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Volume 23, Issue 27, Jim Carnegie, Editor & Publisher
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Wednesday Morning February 8th, 2006
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Radio News ®
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 RBR First
CBS Radio may dump
all RCS systems
It is an RBR First because we certainly voiced the concern after Clear Channel bought RCS last month that this could happen (1/27/06 RBR #19). Indeed, RBR confirmed through two high-level sources independently at CBS Radio yesterday there have been meetings about pulling RCS systems company-wide. Source #1: "There are definitely discussions going on here about canceling our contracts with them - - not continuing the relationship." - Why, exactly? - "This [deal] means that Clear Channel has some proprietary access to data and services that we use RCS products for. We're not sure who is running the day-to-day of that, but if it's a company that is owned by Clear Channel, they have got some of our information in those databases." Added source #2: "It's true. If you were running CBS Radio, would you want your number one competitor having inventory on your radio stations? HELLO?"
 RBR, through our investigation, has also confirmed that while CBS Radio will honor their current contracts, the source stated, "We will be honoring our contracts, but we aren't going to do business with RCS." In an email response to CBS's issues Philippe Generali, President/CEO RCS wrote: "Confidentiality has been, and will always be the cornerstone of the RCS business. For more than 27 years, radio stations around the world have trusted RCS with their databases, format changes, and music libraries. At our company, it is business as usual. All of our clients' information is held in the strictest confidence and even stations within the same group are not privy to another station's data. The quest at RCS is to help our clients solve their software and technology challenges 24/7/365. We focus on each station individually. Each station has always had its own secure account at RCS."
RBR observation: This is a hurdle RCS will have to overcome--the image that Clear Channel may have access to clients' proprietary databases. But all should just calm down and breathe into a brown paper bag and not put the cart before the horse. First, the transaction has yet to close. When RBR questioned RCS sources about when all the various contracts at CBS are up for renewal it was not totally clear, but it does remind RBR of how groups outsource information as a potential negotiating ploy for future consideration as some have done in the past with Arbitron. Last, RBR suggests we put forth more positive motion in 2006 on gaining a better perception of our radio medium, as all we have to do is look at last years' revenues that tell the real issue of "Perception is Reality."
Publisher note: RBR will be speaking with Philippe Generali for a full in-depth report on these and other issues in an upcoming Radio & Television Business Report Solutions Magazine. If you should have any question you would like answered by Generali please forward to [email protected]
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 ABC Radio sale likely tough for Interep
There have been two big radio sales in recent months and it looks like both are bad news for Interep. First Susquehanna Radio, a major Interep client, was bought for 1.2 billion by Cumulus, just a few months after CEO Lew Dickey had very publicly broken with Interep and taken his rep business to Clear Channel-owned Katz. Now ABC Radio, Interep's second largest client (after CBS), is going to Citadel for 2.7 billion - - and Citadel CEO Farid Suleman had gone through an even more acrimonious break with Interep to move to Katz. Neither deal has gone to closing yet, so Interep is still repping both Susquehanna and ABC Radio, but the handwriting is on the wall. Given the bad blood in both situations, it doesn't appear Interep has much hope of holding onto either group. It will likely get big contract termination payments for its 2006 financial results, but Interep's management would much rather have the ongoing business. The small consolation from the latest sale is that Disney isn't selling all of ABC Radio, but will keep its ESPN Radio and Radio Disney stations, so Interep will apparently keep that business, but it's not likely to be enough to justify maintaining what is now ABC Radio Sales as a dedicated rep firm within Interep.
RBR observation: There really isn't much a rep can do in this situation. It's a long accepted fact of life for reps that client stations move in and out of their portfolios as they are bought and sold. Unfortunately for Interep, two of its largest client groups have been sold recently and, in both cases, the winning bidder was a Katz client. No doubt the folks at Interep were rooting for Entercom to win the ABC prize, but that wasn't to be.
 Commissioners comments
on fifth-chair nominee
The gloves are always off at the beginning, when a new resident is getting ready to move into the empty office space on the FCC's 8th Floor. Such is the case for Robert McDowell, who has been named to the office by President George W. Bush. New Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate, whom McDowell will join on the Republican side of the divide should he survive the Senate Commerce Committee, said, "I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to Robert M. McDowell. Rob has a tremendous amount of experience in the field of communications - - over fifteen years - - which will allow him, if confirmed, to serve ably this country as the fifth member of the Federal Communications Commission." The two Democrats were equally magnanimous with their welcomes. Said Jonathan Adelstein, "I welcome the White House's announcement of the nomination of Robert M. McDowell to serve as a commissioner at the FCC. Robert has a great deal of experience in the field of telecommunications that should be of great value to all of us at the Commission. I have enjoyed working with him in the past and look forward to the many contributions he will make to our deliberations upon his confirmation to the Commission." And from Michael Copps: "I extend warm congratulations to Robert M. McDowell upon announcement of the President's intention to nominate him to be our colleague at the FCC. Mr. McDowell has a wide-ranging knowledge of the communications issues which the Commission must deal with in the months just ahead. If confirmed, he will bring the Commission back to full complement for the first time in almost a year. I look forward to the opportunity of working with him."
RBR observation: Look for the Democrats to tell McDowell exactly where he can put his "great deal of experience" and "wide-ranging knowledge" when the issue of media ownership deregulation comes up. We're sure, however, that such advice will proffered with the greatest degree of courtesy and taste. Extra bonus RBR observation: Here is the real inside skinny, ladies and gentlemen. Reading between the lines of these fairly innocuous statements, we can see that there are ominous storm clouds of foreboding. You will notice that all three sitting commissioners referred to the nominee as Robert M. McDowell. When our mother called out our name, using our middle initial, it invariably meant we were in serious trouble. So there you have it. We bet you won't find cogent, hard-hitting insider analysis like this in the Wall Street Journal.
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Wall Street analysts remain neutral on Citadel
Citadel has finally struck a deal to acquire ABC Radio from Disney (2/7/06 RBR #26), but Wall Street analysts aren't racing to tell investors to buy Citadel's stock. Rather, since the analysts are pretty uniformly cautious about radio stocks, they're remaining cautious as Citadel becomes a bigger player in the industry. For a closer analysis by Goldman Sachs analyst Mark Wienkes, Marcia Ryvicker from Wachovia Securities and Anthony DiClemente at Lehman Brothers
| Read More... |
 Billboard owner VNU
in no rush to sell itself
There's still no indication of the fate of Billboard, Adweek, The Hollywood Reporter and other US media magazines owned by VNU as their parent company mulls whether to accept a buyout bid. VNU confirmed yesterday that the head of its Supervisory Board, Aad Jacobs, and VNU's Executive Board met Monday with Eric Knight, who heads the Knight Vinke Asset Management investment group, to hear his views on the possible sale of VNU to a consortium of equity investment funds. And VNU says it is continuing to have active talks with the equity funds about a buyout of the company. But while there are lots of talks going on, VNU management appears to be in no hurry to strike a deal. The bid announced last month (1/17/05 RBR #11) for 28.00-28.50 euros (around 34 USD) per share doesn't amount to a premium over where the stock has been trading and there's been no indication yet that the offer of nearly nine billion USD has been boosted. Knight Vinke is one of VNU's largest shareholders and had been instrumental in persuading VNU management to scuttle a seven billion bucks acquisition of IMS Health. Knight Vinke had no public comment after its latest briefing from VNU. For its part, VNU said it expects that its Supervisory and Executive Boards (Dutch corporations are managed quite differently from those in the US) would make public their views on the buy-out offer by the end of this month.
RBR observation: As we've noted before, the equity buyout firms - - AlpInvest Partners, The Blackstone Group, The Carlyle Group, Hellman & Friedman, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Permira and Thomas H. Lee Partners - - haven't given any indication what parts of VNU they intend to keep for a while and build up for an eventual sale or IPO and which ones might be sold off immediately. The general view from outside observers is that the publishing and trade shows unit, which includes such titles as Billboard, Adweek and The Hollywood Reporter in the US, is the most likely to be put on the auction block. The most profitable division - - and the least likely to be sold unless there's a really impressive offer - - is the media ratings business, led by Nielsen Media Research in the US.
 RAB, BMI recognize FastStart recipient
RAB and BMI recognized Isabella Laforet, one of the recipients of the FastStart To Radio Sales Success Minority Scholarship program, during the RAB2006 Conference last week in Dallas. The FastStart program is designed to foster the success of minorities in Radio sales, with a selection committee of broadcasting executives granting groups of needs-based scholarships twice every year. Left to Right: John Potter, Vice President, Educational Services & Director Training Academy, RAB; Dan Spears, Asst. Vice President, BMI; Isabella Laforet, Account Executive, WBLS, New York; Deon Levingtston, Vice President/General Manager, WBLS, New York; Van Allen, Executive Vice President & CFO, RAB; and Mark Barron, Asst. Vice President, BMI
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| Wall Street Media Business Report TM |
Q4 Conference Calls
Strong quarter for Jefferson-Pilot
As it prepares to merge with Lincoln National, Jefferson-Pilot Corporation reported a strong quarter ending 2005. Net earnings per share for Q4 were 1.07, beating the analysts' consensus by six cents. Of course, that was mostly due to better-than-expected performance by its insurance businesses, but Jefferson-Pilot Communications, the radio and TV company, also had a good quarter. Revenues rose 2% to 69.3 million and broadcast cash flow gained 4% to 33.1 million. Theresa Stone, who is both President of Jeff-Pilot Communications and CFO of the parent company, noted that bottom line earnings for the broadcast operation rose 7% for the quarter and 6% for the year. "In the radio markets where we operate, San Diego, Denver, Charlotte, Atlanta and Miami, advertising do||ars spent on radio were flat year to date and actually declined in fourth quarter. Revenues at Jefferson-Pilot's radio stations declined in the fourth quarter, but we did pick up market share and outperformed our markets. For the year our radio revenues grew in the low single digits in markets that were, on average, flat," Stone noted. TV, she said, was down only slightly against 2004's politically infused tough comps. So, if radio and TV were both down slightly in Q4, how did the division post a gain? Jefferson-Pilot's college sports broadcasting business had strong ad sales growth for the quarter and year.
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Ad Business Report TM
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 Which were the most effective Super Bowl spots?
comScore Networks released the results of a survey that quantifies American's awareness and brand perceptions related to ads that aired during Super Bowl XL. Bud/Bud Light reigned supreme in awareness, with 75% of respondents recalling their ads during the big game, while celebrity endorsers P.Diddy and Jackie Chan helped Pepsi/Diet Pepsi stay top-of-mind with 60% of viewers. GoDaddy.com flexed its advertising muscle for the second straight year with another sexy Super Bowl spot, which garnered awareness among 53% of viewers. When asked to rate whether ads improved or damaged the brand's reputation, respondents voiced strong feelings towards several brands. Bud/Bud Light's use of humor and special effects registered positively with viewers, as did FedEx's package-shipping cavemen as 44% reported that the ads improved their respective brand images. On the other end of the spectrum, Burger King and Emerald Nuts tied for the most negative brand perception, with 20% of viewers saying the spots run by these advertisers actually damaged their perception of the brands.
Brand Perception Among Total Respondents
Q: For each of the following brands, please indicate whether their ad during the Super Bowl improved or damaged your impression of the brand in any way.
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Damaged |
Improved |
Unchanged
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| FedEx |
4% |
44% |
52%
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| Bud/ Bud Light |
2% |
44% |
54%
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| Burger King |
20% |
25% |
55%
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| Gillette |
11% |
24% |
65%
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| Emerald Nuts |
20% |
22% |
58%
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| Hummer |
17% |
22% |
61%
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Casinos use radio heavily but regionally
According to MediaMonitors, casinos are heavy radio users throughout the US and Canada, usually with highly-produced commercials and always focused on the non-gaming aspects of their facility. Three of the casinos are advertising in multiple markets, specifically Greektown Casino (#1) in Pittsburgh and Detroit radio ran collectively just over 475 radio spots between the two markets in the past 7 days. Potawatomi Bingo Casino (#2) in Milwaukee and Chicago, and Argosy Casino (#5) is running radio spots in Chicago, St. Louis and Cincinnati. The rest are advertising in single cities: Argosy's sister, Casino Rama (#6) is on the air in Toronto while Casino Niagara (#3) near world-famous Niagara Falls is heard in the Buffalo market, Emerald Queen Casino (#4) is running spots in Seattle, and Station/Fiesta Casinos (#7) are on Las Vegas radio as is Casino MonteLago (#8), while Gila River Casinos (#9) have a radio spot campaign only in Phoenix and WinStar Casinos (#10) ran radio spots in the Dallas-Ft. Worth market.
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| Media Revenue Technology |
The new generation of radio revenue specialists PART III
There's a quiet revolution underway in radio sales. A new generation of radio revenue "specialists" is challenging the way business is done in 2006. These new companies are filling a need in a time of change. Each has a different way of getting to the same place. There are at least four unsold inventory specialists out there accomplishing similar objectives, but with different ways of getting to it and some very different bells and whistles: dMarc Broadcasting, Bid4Spots, Marketing Architects (which declined to be interviewed for the story) and Soft Wave Radio. (Continued from Tuesday)
| Read More... |
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| Media Markets & Money TM |
 Radio angle for Angels
Arte Moreno is taking a step away for negotiating for broadcast coverage for his MLB Los Angeles Angels, and toward owning his own broadcast venue with a deal to acquire KMXE-AM. One value associated with the deal available so far is 105B - - that's not the cost for the station, it's the spending power of the potential audience. According to reports, the station itself is going for about 42M. Currently running Hispanic News-Talk-Sports, Moreno will be taking it bilingual, and naturally will make the American League Angels a core presence on the station. It also carries live coverage of University of Southern California football, NASCAR and The Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA soccer. Partner Dennis Kuhl explained the buyer's plans for the station, saying "The acquisition of Radio 830 KMXE provides a new opportunity to bring play-by-play commentary and Angels game coverage to a large audience of Hispanic Major League Baseball fans. Once the transaction is complete the station's sports broadcast line-up will be expanded to a bilingual format, providing Hispanic sports enthusiasts with access to exciting regional, national and international sporting events."
BBC goes Fox-hunting on SC coast
Bahakel Broadcasting Corp. (you didn't think the British were coming again, did you?) is getting its seventh television station and entering its sixth TV DMA with the acquisition of WFXB-TV in Myrtle Beach SC. The seller of the Fox Channel 43 outlet is James Everett's GE Media. The deal, brokered by Patrick Communications, is clocking in at 19.5M cash - - 15K of which is allocated to a non-compete. The station joins a two-Fox cluster in Champaign-Springfield Decatur IL and single stations in Greenwood-Greenville MS, Columbia SC, Montgomery AL and Charlotte NC in the Bahakel portfolio. The company also has a hand in the radio business, with clusters in Waterloo-Cedar Falls IA, Colorado Springs CO and Chattanooga TN, and a single AM in Greenwood MS. A TBA began 1/23/06.
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| Washington Media Business Report TM |
Football great tackled for a loss
Miami Dolphin running back Larry Csonka was known for his ability to drag opposing defenses down the field with him on the way to scoring six, but the football player-turned-outdoor program host has been unable to shake the Forest Service. He has been nailed with a restitution payment of just under 4K for filming episodes of "NAPA's North to Alaska" without a permit, according to the Associated Press, and will also be subject to attempts in court to tack on a 5K fine and a year's probation. The program is part of the Outdoor Life Network lineup. Csonka is said to have pled guilty to the charges.
RBR observation: For once, somebody besides the FCC gets in on the extracting-money-from-electronic-entertainment action.
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| Ratings & Research |
PPM clears another MRC hurdle
Arbitron reported proudly that its Portable People Meter (PPM) operation in Houston has completed phase two of its audit and the results have been delivered to the Media Rating Council. The audit itself doesn't guarantee accreditation, but Arbitron is hoping to win MRC accreditation of PPM for both radio and TV ratings in Houston. Phase one of the two-phase audit by Ernst & Young was completed in November 2005 and presented to the MRC's PPM audit subcommittee. Arbitron then responded to questions last month. E&Y completed the second phase of its audit in the week of January 30th and sent it to the subcommittee for review. "While we can't comment on a final outcome nor an end date for MRC accreditation of the Portable People Meter, we are proud of the work we have completed in order to deliver this report to the MRC. The entire process so far, which began with pre-audit meetings in February 2004, has represented a million dollar plus investment by Arbitron in the quality of the PPM service," said Owen Charlebois, President, Operations, Technology, Research and Development, Arbitron.
| Here's what Arbitron says the audit entailed |
 TV moves Rock, Country, Talk radio listeners most on eating out
According to BIGresearch's last Simultaneous Media Study (SIMM) in December 2005, of over 15,000 respondents Rock, Country and Talk radio listeners are highly influenced by both radio and TV when it comes to eating out purchase decisions. With Talk radio listeners more influenced by radio than TV/Broadcast, and Country and Rock listeners are more influenced by TV/Broadcast. So if you want to capture those dining out advertiser dollars show this chart to them.
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| Transactions |
2.3M WKVB-FM State College PA (Port Matilda PA) and WKLJ-FM Johnstown PA (Portage PA) from 2510 Licenses LLC (Nicholas A. Galli) to Educational Media Foundation (Richard Jenkins). 1,757,500 cash at closing, 450K option fee credit, 92.5K credit for closing before 5/1/07. [File date 1/24/06.]
450K WSBB-AM Daytona Beach FL (New Smyrna Beach FL) from T.K. Radio Inc. (Brian E. Tolby) to Gore-Overgaard Broadcasting Inc. (Cordell J. Overgaard, Harold W. Gore, William McMaster). 25K escrow, balance in cash at closing. Includes non-compete. Duopoly with WROD-AM. [File date 1/24/06.]
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| Stock Talk |
No bounce from the ABC Radio sale
Disney's 2.7 billion deal to sell ABC Radio to Citadel may have gotten lots of headlines, but it didn't ignite any interest in broadcasting stocks, other than Disney itself. Meanwhile, a drop for high-flying commodity prices put downward pressure on stocks as well. The Dow Industrials dropped 49 points, or 0.5%, to 10,750.
The Radio Index fell 2.299, or 1.3%, to a year-to-date low of 173.313. Citadel plunged 4.3%, despite winning ABC Radio for a lower than expected price. Go figure. Disney, however, shot up 7% after reporting strong earnings after the market close a day earlier.
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| Radio Stocks |
Here's how stocks fared on Tuesday
| Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
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Arbitron
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ARB
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38.66
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-0.61
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Hearst-Argyle
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HTV
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24.00
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+0.41
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Beasley
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BBGI
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13.86
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+0.02
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Interep
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IREP
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0.37
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-0.08
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| CBS CI. B |
CBS |
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25.53
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-0.31
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Jeff-Pilot
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JP
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57.23
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+0.34
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| CBS CI. A |
CBSa |
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25.55
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-0.37
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Journal Comm.
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JRN
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12.11
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-0.17
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| Citadel |
CDL |
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11.48 |
-0.52 |
Radio One, Cl. A
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ROIA
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10.21
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-0.11
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Clear Channel
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CCU
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28.67
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-0.14
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Radio One, Cl. D
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ROIAK
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10.19
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-0.15
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Cox Radio
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CXR
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13.81
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-0.17
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Regent
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RGCI
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4.54
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-0.11
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Cumulus
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CMLS
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12.73
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-0.25
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Saga Commun.
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SGA
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10.00
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-0.12
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Disney
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DIS
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26.70
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+1.74
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Salem Comm.
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SALM
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14.87
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-0.08
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Emmis
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EMMS
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18.11
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-0.03
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Sirius Sat. Radio
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SIRI
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5.76
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+0.27
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| Entercom |
ETM
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29.43
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-0.29
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Spanish Bcg.
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SBSA
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5.31
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-0.09
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Entravision
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EVC
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6.83
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-0.15
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Univision
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UVN
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30.54
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-0.69
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Fisher
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FSCI
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42.47
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-0.34
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Westwood One
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WON
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14.37
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-0.03
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Gaylord
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GET
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44.30
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-0.12
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XM Sat. Radio
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XMSR
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23.68
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+0.13
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Bounceback
|
 We want to
hear from you.
This is your column, so send your comments and
a photo to [email protected]
The Parents Television Council and all the TV watchdog groups (2/7/06 RBR #26), in my opinion, miss the mark completely. I say "big deal" that they kept cameras off of players' mouths to protect my 5 year old, 3 year old, and 2 year old from seeing Bill Cowher mouth some profanity. I laugh at Brent Bozell hoping families can watch programming without the worry of "innapporpriate sexual content or hearing vulgar language" because they muted two words from the Rolling Stones' performance. I can control what my children watch within the content of a show. I know my children cannot read lips, and during half-time we watched another program all together (my kids prefer The Wiggles to the Stones). But what I can't control is the content of the commercials. Apparently the PTC missed countless commercials featuring graphic violence, shocking images including blood, explosions, and emotions ranging from fear to shock. Between the commercials for "V for Vendetta," "16 Blocks," "Running Scared," and especially "Grey's Anatomy" my children could have seen things countless times worse than a little swearing. The violent images found flashing brightly in so many commercials are the stuff nightmares are made of. Luckily Animal Planet was airing "Puppy Bowl" and I kept my remote in hand so that when a movie preview or TV show commercial came on, I could quickly flip to something appropriate. My point is this: as a parent, I can control the TV shows my children watch, but I cannot control the content of the commercials. Everyone attacks the program, it seems. Stop giving a free pass to the guys paying the bills.
Don Kowalewski
Senior Account Executive
Clear Channel Radio Sales, Detroit
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Below the Fold
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Ad Business Report
Casinos use radio heavily
With highly-produced spots & always focused on the no-gaming...
Media Markets & Money
Radio angle for Angels
Arte Moreno taking a step away for negotiating...
Ratings & Research
PPM clears another
MRC hurdle in Houston...
Washington Media Business Report
Football great tackled for a loss
Larry Csonka nailed with a restitution payment...
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Radio Media Moves
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Freeman to Max
Peggy Freeman has joined Max Media as Regional Account Executive for its five-station cluster in the Norfolk, VA market. Freeman had most recently been a Regional Sales Manager for Entercom focusing on the Washington-Baltimore territory.
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More News Headlines
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Scare in Miami
Clear Channel's eight radio stations in suburban Miami were evacuated yesterday when a bomb-sniffing dog detected something in the mailroom after police came to investigate a threatening phone call. According to WFOR-TV, a second dog also indicated that the same package might contain explosives, but police said it turned out to be a "false positive." Employees were eventually allowed back into the building.
Spitzer targeting
radio groups
New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is grabbing more free publicity for his gubernatorial campaign by telling ABC News that his probe of the relationship between the record industry and radio stations has uncovered what he claims is corporate payola practices by major radio conglomerates. Correspondent Brian Ross posted a story about Spitzer's allegations on the ABC News website, and they will apparently be the focus of his report on Thursday's "Frontline" program. As usual, Spitzer is complaining that the FCC is dragging its feet on doing anything about the illegal activities he claims to have found.
RBR note: For a preview of this Thursday's "Frontline"
| take a view here |
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February RBR/TVBR Digital Magazine
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Era of Technology
and Moving Forward
AdBiz
'The new generation of radio
revenue specialists'
pg 12
Radio Sales
'What AEs can bring to the table
with Kim Vasey'
pg 18
Media Markets & Money
'Hedge funds are changing the broadcasting lending landscape'
pg 26
Read RBR/TVBR in 2 simple steps:
1.Create a simple account with Zinio and download the Zinio Reader.
2. You can then download the
February Issue of RBR/TVBR
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RBR Radar 2005
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Radio News you won't read any where else. RBR--First, Accurate, and Independently Owned.
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Citadel + ABC: Done
Here's how the deal will work
The merger of Citadel and ABC Radio will be a complicated one. Because its tax basis in the radio assets is essentially zero, Disney insisted on a "reverse Morris Trust" so it (and its shareholders) will not have to pay capital gains taxes on the transaction....ABC's O&Os, 22 stations in nine markets, will become part of Citadel Communications, as will ABC Radio Networks. Citadel will have an exclusive 10-year licensing agreement to deliver ABC News Radio programming to terrestrial radio stations.
RBR observation: 13.2 times. Amazing. Even after you add in about two and a half turns for the tax savings to Disney, the effective multiple is only 15.7 times. Just a couple of years ago such primo radio assets would have brought at least 20. Is Bob Iger correct in betting that radio multiples will continue to fall? For now, it looks like an incredibly cheap purchase for Farid Suleman. There is more see
02/07/06 RBR #26
Analyst worried by radio trends
Wachovia Securities analyst Marci Ryvicker says the 1% radio revenue decline was worse than expected and early evidence is that the softness has continued into 2006. Q1 may be further impacted by the Winter Olympics, as TV historically tends to drain some of radio's ad dollars during this competition. How much growth? Ryvicker is looking for an anemic 1% gain in January and 2% for most months this year - - with 3% in June and November and 4% in October. For all of 2006 forecasting that radio revenues will be up a mere 2.3%.
RBR observation: Only two radio companies have reported their quarterly results so far and given guidance for early 2006. But both Emmis and Journal Communications indicated that the year is starting out soft for radio. That's not encouraging for a year that is supposed to feature easy comps. Add to injury radio still has many issues to face this year that revolve around investing money into their stations around technology - HD and PPM are just two that are now becoming a reality. Radio's perception is not strong and will have to fight for its place in the total media world this year as 'Time with Technology will not wait for no one'.
02/06/06 RBR #25
Radio industry must
Embrace Change
Speaking to his last RAB annual management conference as President and CEO of the organization, Gary Fries urged his audience of radio executives to look to the future and embrace change. "The biggest threat to our industry is wanting to stay the same. If you stay the same, you will have no success,...What are advertisers trying to do? They're trying to get ROI. The challenge to radio is to constantly move and progress. When my successor comes, that person will take the RAB to a new level. Constantly look for being part of the future - - part of the change. Do not get locked in the comfort zone."
RBR observation: "If you stay the same, you will have no success." Embed those words of wisdom of Fries as the young CEO's can learn from a true front line battlefield commander. Radio has been lucky to have had Gary Fries on the daily front lines fighting for radio's improvement with technology and research as many will talk at the water cooler but not out loud - Radio needs true leadership. Best of luck to Gary Fries and thank you for your years of dedication.
02/03/06 RBR #24
December yields flat year for radio
RAB came out with its latest revenue stats. Combined radio revenues experienced a slight 1% decline in December 2005 over the same month in 2004, enough to pull Q4 into the red at -3% and to erase any gains for the year as a whole. The silver lining may be getting LIM to LIM comps in 2006.
RBR observation: We'll be listening in to the upcoming round of quarterly conference calls for some previews of 2006. So far, a few birdies are chirping off the record, and it ain't exactly a chipper tune that they're chirping. 'Read and Weep'
02/03/06 RBR #24
What have we done???
By Jean Pool
Just why is it that we're hell bent on irritating the very people that we are trying to sell our products and services to? Clutter is the death of the media. Early Saturday morning call... a telemarketer that instructs me to wait for the next available operator. What are they thinking? Another favorite is my Sunday New York Times stuffed full of inserts that usually end up scattered on my hall floor. Then there is radio... driving along listening to Dr. Laura berating a call-in when you're interrupted by a commercial. Or one hour of Howard Stern's show of 18 commercials ...38 units ran. Geez, that barely gives Howard time to get in the F word. For a reality check read the entire article
02/01/06 RBR #22
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Retail Sales Manger
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