|
|
|
|
|
Volume 23, Issue 173, Jim Carnegie, Editor & Publisher
|
Wednesday Morning September 6th, 2006
|
|
|
Radio News ®
|
 Regent bulls into Buffalo
Another plank in the CBS Radio sell-off has been revealed, as Regent Communications makes off with the Buffalo herd which includes an AM and four FMs. The pricetag is 125M. The stations include WBLK-FM, WBUF-FM, WJYE-FM, WYRK-FM and WECK-AM. "This is an excellent transaction from both a strategic and financial standpoint. We are acquiring one of the best performing and most profitable station clusters in Upstate New York, which will solidify our footprint across the region and provide us with a substantial opportunity to develop regional sales synergies," said Regent President/CEO Bill Stakelin. "This will increase the value and growth potential of our station group overall." The deal follows the 262M sale of stations in Memphis, Rochester, Cincinnati and Austin to Entercom and the 45M sale of San Antonio properties to Border Media, and brings the total CBS take to 432M, with four more markets still on the shelf.
RBR observation: If you're still shopping at the CBS Radio store, the shelves are remain well-stocked. Here are the markets and stations still on the block: Happy shopping.
* Kansas City: KBEQ-FM, KMXV-FM, KCKC-FM, KFKF-FM
* Columbus OH: WAZU-FM, WHOK-FM, WLVQ-FM
* Greensboro-Winston Salem: WSJS-AM, WMFR-AM, WSML-AM
* Fresno: KFPT-AM, KMJ-AM, KSKS-FM, KOQO-FM, KWYE-FM, KMGV-FM, KFJK-FM
 Freston pushed out at Viacom
Make no mistake about who is still in charge at Viacom and CBS Corp. - Sumner Redstone. CEO Tom Freston wasn't getting the job done at Viacom as far as Redstone is concerned, so he is now unemployed. Philippe Dauman is back full-time as Viacom President and CEO, with Thomas Dooley as Sr. Exec. VP and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). The surprising news was announced early yesterday, before the stock market opened. Freston had resigned after 26 years at Viacom, but only eight months as CEO. Although the official announcement had Redstone saying nice things about Freston and Freston wishing everyone at Viacom well, there was no doubt that his exit was anything but voluntary. In a conference call with Wall Street analysts, Redstone, who remains Chairman of the Board at both Viacom and CBS, made it clear that he was displeased with how Viacom's stock had performed with Freston at the helm and said his departure had been discussed for several weeks. Now it is up to Dauman and Dooley to do what Freston could not - make Wall Street put a higher value on Viacom's stock. Dauman, Redstone said, would "never, ever, let another competitor beat us to the trophy." Dauman and Dooley are already quite familiar with Viacom. Both worked in Viacom management for many years with Redstone and had been Deputy Chairmen from 1996 to 2000. That's when they left to form DND Capital Partners, a private equity firm specializing in media investments. But they remained on good terms with Redstone and were already on the Board of Directors at Viacom. Now they have come back with marching orders to win respect for the company on Wall Street.
RBR observation: Back when the old Viacom was split into new Viacom and CBS Corp. at the beginning of this year, most people viewed Freston as Redstone's favorite. He got the "growth" company with the hot cable networks and movie studio, while Les Moonves got the old line, boring, mature media assets at CBS. But what has happened on Wall Street in the interim? Viacom's stock price is down over 10% - and fell again yesterday after the shakeup was announced. But CBS saw its shares rise over 13% despite a general malaise for media stocks. Moonves appears to have been doing something right.
|
|
|
Sporting News sold, radio group next
Nearly two years after putting The Sporting News up for sale (10/14/04 RBR #201), Paul Allen's Vulcan Sports Media has announced a deal to sell the print publication, online operations and Sporting News Radio network to the American City Business Journals division of Advance Publications. Not included are the three O&O stations in New York, LA and Boston, which are also going to be sold soon, but to a different buyer. "Sporting News is a strong brand that we believe has considerable upside in print, online and on-air platforms," said Ray Shaw, American City's Chairman and CEO.
RBR observation: The price is a well-guarded secret. No doubt the print publication is worth less than the 100 million that Allen paid for it in 2000. It still trails badly behind Sports Illustrated and ESPN magazine in circulation. But radio provides at least a quarter of the revenues now, and what are the online operations bringing in? American City says it sees upside in all three businesses, so we'll see how the company, which specializes in local business weeklies, does with a national magazine and its first radio venture. Now we wait to see what happens to the three O&O stations. Sporting News Radio paid 100 million in 2000 for WSNR-AM New York, KMPC-AM Los Angeles and WWZN-AM Boston.
 Blylevin fires another curveball
Minnesota Twins broadcaster Bert Blylevin wielded a mind-bending curveball back in his major league days, but his latest one was directed at his own company. Prior to a game with the Yankees in New York, Blylevin was doing a pre-game segment for Fox's WFTC-TV/FSN North Sports Network when he made a gaffe and uttered two words which you're not supposed to utter over the air. According to the Associated Press, Blylevin felt free to speak frankly since the segments are often taped. But not this time. The segment was going out live, and was heard by viewers over the Minneapolis television station.
RBR observation: This sort of slip-up is exactly the kind that would have resulted in nothing more serious than a possible admonishment from the FCC prior to Janet Jackson. The FCC used to realize that people make mistakes, and as long as the error was not a repeated and intentional attempt to break the rules, it was treated as the aberration it probably is (if the same station or broadcaster continues to make the same mistake, it become repeated and would be subject to FCC action). It will be interesting to see if this goes any farther.
|
|
|
 Politicians PAC it in for mid-term
When it comes to spending on elections, records are made to be broken, and that seems to go for every type of spending. The Federal Election Commission says that money flowing through federal political action committees is joining in on the fun. Since the kick-off of the 2006 mid-term period, which the FEC places on 1/1/05, the combined receipts of various PACs through the end of June 2006 is 773.5M, a 23% increase over the same period in the 2004 election cycle. The increase is even more remarkable when factoring in the lack of a presidential campaign this time around. Money spent is up 27% to 656.3M, and direct contributions to candidates is up 21% to 248.2M. With less than two months to go until Election Day, PACs are still sitting on 355.1M. Candidates for the House of Representatives have benefited from increased donations, with Democrats enjoying a 23% increase and Republicans banking an extra 26%. Rates of increase are even higher in the Senate (where direct comparisons are more statistically problematical), with Democrats up 30% and Republicans up 55%.
| Charting the PACs by type here |
It will be a night to remember
NAB has now filled in the names of all of the broadcasters who are going to be performing at the September 21st Marconi Radio Awards Dinner & Show as "The Formats," a band led by legendary blues guitarist and BMI songwriter Steve Cropper and featuring FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein on harmonica and vocals, as previously announced. But there are many more performers involved. Vocals will feature Del Bryant, BMI; Erica Farber, Radio & Records; Dan Hotchkiss, Hotchkiss Marketing; Fred Murr, Regent Communications; Norman Rau, Sandusky Radio; Bruce Reese, Bonneville International; and Jeff Smulyan, Emmis Communications. There are four guitarists: Clarke Brown, most recently Jefferson Pilot; Mitch Dolan, ABC Radio Group; Gary Krantz, Air America; and Norman Philips, Network Minded. Greater Media's Peter Smyth will be on keyboard. Richard Frish of Cumulus Media and Chriss Scherer of Prism Business Media will play saxophones, with Scherer also doing some vocals. And there is a trio of percussionists: Craig Jacobus, South Central Communications; Mark Levy, Radio Advertising Bureau; and Kevin Wagner, URBan Radio Broadcasting. Quite a lineup. NAB also has a bevy of broadcast biggies lined up to help Marconi host Big Boy pass out the awards. Joining him on stage will be Charles Warfield, ICBC Broadcast Holdings; Rolland Johnson, Three Eagles Communications; Ginny Morris, Hubbard Radio; Amador Bustos, Bustos Media; Frank Osborn, Qantum Communications; Mary Quass, NRG Media; Zemira Jones, Radio One; and NAB's own David Rehr.
|
|
|
|
|
Ad Business Report TM
|
 Bill Ford steps down as Ford CEO
...and it could mean new directions for the company's advertising and marketing. Ford Motor Company announced it has elected Boeing EVP/Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Alan Mulally as President and CEO. Mulally led turnaround of the commercial airplane division of Boeing and has a record of success in customer satisfaction, manufacturing, product development, labor relations and supplier management. He's also been elected to the Board of Directors. Bill Ford, who steps down as CEO since 2001, will continue his duties as Executive Chairman. "One of the three strategic priorities that I've focused on this year is company leadership. While I knew that we were fortunate to have outstanding leaders driving our operations around the world, I also determined that our turnaround effort required the additional skills of an executive who has led a major manufacturing enterprise through such challenges before," Bill Ford wrote in an email to Ford employees yesterday. Ford, who said he would remain "extremely active" in the business, praised Mulally as "an outstanding leader and a man of great character." He noted that Mulally had applied many of the lessons from Ford's success in developing the Taurus to Boeing's creation of the revolutionary Boeing 777 airliner. That experience, chronicled in the book, "Working Together," by James P. Lewis, tells how the leadership principles Mulally learned from Ford and developed at Boeing may be applied to other businesses. "Clearly, the challenges Boeing faced in recent years have many parallels to our own," Ford said.
RBR observation: While impressive, Ford's Bold Moves campaign (via JWT Detroit and on air since May) has not moved many cars off the showroom floors. Vehicle sales were down 10% this year through 7/31, compared with the same period last year and Q4 production has already been cut 21% compared with '05. The ads are part of the companywide turnaround effort announced in January, "The Way Forward." According to TNS Media Intelligence, Ford's ad spend was down 4.3%, from 429.20 million to 410.50 million in the Q1 '06, compared to Q1 '05. Much of the reasoning there was the company's plummeting revenues - advertising, as they say, is often the first to get cut. Mulally may be one who ramps up advertising when revenues are down - a move many companies have employed with great success. So bottom line, marketing, creative and media strategy may be in store for a big overhaul.
Wal-Mart and ESPN team for
ESPN'S Monday Night Football
Wal-Mart and ESPN announced a fully integrated multiplatform agreement for ESPN's Monday Night Football and its surround programming and content for the 2006-07 season. The new association will facilitate the transformation of the traditional three-hour primetime football game telecast into a 24-hour multimedia event. Highlights include ESPN television features called "Pump Up The Volume" on SportsCenter and "Soundtracks" on NFL Countdown, a co-branded custom promotion on ESPN.com to highlight the retailer's HDTV offerings. Wal-Mart also has media on ESPN Radio, in ESPN The Magazine, on-site, in-store and promotion on all ESPN networks. ESPN's coverage will extend beyond the three-hour game telecast with hours of programming originating from the MNF host city, including the postgame SportsCenter on Monday night, Pardon the Interruption, NFL PrimeTime and Monday Night Countdown, all leading into the new Monday Night Football kickoff time at 8:30 p.m. ET.
|
|
|
|
| NAB Day Time Planner |
|
|
The following will be attending the NAB. Call or email to make your
appointment in advance.
|
BROKERS
Todd Fowler/David Reeder/Gene Ferry/Bruce Pollock, American Media Services, Hilton Anatole, 843-972-2200, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Jack Higgins/Dan Graves/Joel Day/Denis LeClair, Cobb Corp, Hilton Anatole, office 239-478-3737, [email protected]
Andrew P. McClure, The Exline Company, Hilton Anatole, Suite 353 office 415-479-3484, cell 415-497-3855, [email protected]
Frank Boyle, Frank Boyle & Co., Sheraton Suites Market Center, 203-969-2020, [email protected]
Cliff Gardiner, Clifton Gardiner & Co., Hilton Anatole, 303-758-6900, [email protected]
Gordon Rice, Gordon Rice Associates,
843-884-3590, Hilton Anatole, [email protected]
Ed Henson, Henson Media, Inc., Louisville, KY, 502-589-0060, Hilton Anatole, [email protected]
John L. Pierce,
John Pierce & Company LLC,
859-647-0101, cell 859-512-3015, Hilton Anatole, [email protected]
|
Jamie Rasnick,
John Pierce & Company LLC,
859-647-0101, cell 513-252-1186, Hilton Anatole, [email protected]
Dick Kozacko/George Kimble,
Kozacko Media Services, office 607-733-7138, cell 607-738-1219, Hilton Anatole,
[email protected]
Larry Patrick/Greg Guy/Susan Patrick/Summer Foust,
Patrick Communications, Hilton Anatole
Suite #1034, 410-740-0250, [email protected]
Glenn Serafin, Serafin Bros., Inc.,
office 813-885-6060, cell 813-494-6875, [email protected]
Terry A. Greenwood,
TAG Media Consulting,
Hilton Anatole, office 410-931-3362, [email protected]
LAWYERS
Gregg P. Skall,
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC 202-857-4441, Hilton Anatole, [email protected]
TRAFFIC SOFTWARE
Eric Mathewson, Founder and CEO; Wide Orbit; 415-675-6751; Booth 617 and Hilton Anatole Presidential Suite;
[email protected] |
|
|
|
|
| Media Business Report TM |
 Players Inc launches campaign
to kick off 2006 NFL Season
Players Inc, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association, will unveil a new brand identity, utilizing the word-mark NFLPlayers below the player icon, in their new campaign beginning with the start of the 2006 NFL season. The branding and ad campaigns were created and produced by Players Inc and Forty Forty, a Berkeley, CA branding agency. The new brand identity incorporating the player icon with the word-mark NFLPlayers, which will be used as the identifier of Players Inc licensees, sponsors and properties, was created to more efficiently illustrate the authenticity of the players' own company. Players Inc will remain the corporate name while NFLPlayers and the player icon will be used as the primary consumer brand identity. The campaign, "Real Passion. Real Personality. Real Players." focuses on personal attributes of NFL players such as Character, Passion, Dedication, and Heart. With themes such as "We're More Than a Uniform ... We're more than 4 quarters ... We are NFLPlayers," the campaign illustrates that each player has a unique personality and individual story to tell. Eight players took part in the Players Inc photo shoot held in Miami Beach at the Raleigh Hotel in June. The images captured at the two-day shoot are being used to promote Players Inc in TV spots, print ads, website promotions, corporate videos and collateral material, as well as Players Inc properties including: Helmets Off TV Series on FSN, NFLPlayers Rookie Premiere, NFLPlayers Gridiron Gala featuring the JB Awards, NFLPlayers Live!, NFLPlayers Party at the Super Bowl, etc.
|
|
|
|
| Media Markets & Money TM |
Close encounter in Tucson
KZLZ-FM Kearney AZ, part of the Tucson market, is now in the hands of Todd P. Robinson's Todd Robinson Inc., according to Kalil & Co. and Media Services Group's Bill Whitley. Robinson acquired the station from Entravision for 4.75M. The deal expands Robinson's geographically diverse portfolio of broadcast interests into a new state, joining properties in California, Idaho, Wisconsin, Virginia and West Virginia.
|
|
|
|
| Washington Media Business Report TM |
 FCC grants open-ended waiver
on cross-owned JSA
Morris Communications' MCC Radio will be allowed to continue an Amarillo radio JSA despite its ownership of the Amarillo Globe-News, according to an FCC decision. MCC owns and operates KGNC AM & FM and the newspaper per a long-standing waiver, and began to offer sales services to JMJ Broadcasting's KXGL-FM back in 2002 as the station emerged from receivership and prior to the 6/2/03 rule change on the attribution of JSAs. The radio station cluster would be perfectly legal, but the newspaper combination may or may not be depending on the results of the court-ordered remand of the 6/2/03 ruling. The FCC said that competition is not threatened by the JSA combo with large radio clusters owned by Clear Channel and Cumulus ahead of MCC's in the market. The waiver is in effect until either it becomes legal, or within six months of final determination that is not legal, based on results of the remand.
RBR observation: This is entirely sensible. Any business arrangement which has been caught up in the seemingly-never-ending saga of the FCC ownership proceeding, through no fault of the affected broadcasters, should be allowed to continue pending an actual resolution of the issue. Regardless of your personal view of what the rules should be, fair is fair, and it would be patently unfair to force a fire sale of a property which may well be legally owned if and when powers that be in Washington (and wherever there are courts) get around to establishing the rules once and for all.
|
|
|
|
| Entertainment Media Business Report TM |
Katie Couric's Notebook debuted on 200 affiliates
CBS Radio News, distributed by Westwood One, announced that the Katie Couric's Notebook news feature debuted on more than 200 stations nationwide yesterday, making it the largest launch for a network radio news feature in history. Stations airing Katie Couric's Notebook in nine of the top 10 markets include: WCBS-AM New York, WBBM-AM Chicago, KNX-AM Los Angeles, WPHT-AM Philadelphia and KCBS-AM San Francisco. In addition, beginning 10/9, Couric will anchor the CBS Radio News 5:00PM ET afternoon drive-time. Katie Couric's Notebook is a one-minute look into a top news story or issue and is available to stations at 4:25PM ET Monday-Friday, as well as via audio podcast for distribution on the stations' websites.
|
|
|
|
| Internet Media Business Report TM |
 CBS, TiVo debut new fall show
on TiVo before its premiere
CBS announced plans to make TV history by partnering with TiVo to launch a new Fall show on the TiVo service. TiVo subscribers will be the first in the nation to see the new comedy "The Class" as early as a full week before its premiere on live TV. As part of the partnership, TiVo subscribers will have an opportunity to experience CBS fall line-up exclusives, including sneak preview clips and receive exclusive footage and info on CBS's Jericho, Smith and Shark. "CBS's partnership with TiVo is a creative new way to use DVR technology to help drive television network viewing," said George Schweitzer, President of CBS Marketing Group. "Our goal is to introduce our fresh new comedy The Class about a group of 20-somethings who met in the 3rd grade and whose lives become bound together to a broad, diversified, receptive audience that has the ability to start trends and generate buzz, which is exactly what TiVo offers." The deal was developed in conjunction with Initiative Media as part of a broad agency-wide relationship with the InterPublic Group of Companies launched in April.
|
|
|
|
| Ratings & Research |
RRadio Network publishes
Online Radio Listener Survey 37 results
According to RRadio Network's Survey 37, the online radio industry is going through a change. While programmers concentrate on daytime hours, the audience is shifting to other times. Survey participants were asked "What part of the day do you listen to online radio the most? 40% report they listen "most" during the evening or night. Cross promoting of dayparts is rare with online radio programming. So the inference here is that the audience, on its own, is beginning to use online radio for at home listening. Programmers should adjust to accommodate this trend.
* Vacation Travel - 2006
Think the high cost of gas has cut into this year's vacation plans? 37.7% of respondents to RRadio Network's Survey 37 say they were driving to their vacation destination this year; a 1% increase over 2005, and the highest percentage of response for the categories offered. Asked "How will you get to your vacation this year?", 6.8% fewer people are flying than when we asked this same question in 2005. 7.2% more are staying home.
* Subscription radio on cell phones
Satellite radio has shown there is a market for subscription radio services, but its biggest problem has been getting receivers into the hands of consumers. HD Radio faces a similar challenge. The cell phone industry won't have this hurdle as it begins to broadcast subscription radio programming. RRadio Network's audience was asked, "If Internet radio were available on your cellular telephone, for a reasonable fee, would you pay to listen?" What they said should place all broadcasters on notice; 36.2% claim they are willing to pay. What's important here is that this positive response is 7.6% higher than when this same audience was asked the same question one year ago.
|
|
|
|
| Digital Media |
 Beth Comstock, President,
Digital Media and Market Development, NBC Universal
Beth was named president of Digital Media and Market Development in December 2005. She's accountable for driving NBC Universal's digital strategy and leading the company's content and distribution efforts to capitalize on new and emerging digital platforms. Her responsibilities also include strategic marketing, research, communications, and advertising and promotion. She reports directly to Bob Wright, vice chairman of GE and chairman and CEO of NBC Universal. Yesterday (9/5/06 RBR #172), Beth spoke about her partners in the digital space.
| Read More... |
|
|
|
|
| Transactions |
400K WMTN-AM Morristown TN from East Tennessee Radio Group LP (Paul G. Fink) to Radio Acquisition Corporation (S. Herschel Lake). 20K escrow, balance in cash at closing. Duopoly with WCRK-AM Morristown TN. LMA 8/9/06. [File date 8/18/06.]
|
|
|
|
| Stock Talk |
Modest post-holiday gains
Friday's jump on favorable job news carried over a bit to Tuesday's trading, but traders are already beginning to nervously focus on the Fed meeting later this month. The Dow Industrials crept up five points on Tuesday to 11,469.
Radio stocks were slightly higher. The Radio Index rose 0.066, or 0.05%, to 142.011. Regent, already a penny stock, fell 2.2% after announcing a 125M deal to buy stations from CBS Radio. The day's best performer was Radio One, with its Class D stock up 2.3%.
|
|
|
|
| Radio Stocks |
Here's how stocks fared on Tuesday
| Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
|
Arbitron
|
ARB
|
|
37.30
|
-0.12
|
Hearst-Argyle
|
HTV
|
|
23.34
|
+0.14
|
|
Beasley
|
BBGI
|
|
7.32
|
+0.05
|
Journal Comm.
|
JRN
|
|
11.21
|
+0.20
|
| CBS CI. B |
CBS |
 |
28.60
|
-0.26
|
Lincoln Natl.
|
LNC
|
|
60.53
|
-0.39
|
| CBS CI. A |
CBSa |
|
28.57
|
-0.30
|
Radio One, Cl. A
|
ROIA
|
|
6.28
|
+0.12
|
| Citadel |
CDL |
|
9.24 |
-0.05 |
Radio One, Cl. D
|
ROIAK
|
|
6.28
|
+0.14
|
|
Clear Channel
|
CCU
|
|
29.27
|
+0.03
|
Regent
|
RGCI
|
|
4.06
|
-0.09
|
|
Cox Radio
|
CXR
|
|
15.85
|
-0.07
|
Saga Commun.
|
SGA
|
|
8.16
|
+0.17
|
|
Cumulus
|
CMLS
|
|
10.01
|
-0.12
|
Salem Comm.
|
SALM
|
|
11.78
|
+0.11
|
|
Disney
|
DIS
|
|
29.85
|
-0.04
|
Sirius Sat. Radio
|
SIRI
|
|
4.19
|
+0.09
|
|
Emmis
|
EMMS
|
|
12.11
|
-0.03
|
Spanish Bcg.
|
SBSA
|
|
4.29
|
-0.06
|
| Entercom |
ETM
|
|
25.54
|
-0.04
|
Univision
|
UVN
|
|
34.75
|
-0.07
|
|
Entravision
|
EVC
|
|
7.53
|
+0.04
|
Westwood One
|
WON
|
|
7.15
|
-0.21
|
|
Fisher
|
FSCI
|
|
43.85
|
+0.76
|
XM Sat. Radio
|
XMSR
|
|
12.79
|
+0.07
|
|
Gaylord
|
GET
|
|
44.06
|
+0.64
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bounceback
|
 We want to
hear from you.
This is your column, so send your comments and
a photo to [email protected]
|
|
|
Below the Fold
|
|
Ad Business Report
Bill Ford steps down as Ford CEO
Does it mean new directions for the company's advertising and marketing?
Media, markets & Money
Close encounter in Tucson
KZLZ-FM Kearney AZ, part of the Tucson market, is now in the hands of Todd P. Robinson...
Media Business Report
Players Inc launches campaign
Players Inc, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association, will unveil a new brand identity...
Digital Media
Beth Comstock, President, Digital Media and Market Development, NBC Universal,
says it is going to be more difficult to tell traditional media and new media apart...
|
|
|
Stations for Sale
|
AUCTION: Small market AM/FM in the mid-west.
Cash flow 200K. FM CP for 100KW which will provide city grade into rapidly growing top 200 market. For more information, photos and auction detail e-mail Jim Lakoduk, agent,
[email protected].
Pifer's Auction and Realty.
WANTED! FM CP's
(commercial or noncommercial)
John W. Saunders, Media Broker
713.789.4222
[email protected]
|
|
|
More News Headlines
|
EA signs with IGA for in-game advertising
Electronic Arts announced an agreement with IGA Worldwide, a leading independent in-game advertising network, to offer marketers new dynamic advertising possibilities in select EA franchises on a global basis. Through the agreement, a portfolio of EA games will be incorporated into IGA's network. The initial EA title to incorporate dynamic in-game advertising via IGA is Battlefield 2142. At least two additional EA titles will offer dynamic ad serving capabilities through the course of the agreement with IGA.
|
|
|
RBR Radar 2006
|
|
Radio News you won't read any where else. RBR--First, Accurate, and Independently Owned.
|
White smoke from the RAB
We have a CEO! The Radio Advertising Bureau has gone outside the radio industry and picked a marketing guy as the successor to Gary Fries. The new President and CEO of RAB, effective September 18th, is Jeff Haley, currently Sr. VP of Global Marketing for Time Warner. RAB Board and Search Committee Chairman Joe Bilotta, COO of Buckley Radio, hailed Haley for his strong track record in media sales and sales management and his expertise in multiple media platforms, which was called crucial to the RAB role. "Jeff's qualifications, while not directly in radio, afford him the opportunity to bring to the RAB an intimate knowledge of the broad advertising, marketing and digital media space and its impact on both advertisers and broadcasters. We sought out an individual who will represent our great industry in this rapidly changing media environment," Bilotta told RBR.
(9/5/06 RBR #172)
Clear Channel wants more tiers
As of when we checked Friday, there were 38,857 comments filed so far in the FCC's latest proceeding on revising its ownership rules. Approximately 38,850 of them read, "Dear FCC: I write to urge you not to weaken the strong media ownership rules that have helped protect the rights of viewers and listeners like me. A strong democracy depends on its citizens having a wide variety of viewpoints to decide from. Those viewpoints should be diverse and derived from local sources, not simply homogenized, recycled feeds from big media companies saying the same thing in their 'local' newspaper and on their various 'local television stations'," with only the name and address of the sender different. The deadline for comments is September 22nd, so we expect to see a lot of major broadcasting and newspaper companies file their views in the next few weeks.
(9/5/06 RBR #172)
Arbitron a "sustainable monopoly"
That's the view of CL King analyst Jim Boyle as he initiates coverage of Arbitron. He gives the stock an "accumulate" rating, a step below "strong buy," and thinks uncertainty that is weighing on the stock price will evaporate once the Portable People Meter (PPM) gets MRC accreditation, perhaps as soon as Q4. Once that happens, he says, radio groups will resume signing up for the PPM rollout. "We expect new product costs to cloud earnings per share growth into 2007. However, Arbitron's 20-plus year monopoly in radio research should continue with pricing power and accelerating growth, we believe. Ironically it's because Arbitron's clients are struggling with revenue growth that its stranglehold is stronger. When radio growth was robust it would not fund a competitor to Arbitron, and radio won't fund one now when it's ailing," Boyle told clients in his summary.
9/1/06 RBR #171
It didn't get any better in July
The RAB revenue numbers for July are in - and they aren't any improvement over the earlier months of 2006. In fact, July was dead on track with the overall results for the first seven months of the year: spot revenues (local and national combined) down 1% and the grand total (including NTR) flat with a year to go. The differences were in the details. Local was down 2% in July, but only down 1% for the year-to-date. National was up 5% in July and up 1% YTD. Non-spot revenue was up 12% in July and 9% YTD.
9/1/06 RBR #171
Arbitron ramps up PPM in Philly
Arbitron says it has begun installing its Portable People Meter (PPM) system in Philadelphia, which is slated to become the 2nd market for commercial PPM deployment in early 2007, following the switch from test mode to real world in Houston, which is awaiting accreditation by the Media Rating Council. Arbitron is recruiting a panel of 2,040 consumers, age six and older, to carry the PPM devices in Philly. Far more stations have signed contracts for PPM service in Philadelphia, than in Houston, with Beasley, WBEB-FM, CBS Radio and Greater Media all onboard in the City of Brotherly Love. It is, of course, a return of PPM to Philly, which was the site of the first US test.
RBR observation: Technology waits for No One. Get on board and move Radio Forward. Radio has no time to waste except losing its share of the ad biz pie if we stay the same with diaries. Radio does not move forward you will be seeing more Red next year and nothing else will matter to ad clients and agencies. HD2, Less Is More, nothing will matter unless Radio engages in Technology.
08/31/06 RBR #170
Record 2 billion political ad spend
The RAB reports the potential for a media-buying spike is on the horizon for 2006, and broadcast media (including Radio) can profit from it. Numerous reports are predicting that political ad spending in total could reach a record 2 billion. Despite the fact that 2006 is considered an "off-year" election - a non-Presidential campaign year - most forecasters are expecting significantly more spending this year than during the Presidential election in 2004. There are many more elections taking place this year nationwide
RBR observation: Politics is a business and it will become an ad category. Get your marketing teams in place because the people in charge of this advertising spending are young and did not grow up with Radio. They were raised on the Internet.
08/30/06 RBR #169
XM receivers rolling off
assembly lines again
Audiovox reports that it has already resumed production of Audiovox Xpress receivers for XM Satellite Radio after the FCC certified that problems with excessive FM band emissions have been resolved. The certification also cleared the way for production of the RoadyXT and XM Sportscaster models by Delphi in time to be on store shelves for the holiday selling season.
RBR observation: Key is the Christmas Holiday spending. It has already Started. More details in
08/30/06 RBR #169
San Antonio deal a half-price sale
Wall Street may have been applauding CBS for the big multiple in its sale of KTSA-AM and KXJK-FM San Antonio to Tom Castro's Border Media Partners (8/24/06 RBR #165), but it turns out that it is a half-price sale as far as the seller is concerned.
RBR observation: How things have changed. The previous sale was done at the peak of the market, just before values began to decline. Not only did Bernard Waterman get 90 million bucks, but he made Mel Karmazin structure the deal to be tax-free for the seller. According to the 4/3/2000 issue of RBR, Waterman got 90 million in Infinity stock for the stock of Waterman Broadcasting Corporation of Texas. We wonder if he had the good luck to sell before Infinity/Viacom/CBS began to slide with other media stocks. Lot more to read on this in
08/29/06 RBR #168
|
|
|
|
 |
State Broadcast Association
President for one of the nation's top broadcast associations seeks a replacement for its retiring executive.
See Radio Careers
Talk Radio Network
Seeking professionals in three areas to join our TRN team: Executive, Board Operator & Staff Engineer.
See Radio Careers
General Manager
Saga Communications has a rare opening at Rock 102 and Lazer 99.3.
See Radio Careers
Hard finding that key person
to fill the important position at your organization? Media HeadHunters is the place that key media firms use to get results. See Media HeadHunters and get results with service--Period.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Help Desk
|
__FIRST__ __SECOND__ :
Having problems with our epapers?
Please send Questions/Concerns to:
[email protected]
If you wish to remove your name completely from our database use this link __UNSUB__
RBR Epaper -- 108 annual
or just 9 a month
|
|
|
|
©2006 Radio Business Report, Inc. All rights reserved.
Radio Business Report -- 2050 Old Bridge Road, Suite B-01, Lake Ridge, VA 22192 -- Phone: 703-492-8191
|
|
