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Volume 21, Issue 216, Jim Carnegie, Editor & Publisher
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Thursday Morning November 4th, 2004
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Radio News®
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Infinity: We're playing hardball
when it comes to sports rights renewals
We got more from an Infinity source regarding the NY Daily News' recent story that Major League Baseball's new 11-year, 650 million deal with XM Satellite Radio has angered current MLB radio rights holders over being "sold out" by Commissioner Selig and the owners. The story read: "And there are already whispers Infinity will be walking out on multiple team rights contracts when they expire next year (it could be as many as seven baseball and football teams)."
Here are the details, confirming the above:
"This is what I'm going to do when some of these teams' contracts come up - - and some of them are up in the next 12 months. We're playing hardball, I'll tell you that. I mean we got rid of the Bucs, we're negotiating the Chicago Bears right now. If we don't get what we want, we get rid of them."
It's going to be a real tough sell for teams to raise rights fees, huh?
"We're not giving anybody rights fees increases. In fact, they're going to be coming down. And if they don't like it, then they'll go elsewhere, but I can tell you that [everybody in traditional radio] has the same thought process."
All because of the satellite deals?
"Right, but they would have come down anyway. We're not going to participate in non-cash flow producing teams anymore."
Like the NY Daily News story read, If MLB sees radio rights holders bailing en masse, Selig & Co. may be sorry they didn't follow the National Football League satellite radio blueprint. When Paul Tagliabue sold the rights to local NFL radiocasts to Sirius Satellite Radio, he short-circuited any potential problems by paying local NFL radio outlets for their feeds.
RBR observation: We reported that Infinity was paying around 4m dollars for the Tampa Bucs when they had the rights but now that is put to the top line and the Bucs are a big loser as Infinity the winner. These numbers maybe a touch low but sources estimate fees for: Cowboys 8m, Raven 3.8m, Lions 4m, Patriots 4.5m which probably has gone up, Bears 4.75m, Redskins 7.5m, Eagles 5.5m, and Giants 4.9m. Now add in paying for the on-air talent with travel expenses around another 1m, the big press box plus the food with beverages and we are talking expensive. Don't pay to play and put that cash towards more local talent, production and creative copy people.
 CCU in-law heads to Washington
While there'll be no new broadcasters serving on Capitol Hill in the next session of Congress (11/3/04 TVBR Daily Epaper #215), there will be a close relative sitting in the US House of Representatives. Michael McCaul won election as a Republican from the newly drawn 10th District in Texas - - running from near San Antonio to near Houston. His wife, Linda, is the daughter of Clear Channel Communications founder and Chairman Lowry Mays and the sister of President and CEO Mark Mays and CFO Randall Mays. McCaul is a federal prosecutor with responsibility for anti-terrorism efforts in West Texas. His race for the open House seat was one of the most expensive in the nation, although most of the millions were spent in the Republican primary. He faced no Democrat in this week's general election, only a Libertarian and a write-in candidate. Although McCaul put up about 1.5 million of his own money for the race, several members of the Mays family were among donors giving the maximum 2,000 each.
No surprises on Senate Commerce Committee
There will be changes in the makeup of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, the site of origination for most broadcast-related legislation in that body of Congress, but it will all be caused by attrition. There were no surprises at the ballot box. John McCain (R-AZ, 77%), Sam Brownback (R-KS, 69%), Daniel Inouye (D-HI, 75%), Byron Dorgan (D-ND, 68%), Ron Wyden (D-OR, 64%) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA, 58%) were all up for re-election, and indeed were re-elected. Percentages are from the Associated Press as of 11:00 AM Eastern time. McCain, however, will have a new role, as will Inouye. McCain is stepping down as chair of the committee, turning that role over to Ted Stevens (R-AK). Inouye is expected to become ranking member in place of the retiring Ernest Hollings (D-SC). There will be open seats to fill, as Hollings isn't the only member who chose to exit. Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL) and John Breaux (D-LA) also put themselves out to pasture. Then there's the matter of a seat which isn't technically empty, but which was not being kept very warm during the long course of the 2004 presidential campaign. That seat belongs to John Kerry (D-MA).
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 Adieu, adios, Adelstein...
Is the name Adelstein going to be synonymous with good-bye? It sure looks like it. His renomination to the FCC has been held up by the White House despite the fact that he enjoys widespread bipartisan support. To top of the reluctance of the White House, he has now lost his sponsor, the defeated Tom Daschle (D-SD), removing what value he may have had as a bargaining chip. The makeup of the FCC in the near future is very much in question, but there seems to be little chance that Jonathan Adelstein will be part of it. Look for the Bush administration to find a candidate for the seat whose name they can make political hay with. Meanwhile, there has been rampant speculation that two or perhaps all three Republican Commissioners may exit regardless of who took the White House. Numerous reports have suggested that Kathleen Abernathy's personal ambitions lie elsewhere. The Bush victory increases the odds that, for the time being at least, Michael Powell will continue as chair or will be succeeded by colleague Kevin Martin. There has been no indication that the fifth member, Democrat Michael Copps, has any intention other than to serve out his full term.
RBR observation: Chairman Powell always answered the question about his job at the FCC with the answer on what the polls showed the President at the time. Now the Mr. Bush is 100% sure and now so is Michael's future either at the FCC or at a higher position. So the next spin is what throne will Michael Powell be sitting on come next year? For sure the throne is turning from porcelain to gold.
 NAB combats FCC localism inquiry
The National Association of Broadcasters continued its recent spate of FCC filings with an attack on the FCC's thoughts on promoting localism. NAB wrote that the FCC inquiry "...forecasts a departure from the deregulatory approach the Commission has followed over the past three decades, and it sets out on a path that is unlawful, unnecessary and fraught with Constitutional peril." NAB says that over the past 20 years, "pro-competitive, market-based" policies have been put forth and reinforced, and the ideas proposed in the instant inquiry would force a reversal of some of these rulings. Further, such an imposition would be particularly unnecessary and inappropriate at the current time, when increasing competition from cable, satellite, home video and other related industries reinforces the inclination of broadcasters to resort to local programming, emphasizing one of over-the-air broadcasting's key advantages over other forms of media.
RBR observation:
Caution reigned supreme on Election Night
Who was the first to call the winner of the 2004 Presidential Election? It wasn't Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw or Peter Jennings. No, it was Sen. John Kerry, who finally threw in the towel and called the White House around 11:00 am yesterday to let President George W. Bush know that he was conceding the election. Although both Fox News Channel and then NBC News had projected Bush as the winner in Ohio early Wednesday morning (Fox at 12:41 am and NBC at 1:00 am according to the Washington Post), putting Bush at 269 electoral votes, neither was willing to put another state into the President's column and push him over the magic 270 mark for election, despite the fact that he had clearly won Nevada. No one wanted to have egg on their face by being first - - and then being wrong. Throughout the evening, the anchors and reporters on ABC, CBS, NBC, FNC, CNN and MSNBC couched their words with cautious phrases, attempting to avoid at all costs any repeat of the 2000 debacle in which just about everyone got the Florida call wrong - - some twice. Will we see such caution again in 2008? Not likely. As memories fade, competitive urges will increase. The networks may not be as aggressive about calls in 2008 as they were in 2000, but we bet we'll not hear the constant caution of this year. The race to be first at all costs will be back on - - at least until the next big screw-up.
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| Conference Calls Q3 2004 |
Double-digit Q3 for Salem Communications
Religious radio specialist Salem Communications reported that its Q3 results were well ahead of the general radio industry, with gains posted in double digits. "Our third quarter 2004 net broadcasting revenue and station operating income growth of 11.0% and 18.8%, respectively, will, once again, significantly exceed the performance of the overall radio industry. This strong performance is fueled by growth at our start-up and developing stations, in particular, our Contemporary Christian Music stations which achieved an increase of 16.5% in net broadcasting revenue and 36.0% in station operating income compared to last year," said CEO Ed Atsinger. Salem's revenues were up 11% to 47.3 million and operating income rose 18.8% to 11.2 million. On a same station basis, revenue was up 10.6% and operating income 22.6%.
 News Corp. and Fox
post double-digit growth
News Corporation reported that revenues for its fiscal Q1 (July-September) were up 12% to 5.2 billion, with consolidate operating income also up 12% to 805 million. In his quarterly call, CEO Rupert  Murdoch said the company had multiple growth drivers, so he sees more gains to come. "Double-digit earnings gains at our television, cable, newspapers and magazines and inserts segments, as well as strong profits from filmed entertainment underscore the sustained financial strength across our diverse and balanced collection of assets. At the same time, we are also quickly establishing another growth engine with our global pay-TV assets, particularly at Sky Italia, BSkyB and DirecTV, each of which has positioned itself for substantial earnings generation in the years ahead," Murdoch said. Television was a big part of the company's overall growth for the quarter, with operating income up 30%. At the company's Fox Entertainment subsidiary, revenues were up 5% to 2.9 billion, with operating income up 10% to 675 million. Operating income was up 44% at the cable network division and the Fox Television Network dramatically reduced its operating loss. By the way, News Corporation is now a US company. The Federal Court of Australia approved the company's reincorporation, following a recent overwhelming shareholder vote, and the company's American shares are now being traded on the NYSE on a "when issued" basis. Those new US shares will be distributed to shareholders and begin trading regularly on November 12th.
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Adbiz©
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 ARF: new PPM results to be presented
At the Advertising Research Foundation's (ARF) week of workshops, on 11/5, there will be a presentation: "Towards Accountability: Understanding Multimedia Commercial Audience, Churn, and Holding Power - - New Results from PPM." The presentation will discuss how commercial-level audience data provided by the Arbitron Portable People Meter (PPM) represents new progress towards ROI: "The ability of the Arbitron PPM to electronically capture media exposure provides an unparalleled opportunity to look at commercial-minute audiences and examine their viewing, listening and channel-switching patterns. This investigation combined minute-level radio and TV audience data from the PPM with independent commercial information and revealed the portion of an audience that started and stopped watching a channel or listening to a station at a specific commercial minute. This research shows the promise the PPM holds as a better basis for advertisers making media choices by answering such accountability questions as How do specific commercial-minute audiences compare to those for AQH and program context?; What is the extent of audience switching during specific commercial minutes?; and How does PPM's "real" cross-media commercial-minute reach compare with that for random estimation?" A total of 50 categories and 800 brands were analyzed. The investigation also included leading brand examples representing five product/service categories. The results also offer a prelude of the type of information that could be available for marketing research. Presenters include Roberta McConochie , Director, PPM Client Relations/Arbitron and Leslie Wood, President/LWR Research. (Presentation co-authored by Chris Heider, Arbitron Senior Research Analyst and Beth Uyenco, SVP/OMD).
RAB issues statement on spot length
The Radio Advertising Bureau has issued the following positioning statement, for clarification purposes, in response to a publication from the Media Buying Academy (MBA) that erroneously states, "The RAB has been preaching for years that it takes 60 seconds to tell a story": "The RAB perceives the key components of successful Radio advertising to be proper execution and placement. These elements are determined by variables such as brand, target consumer, message, environment, etc. There are suitable times to utilize all Radio commercial lengths, :15s, :30s, and :60s, just as there are appropriate situations that call for comedy, music, sound effects, or special voices. In fact, that is one of the unique strengths of our medium. The recently released Wirthlin Worldwide Study, Personal Relevance, Personal Connections: How Radio Ads Affect Consumers, commissioned by the Radio Ad Effectiveness Lab (RAEL), revealed as much (www.radioadlab.org). The Radio-Mercury Awards has added a new :30 commercial category that it will debut this year (www.radiomercuryawards.com)...The Radio-Mercury Creative Workshops have introduced a new module on "How To Write Effective 30 Second Radio Commercials." The new segment is designed to help agency creatives maximize the 30-second spot option. 'We encourage you to remember that a successful commercial is measured by how well it achieves a client's goal,' said Gary Fries, RAB CEO. 'The components that contribute to that success, including spot length, will vary with each situation, but the goal remains constant'."
 Diet Pepsi asks for three presentations
Diet Pepsi will reportedly hear creative presentations from three Omnicom Group agencies, including 40-year incumbent BBDO NY later this month. DDB NY and TBWA\Chiat\Day in Playa del Rey, CA are the others. Pepsi spent more than 35 million on ads for Diet Pepsi through August, up from 30 million in FY 2003, says Nielsen Monitor-Plus.
An agency debuts to focus on branding
The NY Times reports several longtime agency executives have teamed up to open an agency, Public New York, that will specialize in campaigns centered on a concept that it calls brand legacy, which includes defining the essence of a brand and helping to quantify the value it provides. Paul Levine, 45, is partner and president at Public New York; he had most recently been executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Bates Worldwide. Natalie Clark, 33, is partner and COO; she had been president of Gerngross & Clark, which is being absorbed by Public NY. And Madeleine Moore, 63, is partner and chief brand legacy officer; she had been president at Moore Creative, which is also being absorbed by Public New York. Public New York opens today with clients that include the Apollo Theater, the Guggenheim Museum, the Robin Hood Foundation and the Warburg Realty Partnership.
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January 2005 Debut!
Radio & Television
Business Report
Look for RBR/TVBR in-depth RAB & TVB ad chiefs forecasts revisited: What they said in 2004. Were they were Right or Wrong?
What Radio & TV need to overcome in 2005
Where do they stand on People Meter?
GM Talkback
Examining the Sarbanes-Oxley Act with
Bill Moll, President/CEO,
CC Television
Joe Barlek, SVP\Controller,
Susquehanna Radio
Ed Piette, CBS's KCCO-TV Minneapolis
AdBiz
Marc Goldstein Mindshare CEO explains his clients' biggest concerns. Answering the biggie: Has the network television upfront peaked?
And Much More...
Close-up analysis of Arbitron's PPM and Nielsen's LPM
| Register for your debut issue! |
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Added point of distribution
43rd annual NATPE convention
January 25-27, Mandalay Bay Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas.
Limited marketing/ad space available, Contact: Publisher--Jim Carnegie [email protected] 813 909 2986
or Director of Sales--June Barnes [email protected] 803 731-5951
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| Media Markets & MoneyTM |
No jest: WJES sale is complete
Double O Corporation has taken the keys to WJES-FM, according to Media Venture Partners broker George Reed. Terry Bond is heading up the buyer under the auspices of Bob Pittman and Bob Sherman. The Columbia SC move-in went for 4.7M bucks, payable to seller Breckenridge Broadcasting.
Harris completes Encoda Systems buy
Harris announced it has completed its acquisition of Encoda Systems. Encoda is an end-to-end broadcast enterprise software and services solutions including traffic and billing systems, program scheduling, master control play-to-air automation, and digital asset management. The company serves more than 600 customers in 34 countries and had revenue for the 12 months ended 6/30 of 124 million. Encoda had previously been owned by an investment group that included Thomas H. Lee Partners, Blackstone Capital Partners, Spire Capital Partners, and Evercore Capital Partners, among others.
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| Washington Beat |
Broadcasters off the radar at next open meeting
The FCC open meeting scheduled for next week on Tuesday, 11/9/04 at 9:30 AM Eastern will hold little interest for broadcasters. The agenda includes one International Bureau item, one for the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau and two for the Wireline Competition Bureau. Broadcasters get a break. It should be noted, however, that several FCC inquiries have been in progress since late summer and serious action regarding the DTV transition have been promised, so the odds are that upcoming open meetings in the months ahead will hold a great deal more interest.
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| Programming |
 Show prep:
breaking through the clutter - Part II
In today's world of information overload, on-air talent has to be better than ever to entertain, inform and keep their audiences tuned in. Prep services cover the big picture, the world really, allowing the stations' personalities to focus on their local market, which they can do uniquely. Immediacy is more important than ever and the Internet has become the delivery tool of choice, replacing faxes, reel-to-reel, CDs and satellite for the most part. There have always been dozens of show prep providers in the US - - many of which have a few set clients they work tirelessly for. While that's still the case, some of the larger providers have been picked up by the syndicators and are now big business. In many cases, a prep service is considered added value for network affiliation. Good luck finding a staff who will work for peanuts, let alone allowing a budget to send reporters off to cover special events. Some offer their service for barter, some for cash. Whatever the case, we asked a few of them about the challenges, improvements and successes show prep has brought to the table. Continued from Tuesday. | More... |
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| Transactions |
KTAR-AM, KMVP-AM & KKLT-FM Phoenix from Emmis Communications Corporation to Bonneville Holding Company, a subsidiary of Bonneville International Corporation.
WLUP-FM Chicago from Bonneville International Corporation to Emmis Communications Corporation.
| More... |
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| Stock Talk |
Stocks rise on Republican win
Wall Street celebrated President Bush's re-election and larger Republican majorities in Congress by moving stock prices higher. The Dow Industrials rose 101 points, or 1%, to 10,137.
Broadcast stocks were gainers, particularly TV stocks, on expectations that another Bush-appointed FCC will be more deregulatory than one crafted by Democrat John Kerry. The Radio Index gained 0.797, or 0.3%, to 224.781. Univision rose 2.6%. Beasley was up 2%.
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| Radio Stocks |
Here's how stocks fared on Wednesday
| Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
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Arbitron
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ARB
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37.20
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+0.47
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Jeff-Pilot
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JP
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48.51
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+0.27
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Beasley
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BBGI
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16.90
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+0.33
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Journal Comm.
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JRN
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16.67
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+0.22
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| Citadel |
CDL |
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14.75 |
-0.01 |
Radio One, Cl. A
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ROIA
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14.41
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+0.04
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Clear Channel
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CCU
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33.48
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+0.19
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Radio One, Cl. D
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ROIAK
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14.33
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+0.04
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Cox Radio
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CXR
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15.88
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unch
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Regent
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RGCI
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5.70
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+0.03
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Cumulus
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CMLS
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16.12
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+0.02
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Saga Commun.
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SGA
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17.42
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+0.07
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Disney
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DIS
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25.64
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+0.18
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Salem Comm.
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SALM
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26.07
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+0.41
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Emmis
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EMMS
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18.95
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+0.13
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Sirius Sat. Radio
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SIRI
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3.92
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-0.04
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| Entercom |
ETM
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34.96
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+0.03
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Spanish Bcg.
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SBSA
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10.10
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-0.06
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Entravision
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EVC
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8.06
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-0.12
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Univision
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UVN
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32.70
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+0.84
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Fisher
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FSCI
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47.84
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+0.20
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Viacom, Cl. A
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VIA
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37.07
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-0.05
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Gaylord
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GET
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33.10
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+0.02
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Viacom, Cl. B
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VIAb
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36.51
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-0.09
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Hearst-Argyle
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HTV
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26.04
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-0.03
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Westwood One
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WON
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23.01
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-0.02
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Interep
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IREP
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0.75
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unch
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XM Sat. Radio
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XMSR
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33.34
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+0.21
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International Bcg.
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IBCS
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0.01
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unch
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-
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-
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- |
-
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-
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__UNSUB__ to this email service.w
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Bounceback
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 We want to
hear from you.
This is your column, so send your comments to [email protected]
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Upped & Tapped
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JWT taps new
creative director
J. Walter Thompson has hired Ty Montague, a creative director known for unconventional ad work, as chief creative officer and a co-president of its NYC office. Montague was a co-executive creative director at Wieden + Kennedy NY. Montague, 41, will share leadership with Rosemarie Ryan, who joined as the sole president in January. He will succeed Michael J. Campbell, who left in January. With Montague's departure Wieden NY promoted Kevin Proudfoot, 31, associate creative director, to be the other co-executive creative director, serving with Todd Waterbury.
CC Radio taps talent for Creative Services Group
CC Radio announced that it has hired on programming and creative talent to lead the Clear Channel Creative Services Group. The division will play a significant role in aiding the transition to more 30-second spots. Former McCann-Erikson Creative Director, Robert Summers, CC Radio RVP/Programming guru Bob Case and award-winning creative director, Yaman Coskun will join the team, which is led by SVP of Creative Services, Jim Cook. The three will help improve commercial creative and station imaging and serve as a resource to agencies and local stations, offering creative coaching, online toolkits and ongoing direction in the creation of engaging and memorable radio ads. Case is promoted to Managing Director; Summers joins as same; and Coskun joins as Creative Coordinator and Senior Producer.
Humke joins Orban/CRL
Former Harris manager Patricia Humke has been named Production Manager for Orban/CRL's Arizona and California facilities, overseeing manufacturing, purchasing, production scheduling, technical services and inventory control of both locations.
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Stations For Sale
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AM Opportunities
Great AM's in Wyoming,
Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia,
Idaho and New Mexico
Cliff at Clifton Gardiner & Co (303)758-6900
[email protected]
Opportunities in the West for Groups or Owner Operators. Profitable combos. Major market move-ins (FM and LPTV). AM's, both Rated and Unrated. The Exline Team, Andy McClure, Dean LeGras, 415-479-3484, [email protected]
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October Digital
Solutions Magazine
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Who Will Sit on the Throne?
The election -What is in it
for Broacasters?
One On One
with PHD's Patrick McNew -
The man that over sees spot
for Chrysler Group.
Engineered For Profit
'05 budgets and capital expenditures, our close up look at who's planning to buy what next year.
Read RBR in 2 simple steps:
1.Create a simple account with Zinio and download the Zinio Reader.
2. You can then download the October Issue of RBR
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RBR Radar 2004
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Radio News you won't read any where else. RBR--First, Accurate, and Independently Owned.
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Clear Channel targets
worldwide TV market
Television may be only a small part of the domestic business of Clear Channel Communications, but Clear Channel Entertainment (CCE) has big plans for the international TV market. The new effort to distribute CCE-originated TV programming and home video products around the globe. The company has also included a global television distribution strategy on rights for all Clear Channel Entertainment and Clear Channel Entertainment Television originated productions. The division will be working directly as both a program licensor and a supplier to specialty third party distribution partners in addition to serving other international distribution channels. CCETV will also be overseeing the global strategy for distribution of Clear Channel Entertainment TV's home video properties.
11/03/04 RBR #215
Watchdog tries to take
a bite out of Sinclair
Media watchdog organization Free Press has filed to deny license renewals to Sinclair Broadcast Group and its LMA partner Cunningham Broadcasting Corporation. Free Press notes two 40K fines against Sinclair and Cunningham's precursor, Glencairn, for running too cozy of an LMA operation, and says that the relationship is as cozy now as it ever was. RBR observation: We said this weeks ago, 10/08/04, as NAB boss Eddie Fritts just warned us of this problem saying "Bottom line - - these groups are out for your licenses, or at the very least to affect the program content of your stations - - and they aren't going away anytime soon." 11/03/04 RBR #215
Broadcast still tops with LPM
For the week ended October 24, the number crunchers at the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) report that broadcast TV drew a higher aggregate primetime rating than ad-supported cable in all five LPM markets in the three measured demos: HH, A18-49, and A25-54. LPMs are now up and running in Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
11/02/04 TVBR #214
"Less is More" is on a fast track
CCU speeds up the process to next month, December. Clear Channel officials say advertisers are showing interest in the company's attempt to sell 30-second spots, priced at 75% of the rate for 60s. CEO John Hogan said Clear Channel is not trying to get premium rates for 30s, but rather is offering advertisers premium positions at premium rates.
RBR observation: CCU's top premium is heading to one stop set is called the 'Island Position' where one advertiser owns that set. Unclear the length but in respect it breathes similar to television getting content into the programming. Fort Lauderdale based auto retailer AutoNation, which spends around 25M only on local advertising, should take kindly to this Island Position especially if any content is involved. 11/01/04 RBR #213
Meredith fires broadcast
chief O'Brien
In a stunning announcement, Meredith Corporation said its board of directors had terminated Meredith Broadcasting Group President Kevin O'Brien "for violations of Meredith's Equal Employment Opportunity policies." O'Brien had been hired to head the company's broadcast division in 2001. 11/01/04 TVBR #213
Viacom begins
"mega-buyback" of stock
Demonstrating just how deeply he's dissatisfied with how Wall Street values his company's stock, Sumner Redstone announced that Viacom's board of directors had authorized an unprecedented eight billion dollar stock buyback plan. Redstone was a happy camper in his conference call as total revenues were up 4% to 5.5 billion, with radio the only real laggard. Redstone vowed that the company would be aggressive in buying back its own stock at current price levels. The buyback started Thursday, 10/28- at 1:30pm.
RBR observation: In Viacom case we can't spout go private. We can say maybe Sumner should loosen up the marketing and promotion dollars and get people excited again about Viacom with Karmazin gone. And, show a vote of confidence to Les Moonves. Karmazin never spent a dime. 10/29/04 RBR #212
Analyst & Disappointing go together
Wachovia Securities analyst Jim Boyle is telling clients that September radio revenues will likely be up only 1% not the 3% that he and other analysts had been expecting. So, he has also lowered his Q3 estimate slightly to a decline of 1%.
10/28/04 RBR #211
Meredith sees post-election
ad demand
What will happen to advertising after next week's election? In his quarterly conference call, Meredith Corporation Chairman and CEO William Kerr expects to see the release of pent up demand from non-political advertisers, at least, that's what's happened in the past.
10/28/04 RBR #211
Activists mobilizing
to influence FCC
The FCC has been getting an unprecedented earful from the public on both the media consolidation and indecency fronts, a tidal wave of opinion which shows no sign of abating. And the increasingly imminent DTV transition figures to add a third stream of comment. The Public Interest, Public Awirwaves Coalition wants the FCC to make sure that commercial broadcasters up their commitment to serving the public interest when using new digital capabilities, in particular multicasting. 10/26/04 RBR #209
Taxing proposition from
the Bush administration
No less a White House player than Condi Rice is rejecting proposed legislation from John McCain (R-AZ) which would provide up to $1B in subsidies to make sure that owners of unmodified analog TV sets aren't cut off the day analog broadcasts go away. RBR observation: We know what it's like when we threaten to deprive our children of TV. Does the Bush administration really understand what it's advocating here? 10/26/04 RBR #209
More worries about "Less is More"
Credit Suisse First Boston analyst Paul Sweeney is the latest to express concerns that Clear Channel's "Less is More" initiative to reduce commercial clutter on its radio stations could not work out financially as the company hopes. He's removed Clear Channel from CSFB's Focus List.
10/26/04 RBR #209
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Account Manager Arbitron Outdoor
Selling and servicing the Arbitron Outdoor products to outdoor media companies. 3-4 years media sales experience, Outdoor industry sales preferred.
General Sales Manager
Los Angeles need with 5 years radio sales management experience. EEO. Reply to: [email protected]
See Radio Careers for more info.
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