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Welcome to RBR's Daily Epaper
Volume 24, Issue 160, Jim Carnegie, Editor & Publisher
Thursday Morning August 16th, 2007

Radio News ®

Regent fires back
After being sued last week by Riley Investment Management, which is trying to force a special shareholders meeting (8/10/07 RBR #156), Regent Communications has now sued Riley in Delaware Federal Court, along with SMH Capital, accusing Riley and SMH of federal securities law violations. Regent alleges that Riley has failed to disclose to the SEC that it is working in concert with SMH Capital and other shareholders and that SMH has failed to disclose its significant stock holdings in Regent. "As indicated in the lawsuit we filed today, we believe Riley and SMH Capital have engaged in a number of violations with regard to federal securities laws in their solicitation of Regent's shareholders. We believe Riley engaged in improper communications with shareholders and Riley's requests for a special shareholder meeting are invalid. We are prepared to call a special meeting of shareholders upon receipt of valid requests solicited in compliance with applicable securities laws. Our management and board remain committed to maximizing value for all shareholders. As we execute on our strategy, we will continue to evaluate, in conjunction with our legal and financial advisors, all stockholder proposals that may be presented to the company," said Regent CEO Bill Stakelin in a statement sent yesterday to RBR. Riley wants the special shareholders meeting so it can propose to elect four of its own nominees to the board of directors and has indicated that it wants to force a sell-off of Regent's stations.

Icahn knows how to play the spread
Carl Icahn may be known as a corporate raider, but he is also an arbitrageur. With Clear Channel's stock trading well below the price of its pending going-private buyout, it appears Icahn has been buying shares to turn a quick profit. According to its quarterly report to the SEC, Icahn Management LP bought up 1.5 million shares of Clear Channel Communications. It's not known what Icahn paid for the shares. During Q2 CCU traded from 34.90 to 38.58, with the pending buyout, expected to close by year end, at 39.20.

RBR observation: We would not be surprised to find when the Q3 report is filed that Icahn has added to that Clear Channel stake. The credit nervousness in the markets recently beat the stock down as low as 35 bucks. There are no indications, though, that the buyout is in danger of falling apart. As we reported yesterday, Bear Stearns analyst Victor Miller told clients he believes six banks are committed to financing the Clear Channel buyout.


Arbitron working to
boost PPM samples

Arbitron officials said yesterday that they are working to replace households classified as poor responders in its first two PPM markets and that it is taking longer than expected. It is a "continuous learning curve," said Arbitron CEO Steve Morris in a conference call with RBR and other trade press. "First of all, the audience data for Philadelphia and Houston are statistically valid and they are remarkably stable month to month. Second, some of the underlying metrics of in-tab sample size, overall and in specific hard-to-recruit demo cells, are below where they should be. Weighting brings the audience measurement numbers back into line, but we can and we will improve these internal metrics over time so that we can minimize the need for weighting. The third headline is that there are specific actions that we have been taking, starting in the last couple of months, as the patterns of panel composition have become more clear, and from here on out you will see us on a program of continuing improvement. It's never going to be perfect, but as with the diary, we will keep getting better," Morris said. Arbitron Chief Research Officer Bob Patchen said the company expects to be back to the full sample size by the end of September for Philadelphia and by early October for Houston. It's a trade off, he said - booting out households with poor compliance on carrying PPMs reduces the sample size while it improves the proportionality of the sample, which has been a high priority for broadcasters. The other big concern has been adjustment by agency buyers to the new PPM metrics. In broad terms, Arbitron President of Sales and Marketing Pierre Bouvard said that's changing 100 points GRP under diary to 70 points under PPM. He said it is now a top priority for Arbitron to get to media planners, since all of the top 10 markets will be on PPM measurement by the end of next year. He suggested that buys are still being made in Houston and Philadelphia under media plans drawn up last year before PPM was taken into consideration, so he says there has been a one-year shakeout period.

RBR observation: Is there going to be a one-year shakeout period in every top 10 market, with buyers trying to pay 70% of what they should be paying? You can't blame them for trying. Rate integrity is already a big problem, and worse in some of the largest markets than elsewhere. A lot of education is going to be needed for media planners and buyers, but then radio stations are going to have to stand firm on rates (anyone remember how to do that?) so that they are not paying 65% more for a new ratings system that reduces the value of their inventory by 30%. Ouch!

How are the other PPM markets coming along?
Reacting to calls from the Arbitron Radio Advisory Council and its Chairman, Steve Sinicropi from Clear Channel, for more transparency on the PPM transition, Arbitron is now planning to hold monthly updates for the press. One data point we received yesterday was on where the next markets scheduled to get PPM stand on panel recruitment. New York, as of August 8th, had 4,739 people in the panel, with a target of 5,170. PPM is due to launch on a demonstration basis in the New York market in October. Next up is Los Angeles, where 1,618 people were in the panel from a target of 3,270. In Chicago, the panel thus far has 1,634, with a target of 2,595. PPM installation will begin in San Francisco in September and Dallas in November.


Preaching to the choir
Washington Post media watchdog Howard Kurtz has published some observations on the candidates' television habits in the early going of what is being routinely described as the earliest presidential campaign in history. He wasn't talking about what they are watching, but rather where they are going. And to a large extent, they are either barely making themselves available at all, or they are staying within their ideological comfort zone. One major fulcrum is Fox News Channel, visited frequently by most Republican candidates. Many Democrats not only refuse to appear on the cable news net, they blast the channel as a regular part of their campaigning. Kurtz notes that the reputed front-runners in each party, Rudy Giuliani (R-NY) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) are largely staying away from the prolonged question-and-answer sessions featured on the Sunday morning gabfests, while those in the second tier are more likely to take advantage of the exposure. The gadfly candidates, notably Ron Paul (R-TX) and Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) are a third category, and are seemingly willing to go anywhere, any time to make their case.

RBR observation: There has been much speculation that candidates only hurt themselves when they preach to the choir and avoid contact with those on the other side of the ideological fence. On the other hand, if a certain media outlet is solidly blue or red, there really may not be all that much value in expending resources, even if it's nothing more than time and energy, courting that constituency, just like you wouldn't sell acne cream on a Nostalgia radio station. Kurtz notes that avoiding potentially hostile questioners "deprives them of the chance to develop their reflexes by swinging at fastballs," and there may well be something to that. One thing is for sure - candidates can play to the base in comfortable territory for now, but in the end, any candidate who intends to have any chance of winning will have to deal with all major media outlets.

A la carte still on Martin's radar
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin (R) and Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein (D) offered differing views of the issue of forcing cable companies to offer their channels a la carte at the Aspen Institute Forum on Communications and Society. Martin reiterated his support for such a regime, while Adelstein noted it may not work as planned. Martin's support has long been predicated on the concept that viewers should not be forced to pay for channels that they do not want and worse, which carry content they disapprove of and in particular want to prevent their children from viewing. According to denverpost.com, he restated his belief that paying only for those channels desired would give many subscribers a lower monthly bill. Adelstein noted that serious studies into the issue have found that price per channel may actually go up as cable programmers are forced to drastically increase their marketing budgets to make sure they are among the chosen under an a la carte model. He also said that this may well be a matter for Congress to decide rather than being something the FCC could do on its own.

RBR observation: We will say it again. A la carte is a stupid idea, and for parents, it is far inferior to the simple use of channel blocking technology. Adelstein makes the point that the price of each channel may go up, not down under this scheme. What will certainly skyrocket is price per channel. Your 50 bucks may get you 100 channels now; under a la carte, it may get you 15. The losers will be niche programmers providing ethnic, religious and specialty programming. That's why small cable programmers are almost uniformly against this proposal. Many of these opponents of a la carte are vehemently critical of the programming shown on some of their competitors, but they are smart enough to realize that it is better for them to be on the air alongside the edgy channels rather than be a la carted right off the cable menu.


Wall Street Media Business Report TM
Revenues down for SWMX, but so are losses
SWMX reported that Q2 revenues were down 100K to 600K, which was attributed to a change in strategy for the company, which operates SoftWave Media Exchange, an online marketplace for radio and TV spot inventory. But the company's operating loss decreased by 300K to 2.4 million. SWMX said it has shifted from seeking increased transaction volume from opt-in participation from stations and marketers to a new strategy of "pursuing licensing agreements to deliver private label and software as a service (SAAS) application functionality to advertisers, agencies and media owners on an enterprise basis." The first such deal was recently announced, with Zimmerman Advertising (8/9/07 RBR #155). "While we anticipate our shift in strategy to focus on cultivating enterprise relationships with marketers and media owners will result in incrementally reduced revenue through Q3'07, we firmly believe it is the best path to increase exchange membership and establish SWMX as the standard operating application supporting advertising transaction and management activity for buyers and sellers of media," said Josh Wexler, CEO of SWMX. "Our recently finalized partnership with Zimmerman Advertising validates that belief, represents a substantial potential revenue opportunity for SWMX and we are working diligently to forge similar agreements with other leading agencies and media owners in coming months," he added. Despite reducing its operating loss, SWMX saw its net loss increase by 200K to 2.9 million, which still worked out to one cent per share, the same as the previous year.

RBR observation: SWMX is still working to line up 10 million in new equity capital, but its lender, BlueCrest Capital Finance, has been willing to wait while the company found that new investment, extending the original deadline (7/12/07 RBR #135) to August 1st and so far letting that deadline slide as well. SWMX recently authorized an issue of 10 million shares of new preferred stock, but there's no indication yet how that will be used.


Ad Business Report TM

GM spending big bucks on radio stars
According to an Automotive News article this week, General Motors is recruiting many of America's best known radio personalities-including Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Laura Schlessinger and Whoopi Goldberg-to talk up its vehicles on air. GM gives the hosts new cars two weeks each month and brings them to Detroit for meetings with company execs-wow! Hannity did a big GM car giveaway a few months back and talked about driving the loaners. Limbaugh has also talked about his staffers driving a loaner Cadillac in conjunction with promoting GM vehicles, so this isn't all new. Dennis Donlin, President/GM Planworks, tells RBR: "In some ways radio is very analogous to social networking. DJ's create a community of sorts, and this initiative allows GM to enter that community as a guest."
| Read Excerpts |

RBR observation: Call it plugola if you like, but it's all above board and it's about using radio for the ad vehicle it really can be. They are just being asked to speak with the execs, drive the vehicles and talk about them. GM has done some interesting things with their vehicles, such as invite folks to test drive them on impromptu driving courses at stadium parking lots. Just get in one line and drive GM cars; another BMW; Toyota; Ford, etc. Sometimes putting folks behind the wheel is the best form of advertising.

VMS increases radio monitoring coverage
VMS, an integrated media intelligence solutions provider, announced the availability of its radio monitoring solution. VMS has deployed a new digital monitoring network -- incorporating speech-to-text technology - to capture over 10,000 hours per week of FM and AM radio programming from markets across the country. This will supplement the live radio monitoring coverage VMS currently delivers to its clients. The service will be delivered as part of the company's standard product offerings and is available immediately. "Our customers already receive the industry's most complete television news monitoring coverage-spanning all 210 US markets," noted Peter Wengryn, VMS CEO. "They asked us for more extensive radio monitoring-more markets and more hours-and we've delivered."


Media Markets & Money TM
Quass will energize Triad's Lincoln cluster
David Benjamin's Triad Broadcasting is getting out of Lincoln, but will leave its five station cluster in the hands of Midwest specialist NRG Media under Mary Quass. Kalil & Co. brokered the deal which will send KFGE-FM, KBBK-FM, KLNC-FM, KLIN-AM & KWBE-AM to NRG, which already owns and operates over 80 stations in seven midwestern states. Quass commented, "We are excited to add the Lincoln stations to our Midwest focused platform. We believe that the Lincoln cluster fits perfectly, both geographically and in market size. As we continue to grow the company, well run properties like the Triad stations in vibrant growing markets like Lincoln are exactly what NRG is targeting." Adding what is no doubt good news on the ground in Lincoln, she added, "We look forward to welcoming the staff to our NRG family." Benjamin said he was happy to sell to a company he believed to be similar to his own. A pre-closing LMA begins today.


Washington Media Business Report TM
Inspection/renewal double whammy
Access.1's WWRL-AM New York probably thought it was out of the woods when it rectified a public file problem and paid an associated fine to the FCC. But in checking off a box on its renewal form saying that the file had been in good order throughout the previous license term, it brought on a brand new NAL. The file problem was a lack of issues/programs information which dated back to 9/20/05. WWRL believed a list of religious programs met this requirement; on finding that it did not, it did what it could to address the problem and paid a fine on 7/26/06. However, in filling out its renewal form, WWRL failed to note the violation and the period during which the file was not up to snuff, which amounts to "falsely certifying...that the station's public inspection file was complete throughout the license term." The FCC is very touchy about candor, and noted that it "relies heavily on the honesty and probity of its licensees in a regulatory system that is self-policing." It could have hit Access.1 with a fine as high as 32.5K; it settled for only 10K and granted the station a license renewal.

RBR observation: Alrighty, then. We feel certain this did not constitute any attempt on the part of Access.1 to deliberately deceive the FCC. It probably thought the public file issue had been resolved to everybody's satisfaction and that there was no need to dwell on it any further. So the word to the wise is that if you are ever hit with a public file rap and pay a fine on it, make sure you keep that in mind when filling out your next renewal form.

Portland license challenge denied
A group of watchdog organizations cited a study of 2004 election coverage in attempting to get a blanket denial of license renewals for television stations in Chicago, Milwaukee and Portland OR. Andrew Schwartzman of Media Access Project ran point for a group calling itself Oregon Alliance to Reform Media. They claimed that according to the study, less than 1% of news time in the four weeks leading up to the election was devoted to state or local elections, only around 9% was spend on ballot issues, and less than 1% was spent on other local elections. The FCC reiterated its inability to get into programming and journalistic judgments of broadcast licensees and denied the petition to deny. The stations included two owned by Meredith, and one each from Fisher, Tribune, Montecito, King, Ion and National Minority TV.


Media Business Report TM
The truth, the faux truth, and nothing but the faux truth
Viacom wants 1B from Google's popular video-sharing site YouTube, saying that the cable destination unfairly benefits from allowing Viacom content to be posted in its virtual space. As part of its defense, YouTube wants to call to the witness stand two Viacom employees working at its Comedy Central cable channel - faux newsmen Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. YouTube also want a piece of Viacom honcho Sumner Redstone, among others. It says it needs to prove that oftentimes programmers and stars themselves either encourage fans to post their material, as Colbert is said to have done, or they put material there themselves as a promotional device. Google/YouTube says it promptly takes down all copyrighted material upon notification.


Entertainment Media Business Report TM
Sliwa calls Imus a legend
Amid the rumors that Don Imus is likely to replace Curtis Sliwa and Ron Kuby in the morning slot on WABC-AM New York, you might think that Sliwa might have hard feelings toward the I-Man. But no, there he was on Fox News Channel yesterday praising Imus and wearing an Imus-like cowboy hat. "I don't think Don Imus will end up taking my slot, but if he does, why not? He got executed in a horrible way by that racial racketeer Al 'Slim Shady' Sharpton," Sliwa told John Gibson on Fox News Channel's Big Story. "He's entitled to a return. He's a legend in the business," Sliwa added. But if Imus does return to radio, he may be a little different. "They're going to have a target on his back. He's going to have a very tough time being the Don Imus that we grew up with," said Sliwa.


Ratings & Research
Nielsen study examines shoppers' body language
Why do consumers buy the same brand of coffee and mayonnaise over and over again, but will often purchase different brands of cold cereal and chocolates? It's hardly happenstance, according to a new study by The Nielsen Company. Nielsen's study of shopper behavior shows that consumers present distinct shopping modes at the supermarket that dictate what ends up in their grocery bags. Nielsen's study, which reviewed consumer shopping behavior across 30 food categories, found that consumers adopt one of four different "shopping modes" as they cruise the supermarket aisles. Key characteristics of the shopping modes:

Auto-pilot: In auto-pilot, or grab-and-go mode, shoppers are making everyday, habitual decisions driven by brand choices and they are usually not in the market to try anything new. Items such as coffee, cereal, cheese, margarine and mayonnaise are purchased in auto-pilot mode. For example, Nielsen's research found that shoppers were quite particular about their coffee, choosing the same caffeine fix, flavor and coffee experience.
Variety-Seeking: In the variety-seeking mode, shoppers are browsing shelves actively and on the lookout for new tastes as well as interesting product innovations or products offering "surprise" in their role as household chef. Buzz: Energy and sports drinks, chocolate, ready-to-drink teas and yogurt drinks fall in the buzz-activated category.
Bargain-Hunting: Canned tuna, canned tomatoes, cheese, canned fruit and pasta sauce are items most often purchased in the bargain-hunting mode.


Engineering Business Report TM
IBOC rules published; Nighttime AM HD begins 9/14
The final rules authorizing IBOC/HD Radio have been published in the Federal Register. The big news: AMs will be able to keep their HD signals on full-time beginning 9/14. FM broadcasters that that want to add multicast HD channels can officially do so without experimental authorization as well on 9/14.

XM now offers radio with color screen
This week, XM announced its first ever radio with a color screen, the XpressRC. The unit, to be manufactured by Delphi, features a split-screen with one half showing the song that is currently playing and the other half showing what's playing on up to three other channels, reports BetaNews. The XpressRC also lets you record up to 10 favorite songs for later listening. Another new feature includes the Frequency Finder option, which automatically finds the best empty FM frequency for playing XM over a car stereo. The XpressRC will be available in October for 170 bucks.


Transactions
750K WILE-AM Cambridge OH from AVC Communications Inc. (W. Grant Hafley) to St. Gabriel Radio Inc. (Christopher Gabrelcik, Allen Wagner, Andy Ware). 7.5K down payment, balance in cash at closing. [File date 7/20/07.]

N/A WAVF-FM Hanahan SC from Apex Broadcasting Inc. (G. Dean Pearce, Voncile R. Pearce, Houston L. Pearce) to NM Licensing LLC, a subsidiary of NextMedia Group Inc. (Steve Dinetz). Swap for WKZQ-FM Myrtle Beach SC. Apex will also pay 1.75M and provide money for multiple CPs. Superduopoly with WRNN-AM, WYAV-FM, WMYB-FM, WRNN-FM. WKZQ will move to Hanahan SC, WAVF will move to Forestbrook SC and third party Miller Communications will move WWBD-FM Bamberg SC to Isle of Palms SC. Apex retains rights to WAVF calls. [File date 7/23/07.]

N/A WKZQ-FM Myrtle Beach SC from NM Licensing LLC, a subsidiary of NextMedia Group Inc. (Steve Dinetz) to Apex Broadcasting Inc. (G. Dean Pearce, Voncile R. Pearce, Houston L. Pearce). Swap for WAVF-FM Hanahan SC. Apex will also pay 1.75M and provide money for multiple CPs. Superduopoly with WIHB-FM, WXST-FM, WXTC-AM, and an FM facility on 101.7 MHz. WKZQ will move to Hanahan SC, WAVF will move to Forestbrook SC and third party Miller Communications will move WWBD-FM Bamberg SC to Isle of Palms SC. Buyer will retain the WAVF calls. [File date 7/23/07.]


Stock Talk
Market down, radio stocks up (barely)
Lending market liquidity continued to worry Wall Street, even as the Fed pumped more cash into the banking system. The Dow Industrials fell 167 points, or 1.3%, to 12,861.

Radio stocks outperformed the market and gained a bit overall. The Radio Index rose 0.352, or 0.3%, to 121.486. That was mostly due to gains by two stocks. Emmis rose 4.8% and Beasley gained 3%.


Radio Stocks

Here's how stocks fared on Wednesday

Company Symbol Close Change Company Symbol Close Change

Arbitron

ARB

51.40

+0.13

Google

GOOG

497.55

-11.05

Beasley

BBGI

7.25

+0.21

Hearst-Argyle

HTV

19.90

-0.30

CBS CI. B CBS

29.66

-0.15

Journal Comm.

JRN

10.23

-0.06

CBS CI. A CBSa

29.68

-0.19

Lincoln Natl.

LNC

57.02

-0.46

Citadel CDL
4.26 -0.15

Radio One, Cl. A

ROIA

3.86

+0.06

Clear Channel

CCU

35.11

+0.28

Radio One, Cl. D

ROIAK

3.84

+0.10

Cox Radio

CXR

12.82

+0.10

Regent

RGCI

3.01

-0.01

Cumulus

CMLS

9.33

-0.09

Saga Commun.

SGA

7.75

-0.18

Debut Bcg.

DBTB

1.00

unch

Salem Comm.

SALM

7.81

+0.09

Disney

DIS

31.71

-0.65

Sirius Sat. Radio

SIRI

2.88

-0.02

Emmis

EMMS

6.33

+0.29

Spanish Bcg.

SBSA

2.86

-0.06

Entercom

ETM

20.50

-0.05

SWMX

SMWX

0.08

unch

Entravision

EVC

8.15

-0.01

Westwood One

WON

3.06

-0.05

Fisher

FSCI

47.09

+0.89

XM Sat. Radio

XMSR

11.18

-0.16


Bounceback

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Below the Fold
Ad Business Report
GM spending big bucks
On radio stars including Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Whoopi to talk up its vehicles on air...

TIAA-CREF
Launches next phase branding campaign with a mix of television, Radio, print, and online advertisements...

Media Business Report
The truth, the faux truth
And nothing but the faux truth as Viacom wants 1B from Google's popular video-sharing site YouTube...

Ratings & Research
Shoppers' body language
Why do consumers buy the same Brands over and over? Nielsen examines...




Stations for Sale

The Exline Company
AMs - San Jose,
Salt Lake City, Fresno
FMs - Northern CA, Coastal CA,
Central CA, Idaho, Oregon
Call Andy McClure or Erick Steinberg
(415) 479-3484 [email protected]

New Hampshire
AM/FM combo
First Class facilities in NH's
fastest growing area. Double
digit increases last 6 years.
Priced at 10x trailing BCF $4.99M
Inquiries 781-848-4201 or
E-mail: [email protected]
WEB: radiostationsforsale.net

MCH Enterprises, Inc.
CA Lakeside Cluster: $995K
OR Coastal FM's: $895K
www.mchentinc.com
805.680.2265 (cell)

Market your Stations For Sale
in our daily epapers.

Contact
June Barnes
[email protected]


Radio Media Moves


Top duo to SBS
Two of Puerto Rico's top radio personalities, Antonio Sánchez "El Gángster" and José Vallenilla "Funky Joe," have signed with Spanish Broadcasting System to launch a new morning show on the SBS-Puerto Rico stations. SBS announced plans to construct a new studio in Guaynabo to house the show. "It will be a studio designed with state of the art digital equipment where we can also broadcast The Gangster and Funky Joe on television, while having the capability to stream the show on the Internet. Our plan is to construct a radio theater of great impact," said Félix A. Bonnet, Manager of Operations and VP of Programming, SBS-Puerto Rico. Pictured at the contract signing are Sánchez, SBS CEO Raul Alarcón and Vallenilla.




More News Headlines

Eight Democrats commit to Univision debate
Univision and the University of Miami say eight candidates for the Democratic nomination to become President of the United States have agreed to appear in a debate set for Sunday, September 9th, at the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables, FL. The event will be carried live in primetime on Univision's television, radio and online platforms. "Univision is excited and honored to be part of the first-ever Presidential Candidate Forum designed specifically for Hispanic Americans - addressing the issues that matter most to the Hispanic community, via a seamless simultaneous Spanish translation," said Univision CEO Joe Uva. The Democratic candidates participating, in alphabetical order are: Senator Joe Biden, Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Chris Dodd, Senator John Edwards, Senator Mike Gravel, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, Senator Barack Obama and Governor Bill Richardson. Moderators will be Univision network news anchors Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas. The Republican version is planned for Sunday, September 16th, with details to follow.

TIAA-CREF launches next phase branding campaign
TIAA-CREF, the financial services group and provider of retirement services in the academic, research, medical and cultural fields, announced the launch of its new national campaign, the "powerof.org." The national multimedia campaign represents the next phase in the TIAA-CREF brand evolution building on the corporate tagline: "For the Greater Good." The new campaign reflects TIAA-CREF's dedication to serving those who work for the welfare of others by helping them get to and through retirement. It also acknowledges the idea that people want a fully-equipped and trusted financial partner. TIAA-CREF has worked to meet those needs by introducing new products and services including: expanded investment options, objective advice and a new technology that enables plan administrators to build a retirement plan that truly responds to employee's needs. The campaign will include a mix of television, radio, print, and online advertisements. The effort was created by the Boston-based Modernista!. New York-based TargetCast TCM handled the ad buy.

No gunshots in Peoria
The transmission line blow-out Friday for Regent's WZPW-FM Peoria, IL was not the result of someone shooting at it, as reported yesterday by RBR. Rather, VP/GM J.R. Greeley says it was the result of a broken line hanger allowing the transmission line to rub against the tower and wear through the insulation. Chief Engineer Jerry Scott restored broadcasting at low power on Friday morning and the station expects to be back at full power by this Friday, August 17th.


International

Radio Regenbogen
launches HD Radio
test in Germany

Radio Regenbogen, one of Germany's private radio stations, and network operator Media & Broadcast of T-System have announced that they will begin an HD Radio technology field test at the end of August. "Listeners in the Rhine-Nectar area will be able to receive the Radio Regenbogen program as in the past with their normal radio at a frequency of 102.8," commented Radio Regenbogen's managing director, Gregory Spaceman in a press release. "With the new HD Radio technology, they will also be able to enjoy the new formats 'Regenbogen Gold and Regenbogen Comedy,' two new multicast channels." Testing is also being supported by iBiquity Digital, Audioexport Georg Neumann, Orban/CRL Systems, Broadcast Electronics and Ruoss AG, a company that has assisted with HD Radio tests in Switzerland. The first test results are to be presented at an event of the Regional Office for Communication that will be held in Stuttgart on 9/27.




RBR Radar 2007
Radio News you won't read any where else. RBR--First, Accurate, and Independently Owned.

Imus settles, heading to WABC?
Esiason, Carton to WFAN
Imus will soon return to the airwaves "on WABC in New York!" CBS Radio announced that former NFL quarterback and veteran CBS Sports broadcaster Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton, host of the nation's most listened to afternoon FM talk radio program [WKXW New Jersey 101.5 The Jersey Guys], have been named as hosts of "Boomer and Carton in the Morning," to be broadcast weekday mornings beginning 9/4.

RBR observation: Imus was CBS Radio's cash cow show after Stern left. As one recent story in New York Magazine said, "Imus used to sell spots for 1,500 that are now going for, like, 200." Imus will be worth more to WABC in audience and dollars than Boomer to WFAN - at least initially. Imus' program was reportedly worth about 15 million in annual revenues to CBS Corp. through advertising on WFAN and syndication fees received from MSNBC and Westwood One. As well, in the CBS Q2 Quarterly Report, radio operating income decreased 40.2 million, which was explained by "weakness in the radio advertising market." In the prior quarter with Imus still at CBS Radio, operating income decreased by 5.8 million with the same mention of ad weakness. CBS's Radio division contributes 30% of operating profits to CBS Corp., so he was significant. Likewise, WFAN's Arbitron ratings for Fall 2006 were 2.6. Their Winter 2007 ratings, including the period after he was fired, were 2.1. That's a 20% drop for the station as a whole - very significant. Bottom line - Imus returning is good for NYC radio just like WCBS-FM returning to their roots of oldies. It is called Ad Dollars returning to local and also show the strength of Programming Content, Presentation, and Talent. Learn from this.

RBR note: On the same day that CBS settled with Imus, Kia Vaughn of Rutgers team filed a lawsuit against Imus and all parties involved. Suit claims that her reputation was harmed by Imus on the air calling the team members Nappy-Headed Hos. - RBR observation: You can sue over anything but winning is another issue. Do not see this case flying anywhere. In other words, this case has got No Game, Period.
08/15/07 RBR #159


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