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Volume 23, Issue 141, Jim Carnegie, Editor & Publisher

Friday Morning July 21st, 2006

Radio News ®

Philadelphia could be first PPM market
Arbitron officials refuse to speculate on the sequence of events, but that was a conclusion that was pretty easy to draw from Arbitron CEO Steve Morris' comments to analysts yesterday in his quarterly conference call. He noted two hang-ups with flipping the switch to take Houston from test mode to commercial service: Arbitron's pledge not to go forward in Houston until it gets Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation - which is taking longer than expected and Morris refused to speculate on when it might come - and the need for critical mass, with CBS Radio still the only company with stations in the Houston market who has signed a PPM contract. The situation is quite different in Philadelphia, where Arbitron plans to deploy PPM as ratings currency in January 2007 (3/15/06 RBR #52). Morris indicated that Arbitron is prepared to deploy PPM in Philly and other markets as scheduled, with or without MRC accreditation in hand. Arbitron VP/Communications Thom Mocarsky clarified for RBR that Arbitron intends to go through the MRC audit process, but won't necessarily wait for accreditation before deployment. Of course, critical mass remains an issue in all potential PPM markets, due to the cost of the new service. Mocarsky said operators representing 63.8% of radio station revenues in the Philly market have signed PPM contracts, but refused to say whether that constitutes critical mass for Arbitron.

RBR observation: Morris had little to say about the Next-Generation Electronics Ratings Evaluation Team, except to complain that the RFP process initiated by Clear Channel had gotten "somewhat secretive" of late. Arbitron hasn't yet responded to the group's June letter calling for more information about PPM, but Mocarsky told RBR that's because Arbitron is still waiting for clarification from the Next-Gen group on just where its previous submission was lacking. It seems to us that constitutes a communications problem. The Next-Gen group needs to stop bickering about who can and cannot be a member and get on with the work at hand. Completion of a side-by-side evaluation of the two competing systems for electronic radio audience measurement would be beneficial for everyone concerned. Otherwise, Arbitron will simply win by default.

Weller exits Nextmedia
Co-founder Skip Weller has stepped down as President of Nextmedia's Radio Division, leaving company President and CEO Steve Dinetz to run radio operations. Weller, Dinetz and Exec. Chairman Carl Hirsch are painting it as an amicable parting. "Skip has been President and Co-COO of NextMedia's Radio Division since its inception in 2000. He has orchestrated a unique strategy in the post consolidation era that has positioned the radio portfolio for the future. We wish him well in future endeavors and will miss working alongside our good friend," Hirsch and Dinetz said in a joint statement. "I have had a terrific time over the past six plus years helping in the strategy and build out of the NextMedia Radio Division. What I will miss the most is the daily contact with a fantastic group of family and friends in NextMedia. Now is the time for me to get involved in other opportunities that I would like to pursue," said Weller.

RBR observation: This reminds us of the situation at Regent Communications, where Terry Jacobs stepped down to let Bill Stakelin run the company alone. With the radio industry in a slow growth mode, moving one person out of the executive suite will cut costs for Nextmedia at a time when every penny counts. We learned yesterday that Nextmedia has recently dropped its PR firm to handle all press and investor relations itself.

Sirius also halts production of some radios;
XM solution rejected
Sirius Satellite Radio has instructed some of its manufacturers to stop making gear that doesn't comply with FCC emissions and frequency rules. Directed Electronics Inc. said it had received notice that two Sirius radios it markets were also found to be out of compliance with FCC emission standards - the Sirius ST2 and Sirius S50-C. In a SEC filing on Thursday, Sirius said the FCC was continuing its review of the products. Sirius believes its radios currently in production comply with applicable FCC rules. No health or safety issues are involved with any of the products. The move follows a similar move by XM on models with FM transmitters, which allow consumers to play the service on a traditional radio - often on the low end of the FM dial. XM said late Wednesday that the FCC had rejected its solution for bringing certain radio units into compliance with FCC standards. XM admitted in late May it was suspending shipments of some gear, including the Delphi XM SKYFi2 and the Audiovox Xpress, after the FCC found the small RF FM transmitters in units were outside of emission standards. XM had asked they suspend production of those units that exceed emissions after the FCC dismissed its proposed changes to them.

RBR observation: The issue revolves around the frequencies these little RF plug-in transmitters use to send the XM and Sirius signal to your car radio - often using 88.1-88.7 frequencies. The signals are just too strong. iPods, MP3 players, etc - all use similar devices. Some are more powerful than others, some use batteries, others plug in to the cigarette lighter. The problem is it interferes with the regular radio stations on those frequencies. Just driving to and from work one can tune to 88.1 and hear dozens of folks broadcasting music from their cars. Amazing how many are using them. When those transmitters are a bit too powerful, they do interfere with the next car over which may be listening to a regular terrestrial station. They certainly interfere with each other, that's for sure. As more and more cars come factory-equipped with satellite or an MP3/iPod plug-in option, there will be no need for these RF devices in cars.

Kerry enlists ally to
keep the heat on Martin
"Two years ago the FCC publicly committed itself to increasing minority, women and small business ownership, but they haven't moved an inch. "Further delay won't level the playing field for minority, women and small businesses trying to compete in the media industry. The diverse voices in our country should be in the game, not left on the sidelines." These are the words of John Kerry (D-MA), who has two committee posts pertaining to the subject, the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and member of the Commerce Committee. He has previously pushed FCC Chairman Kevin Martin for action on the topic before moving any further on the Third Circuit Court remand of the derailed 6/2/03 ownership rulemaking attempt. He's back again with reinforcements in the person of Barack Obama (D-IL). In a letter to Martin, the duo wrote, "We urge prompt completion of the proceeding and...urge you to complete the proceeding before consideration of broader media consolidation issues begins in earnest. The goals of promoting minority, women, and small business ownership in the communications industry are set forth in the Communications Act of 1934. Ensuring that such directives are accomplished is important to achieving a diverse media, particularly in an era of increased media concentration."

RBR observation: Democrats on Capitol Hill are certainly letting Martin know that they have their eyes on him. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) has been pushing for completion of Michael Powell's localism proceeding prior to undertaking ownership rules again, and most significantly, was able to insert language into Ted Stevens' telecom update requiring the FCC to inform Congress of any changes to the rules it may consider before officially adopting them.

Coming Next Week

Stay tuned for Sales and
Marketing Business Report
We've asked folks from both sides of the desk for advice on what to do before you make that sales appointment with the agency.

"Can you close the deal?"
by Lynne Cowlishaw,
PHD's LMN (Local Media Network) Broadcast Supervisor

"What to bring to the agencies"
By Tom Barnes, Founder of Mediathink

RBR News Analysis

Why are stations
"abandoning" HD-2 formats?
We're not sure about other markets, but indeed in DC it seems broadcasters are not all that psyched about HD-2 formats. Classic Rock WARW-FM (CBS Radio), for instance, has had an HD signal on its 94.7 frequency here some two months now, but the HD-2 signal, while receivable, is still silent. They were supposed to launch a AAA format for this musically-starved city, but where is it? We've asked but never really got an answer. ABC Radio's Smooth Jazz WJZW-FM has turned off its HD-2 format, which was a mish-mash of New Age, Jazz and crooners. Will it return? Who knows, it's not even mentioned on their website. Bonneville's WGMS-FM has turned off its "Viva La Voce" HD-2 all Opera signal - and its HD signal altogether. We had asked WAMU-FM GM Caryn Mathes why her very cool "XPonential Radio" (WXPN-FM Philly syndicated format) was off for a while. She said it was a licensing issue with iBiquity and new software that had to be installed. For whatever reason, and as a Washington Post reporter had complained in a recent story, HD-2 signals here are often sporadic and undependable. He sent back his receiver. If listeners can't depend on radio to at least keep the formats running 24/7, they're not going to spread the good word. Needless to say (and as we've said ad infinitum) each market, to effectively compete with satellite, needs a few basic formats and not a simple, almost indistinguishable offshoot format of the main station like DC 101 and HOT-99.5 here. What WMZQ and Big 100 are doing in DC for HD-2 is fine for other demos-Classic Country and 50s/60s Oldies. But to bring the younger listeners back to radio, we need formats like: Indie Rock, Reggae, Drum & Bass/Techno, Underground Classic Rock, Rap/Hip-Hop with no syrupy R&B mixed in, etc... And the spots need improvement - "There are secret stations in your city - go to HD Radio.com to find out more" is not going to cut it. Get the right HD-2 formats up and running 24/7; tout they are commercial-free; say how and where to tune them in and play good clips of the music in the spots.

Wall Street Media Business Report TM

Q2 Conference Calls
Street unimpressed by Arbitron
Arbitron reported Q2 earnings per share that beat expectations by two cents - 24 cents rather than the consensus 22, down from 48 cents a year ago. But the stock fell 2% yesterday, with the company declining to raise its guidance for the year and lots of questions from analysts about when PPM will actually roll out. Q2 revenues were up 6.2% to 74.2 million. Costs were up 21.4% to 67.3 million due to PPM and Project Apollo expenses, but that was less than expected, with CEO Steve Morris telling analysts that the company had spent less than anticipated on its Project Apollo, which is testing a national PPM panel for tracking consumer behavior for marketers. Looking ahead to Q3, the company said it expected revenues to be up 6-8%. Analysts had lots of questions to ask about PPM, but Morris had little new to offer them. He said they know as much as he does about the Clear Channel led Next-Gen RFP process from reading the trades. He confirmed that Arbitron is talking to other groups about signing PPM contracts, but indicated that there has been no resumption of the talks broken off by radio giant Clear Channel when PPM failed to get MRC accreditation in time for the launch which had been planned for this month, but which is now on indefinite hold. As for the MRC process, Morris said he expects a response in the next few weeks after submitting more information and is confident that PPM will win MRC approval in Houston - he just can 't say when.

Ad Business Report TM

Incumbent MMB wins Jiffy Lube
Boston-based advertising agency MMB successfully defended the 25 million Jiffy Lube International account and will continue its relationship as AOR for the leader in the fast lube category. MMB has handled the Jiffy Lube advertising program since 2001 but the account was put up for review earlier this year. MMB beat two other finalists, Dentsu's Colby & Partners and WPP Group's Cole + Weber United to retain the account. MMB's most recent work for Jiffy Lube International featured real Jiffy Lube customers who shared their compelling stories about how Jiffy Lube preventive maintenance services help them keep their busy lives on track. The campaign, which broke in April 2006, included TV, radio and print executions.

Carl's Jr., Hardee's launch
"Burger Slayers" interactive campaign
Hearty appetites meet their match daily at sister burger chains Carl's Jr. and Hardee's. The challenge to find the bravest burger eater in the land has been made with the launch of an online portal aptly titled "Burger Slayer." The campaign, live online and accessible at www.carlsjr.com and www.hardees.com, connects laptops to table tops by encouraging participants to snap a photo of themselves devouring - or "slaying" - their favorite Carl's Jr. or Hardee's menu offering and then submit it for posting online. Participants will email or upload their burger-devouring action shot directly to the websites. Daily, the best photos will be selected and posted. Those visiting the sites must cast votes for their favorite and click them on toward victory. The chosen one is then knighted Burger Slayer of the Month. The winner's photo and bio will be posted and with free burgers given for a month. Burger Slayer is the brainchild of Spacedog, LA, interactive AOR for Carl's Jr. and Hardee's. Challenged to make site hits materialize into restaurant visits, the Spacedog team decided to utilize mobile technology to bridge the connection from the menu board to the keyboard, and Burger Slayer was born. In-store elements will encourage novice slayers to snap a shot of the action and throw their hat in the ring; word of the offer will be circulated via social networking sites such as MySpace.com, photo sharing networks such as Flickr, and banner ads on Yahoo!

Media Markets & Money TM

Did Cenla make CCU an offer it couldn't refuse?
Well, one of the owners is a Soprano. What's for sure is that Cenla Broadcasting Company is buying Clear Channel's one AM/three FM cluster in Alexandria LA, taking its own traditional AM-FM combo to the local superduopoly limit. Taylor Thompson and Charles Soprano, who head up the buyer, will pay 4M to get the stations, including Sports KDBS-AM, AC KKST-FM, Country KRRV-FM and Classic Rocker KZMZ-FM. Cenla already is in the market with News-Talker KSYL-AM and CHR KQID-FM. An LMA will kick in 8/1/08.

Washington Media Business Report TM

Communications ownership session on tap
Communications Workers of America and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund has booked a room in the Capitol Building to hold a session on the employment situation in the communications industry, including broadcast, cable, print and telecommunications. They say ownership consolidation has had a negative impact on employment diversity and the quality of jobs made available to women and minorities. The session is scheduled for Tuesday, 7/25/06 from noon until 2PM. Karen McGill Lawson of the LCCR will open the session, Benton Foundation President and ex-FCC Commissioner Gloria Tristani will moderate. Panelists will include Heidi Hartmann of the Institute for Women's Policy Research; Linda Foley of the Newspaper Guild-CWA; MMTC's David Honig; Wade Henderson of LCCR.

Internet Media Business Report TM

Radio Disney Mobile Channel launches on MobiTV
Radio Disney has joined forces with MobiTV to launch a Radio Disney mobile channel to be broadcast via MobiTV's MobiRadio service. The MobiRadio service offers cellular subscribers live access to music, news, sports, weather and entertainment from the top artists and brands in talk radio. "The Radio Disney MobiRadio channel will reach our extended audience of kids, tweens and their families; they trust our programming, content, and most of all, they love the hit music," says Michael Peterson, Executive Director of Brand Marketing at Radio Disney. "Our audiences appreciate that Radio Disney continues to evolve with the newest technologies, because the various platforms provide them with the ability to listen anywhere, any how and any time they want." This recent venture with MobiRadio adds to Radio Disney's most recent launch on mSpot, another mobile phone multimedia service.

Ratings & Research

More squabbling over which
ratings device consumers prefer
As the Next-Generation Electronics Ratings Evaluation Team continues to work on picking the best electronic audience measurement system for radio, The Media Audit/Ipsos (TMA/I) is out with a telephone study conducted in-house which found that consumers overwhelming prefer carrying a cell phone to a "pager-like device." You need not search too deep into your memory to find that the TMA/I entry is the one based on cell phones. Arbitron was quick to issue its own spin, noting that it has never pitched its Portable People Meter (PPM) to potential participants as a "pager," but rather as a "Personal Meter." Arbitron also says its real field tests in real radio markets show that people really do carry the PPM - a dig at TMA/I, which has yet to conduct its first consumer field test. Focusing on hard-to-reach demos, TMA/I said its research found that cell phones had a 300% advantage over pagers for males, 323% for 18-34-year-olds and 400% for non-whites.

TVBR TV News

Televisa sues for US Web rights
Televisa has gone to court in California seeking a ruling that it, not Univision, holds the US Internet rights to Televisa programming, including the novelas that are the primetime ratings leaders for Univision. With the two companies already battling in court over the amount of royalty payments owed by Univision to Televisa, the new lawsuit seeks to settle who has the right to distribute Televisa programming on the Internet in the US - Univision, which clearly has the US TV rights under a contract running through 2017, or Televisa, which is desperately looking for a way to expand in the US after losing out in the recent auction of Univision. Televisa claims that once its reduces its stake in Unvision below 13.5 million shares, which it is already negotiating to do, it will be free to transmit its programming via the Internet once a contract expires December 19 that bars both Televisa and Univision from distributing the programming on the Web. "We strongly believe they are wrong and will aggressively defend the litigation and prosecute our side of the case," a Univision spokesperson told TVBR.

TVBR observation: What is a stake here? Perhaps a lot less than Televisa CEO Emilio Azcarraga Jean thinks. As we noted previously (6/29/06 TVBR #127), Televisa's novelas air in Mexico long before Univision broadcasts them in the US, so anyone who wanted to jump ahead could easily get a friend or relative to ship bootleg tapes or DVDs north by mail (or even transmit them over the Internet). No doubt a few people are doing that, but it hasn't hurt Univision's ratings. Internet downloads and video streaming may be a significant audience factor by 2017, but not in the near future, so even if Televisa wins this court case it won't give Azcarraga the immediate entry into the US market that he is hoping for.

Transactions

8.15M WSOY AM & FM/WDZ-AM/WDZQ-FM & WCZQ-FM Decatur IL (Decatur, Monticello IL) from NM Licensing LLC, a subsidiary of NextMedia Group Inc. (Skip Weller) to ABG Illinois LLC, a subsidiary of Archway Broadcasting Group LLC (Gordon Herzog, Kathy Stinehour). 407.5K escrow, balance in cash at closing. Includes non-compete. Existing superduopoly. [File date 6/28/06.]

399,984 WIIN-AM, WJKK-FM, WYOY-FM & WUSJ-FM Jackson MS (Ridgeland, Vicksburg, Gluckstadt, Madison MS). 52% of New South Radio Inc. from Frank E. Holladay (52% to 0%) to Clay E. Holladay, Robert Holladay (each 0% to 20%) and each of six family-related trusts (8% to 10%). 153,840 from each individual and 15,384 from each trust. Existing superduopoly. [File date 6/27/06.]

Stock Talk

Ben is so yesterday
A day after jumping on comments by Fed Chief Ben Bernanke, stocks retreated on higher oil prices and a disappointing earnings report from Intel. The Dow Industrials fell 83 points, or 0.8%, back below the 11K line to 10,928.

Only one radio stock was up - Lincoln National, which is primarily an insurance company. It rose 1.2%. The Radio Index fell 3.150, or 2.2%, to 141.965, a year-to-date low. Salem had the worst day, falling 3.8%. Journal Communications fell 3.6%.

Satellite radio companies plunged on receiver compliance problems at the FCC. XM fell 4.7% and Sirius dropped 3.4%.

Radio Stocks

**Here's how stocks fared on Thursday**
Company	Symbol	Close		Change	Company	Symbol	Close		Change
Arbitron	ARB		36.31	-0.74	Hearst-Argyle	HTV		20.92	-0.05
Beasley	BBGI		6.99	-0.01	Journal Comm.	JRN		10.52	-0.39
CBS CI. B	CBS		26.38	-0.17	Lincoln Natl.	LNC		56.45	+0.65
CBS CI. A	CBSa		26.39	-0.16	Radio One, Cl. A	ROIA		6.83	-0.05
Citadel	CDL		9.01	-0.12	Radio One, Cl. D	ROIAK		6.86	-0.17
Clear Channel	CCU		29.30	-0.51	Regent	RGCI		3.94	-0.10
Cox Radio	CXR		14.33	-0.42	Saga Commun.	SGA		7.96	-0.11
Cumulus	CMLS		9.79	-0.30	Salem Comm.	SALM		11.43	-0.45
Disney	DIS		29.12	-0.14	Sirius Sat. Radio	SIRI		3.99	-0.14
Emmis	EMMS		14.12	-0.47	Spanish Bcg.	SBSA		4.74	-0.11
Entercom	ETM		25.02	-0.46	Univision	UVN		33.22	-0.24
Entravision	EVC		7.83	-0.27	Westwood One	WON		7.38	-0.22
Fisher	FSCI		41.29	-0.24	XM Sat. Radio	XMSR		11.92	-0.59
Gaylord	GET		38.42	-1.38	-	-	-	-	-

Bounceback

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Below the Fold

RBR News Analysis
Why are stations
"abandoning" HD-2 formats?...

Wall Street Media Business Report
Street unimpressed by Arbitron
beat expectations by two cents but the stock fell as PPM is the Question...

Media Markets & Money
Did Cenla make CCU an offer
It couldn't refuse?Well, one of the owners is a Soprano...

Washington Media Business Report
Ownership session on tap
Subject: employment situation in the communications industry...

Ratings & Research
More squabbling over the device
That is ratings device and which consumers prefer...

Stations for Sale

CD Border 25kw FM
Favorable competitive op.
Small/dual market FM with huge upside for turnaround operator.
595K 781-848-4201 or [email protected]

Radio Media Moves

Dawg moves to Hotlanta
Cox Radio announced that Murph Dawg (we'd like to check that birth certificate) has moved from WHZT-FM Greenville, SC to co-owned WBTS-FM "95.5 The Beat" Atlanta. He will co-host mornings with Stacy C.

More News Headlines

Redskins owner:
It's a good time to buy
And by the same logic, it may not be a great time to be a seller if you have media properties you're thinking about putting on the market. Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder decided to buy radio stations to air his team's games rather than try to negotiate a new contract after a local station declined to renew. Snyder's trio, none of which achieves full market coverage, will be taking over for WJFK-FM. WXTR-AM 730, WWXT-FM 94.3 and WWXX-FM 92.7 will try to bring the NFL games and an ESPN/local Sports format to the city and its extensive suburbs. Snyder's media wing, Red Zebra Broadcasting, also has a deal in the fire for an AM in Richmond and has said its on the lookout for radio and/or television properties. Snyder told the Washington Post that it's a good time to buy because broadcast outlets...and newspapers...are out of favor on Wall Street right now. He even told WaPo reporters that they'd be his employees if he had his way. "If the Washington Post were for sale, I'd buy it right now. I don't buy companies at their peak. I sell them at their peak."

RBR Radar 2006

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

Fraud plagues online advertising
There's a big problem when you put an ad online and pay by the click. Anybody can do the clicking, and a lot of the time, 14.1% the person doing the clicking is not an individual interested in the product or service being advertised. Scammers are said to be responsible for phantom clicks that often, a number which is on the increase. Among the motives noted are self-enrichment, as when a website operator clicks on ads it's running, or to attack the competition, as when a rival business owner clicks on a competitor's ads to drain its marketing budget.

RBR observation: This is a pitch point broadcasters may be able to use to help stem the flow of cash from broadcast to the Internet. Broadcast waste is measured in terms of wasted impressions. However, while it may not do your client much good if a senior citizen with false teeth hears a toothpaste ad, at least the waste isn't coming right out of the client's checking account.
07/20/06 RBR #140

Harpo gearing up
Harpo Radio General Manager John Gehron has made his first big hire for the fall launch of "Oprah & Friends" on XM Satellite Radio. Laurie Cantillo, formerly PD of KFI-AM & KGME-AM Phoenix. Gehron said of Cantillo - has a passion for bringing quality news and high-impact human interest stories to radio.

RBR observation: Re-read Gehron's quote where he states these two key words - Passion and Radio. Passion and Radio seems those two simple words just fit together and something that is missing in radio today. Remember Gehron is a pure radio pro who focuses on content and presentation. Gehron did not say XM, not Harpo XM or XM Harpo satellite radio he just said passion and radio. Our bet is that Gehron views XM as radio and Oprah just may be the key to opening the XM success lock.
07/20/06 RBR #140

Let the Calls begin; Broadcasting saves quarter for Journal
Gains in radio and TV revenues, including some new TV stations, counter-balanced revenue declines for other units of Journal Communications. Q2 revenues were flat with last year.

RBR observation: Nice radio numbers. Unfortunately, they are not likely to be duplicated by many other radio groups.
07/19/06 RBR #139

XM wants lawsuit thrown out
has put into writing its claim that the Inno device (made by Panasonic) which allows subscribers to record songs is protected by the 1992 Audio Home Recording Act (AHRA). It has asked a federal judge to toss out a multi-million bucks lawsuit over the device filed by the big record labels back in May 06.

RBR observation: The record labels made their bed, but now they don't want to lie in it. As we noted previously (5/22/06 RBR #100), the record industry lobbyists were totally clueless about where technology was heading when they pushed through the AHRA in 1992. Now, it seems, they want to pretend that it doesn't exist. And don't think that this only concerns satellite radio. The very same conflict is lurking around the bend for digital broadcasting by terrestrial radio stations.
07/19/06 RBR #139

Diaries get PPM shuffle
Arbitron announced changes to its start dates for the Winter 2007 and Spring 2007 ratings survey periods. The move is designed to harmonize the quarterly periods for diary measurement with its planned launch of Portable People Meter ratings in some markets next year. Going forward, Arbitron says it will no longer place a one-week break between the Spring and Summer surveys. To view the chart on this page see
07/18/06 RBR #138

CBS Evening News
adding radio simulcast
When the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric debuts 9/5, the viewers will be able to watch and listen, as well as a get related programming on television, radio, Internet and wireless platforms.

RBR observation: Surprising CBS Corp. CEO Les Moonves is not using more CBS O&Os to air Katie. Needless to say, expect a ton of promotional radio spots running on the CBS Radio News network. Whether we'll hear them on the music stations remains to be seen. On the interactive and wireless side, all of this will be ad-supported. None will be subscription-based. Ad packages are currently being put together. We'll have more on that. More read this page in RBR
07/18/06 RBR #138

Sports stations and streaming Technology today
Paul Agase, VP/GM, WSCR-AM Chicago, Unlike some of the issues that music stations face (i.e. rights clearances), all of this new technology becomes a weapon of on-demand distribution for us. Streaming, podcasting, and cell phone delivery are all important tools for the station to push our unique content out to the listeners. How Agase sees it check
07/18/06 RBR #138

Media companies
taking some elbows
Tribune Company started the disappointing earnings report, which resulted in a downgrade from "Buy" to "Hold" from Standard & Poor's. The downgrade followed the company's report of a 62.9% decline in net income for Q2. Then, Ta-Dum, Walt Disney was punished and downgraded by CIBC. Strap in, folks, Chapter Two of the 2006 conference call season is just beginning.

RBR observation: This is where the gloves come off and it is hard knuckles time. Conference call excuses and pointing the blame has run out of air over the past four years and punishment is to follow. Do some deserve to get punished? Yes but our recommendation is to start with the biggest and work your way down the list and view each group separately. Bottom line: CEO's can no longer point and pass the blame. It is time for those on conference calls to be stand up and be held accountable.

RBR note: After they report then RBR reports with our analysis and yes Observations.
07/17/06 RBR #137

Stations and Streaming
With streaming becoming ever increasingly important in your business how have you integrated the technology with your station? Says Chuck Bortnick, VP/GM of WFAN-AM New York: has been streaming for just over 60 days. However, in this short period of time, the station has become one of CBS Radio's most popular online destinations. In addition, the promotion of the stream on-air and online has increased click-throughs across the entire website opening up a host of additional advertising opportunities for our clients. WFAN's stream is an audio broadcast simulcast. There is more, if you missed it see
07/17/06 RBR #137

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