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Volume 23, Issue 109, Jim Carnegie, Editor & Publisher
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Monday Morning June 5th, 2006
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Radio News ®
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April drags 2006 into the red
 At the end of the first quarter, radio revenue for 2006 was at par with 2005. That is no longer the case as weak results for April yanked total revenues into the minus column, according to the Radio Advertising Bureau and its report on Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co. numbers. Local was down 4%, and a three-month positive streak for the national category came to an end with a minus 7% performance. Once again, there is a flip side as radio stations continued to find new sources of revenue, resulting in an 8% gain in non-spot income. In the end, national and non-spot cancelled one another out, bringing total revenue home at the same minus 4% figure which applied to the all-important local category. YTD, local is down 2%, national is even and non-spot is up 9%, resulting in a bottom line total of minus 1%. The comp at the end of March had been even.
RBR observation: A common theme during the latest round of conference calls, when looking ahead, was murkiness in the near term with positive signs for the second half of the year. April results prove that broadcast management staking this position was correct about the near-term. Let us hope they are equally correct about third and fourth quarters. If nothing else, another hot election year should help inch the overall numbers toward the black. Or radio can dream of profits.
Analyst predicts 2006 decline for radio revenues
Yep, you read that correctly. Most Wall Street analysts have ratcheted down their radio revenue projections more than once already this year, but now Anthony DiClemente at Lehman Brothers has moved into negative territory. Rather than his previous expectation that radio would be flat in 2006, he is now projecting a 1% decline in ad revenues - and he is also extending that minus 1% forecast to 2007. "Our expectation for a 1% contraction in industry revenues is attributed to deteriorating industry fundamentals as industry pacings reflect a continued soft ad market in Q2 2006, a lack of pricing power, and continued migration of advertisers to other forms of media including the Internet. We point out that we are substantially lowering our Q2 2006 industry estimates to minus 2.6% year-over-year from minus 0.7% Y/Y as we believe April revenue results will come in lower than expected [the actual number, released late Friday, was -4%] and company guidance for Q2 2006 reflects little indication of improvement in recent trends," DiClemente said in a research note. The analyst says he expects the second half of this year to be a bit better than the first half, due to political advertising, but he sees only a "modest addition" from political and no meaningful catalysts to boost radio ad sales.
RBR observation: Bam. If DiClemente is right, this is going to be a tough year. A couple of percentage points of growth was supposed to be a slam dunk this year, with Clear Channel coming out of the 2005 implementation year for Less is More. So far the Lehman analyst is a lone wolf in negative territory. We'll see if others follow. If it is any consolation, his outlook for the newspaper business is even more pessimistic. He expects newspaper ad sales to drop 2.5% this year and next.
 CCU gets class action suit
over concert competition
Clear Channel was hit with a lawsuit on Friday of violating antitrust laws by curtailing concert competition and hiking up ticket prices. The class-action suit, filed in Denver federal court, names CC Radio and former concert promotion unit Live Nation as defendants. The suit accuses CCU of limiting spins for musicians who used competing concert promoters and inflating musicians' fees, to exclude competitors from the market. It asks for unspecified monetary damages on behalf of all buyers of tickets to concerts promoted by the defendants from 6/98 to 12/05 in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Kansas, Wyoming and Nebraska. From 7/03-2/06, DOJ probed allegations that CC tied radio airplay and the use of concert venues to musicians' use of the companies' concert promotion services. The lawsuit said the investigation was reportedly discontinued because CC agreed to spin off Live Nation. "However, Live Nation and Clear Channel Communications Inc. both continue to be dominated by the same individuals," Reuters reported the suit as saying.
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 Univision showdown looming
There's been no official announcement, nor do we expect one, but by all accounts first round bids for Univision are due this Thursday (6/8). It seems pretty certain there will be at least two bids, making it possible that Jerry Perenchio, pictured, will get the 13 billion plus that he's hoping for. Televisa CEO Emilio Azcarraga Jean has ruled out any possibility of doing business with rival media mogul Haim Saban, either before or after the bidding. A Reuters report from Mexico City quoted Azcarraga Jean as saying that Televisa would not negotiate with any other party if its group does not win the bidding. The Televisa group is seen as having a leg up, since it already owns 11% of Univision and could increase its stake to as much as 25% under US foreign ownership rules. It has an existing contract that requires it to provide programming to Univision through 2017. In addition to Televisa, that bidding group includes KKR, Bain Capital, Carlyle Group, Blackstone Group and Bill Gates' personal investment company, Cascade Investment. As reported last month (5/19/06 RBR #99), Saban, who became a billionaire from the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, has joined the bidding group formed by Madison Dearborn, Providence Equity Partneres, Thomas H. Lee Partners and Texas Pacific Group. Several mega-media companies have reportedly looked at Univision, but most have decided that either the price is too high or the FCC's ownership limits would require too many spin-offs. But rumors persist that a third bidder may be in the mix.
RBR observation: Univision shareholders have been rejoicing at the news that Emilio Azcarraga Jean doesn't want anything to do with the Haim Saban group. A consortium of consortia could have left Univision in the position that VNU was recently in - with only one bidder stepping up to the plate. The VNU deal finally got done, but the sellers didn't walk away with smiles on their faces.
New CFO for Citadel
The long-vacant CFO post at Citadel Broadcasting has been filled by a familiar name - Robert Freedline. His resume includes Viacom, CBS and Westwood One, which means he and Citadel CEO Farid Suleman are already well acquainted. Freedline was most recently Sr. VP and Treasurer of Viacom, a position he left last spring, well before the company split in two. The CFO job at Citadel has been open since September, when Randy Taylor left to return to the gaming business (9/16/05 RBR #182). Patricia Stratford, who had been serving as interim CFO, has now been named Sr. VP of Finance and Administration at Citadel. According to a filing with the SEC, Freedline will be paid a base salary of 500K, with an incentive bonus target of 500K (300K this year) based on his performance. He has been granted 100,000 shares of time-vesting restricted stock and an option to purchase 150,000 shares at the closing price on May 26, when he signed his employment agreement. RBR's records show that the stock closed at 9.79 that day, so the options are currently underwater.
 McDowell moves in
"I am honored and humbled to be joining such a distinguished group of commissioners as well as the fine career public servants at the FCC." Those were the words of brand new FCC Commissioner #5 Robert McDowell (and more to the point, Republican FCC Commissioner #3). The FCC's 8th Floor is now full to current capacity. McDowell continued, "There are many challenging issues facing the Commission, and I am eager to begin working on them with my fellow commissioners, with Congress, and with the American people. I am confident that our efforts will help bring the most advanced and efficient communications systems in the world to all American consumers."
RBR observation: Let the consideration of controversial and divisive issues begin. McDowell's background is in the telco area of FCC oversight. That may not be the best news for cable when push comes to shove in the MVPD competition wars. Despite his lack of a broadcast resume, there are a number of hot-button issues there as well, mostly relating to the remanded media ownership rules initially approved by the commission 6/2/03. And apparently, first up may be the cable v. broadcasting battle over multicast must-carry. Should be an interesting Summer.
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Ad Business Report TM
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Does Bott op-ed uncork Corker ad?
Bott Radio Network's WCRV-AM Memphis has been dutifully running ads from Republican US Senate candidate Bob Corker because it feels it must do so under the law. However, according to the Chattanooga Times, Bott management is airing editorials noting that the only reason it is running the Corker ads is because it feels compelled and further makes the case that Corker has changed his position over the years on the hot-button issue of abortion while obliquely endorsing an opponent. This has kicked off at least a mini-firestorm. On the direct level, while Bott thinks Corker's ad contains inaccuracies, Corker thinks Bott's editorials are inaccurate. Various viewpoints are also coming from those with a greater degree of separation from the issue. Some question whether the editorials themselves are legal. Others question why Corker would run ads on a small station with an audience he is unlikely to turn into supporters no matter what he does.
RBR observation: Interesting case. It stands to reason that a station should be allowed to run an editorial and endorse a candidate. Newspapers do so all the time. On the other hand, this could be construed as a donation to the campaign of Corker's opponent, requiring equal free time for rebuttal from Corker. The play-it-safe position we would suggest is to run whatever bona fide candidates and interest groups want to run without comment. If you simply must get into the endorsement game, do so with care. The local car dealer wants to sell cars to everybody regardless of political affiliation, and will not be happy if you chase half your audience away just so you can spout off at will. Further, we'd make sure there is a reasonable amount of separation between your editorials and the paid political speech you are running on your station. And have your lawyer on retainer. You may be walking close to the legal edge.
National Health Partners announces
Hispanic DR campaign with Univision
National Health Partners, a provider of discount healthcare membership programs, launched its national Hispanic advertising campaign 6/1 via television spots featuring international superstar entertainer Lucia Mendez on Univision. Said David Daniels, National Health Partners CEO: "Over the next few weeks, we will be expanding our Hispanic advertising campaign nationally to include major metropolitan cities like Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York and will be airing our commercials on top-rated Hispanic television shows like Sabado Gigante, Don Francisco and Cristina. Our television commercials will be part of a fully integrated advertising campaign that will include such other media as radio and print ads." The direct response effort will be utilizing one of the largest call centers in the US, "...with more than 300 bilingual sales representatives working each 8-hour shift to handle the tremendous overflow of calls that we will receive when our commercials air on Sabado Gigante, Don Francisco and Cristina starting within the next 10 days," added Daniels.
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| Media Business Report TM |
 Too much leverage for TV companies?
Bear Stearns analyst Victor Miller is concerned that most publicly traded TV companies are over leveraged. Thus, he likes LIN's plan to sell off its Puerto Rico properties and pay down debt. In an extensive analysis piece sent out Friday, Miller noted that Wall Street appears to be punishing the stock prices of the pure-play TV companies with the highest debt-to-EBITDA ratios - Young at 19.3 times and Nexstar at 7.6 times, while awarding the highest value to Hearst-Argyle, the least leveraged at 3.2 times. "We find that these levels of leverage are inappropriate," Miller said in a conference call to discuss his research report, and he suggested that high leverage may be scaring investors away from TV stocks. Miller expressed confidence that LIN will find plenty of bidder interest for the Puerto Rico TV operations it put up for sale this month (5/26/06 TVBR #104). He expects the eventual sale to reduce LIN's leverage to 5.0-5.3 times from its current 6.3 times, which he hailed as "an important development" for the stock. Why are leverage levels such a big concern? Miller notes four fundamental concerns that make TV station group stocks appear risky to investors: the sluggishness of national advertising, over-reliance on political advertising, the loss of network comp and the lack of clarity on when broadcasters will realize a return on their DTV investments - and how much of a return that will be.
MBR observation: As tough as Wall Street has been on radio, the market has been even tougher for some of the TV companies. Young and Granite have long been stuck in penny stock hell (share price below five bucks) and both ACME and Nexstar have lately been bouncing back and forth over the mark. But while radio companies are, in general, less highly leveraged, we have to think that stock prices would go up if some of the radio groups with the most leverage would pay down some of their debt.
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| Media Markets & Money TM |
Junior becomes senior partner
Donald B. Crawford is the buyer and the seller in this one. An AM duopoly in Colorado Springs is on the table, and it will be going from Senior to Junior for 1M dollars. The stations are KCMN-AM, licensed to Colorado Springs, and KCBR-AM in nearby Monument CO. There is another sign that this is a sweetheart deal, besides the fact that the seller and buyer share essentially the same name. The younger Crawford will not even have to come up with a down payment, according to the contract filed with the FCC. It will all be covered under terms of a promissory note.
RBR observation: Promissory note, huh? We suggest that Mr. Crawford Sr. remain on his guard. We've heard children's promises before, tales of rooms cleaned and homework done, when instead there are more clothes on the floor than in the dresser and the books have been left at school. Otherwise, it looks like a fair market price for the stations. According to our records, Crawford Sr. bought the pair intact for 750K back in 1999.
Double close encounter in Wausau
A station exchange in the Wausau-Steven Point WI market has come to completion. NRG Media now owns WLRK-FM, which clusters with WLJY-FM, WGLX-FM & WYTE-FM, and Seehafer Broadcasting takes over WDLB-AM, WFHR-AM & WOSQ-FM. Seehafer also pocketed 3.7M cash. "With the addition of WLRK in the Wausau market, we have drastically increased the quality of service we can provide to our listeners in the area," said Mary Quass, NRG Media President/CEO. "By focusing our efforts on four FM stations that are co-located in one facility, we can better utilize our talented team of programmers, sellers, and operators. This gives us the opportunity to expand our formats and provide a more focused market for our advertising clients."
Double close encounter in Louisiana
A cash/swap in the Deep South has come to closure. According to broker John Pierce, Educational Media Foundation is now the legal guardian of KYLA-FM Shreveport LA and Al Moore's NWLA Broadcasting is the legal guardian of KWDF-AM Alexandria LA and 2.85M in cash. Pierce pegs the total value of the deal at 3M minimum.
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| Washington Media Business Report TM |
 Legal eagle eye view of the
FCC Super Bowl ruling
Attorney Peter Gutmann of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC has looked over the FCC's decision to uphold its 550K fine charged to CBS Television and its O&Os over the infamous Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction courtesy of Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. After expressing surprise at how quickly the decision was turned around and made public, he found some points worth the attention of broadcasters who are vulnerable to the same type of event taking place on their own airspace. As usual, WCS&R PLLC warns that this is provided for general information is not to be used as legal advice.
| Read It Here |
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| Entertainment Media Business Report TM |
Military radio could air less talk soon
Military radio stations around the globe soon could be playing more hip-hop, more pop hits, less country music and no sports or political chat shows, reported Stars and Stripes. Lund Media Research, reviewing American Forces Radio has recommended those changes as a way to boost ratings. Warren Lee, operations and plans officer for American Forces Radio and Television Services, said officials will meet this Thursday to discuss the future of military radio, based on the review's findings. To compile its recommendations, Lund surveyed 1,125 AFR listeners between January and April of this year, and conducted 10 focus groups in Europe over the same time period.
| Read More... |
RBR observation: We're not sure why they're so concerned about ratings and audience numbers here. Yes, advertisers understand our armed forces are a component of the listening audience. But for many out there, radio-Talk radio especially-is a lifeline to home. For goodness sake, if our troops like listening to Tom Joyner while they're out there in Iraq, AFR should continue to let them do so. Adding more music is fine, but limiting/reducing existing programming is maybe not the best route. More choices in general would be better.
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| Internet Media Business Report TM |
 Emmis offers iTunes on websites;
adds content
Emmis Communications announced it is the first company in the nation to integrate the iTunes Music Store into its radio station Web sites. The integration of the iTunes Music Store will reflect the programming of each radio station, allowing listeners to shop from playlists of station artists as well as top picks from on-air talent and celebrity guests. Emmis' national rollout of the integrated storefronts began Friday with Chicago alt-rocker WKQX-FM (www.Q101.com), and Indianapolis contemporary-hits station WNOU-FM (www.radionow931.com). The iTunes integration will roll out to all Emmis radio markets in the next month. The next stations scheduled to adopt the new feature are KROX-FM (101X) and KDHT-FM (Hot 93.3) in Austin, and KPNT-FM (The Point) in St. Louis. Emmis successfully piloted the Music Store integration last month at two stations, New York's WQHT-FM (Hot 97) and Los Angeles' KPWR (Power 106).
Verizon launches "FiOS TV Widgets"
Following the rollout of Verizon FiOS TV, Verizon is adding an interactive weather and traffic feature to complement its fiber-optic television service. Called FiOS TV Widgets, the service is available at no additional cost to customers with a set-top box, and is the first of several product enhancements that will let subscribers control and share entertainment and information throughout the home. Later this year, Verizon will add a multi-room DVR and a feature that lets customers access PC-based photos and music on their televisions. Additional new services are planned for 2007. FiOS TV Widgets supplies one-touch, on-demand access to real-time local weather and traffic information. Subscribers use their remote control to display text-based weather and traffic on their TV screens without interrupting the program they are watching. For example, parents leaving the house for a Saturday morning of errands can get the latest traffic update without interrupting the kids' cartoon show. Future Widgets enhancements may include personalized news, sports scores and fantasy-league sports results or community information. Widgets is a software upgrade to the FiOS TV system and requires no additional equipment or service calls.
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| Engineering Business Report TM |
 Philippe Generali, President of RCS
and Media Monitors
(from May's RBR/TVBR Solutions Magazine)
RBR recently reported CBS Radio was considering discontinuing business over the fact its competitor Clear Channel is buying you. The concern was CCU would have access to proprietary data from Selector and other systems. You assured us this could not happen. Please explain in detail for other broadcasters with concerns.
Generali: Our business is by nature confidential. When you deal every week with almost 100% of the music stations in New York or Los Angeles, you'd better know how to keep your mouth shut! After 27 years and more than a half million telephone calls handled for support in the US, never once has a confidentiality issue come up. Our staff has an immaculate reputation. We know it is the only way to build customer relationships. Acting any differently would instantly destroy RCS' image and kill our business altogether. If you invested in a company, would you want to see it die? Beyond ethics, it is only business logic!
| Read More... |
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| Monday Morning Makers & Shakers |
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Transactions: 4/17/06-4/21/06
Station trading as filed in the matter part of the middle of April was a mixed bag to say the least. There was a rare two-market radio-TV combination sale, a wide variety of market sizes, and there were eight, count 'em, eight FM CPs, mostly in unrated markets, transferred to American Family Association for no consideration. As you will see below, Colorado Springs was the epicenter.
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Total
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Total Deals
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19
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AMs
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8
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FMs
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11
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TVs
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3
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| Value |
75.331M
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| Complete Charts |
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Radio Transactions of the Week
Broadcaster busts into Colorado market
| More... |
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TV Transactions of the Week
Publisher Springs into two Colorado markets
| More... |
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| Transactions |
7.25M WRSP-TV & WCCU-TV Champaign-Springfield-Decatur IL (Springfield, Urbana IL) from Springfield Broadcasting Partners, a subsidiary of Bahakel Broadcasting Co. (Beverly B. Poston et al) to GOCOM Media of Illinois LLC (Richard L. Gorman). 500K escrow, balance in cash at closing. 15K allocated to non-compete. WRSP is Fox affiliate on Channel 57; WCCU is Fox station & 18-year satellite of WRSP on Channel 27. There is no overlap between stations. Buyer is applying for waiver to continue this arrangement. [File date 5/10/06.]
1.8M KLVP-FM Portland OR (Tigard OR) from Educational Media Foundation (Richard Jenkins) to Churchill Communications LLC (Suzanne Arlie). 90K escrow, balance in cash at closing. [File date 5/10/06.]
40K AM CP Ruidoso NM from Amy Meredith to Walton Stations - New Mexico Inc. (John Walton). 4K escrow, balance in cash at closing. Duopoly with KBUY-AM/KWES-FM Ruidodo, FM CP Tularosa NM. CP is for Class C on 1450 kHz with 1 kw-U, ND. Will apply to modify license so station can be co-located with KBUY-AM. [File date 5/10/06.]
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| Stock Talk |
A mixed day to end the week
Confusion on Wall Street led to a mixed close on Friday. The reason for the confusion? The Labor Department's monthly jobs report showed a slowdown in new hiring for May. That might make the Fed less likely to continue raising rates. But it also was such a big job creation slowdown that some experts are afraid the economy may be cooling down too much. The Dow Industrials ended Friday down 12 points at 11,248, while the S&P 500 was up slightly and the Nasdaq Composite down slightly.
Radio stocks were also mixed, although the Radio Index managed a gain, rising 0.461, or 0.3%, to 158.395. Westwood One was finally showing signs of life, rising 2.6%. Entravision gained 1.5%.
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| Radio Stocks |
Here's how stocks fared on Friday
| Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
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Arbitron
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ARB
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40.03
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-0.33
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Hearst-Argyle
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HTV
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22.24
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-0.14
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Beasley
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BBGI
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7.28
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+0.03
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Journal Comm.
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JRN
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11.64
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+0.05
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| CBS CI. B |
CBS |
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26.44
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-0.20
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Lincoln Natl.
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LNC
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57.34
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+0.60
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| CBS CI. A |
CBSa |
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26.48
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-0.14
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Radio One, Cl. A
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ROIA
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7.50
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+0.05
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| Citadel |
CDL |
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9.55 |
-0.02 |
Radio One, Cl. D
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ROIAK
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7.42
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-0.06
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Clear Channel
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CCU
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31.17
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-0.20
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Regent
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RGCI
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4.15
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-0.15
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Cox Radio
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CXR
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14.50
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+0.09
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Saga Commun.
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SGA
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10.34
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-0.01
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Cumulus
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CMLS
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11.75
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-0.05
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Salem Comm.
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SALM
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14.50
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-0.08
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Disney
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DIS
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30.62
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unch
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Sirius Sat. Radio
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SIRI
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4.41
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-0.10
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Emmis
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EMMS
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16.57
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+0.22
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Spanish Bcg.
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SBSA
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5.52
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-0.03
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| Entercom |
ETM
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26.96
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-0.03
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Univision
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UVN
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36.39
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-0.06
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Entravision
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EVC
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8.21
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+0.12
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Westwood One
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WON
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8.26
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+0.22
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Fisher
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FSCI
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43.12
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-0.88
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XM Sat. Radio
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XMSR
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14.69
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-0.05
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Gaylord
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GET
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44.40
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-1.15
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-
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-
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-
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-
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-
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Bounceback
|
 We want to
hear from you.
This is your column, so send your comments and
a photo to
[email protected]
 The days of finding a "jack of all trades" to operate in the small market environment is apparently over. Today's talent pool contains announcers, most of whom voice track for multiple markets, or sales personnel. Gone are the days when the individual was exposed to all levels of the radio station and gained a well rounded industry education. The few viable small markets left are further hampered by this additional casualty of consolidation. Such a small market opportunity offered itself recently on the West Coast and I was disappointed to find that even when serious sweat equity is offered, the radio personnel who could operate such a station have either left the business entirely or reached an age where it is impractical for them to consider such a challenge. The days when an eager entrepreneur could aspire to "own" their own station appears to have been lost. That does not speak well for the industry, our country, or an FCC who bought into the idea that bigger is better. Are there any General Manager candidates left out there who can carry the major sales list, oversee programming, keep a clean public file, and be an integral part of a small market community. I'm afraid they are a dying breed.
Tom Joyner
Joyner Radio, Inc.
Cary, NC
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Below the Fold
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Ad Business Report
Does Bott op-ed uncork Corker ad?
Interesting case. Newspapers do so all the time. On the other hand,...
Media Business Report
Too much leverage for TV companies?
Wall Street has been on radio, the market even tougher for some of the TV companies...
Media Markets & Money
Junior becomes senior partner
Is the buyer and the seller in this one...
Washington Media Business Report
Legal eagle eye view
Of the FCC Super Bowl ruling...
Entertainment Media
Business Report
Military radio could air
less talk soon
Soon could be playing more hip-hop, no sports or political chat shows...
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Stations for Sale
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Western New York
Small market AM/FM combo. Outstanding and attractive RE and equipment. No local competition. Positive cash flow history. 1.25M.
Contact Dick Kozacko
(607) 733-7138 or [email protected]
For Sale - Metro Rank #31
Salt Lake City
50KW AM, New RF Equipment
The EXLINE Company
415-479-3484
[email protected]
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Radio Media Moves
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SWMX names
James Caci CFO
SoftWave Media Exchange, an electronic marketplace for the purchase, sale, management and distribution of advertising media time, announced James Caci has been named Chief Financial Officer, reporting to Josh Wexler, SWMX CEO. "Jim is a tremendous addition to our organization and will play a critical role in executing our strategy for growth," said Wexler. "As we continue to capture market share in radio and prepare to expand into additional formats, his experience and insight will be invaluable in setting a sound financial foundation on which to build." Prior to joining SWMX, Caci served nearly four years as CFO, VP/Finance for Global Consultants, Inc.
Magic moment
in Boston
Janie Druker-Knight has joined Greater Media's WMJX-FM "Magic 106.7" as Senior Account Manager, effective today. She was previously across town at Clear Channel's WXKS-FM "Kiss 108."
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More News Headlines
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Copter crashes into GA tower; damage threatens another
An Army helicopter crashed after smashing into the upper portion of Barrington Broadcasting's WFXL-TV Albany, GA (FOX) 1,000-foot tower. The collision caused a guy wire to break loose, opening the possibility it could collapse. The co-pilot was the only survivor of the crash near Doerun, GA. WFXL's over-the-air broadcast is gone, but they are seen through cable TV. The tower is 125 feet away from Raycom's WALB-TV (NBC) tower. There is concern that if the WFXL tower falls, it will damage or bring down the WALB tower. A tower repair crew will be called in, and it is likely that the tower will have to be taken apart piece by piece, possibly by helicopter, starting with the removal of the eight-ton antenna. WFXL should be back on air by today, barring storms.
CBS Radio adds more Opie & Anthony markets
CBS Radio and XM Satellite Radio today announced four additional markets to broadcast The Opie & Anthony Show. Beginning today, the three-hour program will be heard on WXYT-AM Detroit (6:00-9:00AM), WAZU-FM Columbus (3:00-6:00PM) and WZNE-FM Rochester (2:00-5:00PM). WJFK-FM D.C. debuts the program on 6/26 (10:00AM-1:00PM).
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TVBR - TV News
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NAB joins coalition to pave consumer entry into DTV era
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is getting ready to create a voucher program for households requisition a digital-to-analog set-top converter box in time to for the DTV conversion, set for 2/17/09. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), along with numerous other organizations, has stepped forward to aid NTIA in this effort. For now, the coalition wants to mount an effective educational campaign with the 5M dollars allocated by Congress for that purpose. It a unified message "...disseminated widely across media and non-media outlets, and through such avenues as community centers, libraries, toll-free information lines and the Web." The coalition is also calling for a program which will enable ordering the set-top boxes over the Internet via an electronic debit card, which would take into account current consumer buying behavior and help to reduce fraud. The diverse group of groups signatory to the letter along with the NAB includes Alliance for Public Technology, Alliance for Rural Television, American Library Association, Association of Public Television Stations, Big Idea Inc., Consumer Electronics Association, Consumer Electronics Retailers Association, Entravision Communications Corporation, Harris Corporation, ION Media Networks, LG Electronics USA, Inc., National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations, National Consumers League, Public Broadcasting Service, Scholastic Inc. and Women Involved in Farm Economics.
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RBR Radar 2006
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Radio News you won't read any where else. RBR--First, Accurate, and Independently Owned.
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Analyst says LIM effect
is waning CBS in do-do
After reviewing the Winter Arbitron numbers, Lehman Brothers analyst Anthony DiClemente estimates that ratings for Clear Channel's sizeable portfolio of radio stations were down 0.9%, snapping a streak of five straight up books since beginning its "Less is More" campaign to reduce commercial inventory. .. Meanwhile, DiClemente found that ratings for stations that used to carry the Howard Stern Show fell off a cliff in the Winter book. "On average the revenue-weighted ratings for the former Howard Stern radio stations were down 39% year-over-year," CBS saw its ratings fall 8.6%. "The economic impact resulting from the loss of Howard Stern may continue to drive underperformance for CBS Radio revenues, which were down 6% in Q1 2006 in the context of the industry's revenue decline of 0.8%."
RBR observation: CBS Radio revenues, which were down 6% in Q1 2006 in the context of the industry's revenue decline of 0.8% - Ouch that has to turn when you sit. Like Less is More is now being compared to year to year. The upper brass at CBS will not be able to blame Stern for their under performing after the Spring books are out. CBS boss Les Moonves is already putting stations up on the block but reports coming back to RBR from a few potential buyers is some have never seen such deplorable conditions of stations in their radio careers. Plus the level of arrogance of the seller is also mind shaking. All we can tell these possible buyers is plan your work, work your plan and do it with passion or do not buy.
06/02/06 RBR #108
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