-market capitalization, based on its trading price of about $46.50 late in Thursday’s New York Stock Exchange trading. The company has 232 million active users, so — voila! — each user is being valued at $110.

For Facebook, the numbers are as follows: a market cap of about $117 billion, spread across 1.19 billion active users. That computes to a per-user valuation of slightly more than $98.

And for LinkedIn, pencil in a market capitalization of $24 billion, built atop an active user base of 259 million people. Now we’re talking about a per-user valuation of slightly less than $93.

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‘SpongeBob, You’re Fired’ Pulls Adults 18-49

Event television for Nickelodeon is generally only a dial-mover for the younger set, but Monday's topical episode of SpongeBob SquarePants pulled some rather strong ratings among grownups as well, according to THR.

"SpongeBob, You're Fired!," which saw Mr. Krabs lay off his restaurant's most porous and enthusiastic employee to boost profits, averaged a 1.1 rating among adults 18-49 at 7 p.m.

Among total viewers, SpongeBob fared even better. The 14-year-old franchise brought in its biggest audience in two years with a whopping 5.2 million viewers. Besting Hostages (4.53 million) on broadcast, it managed to outperform every cable offering for the night -- with the notable exception of ESPN's Monday Night Football.

The younger sets also saw big boosts. SpongeBob topped the night in kids demos 2-11, 6-11 and 9-14.

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Chicago Radio: WGCI Scrubs Big Jam 2013

WGCI 107.5 FM's huge 14th annual fall concert has been canceled. Big Jam 2013 was set to take place this coming Sunday. But tickets sales were reported to be slow.

In October, WGCI-FM proudly announced the line-up for this year's Big Jam concert.

The artists scheduled included: Chris Brown, 2 Chainz, Wale, Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky, French Montana, Twista, August Alsina, L.E.P., and Spenzo. The concert was to take place on November 17th at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. Tickets prices ranged from $59.75-$131.50 (including Ticketmaster fees).

R.I.P.: Tennessee Broadcaster Hayward Armstrong

Hayward Armstrong

A longtime Athens radio news announcer passed away Tuesday morning, reports WRCB in Chattanooga.

Hayward Armstrong, a WJSQ/WLAR radio personality for more than 50 years, passed away at about 6 a.m.Randy Sliger, owner and general manager of WJSQ and WLAR released a statement Tuesday.

"Today our radio family has suffered a tremendous loss with the passing of longtime news announcer, Hayward Armstrong. Hayward was not only our news announcer, but was a dear friend to us all. It will be impossible to ever fill the shoes of someone like Hayward," wrote Sliger. "He was a legend. You never had to worry about where you stood with Hayward. He was fearless in his pursuit of the facts and set the standard for fairness."

According to WCRB, Armstrong completed his last broadcast on Nov. 5 and was hospitalized later that day.

November 13 In Radio History

In 1937 - The National Broadcasting Company, (NBC) formed the first full-sized symphony orchestra for the sole purpose of broadcasting on the radio. Arturo Toscanini worked as its conductor for the first 17 years

CMA Announces Sarah Trahern As New CEO

Sarah Trahern

The CMA Board of Directors has named music and television industry veteran Sarah Trahern as CMA’s Chief Executive Officer, effective Jan. 1, 2014.  She joins CMA from Scripps Networks Interactive’s Great American Country (GAC) where she has been Senior Vice President and General Manager.

“The CMA Board Search Committee, chaired by Board Secretary/Treasurer and Warner Music Nashville President and CEO, John Esposito, conducted a thoughtful, thorough nationwide search to find the best possible candidates – and there were many. But, not surprisingly, the best person was right here in our industry in Nashville,” said Troy Tomlinson, Chairman of the CMA Board of Directors.

“Sarah possesses the leadership skills, diverse qualities, relationships, and extensive experience necessary to collaborate with the CMA Board of Directors to expand the mission and strategic objectives of the CMA while being mindful of the unique legacy and spirit of the organization. She is not only well-known in the Country Music and television world, but a highly respected executive with strong relationships with many of our members, including record labels, managers, publicists, publishers, and Country artists as well. We are so thrilled that she was ultimately interested in assuming this very important role, leading the CMA.”

Trahern said, “I moved to Nashville in 1995 to combine my experience in live television with my passion for music and especially, Country Music. Now, years later, to be able to serve as leader of the Country Music Association is an exciting challenge. I look forward to collaborating with the Board, the management team, staff, and the membership to continue to grow our genre in multiple arenas. It’s an exciting and dynamic time in the Country Music business with tremendous growth opportunities as well as an ever changing marketplace. The ratings success of the CMA Awards last week is indicative of the strength of our genre across multiple demographic groups.”

Trahern has more than 27 years of experience in the network television business, 18 years of it producing or overseeing Country Music programming. As Senior Vice President and General Manager of Scripps Networks Interactive’s GAC, Great American Country, she has been responsible for the strategic direction of the network and oversees all aspects of the network including programming, marketing, creative, and digital. In 2010, she was named one of 30 Woman “Power Players” in the music business by Billboard Magazine. In December 2011, she was the subject and honoree of the Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. She was recently recognized by Source as a top leader in the music business.

Trahern moved to Nashville in 1995 to oversee specials and entertainment series for TNN.

New Bill Gives Online Video Parity With Other Providers

Jay Rockefeller

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.), the chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, is introducing legislation to bolster the online video market, what he says is an effort to prevent cable and satellite companies from using their power to limit the growth of services like Netflix and Amazon.

The Consumer Choice in Online Video Act, which Rockefeller intends to introduce on Tuesday afternoon, would bar cable, satellite and large media companies from engaging in “anti-competitive” practices against online video distributors. It would do so in part by putting “reasonable limits” on contractual provisions in carriage contracts that limit online providers’ access to programming.

An aide to Rockefeller told Variety that the legislation would allow online video providers to choose to be considered like cable and satellite providers, giving them a “pathway to negotiate for content” the way that cable and satellite providers do. The 1992 Cable Act included regulations designed to prevent companies from limiting access to channels as a way to stifle competition. If an online service chooses to be treated like a cable or satellite provider, it also would face certain retransmission consent and must carry regulations over the carriage of broadcast signals.

The legislation also would limit the ability of a cable or satellite company that also provides Internet service to “degrade” competitive online video services. Specifics of the legislation have yet to be released.

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CNN Hires NYTimes’ Brian Stelter To Host ‘Reliable Sources’

Brian Stelter

CNN has named The New York Times media industry reporter Brian Stelter host of Reliable Sources, the network’s weekly show that focuses on the top media stories and news analysis each Sunday at 11:00amET on CNN/U.S. 

Stelter will also serve as a senior media correspondent for CNN Worldwide, reporting on trends, personalities, and companies across the media spectrum — from news to entertainment. 

He will report daily on CNN/U.S., CNN International, CNN.com, CNNMoney.com, and across CNN’s vast mobile and social landscape, feeding and flowing into his show and creating a multiplatform, global media beat for CNN.

“Brian has emerged as one of the top media reporters in the country and will be a great addition to our many platforms,” said Jeff Zucker, president of CNN Worldwide.  “He grew up in the digital space, and has covered the media industry for his entire career.  Brian has a keen understanding of this field – as both a journalist covering the industry and as an innovator – first, by creating his own digital platform, and second, by also leveraging the countless ways information is disseminated to enhance his storytelling.  I’m thrilled to welcome him to CNN to this newly broadened role.”

Stelter will be joining CNN from The New York Times, where he has worked since 2007. In 2013, he published The New York Times best-selling book “Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV (2013),” about the competitive world of morning news shows.

I've been at the @nytimes since college so it's surreal to be leaving. I've learned everything here. To my colleagues: thank you.
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 12, 2013

“It is an honor to take the helm of Reliable Sources, the very best of a very small number of programs about the media’s role in society,” said Stelter.  “I’m equally excited about reporting throughout the week on CNN’s many digital platforms and television networks.  CNN is reimagining media coverage at what is the best time ever to be covering media, and I’m very happy to be a part of it.”

Stelter created TVNewser, a blog covering the television news industry, in 2004, while a college freshman at Towson University.  Six months later he sold TVNewser to Mediabistro.com, though he continued to edit and write for the blog for three additional years. 

He joined The New York Times in 2007, after graduating from Towson with a degree in mass communications with a concentration in journalism.

Clear Channel Adds Vanessa Adamo As SVP

Vanessa Adamo

Clear Channel announced today that television and media industry veteran Vanessa Adamo has joined the company as Senior Vice President of Brand Partnerships for the Clear Channel Entertainment Enterprises division, reporting to its President John Sykes.

The Clear Channel Entertainment Enterprises division drives the company's brands further into the entertainment and media space, leveraging Clear Channel's 840 radio stations, web and outdoor properties and the iHeartRadio platform to create partnerships and large-scale live, on-air and televised events that support artists' projects, add value for advertisers and position Clear Channel as a 360 degree entertainment company.

By the end of 2014, Clear Channel will have had at least 18 television shows aired on networks domestically, and distributed internationally in over 30 countries around the world, including franchises like the iHeartRadio Music Festival, Jingle Ball and the iHeartRadio Album Release Party Series.  In addition, Clear Channel has already had dozens of its events video streamed on its own platforms, as well as on other major consumer platforms like PlayStation®3 (PS3™), Xbox and Yahoo.

In Adamo's newly created position, she will develop opportunities that grow Clear Channel's business by leveraging the company's multi-media platforms for marketing and entertainment partners.

"Vanessa's expertise in both television production and advertising makes her an ideal executive to create and develop branded content for all our platforms at Clear Channel," said Sykes.  "She will be integral to leading our partnership efforts as Clear Channel Entertainment Enterprises rapidly creates more content."

Prior to joining Clear Channel, she served as Vice President, Content Director at LiquidThread, Starcom MediaVest group.  She worked with both MTV Networks and The CW on award-winning campaigns for Microsoft's Bing, including Bing & MTV VMA's Most Shareworthy Video and Bing & CW's "TV to Bing About." She also led the branded content programs for Windows Phone, Outlook and most recently the launch of Xbox One. Before this, Adamo was Coordinating Producer for 'The Talk,' Producer for The Tyra Show, Producer of NBC Universal's 'The Maury Show.'

CBS Radio Taps Amy Stevens For New Role

Amy Stevens

Amy Stevens has been named Senior Vice President, Strategic Events and Partnerships, it was announced today by Dan Mason, President and CEO, CBS RADIO. 

Stevens will report to Mason and begin her new role on Monday, Dec. 2. 

Stevens previously worked for CBS RADIO from 1996-2009 as marketing and promotion director for KROQ-FM, a CBS RADIO station in Los Angeles.  In this newly-created position, Stevens will have oversight of all events produced by the division’s 126 stations and be responsible for developing a new slate of concerts and live programs, both large and small in scale that build awareness of CBS RADIO’s leading music, sports and news brands using a vast collection of over-the-air, digital and social assets. 

Additionally, she will forge affiliations with local venues and event promoters, designing customized programs that appeal to audiences nationwide.

“Live experiences are a hallmark of our radio operations and we are thrilled to welcome Amy back to CBS RADIO in this expanding role for the division,” said Mason.  “Her combination of expertise in radio promotion and close ties to the record labels and artist management will bolster our endeavors as we establish additional opportunities locally and nationally to engage with marketers and our audiences.”

Prior to returning to CBS RADIO, Stevens was Senior Vice President, Marketing Concerts and Media Integration for Madison Square Garden Entertainment, a position she was named to in 2011.  For two years before that, she had been Senior Vice President, Strategic Alliances for national music television network Fuse.  Stevens has also worked as a music consultant for “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

SF Radio: KNBR’s Damon Bruce Back On-Air

UPDATE 11/13/13:  Damon Bruce returned to the air Tuesday 11/12.  However, he will no longer be on KNBR’s 49ers pregame show.

Original posting....

KNBR radio personality Damon Bruce did not host his sports talk show Monday afternoon in the wake of a rant centered on the effect women are having on sports.

There has been no official announcement from KNBR or parent company Cumulus as to Bruce's status moving forward, but KNBR 1050 AM anchor Ted Ramey was filling in Monday.

Bruce, who has been with KNBR since 2005 when he started hosting Sportsphone 680, hosted his regular noon to 3 p.m. show on Friday, but did not take part in his usual role during the 49ers pregame show on Sunday.

D/FW Radio: Holiday Music Moving From KVIL To KLUV

When KVIL 103.7 FM tweaked its format in May, dropping the “Lite” brand it had used for several years for a more uptempo “Best Variety ... ’90s, 2K & Today” sound, Robert Philpot of the Star-Telegram asked a station spokeswoman whether it would continue to do Christmas music, which it had done since 2001. He was  told that it was still being discussed.

The Christmas format, which KVIL usually launches in mid-November, has been a big winner for the station; it has ruled the “holiday” ratings period, regularly coming in first -- the only times since Arbitron introduced Portable People Meters in DFW 2008 that KHKS/106.1 FM “KISS-FM” hasn’t topped the overall ratings chart.

Why wouldn’t KVIL stick with what has worked so well for so long? Because CBS Radio, which owns KVIL, had other plans.

CBS Radio has confirmed KLUV 98.7 FM will be playing Christmas music this year and not KVIL.

“We’re passing the torch from KVIL to KLUV,” Ron Harrell, director of music programming for CBS Radio Dallas-Fort Worth. “Christmas music is a natural fit with KLUV’s classic-hits format, and our listeners will embrace it.”

The move has some radio watchers wondering if CBS is planning a format change on KLUV, after the holidays?  Specualation centers on ‘Amp’-style station, to challenge Clear Channel’s KHKS 106.1 FM KISS-FM.

Philpot notes CBS went after KISS before in the early 21st century with the “Hot” and “Wild” formats, neither of which succeeded in taking KISS down. Both were on 100.3 FM, which has run the variety “Jack-FM” format since summer of 2004.

A CBS spokeswoman says that a post-Christmas format change is not planned for KLUV, which placed seventh overall in the latest Nielsen Audio ratings (for October) and has been holding more or less steady in the ratings for at least the past six months but is down from a year ago, while KVIL saw a big dropoff in overall ratings in September and October. KLUV cracked the top five in its target 25-to-54-year-old demographic.

And there’s been speculation that, with the death of Kidd Kraddick this year, KISS and its flagship show Kidd Kraddick in the Morning are vulnerable. But KKITM listeners are a loyal bunch, and KISS has not shown any signs of weakness. 

Report: Local Radio Maintains Competitive Position

The local radio market is growing, albeit at a more moderate pace than it once did, by expanding its offerings to off-air platforms, providing a wider range of listener experiences and advertiser opportunities, according to the firm's new state-of-the-industry report.

“Local Radio Stations Profiles and Trends for 2014 and Beyond” provides a comprehensive view of the industry based on the long-term research and analysis conducted by BIA/Kelsey for its clients and the industry.

Defining the local media marketplace as all local media/services that provide access to local audiences, BIA/Kelsey estimates total local media spending for 2013 to be $132.7 billion. This marketplace includes all of the media that local radio stations compete against for national and local advertising spending in their markets. Based on this definition of local advertising, local radio stations receive 11.5 percent of all advertising revenue being spent in local markets, fourth amongst all local media segments, behind direct mail (27.2 percent), newspapers (16.1 percent) and TV (14.9 percent).

Mark Fratrik

“As we move toward 2014, it’s clear the radio industry has adapted to incredible competition from all sides, with streaming and other audio competitors taking audiences,” said Mark Fratrik, chief economist and report author, BIA/Kelsey.

“Yet local radio is surviving, and in some instances, thriving, and poised to compete well in the new marketplace. Radio is also beginning to deliver other compelling digital services that help its local advertisers navigate promotional opportunities. With the right attitude towards the new reality of increased competition and strategic planning, local radio stations can prosper.”

As local radio works to keep pace with digital innovation, the landscape of radio advertisers reveals an attractive and diverse group. Local radio generates over 10 percent of its advertising from five different groups of advertisers: retail (18.0 percent of total radio industry revenue), financial/Insurance (17.0 percent), restaurants (14.5 percent), automotive (14.0 percent) and technology (10.0 percent).

Nationally, BIA/Kelsey's Media Ad View Plus forecast reveals local radio stations receive 14.3 percent of all advertising spent by finance and insurance companies and 12.1 percent of all advertising spending by restaurants. This diversity of advertisers, along with the strong market share with those advertisers, indicates radio remains an important part of the advertising mix for several groups of national and local advertisers.

Another indication of the success of the radio industry’s performance is the recent increase in values of publicly traded radio companies. Like other local media companies, values of public radio companies have increased by 68.2 percent through the first three quarters of 2013, easily beating the performance of the overall stock market. But as competition for audience share continues to cut into audience share for radio stations, the industry needs to be on its toes to remain competitively viable.

Ad Deduction Could Be In Jeopardy

Dave Camp

Just as advertisers and media execs feared, Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, is proposing watering down the advertising tax deduction, according to AdWeek.

Multiple sources have told advertising and media lobbyists that the measure, which could cost advertisers millions and reduce revenue for ad-supported media, has been written into a working draft of a tax reform bill.

The provision would allow advertisers to deduct only 50 percent of all ad expenses in the first year and amortize the remaining 50 percent over the next 10 years.

If Camp has his way, a tax reform bill will be introduced and clear the committee by the end of the year.

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