Monday Morning February 20th, 2012, Volume 29, Issue 35
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 Yucaipa in line for Inner City - disputes IRS claim
No other bidder came forward to make an offer for the Inner City Media Corporation (ICMC) stations, so the Thursday (2/16) auction was cancelled and a new company created by Yucaipa Companies and the other senior debt holders won with its "stalking horse" credit bid of $180 million. US Bankruptcy Judge Shelley Chapman is expected to approve the sale at a Tuesday (2/21) hearing - if ICMC and the lenders succeed in convincing her to dismiss an IRS objection.
RBR-TVBR observation: Pretend you're back in the year, oh let's say 1999, and you had the opportunity to buy a full power FM in New York City and a full-power FM in San Francisco for $180 million - and with 15 other stations thrown in, no less! You couldn't have believed such a bargain was real. But in 2012 no one even stepped up to top that price. It is a different world. More...
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Radio hits Q4 revenue speed bump en route to positive 2011
The radio business suffered a 2% drop in overall Q4 revenue, the blame for which can be laid entirely at the doorstep of the spot business, which was the only down category among the four tracked by the Radio Advertising Bureau and Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co. But radio stations were still able to record an increase in year-over-year income.
RBR-TVBR observation: Although the
election year advertising bump is not nearly as pronounced in the radio biz as it is for television operators, it will help. The economy, which seems to finally be demonstrating some vitality, should help more. We would like to see radio drive a healthy increase in the national demand for black ink this year. More...
SiriusXM CEO Mel Karmazin gets charitable
SiriusXM CEO Mel Karmazin has adopted a trading plan for SiriusXM securities for financial planning in connection with his philanthropic efforts. Karmazin will be exercising 60 million options to fund his charitable endeavors.
RBR-TVBR observation: Once again the folks at the New York Times look like fools for their attacks on executives of other media companies. Do you think there will be any apology for their story last month? Don't hold your breath. More...
Nick Cannon stepping down from 92.3 NOW; more speculation
For the past two years, Nick Cannon has hosted the morning show at CBS Radio's 92.3 NOW (WXRK-FM) NYC. But after much consideration following his recent health scare, Nick has decided to step down from "Rollin'" and hosted his last show 2/17 to focus on his health.
RBR-TVBR observation: We think it's likely they will make the switch soon. 92.3's ratings are pretty bad compared with Z-100. More...
WTOP celebrates Oxley's 20th anniversary
WTOP recently celebrated their SVP/General Manager's 20th anniversary with the station. Joel Oxley has served Hubbard Broadcasting's DC all-news station successfully over the past two decades, helping WTOP become one of the top news stations in the country and consistently one of the top-rated stations in the market. Congrats, Joel! More...
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Payroll bill and incentive auctions headed for Oval Office
A bill that will extend a temporary employment tax cut for Americans through the end of the year, extend benefits for the unemployed and maintain reimbursement levels for doctors who see Medicare patients has passed both Houses of Congress. The bill will use incentive auctions of television spectrum to help offset costs that will result from other elements of the total legislative package. The bill awaits President Barack Obama's return to Washington DC, whereupon he has promised to sign it into law. More...
TWC, MSG have a handshake agreement
The retransmission consent battle being fought in Washington concerns broadcasters v. MVPDs, but the biggest dispute of late has not involved broadcasters at all. But it now appears that Time Warner Cable and Madison Square Gardens have an agreement that will put sports programming - including high interest New York Knicks Basketball - back on the cable system.
RBR-TVBR observation: The government shouldn't be poking its nose into any retransmission negotiation, but the one service that has the kind of public interest value worthy of government protection is broadcasting. MVPDs should simply get used to it and bargain for a fair price. More...
Everybody finds something to love in spectrum bill
The legislation that will give the FCC authority to conduct incentive spectrum auctions in the television space is but a small part of the middle class tax relief package to which it is attached. It is nonetheless a remarkable piece of work that appears to be the result of actual give and take between Democrats and Republicans. One thing for sure is that a lot of people are coming forward to praise it. A key comment comes from an individual - President Barack Obama - who has a pen he is ready and willing to use to seal the deal. More...
Spectrum and the art of congressional compromise
Republican and Democratic members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee released separate summaries of the spectrum legislation included in the big tax relief bill, providing an interesting glimpse into the give and take that produced the finished product. More...
Discovery outperformed even if OWN didn't
Discovery Communications produced a strong Q4, beating Wall Street expectations with its financial results. So the overall company is moving forward, even as most of the publicity that Discovery gets tends to focus on the disappointing ratings and revenues at OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. More...
ANA, Canoe Ventures demo power of ITV
Canoe Ventures, the advanced television JV of the nation's top cable companies, and the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) released findings from its year-long study of interactive television (ITV) effectiveness.
RBR-TVBR observation: Bringing marketers and advertisers into the testing and research process is probably the quickest way to help standardize iTV and RFI efforts. More...
Buchanan officially out at MSNBC
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Ideas Working Now ™
Getting television newscasts on the right page
By Mike DeLier, President, The DeLier Group
For the last "quite some time" there has been a disconnect between legitimate television news operations and pretenders. The difference being the pretenders are full of special features, not special reports--predictability, rather than spontaneity; promotional segments rather than news segments. The audience is deluged with this soft news, has grown weary of it, and it's showing up as declining ratings. More...
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Featured Listing
Sales Manager
Mendota Broadcasting in LaSalle-Peru, IL is looking for a general sales manager for our six stations in LaSalle-Peru, IL. Top three rated stations in the market, no TV or out-of-market radio competitors. GM has served as part-time SM for recent years, but with more to sell and additional sellers, full-time SM is needed. More information at www.rbr.com
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Radio's Hiring Hot List
 Sports Reporter, MT
On Air/Production, NY
Financial Analyst, NY
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New Listings
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TV's Hiring Hot List
National Sales Manager, AL
Supervisor Sales Support, MD
Sales Assistant, IL
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Stocks cooled off Friday after Thursday gains - 2/17/12
After big gains on Thursday, the market turned more cautious on Friday, with traders waiting to see exactly how the European bailout of Greece works out. Stocks closed mixed ahead of the three-day weekend. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 46 points, or 0.4%, to 12,950. The S&P 500 was also up, but the Nasdaq Composite down. Broadcasting stocks were also mixed. US stock markets will be closed Monday, February 20th, in observance of George Washington's Birthday (the NYSE refuses to use the modern nomenclature of "Presidents' Day). The RBR Radio Index was down 2.725, or 0.8%, to 356.020. The TVBR Television Index was up 0.245, or 0.1%, to 263.634. More...
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Winners |
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Losers |
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| Radio One |
+1.8% |
Salem |
-4.8% |
| Sinclair |
+1.2% |
Dial Global |
-3.4% |
Nexstar |
+1.1% |
LIN |
-1.9% |
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For additional reports, ideas, analysis, interviews, and
RBR/TVBR Observations...visit and bookmark www.RBR.com
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Q4 numbers coming in / Court battles over taxes and trademarks
02/19/12 Sunday edition
Consumer Confidence Up / Customer Interaction for Retailers
02/18/12 Saturday edition
Auctions are coming / KFI suspends John & Ken
02/17/12 RBR-TVBR #34
NBA locked out CBS / Spectrum auctions back in play
02/16/12 RBR-TVBR #33
Moby in hot water / Indecency complaints to FCC low
02/15/12 RBR-TVBR #32
Inner City vs. Inner City / Researching the Olympics
02/14/12 RBR-TVBR #31
John & Ken suspended for Whitney Houston comments; reaction
Here they go again-not long after the immigrants rights comments that caused a boycott and protest, Clear Channel's KFI-AM LA announced 2/16 it is suspending immediately talk hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou "for making insensitive and inappropriate comments about the late Whitney Houston."
RBR-TVBR observation: This time, the station did it right--immediate suspension. Last time, with them giving out the cellphone number of DREAM act advocate Jorge-Mario Cabrera in September and encouraging listeners to call him, the station hesitated and it took a turn for the worse. Here's what we had said during that odyssey:
02/17/12 RBR-TVBR #34
Now the tax man objects to Inner City auction
The US Attorney for Southern New York has now jumped into the Inner City Media Corporation (ICMC) bankruptcy case, opposing the planned auction of the company's radio stations as a tax dodge. By putting the assets to auction, rather than reorganizing under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, the US Treasury may be denied $31 million in taxes.
RBR-TVBR observation: Given the adversarial nature of this bankruptcy case, which began with the senior creditors filing an involuntary bankruptcy petition, it is pretty absurd for the IRS, via the US Attorney, to claim that this is some conspiracy to avoid paying taxes.
02/17/12 RBR-TVBR #34
Antiabortionist Terry looks to book ads in Oklahoma
Randall Terry, the purported Democratic candidate for president in 2012 who failed to get graphic antiabortion advertising aired during the recent Super Bowl telecast, is back, trying to get his ads on the air in Oklahoma, where he is on the Democratic primary ballot. According to a story in Tulsa World, broadcasters are afraid to turn down the ads. According to attorney Gregg Skall who has done considerable work in this area, there is ample precedent to keep Terry off the airwaves.
RBR-TVBR observation: The purpose of protecting the advertising messages of bona fide candidates is to prevent broadcast management that might oppose a candidate from restricting the candidate's access to voters. It is not to allow party machinery to be hijacked by an individual with an axe to grind. We call on the FCC to state the rules on this matter clearly, with as broad a brush as possible.
02/17/12 RBR-TVBR #34
Local TV and radio seen as most trustworthy media
When it comes to getting accurate and fair news reporting, far more Americans trust the media than not (although few are highly trustful). At the top of the list of seven news sources in a recent Harris Poll are local television with 73% and radio with 69%. Internet and local newspaper news also rated a 69% score.
02/17/12 RBR-TVBR #34
Gingrich-backing PAC using conservative radio
National radio talent such as Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and Mark Levin will supply the conservative voters, and Winning Our Future will supply the message, which is to beat back the candidacy of Mitt Romney and put Newt Gingrich in the driver's seat when the Republican Party tries to take back the White House in November.
RBR-TVBR observation: In a general election, a conservative spending to reach the audience these talkers deliver could be seen as wasteful preaching to the choir. But it makes perfect sense right now, where the strong approval of conservatives could be the key to winning the Republican nomination.
02/17/12 RBR-TVBR #34
Light Media updates with full year financials
A few days ago we reported on Q4 results for penny stock company and relatively new radio station owner Light Media Holdings. Now the company has added full year 2011 results as well.
02/17/12 RBR-TVBR #34
Incentive auctions approaching the runway
In an almost shocking display of ability to actually get something done, Congress is on the verge of passing an extension of the middle class payroll tax cut, among other things, and part of the bill will set in motion the long-discussed incentive auction program of television spectrum. Both NAB and CTIA signaled their approval of the measure to be adopted.
02/17/12 RBR-TVBR #34
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