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Volume 22, Issue 139, Jim Carnegie, Editor & Publisher
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Monday Morning July 18th, 2005
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Radio News®
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 Eddie Fritts fires letter to Congress
on WCS-XM deal
NAB CEO Eddie Fritts wrote members of Congress 7/14 claiming XM Satellite Radio's deal to buy WCS Wireless and its licenses (7/15 RBR #138) is "part of a longstanding pattern of deception by the satellite radio industry." Fritts said satellite companies have "proven once again they simply cannot be trusted." He asks the legislators to support the proposed H.R. 998 bill to solidify a prohibition against local content on satellite: "Today's Wall Street Journal characterized the transaction as 'a move to expand and localize programming.'...In 2003, while publicly claiming it had no plans to insert local content on its network of terrestrial repeaters, XM spent months seeking a patent for technology to do just that. In December of 2003, the company finally relented and signed an agreement saying that the repeaters would not be used for local content. Just a few weeks later, XM Satellite Radio announced that it would offer local programming by earmarking some of its national channels for localized traffic and weather information. In February of 2004, the other satellite radio provider, Sirius, followed suit with its own localized content plans...Local radio broadcasters live by the terms of our FCC granted licenses. While a national satellite radio service may indeed offer worthwhile niche programming to a limited segment of the population, no company should be permitted to disregard the terms of their licenses. On behalf of your hometown radio stations, I urge you to join your colleagues in cosponsoring H.R. 998 and help keep the satellite industry to its word."
Read the entire letter here:|
RBR observation: XM's deal with WCS, at the bare minimum, would provide data services to subscribers that would certainly include local information-more than is already offered via its traffic and weather channels. That additional data and services, of course, would compete with what traditional radio stations are trying to offer down the road with HD Radio. We applaud Fritts and the NAB's efforts to initiate some way to make XM and Sirius follow the rule of their licenses, even though the entity that issued those licenses-The FCC-isn't. Please send your comments on this issue to [email protected] . Your fellow broadcasters thank you.
 Emmis getting ready to deal
Emmis Communications Corp. has made no secret about its plans to sell off its TV group. It has told its hometown paper that it expects a hefty payday before summer is out, and that it may well plunge its earnings right back into its core radio business. The TV group includes 16 stations in 14 markets. There are duopolies in Mobile Al-Pensacola FL and Honolulu HI, along with single station operations in Tucson AZ, Ft. Myers-Naples FL, Orlando FL, Terre Haute IN, Topeka KS, Wichita Hutchinson KS, New Orleans LA, Albuquerque-Santa Fe NM, Portland OR, Charleston-Huntington WV and Green Bay-Appleton WI. The Indianapolis Star says that analysts think the group can bring in 1B, and Emmis thinks it can get more than that. It expects to have an announcement on the matter in less than a month, target date 8/15/05. The Star noted the hot rumors surrounding the Disney/ABC radio properties. Is Emmis interested? According to the Star, Emmis' Jeff Smulyan said, "Sure, we're talking to Disney. We've been talking to them for the better part of 10 years." Side note: Emmis has visited the UK during the past week or so with reports having British media assets of Chrysalis, the owner of Heart FM, in their buying eye. If this is the case Emmis could face a competition from the French media group Lagardère.
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NAB keeps the Hill heat on
"Broadcasters from around the country are in Washington to meet with their Representatives and Senators this week urging Congress to require that cable monopolies give viewers all the choices broadcasters offer." So says the National Association of Broadcasters in a follow-up ad to the one which ran on Capitol Hill publications last week. Both push for multicast must-carry as both houses of Congress close-in on legislation to catapult the endgame of the DTV transition. Last weeks add showed a switching device with only the words "ON" and "OFF," depicting the environment cable companies would prefer, according to NAB. The new ad shows the same device with additional choices: "Local Sports," Local Weather," Multi-Lingual" and "Community Affairs." "But you won't get these choices no matter what you pay for cable or satellite service if the giant cable monopolies bet their way," explains the ad. "They want you to see only what they own or produce themselves. They claim they lack the capacity to carry these additional channels. That's just not true. They're charging consumers for 'system upgrades' but refusing to let you see anything other than what they want you to see." The ads will run Tuesday through Thursday in Roll Call, The Hill, Congress Daily and CQ.
 F-bombs away:
ABC's Live 8 Broadcast caught
It was somewhere between 8:00-9:00 PM eastern on Saturday 7/2/05. 'The Who' were playing a segment of "Live 8: A Worldwide Concert Event." The song was "Who Are You." The lyrics were modified to "Who the f*** are you." The ever-attentive Parents Television Council has notified the FCC. According to PTC, it was clear that ABC had delay equipment in operation and was actively excluding off-color remarks. But it missed this one. "ABC took steps to edit other profanity from the broadcast," said PTC's Tim Winter. "But given the time of day that this program aired, the broad family appeal of the Live 8 event, as well as the program's PG rating, ABC should have been more diligent." PTC took advantage of the opportunity to remind senators that they still have work to do on the indecency front. "And this serves as yet another example of why the Senate needs to follow the lead of the House and vote to increase the indecency fines. The financial penalties for violating the law must no longer be a reasonable cost of doing business."
RBR observation: There's going to come a time when broadcasters are simply not going to allow a rock musician anywhere near a mic. It's just not worth it.
Outlook gloomier for CEOs
The Conference Board has released its latest tabulation of the collective crystal-ball gazing of the nation's CEO community, and it apparently is a cloudy picture, while remaining slightly on the positive side of the divide. With 50 representing the break even point, the Q2 2005 CEO Confidence Measure came in at 55 - - seven points lower than the 62 posted for Q1. It was also the lowest result since a 53 was posted during the Q1 2003 survey. It rose to 60 in Q2 2003 and has never dipped lower - - peaking at 73 Q1 2004 - - until now. The outlook for the economy as a whole, looking ahead six months, was 54, the lowest index in three years. Asked about the prospects six-months ahead for their industry alone, the CEOs posted a 52. While that was a big drop from the Q1 2005 rating of 65, it wasn't nearly as gloomy as that same Q1 2003 number, when pessimistic CEOs could only muster a 38 when thinking about their own line of business.
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| TVBR - TV News - Publisher Observation |
Broadcaster offers letter to Senate
Commerce Committee defending Nielsen
We reported this last Friday and it is worth a clear mind reread by Robert Hyland, President of Television, Una Vez Mas, LLC, the largest television affiliate group for Azteca America here in states. Don't know Bob Hyland, well one of the best minds in the media business and very well respected. If you have not read this potential keg of trouble get self educated Bill Number: S.1372
Senators involved: Conrad Burns (R-MT) Mel Martinez (R-Fla.), Olympia Snowe (R-Me.) and George Allen (R-Va.). None of which have a clue what they are about to undertake and the potential problems all broadcasters and total media will face if this gains more speed. Why? What happens with bills? How much pork will be added to the belly. Our recommendation is these fabulous four should do a bus trip to Tampa, FL and take a tour of the Nielsen technology plant and talk with the 4,000 plus employees working on the issue at hand to find the pros and cons, especially Martinez. Hey Sen. Mel there are over 4,000 voters there you have done POed. Then you have the broadcasters themselves jumping on this bandwagon. Again, do you have any idea how inside the beltway words with bills and the harm you are doing to yourselves, especially all this B.S. as it distracts from more important legislation, especially Digital TV, etc. Broadcasters need to put their energy to business issues instead of following Rupert Murdoch's lead. We trust broadcasters will stop this and pay a lot more attention to what has been started with Bill S.1372 before it is too late and a lot of pork is tacked added on. We already know how congressional leaders feel about the 1996 Telecom Act. Those broadcasters who know Bob Hyland know he speaks the truth. He has the experience and knowledge so listen to him. We quote this old Chinese saying about he who foolishly rides the back of the tiger....
| A Must Read letter: |
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Adbiz©
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Washingtonpost.com launches RSS advertising
Washingtonpost.com announced has introduced advertising in its RSS (Real Simple syndication) feeds, making it the first major news site to offer ad units in its syndication streams. Launched in its Top News, Politics and Opinion feeds, the ads will be part of a campaign integrating RSS ads, online video, behavioral targeting and standard ad delivery. The launch partner for the campaign is the MSNBC nightly news and commentary program, The Situation with Tucker Carlson. MediaVest, the planning and digital services agency for NBC nets including Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC and NBC, initiated the campaign and partnered with NBC and Washingtonpost.com on program development and execution. "Working closely with MSNBC and NBC, we have created an innovative platform that embodies and leverages the inherent news-orientation of Washingtonpost.com's readers, RSS feeds, and 'The Situation with Tucker Carlson'," said Mohan Renganathan, Associate Director of Digital Strategy, MediaVest USA. "As RSS gains ubiquity, we are hopeful that these early tests will lay the groundwork for advertisers and publishers to evolve the platform responsibly." Washingtonpost.com offers more than 150 feeds, with politics and opinion sections among the feeds most often subscribed to.
 DaimlerChrysler chooses
the NTN iTV Network to
promote new Dodge Charger
NTN Communications Channel M, its advertising sales partner specializing in connecting brands with consumers in entertainment-based media, announced DaimlerChrysler has signed a multi-tiered advertising and promotional deal to promote their new Dodge Charger. Beginning in August and continuing through mid-November, Dodge Charger will sponsor NTN Texas Hold 'em, the popular new interactive poker offering on the NTN iTV Network. Channel M sells advertising on the NTN iTV Network, the worlds largest on-premise, interactive gaming network. The NTN iTV Network broadcasts trivia quiz shows, play along sports programs, and casino games to over 3,700 restaurants, sports bars and taverns across North America, and reaches more than a million consumers daily on over 12,000 NTN screens. Channel M, with a history of selling advertising and programming on alternative closed networks, currently sells advertising and produces programs for Blockbuster Video, EB Games and Chuck E. Cheese restaurants, as well as arcades and theaters around the country. In addition to sponsoring Texas Hold 'em, Dodge Charger will run a comprehensive media schedule on the NTN iTV Network, including in-game advertising and interactive player polling.
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Radio & Television Business Report
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| Media Markets & MoneyTM |
Pennsylvania trio sold
Frank Iorio has cut a deal that will give him three radio stations not far from the Allegheny National Forest in northern Pennsylvania. In addition to already holding a CP for an FM in the area, he owns a pair of AMs in the Pittsburgh area. The stations are WNAE-AM/WRRN-FM Warren PA and WKNB-FM Clarendon PA. Clarendon is the site of Iorio's CP. According to broker Dick Kozacko of Kozacko Media Services, the price for the trio is 1.25M. Kozacko said WNAE is using an AC format, WRRN plays Oldies and WKNB does Country.
Radar would be proud
Just for you M*A*S*H fans, Susan Patrick of Patrick Communications has brokered a deal in Radar O'Reilly's back yard. Talker KBIZ-AM and AC KTWA-FM in Ottumwa IA are going from Jay Mitchell's Fairfield Media Group to O Town Communications Inc. for 890K. The buyer's principals are Greg List and Bruce Owens. Ottumwa is in unrated territory in the southeast quadrant of the state.
 SBS to launch cable net too?
SBS's purchase of WDLP-TV Miami (7/14 RBR #137) may be a bigger deal than anyone thought. This may be an entrée into a new national TV network for the broadcaster. What may help get it off the ground, so to speak is the SBS/Interep Hispanic Radio Network, which is already in the minds of broadcast buyers around the country. Not to mention the cross-promotional benefits already in place with the SBS radio stations across the country. The demand is definitely there for another national Hispanic TV net. Getting carriage is less and less a problem in the digital cable world.
Two more public companies coming up to bat
Next week the quarterly conference season kicks into higher gear, at least for broadcast companies, and the schedule of broadcast companies continues to get more and more crowded. Two more announcements are in. TV specialist Nexstar Broadcasting Group Inc. will hit the phone lines/Internet Tuesday, 8/2/06 at 10:00 AM eastern, followed a week later by a little company you may have heard of - - calls itself Clear Channel. It'll talk with analysts and interested parties 8/9/05 at 9:00 AM eastern.
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| Washington Beat |
 Court tells FEC to tighten
its soft money interpretations
The Federal Appeals Court for the District Circuit has informed the Federal Election Commission that its interpretation of the McCain-Feingold Shays-Meehan Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform law was too far on the lax side, reaffirming a lower court decision. It has been ordered to turn the screws tighter. The biggest complaints concerning FEC enforcement of soft money in the 2004 campaign concerned the 527 organization loophole. Those organizations which fit into a certain part of the tax code were not subject to the same donation caps as were political parties and politically-affiliated organizations. Both sides used them - - MoveOn.org was a big one for the democrats, and Swift Boat Veterans was the most famous on the Republican side. Last spring, FEC declined to impose restrictions on these groups in part because it expected court challenges, and did not think it would be able to get rules on the books far enough in advance of the election. Judge David Tatel, writing for the majority said, ""Money, like water, will always find an outlet." Noting that there was no reason to suspect that this was the final congressional word on the topic, he continued, "For if regulatory safe harbors permit what BCRA bans, we have no doubt that savvy campaign operators will exploit them to the hilt, reopening the very soft money floodgates BCRA aimed to close. Because the rules at issue in this appeal either fall short of Congress' mandate or lack record support showing otherwise, we affirm their invalidation by the district court."
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| Ratings & Research |
Research subcommittee of RAB-PPM Task Force
issues prelim report
The 188 questions answered: The Research Subcommittee of the RAB-PPM Task Force has released a preliminary report that analyzes the commercial viability of the PPM from a research perspective. This is a separate report from the PPM Economic Impact Study that will be released at a press conference next Wednesday in New York City. Distributed to the RAB Board, other radio industry leaders, and the radio trade press, the report provides detail on specific research questions about the implementation of the PPM. The subcommittee developed a total of 188 questions about the implementation of the PPM, the vast majority of which Arbitron has provided answers to so that the Subcommittee can conduct an evaluation of the PPM device. The remaining questions will be answered from the forthcoming Houston market test. The Research Subcommittee was formed in January of 2004 and given a clear mandate by the RAB Board of Directors to determine the feasibility of the PPM as a commercial service from the research side of the biz.
| To see the report and full Q&A, go here. |
TVBR observation: Some of the research issues have been satisfactorily addressed. Some of the answers are incomplete-much still to be evaluated based on the Houston test, Arbitron said to many questions. Bottom line, the industry needs to analyze results from several months of the Houston test before it can conclude that the PPM provides audience estimates that are reliable. The report indicates the research subcommittee has been working hard and Arbitron has been cooperative with the subcommittee, which is good. We note the whole Houston test might be moot if Arbitron decides to change the PPM methodology to an "only radio" scenario (supposedly to be announced in July, but Arbitron may wait until after this Wednesday's release of the financial impact study). The question then becomes will the industry accept a stripped-down PPM version with response rates in the single digits. We asked Jess Hanson, Chair of the subcommittee and VP/Research of Clear Channel Radio whether or not the subcommittee is satisfied with all of Arbitron's answers but haven't heard back by deadline.
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| Engineering |
 Entercom VP details
environmental initiatives
Marty Hadfield, Entercom VP/Engineering, tells us Entercom has a number of pro-environmental programs in place: "We're pretty 'into' protection of the environment at Entercom. One of the Entercom environmental initiatives relating to company-owned vehicles is that any new vehicle must be a hybrid-type vehicle, such as my Ford Escape. Special use or heavy-duty vehicles which are not available as hybrids must be powered by other, non-gasoline, alternative-fuels such as diesel/bio-diesel. Entercom has also instituted energy conservation policies which include widespread use of energy efficient compact fluorescent lighting where ever possible throughout our clusters. Another excellent example is our conversion of FAA required tower lights from incandescent globes to LED's. Entercom has already converted about 2/3 of our tower lighting systems to LED's and the power usage on those towers typically drops to about 1/10 of the previous power consumption. Entercom and our employees are one of the top contributors to Earth Share, a nationwide network of the most respected environmental and conservation organizations. Earth Share partners with employees and employers across the country to support hundreds of environmental groups through efficient and effective payroll contribution giving." Be sure to read about Marty's insights on the RF and studio frontier in our August "Engineered For Profit" print issue.
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| Monday Morning Makers & Shakers |
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Transactions: 6/6/05-6/10/05
Back to normal - - that's the word. This was by no means a scorching week for transaction filings at the FCC, but the stream was steady after an week of almost total invisibility. And TV was back in the mix. The action was fueled mainly, though, by a string of FM singleton sales in places like Las Vegas, New Orleans, Albany, Boise, State College and Bangor.
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Total
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Total Deals
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17
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AMs
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8
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FMs
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18
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TVs
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1
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| Value |
44.471M
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| Complete Charts |
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Radio Transactions of the Week
Simmons: Have screwdriver, will duopolize
| More... |
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TV Transactions of the Week
Tallahassee makes a group out of SBCofS
| More... |
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| Transactions |
34M KURK-FM, KTHX-FM, KRZQ-FM/KJZS-FM Reno NV (Reno, Dayton, Sparks NV) and KLLL-FM/KONE-FM, KMMX-FM, KBTE-FM Lubbock TX (Lubbock, Tahoka, Tulia TX) from NM Licensing LLC, a subsidiary of NextMedia Group (Carl Hirsch, Steven Dinetz, Samuel Weller, Sean Stover et al) to Wilks Broadcast Group LLC (Jeffrey Wilks et al). 3.4M escrow, balance in cash at closing. Existing superduopolies. Seller is in the process of acquiring KBTE-FM in the Lubbock market. It will be responsible for all associated costs and will arrange to LMA station to buyer in the interim. [File date 6/13/05.]
450K WKTJ-FM Farmington ME. 100% of Franklin Broadcasting Corporation from Mark D. Fisher and Nelson B. Doak (each 50% to 0%) to Clearwater Communications Inc. (Steve White, James Roemer, Mark Hilton, Rick Davis, John Lemieux). Cash. Minor overlap with WHQO-FM Skowhegan ME, no overlap with WSKW-AM Skowhegan ME nor WCTB-FM Fairfield ME. [File date 6/13/05.]
435K WZUM-AM Pittsburgh (Carnegie PA) from Horvath Broadcasting LLC (Michael L. Horvath) to Starboard Media Foundation Inc. (Mark C. Follett). 88K down payment, balance in cash at closing. LMA 3/1/03. [File date 6/10/05.]
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| Stock Talk |
Broadcasters follow the up-arrow
Several indicators pointed to a healthy economy last week, and traders took the news and their cash to a market which enjoyed healthy increases. Although no broadcast stocks took off, most at least added a small amount of value per share. However, the handful that did drop did so more precipitously than the gainers were rising.
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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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43.42
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+0.76
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Jeff-Pilot
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JP
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50.57
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-0.13
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Beasley
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BBGI
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14.43
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unch
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Journal Comm.
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JRN
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16.67
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+0.06
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| Citadel |
CDL |
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11.34 |
-0.12 |
Radio One, Cl. A
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ROIA
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12.66
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-0.01
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Clear Channel
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CCU
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32.05
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-0.19
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Radio One, Cl. D
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ROIAK
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12.67
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+0.02
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Cox Radio
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CXR
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15.82
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-0.10
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Regent
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RGCI
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5.77
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-0.13
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Cumulus
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CMLS
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12.09
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+0.02
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Saga Commun.
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SGA
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14.01
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+0.13
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Disney
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DIS
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26.35
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+0.02
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Salem Comm.
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SALM
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20.50
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+0.19
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Emmis
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EMMS
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18.15
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+0.16
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Sirius Sat. Radio
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SIRI
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6.80
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+0.07
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| Entercom |
ETM
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31.82
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-0.37
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Spanish Bcg.
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SBSA
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8.90
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-0.10
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Entravision
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EVC
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8.41
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+0.11
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Univision
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UVN
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27.08
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-0.20
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Fisher
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FSCI
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44.51
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-1.04
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Viacom, Cl. A
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VIA
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33.09
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+0.05
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Gaylord
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GET
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47.55
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+0.02
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Viacom, Cl. B
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VIAb
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32.85
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+0.10
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Hearst-Argyle
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HTV
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24.39
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-0.19
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Westwood One
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WON
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19.86
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-0.16
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Interep
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IREP
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0.53
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+0.06
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XM Sat. Radio
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XMSR
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35.62
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-0.25
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International Bcg.
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IBCS
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0.01
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unch
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-
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-
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- |
-
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-
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Bounceback
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 We want to
hear from you.
This is your column, so send your comments to [email protected]
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Upped & Tapped
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Jon Newman upped
at ABC News Radio
ABC News Radio announced today that Jon Newman has been promoted to manager of News Coverage, based in New York City. In his new role, Newman will work primarily as the morning manager on duty and will continue his valuable involvement in ABC News Radio's editorial coverage. Newman was previously senior editor at ABC News Radio.
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More News Headlines
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ESPN Radio raises 200,000 in cancer research fundraiser
ESPN Radio listeners made the inaugural "Don't Ever Give Up V Foundation Auction" an overwhelming success on 7/13. Net proceeds raised for The V Foundation for Cancer Research, from bids on nearly 100 sports-themed items and experiences available on ESPN Radio and ESPNRadio.com, totaled 201,769.
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July Digital Magazine
Now Available
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Media Business Report:
"People Make the Difference" -- We've asked our readers to give recognition to the people that are making a difference in today's business environment.
GM Talkback:
Who in your company or stations deserves a pat on the back and why?
AdBiz:
Carat Americas CEO David Verklin: "Mastering a digital future" from advertising in a digital convergence world to improving metrics to the TV upfront and more.
Read RBR/TVBR in 2 simple steps:
1.Create a simple account with Zinio and download the Zinio Reader.
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July Issue of RBR/TVBR
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RBR Radar 2005
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Radio News you won't read any where else. RBR--First, Accurate, and Independently Owned.
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They can't be serious
about Sirius/ABC
We thought we made a strong case that there wasn't even much excuse for any smoke, much less fire, when it came to rumors about a Sirius Satellite Radio/ABC Radio betrothal. But the rumors just don't want to go away. This despite the fact, as we pointed out, that Sirius would have to wheedle ABC into accepting essentially a no-money-down deal, and despite the newer rumor out of the Wall Street Journal that ABC may be looking into a "reverse Morris Trust" structure for any sale, which would require an existing radio group roughly equal in value to the combined ABC radio stations and networks. Reuters reports essentially that a friend of a friend in the analyst community have it on good authority that Sirius has no interest in ABC. RBR observation: Let's see if we got this right - - this second wave of rumors started because Sirius' Mel Karmazin was seen talking to ABC's Robert Iger in Sun Valley ID. By that standard, if President Bush's designated shepherd for a potential Supreme Court nominee, ex-Sen. Fred Thompson, is seen in the first class cabin of an airplane upon which Judge Judy happens to be a passenger, the headline may well read "Judge Judy headed for SCOTUS." C'mon. Not even Sen. Jerry Springer ! (D-OH) would believe that one (what, he didn't even run?). (Come to think of it, maybe Ms. Sheindlin would be a good pick - - "I'll tell you when to speak, Counselor - - what's your full name anyway, Fibber Lee Bailey?") 07/15/05 RBR #138
Tribune banks better net
despite revenue drop
Honcho Dennis FitzSimons cited advertising weakness on both the newspaper and television sides of Tribune's multimedia operation (the company also has one radio station - - a big one, full-throttle clear station WGN-AM Chicago). A loss of 40M in revenue still translated into a big gain in net income - - largely due to losses related to circulation scandals last year. On the TV side, Tribune also pointed to Nielsen's LPM as a source of trouble.
RBR observation: Go ahead do as all the rest in putting the blame. First its was no political ads, then tough comps, now Nielsen with LPM. How about fixing the internal problems of content and remember the consumer is in control. All ad agencies want is a better way to read the temperature so they can create and deliver a better message for their clients ring cash registers. It this so hard to understand? 07/15/05 RBR #138
FCC can't agree on how
to even discuss new rules
The kickoff of the re-visitation of media ownership rules was yanked from last weeks FCC Open Meeting. What was supposed to be a non-controversial enumeration of issues remaining from the 6/2/03 rulemaking after court and congressional intervention bogged down in controversy over how much time to allow for public comments, how many public meeting to hold and how much money to spend on independent studies. RBR observation: In the first go-around, former FCC Chairman Michael Powell made it to two public forums on the rules, one of which was set up by the FCC itself. That was deemed insufficient by the two Democrats, Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, who embarked on numerous public forums. Powell pointedly refused to provide any extra funding over and above their standard travel allowances. The current controversy is almost certainly along similar lines - - the Republicans would like to do this as quietly as possible, or at the very least find little use for the public hearings (which have tended to be repetitive and one-sided, as people without an axe to grind don't bother to show up).The Democrats want the process to be as noisy as possible. All we know for sure is that this isn't going to be over any time soon. 07/15/05 RBR #138
SBS breaks into television
Raul Alarcon's Spanish Broadcasting System has long been one of the leading exponents of Hispanic radio. Now it's expanding in its home market of Miami, adding one of those post-radio broadcast outlets that include pictures with the transmission. WDLP-TV Channel 22. The station in a Spanish language indy licensed to Key West, the extreme southern extremity of the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale DMA. The station's cable and satellite presence helps get it before the eyes of Miami viewers - - 1.5M of them. RBR observation: Look for SBS to exploit any and all cross-promotional and cross-platform opportunities presented by the soon-to-be-expanded cluster. Once again we remind all that SBS has one of the finest programming executives in the business - Vice-President Director of Programming Bill Tanner. All in the media do not let your guard down if Tanner comes to town but watch his skills at work. 07/14/05 RBR #137
Goldman Sachs sets up
NAB conflict Conference
The 14th Annual Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference is set for 9/21-22/05. Conflict: The NAB Radio Show in Philadelphia in scheduled for 9/21-23/05. Which one are you going to attend? Communacopia Conference brings out "Preliminary List of Confirmed Companies" is indeed impressive, with the broadcasting, cable and satellite businesses represented by the likes of Cablevision Systems, Clear Channel, Comcast, DirecTV, Gannett, McGraw-Hill, NBC Universal, News Corp., Sirius, Time Warner, Univision, Viacom, Walt Disney and XM.
RBR observation: First no disrespect but how many more of these financial conferences is really needed since the participants have said the same thing over and over again all year. Just pick your financial or other conferences that have already been held. Secondly, these CEO of public companies are not going to tell you anything - they can't. We have been there and they are nice especially the food. So your best bet if you are radio and preparing to compete in 2006 - decision is easy - NAB Philly is it. Besides you can get a great cheese steak. 07/14/05 RBR #137
Rocket fuel to Disney radio rumors
Perhaps you read this in the RBR/TVBR story "Peace reigns once more over the Magic Kingdom." "And maybe they'll finally get around to changing the status of the talked-about sale of the radio station group to something other than rumor." Now Wall Street Journal has put out a possible sell-off deal structure for ABC radio interests, and fingered possible buyers. RBR observation: Get real, Bob Iger is just finding his way to the CEO john. And why toss off 700m when the machine ain't broke. It is a strong marketing asset once someone at ABC/Disney figures it out. Take a lesson from what CBS honcho Les Moonves once said; "Come fall I use all 183 radio stations to my marketing advantange." When Moonves made that statement was actually wishing he had 1,183 radio stations. 07/13/05 RBR #136
Goldman Sachs sees radio
increase in 2005
A simple analysis of radio revenues, which monetizes three industry trends in coming to its 2% result. Trend #1 is less-is-more: GS says that the net impact of the Clear Channel/Infinity initiative will be a loss of 1.5% of revenue due to simple inventory reduction. Trend #2 is continuation of a steady decline in time-spent-listening (TSL). GS says 1.5% of revenue will be lost based on "acceleration of approximate 1% TSL erosion. Coming in to save the day if Trend #3 a 5% price tag increase, a number they say comes from a proprietary survey and our broader Goldman Sachs media team advertising forecast. More to come 07/12/05 RBR #135
iPod overrated and other mullin'
Emmis Communications uberhoncho Jeff Smulyan took to the company's website to discuss the general state of affairs with his company. The TV group, featuring both attractive signals and markets, is attracting significant interest and higher-than-expected numbers. Part of the reason, he believes, is good old supply and demand. Outlook on radio - Wall Street is skeptical of all media right now, but we're seeing data on satellite and iPod consumption that show us that some of the threats against terrestrial radio are overblown. 07/12/05 RBR #135
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