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Volume 24, Issue 175, Jim Carnegie, Editor & Publisher
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Friday Morning September 7th, 2007
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Radio News ®
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PPM impacting company-wide ratings stats
The analysts at Bear Stearns have been crunching the Arbitron numbers from the latest book and noticed a trend: "In an analysis of the Spring ratings book, several operators posted low to mid-single digit declines, including Univision (-6.6%), Clear Channel (-5.3%), Radio One (-4.6%), Cumulus (-3.7%) and CBS (-3.4%). Except for Cumulus, these operators all have something in common: stations in Houston and Philadelphia." Overall ratings gains were posted by Emmis (+2.7%), Entercom (+2.3%), Cox Radio (+1.7%) and SBS (+1.2%). Of those four gainers, only Cox has stations in one of the two markets where Arbitron has fired up its Portable People Meters (PPM). It is in Houston, but not Philadelphia.
 For several years now, the Bear Stearns analysts, Chris Ensley, Vic Miller and Tracy Young, have been writing about how radio had become a trifurcated marketplace, with niche formats (Spanish, Urban, Religious) taking share away from general market English stations. "PPM could change that scenario. While Spanish-language operators such as Entravision (+10.3%) and Univision (+24.5%) posted strong results over a 2-year period, Univision's Spring ratings in Houston decreased by 37%, and Radio One's Spring ratings were negatively impacted by PPM in Philadelphia (-45%) and Houston (-47%). As PPM rolls out in more markets, it may impede the ability of niche formats to take listening share," the analysts said in their latest report. What's the solution? With PPM showing higher cumes and lower TSL, the Bear Stearns analysts think radio may need to change its pitch to advertisers. "Radio may choose to begin selling itself as a reach medium, not just a targeted medium," they wrote.
RBR observation: Whether change is good or bad, we can all agree that change is hard. Shifting how radio is marketed will not be easily accomplished. As we've noted before, the immediate problem is in how advertisers are pricing ad buys in PPM markets. Arbitron says 70 GRPs under PPM equal 100 GRPs under diary measurement, but the buyers aren't rushing to embrace the new math.
PPM highlighted in WSJ
The scary subhead to yesterday's story in the Wall Street Journal was "Philly Stations Cut Ad Rates." The story actually quotes an ad buyer as saying radio stations will eventually be able to raise rates under Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) because advertisers will have more faith in electronic ratings data than diaries, but she told the WSJ that some stations have cut rates in Philadelphia because they dropped in the rankings under PPM. What's not mentioned in the WSJ article is anything about the current turmoil over in-tab rates, with Arbitron now committing to a money-back guarantee if it doesn't hit PPM sample size targets (9/6/07 RBR #174).
RBR observation: It's not likely that people in radio who've been following PPM issues for several years now will find anything new in the WSJ article, but for some executives at companies which advertise on radio, it may be the first they've heard of a change in ratings systems. It notes that PPM has been showing generally higher ratings for Rock and Classic Rock stations and lower for Urban formats. "Perhaps most important, radio stations typically pull in a bigger audience than they thought, but the audience spends less time listening to them," the WSJ reported. We just hope that those company execs read the entire article and didn't stop at the "Philly Stations Cut Ad Rates" line.
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 Credit markets
have CEOs worried
Confidence in the US economy continues to slide, according to the latest Vistage CEO Confidence Index. Chief executives of small- and mid-sized businesses are becoming increasingly concerned about the turmoil in financial markets and the effects it may have on their businesses. In the latest report, for Q3 2007, the Vistage CEO Confidence Index fell to 81.4, the lowest it has been since the survey began in 2003. A quarterly measure of economic, market and industry trends, the Index dropped nine points, down from 90.5 in the prior quarter and 89.3 a year ago. Comparatively, when the Index was first created, confidence was measured at 100.0 in Q2 2003 and 108.7 in Q3 2003.
"Of the 2,103 business leaders surveyed, the concern is not only about the economy, but also about the availability and cost of credit to their companies," said Richard Curtin, Ph.D., a consultant for the Vistage CEO Confidence Index and director of consumer surveys at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. "Because of this, executives plan to put some of their planned investments on hold for the remainder of the year," he said. Overall, the survey indicates business leaders expect a slowdown, but not a turndown in the economy. Companies still expect strong growth in their revenues, and have no plans to cut payroll. Just like the prior quarter, recruiting and retaining talent is the most important challenge executives face, although uncertainty about the economy may also slow hiring. Despite the sharp decline in confidence, the majority of business leaders (59%) did not think the economy would worsen any more this year.
Martin's public thoughts on private equity
One of the ramifications of the Democratic takeover of Congress was renewed activity on the oversight front, a fact of life to which the commissioners at the FCC can attest personally, particularly Chairman Kevin Martin. He has recently responded to the Democratic leadership of the House Energy & Commerce Committee - John Dingell (D-MI) - and its key Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet - Ed Markey (D-MA), who expressed concerns about the sudden influx of private equity groups into broadcast ownership. Martin acknowledged the concerns, but said the trend is in fact too new to have a history. And as far as transactions recently completed or in the pipeline, the FCC has no choice but to treat them the same as any other transaction which they must approve or deny. He noted that despite concerns about private equity ownership in some quarters, there were others who argued that it may offer advantages beneficial to the public that may be realized by getting divorcing corporate decision making from Wall Street's quarterly treadmill. As for public obligations, he noted that private equity firms are subject to the same rules as every other type of ownership organization. "In the interim," he concluded, "we will carefully consider private equity transactions that come before us, including any alleged benefits or harms of private equity ownership and control, to make sure they are in the public interest."
RBR observation: Martin is absolutely correct that all in all it is too early to draw any conclusions about the desirability of this type of ownership structure, which isn't new to broadcasting at all, but has recently become much more prominent. We know from experience, however, that such organizations will do well to make sure they have seasoned, competent and experienced broadcast executives running the show, not traders, investors and accountants. Many believe that the ultimate benefit may come when actual broadcasters are back at the helm of broadcasting companies. And we wouldn't be upset if such groups recoup their investments by breaking the groups up via sales to smaller, broadcaster-led companies once we get past this current credit crunch. Let's hope something like that happens before too many of broadcasting's best and brightest are playing shuffleboard near the beach in Florida.
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 Digital TV conversion may be messy
Anthony J. DiClemente and his team of analysts at Lehman Brothers suspect that the preparations for the transition to all-digital television are somewhat behind schedule. On the plus side, however, they say that the number of viewers likely to be affected is relatively small, and that the 2/17/99 target date should be hit. DiClemente cites the NAB's estimate that at present some 60% of the population is "completely unaware" of the coming transition. However, he believes that aware or not, by the end of 2008 only about 11% of all TV households will be at risk, somewhere between 12.5M-13M households, which is the number expected to be reliant on over-the-air broadcast only. The rest of the nation is expected to have a subscription to an MVPD service of one kind or another. DiClemente says that he expects MVPDs to pass on broadcast signals usable on both digital and analog receivers whether or not the FCC mandates dual coverage, a topic it is taking up next week. The remaining households will need digital-to-analog converter boxes, which will be government subsidized through a coupon program to the tune of 40 dollars per unit up to a potential total of about 1.5B dollars.
DiClemente and his team think there may be a problem reaching some hard-core air-only viewers. "The worst-case scenario is that the consumer awareness efforts do not reach the group most impacted by the transition and their televisions no longer work the morning after the February 17, 2009 deadline." He suspects that individuals caught unprepared will act quickly to get back up and running, with the biggest danger being cut off from broadcast during a catastrophic event. But it shouldn't make much bottom-line difference. "From a broadcasting standpoint, these viewers probably don't represent targeted demographics and additionally, it is not clear that Nielsen's measurement methodology would even miss them until they readjusted television households for the following year, by which time they would likely have gotten a converter and be back on the grid, so minimal financial impact. As such, we believe the biggest risk this transition poses is more political in nature than financial." He concludes, "While the execution on this transition will likely continue to be messy and the finger-pointing is probably far from over, we believe that the transition will ultimately get done. And we believe it will get done on time."
RBR observation: As we've said a number of times, the people who rely on over-the-air television WATCH over-the-air television, making them one of the easiest groups imaginable to target with a television campaign. Maybe a refined effort will place an emphasis on senior citizens, since they seem to be widely regarded as the biggest segment of the at-risk group. But all television stations can be expected to participate in this bread-and-butter issue and make sure the key element of their business model doesn't suddenly disappear on winter's day in 2009.
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NAB 2007
Investing Time or Exhibiting? Get the Max ROI, let attendees know,
Market in RBR & MBR.
SPECIAL ROI Ad Rate for NAB
Contact June Barnes 803.731.5951 or Jim Carnegie 813.909.2916
for Ad Marketing opportunities in RBR and MBR.
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| Wall Street Media Business Report TM |
Hearst-Argyle sued over bid
The directors of Hearst-Argyle haven't yet accepted or rejected a buyout bid from Hearst Corporation (8/27/07 RBR #167), but class action lawyers are already jumping on the case. One firm announced the filing of a lawsuit against certain officers and directors of Hearst-Argyle and is trolling for clients to join the lawsuit. Hearst-Argyle shares have traded above the 23.50 bid level since the offer was announced in anticipation by traders that Hearst Corporation will be forced to go higher to win approval of its effort to buy out the 27% of Hearst-Argyle that is in public hands. Now the Law Offices of Brian M. Felgoise has announced the filing of a class action lawsuit - and announcement that encouraged other Hearst-Argyle shareholders to give Felgoise a calls to "discuss your legal rights" at no cost or obligation. "The goal of the lawsuit is to seek the highest possible offer for the public shares," the announcement stated. Hearst-Argyle Television owns 26 television stations, manages three others, and also manages two Baltimore radio stations owned by Hearst Corporation
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Ad Business Report TM
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Monster names BBDO as AOR
Monster Worldwide announced BBDO Worldwide has been named its new AOR for advertising and branding. "Monster is already one of the most recognized brands among job seekers and employers, and one of the key elements of our strategic plan is to invest in further strengthening the Monster brand on a global scale," said Sal Iannuzzi, Monster CEO. "To advance that goal, we are appointing BBDO as our global agency of record, which will ensure a consistent approach to advertising and promotion across all of our businesses and regions, while revitalizing and reinvigorating the power of the Monster brand."
 Chrysler taps Toyota's Jim Press
Jim Press, the former head of Toyota's North American operations, has been hired by Chrysler as co-vice chairman and co-president with former Chrysler CEO Tom LaSorda. "Tom LaSorda and I are thrilled that one of the most successful executives in the history of the auto industry has joined our leadership team at the New Chrysler," said Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli said in statement. "Our top team now consists of a world-class 'supply' leader in Tom and an equally world-class 'demand' leader in Jim." Press will be responsible for global and North American marketing and product strategy as well as parts and service. LaSorda's responsibilities will be manufacturing, procurement and supply, employee relations and global business development and alliances. Toyota named Shigeru Hayakawa to replace Press as President of Toyota North America, according to Automotive News.
RBR observation: Ironically, Toyota is currently running its "Toyota in America" campaign, touting how many Toyotas are made in Kentucky and how American vendors supply the plant.
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NAB Daytime Planner
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The following will be attending the NAB.
Call or email to make your
appointment in advance.
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BANKERS
Peter H. Ottmar; Dover Capital Partners, LLC; Westin Charlotte; 401/723-1063 x103; cell 401/639-4958; [email protected]
Jacob J. Barker; Barker Capital; Hilton Charlotte City Center; (212) 332-4312; [email protected]
Brian Eick/Dave Meier; The Gladstone Companies; Omni Charlotte Hotel; Brian cell 847-612-3002, Dave cell 847-650-1735; [email protected], [email protected]
BROKERS
Todd Fowler/David Reeder; American Media Services; Westin Charlotte; 843-972-2200; [email protected]; [email protected]
Cliff Gardiner; Clifton Gardiner & Co.; Hilton Charlotte City Center; 303-758-6900; [email protected]
Andy McClure/Erick Steinberg, The Exline Company, Westin Charlotte, office 415-479-3484, Andy cell 415-497-3855, Erick cell (415) 209-4890, [email protected]. [email protected]
Frank Boyle; Frank Boyle & Co.; Residence Inn Charlotte Uptown; 203-969-2020; cell 203-249-7818;
[email protected]
Gordon Rice; Gordon Rice Associates; 843-884-3590; Westin Charlotte; [email protected]
John L. Pierce/ Jamie Rasnick; John Pierce & Company LLC; office 859-647-0101, John cell 859-512-3015; Jamie cell 513-252-1186, Westin Charlotte; [email protected]; [email protected]
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Dick Kozacko/George Kimble;
Kozacko Media Services; office 607-733-7138; cell 607-738-1219; Westin Charlotte; [email protected]; [email protected]
Media Services Group; Westin Charlotte; www.mediaservicesgroup.com
Elliot Evers/Greg Widroe/Brian Pryor/Patricia Carberry-Harris;
Media Venture Partners;
415-391-4877; Hilton Charlotte City Center;
[email protected]
Larry Patrick/Susan Patrick/Greg Guy/Todd Wirth; Patrick Communications; 410-740-0250; Westin Charlotte; [email protected]
Glenn Serafin; Serafin Bros., Inc.;
office 813-885-6060; cell 813-494-6875; Westin Charlotte; [email protected]
Bill Schutz; Schutz & Company; Westin Charlotte; office 757-258-8740, cell 757-880-9251; [email protected]
Zoph Potts; Snowden Associates; Omni Hotel; office 252-940-1680, cell 252-717-3772; [email protected]
CONSULTING ENGINEERS
Richard Mertz, Dan Ryson; Cavell, Mertz & Associates, Inc.; Main Office 703-392-9090; [email protected]
TRAFFIC SYSTEMS
Shane Harris/Susie Hedrick; Marketron Broadcast Solutions; Booth #530; www.marketron.com; 208-788-6800; [email protected]; [email protected]
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| Media Markets & Money TM |
Bott family picking up two in Sioux
A pair of Iowa FM stations are on their way to a new owner and a new operating status, and though they both have a connection to a place named, in part, Sioux, they are actually two separate locations. KTFC-FM is in Arbitron-rated Sioux City IA; KTFG-FM is located well to the east in unrated Sioux Rapids IA. The Bott family's Community Broadcasting Inc. will apply to convert the stations to noncommercial licenses. The price is 650K cash, and provides for an LMA until closing. The seller is Midwest Bible Radio LLC. The Bott family specializes in religious content, and should therefore have no problem complying with a contract plank calling for retention of a Christian format on both stations for a minimum of five years.
Close encounter in Pittsburgh
The transaction sending WLFP-AM Pittsburgh from Inner City Broadcasting to BusinessTalkRadio.net Inc. is a done deal. The deal, brokered by Frank Boyle, went into the books at 225K, according to documents filed at the FCC. The station joins KNUU Las Vegas NV, WGCH Stamford CT and WXBR Boston MA in the group's portfolio, which also includes Business TalkRadio Network and Lifestyle TalkRadio Network.
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| Washington Media Business Report TM |
FEC shrinks Club for Growth
The shrinkage will amount to 350K out of the Club for Growth bank account pursuant to a consent decree between it and the Federal Election Commission which will bring to a court battle to an end. At issue was CfG's status as a 527 organization. Under rules which seemed to be in operation during the 2004 election and before, such groups were allowed to use soft money to promote their agenda during campaign season. However, FEC determined that much of the time purchased by this group and others advocated for the election and/or defeat of specific federal candidates, making it in fact a political action committee. A political action committee is subject to fundraising restrictions limiting individual contributions to 5K. FEC said it pulled in 10.78M in donations in excess of this amount.
RBR observation: Along with other aspects of this we've pointed out recently, if CfG limits its message to issues, it can even mention specific politicians. In the recent Wisconsin Right to Life case which opened up the gates for such ads, which the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act attempted to silence in the days leading up to an election. The plaintiff in that case had asked Wisconsin voters to contact both Democratic senators to discuss an issue which wasn't on the congressional agenda at that time, and despite the fact that one of the senators was engaged in a re-election campaign. So we believe CfG and other would-be 527s can still spend all kinds of soft money as long as they are careful with their content.
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| HD Radio 2007 |
Polk Audio, JBL receivers to combine
HD Radio with iPod dock
 Polk Audio introducing second tabletop audio solution, the I-Sonic Entertainment System 2 which features integrated iPod dock and HD Radio. Apple is enabling HD digital radio's 'push to buy' technology via its iTunes service. This new "iTunes tagging" feature, found in select new HD radio devices with a special iPod dock, enables consumers to 'tag' a song by pushing a button. The next time the iPod is synced on iTunes, tagged songs are displayed and available for purchase. The feature will be available first in devices from Polk and JBL. JBL's iHD is a compact desktop system featuring HD Radio and an iPod dock with iTunes tagging technology. JBL's iHD also comes with multiple alarm settings, iPod navigation, clock, IR remote and other radio and alarm features. I-Sonic ES2 will be available from select specialty retail stores, Apple stores and direct from PolkAudio.com in October 2007 for 499 dollars.
RBR observation: This is huge leg up for HD digital radio and the broadcasters who offer tagging-we hear so far 10 have committed to tagging (including CC Radio-see below), and more are considering. The tag button has the potential to strengthen listener loyalty and HD digital radio is the first to offer it. Perhaps the radio will once again be the first place to look for new music? We asked how the encoding will work, and is it similar to PPM encoding? The answer is No. They are not altering the audio component of the broadcast; TAG data is all in the UFID in the ID3 tag-which means it's included in the data display of song title, station name, etc...
CC Radio to offer iTunes tagging
(See above story) Clear Channel Radio announced it will offer HD digital radio broadcasts for devices supporting Apple's implementation of a new HD digital radio tagging feature. The company also urged all radio broadcasters to fully support the new capability. "Apple has been a strong supporter of radio, previously making an FM tuner available for the iPod, and we view their support of HD digital radio as an enormous opportunity," said John Hogan, CC Radio CEO. "All of our FM stations broadcasting in HD digital radio will be available on these important and unprecedented devices. With substantial gains in online and on-demand programming already under our belt, there should now be no doubt of radio's ability to constantly evolve and embrace new technology. The iPod is not a competitor to radio -- it is a collaborator in connecting with consumers on a continual basis."
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| Internet Media Business Report TM |
Lulu sues Hulu
Only days after NBCU and News Corp. announced that they were going to call their online video joint venture Hulu, website "Lulu" announced today it is filing a trademark infringement lawsuit against Hulu in the U.S. District Court in Raleigh, NC, which is where Lulu is based, reports CNNMoney. In a statement about the filing of the complaint, Lulu said that Hulu "as a result of their recent name and internet domain announcements, have intentionally attempted to create confusion in the marketplace. Hulu, in name, as a mark and in their business as a digital content distribution platform, represents a definitive encroachment. In addition to the conflict in business for digital video, Hulu's trademark filing, filed on August 22, 2007, identifies various products and services, many of which are related to, and even identical to, the services that Lulu provides under its Lulu marks." Said Lulu CEO Bob Young in the statement: "[We have] spent more than five years and tens of millions of dollars in investment successfully building the Lulu brand and website into a place for millions of creators and consumers to publish, buy, sell and manage digital content. It is clear we are required to move quickly to protect our intellectual property and defend ourselves against this infringement before it significantly damages our business."
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| Transactions |
700K WGBC-TV Meridian MS (Ch. 30/31 DT, NBC) from Robert M. Ledbetter Enterprises LLC (Robert M. Ledbetter) to WGBC-TV LLC (Michael Reed). 35K escrow, balance in cash at closing. Will continue program services agreement of 8/1/95 with WMDN-TV. [File date 8/16/07.]
290K KPET-AM Odessa-Midland TX (Lamesa TX) from KPET Inc. (Don Sitton) to DCB License Sub LLC, a subsidiary of Dawson County Broadcasting LLC (Fred R. Morton, David Stewart). 14.5K escrow, 43.5K cash at closing, 232K note. Combo with pending acquisition of KYMI-FM Los Ybanez (buyers must restore deleted license and calls for the FM). [File date 8/20/07.]
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| Stock Talk |
Retail sales boost stocks
There are still worries about the housing sector, but strong sales reports from major retailers were welcomed Thursday on Wall Street. The Dow Industrials rose 58 points, or 0.4%, to 13,363.
Radio stocks posted gains. The Radio Index was up 0.181, or 0.2%, to 124.608. Radio One was strong, with its Class A up 3.3% and Class D 2.7%. Cumulus rose 3% and Fisher was up 2.8%.
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| Radio Stocks |
Here's how stocks fared on Thursday
| Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
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Arbitron
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ARB
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48.70
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+0.17
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Google
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GOOG
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523.52
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-4.28
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Beasley
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BBGI
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7.17
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-0.03
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Hearst-Argyle
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HTV
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25.65
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+0.34
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| CBS CI. B |
CBS |
 |
31.36
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+0.55
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Journal Comm.
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JRN
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10.21
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+0.12
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| CBS CI. A |
CBSa |
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31.37
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+0.54
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Lincoln Natl.
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LNC
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60.82
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+0.28
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| Citadel |
CDL |
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4.14 |
-0.02 |
Radio One, Cl. A
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ROIA
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3.77
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+0.12
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Clear Channel
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CCU
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37.70
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+0.28
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Radio One, Cl. D
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ROIAK
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3.77
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+0.10
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Cox Radio
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CXR
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13.73
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+0.05
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Regent
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RGCI
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2.70
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unch
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Cumulus
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CMLS
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10.81
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+0.31
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Saga Commun.
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SGA
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7.50
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+0.04
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Debut Bcg.
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DBTB
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1.19
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-0.05
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Salem Comm.
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SALM
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9.86
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-0.29
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Disney
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DIS
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34.41
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+0.37
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Sirius Sat. Radio
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SIRI
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3.21
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+0.07
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Emmis
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EMMS
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6.48
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+0.05
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Spanish Bcg.
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SBSA
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2.71
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+0.03
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Entercom
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ETM
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20.88
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+0.07
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SWMX
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SMWX
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0.05
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-0.01
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Entravision
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EVC
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9.20
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-0.12
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Westwood One
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WON
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2.35
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-0.06
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Fisher
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FSCI
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49.58
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+1.36
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XM Sat. Radio
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XMSR
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13.70
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+0.45
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Bounceback
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 We want to
hear from you.
This is your column, so send your comments and
a photo to [email protected]
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Below the Fold
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Ad Business Report
Chrysler taps Toyota's
Jim Press, now the US auto biz is getting serious. Press the brains that made Toyota...
Media Markets & Money
Bott family Picking up two
In Sioux City, A pair of Iowa FMs are on their way to a new owner...
Close encounter in Pittsburgh
Deal WLFP-AM Pittsburgh from Inner City to BusinessTalkRadio is a done deal...
HD Radio 2007
Polk Audio, JBL receivers
To combine HD Radio with iPod dock. This is huge leg up for HD...
CC Radio to offer iTunes tagging
Will offer HD digital radio broadcasts for devices supporting Apple's implementation...
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Stations for Sale
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 Market your Stations For Sale
in our daily epapers.
Contact
June Barnes
[email protected]
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Radio Media Moves
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 New CFO for Bustos
Bustos Media LLC announced that Gabriel Nacht has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the company. Nacht comes to Bustos Media from Meridian Project Systems, Inc., where he served as CFO and SVP since 2001. Earlier, he had been CFO of Bustos' Z-Spanish Media, before it merged with Entravision.
Dawkins adds radio
Greater Media's WPEN-AM "Sports Radio 950" announced that Philadelphia Eagles Safety Brian Dawkins will host the "Brian Dawkins Show" from Finnigan's Wake every Monday night during the NFL season. The six-time Pro Bowler will host a one hour show in front of a live audience each week. Dawkins will be joined by Sports Radio 950 host Harry Mayes and Eagles beat reporter Brian Seltzer.
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More News Headlines
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What's next for
Bruce Williams?
Bruce Williams confirmed to RBR yesterday that his syndication deal with Lifestyle TalkRadio Network is up in a couple of months and there is no renewal agreement yet. Williams says talks are continuing with Lifestyle, but he is considering other possibilities as well. At Lifestyle, Exec. VP Jeff Weber remains confident they will come to terms. "Bruce Williams is a great talent and we at the Lifestyle TalkRadio Network are fortunate and proud to have him as part of our broadcast schedule. Although his contract does end in October, we are confident that both parties will come to an agreement that will be beneficial to all concerned. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Bruce for as many years as he wishes to continue to broadcast," Weber told RBR.
MMTC pushed NAB Radio Show events
With the kick-off of the 2007 NAB Radio Show fast approaching, David Honig of Minority Media and Telecommunications Council has highlighted a number of sessions which he thinks may be of particular interest to his constituents. The event runs 9/26-28/07 in Charlotte NC. Honig recommends: The Dickstein Shapiro Broadcast Financing Seminar: Radio's Changing Landscape, 9/26, 8:00-11:00 AM; Ramping Up Revenue in the Hispanic Marketplace, 9/26, 2:15-3:30 PM,; Breaking the Language Barrier: Gringos in Spanish Radio, 9/27, 3:00-4:15 PM; The MMTC/NABEF Ownership Workshop: How to Buy A Radio Station, 9/27, 4:30-6:30 PM; and Urban Radio: New Challenges, New Opportunities, 9/28, 1:30-2:45 PM.
CBS Corp. to
buy SignStorey
CBS Corp. said it will acquire SignStorey, Inc., a distributor of video programming and ad content to retail stores. The purchase price is 71.5 million in cash. SignStorey will be renamed "CBS Outernet" upon closing of the deal and is expected in Q4, pending regulatory review. With digital video displays in more than 1,400 grocery stores in major markets across the United States, SignStorey offers advertisers the opportunity to reach consumers with targeted content that can be customized by region and by daypart. The company's satellite-delivery system enables immediate, customized programming and messaging to each individual system. SignStorey has long-term exclusive contracts with SuperValu (Acme, Albertsons, Jewel and Shaw's), Pathmark, ShopRite and Price Chopper, among others, and is currently installed in six of the top 10 markets in the U.S., with traffic of more than 72 million consumers every month. CBS has significant experience in programming for out-of-home audiences. In addition to SignStorey, current partners in this regard include American Airlines/CBS Eye on American, Royal Caribbean/CBS Eye on Royal Caribbean; AutoNet TV/Rev It Up; Salon Network Channel; Starwood Hotels/SPG TV; Indoor Direct; Mall of America; On Spot Digital/Simon Malls and Ripple TV/CBS Outdoor, among others.
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TVBR - TV News
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TVB predicts 2008 advertising windfall
Get ready for a big year in 2008. With heavy election spending on the horizon, the TVB predicts that TV station spot revenues (local and national combined) will jump 9-10% next year. But then, that windfall will be followed by a 2-4% decline in 2009, a non-election year. "Odd years will always face tough comparisons to even years, when spending on both the Olympics and political ads show up. Spot TV is a two-year business cycle," said TVB President Chris Rohrs in announcing the annual forecast. TVB has focused in recent years on new media opportunities for television broadcasters. With stations all across the country expanding into ad sales for new ventures on the Internet and via cell phones, those new revenues are growing at substantial double-digit rates. TVB expects those dramatic gains to continue in 2009, even as spot business goes into the non-election-year down cycle.
Here are TVB's Forecasts
for 2008 and 2009.
Note: TVB estimates - derived from a consensus of Wall Street and financial analysts, station representative firms, and independent TVB research - represent national averages. Individual firms and stations may produce varied results based on a number of factors, including market size, region of the country, and affiliation.
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RBR Radar 2007
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Radio News you won't read any where else. RBR--First, Accurate, and Independently Owned.
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Arbitron to guarantee
PPM sample sizes
Exact details are yet to be worked out, but Arbitron has told clients it will reduce their bills if it fails to hit targets for Portable People Meter (PPM) sample sizes. Arbitron is also working on a new campaign to explain the math of PPM to media buyers, many of whom haven't been buying into the claim that 70 GRPs under PPM are equal to 100 GRPs under diary measurement.
RBR observation: Broadcasters would rather have Arbitron hit the sample targets than rebate their ratings bills, but this guarantee at least gives Arbitron an additional incentive to hit those targets. As for the problem with buyers not adjusting GRP targets for PPM, we doubt that a few magazine ads are going to suddenly get everyone to change their numbers. This is going to be a tough education process and it has to go up the chain to planners and ad agency executives who are now planning budgets for 2008. We doubt that many buyers have the authority on their own to revise the GRP target numbers for a planned buy because the market has switched from diaries to PPM. Note: Review the letter Steve Morris sent in RBR.
09/06/07 RBR #174
Moody's assesses potential
recession impact on media
Moody's Investors Service says many major US media companies, such as Viacom, Time Warner, Comcast and Cox Communications, should hold up pretty well if the US economy slips into recession in the next couple of years. Who looks more risky? Moody's names New York Times Co., Clear Channel Communications, Gannett and Belo. Will there be a recession? Begley said the rating agency was not predicting a recession or even stating that one is likely, which is why current conditions have not prompted changes in rating outlooks.
RBR observation: Nothing like being negative or as the street says being on the side of caution. Come on the word recession is in our vocabulary and in some respects the medium has never shaken off the word recession. Good broadcasters are working around that word and remembering Content is King and making it happen. The street, ah taken it with a grain of salt we do.
09/06/07 RBR #174
Radio picks up political purchases
That's the good news. According to the Radio Advertising Bureau and Nielsen Monitor-Plus, 26.3K political spots have been bought on radio stations in the first half of 2007, a 17% gain over 2005's 22.5K total. But here's the ugliness: Local, national and network were down 2% apiece in Q2. But a 16% surge in non-spot was able to reduce the damage to only minus 1% overall for the quarter.
09/05/07 RBR #173
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New Listing
General Manager
Life is good in the Midwest with this Small-Medium cluster in rated market. Need a top Aggressive, community minded GM. Applicant will have a track record of performance, strong on sales and ideas. Ability to get the most out of a talented staff. We're reentering ownership so don't be concerned that you're already working for us. Tired of the corporate jungle and want to work in real radio this is for you. Details where to apply see Radio Careers
General Sales Manager
One of America's Legendary CHR stations, KDWB, looking for a world class GSM to lead a talented sales team! We have 5 questions for our next GSM to answer. If you can say Yes to some or all then lets talk. A college degree is preferred with two years related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education/experience. Clear Channel's KDWB, EEO--Hey, it doesn't get any better than this. Complete requirements and where to apply see Radio Careers
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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.
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