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Commission taking comments on localism
The FCC's study of the issue of broadcast localism is being thrown out to the public for comment. There are numerous topics which the FCC seeks to address under the general localism umbrella. Comments are due by 9/1/04, with reply comments accepted up to 10/1/04. Here is the unadorned list of topics being considered: communication with communities; nature and amount of community-responsive programming (and the role of market forces); political programming; underserved audiences; disaster warnings; network affiliation rules; payola; sponsorship identification; voice-tracking; national playlists; license renewals; and addition spectrum allocations (LPFM). Four of the five commissioners appended comments. Chairman Michael Powell called the effort a fact-finding mission rather than a result of a finding that broadcasters are lacking when it comes to meeting local demands today. He asked for information not only on what should be done but also what is being done. Kevin Martin applauded the effort, saying, though, that an affiliate's right to reject network programming needs to be strengthened. Michael Copps is all for the effort, too, but says it should have been undertaken prior to the 6/2/03 ownership rulemaking. Jonathan Adelstein and Copps both said there are some issues on the table which are already ripe for rulemaking without further comment.

Copps: Bring back the road show
Democratic Commissioner Michael Copps is ready to go on tour, not so much to talk but to listen. With the FCC's ownership radio, television and crossownership caps remanded by the courts for justification or modification, he wants the public to have some input. And he wants to go to the public in diverse locations.

RBR observation: Regardless of where you stand on the issue of consolidation, frankly, if you've been to one of these meetings, you've been to them all. A panel of professionals argues the pros and cons, depending, and every citizen with an axe to grind shows up and grinds it. Meanwhile, citizens who like their broadcast content just the way it is are content to stay home. The forums generally end up with a group-affiliated station GM and maybe a newspaper guy who'd like to buy a station trying to convince everyone else that their paychecks are not signed by a guy with horns and a pitchfork. | More... |

Viacom bids to buy SportsLine.com
We certainly had the call on this one (5/21/04 RBR Daily Epaper #100). Viacom has indeed decided that it wants to protect its investment in SportsLine.com and has offered to pay about $40 million to buyout other shareholders. That bid will pay other shareholders $1.50 per share for the 62% of SportsLine that Viacom doesn't already own - - a 39% premium over Wednesday's closing price of $1.08. While a special committee of SportsLine's board of directors reviews the Viacom offer, the two companies have put on hold until August 1st a $35 million payment, all in stock, that SportsLine was due to pay Viacom yesterday (7/1). That payment would have made Viacom the online sports site's majority shareholder and severely diluted other shareholders. SportsLine, which operates the cbs.sportsline.com web site, had put itself up for sale in late May to avoid having to give Viacom majority control on the cheap - - and now has a better deal for its shareholders from the most logical buyer, Viacom.

Glickman to head MPAA
The long search is over and a successor has been named for Jack Valenti as President and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). The post has gone to Dan Glickman, former Secretary of Agriculture under President Bill Clinton and before that a Congressman from Kansas. Thus ends MPAA's long and difficult search for a Washington heavy hitter to fill Valenti's shoes - - the type of search that is just now beginning for the National Association of Broadcasters to find a successor to Eddie Fritts, who is set to retire in two years.

The Ins and Outs of Houston PPM
While it still looks like Arbitron could have as many as 59 radio stations (commercial and non-commercial) encoding for its Portable People Meter test in Houston, the withdrawal of Infinity has made an already large data gap even larger. Although the three companies boycotting the PPM test - - Cox, Radio One and Infinity - - account for only 10 stations, eight draw a two share or better in the market. We ran a number crunch on BIAfn Media Access Pro and determined that the stations which won't be encoding for PPM account for 30.7 share points (12+) in the Winter Arbitron book. So even if Arbitron gets all other 59 radio stations to encode, they only add up to 52.1 share points. Here's a look at the (potential) Ins and (definite) Outs. | More... |

Adbiz ©

Sportscasters signed to tout Pepsi Edge
Pepsi's new low carb, reduced sugar drink, Pepsi Edge, is being pitched by two TV sportscasters in spots due to premiere this weekend on the Fox broadcast of NASCAR's Pepsi 400. The spots by BBDO New York feature Stuart Scott of ESPN's SportsCenter and Rich Eisen of the NFL Network playing up everyday achievements as big moments of celebration, akin to winning the big game. "Now you can reward yourself for even the smallest achievement," is the message of the campaign, according to Dave Burwick, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Pepsi-Cola North America.

Lender takes to the airwaves to court Hispanics
Countrywide Home Loans Inc. believes that Hispanics would like to trade apartment life for home ownership, but are both afraid of the process and unaware that there are avenues toward home ownership available to them. The company sees an opportunity. It says that translating a message from English to Spanish and then throwing it on Spanish media isn't enough. "...we have crafted messages that expressly speak to the Hispanic community - - assuaging their anxieties, demystifying any confusion, and earning their trust." CHLI will be using TV and radio to get this message across, in "large markets nationwide." If you deliver an Hispanic audience in a large market, and you haven't been in touch with CHLI, well......

Media, Markets & Money tm

Washington Beat

Sales

Miller Kaplan expanding X-Ray Strategic Plan
After trying it out in more than a dozen markets over the past year, Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co. is expanding its X-Ray Strategic Plan initiative to all of the 38 markets where it offers Media Market X-Ray reports, which means the Strategic Plan is now available to some 700 client stations. Miller Kaplan partner George Nadel Rivin tells RBR that the Strategic Plan has resulted in an average of $346k in increased billings for the 40 stations in the initial test, so he's estimating that widespread implementation could boost radio revenues by $200 million per year. The X-Ray Strategic Plan uses data across all media in a market to identify 25 target accounts for the radio station to go after for new dollars. "We provide the agency name, contact, phone number and starting point for the proposal," he noted. You could say that the expansion comes at an opportune time for Miller Kaplan. With its forward pacing reports done in by Clear Channel (6/23/04 RBR Daily Epaper #122) and Infinity (6/24/04 RBR Daily Epaper #123) withholding their data, Miller Kaplan is suggesting that client stations in its 36 former pacing reports markets reallocate those budgeted funds to buy the first X-Ray Strategic Plan for Q4, which will come out in September.

Programming

Dean, Nader face off on NPR
Even if you're in TV news, you may want to pay attention to this one: Acerbic ex-candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination Howard Dean is going to face off with independent candidate Ralph Nader on the roll of third parties in national elections. The event is being held at the National Press Club next week (Friday, 7/9/04) from 2:00-3:30 PM in front of a live audience. Nader has stubbornly ignored all pleas by Democrats to get out of the race, while Dean has been among the loudest suggesting that he do just that. Should make for some interesting post-Fourth of July fireworks. The event is part of NPR's "Justice Talking" show, which is produced by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

Ratings & Research

Transactions

$1.6M KCKN-AM Kansas City (Kansas City KS) from Carter Broadcast Group Inc. (Michael Carter) to KCKN LLC, related to All Comedy Radio (Michael O'Shea et alll). 5-year promissory note. LMA since 3/30/04. [File date 6/4/04.]

$16M KKAT-FM Salt Lake City (Ogden UT) from 3 Point Media-Ogden LLC (Bruce Buzil) to Citadel Broadcasting Company (Farid Suleman et al). $10M Tranche A loan; $16M Tranche B loan, latter paid in cash at closing. Superduopoly with KBEE-AM, KJQS-AM, KFNZ-AM, KUBL-FM, KBEE-FM, KBER-FM & KENZ-FM. LMA since 5/5/04. [File date 6/7/04.]

Stock Talk

Radio Stocks