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Arbitron, VNU sign marketing research deal; P&G to collaborate
Arbitron and VNU announced a deal to jointly explore the possible development of a new, national marketing research service, using Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM), which collects multi-media and purchase info from a common sample of consumers. The service will be designed to enable a better understanding of consumer exposure to advertising on multiple media and the link to their shopping/purchase behavior. The ultimate objective would be to provide advertisers with an enhanced ability to determine ROI for their marketing efforts. And a big advertiser is on board - - Procter & Gamble.

RBR observation: One thing this deal is NOT is part of the PPM collaboration between Arbitron and Nielsen Media Research, even though the latter is owned by VNU. This PPM usage is not for radio or TV ratings and Nielsen Media Research is making it very clear that it will carry on its own testing with Arbitron before deciding whether it is going to use PPM for TV ratings. | More... |

Analysts see Emmis guidance as soft
Reaction is coming in from Wall Street on Emmis' outlook for the current quarter (9/29/04 RBR Daily Epaper #190), with analysts saying the company's guidance is on the soft side. At Wachovia Securities, Jim Boyle says the company's guidance of 7.8% total revenue growth was below The Street's consensus of 8.3% and domestic radio growth guidance of 3.1% was 2.3 percentage points below Boyle's projection for the industry over the same time period. As a result, he has lowered his top- and bottom-line estimates for Emmis for the quarter and fiscal year. Likewise, SG Cowen & Co. analyst James Marsh says Emmis' radio growth projection is "significantly below our prior 7.5% growth estimate, which envisioned solid radio industry growth against easy comps, fueled by political tightening." So Marsh has also reduced his estimates, adding that the lower numbers "could prove conservative if November heats up." Both analysts cite the company's radio outlook as the reason for lowering their Emmis projections. "TV remains a solid performer, but it isn't enough to move the stock," Boyle noted.

Fox News, Dial-Global to launch RADAR-rated net
Slated for debut in RADAR 84 (3/05), Fox News Radio and Dial Communications-Global Media are launching a new network, the "Fox News Radio and Information Network." This will be the third RADAR-rated net in three years from Dial-Global, after its Complete FM and Contemporary. The inventory will be available on 1/1/05, based on a special tab from RADAR 83 (12/04). With more than 600 affiliates and over 93% U.S. coverage and airing on top stations in major metros, Fox News Radio and Information Network targets Adults 25-54. "We believe that the success of the Fox News brand on television will be duplicated in radio," said David Landau, Co-President-CEO of Dial-Global. "As a result, we felt strongly about placing this inventory into RADAR and giving our clients the opportunity to benefit from the future growth of this brand." Robert Finnerty, VP/Fox News Radio, tells RBR this is a five-minute network comprising a select amount of their radio news inventory. Tony Snow and Alan Colmes inventory are not included. And then there is some other inventory TBD that Dial-Global has that will be put into that also. Affiliates carrying the inventory include KFI-AM LA, KVI-AM Seattle, WRKO-AM Boston, KLIF-AM Dallas, KFYI-AM Phoenix and KPRC-AM Houston. Just last week we reported the first of Fox News Radio's "integration" with its affiliate KVI (9/23 RBR Daily Epaper #186). The goal with these two announcements is to take the brand up a few notches, to capitalize on radio what it has done with television with its news credibility and ever-increasing popularity. Becoming RADAR-rated will likely bring a few advertisers over from the TV side who demand the highest levels of accountability.

Uneasy truce settles over Disney
Dissidents Roy E. Disney and Stan Gold are backing off - - for now. The former Disney directors who've been leading the effort to oust CEO Michael Eisner say they're going to let the Disney board of directors carry out their effort to name a successor for Eisner by next June, now that he's announced plans to retire when his current contract expires in 2006. Calling the board's effort "a positive agenda to help restore the trust of shareholders," Roy Disney and Gold said the directors were displaying "precisely the kind of leadership and independence" which they had been seeking. | More... |

Nets vow to control candi-cam
The negotiators for George W. Bush and John Kerry established ground rules for the debates which included stage directions - - in particular, directions on what kind of camerawork would be allowed. But they forgot to get the networks to agree to the deal. What the handlers for each candidate would like to avoid are reaction shots. When one candidate is speaking, the other would like to disappear, to avoid potentially embarrassing moments. The Associated Press reminds us of two such moments in the past: Bush 41's watch-checking incident, and Al Gore's sighs. None of the networks have agreed to abide by these rules, and the moderators who fail to do so run the risk of being replaced. But the candidates, if they try to hard to enforce the agreement, run the risk of looking foolish by worrying about a camera. Fox News Channel will be providing camera-work tonight for all networks carrying the debate under a pooling arrangement. It is expected to provide numerous camera angles, which each of the other networks will be able to choose from at their own discretion.

RBR observation: Each debate is scheduled to last 90 minutes. That's a lot of air time, and it is possible that there will be lulls in the action. Action is the key word and network TV of NBC, CBS, ABC and Cable networks covering tonight’s first debate could and probably will make more news themselves as they will not cover by the camera rules. Fox News Channel is already number one beating all of its rivals in Cable News stated it will do as it sees fit. PBS ‘NewsHour’ anchor Jim Lehrer, moderator, is heard not to have signed the agreement as PBS had ‘no comment’.

Our suggestions to the networks and to counteract the boredom factor, and to keep people from switching to whatever they're offering on other channels, we suggest the use of David Letterman's Monkeycam, as long, of course, as an impartial monkey gets the gig. It's a fresh idea for a new millennium offered free of charge from your friends at RBR.

Author Jackie Freiberg to
keynote NAB Radio Show
NAB has finally announced the keynote speaker for this year's Radio Show, just nine days before she is scheduled to speak. The keynoter is Jackie Freiberg, who with her husband Kevin wrote "GUTS! Companies that Blow the Doors off Business-as-usual." It's a look at the CEOs and business practices of businesses such as Synovus Financial and Ernst & Young which focus on customer service and creating an environment which makes employees want to work. Before that they wrote "NUTS! Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success" on how the start-up airline's unique approach made it a success. Freiberg lives in (no surprise here) San Diego. (Editor's note: We'd been hoping for Stan Freiberg!)

Adbiz ©

Ameritrade campaign showcases tech edge
With technology a standard in the lives of 21st century investors, a new ad campaign from Ameritrade emphasizes the edge the company delivers through cost, execution quality, speed and an innovative suite of products and services. By illustrating the benefits our society enjoys thanks to smarter, everyday technologies, the campaign serves to remind the audience that similar advantages are available when investing with Ameritrade. "Trade Triggers" allows clients to act while offline, "SnapTicket" provides easy trading access and "Ameritrade Apex" provides cutting edge service. The spots debuted yesterday. Initially, a total of five spots will air on cable including CNBC, CNN, MSNBC and ESPN. Print and online will launch simultaneously.

Royal Caribbean signs with TiVo
to showcase Mediterranean cruises
TiVo and Royal Caribbean International announced that Royal Caribbean will be the first cruise line to advertise on the TiVo platform. Royal Caribbean will use TiVo to promote a one-hour TV special designed to break down the barriers to cruising and attract first-time cruisers. The program will premiere on The Travel Channel 10/14 at 9 p.m. | More... |

Media, Markets & Money tm

Washington Beat

Transactions

WAVK-FM & WWWK-FM Marthon FL from LSM Radio Partners LLC to Vox Communications Group LP.

KAIQ-FM Lubbock TX (Wolfforth TX) from Littefield Broadcasting LLC to Entravision Holdings LLC.

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