|
|
|
|
|
Volume 24, Issue 104, Jim Carnegie, Editor & Publisher
|
Tuesday Morning May 29th, 2007
|
|
| Publisher Perspective |
 Memorial Day - 2007
The Big 89, WLS Rewind - WOW. I was planning to kick back this holiday by roasting my wiennies and toasting my buns, well that happened but I did not get far from the 89 WLS Rewind stream. Guys at WLS, you did a great job and made a radio guy happy to listen to some of the greatest talent in our business that ever was - and made our radio business FUN. I remembered the Time, remembered the Magic, remembered the Music and remembered the FUN. Larry Lujack, Fred Winston, and newsman Lyle Dean were all just great. When the sun was not up or just went down, I sat outside with a radio and head phones trying to dial in 89 WLS from Chicago down here in Florida. If any radio exec missed the Big 89 WLS Rewind - maybe next year. Or better yet, if you have great radio history like WLS, do your own Rewind - it is Good For the Soul.
|
|
|
|
|
Radio News ®
|
 ABC Radio will be June bride
The nuptials are set for June 12th to unite ABC Radio with Citadel Broadcasting, joining the 22 big market ABC stations and ABC Radio Networks with Farid Suleman's Citadel Broadcasting to create the third largest US radio group in terms of billings, behind Clear Channel and CBS Radio. The parent of the bride, Disney, will not exit radio completely with this 2.7 billion bucks divestiture, since ESPN Radio and its O&Os and Radio Disney and its O&Os will remain with the company. Disney has set June 6th as the record date for shareholders to receive shares of ABC Radio Holdings, which will be spun off to merge with Citadel, with closing expected on June 12th. Meanwhile, Citadel's board of directors declared a special dividend of 2.46 per share, a whopping 30% of Friday's closing stock price, to be paid to shareholders of record on the second trading day prior to closing. With closing expected to be Tuesday, June 12th, the likely record date will be Friday, June 8th. To comply with FCC ownership limits, Citadel will be divesting 11 stations. Those are going into the Last Bastion Station Trust, with veteran broker Elliot Evers as trustee (3/7/06 RBR #46), to be sold off.
RBR observation: Why the huge dividend to Citadel shareholders? It's not because Farid Suleman has more money lying around than he knows what to do with. For this deal to be tax-free to Disney shareholders, they must end up owning more than 50% of the merged company. To balance the relative values of Citadel and the ABC Radio holding company, Citadel must take on more debt and make the payout to shareholders so that its total equity is slightly below that of the ABC Radio entity. Citadel's share price should drop in relation to the payout, but we and everyone else will be watching to see if that price moves back up quickly as Citadel becomes a much bigger player in the radio business, particularly in larger markets, and continues to pay a hefty regular dividend.
Sun shines on FCC May meeting
Nothing like waiting until the last minute. The May FCC Open Meeting will be held at 9:30AM on Thursday, 5/31/07, literally on the last possible day available. The agenda is not quite as jam-packed as it has been of late as Chairman Kevin Martin engaged in a docket-cleaning kick this spring, but it still has six items. Three may be of interest to broadcasters. The first will be on interest in a general sense - it is entitled "Recommendations of the Independent Panel Reviewing the Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Communications Networks," and is being held under the auspices of the Bureau of Public Safety and Homeland Security. Item #3, "Review of the Emergency Alert Systems (EB Docket No. 04-296); Independent Spanish Broadcasters Association, the Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc., and the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, Petition for Immediate Relief" would appear to be about, or to at least touch on the provision of emergency information in languages other than English. Item #6 is called "Amendment to Broadcast Carriage Rules for Cable Operators and Satellite Carriers," and is said to be about "market modifications for purpose of satellite and cable carriage of television broadcast stations."
RBR observation: The FCC's continued study of the Katrina aftermath is commendable, particularly since it was one of the few federal agencies widely praised for its effective and timely response to the emergency. Of course, the FCC's role was secondary to that of others, but it went into high gear quickly and stayed there as long as was necessary. In the case of broadcasters, it's main role was to quickly grant STA authority as needed; we would suspect provisions for such authorizations will be part of any comprehensive emergency package going ahead.
|
|
|
 Tribune shareholders
vote for cash
As we predicted, the Tribune Company tender offer for 126 million shares at 34 bucks each was waaaaay oversubscribed. The company says 224 million were tendered, which is 92% of all of the Tribune shares that exist. So, most of the shareholders who tendered will get to sell only about half of their shares - unless and until the FCC approves the license transfers and accompanying waivers of the crossownership rule so Sam Zell and a new Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) can complete their buyout of the public shareholders. For now, Tribune says those tenders of odd lots, less than 100 shares, will be accepted and all others will be pro rated. Payment for the shares accepted will be made no late than June 5th. Meanwhile, Tribune CEO Dennis FitzSimons has sent staffers a memo to clear up what he says are "misperceptions" about the going private deal. "Many people seem to think that Sam Zell has already acquired or will acquire Tribune Company later this year-that is not accurate. What is accurate is that Sam will sponsor, through his investment in Tribune, a going-private transaction. When the transaction closes, expected in the fourth quarter of 2007, Tribune will be owned entirely by an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The ESOP will own 56.5 million shares of Tribune stock, which will be 100% of the outstanding shares at that time. Last month, Sam made an initial investment of 250 million in Tribune. Upon closing, his investment will increase to 315 million and he'll become chairman of Tribune's board of directors. I will remain as CEO and as a director. Following the close, Sam also will hold a warrant to acquire 40% of Tribune's common stock at any time within the next 15 years," FitzSimons explained. The CEO also defended the role of the new ESOP's trustee, GreatBanc Trust Company, in representing the new employee investors. "On behalf of the new Tribune ESOP and its participants, GreatBanc negotiated for and acquired its shares of Tribune stock at 28, which compares favorably to the 34 price paid by Sam Zell to purchase his shares," he noted.
| Read the entire memo |
RBR observation: This notion of "going private," while it clearly has some advantages, is not as easy as it might look. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Tribune's sale of more than seven billion in new debt was a tough sell and the company had to pay higher rates than expected, with some of the debt coming due in only two years. Meanwhile, the company is lobbying hard in Washington to build support for the crossownership waivers it needs to maintain its newspaper/broadcast combinations as it changes ownership. Until it succeed on that front, phase two of the buyout can't go to closing and Tribune will remain in its current state of being about half owned by Zell and the ESOP and about half by its previous shareholders, including such dissatisfied shareholders as the Chandler family.
|
|
|
 NAB wants to handle the truth
The National Association of Broadcasters is pressing its case to see filings from XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio concerning terrestrial repeaters which were not built as licensed, and concerning satellite receivers not built to specification. It has requested the information from the Enforcement Bureau under the Freedom of Information Act, and made the request via the services of someone who knows his way around that Bureau very well, its former Chief David H. Solomon, now an attorney at Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP. The satcasters have objected to the request, but NAB argues that it is in the "compelling public interest" to shine the light of day on the information to fill the record as the two companies pursue a proposed merger. The FCC wants to see "the scope, nature and degree" of the violations. The terrestrial repeater network has long been an area of concern for broadcasters, as has the receiver issue. The latter was thrown into stark relief by a recent Sirius SEC filing in which it admitted that "certain Sirius personnel requested manufacturers to produce Sirius radio that were not consistent with the FCC's rules." The NAB argues that even if the merger overcomes significant antitrust hurdles, the two companies seem to have engaged in "...a persistent corporate (if not industry) circumvention of the FCC's regulations," as NAB President/CEO David Rehr put it, calling in to question how the two would behave as a single merged entity.
Iraq dominates Q1 news coverage
The Project for Excellence in Journalism has tallied up its totals for the first three months of 2007, and it is clear that the Iraq conflict is the number one story in the US. Not only did coverage earn the number one slot on the PEJ top ten chart, but two other takes on the subject made the list as well, producing a total which dwarfs all other topics. PEJ notes that the affect of the war on the US is the key - the debate over Iraq policy was the #1 story, claiming 12% of the newshole. #6 was the Iraq homefront at 3% (dominated by the scandalous conditions at Walter Reed Hospital). Actual happenings in Iraq itself was good for #3 with 7% of the newshole. Combining the three, Iraq claimed almost a quarter of available news time and space with 22%. The 2008 campaign, off to an unusually early and vigorous start, was #2 with 7%. Other stories on the list were the fired US attorneys at #4 (4%), #5 Iran (3%), #7 CIA leak/Plame case (3%); #8 Anna Nicole Smith (2%), #9 Democratic Congress (2%) and #10 severe weather stories (2%). A break-down of Iraq coverage by medium is under the click below. PEJ notes that on the 2008 campaign front, Democrats are getting the lion's share of coverage 61% to 24%, with a lot of the attention focused on Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. It also faults the media for already putting the focus on campaign tactics/horse race stories rather than on candidate policy proposals, voting records, or other substantive reporting.
| Iraq coverage by medium |
|
|
|
|
|
Ad Business Report TM
|
Roehm fires back at Wal-Mart
 Former Wal-Mart marketing executive Julie Roehm, fired after only nine months on the job for alleged ethical violations, has fired back with her own accusations of improper conduct at the highest levels of Wal-Mart. In a court filing related to her lawsuit for unlawful dismissal, Roehm accuses Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott and other top execs of accepting trips, concert tickets and other gifts from company vendors. In particular, she charged that Scott used private airplanes provided by financier Irwin Jacobs, whose companies do business with Wal-Mart, and received a discount from Jacobs on the purchase of an expensive diamond ring. Spokesmen for both Wal-Mart and Jacobs quickly denied the allegations and the lawyer for Jacobs threatened to sue Roehm unless she recants.
The downside of product ubiquity
When I was a kid, we didn't eat gelatin, we ate Jell-O. In my earliest office environments, we didn't make a copy, we made a Xerox. To this day, even though I have no brand soft drink brand preference, and still catch myself ordering a Coke, even when I know I'm in a place that doesn't serve Coca Cola. McDonald's has achieved this kind of identification with its product. But apparently the burger giant has decided that not all publicity is good. It is now in the position of attempting to change the Oxford English Dictionary, of all things. The reason? There is a word in there, McJob, which according to PR trade Bulldog Reporter's Daily Dog, is defined as "an unstimulating low-paid job with few prospects." McDonald's finds it insulting to its workforce, and claims its role as a first-time employment portal is valuable and important.
RBR observation: The point is, the definition of McJob didn't have to mention McDonald's for everybody to know what they were talking about. And this wasn't even in the US - this particular flap was took place in Great Britain and was reported by the BBC. We'd guess that a lot of rival fast food services wouldn't mind having to deal with a McProblem like this.
|
|
|
|
| Media Business Report TM |
Newspaper sale called off
We were right with our call that Tribune Company would not be completing its 73 million bucks sale of two Connecticut newspapers to Gannett anytime soon, after an arbitrator ruled that Tribune could not close the sale unless Gannett assumed the existing United Auto Workers union contract for employees at the Advocate of Stamford, CT. In fact, the deal is not going to close at all. Gannett has refused to do the deal if it has to accept the union contract, so the companies announced Friday that the deal has been terminated. Tribune says it will seek another buyer for the Stamford daily and the Greenwich Time.
|
|
|
|
| Washington Media Business Report TM |
 Key reps want to see FCC DTV plan
When John Dingell (D-MI) and Ed Markey (D-MA) have a concern about the broadcasting matters these days, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and colleagues Michael Copps (D), Jonathan Adelstein (D), Deborah Taylor Tate (R) and Robert McDowell (R) can be sure that they'll hear (or read) about it. The two key members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are concerned about the DTV transition, and in particular, "...the present lack of leadership, direction and focus at the Federal level [which] is jeopardizing the transition," which is how they put it in a letter to all five Commissioners. They said they were glad the FCC is requiring warnings about the imminent demise of analog-only televisions at retail outlets, but are concerned that there is no "...articulation or movement toward a comprehensive consumer education program, with a unified message, a clear chain of command, concrete and measurable goals, and mechanisms for oversight and accountability." They note that in Germany, the city of Berlin alone spent nearly 1M to educate 3M citizens. They wonder how the FCC proposes to accomplish the feat of educating 300M geographically-diverse citizens with only 1.5M. They want an outreach plan on these and other issues by 6/11/07 complete with an implementation date and detailed plans, including a full accounting of how it will spend its 1.5M.
RBR observation: We predicted at the beginning of the year that the new Democratic Congress may well want to spend much more than 1.5M on consumer DTV outreach. And we have to say, it's not very often that a bureaucrat is chastised for not requesting enough of the taxpayer's hard-earned cash. This will be interesting to follow. It is, of course, in broadcasters' interest to get as much help from the FCC as possible in educating the public about the big change.
|
|
|
|
| Media Markets & Money TM |
Hutton keeps on striking again
Hutton Broadcasting, headed by husband and wife team Edward B. and Georgie S., is proving to be the energizer bunny of Santa Fe. It started with KVSF-AM and KQBA-FM. Then we heard about the acquisition of KWRP-FM from James S. Bumpous for 700K, and just last week, the acquisition of KBLU-FM from Blu Media for 450K. Now, local news outlet Free New Mexican is reporting yet another deal, this time for KBAC-FM. The seller in this case will be Educational Media Foundation. EMF just recently acquired the station itself from Clear Channel, along with another Santa Fe station, KSFQ-FM. The two stations together cost EMF 1.5M; no word yet on the spin-off price for KBAC-FM.
The Joy of closure
Randy Carlson and his Family Life Radio are the proud new owners of the five station noncommercial Joy Public FM Radio Group. The 2.5M deal includes KJTA-FM Flagstaff AZ; KJTY-FM Topeka KS; WJTG-FM Macon GA (Fort Valley GA); WJTY-FM Dubuque IA (Lancaster WI); and WJTF-FM Panama City FL. John Pierce represented the seller, headed by Tom Bush; Jonathon Yinger represented the buyer.
|
|
|
|
| Entertainment Media Business Report TM |
 Video debut for Noory
George Noory, host of Premier Radio Networks' "Coast to Coast AM," has been booked for a late-night video special on NBC Universal's SciFi cable channel. "Into The Unknown with George Noory," will air Wednesday, June 13 at 11:00 pm (ET/PT). For years Noory has riveted radio listeners with his discussions of paranormal phenomena, time travel, alien abductions, conspiracies and all things curious and unexplained, but this will be his first TV special. In the 30-minute show, taped in front of a live audience, Noory interviews actor Gary Busey about the star's own near-death experience and his claims that angels spoke to him, changing his life forever. Noory also examines a report from Florida in which the sound of a dead woman's singing has been recorded on tape and interviews paranormal expert Joshua P. Warren about the Paranormal PC - a computer designed specifically to record ghostly activity. Executive producers are Scott Hallock and Kevin Healey.
|
|
|
|
| Monday Morning Makers & Shakers |
|
Transactions: 4/9/07-4/13/07
Was this an unlucky week? There were 13 transactions, for 13 stations. Five of them are DIY CPs, none were on the television side. One of them, however, by itself was worth more than all 13 of the transactions filed during the first week of April, making the second week of April the fifth consecutive week in which the amount of total trading value increased over the week preceding it. The fact that the total wasn't too far beyond 37M tells just how slow it's been.
|
|
Total
|
|
Total Deals
|
13
|
|
AMs
|
3
|
|
FMs
|
10
|
|
TVs
|
0
|
| Value |
37.36M
|
| Complete Charts |
|
Radio Transactions of the Week
Niche AM leads the pack
| More... |
|
TV Transactions of the Week
TV takes another week off
|
|
|
|
|
| Transactions |
1.255B WXXA-TV Albany-Schenectady-Troy NY (Albany NY, Fox); KGET-TV Bakersfield CA (NBC); KVOS-TV Bellingham WA (indy); WIVT-TV Binghamton NY (ABC); WKRC-TV Cincinnati OH (CBS); WETM-TV Elmira NY (NBC); KMTR-TV, KMCB-TV, KTCW-TV Eugene-Springfield OR (Eugene, Coos Bay, Roseburg OR, NBC); KTVF-TV Fairbanks AK (NBC); KGPE-TV Fresno CA (CBS); WHP-TV Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York PA (Harrisburg PA, CBS); WJKT-TV Jackson TN (Fox); WTEV-TV/WAWS-TV Jacksonville FL (CBS, Fox/MNT); KLRT-TV/KASN-TV Little Rock AR (Fox, CW); WPTY-TV/WLMT-TV Memphis TN (ABC, CW); WPMI-TV, WJTC-TV Mobile AL/Pensacola FL (Mobile AL, NBC, Pensacola FL, indy); KION-TV Monterey-Salinas CA (Monterey, CBS); WHAM-TV Rochester NY (ABC); KTVX-TV/KUCW-TV Salt Lake City UT (ABC, CW); WOAI-TV San Antonio TX (NBC); KFTY-TV San Fransico CA (Santa Rosa CA, indy); KCOY-TV San Luis Obispo-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo CA (Santa Maria CA, CBS); WSYR-TV Syracuse NY (ABC); KOKI-TV/KMYT-TV Tulsa OK (Fox, MNT); WWTI-TV Watertown NY (ABC); KSAS-TV/KMTW-TV, KOCW-TV Wichita SK (Wichita, Hoisington KS, Fox, MNT, Fox) from Clear Channel Broadcasting Inc. (Mark Mays) to TV Acquisition LLC, a subsidiary of Providence Equity Partners Inc. (Jonathan M. Nelson, Glenn M. Creamer, Paul J. Salem et al). 30.625M escrow, balance in cash at closing. LMA in Harrisburg with WLYH-TV (CW); in Monterey-Salinas CA with KCBA-TV (Fox). Deal also includes numerous LPTVs and Class A TVs. [File date 5/7/07.]
37.179M KPNW-AM/KODZ-FM, KDUK-FM & KFLYI-FM Eugene-Springfield OR (Eugene, Florence, Corvallis OR); KMED-AM/KLDZ-FM, KIFS-FM, KRWQ-FM & KZZE-FM Medford-Ashland OR (Medford, Ashland, Gold Hill, Eagle Point OR); and KTHH-AM/KRKT-FM, KEJO-AM/KLOO AM & FM Albany-Corvallis OR (Albany, Corvallis OR) from Clear Channel Broadcasting Inc. (Mark Mays) to Bicoastal Holdings Company LLC (Kenneth R. Dennis). 3,717,900 escrow, balance in cash at closing. Existing superduopolies in all three markets. Arbitron measures Eugene-Springfield and Medford-Ashland; Eastlan measures Albany-Corvallis. LMA until closing. [File date 5/10/07.]
|
|
|
|
| Stock Talk |
Stocks gained ahead of holiday
Friday's trading was mostly about adjusting trading positions ahead of a long holiday weekend, and since the rest of the week had been mostly to the down side, Friday say gains in the stock market. Even a report of slow April housing sales from the National Association of Realtors failed to inject too much negativity into the market. The Dow Industrials finished the day up 66 points, or 0.5%, at 13,507.
Radio stocks went along for the ride. The Radio Index rose 1.611, or 1%, to 161.279. Citadel rose 2.5% as it set its special dividend and a June 12th closing for its acquisition of ABC Radio. Salem was the big mover, though, up 5.5% to recover ground lost earlier in the week.
|
|
|
|
| Radio Stocks |
Here's how stocks fared on Friday
| Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
|
Arbitron
|
ARB
|
|
50.58
|
+0.72
|
Hearst-Argyle
|
HTV
|
|
26.06
|
+0.50
|
|
Beasley
|
BBGI
|
|
8.75
|
-0.04
|
Journal Comm.
|
JRN
|
|
13.85
|
+0.04
|
| CBS CI. B |
CBS |
 |
33.65
|
+0.61
|
Lincoln Natl.
|
LNC
|
|
72.59
|
+0.44
|
| CBS CI. A |
CBSa |
|
33.61
|
+0.62
|
Radio One, Cl. A
|
ROIA
|
|
7.60
|
+0.10
|
| Citadel |
CDL |
|
8.52 |
+0.21 |
Radio One, Cl. D
|
ROIAK
|
|
7.64
|
+0.11
|
|
Clear Channel
|
CCU
|
|
38.24
|
-0.06
|
Regent
|
RGCI
|
|
3.32
|
-0.04
|
|
Cox Radio
|
CXR
|
|
14.79
|
+0.20
|
Saga Commun.
|
SGA
|
|
9.33
|
-0.10
|
|
Cumulus
|
CMLS
|
|
9.43
|
+0.09
|
Salem Comm.
|
SALM
|
|
12.40
|
+0.65
|
|
Disney
|
DIS
|
|
36.03
|
+0.19
|
Sirius Sat. Radio
|
SIRI
|
|
2.90
|
unch
|
|
Emmis
|
EMMS
|
|
10.48
|
+0.21
|
Spanish Bcg.
|
SBSA
|
|
4.69
|
+0.08
|
| Entercom |
ETM
|
|
26.70
|
-0.31
|
SWMX
|
SMWX
|
|
0.25
|
+0.01
|
|
Entravision
|
EVC
|
|
9.35
|
+0.09
|
Westwood One
|
WON
|
|
8.04
|
-0.02
|
|
Fisher
|
FSCI
|
|
49.33
|
+0.26
|
XM Sat. Radio
|
XMSR
|
|
11.80
|
-0.10
|
|
Google
|
GOOG
|
|
483.52
|
+9.19
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bounceback
|
 We want to
hear from you.
This is your column, so send your comments and
a photo to [email protected]
|
|
|
Below the Fold
|
|
Ad Business Report
Roehm fires back
At Wal-Mart with her own accusations of improper conduct at the Highest Levels...
Media Business Report
Newspaper sale called off
We were right with our call that Trib would Not be completing...
Media Markets & Money
Hutton keeps on striking again
Is proving to be the energizer bunny of Santa Fe , yet another deal...
Washington Media Business Report
Key reps want to see
FCC DTV plan, Dingell (D-MI) & Markey (D-MA) have a concern...
|
|
|
Stations for Sale
|
NE Louisiana FM
Great stand alone market!
Offered at 6 X 2006 BCF
[email protected]
(303)758-6900
 Market your Stations For Sale
in our daily epapers.
Contact
June Barnes
[email protected]
|
|
|
Radio Media Moves
|
Manzo moves
to Nova M
Anita Drobny, who helped get liberal radio network Air America going, and has since kicked off competing Nova M, has brought in an Air America vet to take on the COO role at her new network. John Manzo will handle those chores. His resume also includes stops at Saga, Jacor and Clear Channel.
 George
to LBA
John George has joined LBA Technology as Vice President of Domestic Sales for the company, which has been supplying medium wave (AM band) broadcast antenna systems and radio frequency components to the radio industry for over 30 years. That's back nearly to when George began his career as a DJ some 35 years ago. Most recently he was Regional Sales Manager-Radio for Dielectric Communications in the Southeast.
Upped at Arbitron
Arbitron has promoted Rich Tunkel to Vice President, National Group Services. Tunkel will manage sales and service relationships with Clear Channel Communications, Univision, Entravision and SBS as well as oversee Hispanic broadcasters' transition to Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM), educate them on PPM currency and help their advertising executives use PPM data in their sales efforts. An 11-year veteran of Arbitron, Tunkel recently served as a senior sales manager of National Group Services, working with the Hispanic radio groups.
Congratulations
 To RBR/TVBR IT advisor Steve Kyler and wife Julie as the Kyler family has a new addition - Ian Kyler, 8 pounds 4 ounces. Everyone is happy and healthy.
|
|
|
More News Headlines
|
TV and diabetes linked?
No, there are not fat waves emanating from the television screen. But one of the keys to helping your body manage sugars is exercise. Researchers in Norway have now produced a study showing that children and adolescents who watch the most TV are the most likely to have trouble processing glucose. Average blood glucose is recommended to be at 7%; children/adolescents watching TV less than one hour a day already exceed that at 8.2% over time. It went up from there. Two hours/8.4%; three hours/8.7%, four hours/8.8% and over four hours/9.5%. Scientists said the lack of exercise is a factor, and it's aggravated by the tendency to snack while watching TV.
|
|
|
RBR Radar 2007
|
|
Radio News you won't read any where else. RBR--First, Accurate, and Independently Owned.
|
Is it "game over"
with PPM winning?
That's the view from CL King analyst Jim Boyle, now that long-time critic Bob Neil at Cox Radio has signed a contract with Arbitron for PPM (5/24/07 RBR #102). "It appears in our view that the long struggle between Arbitron, the near-monopolist in radio audience research with its new, higher-priced electronic measurement, and the radio station groups is 'game over.' With most of the influential radio groups signed up, including the two largest, it seems effectively over,"
05/25/07 RBR #103
Free FM set free as K-Rock returns
New CBS Radio CEO Dan Mason is making his mark in New York. The company yesterday blew up the "Free FM" talk format on 92.3 after the Opie & Anthony morning show and brought back K-Rock. The WFNY calls are also being jettisoned, with the WXRK call letters, which have been warehoused in Cleveland, returning as well.
RBR observation: The more things change, the more they stay the same. David Lee Roth was a disaster as Howard Stern's replacement, but CBS eventually found that O&A weren't as awful bad boys as they thought when the company previously fired them. But the attempt at hip, young-skewing talk all day long didn't work out either. So now we are back to pushing the envelope, almost raunchy, but staying within the FCC's (ever-changing) limits in morning drive and DJs playing rock the rest of the time. Hey, it only worked before for about 20 years.
05/25/07 RBR #103
Broadcasters gear up
for violence defense
Harvard Law School constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe is on the case. According to reports, a loose consortium of broadcast networks and media associations has hired him to mount a defense if need be. And the case is the potential First Amendment attack which may be coming from Congress on the issue of broadcast violence.
TVBR observation: We don't believe Congress can successfully define violence - note that the FCC didn't even try, and since there is no smoking gun evidence, it would appear that Rockefeller faces an impossible task. But that probably won't stop him from trying, and neither will it stop a lot of other politicians from signing on to "protect our children." Stay tuned.
05/25/07 TVBR #103
Shareholders take swipe at CCU
Clear Channel may be on the verge of becoming a private company, but shareholders got in a final swipe at management. They voted at their annual meeting to require greater independence of directors serving on the company's compensation committee, despite a unanimous recommendation by the board of directors that the proposal be voted down.
RBR observation: The obvious target of this measure is B.J. "Red" McCombs, who co-founded Clear Channel with Lowry Mays and has been a company director for every minute of its existence over the past 35 years. According to the CCU proxy, the company leases some office space in San Antonio from a company owned by the adult offspring of Lowry Mays and Red McCombs for just under 17K per month. (There is more detail on 'Red' in this issue of RBR)
05/24/07 RBR #102
Internet ads growing like wildfire
You no doubt know already that Internet advertising was hot in 2006. Your own station's website ad sales likely grew double digits and your spot sales probably felt some new competition from various online enterprises. The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is out with its official tally by Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
05/24/07 RBR #102
Google pushes
spectrum subleasing
Google auctions its own online advertising, under terms of which companies control where their ads will appear on Google's search engine by how much they're willing to pay per click. The online giant thinks this model could lead to much more efficient use of the radio spectrum, and suggests that the FCC allow its auction winners to offer wholesale whatever spectrum it has but is not using. Also, a large chunk of prime spectrum is coming on the market as television broadcasters get set to turn in their analog licenses and begin digital-only transmission beginning 2/17/09. The spectrum auction will take place well before that date, and FCC Chairman Kevin Martin (R) has been talking about getting the auction under way as early as this Fall.
05/23/07 RBR #101
|
|
|
|
 |
Hard finding that key person
to fill the important position at your organization? Media HeadHunters is the place that key media firms use to get results. See Media HeadHunters and get results with service--Period.
Need assistance
contact Cathy Carnegie
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Help Desk
|
__EMAIL__ :
Having problems with our epapers?
Please send Questions/Concerns to:
[email protected]
If you wish to remove your name completely from our database use this link __UNSUB__
RBR Epaper -- 108 annual
or just 9 a month
|
|
|
|
©2007 Radio Business Report, Inc. All rights reserved.
Radio Business Report -- 2050 Old Bridge Road, Suite B-01, Lake Ridge, VA 22192 -- Phone: 703-492-8191
|
|
