Monday Morning December 5th, 2011, Volume 28, Issue 236
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RBR-TVBR First
 Emmis and Alden to settle all litigation over failed buyout
It's been over 15 months since Alden Global Capital walked away from its deal to buy out the public shareholders of Emmis Communications in a partnership with Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan. That lead to multiple lawsuits, but following the recent agreement by Emmis to buy back Alden's preferred stock holdings for $16.3 million, RBR-TVBR has learned that all of the lawsuits are being wrapped-up as well.
RBR-TVBR observation: Litigation is always messy and expensive. No doubt the management of Emmis would rather focus on operating the company. More...
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Three more years for Cumulus executive team
Cumulus Media Inc. has re-upped five of its top executives, including Chairman/CEO/President Lewis W. Dickey Jr. The move was made 11/29/11 and will keep the team on board for at least three years, with options for longer employment built in. More...
Cumulus shifting KGO to News
Looks like all News KCBS-AM is getting some competition: Cumulus has made more changes at News-Talker KGO-AM San Francisco, beyond the recent dismissal of eight staffers, including PD/Ops manager Jack Swanson. This time, Cumulus is changing the format to News as "KGO-810 - the Bay Area news and information station."
RBR-TVBR observation: Talk radio is pretty saturated in that market, but so far, all-News isn't. Cumulus keeps KSFO in the market as Talk as well. We are a bit surprised, as the live and local talkers KGO had behind the mic kept it at a #7 in the market, according the Nov. PPMs. KSFO, meanwhile was 17th. More...
Late renewal filing fines, compared
Not all FCC fines are created equal, and that is especially true when it comes to stations getting nailed for failing to get a license renewal in on time or for forgetting about it entirely. There are several factors that go into what the FCC might charge, as is illustrated by contrasting cases in Pennsylvania and South Carolina. More...
Review all Radio News at RBR.com
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Report: NFL pressuring NBC for bigger payoff
"Monday Night Football" got so expensive that Disney moved it from ABC to ESPN to justify the cost with cable/satellite fees. Now the New York Post reports that the NFL is also seeking much more cash from NBC for "Sunday Night Football," the ratings leader for the #4 network.
RBR-TVBR observation: Can NBC afford to keep "Sunday Night Football" on broadcast television? On the other hand, can it afford not to? More...
ION Television teams with Trump, Newsmax for GOP debate
The Iowa Caucuses are on the calendar for Tuesday 1/3/12, and exactly a week before that, Donald Trump will moderate a debate between the Republican presidential candidates. Conservative news outlet Newsmax Media and ION Television Network will make the event available to interested citizens nationwide.
RBR-TVBR observation: Trump famously flirted with the possibility of being a participant rather than moderator at this type of event, which puts a bit of an interesting spin on the proceeding. But what we'll be tuning in for is this: To see if the moderator momentarily forgets what program he is on and fires one of the candidates. More...
ABC reworks Daytime division
Brian Frons may be best-known - and vilified in some circles - as the guy who took nearly all soap operas off the ABC Daytime schedule. He's now leaving the network as ABC reworks its Daytime operation. More...
ABC content, ads to be in 10,000 cabs
ABC will sell ads and provide programming shorts to about 10,000 cabs that receive video from Creative Mobile Technologies' Creative Mobile Media. The deal, which launches 1/1, includes 6,600 NYC cabs and CMT-affiliated cabs in Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Anaheim, Kansas City, Denver, Columbus, and Charlotte. More...
Post-Newsweek opening airwaves to candidates
With six television stations in battleground states, the Post-Newsweek Stations group is pledging to serve the public interest by paying close attention to the electoral process, including a special emphasis on local races and the provision of free airtime to candidates, among other things.
RBR-TVBR observation: Making time for local races is especially challenging in a presidential election year - Post-Newsweek is wise to make local coverage a specific objective. More...
Production team named for 18th Annual SAG Awards
Jeff Margolis, executive producer and director of the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, announced the team of talented producers and artists who will create this year's ceremonies. More...
Review all TV News at RBR.com
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NAB wants Supreme Court to look at ownership rulings
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals had some problems with the FCC's media ownership rules, but the ease with which television duopolies can be formed - and it isn't easy - was not one of them. The NAB, which favors the possibility of such combos, notes that the DC Circuit found rules making TV duops difficult were arbitrary and capricious, and it is asking the Supreme Court to step in and ideally reach the same conclusion as NAB - that the DC Circuit got it right. More...
Voters: Pres. Obama Doesn't deserve Reelection; Independents Agree
2012, it appears voters will be looking for an honest candidate, one who will take on the biggest issues facing the country: the weak economy, government spending and job creation. Nearly half (46.3%) don't think President Obama should run for a second term. Review the consumer questions, research, stats from RBR-TVBR partners BIGresearch in this latest survey at RBR.com. More...
Cable giants cash out for $3.6 billion in spectrum sale
Verizon Wireless is paying $3.6 billion to buy 122 Advanced Wireless Services spectrum licenses from SpectrumCo LLC. That's a joint venture of Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks.
RBR-TVBR observation: This seems like a good deal on both sides. Verizon Wireless gets more spectrum for expansion without waiting for any clearing by the FCC and Congress, while the cable companies turn a nice profit on their spectrum investment. More...
YouTube debuts channel format
Google's YouTube on Thursday unveiled its major channel re-design 12/2 in its continuing effort to emulate television viewing. The new look, which rolled out to the site's 800 million monthly users, emphasizes content channels over the single videos that formerly dominated the home page. Users can pick their favorite channels and save them to the left side of the screen, where they can be more easily browsed.
RBR-TVBR observation: YouTube's quest to be a "cable MSO" online is pretty impressive. With Nielsen's latest revelation that TV ownership is to be down for the first time next year, it seems YouTube is surfing a wave that's just beginning to form-online programming vs. TV-only programming. More...
Review all Media News at RBR.com
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Ideas Working Now ™
Online advertising needs to represent more than added value
By Mary M. Collins President & CEO of MFM
The Financial Manager's Perspective: Two online businesses, Vevo & Pandora, topped the latest Jack Myers Survey of Advertising Executives on Online Media Value and Sales Organization Performance. Not only are they relative newcomers to the online advertising market, they unseated several of the country's largest cross-platform media brands as the favorite sites among the New York City media community. So what is it that makes these sites more appealing to advertisers than the longstanding media brands they unseated? More...
Review all Features at RBR.com
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Radio
NewsTalk 690 & 1260 changes lineup
Riverbend Communications' KBLI-AM/KLBY-AM NewsTalk 690/1260 in Idaho Falls, ID says that beginning 12/5, the stations will add three new live and local talkers to their daily lineup. Idaho's Morning News with Tim Lewis will air from 6am-9am Monday-Friday. The News PD Lewis will host the show, covering all things news, concentrating on what is relevant to residents of Eastern Idaho:
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Progressive Rock pioneer Jim Ladd to SiriusXM
The LA Rock legend will be hosting an exclusive, daily free-form rock show on Deep Tracks, channel 27. Ladd began his career in 1969 at KNAC Long Beach. After two years there, he moved to KLOS. In 1974 he moved to KMET, where he made his mark in the 70s and 80s.
RBR-TVBR observation: Amen. If more "Alternative" stations today played a wider mix of well-picked Indie Rock and deeper cuts in general, the torch would be carried in commercial radio. More...
Review all Radio Programming News at RBR.com
Television
Lifetime sets 24 Hour Catwalk premiere
The fierce and competitive world of fashion gets even cattier with the premiere of the new series, 24 Hour Catwalk, beginning Tuesday, January 10 on Lifetime. Featuring television personality and global style icon Alexa Chung, four talented designers get the chance to create their own collection for the judging eyes of industry bigwigs. But, they must do so in only 24 hours! More...
Review all TV/Cable Programming News at RBR.com
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Jobs report rally fizzled by the closing bell - 12/2/11
The US unemployment rate dropped to 8.6% -- the lowest in two and a half years. That was due to people giving up on finding work as much as other people actually finding jobs, so the enthusiasm behind a morning rally on Friday faded in the afternoon. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was essentially flat, closing down 61 points at 12,019. The Nasdaq Composite was up slightly and the S&P 500 down slightly. Some good news: Broadcasting stocks were among the day's winners. The RBR Radio Index was up 1.632, or 0.5%, at 309.543. The TVBR Television Index was up 1.699, or 0.8%, at 228.519. More...
Review all Broadcast Stocks News at RBR.com
Winners |
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Losers |
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| Entravision |
+7% |
Emmis |
-6.6% |
| Dial Global |
+6.3% |
Beasley |
-4% |
SBS |
+3.4% |
Radio One |
-2.6% |
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For additional reports, ideas, analysis, interviews, and
RBR/TVBR Observations...visit and bookmark www.RBR.com
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Only On RBR.com
Online advertising needs to
Represent more than added value
Ad Business Report
Phoenix Media Xchange
Launches for radio ad buying
Media Markets & Money
Deal will give new group
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Money, Deals and Legislation take
Twist and Turns
12/04/11 Sunday Edition
Maximize Ad Sales and Traffic Conversions
12/03/11 Saturday Edition
Insight on LIN's Nami Buy / TV Ownership to be Down
12/02/11 RBR-TVBR #235
Ad Forecast: Marketers focusing Budgets / Gannett Furloughs again
12/01/11 RBR-TVBR #234
Ford goes Slacker Radio / Reverse Comp threats TV
11/30/11 RBR-TVBR #233
Incentive auction
bill moves forward
Subcommittee passed the incentive-auction-containing JOBS Act on a partisan 17-6 vote. Broadcast television protections contained in the bill were not prominent on this list, and an amendment passed that ordered resolution of issues concerning repacking television stations along the Canadian and Mexican borders.
12/02/11 RBR-TVBR #235
Possible petition
fraud in Wisconsin
involves radio talker
Vicki McKenna is a conservative talker who holds forth on Clear Channel outlets in Milwaukee. She is no fan of the drive to recall Republican Gov. Walker, but her name has allegedly shown up on a petition to do just that.
RBR-TVBR observation: No serious person engaged in an important effort such as this would do something this imbecilic; and a prankster could be operating on either side of the issue - either a less-than-brilliant supporter of the recall effort, or an opponent of the recall effort hoping to make the supporters look less than brilliant.
12/02/11 RBR-TVBR #235
Analyst provides some insight on LIN's Nami buy
Analyst Marci Ryvicker at Wells Fargo Securities has come up with a little more information about the deal.
RBR-TVBR observation: The key to this deal - LIN thinking 'outside the box' more than its peers.
12/02/11 RBR-TVBR #235
Living on the Fringe
CBS's $8.5 Million purchase of WFSI (107.9) in Washington (#9). Some in the industry have wondered whether the sale represents a dramatic downturn in the value of major market FM licenses. Prices haven't suddenly declined. WFSI is simply a fringe station that is stuck between two major markets, and is trapped with a signal that is marginal in both of them.
12/02/11 RBR-TVBR #235
Broadcast relocation compensation package debated
One of the things that took Democrats by surprise in the Republican's bill on spectrum and incentive auctions was the allocation of up to $3B to pay broadcaster for expenses incurred moving to a new channel in a repacking program. Details at RBR.com.
12/02/11 RBR-TVBR #235
Nielsen: TV ownership to be down for the first time
Report shows the total number of U.S. households with TV sets declined year to year for the first time since Nielsen started counting TV ownership.
RBR-TVBR observation: Young demos have been weaned on laptops and smartphones for their entertainment so for them why spend the money for a new TV when you can watch what you like online?
12/02/11 RBR-TVBR #235
Barrington wants
its bonds back
Announced a cash tender for all $55 million of its outstanding 10.5% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2014. It's part of a refinancing totaling $195 million, which has gotten decent ratings from Moody's Investors Service.
12/02/11 RBR-TVBR #235
Warren Buffett surprises with newspaper buy
Surprise when Buffett announced that Berkshire Hathaway was buying his hometown newspaper, the Omaha World-Herald, for $200 million.
RBR-TVBR observation: What is it about owning the local fish-wrapper that makes billionaires all weak in the knees?
12/02/11 RBR-TVBR #235
Disney raises some cash
For most companies, raising $1.6 billion would be a big event. But for The Walt Disney Company it is just a routine visit to the Wall Street bond market.
12/02/11 RBR-TVBR #235
KFBK Sacramento
adding FM
Another music format bites the dust: Clear Channel has blown up its Hot AC KGBY-FM (12/1) to simulcast its sister station, News-Talk KFBK-AM.
RBR-TVBR observation: Another in the trend of music stations being nixed on FM by spoken word formats, and not being added to an HD-2 or HD-3 channel.
12/02/11 RBR-TVBR #235
Pandora goes
truckin' with Ford
RBR-TVBR observation: There's now lots of competition with traditional radio stations in the auto dash - but that was the case back to the days of 8-track tapes.
12/02/11 RBR-TVBR #235 |
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