Raleigh Radio: Trevor Morini Named VP/Programming For iHM

iHeartMedia has announced that Trevor Morini has been named Vice President of Programming for the Raleigh market. 

As Vice President of Programming, Morini will oversee all on-air content as well as music and digital programming operations for iHeartMedia Raleigh’s stations. In addition, Morini will also serve as Program Director for the legendary Top 40 brand, G105. He will report to Alan Kirshbom, Market President for iHeartMedia Raleigh and A.J., Senior Vice President of Programming for iHeartMedia Charlotte & Raleigh.

Trevor Morini

“Trevor is a positive and creative leader,” said Kirshbom. “He gained extremely valuable experience from the National Programming Group, which he will be bringing to the Raleigh team. I am excited to have him back. Welcome home, Trevor!”

“Trevor holds a winning track record and I’m overjoyed to have him lead our programming team once again in Raleigh. His unique perspective, positive energy and creativity make him a superstar,” said A.J.

Trevor brings over 13 years of programming expertise to his new role. He most recently served as Format Center Executive Producer for iHeartMedia’s National Programming Group. He previously held a similar role in the Raleigh market in 2020. In addition, he has held several programming and on-air roles in various cities throughout his career including Austin, Texas, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Providence, Rhode Island. Trevor began his career at WRZE-FM on Cape Cod, MA.

“I am thrilled for the opportunity to lead the talented programming team in Raleigh,” said Morini. “Together we will build upon their success and continue to grow our market-leading brands, and I am honored to be a part of it. Thank you to the iHeartMedia senior leadership team for their continued support.”

San Diego Radio : Alternative 91X Re-Launches

Alternative XTRA-FM 91X in San Diego has  re-launched with an approach to the format that taps into the variety of the station's massive music library, embraces the discovery of music new and old, and strives to be anti-corporate and different. 

Following the 9-day run of "91X From A to X.. YZ," the station has now changed with a focus on the musical depth and breadth of the last four decades, while still continuing to break emerging artists, and highlight music from many genres.

The new era began at 10am, all air talent will remain and popular weekly features including "Resurrection Sunday," "Church of Bob," "Project X," and "91X Loudspeaker," will also stay in their respective time slots.

"Coming off the incredible success of '91X From A to X.. YZ' and the amazingly positive reaction from our listeners, we want to present 91X in a way that stays true to our roots and independent ideals," said 91X Program Director Garett Michaels. "When 91X launched in 1983, it was a category of one, which ignored convention and blazed a new trail. With that spirit in mind, we are re-launching 91X in a new presentation that has no current industry definition, so we are calling the format what we are: 91X. 91X is 91X again, unlike any other station anywhere. And isn't that what local radio should be?"

Charlotte Radio: Beasley Taps Cameron Moore As WNKS PD

Cameron Moore

Beasley Media Group has promoted Cameron Moore to the position of Program Director at WNKS-FM KISS 95.1 in Charlotte.

In addition, Moore, who joined Beasley Media Group in October 2017, will continue her current duties as Assistant Program Director and Music Director of WSOC-FM.

Prior to joining the company, she worked as a music director and on-air personality at Midwest Family Broadcasting Country’s KOMG-FM and Top 40 KOSP-FM in Springfield, Missouri.

John Reynolds, who has been the Program Director of KISS 95.1 for the past 22 years, will continue his role as Beasley Media Group’s Vice President of Music & Entertainment and as the Operations Manager on behalf of the company’s Charlotte-based radio cluster, including serving as the Program Director of WSOC-FM, Country103.7FM.

“Cameron is a rising star in our business who has proven herself as a highly valuable programmer in our company,” said Beasley Media Group Chief Content Officer Justin Chase. “It’s an absolute pleasure to promote her to this key role at Beasley Charlotte!”

“Cameron has done an outstanding job diving into the Top 40 and Country formats over the last five years in Charlotte,” said Reynolds. “She continues to bring fresh perspectives, insights and creativity to one of the markets most successful and iconic brands.”

Pittman Calls Podcasting "Radio On Demand"

“70% of Americans say the main way they discover new music is FM radio,” iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman said during Country Radio Seminar’s “Heads of State” series Wednesday afternoon. \

Country Insider reports the 30-minute pre-taped virtual interview moderated by All Access Music Group’s Joel Denver had Pittman sharing recent findings from an Ipsos study while highlighting the role radio has played throughout COVID-19.

“Radio is not just music,” Pittman said. “What all the stations have in common is companionship. We're hanging out and keeping you company and we found during COVID that that was particularly important to people.

“The number one place people found their information about COVID: radio. I think that says a lot about what we do for our audience.”

While Denver said radio has lost its younger demographics to the DSPs, Pittman refuted those claims. He said the reach of young people is the same as the 1970s when he was in programming.

Pittman added that the share of time spent on audio – including radio – is increasing and is now surpassing video. “I think what's also a surprising statistic is that the usage of radio, even among young people, is greater than social,” Pittman said. “So, they're spending more time every day with radio. So, I would debate any conclusion that says we are losing audience on the young end.”

The Ipsos study found radio as a major player in new music discovery. While Pittman says the DSPs also play a role, it’s obvious that radio still is king.

“Spotify, YouTube are great places to find new songs … but what makes a song massive is when radio picks it up,” Pittman said. “If you look at YouTube, you look at Spotify, anything else their play goes up in proportion to our play. When we start slowing down rotation, they start falling too.”

Pittman added that he looks at the DSPs as radio’s friends. Each platform can share its resources and findings to help promote new music.

Fittingly, Pittman described podcasting as “the most adjacent business to radio.”

“If Netflix was the TV on demand, podcasting was radio on demand,” he said. “It's host-driven, it's keeping people company so it’s a very similar experience.”

Country's Jason Aldean 'Incredibly Honored'

Jason and Brittany Aldean

Brittany Aldean posted a sweet message to her superstar husband after he received the Country Radio Broadcasters 2022 Artist Humanitarian Award. Officials named Jason Aldean this year’s award recipient last month, noting his dedication to helping Red Cross, ACM Lifting Lives and other organizations throughout his career.

Aldean received his award on Wednesday. But he did it quietly, so Brittany shared a public congratulatory message on Thursday. She captioned a sweet Instagram post: 

Brittany’s sentiment echoes a point previously made by Country Radio Seminar/Country Radio Broadcasters Board President Kurt Johnson: Aldean isn’t likely to speak up about his own humanitarian work. Johnson said in a statement that Aldean “doesn’t call attention to his massive philanthropic work. So we will.”

Aldean did acknowledge in a tweet last month that he was “incredibly honored” to learn that he would receive the Country Radio Broadcasters 2022 Artist Humanitarian Award.

LL Cool J To Host '22 iHR Music Awards

• Jennifer Lopez to Receive the 2022 iHeartRadio Icon Award

iHeartMedia and FOX Entertainment announced Thursday that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee LL COOL J will host and perform during the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards. The event will air LIVE from The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Tuesday, MARCH 22 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live / PT tape-delayed) on FOX. The event also will be heard on iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio app.

In addition, Jennifer Lopez will receive the 2022 iHeartRadio Icon Award, honoring her impact on pop culture, longevity and continued relevance as a touring and radio force with a loyal fan base worldwide. Jennifer Lopez is an award-winning actress, producer, singer, entertainer, and businesswoman who has helped to build billion-dollar brands and has established herself in film, music, television and business as one of the most influential artists in history. The only artist to ever have a number one album and number one film simultaneously, she has a cumulative worldwide box-office gross of over $3 billion and has sold over 75 million records. In February, Lopez released her highly anticipated film Marry Me and joint soundtrack, a first for Lopez. With a career spanning over two decades at the top of every field, Lopez is cemented in history as a global icon and the ultimate multihyphenate.

"It’s an honor to return to the stage as host of the iHeartRadio Music Awards and bring live music back to fans all over the world as we celebrate our favorite artists,” said LL Cool J. “I have a special performance for the fans, and the show will have some great surprises throughout the night. See you there!”

Now in its ninth year, the iHeartRadio Music Awards will celebrate the most-played artists and songs on iHeartRadio stations and the iHeartRadio app throughout 2021, while also offering a preview of the upcoming hits of 2022. The show will feature award presentations in multiple categories, live performances from the biggest artists in music, surprise stage moments and will tell the stories of the winning artists’ road to #1. 

Artists receiving multiple nominations include Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, Doja Cat, Giveon, Lil Nas X, Silk Sonic, The Kid LAROI, SZA, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Megan Thee Stallion, Måneskin, Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Billie Eilish, BTS, David Guetta, Tate McRae, Ariana Grande, Daniel Caesar, The Weeknd, Five Finger Death Punch, Cardi B, Joel Corry, AJR, Carrie Underwood, Luke Combs, The Pretty Reckless, All Time Low, twenty one pilots, Mammoth WVH, blackbear, Machine Gun Kelly, Imagine Dragons, Moneybagg Yo, H.E.R., Foo Fighters, Jazmine Sullivan, Banda Sinaloense MS De Sergio Lizárraga, Pop Smoke, Coi Leray, Bad Bunny, Regard, Rauw Alejandro, Farruko, KAROL G, Calibre 50, Dua Lipa and La Arrolladora Banda El Limón De René Camacho.

📻For a full list of categories, visit iHeartRadio.com/awards.

In addition to paying tribute to music and artists, the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards will again celebrate the fans, giving iHeartRadio listeners the opportunity to decide winners in several new and established categories. Fan voting will determine this year’s Best Fan Army, Best Lyrics, Best Cover Song, Best Music Video, the Social Star Award, Favorite Tour Photographer, TikTok Bop of the Year and the first-ever TikTok Songwriter of the Year and Best Comeback Album. Social voting began on January 27 and will close on March 15 at 11:59 PM PT for all categories. Fans can vote on Twitter using the appropriate category and nominee hashtags or by visiting iHeartRadio.com/awards.

Additional categories include Label of the Year and individual winners for Album of the Year in music’s biggest genres, including Pop, Country, Alternative, Rock, Dance, Hip-Hop, R&B, Latin and Regional Mexican formats.

February 25 Radio History

➦In 1928.. the Federal Radio Commission issued the first U.S. television license to Charles Jenkins Laboratories in Washington, DC. The first commercial TV license was issued in 1941.

➦In 1943...George Harrison born.  (Died 29 November 2001 from cancer at age 58).  He was an English musician, singer-songwriter, music and film producer who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of The Beatles.

Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian culture and helped broaden the scope of popular music through his incorporation of Indian instrumentation and Hindu-aligned spirituality in the Beatles' work.

Although the majority of the band's songs were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, most Beatles albums from 1965 onwards contained at least two Harrison compositions. His songs for the group included "Taxman", "Within You Without You", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Here Comes the Sun" and "Something".

➦In 1995... at a private party for 1,200 invited guests on the closing night of the Sinatra Desert Classic golf tournament in Palm Springs, Frank Sinatra sang before a live audience for the very last time, at Marriott’s Desert Springs Resort. His closing song was ‘The Best is Yet to Come.’  He died on May 14, 1998.

➦In 2004...The controversy surrounding the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show (Nipple-Gate), aired live on February 1, 2004 and led to the government's crackdown on indecency in radio and television following a surge in audience complaints.

The situation prompted tighter control over content by station managers which made Stern feel "dead" creatively.

On this date, Clear Channel dropped The Howard Stern Show from its station after it and Viacom were fined for content the FCC deemed indecent.

 The situation culminated on October 6, 2004, when Stern announced the signing of a five-year deal with Sirius Satellite Radio, a subscription-based satellite radio service exempt from the FCC's broadcast regulations, starting in 2006. It is a move that has been regarded as the start of "a new era of radio." Stern's final live show on terrestrial airwaves aired on December 16, 2005.

➦In 2014…Radio, TV personality Jim Lange died of an apparent heart attack at age 81 (born: August 15, 1932).

He was an American game show host and disc jockey. He was known to listeners in the San Francisco and Los Angeles radio markets with stints at several stations in both markets, racking up over 45 years on the air. Lange was also known to television viewers as the host of several game shows, including The Dating Game.

Lange began his radio broadcasting career in the Twin Cities after winning an audition as a teenager.

After graduating from the University of Minnesota and serving in the Marines, Lange moved to San Francisco. After making his Bay Area broadcast debut as "The All-Night Mayor" on KGO, he moved to afternoons on KSFO in 1960.

Lange's network television career began in San Francisco with The Ford Show in 1962, where he was the announcer for, and sidekick to, host Tennessee Ernie Ford. Three years later he would sign on to host The Dating Game (1965–1980). While still on-air at KSFO, he commuted to Los Angeles to tape the TV program.

Lange was introduced to Los Angeles local audiences on KMPC in 1970, in order to limit his commute while taping The Dating Game. He returned to Gene Autry/Golden West-owned KSFO by 1971 and remained there until the station was sold in 1983. He then returned to KMPC, where he did mornings and afternoons (at different times) until the end of the decade.

In the early 1990s, Lange returned to full-time radio in the Bay Area. During that period he initially worked afternoons on 610/KFRC. He eventually accepted an offer to broadcast weekday mornings on "Magic 61," by then owned by real estate magnate Peter Bedford (Bedford Broadcasting). Magic 61 was formatted as "American pop standards" (Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Harry Connick, Jr., Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, et al.). After the sale of KFRC AM and FM (99.7) FM (the new owners decided to simulcast the FM "oldies" format on 610 AM), Jim and the show decamped for a run on KKSJ, San Jose.

In 1997, Lange became morning host of The Lange Gang on KABL in San Francisco. Lange retired in 2005 after KABL went off the air.

Karen Grassle is 80

🎂HAPPY BIRTHDAYS:

• Actor Ann McCrea (“The Donna Reed Show”) is 91. 
• Actor Tom Courtenay (“Dr. Zhivago”) is 85. 
• CBS newsman Bob Schieffer is 85. 
• Actor Diane Baker is 84. 
• Actor Karen Grassle (“Little House on the Prairie”) is 80. 
• Talk show host Sally Jessy Raphael is 80. 
• Writer Jack Handey (“Saturday Night Live”) is 73. 
• Musician-actor John Doe of X (“Roswell”) is 69. 
• Singer-guitarist Mike Peters of The Alarm is 63. 

• 

  Lesley Boone is 54

  Comedian Carrot Top is 57. 
• Actor and model Veronica Webb is 57. 
• Actor Alexis Denisof (“Angel,” ″Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) is 56. 
• Actor Tea Leoni Leoni is 56. 
• Actor Lesley Boone (“Agent Carter,” “Ed”) is 54. 
• Actor Sean Astin is 51. Singer Daniel Powter is 51. 
• Singer Justin Jeffre of 98 Degrees is 49. 
• Actor Anson Mount (“Hell on Wheels,” “Star Trek: Discovery”) is 49. 
• Comedian Chelsea Handler is 47. 
• Actor Rashida Jones (“The Office,” ″Parks and Recreation”) is 46. 
• Singer Shawna Thompson of Thompson Square is 44. 
• Actor Justin Berfield (“Malcolm in the Middle”) is 36. 
• Actor Jameela Jamil (“The Good Place”) is 36. 
• Actors James and Oliver Phelps (“Harry Potter” films) are 36. 
• Bassist Erik Haager of Carolina Liar is 35.

U.S. Stock Indices Tumble Amid Russian Aggression

by Florian Zandt, Statista

On February 24, 3 AM Greenwich Mean Time Russian president Vladimir Putin announced the start of a "military operation" in Ukraine, attacking several cities in the Eastern European country after months of amassing troops at its borders. This unexpected aggression may not only spell the beginning of a humanitarian crisis but is heavily influencing investor decisions as well. 

According to CNBC reports, futures in the Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq have lost between two and 2.7 percent from the previous day hours before today's U.S. stock market opening. 

The broader indices themselves have hit year-to-date lows as well as our chart indicates.

After a crash at the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, the stock market rebounded with a successful 12-month stretch due in part to many tech companies profiting from the pandemic, a successful and faster than expected vaccine rollout and unprecedented fiscal stimulus. This trend continued throughout 2021, with temporary dips in September and October across all three indices. So far, 2022 hasn't been able to keep up with the upwards trend of last year though. Even before tensions between the Ukraine and Russia escalated, the Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq saw major declines across the board, as the Omicron surge, inflation fears and the Ukraine situation all weighed on investors, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq losing almost 15 percent from December 31, 2021 at the end of January. By February 23, the day before Russia's military started its operations on Ukrainian territory, the Nasdaq had declined 16.7 percent this year, while the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average had lost 11.3 percent and 8.8 percent compared to the end of 2021, respectively.

You will find more infographics at Statista

Unless peace is brokered between the two countries, this race towards the bottom is likely to continue. With Russia and Ukraine being some of the largest exporters of commodities like oil, gas, wheat, copper and nickel, the ongoing conflict will most likely result in price hikes as well as a further exacerbation of supply chain disruptions.

Cumulus: Total Revenue of $916.5M, Up 12% Year-Over-Year

Cumulus Media Inc. Wednesday announced operating results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2021.

2021 Key Highlights:

• Made substantial progress on executing multi-dimensional, audio-first strategy (see latest investor presentation on our website)
• Meaningfully increased distribution of broadcast content across multiple digital platforms, including podcast, audio streaming and video
• Executed multiple sponsored content partnerships on major social platforms, including YouTube and Instagram, leveraging unique and exclusive assets
• Entered into multi-year renewal with the NCAA, maintaining Westwood One’s position as the exclusive partner across broadcast radio, digital audio, distribution and licensing for March Madness and all NCAA Championships
• Developed and brought to market several new multi-platform ad solutions for local and national clients, resulting in a 500%+ increase in multi-market package revenue
• Increased full year revenue by 12% year-over-year, or 15% on an ex-political basis
• Sequentially improved revenue performance each quarter of 2021 vs. comparable quarters in 2019
• 
  Increased digital revenue by 48% year-over-year, to more than $125 million (now comprising 14% of total revenue)
• Increased full year net income to $17.3 million from a net loss of $59.7 million in 2020 and increased operating income to $69.1 million from an operating loss of $10.6 million
• Increased full year EBITDA by 66% year-over-year, or 127% on an ex-political basis
• Increased EBITDA margins by nearly 500 basis points, despite typical off-cycle reduction of high-margin political revenue
• Delivered net fixed cost reductions of more than $75 million vs. 2019 baseline
• Significantly strengthened balance sheet
• Generated $68.5 million of cash from operations and $34 million of gross proceeds from Nashville land sale
• Finished year with total cash balance of $177 million
• Paid down $176.3 million of debt and received forgiveness of $20 million of PPP Loans, reducing net leverage (1) from 8.7x at 12/31/2020 to 4.7x at 12/31/2021
• Achieved third-party ESG scores among the highest in the peer group (see inaugural Corporate Sustainability Report on our website)
• Operating Summary (dollars in thousands, except percentages and per share data):
• For the three months ended December 31, 2021, the Company reported net revenue of $252.3 million, an increase of 2.6% from the three months ended December 31, 2020, net income of $17.6 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $43.2 million.
• For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company reported net revenue of $916.5 million, an increase of 12.3% from the year ended December 31, 2020, net income of $17.3 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $134.9 million.

Mary G. Berner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cumulus Media, said, "2021 was a year of tremendous progress and accomplishment for Cumulus. 

"We not only achieved meaningful revenue growth in core radio, delivered substantial growth in digital, and greatly improved our operating leverage through material fixed cost reductions, but we also further and significantly de-levered our balance sheet, and executed many initiatives which bolstered our position as a true audio-first media company. As we carry this momentum into 2022, we continue to see significant upside with multiple pathways to enhance shareholder value.”

Sinclair Broadcast Reports $63M Cyberattack Ad Loss

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. swung to a loss in the fourth quarter and saw revenue fall short of Wall Street expectations, in part due to a recent cyberattack that affected the company’s operations, reports The Baltimore Business Journal.

The media giant reported a loss of $89 million or $1.18 per share, compared to a profit of $467 million or $6.27 per share a year ago. On an adjusted basis, Sinclair said it had a loss of $74 million or 99 cents a share in the most recent quarter.

Total revenue was down 2% to $1.48 billion while media revenue dropped to $1.46 billion compared to $1.49 billion in the year-ago quarter. Excluding the effects of the cyberattack, revenue would have increased for the quarter, Sinclair said.

In its release Wednesday, Sinclair for the first time put a dollar value on the ransomware cyberattack that hit the company in October. The incident led to a $63 million loss of advertising revenues for the broadcast segment in the fourth quarter and has also cost the company $11 million so far. Factoring in potential insurance reimbursements, Sinclair estimates the attack will result in about $24 million in unrecoverable net losses.

Chris Ripley

The company did not pay a ransom and was able to recover its network from backups and has since implemented “several enhancements” to the cybersecurity measures it had in place at the time of the attack. Sinclair also cautioned that its estimate of the cost of the incident may change as “details of the recovery are still fluid” and also noted “there can be no assurance that the insurance policies will pay their full coverage or the timing of such reimbursements.

CEO Chris Ripley said in a statement that after adjusting for the impact of the cyberattack, Sinclair had exceeded its free cash flow and pre-tax earnings expectations for the quarter.

Ripley said the company’s stock continues to be undervalued — a claim he also made in August — and should be triple its current value. To that end, Sinclair has repurchased more than 4 million shares over the past four months and plans to raise the quarterly dividend 25% to 25 cents a share.

Taking a closer look at the company’s fourth quarter results, total advertising revenue was down 31% to $383 million, largely due to the lack of political revenue since 2021 was a non-political year. Core advertising revenues, which exclude political revenues, were up 4% to $346 million due to continued recovery from the pandemic and a higher number of professional sports games, with those increases offset by the negative impacts of the cyberattack.

For the full year, Sinclair reported that total revenue increased 3% to $6.1 billion. The company saw a loss of $414 million or $5.51 per share, compared to a loss of $2.4 billion in 2020. The 2020 figure included a major non-cash impairment of the regional sports networks.

Also on Wednesday, Sinclair announced it has promoted Rob Weisbord to chief operating officer and president of broadcast. Weisbord has been with Sinclair since 1997 and has served as president of broadcast and chief advertising revenue officer since 2020.

TV Ratings: The Big Game Scores, The Other Games Not So Well

According to preliminary results from Nielsen, the telecast of Super Bowl LVI which aired on NBC on Feb. 13, 2022, from 6:34 pm ET to 10:00 pm ET, drew an average TV audience of more than 99 million viewers who tuned in to watch the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. This data includes out-of-home (OOH) viewing and  Digital in TV Ratings (DTVR) contributions.

On NBC, the game had a preliminary 37 U.S. household rating and was viewed in an average of 45 million homes, as the Rams defeated the Bengals 23-20 to claim the franchise’s first title in Los Angeles. This year, 72% of U.S. homes with televisions in use were tuned to the Super Bowl LVI telecast.

In addition, according to estimates for Super Bowl LVI on Telemundo, the game drew an average of 1,907,000 viewers.

As for The Beijing Winter Olympics,  the games reached an average combined audience of 11.4 million people in prime time on NBC, the USA cable network and Peacock streaming service, the network said. That’s the lowest-ever American audience for any Olympics, and down 42% from the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018.

For NBC alone, the prime time telecasts reached an average of 9.3 million viewers, or 48% down from South Korea, the Nielsen company said.

For the week, NBC averaged 7.2 million viewers in prime time. CBS had 3 million, ABC had 2.7 million, Fox had 2 million, Univision had 1.5 million, Ion Television had 1.3 million and Telemundo had 1 million, according to The Associated Press.

📺The Top 20 Prime-Time Shows (Total Viewers):

1. Winter Olympics (Tuesday), NBC, 8.71 million.

2. Winter Olympics (Thursday, 8:30 to 11 p.m.), NBC, 8.53 million.

3. Winter Olympics (Monday), NBC, 7.89 million.

4. Winter Olympics (Friday, 9 to 11 p.m.), NBC, 7.25 million.

5. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 6.98 million.

6. Winter Olympics (Wednesday, 8:30 to 11 p.m.), NBC, 6.94 million.

7. Winter Olympics (Saturday, 9 to 11 p.m.), NBC, 6.77 million.

8. Winter Olympics (Thursday, 8 to 8:30 p.m.), NBC, 6.74 million.

9. Winter Olympics (Friday, 8 to 9 p.m.), NBC, 6.72 million.

10. Winter Olympics Closing Ceremonies, NBC, 6.57 million.

11. Winter Olympics (Wednesday, 8 to 8:30 p.m.), NBC, 6.42 million.

12. Winter Olympics (Saturday, 8 to 9 p.m.), NBC, 5.86 million.

13. NBA All-Star Game, TNT, 5.43 million

14. “Daytona 500 Post Race,” Fox, 5.42 million.

15. “911: Lone Star,” Fox, 4.95 million.

16. “Jeopardy! College Championship” (Thursday), ABC, 4.82 million.

17. “Jeopardy! College Championship” (Friday), ABC, 4.73 million.

18. “The Price is Right Valentine Show,” CBS, 4.66 million.

19. “Jeopardy! College Championship” (Wednesday), ABC, 4.64 million.

20. “Young Sheldon,” CBS, 4.35 million.

📺THE EVENING NEWS:

ABC’s “World News Tonight” won the evening news ratings race with an average of 8.7 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News,” with virtually none of the typical ratings bump that an Olympics delivers, had 7 million viewers and the “CBS Evening News” had 5.3 million

📺LATE NIGHT 

Graphics Courtesy of RoadMN (w/permission)

📺CABLE TV

Fox News Channel was the most popular cable network in prime time, averaging 2.42 million viewers. TNT had 2.01 million, MSNBC had 1.05 million, HGTV had 1.02 million and Hallmark had 968,000.

Graphics Courtesy of RoadMN (w/permission)

Graphics Courtesy of RoadMN (w/permission)

On the programming front, The Five moved ahead of Tucker Carlson Tonight as the most-watched cable news show (3.59 million vs. 3.47 million). Hannity moved past Jesse Watters Primetime (2.964 million vs. 2.960 million) with Special Report with Bret Baier (2.52 million) rounding out the top five most-watched. The Rachel Maddow Show (guest-hosted by Alex Wagner) dropped to No. 13 on cable news in total viewers (averaging 1.56 million).

Graphics Courtesy of RoadMN (w/permission)

According to TV Newser, Fox News’ audience has returned in full force after those Q1 ’21 struggles in total day. The network grew by +17% from the year-ago week in total day viewers. The network also shot up +15% in total day demo viewers. The story is a slightly different in primetime. The network fell -1% in total primetime viewers and -4% in the key demo vs. the same week in 2021, but continues to dominate the other cable news outlets.

MSNBC and CNN, on the other hand, continue to post double-digit year-over-year losses. MSNBC shed -44% in total day viewers and -45% in total primetime viewers, -61% in the primetime demo, and -61% in the total day demo from the comparable week in 2021. CNN, which was No. 1 in the demo at this time last year, fell in total day viewers (-53%), in total primetime viewers (-65%), the primetime demo (-69%) and total day demo (-58%).

Roadmap '22: Listeners Headed For Smartphones

The annual Albright & O’Malley & Brenner PreCRS session covered a lot of ground in three hours Wednesday morning, but much of it pointed to what the A&O&B team listed as the main takeaway of their “Roadmap 2022” presentation: “If you have a phone, you have a radio.”

Country Insider reports Futuri CEO Daniel Anstandig touched on it in his presentation on connected country listeners, noting that today’s omnichannel audience thinks in terms of “audio” and “video” more than “radio” and “TV.”

“The barrier of thinking about radio or TV for us is different than it is for the audience,” Anstandig said. “They're used to going to any type of platform to consume our brands now, and their habits are changing. This is something that's not going to go back to normal.”

Anstandig also said that stations without an existing mobile app are missing an opportunity, “because that is the new preset.”

“The mobile app has become an extension of the station on everything from a promotional and programming perspective,” Anstandig said. “So one of the big takeaways that we got from our research is [listeners] still want you, they still want your content, but you have to be accessible where they're going now. You have to be available on mobile; you have to be available on smart speakers.”

Futuri’s research shows that 34% of country listeners own smart speakers and that those who do are two times more likely than the national average to use them to listen to live radio.

And while many stations have developed the habit of reminding their audience to listen on smart speakers, “it’s time to really tell them where we need them to listen,” says A&O&B partner Kenny Jay.

Noting that smart speakers are most commonly found within three places in the home — the kitchen, the living room and the bedroom — Becky Brenner recommended promoting smart-speaker listening in home offices. “Talk about where they can listen to you,” she said. “There are still some giveaways that I think are really good and cost effective. People who are giving away Alexas are seeing a great deal of response.”

January '22 PPMs Day 2: DC, Boston, Miami +9 More Markets

Nielsen on Wednesday, February 23, 2022 released the second batch of January 2022 PPM data for the following markets:

 7   Washington DC

10    Boston

11    Miami-Ft. Lauderdale- Hollywood

12    Seattle-Tacoma

13    Detroit

14     Phoenix

15     Minneapolis-St. Paul

16     San Diego

17     Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater

18     Denver-Boulder

22     Baltimore

24     St. Louis

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Wake-Up Call: Russia Launches Attack On Ukraine

Daily Mail composite 2/24/22

Russia launched an attack on Ukraine early Thursday that the Ukrainian foreign minister called a "full-scale invasion," with explosions heard in multiple cities, including the capital city of Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa, and Ukraine saying troops crossed into the country from Russia, Belarus and Crimea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared martial law, saying Russia has targeted Ukraine’s military infrastructure, urging people to stay home and not panic. The Russian military claimed to have incapacitated all of Ukraine's air defenses and air bases within hours, while there were also Ukrainian claims of having shot down several Russian aircraft.

Putin to The World

Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a televised address in which he said the attack was necessary to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine, an untrue claim the U.S. had said he would use as a pretext, and accused the U.S. and its allies of not agreeing to Russia's demands to not allow Ukraine to join NATO. He claimed Russia doesn't intend to occupy Ukraine, but will, quote, "demilitarize" it and bring those who he charged committed crimes to justice. He warned other nations against trying to interfere, saying it would lead to, quote, "consequences you have never seen." He also warned against a direct attack on Russia, emphasizing that it is, quote, "one of the most potent nuclear powers."

President Biden condemned what he called an "unprovoked and unjustified attack" in a written statement, saying the U.S. and its allies would "hold Russia accountable," and that he will speak to Americans today. More sanctions are expected to be announced today, after the U.S., European Union, and others had imposed sanctions on Russia Tuesday following Putin declaring two separatist regions in Ukraine independent and ordering in troops. European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she will present, quote, "massive and strategic" sanctions against Russia for approval today.

The U.N. Security Council was holding an emergency meeting to try to prevent an invasion when word came that it had begun. Ukraine's ambassador to the U.N. addressed Russia's ambassador, telling him to call Putin and tell him to stop the aggression, and stating, "There is no purgatory for war criminals. They go straight to hell, Ambassador."

BREAKING: Russia's military says it has knocked out Ukraine’s air defense assets and airbases. No confirmation from Kyiv yet. Explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as Moscow launched its anticipated attack on its neighbor. https://t.co/RnHCD56nVZ

— The Associated Press (@AP) February 24, 2022

➤TEXAS GOV. ORDERS TREATING GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE FOR TRANS MINORS AS CHILD ABUSE: Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has ordered the state's child welfare agency to investigate reports of gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors as child abuse. Abbott's directive came after state Attorney General Ken Paxton released a non-binding legal opinion that called some gender-affirming treatments child abuse, which goes against the stance of the largest American medical groups. The treatments targeted include puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries. However, the immediate impact of Abbott's order is unclear, with AP citing the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services as saying said there were no open cases based on the directive.

220,000 illegal immigrants evaded Border Patrol since October: source https://t.co/xNBvB87MHj

— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 23, 2022

🛳$450 MILLION GOING TO PORTS TO HELP EASE SUPPLY CHAIN CRISIS: U.S. ports will be given nearly $450 million in federal money from the infrastructure law passed last year to help ease the supply chain crisis, which will in turn help reduce prices for Americans. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the availability yesterday of the first batch of competitive grants for the ports that will be double last year's amount annually for five years. U.S. ports will have until May to apply for the grants, which will be awarded by fall.

➤PROSECUTORS IN CHARGE OF MANHATTAN D.A.'S TRUMP PROBE RESIGN: The two prosecutors in charge of the Manhattan district attorney’s criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump and his business dealings resigned Wednesday, raising questions about the future of the probe. Carey Dunne and Mark Pomerantz, who ran the investigation on a day-to-day basis, began on the probe under former District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. The new D.A., Alvin Bragg, asked them to stay on when he took office in January. The New York Times cited sources as saying Dunne and Pomerantz quit after Bragg raised doubts about pursuing a case against Trump himself. The nearly three-year investigation has so far led to tax fraud charges only against Trump’s company, and its finance chief Allen Weisselberg.

➤IVANKA TRUMP IN TALKS TO SPEAK WITH JAN. 6TH COMMITTEE: Ivanka Trump is in talks to speak with the House committee investigating the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, her spokesperson told CBS News yesterday. The committee sent Ivanka a letter in January asking her to appear before the panel, saying it believes she was in the Oval Office that day during a phone call between her father and then-Vice President Mike Pence and want to know if she heard or took part in conversations about her father's plan, quote, "to obstruct or impede the counting of electoral votes." The letter also said several former White House staffers have testified to the committee that they asked Ivanka to try to persuade her father during the attack to address what was going on. Ivanka was a White House adviser to her father.

➤KAEPERNICK LAUNCHING INITIATIVE FOR FREE AUTOPSIES IN 'POLICE-RELATED' DEATHS: Colin Kaepernick is launching an initiative that will provide free autopsies to family members of anyone whose death was "police-related" if the families want a second, independent autopsy in addition to the official one. The initiative through the controversial former NFL quarterback's Know Your Rights Camp is being done in collaboration with a panel of board-certified forensic pathologists. Kaepernick said, "We know that the prison industrial complex, which includes police and policing, strives to protect and serve its interests at all costs. The Autopsy Initiative is one important step toward ensuring that family members have access to accurate and forensically verifiable information about the cause of death of their loved one in their time of need."

🎵STUDY: WHY WE DISLIKE CERTAIN TYPES OF MUSIC: Disliking certain kinds of music is normal, but did you ever wonder why? Researchers from Germany reasons people disliked music generally fell into three categories: 1) object-related reasons (such as composition or lyrics), 2) subject-related reasons (emotional or bodily effects or discrepancies with self-image), and 3) social reasons. Earlier research has shown that musical aversion has important social functions, but this study expands to include music-related and personal reasons. For example, musical dislikes may serve to maintain a good mood, facilitate identity expression, or help define a social group.

😋CHILDREN EAT WHAT THEY LIKE, BUT FOOD INTAKE DRIVEN MORE BY WHAT THEY DISLIKE:  A new study finds kids make eating choices based more on what they dislike than what they like. Penn State researchers looked at kids ages four to six, and found that disliking was a stronger predictor of what little ones eat compared to foods they like. Lead researcher Kathleen Keller adds that even at a young age, children’s food choices are influenced by their parents and peers, so we need to be careful with assumptions about what is truly driving their behavior when they sit down to eat. She adds, “They pick up on what is said around the table about what foods are good, and while that may not actually correspond to kids eating them, they are taking it in, and that’s affected their perceptions of foods. Milk is a good example of that—for some families, there may be a health halo effect around milk. Kids learn from an early age that drinking milk will give them a strong body, so they may drink milk even if it’s not their favorite beverage.”  

🕱OUR LIVES REALLY DO FLASH BEFORE OUR EYES WHEN WE DIE:  There’s now a bit more information about what happens in our brain when we die. Researchers in Canada recently recorded a dying brain while they were using an EEG to detect and treat seizures in an 87-year-old man, and he suffered a cardiac arrest. The scientists claim it’s the first time ever that scientists recorded the activity of a dying human brain. The brain wave patterns they observed were similar to those that occur during memory retrieval, dreaming, and meditation. The researchers say this could mean the brain remains active and coordinated during and after the transition to death, and may even be programmed to “orchestrate the whole ordeal.” Researcher and neurosurgeon Dr. Ajmal Zemmar adds, “Through generating oscillations involved in memory retrieval, the brain may be playing a last recall of important life events just before we die, similar to the ones reported in near-death experiences. These findings challenge our understanding of when exactly life ends and generate important subsequent questions, such as those related to timing of organ donation.”  

⚾MLB SAYS SEASON TO BE SHORTENED IF NO AGREEMENT BY MONDAY: MLB told the locked-out players Wednesday that the regular season will be shortened if there's no agreement on a new labor contract by the end of the day Monday. That news came after a third straight day of negotiations with little progress. Players have suggested that if the regular season doesn't start on time, missed games could be made up via doubleheaders, instead of being canceled, which would mean they'd lose salary for those games. But MLB has said it won't agree to that arrangement. The players have been locked out since December 2nd.

Based on last year’s base salaries of $3.8 billion, major league players would combine to lose $20.5 million for each day wiped off the regular-season schedule should the lockout continue. Max Scherzer would lose $232,975 each day, Gerrit Cole $193,548. https://t.co/bRlNr0rJ9x

— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) February 23, 2022

🏌PGA COMMISH: PLAYERS NEED TO DECIDE ABOUT SAUDI-FUNDED LEAGUE: PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan addressed the proposed rival Saudi-funded golf league in a phone interview yesterday, with AP reporting that he said he has, quote, "zero complacency" about the threat from the Greg Norman-led league. But he's made the PGA's position clear to players, stating, "I told the players we're moving on and anyone on the fence needs to make a decision," emphasizing that players who sign up for the Saudi league will lose their PGA Tour membership and shouldn't expect to get it back. None of the world's top 12 players have expressed support for joining the Saudi league.

🏒LIGHTNING'S PERRY SCORES 400TH CAREER GOAL IN 5-3 WIN: The Tampa Bay Lightning's Corey Perry scored his 400th career goal last night in the Lightning's 5-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers. The 36-year-old Perry became the 103rd NHL player ever to reach the milestone.

🏈TOM BRADY TO PRODUCE, PLAY HIMSELF IN MOVIE: Less than a month after announcing his retirement, The Hollywood Reporter is saying that Tom Brady will produce and play himself in a football-themed road trip movie called, 80 for Brady, that's set to begin production this spring. It will star Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field as four women who travel to see the quarterback play in Super Bowl 51, the February 2017 game in which Brady led the New England Patriots to a huge comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons for the Pats' fifth title.

 

TV News Scrambles To Cover Hostilities

Daily Mail composite 2/24/22

All of America's main television channels broke away from prime time programs on Wednesday night. 

The networks went to air with Special Reports from their newsrooms. ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX all broke away from game shows, comedies and dramas. Instead, war correspondents were seen broadcasting from balconies in Kiev. 

BREAKING: NATO says Russian attack has begun, moments after Vladimir Putin announced that he had "decided to conduct a special military operation” https://t.co/xbaLe5wyFY pic.twitter.com/idAED4X37p

— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 24, 2022

CNN was among the first to report the invasion was underway. A CNN reporter in the Ukrainian capital Kiev reporting hearing blasts in the early hours of Thursday morning. 'I just heard a big bang right here behind me. I've never heard anything like it.' 

Matthew Chance, Senior International correspondent said he heard between seven and eight explosions. 

Chance quickly put on his flak jacket and headgear while he continued to report from a balcony in the Ukrainian capital. 

'There are big explosions taking place. I can't see them or explain what they are. but I will tell you the U.S has warned the Ukrainian authorities there could be air strikes and ground attacks as well around the country, including the capital. 'I don't know if that's what's occurring now but it's a remarkable coincidence that the explosions come just minutes after Putin gave his speech,' Chance explained. 'This is the first time we've heard anything. It has been absolutely silent. This is the first time. It has to be more than just a coincidence. 'I think tis' safe where I am. I have a flak jacket,' Chance remarked before ducking down to put on his protective gear.