Radio: The Business Built On Relationships

"I must be the happiest, passionate and most peaceful person in radio today ... and I don’t even work inside a radio station." Those are the words of Kelly Orchard, who spent 20 years operating family-owned radio stations and is today a licensed psychotherapist and alternative FCC compliance specialist. In this exclusive column, Orchard diffuses the ticking time bomb of "living with the daily pressure most broadcasters experience." There's a way to get rid of that negativity. Here are her suggestions for how to achieve that goal.

The Cloud: ‘No Broadcast Cure-All’

Many tech companies are focusing so strongly on cloud deployments that it almost seems that the answer is "cloud" ... with no one sure of the question. In this Media Information Bureau column, Telestream CMO Chris Osika tackles "the $64 million question for the broadcast industry: How should cloud figure in to the future?"

FCC Complexification, And The Complaint Department

Washington's favorite acerbic octogenarian from Arizona is back with another fun column that asks the questions few are willing to voice in public. In this Media Information Bureau column, Ken Benner gifts RBR+TVBR Members with this fact: "Have you recently pulled up the FCC website? If not, please do it now. The first most prominent item that pops up includes how to file a complaint."

America’s TV Home Universe Expands Ever-So-Slightly

Nielsen’s National Television Household Universe Estimates for the 2018-19 TV season have just been released. A tiny bump upward in the total has been seen. Why? Multicultural households are to thank for the growth.

Radio: The Audio Consolation Source

A 24-hour excursion to New York inspired RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson to pen a column about his latest Uber, Lyft and hired driver experience when it came to the audio entertainment of choice each ride provided. In every instance, for the first time, a local radio station was playing. It led Adam to two conclusions: Radio is alive in New York, and marketers need to know this.

An Ode To Two Important Engineers’ Organizations

As one of the 17 surviving SBE Charter members, featured columnist Ken Benner played "a small but significant and proud role" in the development of The Society of Broadcast Engineers and, later, The National Radio and Telecommunications Engineers. With the recent passing of SBE Past President Barry Thomas, Benner reflects on the importance of these two groups.

The ‘Auction 101’ Broadcaster’s Guide to Spectrum Valuation

With another FCC spectrum auction in the books, many broadcasters may be interested in taking stock of the value of their spectrum usage rights and the likelihood that they may have an opportunity to monetize their spectrum in the future. Ari Meltzer of Wiley Rein LLP is happy to help with this guide.
Gavel

Could Outdated FCC Documents Cost You?

Since 1997, Ken Benner has conducted thousands of alternative FCC inspections for broadcast media properties. He thought he'd had everything memorized. But, he recently decided to brush up on his skills. What he discovered absolutely stunned him.

Is OTT Eating Into OTA, While Killing Cable TV?

We've all seen the studies that point to continued cord-cutting thanks to the rise of over-the-top (OTT) choices for video news and entertainment. But, is broadcast TV at risk from OTT growth? This study says yes, making it required reading for all TV station owners.

What To Do If You Play Pre-1972 Recordings

They may be the "platters that matter" to your listeners, but to those seeking royalty payments, they could also result in the "dollars that drain" for audio streams featuring songs from before 1972. However, two attorneys suggest radio stations that stream think twice before one ponies up three years of royalties under the new MMA provision.

The One Question Sales Leaders Must Ask Every Candidate

"I love good interview questions," gushes Media Information Bureau columnist Barrett Riddleberger. "This one, I cannot live without." What does this expert sales trainer have to share? RBR+TVBR Members can get the answer by clicking here now!

Broadcast Radio: Under Threat From New Tech

As streaming music services continue their ascendance, attracting increasing levels of consumer spend, and the automotive industry explores the car connectivity road map, traditional broadcast radio is coming under serious threat. That’s according to a new automotive audio report from Futuresource Consulting.

Beware of the Marketing ‘Golden Child’

They interview well. They have a track record of breaking sales records. But you do not want to hire them. Expert sales training coach Barrett Riddleberger details in this freshly penned column why one should be very wary of the scary "Golden Child."

Audio Everywhere: The Rise of Consumer Music Hardware

On Tuesday, RBR+TVBR offered commentary from Futuresource Consulting's Luke Pearce on how esports is "edging its way into mainstream consciousness." Today, Pearce offers his analysis on the demand for consumer music hardware -- and the rise of smart speakers.
Money

Benner on Washington: Recalling The ‘Greenmail Scam’

Long before Media Information Bureau featured columnist Ken Benner got involved with the ABIP programs, he used his time off from his full-time job to visit radio stations in the Upper Midwest to conduct the then-FCC required annual proof of performance measurements. It was during these tours that Benner first learned of how some FCC regulations, in his view, were distorted for "extortion." Yikes!