Share Ideas Working Now with RBR, MBR and SMARTMEDIA, a partnership in radio today.
Ideas Working Now Membership
Welcome to RBR's Daily Epaper
Volume 24, Issue 191, Jim Carnegie, Editor & Publisher
Monday Morning October 1st, 2007
Publishers Perspective
NAB 2007 and Radio's Future
"No time to either sing praise or be critical but the time is now to think about the balance of the decade." This observation was from the NAB 2005 Philly convention. Since '05 nothing has changed and no less improved. Execs came to Charlotte as they did in Philly seeking guidance in areas of HD Radio, sales, management ideas, and how to turn their websites into new money generators. In 2005 they went to Philly seeking help for the balance of this decade. The only difference from Philly to Charlotte is that they are seeking guidance and help right now going into 2008. Nobody can wait until 2010, much less wait for results until 2020. Many did not receive what they came for--which was a quick fix answer because there is none. Why? Radio leadership at the top is still stuck in 2005. The leaders I talked with spoke and looked real tired because during the past 5 to 7 years they have created no value for their shareholders/investors and it has beaten them down. Learn from the past and ask if radio is better off today.

Statements at NAB '05 Philly
"We still stink at marketing ourselves. There is promise in HD, and the industry has about 2 years to get its act together...Otherwise, HD is going to smell like AM stereo." - Bill Figenshu of Peak Broadcasting/FigMedia1;

"The web is our entrée to the future. If radio becomes a website medium and [stays] an in-car medium, then it's got a shot." - John Parikhal of Joint Communications

Statements at NAB '06 Dallas
(group heads admit they don't see anything that will change)

"Trying to make lemonade out of lemons by continuing to buy back stock."-
Clear Channel CEO Mark Mays;

"What happened to radio is that it lost its hipness,"- Greater Media CEO Peter Smyth; "I don't think that radio has lost its hip factor," - Cumulus Media CEO Lew Dickey

Statements at NAB '07 Charlotte
"Radio is the only industry that tended to fight its fights in public." - Bear Stearns analyst Victor Miller;

"We need to change the perception of this industry". - Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan;

"If Industry leaders don't go to Detroit and the big box stores to make their case, then radio will just have to settle for whatever they want to give the industry." - Cherry Creek Radio CEO Joe Schwartz;

"Radio 2020, our roadmap to building radio's future. The primary goals include innovation to meet changing consumer demands and reigniting consumer interest in radio."- NAB President David Rehr


Guidance for 2008
to 2010 and start now
If you sit and wait for someone else to do the heavy lifting for you then it is easier to just pucker up and plant your lips on the back of a tailpipe and breath in. If you did not experiment this year with ideas then do so now.

1. HD and Websites must be established as separate divisions inside your organization.
2. Hire young creative people inside our business to develop this content and presentation.
3. Give those creative people the freedom to make their mistakes to succeed just as we did in developing FM in the early '70s.
4. 2008 is the beginning of developing quality content--not tonnage with HD and Web radio.
5. Webradio: add video to your sites and learn from the YouTubes. Get interactive with radio using video.
6. End Cluster Management and Programming. 1 GM and 1 PD can not do it all well.
7. Sales - National needs a complete overhaul. Local must get target-specific with solutions to ad clients. Ratings and CPP is not the answer.
8. Revenue from HD and the Web is a Full Time Job. Part timers need not apply. And, do not make these divisions part of your current sales managers' responsibility. Establish new teams.

Why do I state these quick points? - Because I too am faced with making these improvements inside the RBR/TVBR organization--but I'm not waiting for 2010. We are doing it now in 4th qtr. for 2008. Our media is running on a two-year business cycle and 2008 begins a new cycle with new challenges. Content is King and Presentation is Queen with the Ace in your sleeve being creative people with vision--especially the young as they have no fear. If you have a comment, send it with your photo to r[email protected]

Success to each of you in 2008
Jim Carnegie
Publisher & Editor

See any pattern here?
Do yourself a favor and click on the date links to re-read these reports.
*
No perfect storm to sink radio values 09/22/05 RBR #186
* Publisher Perspective NAB 2005 09/26/05 RBR # 188
* No magic bullet for radio 09/21/06 RBR #184
* Publisher Perspective NAB 2006 09/25/06 RBR #186
* Time to speak with one voice 09/27/07 RBR #189
* Radio 2020 09/28/07 RBR #190



Radio News ®

Small market radio is sizzling!
There was no gloom and doom Friday at the "Small market frenzy, boom or bust" panel at the NAB Radio Show. Small market operators are excited about growing revenues from lots of local accounts. "We have the ability to be able to control the business," said Ira Rosenblatt of Route 81 Radio, explaining the attraction of small market radio over big markets today. Rather than worrying about ratings, the focus is on showing local business owners that the local radio station can drive customers to them. Dean Goodman of GoodRadio.TV, who'd previously run some very large stations, noted that the number of active accounts at a small market station is dramatically higher than for a large market station. "That's why they are able to grow revenues," he said. In his view, the spots from local merchants are not regarded as interruptions by listeners, but rather part of the content. "This is an unbelievable opportunity," Goodman said.

That opportunity is not going unnoticed. "Small market radio is the new thing," observed bond analyst Bishop Cheen from Wachovia. He is predicting the return of seller paper as a way to bridge the contraction of credit in getting small market deals done. But he also sees big money sniffing around the small markets - money that would be able to fund lots of small market purchases by a single company. That sort of consolidation is not an attractive prospect to Peter Ottmar of Dover Capital. "It is the worst thing for radio. What this industry needs to get back on its feet is de-consolidation," he exclaimed. He's seen the effects of consolidation in larger markets. "When you dominate a market, you get lazy," Ottmar said. He got no argument from Mary Quass of NRG Media, although she could certainly qualify as a consolidator. "Over the past five years we've all become wimps. We won't take risks," she complained. And don't look for the big guys to have big ideas. Quass says the new ideas for radio are probably going to come from the small markets.

RBR observation: This was certainly a different atmosphere from when the big market group operators were talking last week. The kind of fun radio that attracted most of us to the business still exists in small markets. The one big complaint heard at the small market session was about people. It is just so hard to hire, train and motivate good sales people in small markets. Not that it is easy in big markets, either, but it seems to be even more challenging in markets where sales are made face-to-face with business owners, with no negotiation about CPMs or ratings-based pitches. No one had an easy solution. It just comes down to finding good managers who can identify potential and handle training - and take some chances.

Martin pushing for minority access to spin-offs
Clear Channel Communications and Citadel Broadcasting have conducted seminars with the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC) and NAB Education Foundation to ensure that minority and female entrepreneurs had access to bid on properties being spun off from those large media companies. Fox Television is in the midst of a similar process. Now FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has proposed that such outreach efforts be encouraged across the spectrum of communications industries regulated by the FCC. In a letter to the Commission's Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age, Martin applauded the Clear Channel effort in particular and suggested that it should be emulated "whenever a significant ownership-related transaction is proposed to the Commission." Meeting last Thursday, the committee voted to recommend that the Chairman's proposal become a "best practice" for communications companies.

"It certainly is welcome," MMTC Executive Director David Honig told RBR/TVBR, calling Martin's letter the FCC's first move on diversity in seven years. Such seminars don't guarantee that minority and female bidders will win in the auctions, but Honig says the objective is to "give everyone a fair chance to participate." That, he said, should be good for sellers as well, since "the more vibrant the auction is, the better price you get."


Goodbye to Charlotte
Airport lines were long as broadcasters left Charlotte after enjoying a successful week in a new host city. The biggest concern before the radio industry today has to be the performance tax proposal looming on Capitol Hill. No one can believe that the record industry is so anxious to damage itself, but the threat is real - and universally opposed by broadcasters large and small. Vowing to defeat the proposal to take cash away from broadcasters to line the pockets of international record company executives, NAB President David Rehr noted that the traditional model of "free play for free promotion" has worked well, turning many unknown artists into mega stars. We heard more than one broadcaster vow that if radio stations have to pay a performance tax to be distributed to the record industry, then record companies are going to have to pay up if they want airplay.

Being private is in and being public is out. Those radio companies with public stocks are largely unloved on Wall Street. "The group has been orphaned," said Deutsche Bank investment banker Drew Marcus, noting that yet another big brokerage firm had recently eliminated the position of radio stock analyst. But there is private money chasing deals, even in the current credit crunch. And with Clear Channel, Citadel and Cumulus making divestitures from their portfolios, lots of folks see opportunities to grow their own companies. People are making money on the Internet. Despite concerns about streaming royalty fees, stations are finding new revenue streams online in various ways. And while it is still in the chicken and egg stage - we need more receivers in the marketplace! - there are high hopes that HD Radio is going to pay off in a few years.

RBR observation: We met a lot of happy small market broadcasters in Charlotte. Their business is a far cry from the major market gloom and doom that we see constantly in the reports from Wall Street. Joe Schwartz of Cherry Creek was right in observing that this has become two businesses. Small market radio is alive, lots of fun and kicking butt. But the changing media market is having a big impact on the big markets. PPM may be a long-term plus, but it is going to require a painful adjustment by some stations in the early years of implementation. Internet advertising is growing rapidly and that is making many big national advertisers reassess their spending on "old media." Radio isn't going away, but it still has some tough days ahead - at least in the big markets. Is the newly announced Radio 2020 initiative a cure-all? No, but it is the right thing to do at the national level to promote and re-brand radio for the modern age. But fixing problems at the local level is just going to take a lot of basic blocking and tackling.

Official skepticism clouds XM/Sirius betrothal
A while back a few Wall Street types were starting to think the XM/Sirius merger was going to get through the regulatory gauntlet. However, remarks by FCC officials at the NAB's radio get-together have thrown a little cooled Wall Street's optimism. At the NAB2007 Radio Show in Charlotte NC, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin (R) repeated what he's been saying all along, that the two services were created as two to compete with one another in the first place, and as such face a steep hurdle to have that founding principle nullified. Commissioner Michael Copps (D) went further, expressing doubts about allowing the merger to go through. (According to reports, Copps added skepticism about the transfer of Tribune Co. to an ESOP headed by Sam Zell, largely over his objections to Tribune's five newspaper/televison cross-owned combinations.) Motley Fool, one of the Streetgazers that saw signs of XM/Sirius going through, weighed in on the situation through somewhat of a back door, saying that Sirius' pending wedding with XM is reason for skepticism about rumors that it was thinking of allowing itself to be acquired by Google. Besides the existence of a pending change in ownership structure, the Fool looked at such a merger from Google's perspective. Noting that radio hates the idea of XM/Sirius, and that Google is trying very hard at the moment to develop a business relationship with radio, the Fool asked, "Google would kiss the terrestrial business goodbye in pursuit of the thinner sliver of radio ad revenue available on satellite radio?", and then answered its own question. "Impossible."


Wall Street Media Business Report TM
Emmis tees up Q2 call
Emmis operates on a different schedule than just about everybody else. For starters, while others get set to deliver Q3 results, Emmis is just completing its own Q2. It also gets out there ahead of the pack, serving as the canary in the coal mine for the broadcast industry as a whole. The event is set for 10/5/07 at 9:00 AM eastern.

Belo, Media General to spread the wealth
You still have time to get in on this. Shareholders in Belo Corporation, with Series A or Series B stock, as of 11/16/07, stand to pick up 12 and a half cents per share, to be distributed 12/7/07. This gives you time to even up your total number of shares, too, if you currently have an odd number and are not sure what to do with half a penny. Meanwhile, Media General is going to pop for 23 cents a share on its Class A and B issues, payable to shareholders of record as of 11/30/07 and distributed 12/15/07.


Ad Business Report TM

PPM pushback in NYC
The NY Post reports City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and a group of her colleagues Friday urged a listener-research group to ditch PPM as the new way of monitoring New Yorkers' radio habits-saying the method will skew results against minority-audience stations. The latest episode is similar to the uproar when Nielsen was planning to use new technology to measure audiences. "We want to make sure that in the five boroughs minority radio continues to flourish and thrive," the paper reported Quinn saying at a press conference denouncing the PPM device. Sanford Moore, a KISS-FM (WRKS-FM) radio personality, also denounced the move, saying it could "signal the death of minority radio as we have come to know and depend upon it," particularly as a way of learning about news stories.

RBR observation: Arbitron offered no comment at deadline, however, the studies Arbitron has released so far on measuring minority listening with PPM indicate the numbers have actually improved. Here's a recent quote just days ago at Interep's Power of Urban Symposium from Radio One CEO/President Alfred C. Liggins, III: "Electronic measurement is providing compelling evidence about the power of Urban radio to reach and engage the African-American consumer. It is also demonstrating the 'working persons' advantage that Urban radio offers marketers who want to reach the brand conscious and brand loyal African-American consumer."

Indeed, PPM isn't perfect, but it's better. "Crying the PPM wolf" every time ratings suffer will only detract from the more important issues Arbitron is trying to improve with the system-like offering it via a cell phone to improve carry rates. When stations denounce the new system, agencies hear it. What does that do to their decision making when planning and buying for their clients? Like Victor Miller of Bear Stearns stated 'Radio is the only business that fights in public.' Sometimes this public perception is unhealthy.


Media Business Report TM
Cable talkers pour the OJ
The week of 9/16-21/07 marked a return of the tabloid to news coverage, with OJ Simpson's Las Vegas break-in getting the top spot in the Project for Excellence in Journalism poll. Cable news organizations were largely responsible for that showing with 13% of the newshole (a relatively modest showing for the top story), and according to PEJ, their brethren in the cable talk category were primarily responsible for landing him on top of the Talk index with 21% of available time. PEJ said radio hosts were much less interested in the topic. In fact, whereas monitored cable talkers gave OJ 140 minutes, radio talkers gave him only eight, putting their own focus on the 2008 campaign, which was second on the talk chart with 18%. Talkers picked up on three topics that failed to make the news top-ten list: the saga of the tasered Florida student (6%), Alan Greenspan's new book (4%) and Dan Rather's lawsuit against CBS/Viacom (3%).

Chevron goes green
Energy corporation Chevron is getting set to publicize its efforts to deal with the challenges facing the globe when it comes to energy production, and is going to take a worldwide multimedia approach to getting the word out. It's a difficult task, since the average consumer need only pass a gas station price per gallon sign to reinforce any negative opinions held about the industry as a whole. "The energy industry is one of the most complex and vital industries in the world. Yet public opinion is most frequently shaped by the price at the pump," said Chevron Vice Chairman Peter Robertson. "How we find, produce and use energy are critical issues of our time. We all need to participate in developing and shaping our energy future. Chevron takes on this challenge every day." The campaign will kick off with a full two-minute, 30-second spot on the prestigious CBS news magazine "60 Minutes" and will take off from there with various :30 and :60 spots distributed on a global basis. Other media will be utilized to support the campaign.


Media Markets & Money TM
Michaels leases two more DIYs
Jonathan L. Smith and his Lincoln Garrard Broadcasting Company have inked an agreement with Randy Michaels and his RadioActive LLC which will send two Kentucky FM CPs into an LMA with Smith, who will then have the option to acquire them in 2010. According to broker Jay Meyers of Cavalry Media Services, the purchase price, it activated, will be 760K. The CPs are in Broadhead and Mt. Vernon. According to Meyers, this will mark a return to radio in the area for Smith, who is now an attorney operating out of Chicago but who signed on WXKY-FM in central Kentucky back in 1967 before selling it in 1995 to Educational Media Foundation. For Michaels, this deal is his second LMA/option to be announced in recent days -- he's also shipping three CPs in Kansas into an LMA/2010 option to Rockin M Radio.


Washington Media Business Report TM
Copps takes aim at ownership
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps (D) says there are five steps that must me taken before serious the FCC can consider further loosening ownership rules. Among his points are concerns about minority ownership, public interest and regulatory transparency. (1) Copps want the FCC to "[a]ct on the numerous minority ownership proposals by the FCC's own Diversity Committee and the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council." He notes that a big part of the Prometheus decision was a failure to adequately address this topic. (2) He wants the Broadcast Localism proceeding to be completed, including a reinvigoration of the license renewal process. (3) He wants the rules published for comment prior to the commissioners' vote, unlike 6/2/03 where the vote on the rules was also their unveiling. (4) He wants issues about economic studies and peer review brought up by some members of Congress addressed. (5) He wants the rules to be addressed in a comprehensively rather than one piece at a time. On this count he said, "The media ownership rules constitute a single ecosystem. We cannot responsibly make changes in one area without considering the systemic impact. I'm on the look-out for any attempts to short-circuit the process."

RBR observation: When former Chairman Michael Powell (R) had his go at this, he tried to get it all done at once, which is part of the reason it fell apart in court. Copps has long suspected that Chairman Kevin Martin (R) may make the politically astute move of going for one chunk at a time, particularly in the case of loosening the broadcast/print cross-ownership rules. In the current political climate, do not be surprised to see Copps do whatever he can to play for time -- and putting an ownership vote behind five additional steps would certainly fit in with that strategy.


Entertainment Media Business Report TM
WWL-AM cleans up at the Marconi Awards
After what New Orleans has been through and the role Entercom's WWL-AM has played in that disaster and rebuilding, three Marconi Awards may not even be enough. Operations Manager Diane Newman recalled the tribulations of Katrina from the podium, but also urged everyone to come on down and enjoy the food and vitality of her town. "Bourbon Street is open for business," she declared. It may have been the NAB Radio Show, but the ballroom seemed like it could be the conservative talk radio convention. Glenn Beck emceed the festivities; Sean Hannity showed up in person to accept his award and saluted his long-time friend and fellow nominee Neil Boortz, who was also in the audience.
| Here are the winners |

Indie 103.1 holding private concert
for "The Sex Pistols" tour

To kick start their "holiday in the sun," the Sex Pistols are playing a special private club show for fans 10/25 at The Roxy in LA. This gig by original members John Lydon, Steve Jones, Paul Cook and Glen Matlock is made possible by Indie 103.1, home to Steve Jones' blockbuster afternoon show on the station "Jonesy's Jukebox." Listeners can win tickets to the Roxy show by tuning in to Indie 103.1 or going to www.indie1031.com. The Roxy and upcoming U.K. shows coincide with celebration of the 30th anniversary of the 1977 release of Never Mind The Bollocks...Here's The Sex Pistols.


Engineering Business Report TM
From NAB: "WBT studio waited for bombs to fall"
At NAB last week, RBR had dinner with Mark Washburn, TV/Radio Writer for the Charlotte Observer, at a dinner hosted by NAB's Dennis Wharton. He told us about a tour he took, and subsequent story he wrote on Charlotte's heritage News-Talker WBT-AM a few years ago. A very interesting story, which he allowed us to share: "WBT studio waited for bombs to fall: Bunker is a relic of nation's nuclear terror" The voice of doom was supposed to speak from here. A little-known relic of Cold War hysteria survives beneath the transmitter for WBT-AM on Nations Ford Road: a bunkerlike radio studio from which would come the last word on preparing for nuclear attack and the first word for dealing with the aftermath - if anyone were out there to hear it.
| more of the story here |


Internet Media Business Report TM
Verizon wireless
rolling out mobile TV

Consumers with the proper equipment can now start getting "broadcast quality" television programming over their handheld devices in over 30 US markets, including Manhattan, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington DC. In a release, the company said, "Wait times at the airport, doctors' offices and restaurants will get a little bit more interesting on Monday, October 1 for Verizon Wireless customers...who will be able to watch broadcast-quality television on select TV-enabled handsets." Other markets include Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Richmond, Baltimore and Norfolk. Program offerings include "Late Show with David Letterman," "24" and "Dora the Explorer," as well as live shows and mobile television content from CBS Mobile, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile TV, Fox Mobile, MTV, NBC 2GO, NBC News2GO, and Nickelodeon. "It's like flipping on your television at home," said Tami Erwin, regional president for Verizon Wireless. "You absolutely have to see it to believe the quality of this service. It goes way beyond any other video offering in the wireless market right now." The devices, in addition to children's programming, include parental control devices.

RBR observation: Call us curmudgeons. We fondly remember the blissful and above all peaceful days when we were away from home or office and nobody could contact us on the telephone. We personally are not thrilled to be in on other people's ubiquitous phone calls made and received from just about every spot in the organized world. And we have to say that we are not looking forward to sharing "airports, doctors' offices and restaurants" with people who are watching TV. We are even less thrilled about the prospect that some of these people will start trying to watch TV while driving. We have no idea what you think, but at the very least, you may be less than thrilled that there will be yet another hungry mouth bellying up for a chunk of the advertising pie, and unless it's a sister to one of your own operations, it's just one more competitor. Just what we need.


Monday Morning Makers & Shakers

Transactions: 8/13/07-8/17/07
Television trading is keeping the value of station transactions at least mildly respectable, but it remains a very slow market. Most of the value this week came two from transactions that simply turned LMAs into non-duopoly ownership situations as part of the Ion-to-CIG mega deal from the prior spring (see below). Only five radio deals for six stations were even filed.

8/13/07-8/17/07

Total

Total Deals

9

AMs

3

FMs

3

TVs

4
Value
48.220M
| Complete Charts |
Radio Transactions of the Week
WCAP caps all radio dealing
| More...
|
TV Transactions of the Week
Ion ties itself with twin deals
| More...
|


Transactions
10M WGTU-TV & WGTQ-TV Traverse City-Cadillac MI (Traverse City MI ABC/29, Sault Ste. Marie MI ABC/8) from MTC License LLC, a subsidiary of Max Media LLC (A.E. Loving et al) to Tucker Broadcasting of Traverse City Inc. (Benjamin W. Tucker). Cash. Includes non-compete. Tucker is stepping in as buyer for Barrington Travers City LLC (James K. Yager), who will continue to offer the stations services under an SSA and JSA. Barrington has also paid 5.5K for purchase option. Barrington ownes WPBN-TV Traverse City NBC/7 and WTOM-TV Cheboygan NBC/4 in the DMA. [File date 9/19/07.]

2.05M KLGO-FM Thorndale TX from Roy E. Henderson d/b/a Jackson Lake Broadcasting Company to REO Radio Group LLC (Robert Clarke, D. Kent Anderson, Richard E. Oppenheimer). 150K credit for prior loan to seller, balance in cash at closing. [File date 9/13/07.]

305K WJFL-FM Tennille GA from Fall Line Media Inc. (Katherine Cummings) to Middle Georgia Broadcasting Inc. (Stan Carter). 40K down payment (made during 2004), 90K in LMA payments, 175K cash at closing less additional interim LMA payments. Duopoly with WVKX-FM Irwinton GA (40% overlap). [File date 9/12/07.]


Stock Talk
A mixed bag for radio
Radio stocks were evenly divided for the most part on Friday. Standouts included Arbitron, down 0.43 and Lincoln National, up 0.49.


Radio Stocks

Here's how stocks fared on Friday

Company Symbol Close Change Company Symbol Close Change

Arbitron

ARB

45.31

-0.43

Google

GOOG

567.27

-0.23

Beasley

BBGI

7.51

+0.15

Hearst-Argyle

HTV

26.00

-0.05

CBS CI. B CBS

31.50

+0.49

Journal Comm.

JRN

9.47

+0.05

CBS CI. A CBSa

31.52

+0.53

Lincoln Natl.

LNC

65.97

+0.49

Citadel CDL
4.16 +0.01

Radio One, Cl. A

ROIA

3.70

+0.09

Clear Channel

CCU

37.44

+0.09

Radio One, Cl. D

ROIAK

3.73

+0.10

Cox Radio

CXR

12.99

-0.11

Regent

RGCI

2.63

-0.01

Cumulus

CMLS

10.22

+0.05

Saga Commun.

SGA

7.34

+0.18

Debut Bcg.

DBTB

1.02

+0.01

Salem Comm.

SALM

8.00

-0.13

Disney

DIS

34.39

+0.18

Sirius Sat. Radio

SIRI

3.49

+0.07

Emmis

EMMS

4.94

-0.08

Spanish Bcg.

SBSA

2.58

+0.05

Entercom

ETM

19.33

-0.29

SWMX

SMWX

0.06

-0.01

Entravision

EVC

9.22

-0.26

Westwood One

WON

2.73

-0.23

Fisher

FSCI

49.87

-0.10

XM Sat. Radio

XMSR

14.17

+0.17


Bounceback

Send Us Your OpinionsWe want to
hear from you.

This is your column, so send your comments and
a photo to [email protected]


Below the Fold
Wall Street Media Business Report
Emmis tees up Q2 call
operates on a different schedule Belo, Media General to spread the wealth. You still have time to get in on this....

Ad Business Report
PPM pushback in NYC
Arbitron offered no comment at deadline, however...

Media Markets & Money
Guess who leases two more DIYs
Yep, Randy Michaels & RadioActive LLC...

Media Business Report
Cable talkers pour the OJ
In getting the top spot...




Stations for Sale

Florida Resort FM
Immediate ownership opportunity; partner retiring. Sale or equity investor, terms available. Rated market, high growth area. Excellent facility. Meet at NAB/Charlotte
E-mail: [email protected]

NewEng Collegetown FM
Highly profitable AC station w. Red Sox rights, owned tower, only signal in market. Asking 8.5x trailing BCF: 950K. Inquiries 781-848-4201 or
e-mail: [email protected]
WEB: radiostationsforsale.net

Market your Stations For Sale
in our daily epapers.

Contact
June Barnes
[email protected]


Arbitrends

Arbitron
Market Results
| Greenville |
| Huntsville |
| West Palm Beach |


Radio Media Moves

Blanche Josten, Maralynn Montes join JMA
Jones MediaAmerica has tapped Maralynn Montes as national account manager and Blanche Josten and research manager. Montes joins from ABC Radio Networks, where she had been associate manager of sales development research. Josten was senior AE there.

More fish to fry for Clayton, new fish for Roberts
Fisher Communications VP/GM Jim Clayton has been running the group's two Seattle television stations, KOMO-TV and KUNS-TV. He's now adding the group's radio cluster to his chore list, including three O&Os and a pair of LMA'd properties, in turn freeing their VP/GM Larry Roberts to move up to corporate as VP/Special Projects.

Bauza tapped
by Univision

Jaime Blauza will be taking over responsibility for Univision radio properties in Puerto Rico, including WKAQ AM & FM and WUKQ AM & FM. He exits The San Juan Star Media Network, which has newspaper and other media interests. Blauza will report to Univision VP/Southeast Regional Manager Claudia Puig.




More News Headlines

HipCricket announces new radio partners
At the NAB Radio Show last week, HipCricket announced new partnerships with top tier broadcast radio groups including Apex Broadcasting, Clear Channel San Diego, Double O Radio, Northeast Broadcasting and Simmons Media. The broadcast companies, representing over 70 radio stations, will utilize HipCricket's mobile marketing solutions to drive new revenue and offer advertisers a higher level of interactivity with their audience. The groups join key stations in over half of the top 50 U.S. markets.

Dan Patrick taps Premiere for ad sales
Dan Patrick makes his return to sports radio today from AM570 KLAC in Los Angeles for "The Dan Patrick Show," distributed by The Content Factory. Premiere Radio Networks has been chosen to provide exclusive ad/sales representation after an extensive review of firms. Managing Partner of The Content Factory, Jimmy de Castro said, "Premiere is what their name implies, the best representation for Dan's program. Their track record with sponsorship of sports programming makes them the perfect choice." "The Dan Patrick Show," which features hard-hitting interviews with the biggest names in sports, will run weekdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET. Premiere will also provide satellite distribution.

ESM partners with The Missouri Valley Conference
Emmis Sports Marketing (ESM) announced it is the exclusive sales partner for the St. Louis-based Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). The Division 1 athletics conference holds the broadcast rights to all league men's and women's basketball tournament games, which are conducted annually in metropolitan St. Louis. Teams from the Conference advance to the NCAA postseason men's and women's basketball tournaments each year. The agreement gives ESM the exclusive opportunity to create and sell various television, radio, in-venue, and internet components, giving sponsors multiple consumer touch points.

TV One signs
Michael Baisden

TV One has signed ABC Radio Networks' Michael Baisden to host a new talk/variety show, "Baisden After Dark." The 13-episode series will explore subjects such as interracial dating, why people cheat on their spouses and more.

Multitasking anchor
Cable news network CNN has a four hour special called "Planet in Peril" set for a two-night debut, with two hours each earmarked for 10/23/07 and 10/24/07. CNN has been tapping the talents of its own news anchor Anderson Cooper to drum up interest in the documentary. Cooper is putting together 20 one-minute segments drawn on it for radio broadcast over the CNN Radio Network. They began airing 9/24/07 and will continue every weekday through Friday 10/19/07. The program will also be supported with internet and podcast elements.




TVBR - TV News

NTIA getting set for 500-day DTV countdown
Did you know that Satuday, October 6, 2007 is D-minus 500 days before broadcast analog television joins the dinosaurs on history's scrap heap? NTIA is certainly well aware of that fact, and it wants to make sure that US consumers are as well. To that end, it's inviting the media to tune into a tele-briefing, in hopes that they will pass on vital information to the public. From the perspective of NTIA's John Kneuer, this means spreading the word about digital-to-analog converter boxes, which his agency is tasked with distributing to citizens who do not plan to upgrade to digital receiving equipment prior to the 2/17/09 deadline and further do not subscribe to an MVPD service that will pass along a viewable analog stream. NTIA says it will begin accepting coupon applications 1/1/08. The coupons will be good for 40 dollars toward a converter box, and a household may request one or two of them. For what it's worth, NTIA noted that 45% of all US TV households are located in the following 20 markets: Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Phoenix, Detroit, San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, Washington DC, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Denver, Cleveland/Akron, Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, Portland OR, Seattle/Tacoma, Salt Lake City, Milwaukee and Miami/Ft. Lauderdale.


RBR Radar 2007
Radio News you won't read any where else. RBR--First, Accurate, and Independently Owned.

Radio 2020 launched in Charlotte
The joint effort by NAB, RAB and the HD Digital Alliance was kicked off by NAB President David Rehr, calling it "our roadmap to building radio's future." One key goal is to make sure "broadcast signals are available on every gadget, everywhere." The 13-year effort to re-brand and reignite radio as the industry reaches its 100th anniversary was built on research commissioned from Kelly O'Keefe, a noted expert in brand strategy. Other primary goals of Radio 2020 include innovation to meet changing consumer demands and reigniting consumer interest in radio.

RBR observation: Early in his speech, Rehr noted something we've heard from many of our readers. Why use the term "terrestrial radio?" As he correctly noted, that doesn't mean anything to consumers and doesn't accurately describe radio anyway. It is important for radio to frame the debate when radio broadcasting is discussed on Capitol Hill. That's Rehr's job and he seems to be the right guy for the job. But reigniting consumer excitement about radio is up to you, operating in your community. Innovation is still rare, but it sounds to us that the opportunity is much like the early days of FM's assent. Want a new channel that will appeal to the hard to attract 18-25 demo? Why not give some of the 18-25 year olds at your station free-rein (within FCC rules, of course) to program an HD2 channel? What they come up with might surprise you. And it might even make you some money down the road as enough HD receivers get into the market to reach critical mass.
09/28/07 RBR #190

2008 looking very different
for Radio and TV
Is 2008 "a year in the balance" for radio? Bear Stearns analyst Victor Miller asked that question at the financing session that kicked off the NAB Radio Show in Charlotte. For the first time since radio deregulation in 1996, TV stocks now trade at a higher average EBITDA multiple than radio stocks. That's come about because the average pure-play TV stock is up 35% this year, while the average radio stock (excluding Clear Channel and Cumulus, who have buyout deals to go private) is down 30%. The best Miller could say for radio, though, is that it may have to deal with fewer negatives in 2008. Satellite radio is dealing with its own problems. Mainstream operators who have seen ratings and revenues shift to radio groups focused on Hispanic and Urban formats stand to bounce back as PPM rolls out to more markets.
09/27/07 RBR #189

No immediate return to easy credit
There was optimism at the financing session in Charlotte that the current credit crunch will moderate, but no one was predicting a quick return to the type of market that we saw a few months ago before problems in the sub-prime mortgage market spread out and made credit tighter for everyone.

RBR observation: For those of who were around for the HLT credit crunch in the early 1990s, this credit tightening, though painful for many, is nowhere near as devastating as what happened then. No one is rushing to sell radio and TV stations for deeply discounted prices. Lenders aren't fleeing the broadcasting business. There are differences of opinion on how quickly investor money will flow back into the market to back mega deals, but for routine deals it's business as usual, with perhaps less generous terms. Life goes on.
09/27/07 RBR #189

Ford to offer HD Radio
across most product lines
Ford became the first automaker to offer HD Digital Radio across multiple product lines. The dealer-installed HD radio option is now available nationwide on nearly all 2008 model year Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles. Additionally, HD Digital Radio can be installed on many earlier models from 2005, 2006 and 2007. As with SYNC, the extensive availability of HD Digital Radio furthers the company's ongoing efforts to deliver new entertainment technologies to automotive consumers....Beginning immediately, HD Digital Radio will be available as a dealer-installed option on new, pre-owned and currently-owned vehicles. Price points will vary by dealership.
09/26/07 RBR #188


Visit MediaHeadHunters.com

Affiliate Sales Rep
WOR Radio Network's (WRN) needs an exec with Passion for Talk Radio. Self-starter w/ 2-5 yrs experience. Offering competitive salary + commission plan, health insurance and 401K. WRN is the place to be to succeed with stability. Details & Apply see Radio Careers

General Manager
Midwest & Life is good with this Small-Medium cluster in rated market. Top Aggressive, community minded GM needed. Tired of the corporate jungle and want to work in real radio. This GM post for the person with Radio Passion. Details where to apply see Radio Careers

General Sales Manager
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. KDWB, EEO--Hey, it doesn't get any better than this. Complete requirements, where to apply 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.

Find Your Radio Career

Post Your Companies Job Openings


Other Links

Help Desk

__EMAIL__ :
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

©2007 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