Tuesday Morning June 21st, 2011, Volume 28, Issue 121

Fox dumps two more Nexstar-owned affiliates
Having already moved its network affiliation in Evansville, IN after failing to come to renewal terms with Nexstar, Fox has now announced affiliation deals with new stations in two more markets to displace Nexstar stations.

RBR-TVBR observation: Is it disloyal of Fox to abandon affiliates who helped build its fledgling network to #1 in the key 18-49 demo? Sure, but then it was disloyal of many stations to dump ABC, CBS or NBC in favor of Fox back when it won NFL rights in 1993. More...

RADAR 109: Dial-Global tops again, Rosso details updates
Arbitron reported in its June 2011 RADAR 109 Radio Network Ratings, detailing that some 191.9 million Persons 12+, or 74%, heard one or more network radio commercials in an average week of the survey period, an increase of nearly 1.9 million vs. the June 2010 report. Citadel Media Networks' Contemporary FM dropped from #28 to #48 in 18-49 (RADAR 108 to RADAR 109); and #30 to #49 in 25-54. RBR-TVBR spoke with Citadel Media Networks President John Rosso. More...

Oaktree sets its sights on NYSE
RBR-TVBR reported back in May that investment company Oaktree Capital was planning to get a listing at the New York Stock Exchange, and that plan is now officially in the works. The firm, which has investments in radio, is looking to pick up $100 million in an IPO.

RBR-TVBR observation: As we noted earlier, this is not a signal that radio companies are headed back to Wall Street. It's a signal perhaps that financial management companies are headed there, and Oaktree will soon have company from Carlyle Group within that sector. But radio makes up a tiny percentage of its portfolio, so this cannot be seen as a radio stock offering. More...

MMTC cites format study to call for FCC ownership study
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NBC apologizes for leaving God out of Pledge of Allegiance (video)
NBC has issued an apology the same day for removing the words "under God" from a reading of the Pledge of Allegiance during an intro video prior to the U.S. Open Golf Championship on 6/19. The network skipped over the phrase twice and issued the following apology on air:

RBR-TVBR observation: Like Busbee said, maybe the segment producer, in a quest to interweave the pledge with military and golf-related sound bites decided to cut the words for time savings. But it really looked strange without it. More...

John Dingell queries FCC on TV spectrum studies
It has come to the attention of House Energy and Commerce emeritus leader John Dingell that the FCC is studying scenarios that may become reality if it is allowed to proceed with plans to conduct incentive auctions to reclaim spectrum in the television plan. Dingell said it would be helpful for members of Congress to also see the studies.

RBR-TVBR observation: Dingell has made no secret of his skepticism about the entire spectrum reclamation proposal. That is good news for television broadcasters, who could hardly ask for a more forceful and tenacious congressional watchdog. More...

ACME distributing some cash to shareholders
TV One adds 500,000 new households
Fox News hires Ed Henry and reworks DC bureau
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Advertisement Predictions for Television’s Future More...

House panel looking at FCC reform bill
The House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet has hosted the sitting FCC Commissioners in its effort to reform the way the FCC does business. Now it has a draft known as "Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2011" to consider. More...

Arlen Specter wants congressional intervention in NFL labor fight
The owners and players of the National Football League have been battling it out over various issues involving a new employment contract (of course, using the phrase "various issues" is another way of saying "money") and former Senator Arlen Specter (R- no, make that D-PA) wants Congress to step in and make sure the 2011 season is played.

RBR-TVBR observation: This is not rocket science. There is a certain amount of money available. The players deserve an entertainer's pay, and the owners deserve a profit. Fans who are already dealing with an economy that is depressing enough are not amused by a billionaire v. millionaire chicken fight. Do a deal - or maybe Congress will step in. More...

CBS Outdoor, Cox Media billboard to let radio listeners see song IDs
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Viewpoints
The new silent majority
By Lee Abrams, former Tribune Chief Innovation Officer
There's a new Silent Majority yet tapped by American Media. Gets back to the "mass appeal intellect" that is a hole you could fly an Airbus 380 through. American Idol, Fox News, and celebrity worship are of course enormously popular and that's fine, but it appears EVERYone is attempting to capitalize on that mind set at a time when there are others. If these three define the state of American media innovation---we are indeed getting eaten by our own lack of vision. More...

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BET Awards '11 names sponsors
Coca-Cola, Domino's, Ford, Macy's, My Black Is Beautiful, Sprint, Starbucks and Subway are all on the roster for the live event hosted by comedian Kevin Hart on Sunday, 6/26 at 8PM ET. For the first time ever, BET has partnered with Ford to kick off a sweepstakes that will award one viewer the keys to a 2012 Ford Focus as part of the telecast that will also feature performances by Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Drake, Jill Scott and Lil Wayne. More...

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Shenandoah AM headed for new owner
The more famous Shenandoah is located in Virginia - specifically, it's a river that also gives its name to various other geographic features. But the name is also used for a town in Texas, and it is that one that is playing host to a newly filed radio transaction. More...

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Television Transactions
Low power group forming in Oklahoma
Radio Transactions
Radio station deals in Florida, California

FCC opens inquiry into Bloomberg/Comcast neighborhood dispute
Bloomberg is in the cable financial news business, and it believes that unless it is sited on cable systems in the same general vicinity as direct competitors CNBC and Fox Business, it is operating at a significant disadvantage. The problem is that cable MSO Comcast now owns CNBC, and Bloomberg says as a condition of the merger with NBCU, it is required to put Bloomberg's channel in its news block. The FCC has assigned it a docket number and is on the case. More...

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Radio
Envision offering free Tribute to Clarence Clemons
In honor of just-passed E Street Band/Bruce Springfield saxophonist Clarence Clemons, Envision Radio Networks and Tom Cunningham's Bruce Brunch are paying tribute to the considerable legacy of Clemons with a free one hour radio special that is available for download now. More...

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Television
The CW lists Fall premiere dates
The CW will launch the 2011-2012 season on Tuesday, 9/13, with four new series and returning favorites on new nights. On 9/13, the graduates from 90210's West Beverly High move over to Tuesday nights (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET). Following is "Ringer" (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET), starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as a woman on the run who assumes her twin sister's identity, only to discover that her sister's life is just as complicated and dangerous as the one she's trying to escape. More...

Roseanne Barr returning to TV with Lifetime series
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How radio format fans use television
Among the many things you can find in the vast data stores maintained by BIGresearch is the way that consumers use media - and one very interesting way to look at this is to compare those who say they are fans of one particular medium, and see where they show up when making use of a different medium. At RBR/TVBR, our two particular areas of interest are radio and television, so we thought we'd do a check and see what fans of a particular type of music are watching in numbers, as well as what they are steering clear of. More...

More charitable giving = better economy?
An annual report released 6/20 shows that charitable giving in the US grew nearly 4% in 2010 after two years of steep declines, which some experts say is a sign the economy is slowly rebounding, according to a Washington Post story. Individuals and corporations donated an estimated $290 billion last year, an increase of $10 billion from the previous year, according to the Giving USA Foundation.

RBR-TVBR observation: While some could say this is a good barometer of economic conditions, for the most part it could be that there were so many urgent needs last year that folks and corporations just opened up their wallets a bit more. Let's see-the Haiti earthquake, the Chili earthquake, The BP oil disaster, The Philippines and South China had a typhoon named Megi (200 mph winds), Central Java had a volcano named Merapi (coated entire towns in ash) and more. 2011 is obviously promising more of the same. More...

Miss USA topped Daytime Emmys
Falling Skies on TNT is cable's #1 series launch of the year
Anthony Weiner propels scandal to top of the news heap
Lifetime's 'Drop Dead Diva' hits highs in key demographics
'2011 Miss USA Pageant' on NBC shows the glitter
Fox Sunday animation has audience in Teens and 14-34
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It's all Greek on Wall Street - 6/20/11
Announcement of a new financial rescue package for Greece put Wall Street traders in a good mood. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 76 points, or 0.6%, to 12,080. Broadcasting stocks were mostly higher. The RBR Radio Index was up 0.033, or 0.01%, to 340.138. The TVBR Television Index was up 7.168, or 2.93%, to 251.603. More...

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Winners   Losers   Radio & Television Indexes ACME +16.7% Salem -4.9% SBS +6.9% Fisher -2% Beasley +3.9% Entravision -1.1%