comScore Unveils New Media Measurement Service

comScore, Inc., in collaboration with the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement, Wednesday unveiled the first set of cross-media measurement data for 11 CIMM member companies through its cross-media measurement service.

Manish Bhatia

Participating broadcast and cable networks that received data include A&E Networks, CBS Corporation, Disney ABC Television Group, ESPN, Fox Networks, NBC Universal, Scripps Networks Interactive, Univision Communications Inc., and Viacom. Select data will also be presented this afternoon at CIMM's Fourth Annual Cross-Platform Media Measurement and Data Summit in New York City.

"We're proud to deliver this cross-media measurement data today to select CIMM member companies, getting us much closer to holistically and continuously measuring audiences and advertising in this always on, multi-screen world," said Manish Bhatia, Chief Revenue Officer at comScore.

"What started as a developmental project first with CIMM in 2012, and then under ESPN's leadership in 2013, has paved the way for this service and, ultimately, the development of a syndicated product that measures media consumption across all screens. We look forward to working with CIMM, its member companies, and our clients to deliver additional solutions that will help the industry to solve one of today's toughest measurement challenges."

David F. Poltrack

"These new data represent a major step forward in cross-media measurement for the entire industry, and CIMM member companies are already benefitting from this first look," said David F. Poltrack, Chief Research Officer, CBS Corporation and President of CBS VISION. "Cross-platform consumption of content continues to grow, and so too does the need to help content owners understand how audiences are interacting with their content. Of particular importance is the inclusion of radio, a powerful, proven and pervasive medium that effectively builds reach on top of television and digital campaigns, in the cross-platform measurement process."

The service uses data licensed from Nielsen Audio – under terms of a government consent decree Nielsen agreed to in order to close its purchase of Arbitron – in combination with other data inputs. ComScore ultimately plans to syndicate the service, which would both complement and compete with Nielsen’s own measurement products.

Taylor Swift Concerts Impacted NFL Schedule

Taylor Swift

There were obstacles to making an NFL schedule this year that were, shall we say, unusual. One, which locked the Philadelphia Eagles into a very tough early schedule, involved a personal appeal to Roger Goodell from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Another roadblock, quite literally, came because of the December implosion of an 82-year-old bridge providing key access to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

Three Taylor Swift World Tour 1989 concerts also factored in, as did baseball teams in Kansas City, Oakland and Pittsburgh that used to stink but now make October planning a nightmare for the NFL.

Some scheduling conflicts are bound to crop up when trying to cram 256 games into a 17-week span.

This year, that meant factoring in three concerts by the country-turned-pop star, as well as a surprise September visit to Philadelphia from Pope Francis, according to Sports Illustrated's Peter King. Per King, Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput asked the league to keep the Eagles out of the city on the day of the pope's visit, and Howard Katz, who led the league's scheduling efforts, obliged.

ABC News To Debut Apple Watch App

ABC News and ABC News Radio are launching on the Apple Watch, available in stores this Friday.

ABC News will provide real-time news updates with personalized notifications to live video and audio, with an app that keeps wearers in the know. Wearers can also get the day's top stories with real-time audio from ABC News Radio. Users can also stream right from the ABC News app to your phone, while controlling the stream from your wrist.

When news breaks, personalized notifications let users know about the stories and topics that they've designated as important by simply clicking "follow" in the app. When an important story breaks, the ABC News app will send an alert to everyone. Users can then tap "follow" to stay updated on the latest developments from the story as it progresses.

The ABC App will allow users to get caught up with the day's top stories with real-time audio from ABC News Radio. They'll be able  stream right from the ABC News app to your phone, while controlling the stream from your wrist.

Prices range for the Apple Watch range from $349 to $17,000 depending on the watch case, band and size. A standard model with the cheapest band costs $549 for the 38-millimeter model and $599 for the 42-millimeter version, as measured on the watch face from top to bottom.

NYC Radio: Two Shows Dropped By WBLS, WLIB

The Late Hal Jackson

Two long-time radio shows have gone silent.

“Sunday Classics,” the last show hosted by the late Hal Jackson, finished its run on WBLS 107.5 FM late last month. the NY Daily News reports since Jackson’s death in May 2012, it had been continued by his wife, Debi B., and his executive producer, Clay Berry.

At sister station WLIB 1190 AM, Gary Byrd’s Sunday night talk-and-information show, “GBE Mindflight,” had its last show on Easter Sunday.  Byrd’s “Express Yourself,” 7-9 p.m. Sundays, is now simulcast on WBLS and WLIB.

WBLS and WLIB program director Skip Dillard said cancelling “Mindflight” lets WLIB use its 9 p.m.-midnight slot for gospel music, the station’s primary format.

Black community spokespersons have expressed concern for several years, particularly since the disappearance of WRKS 98.7 FM, Kiss-FM, about the shrinking number of radio forums for black community issues.

Read More Now

South Bend Radio: WNSN's Bruce Kayser Hangs-Up His Headphones

Bruce, Jack, Abby

A tough day for South Bend radio listeners as a familiar voice says goodbye.

After 28 years in the radio business – nearly 20 of those on WNSN Sunny 101.5's morning show – Bruce Kayser is retiring.

"Well, I can't go back now. We've had a party, I've got to go," Kayser joked.

Believe it or not, Kayser didn't begin his career in radio. He actually started out in the funeral home business.

"Radio ended up being more exciting than the funeral home business, which for some reason left me feeling down and depressed," Kayser told WSBT-TV22.

Luckily he found a job in radio and years later in 1996 became co-host of Sunny's morning show with Jack Reichert.  Four years ago, WSBT's Abby Weppler joined the show.

"He is just a good person and there is not enough Bruces out there," Weppler said.

And thanks in part to Bruce's talents and fun personality, Sunny's morning show has been number one in the ratings for years.

WNSN 101.5 FM (13 Kw) Red=60dBu Local Coverage Area

So what is next, for Bruce? He doesn't have any particular plans, although he will probably spend more time cycling.



And the show will go on. Sunny is working to find a new co-host for Reichert and Weppler.

Bristol TN Radio: Bill Hagy Has (Almost) Retired

Bill Hagy

Congratulations to longtime WXBQ 96.9 FM Operations Manager Bill Hagy on his retirement this month.

After 50-years of working with radio stations in the TriCities area of Tennessee, Hagy is not quite ready to leave the building entirely.

“I am going to remain as program consultant,” he told
tricities.com, “and will probably be in the building once a week. It will be essentially the same.

Joe Galante, the former chairman of Sony Music Nashville, says Hagy "cared about the artists. He cared about the music. He cared about country music.”

“I grew up in the ’60s with The Beatles,” Hagy said. “I’m a converted, old rock ‘n’roll guy.” Still, he knew the business of both rock and country, he said, and “everything in between.”

Kenny Chesney considers Hagy a kingpin in his career.

“Our relationship really grew over the years,” Chesney said during a recent telephone interview. “Bill Hagy was one of those guys who helped lay the foundation for what we’ve been able to do. You just can’t put a price tag on that kind of endorsement. Bill was very instrumental.”

WXBQ 96.9 FM (75 Kw) Red=60dBu Local Coverage Area

Read More Now, Plus Interview

Knoxville Radio: Newsman Dave Foulk Talks About His Cancer Fight

Dave Foulk

Longtime Knoxville radio personality at Newstalk WOKI 98.7 FM Dave Foulk describes himself like a cat.

Foulk survived two air crashes, been run over, has been fired upon and now apparently beat the odds again. This time by beating stage 4 cancer.

“This is it. I’m going to die,” Foulk told WATE-TV6. “I’m going to die of liver cancer. I thought that was the end of diagnosis. My colon cancer had beaten me.”

Foulk officialy retired from the Cumulus stations in Knoxville in February 2015.

April 23 In Radio History

In 1995...Howard Cosell, ABC Radio Sports, died

After the war, Cosell began practicing law in Manhattan, primarily in union law. Some of his clients were actors, and some were athletes, including Willie Mays. Cosell's own hero in athletics was Jackie Robinson, who served as a personal and professional inspiration to him in his career. Cosell also represented the Little League of New York, when in 1953 an ABC Radio manager asked him to host a show on New York flagship WABC featuring Little League participants. The show marked the beginning of a relationship with WABC and ABC Radio that would last his entire broadcasting career.

Cosell hosted the Little League show for three years without pay, and then decided to leave the law field to become a full-time broadcaster. He approached Robert Pauley, President of ABC Radio, with a proposal for a weekly show. Pauley told him the network could not afford to develop untried talent, but he would be put on the air if he would get a sponsor. To Pauley's surprise, Cosell came back with a relative's shirt company as a sponsor, and "Speaking of Sports" was born.

Cosell took his "tell it like it is" approach when he teamed with the ex-Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher "Big Numba Thirteen" Ralph Branca on WABC's pre- and post-game radio shows of the New York Mets in their nascent years beginning in 1962. He pulled no punches in taking members of the hapless expansion team to task.

Otherwise on radio, Cosell did his show, Speaking of Sports, as well as sports reports and updates for affiliated radio stations around the country; he continued his radio duties even after he became prominent on television. Cosell then became a sports anchor at WABC-TV in New York, where he served in that role from 1961 to 1974. He expanded his commentary beyond sports to a radio show entitled "Speaking of Everything".



Cosell's style of reporting very much transformed sports broadcasting. Whereas previous sportscasters had mostly been known for color commentary and lively play-by-play, Cosell had an intellectual approach. His use of analysis and context arguably brought television sports reporting very close to the kind of in-depth reporting one expected from "hard" news reporters. At the same time, however, his distinctive staccato voice, accent, syntax, and cadence were a form of color commentary all their own.


In 2004…Southern California radio-TV sportscaster Bill Brundige died of heart failure at age 89.

Bill Brundige

Brundige served as West Coast sports director for the Armed Forces Radio Network during World War II and received the Helms Athletic Foundation award for his entertainment contributions to the men and women serving in the Pacific.

Later, Brundige was an announcer for baseball's Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Senators, and football's Detroit Lions. It was Phil Wrigley, owner of the Cubs, who brought Brundige to Southern California to broadcast games for the Angels, a minor league team that had the name long before Gene Autry purchased an American League expansion team that began play in 1961.

In 1964, Brundige founded an auto glass company in Orange County that bears his name. He retired after ending a broadcasting career of more than 40 years with a talk show on Anaheim's KEZY.

Study: Urban Listeners Prefer Customized Playlists

In a study released in February 2015, Bridge Ratings revealed a listener preferance of cusomization of playlist over streaming stations.

The study "Music Radio's Killer Internet Strategy", included  panel of 1500 prime format users for Top 40, Country and Urban formats were offered the ability to customize their favorite station in the these formats. Compared to the internet simulcast of their favorite stations, the customized versions performed better across the board in time-spent-listening and number of occasions of use each day.

The study suggested that broadcast radio would be better off providing internet radio stations which would allow their listeners to adjust various programming elements and music mixes to the preference of the individual users.

Now, Bridge Ratings has issued an update which takes another look at the panel's behaviors now three months into the study.

Click to Enlarge

1. The original total sample of 1500 persons (500 per format) continued use of their original customized stations.

2. The number of daily occasions actually increased from January to April for all format users.

3. Time-spent-per occasion of listening slipped for Top 40 and Urban Custom station users was off slightly while Country listeners exhibited an average increase of two minutes per occasion across the sample.

4. As a side project, Bridge Ratings added four more formats to better appreciate the differences in how listeners customize their stations. A "Customization Quotient" was formulated by identifying a total number of possible customizations that could be applied to the internet radio stations and dividing that number by the average number of customizations actually used by the sample.  This analysis shows that the amount of customization varies depending on the music format.

Survey: 42 Percent of 18-44 Drivers Are Streaming

With nearly 2.7 billion smartphones in the hands of global consumers today, and more than 5.5 billion projected by 2018, it’s no surprise that consumers are increasingly more aware of and opportunistic about them integrating seamlessly in their vehicles, according to recent research from IHS Automotive, a global provider of critical information and insight to the automotive industry.

A new report, Apps in the Car 2015, includes highlights from a recent consumer study conducted by IHS Automotive. More than 4,000 vehicle owners intent on purchasing a new vehicle within the next 36 months were surveyed, representing four key automotive markets – the U.S., China, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Click to Enlarge

Broadcast radio remains the biggest source of music for drivers — it has with a 30 point lead on satellite radio, according to IHS Automotive. IHS says FM/AM remains the No. 1 way people listen to music with 74% of people indicating that they listen to broadcast radio while driving, versus 64% for CDs and 44% for satellite radio.

Colin Bird

Among 25 to 34 year olds, two-thirds selected FM/AM as one of their top music sources in the car. And among 18 to 24 year olds it fell to half. Digital radio is big factor as IHS says 42% of drivers aged 18 to 44 say they listen to streaming radio when they’re driving. In a nod toward a generational shift, that figure is half as big among 45 to 54 year olds. “Millennials are much more likely to own a smartphone and that influences their audio listening habits and what their desires are,” IHS Automotive senior analyst Colin Bird told InsideRadio. IHS data shows among people who don’t own a smartphone, 87% pick FM/AM as a top in-car music source. Among those that do have one, it falls to 71%.

Nearly 45 percent of respondents agree that they would use in-vehicle apps if they helped enhance the driving experience, with 35 percent of them reporting they’d be most willing to use them if they were similar to those on their smartphone.  The top five categories that consumers identified as a favorite for use in their vehicles are, in order: navigation (53 percent), weather (40 percent), music (38 percent), news (33 percent) and social networking (29 percent).

Least likely to be mentioned as favorites for use in the vehicle include apps for points of interest/local, books, health and fitness, business/productivity, education and podcasts, with less than 15 percent use rates among respondents.

FCC Staff to Get Comcast, TWC Merger Update

U.S. Federal Communications Commission officials studying the proposed merger of Comcast Corp and Time Warner Cable Inc are scheduled to brief FCC commissioners' staff on their review on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

It was not certain whether the briefing would disclose the specific way the FCC reviewers would recommend for the agency to rule on the proposed $45 billion merger but it would unveil the regulators' latest thinking about the concerns raised by critics of the deal.

The merger briefing was also expected to address the pending $48 billion deal between AT&T Inc and DirecTV, according to one of Reuters sources.

Comcast's merger with Time Warner Cable would combine the nation's two largest cable companies, which do not directly compete against each other in any markets. Opponents, however, have particularly focused on the combined company's broadband market reach, worried about its potential gatekeeping power.

Meanwhile, The Boston Herald is reporting Comcast and Time Warner Cable executives are meeting with officials at the Department of Justice on Wednesday to talk about the merger. According to a source, that meeting was scheduled before a report from Bloomberg on Friday that DOJ attorneys were leaning against the merger. Opponents have expressed concern over the combined company's power over distribution of video programming as well as its share of the market for Internet service.

Staff attorneys in the DoJ's antitrust division are preparing to recommend blocking the $45.2 billion deal on the grounds that the creation of a nationwide cable giant would hurt consumers, people familiar said last week.

A group of Senate Democrats is ramping up pressure on the DoJ and FCC to block the deal. "Comcast-TWC's monopoly power to dictate the terms of transactions with programmers will also force companies from across the country to reevaluate their business models, including the content they produce and the prices they charge," they wrote.

The letters went to FCC chair Tom Wheeler and AG Eric Holder. The effort was spearheaded by Sen Al Franken (D-MN) and signed by Dem Sens Elizabeth Warren (MA), Ron Wyden (OR) and Richard Blumenthal (CT) as well as Sen Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Franken wrote an op-ed Monday calling for the public to mobilize against the deal.

The DoJ and FCC must determine the deal is in the public interest and doesn't harm competition in order for it to go ahead. As noted in the letter, the merger would give the company a majority share of the broadband internet market and 30% of the cable market (so it doesn't do me any good as a consumer).

Boise Radio. J-D Garfield New PD For KWYD-FM

J-D Garfield

Impact Radio Group has announced the promotion  of J-D Garfield To Program Director of Top40/ Rhythmic at KWYD 101.1 FM Wild 101 in Boise.

"It is with great excitement that Impact Radio Group announces the promotion of KWYD Assistant Program Director and Morning personality, Garfield, to the position of Program Director effective immediately," Kevin Cruise, OM said.

"Garfield joined Impact Radio Group in January 2015, and has taken a lead role with the programming of KWYD. His experience in Rhythm radio has made him an asset to the station, and we look forward to the continued growth of the station under his direction."

Garfield added "I'm excited to be taking the reins with this new position. Let's get cheesy...I'm taking this station to the next level."

KWYD 101.1 FM (96 Kw) Red=60dBu Local Coverage Area

Prior to Boise, Garfield was PD at MidWest Family's KOSP in Springfield and WJQM in Madison.

Kalamazoo Radio: More Turnover At WKZO-AM

Jeremy Lawrence

• PD Jeremy Lawrence Is OUT
• News Reporter Sam Herald has died

There more turn-over to report at WKZO 590 AM as Jeremy Lawrence, brand manager and interim morning personality has departed.

Longtime radio personality Jim McKinney has stepped into the morning spot, according to MLive.com.

"Jeremy is gone, as of Friday," April 17, said Mike Klein, vice president and market manager for Midwest Communications, Inc.'s Southern Michigan District. "We decided to take his position as brand manager at WKZO and WQLR and absorb that position into the company, consolidating some jobs."

The departure of Lawrence comes after the Febrtuary departure of personality Wayne Powers (See original posting), who was named the new host of the WKZO morning show in October, 2014. He joined the station one year after longtime WKZO morning show host Lori Moore left the station after 18 years.

The station is also dealing with the loss of a reporter, 31-year-old Sam Herald.  He died suddenly Saturday after being hospitalized a week.

A Vicksburg High School graduate, Herald began his radio career at WIDR, Western Michigan University's student station, where he continued to volunteer even after being hired at WKZO in 2006.

"We're in shock over here and we are missing a great friend," said Mike Klein, vice president and market manager for Midwest Communications Inc.'s Southern Michigan District. "They held out hope -- we always hoped he would come back and be with us."

"He was one of those people, very steady, very good at his job," Klein said. "He was just a great guy.

Colorado Springs Radio: K-High Unconcerned With FCC

Marijuana is a booming phenomenon in Colorado but, until recently, one without a dedicated broadcast voice. And that's how KREL became KHIG 1580 AM or "K-HIGH," which began broadcasting with its new pot format April 13.

KHIG broadcasts with 10 Kw-Day and 140 watts-Night.

"Part of the appeal was the upside of advertising," Program director Len Williams told the Colorado Springs Indepdendent. "The number-one thing [Knar] said was that" — here Williams enunciates carefully — "there are more dispensaries in Colorado than liquor stores and car dealerships combined."

Hence, morning commuters can now turn to K-HIGH for "The Wake and Bake Morning Show" from 7 to 9 a.m., which, Williams says, is "just like any other morning show that you would want — hyped, energetic, gets you moving — but the main thing is, it's about marijuana." And on the drive home, there's a show hosted by four men known as the Weed Pimps.

Len Williams

That show, which starts at 5 p.m., is called "The High Drive at Five."

It would be difficult to imagine a radio station going on the air with a 24-hour booze format, or an afternoon-drive show called, say, "The Drunk Drive at Five." But Williams and company seem unconcerned about the wrath of the FCC, which has yet to take a public stance on pot content or advertising. (K-HIGH has been running periodic announcements, however, saying the station is intended for people 21 and up — and telling younger listeners to go away.)

The Colorado Broadcasters Association, which represents most TV and radio stations in the state has a cautious stance. "We do tell our members who inquire about running advertising for retail and medical marijuana not to advertise," says CBA president and CEO Justin Sasso, "because while it is recognized as legal by the state of Colorado, it is not by the federal government. ... On the other hand, the format in question is really just freedom of speech."

Bobby Irwin, operations manager for Cumulus Media, which operates local AM news-and-talk station KVOR 740 AM, says his first reaction upon hearing of the new competitor was, "It's a very clever idea, a great way of calling attention to a frequency that wasn't getting much attention." Pressed on whether he thinks it's a good idea, Irwin pauses and says, "It's an idea. It's novel."

PBS, WNET Investigate "Slavery Roots"

PBS and New York’s WNET public-television station said Tuesday they had launched an investigation into the potential removal of information in the program “Finding Your Roots” due to a celebrity request.

According to Variety, the episode, which was broadcast last year, examined celebrity ancestry and genealogy and was hosted by popular Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. Recent emails found as part of the cache of Sony Corp. documents posted on Wikileaks revealed that Gates agreed to remove a mention of actor Ben Affleck having slave-owning ancestors after the movie star made a request. Several media outlets have begun to examine the circumstances.

“PBS and WNET are conducting an internal review led by our respective programming teams of the circumstances around Finding Your Roots episode ‘Roots of Freedom.’  This matter came to PBS’ attention on Friday morning, April 17th. Professor Gates and his producers immediately responded to our initial questions,” the two parties said in a statement released Tuesday. “In order to gather the facts to determine whether or not all of PBS’ editorial standards were observed, on Saturday, April 18th, we began an internal review. We have been moving forward deliberately yet swiftly to conduct this review.”

Read More Now

Petition For Rulmaking Calls For LPFM Power Increase

Low-power FM proponent REC Networks has asked the FCC to approve a power increase for LPFMs, calling such a boost the next logical step in the growth of the service.

REC Networks has filed a Petition for Rulemaking intended to help LPFM stations enhance their signal within their current three mile service area as well as reach out to more rural areas.

In its filing, REC is asking the Federal Communications Commission to allow 50 to 75 percent of currently authorized LPFM stations to increase their effective radiated power from 100 watts (based on 30 meters height above average terrain) to 250 watts increasing the average protected service contour from 3½ miles to about a 4½ mile radius.

Unlike the previous proposals filed by The Amherst Alliance and the Catholic Radio Association which focused on rural expansion and was tabled by the FCC due to disagreement in the community, the REC petition focuses first on enhancing the listener experience within the "three mile zone", the prime area that current LP-100 stations serve.  Many LPFM stations are experiencing issues with building penetration and other issues within the three mile zone

Unlike the previous LPFM proposals which restricted upgrades to rural stations only, the new LP-250 Petition for Rulemaking calls for no geographic restrictions on the upgrading of LPFM stations, according to REC Networks Founder Michelle Bradley.

CBS Wins Weekly Ratings In All Key Categories

• Network Delivers Seven of the Top 10 Programs in Viewers and 12 of the Top 20 in Adults 18-49, More Than All the Other Networks Combined
• Season-to-Date, CBS Moves to Within One-Tenth of a Rating Point of NBC in Adults 18-49; Widens its Lead in Viewers and Adults 25-54

CBS placed first in viewers, adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 for the third time in the last four weeks and moved to within one-tenth of a rating point of NBC in adults 18-49, according to Nielsen live plus same day ratings for the week ending April 19.

Season-to-date through Week 30, CBS has narrowed the gap to just a one-tenth of a rating point difference with NBC (2.4 vs. 2.5) in adults 18-49 while widening its lead among viewers to a +2.5 million advantage (11.40m vs. 8.90m) and +0.2 among adults 25-54 (3.3 vs. 3.1). For the season, CBS is up +5% in viewers and even in adults 18-49 and adults 25-54.

For the week, CBS had seven of the top 10 programs in viewers, led by the #1 program of the week, The ACM Music Awards, which delivered its largest audience since 1998.

Among adults 18-49, CBS had 12 of the top 20 programs, more than any all the other networks combined, with The Big Bang Theory (3.9/15) and The ACM Music Awards (3.6/11) ranking first and second.

CBS Broadcasts in the Top 20:

#1    –  50th  ACM AWARDS  (15.98m) – Most-Watched ACM Awards In 17 Years

#2    –  NCIS  (15.84m)

#3    –  The Big Bang Theory  (14.82m)

#4    –  NCIS:  NEW ORLEANS  (14.40m)

#8    –  Criminal Minds  (10.37m)

#9    –  60 Minutes  (10.00m)

#10  –  THE ODD COUPLE  (9.62m)

#11  –  MOM  (9.60m)

#12  –  SURVIVOR  (9.57m)

#13  –  SCORPION  (9.53m)

#14  –  NCIS:  LOS ANGELES  (9.36m)

#15  –  Person Of Interest  (9.22m)

#16  –  The Big Bang Theory 9:30PM-RS  (8.59m)

#17  –  CSI:  CYBER  (8.12m)