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This reader gives his take on the :30s vs. :60s issue.

Offering both 30's and 60's has always made more sense than calling all commercials "units." Because a unit, with rare exception, always turned out to be a sixty. From a revenue viewpoint, 12 units taking up 12 minutes (@ 100 bucks apiece) nets you 1,200. You can match this revenue with a combination of six sixties (@100 apiece) and eight 30s (@75 apiece). Bottom line, same money with ten minutes of commercials versus twelve minutes of commercials. This also means shorter breaks (four 2 1/2 half minute breaks versus four 3 minute breaks). And, of course, those two "extra" minutes could be sold, giving you +25% more revenue that hour. Using the above rates, it is a better deal for the client. 25 :60 commercials versus 33 :30 commercials. We call it MR.... More Repetition. Then, of course, since you are playing less commercials, why not promote it? Here's our campaign that promotes "less commercials" while at the same time keeps the dial position (and the music) in front of those folks with diaries sitting on their coffee table. Check it out.

Carl Strandell
GM, WPGA Macon, GA
Register Communications

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Talk chief at ABC
ABC Radio has named Phil Boyce Vice President of Programming for the eight ABC O&O News/Talk Stations. He will continue to program WABC-AM New York and oversee "The Sean Hannity Show" for ABC Radio Networks.

Travis Loughran named Wild 94.9 APD & MD
CC Radio Regional VP/Programming Northern California Dennis Martinez announced the promotion of Travis Loughran to Wild 94.9 (KYLD-FM San Francisco) APD and MD.

Honea joins WRN
as Director of
Affiliate Relations
Erle Younker, VP/General Manager of Waitt Radio Networks, announced Rick Honea has joined the organization, heading up the A/R Regional Manager staff and being responsible for affiliate service. He brings 22 years of network radio experience, starting as one of the original team members of Transtar when it pioneered satellite delivered formats for radio.

Powell heading to think tank

Radio-Mercury Awards extends entry deadline to March 25

Leno ungagged

Documents unsealed from Meredith firing
We now know more about what led to the abrupt firing a few months ago of Meredith Broadcasting Group President Kevin O'Brien (11/1/04 TVBR #213). A federal magistrate in Des Moines has unsealed court documents in a case where Meredith is seeking to avoid having to pay off the remainder of O'Brien's contract. According to the unsealed documents, reported by the Des Monies Register, O'Brien had complained that the staff at Meredith's WGCL-TV Atlanta station was "too black" and that when a black reporter had complained of hostile working conditions, he said, "That's typical of black employees." The AP reported that O'Brien once told a black waiter at a company outing: "You probably don't like the same fruit as me. You look like a watermelon kind of guy." An internal company investigation also accused O'Brien of making sexual advances to female employees and of using his position to get his daughter an on-air job at a Meredith station. The company alleges that three months after the firing, O'Brien showed up at the company's offices in San Francisco and "was abusive, belligerent and hostile," causing one Meredith magazine employee to "reasonably fear for her safety." O'Brien has not yet filed a response to the company's lawsuit, nor his own which is expected to claim that his firing was unjustified and seek payment for the rest of his contract, plus damages. His lawyer had tried to prevent public disclosure of details of the company's lawsuit, claiming it would be prejudicial to the case.

FCC Chairman Michael Powell
says good-bye
An emotional Chairman gaveled his 90th and final FCC open meeting to a close, saying in a choked voice, "Well, this isn't easy." Speaking of public service, he said, "At the end of the day, it is still the highest honor and greatest privilege anyone can have." A specific departure date was not mentioned. It'll have to be before 4/28/05, though, the announced date of the next open meeting, to make good on the announcement that the 90th was indeed Powell's last. 03/11/05 RBR #50

FCC New chair down
to a two-horse race?
Sitting Republican Commissioner Kevin Martin has been seen as a top contender for the FCC chair and he has the backing in organizations such as the Parents Television Council. another candidate has emerged out of the pack of names which have been bandied about, that being Michael Gallagher, pictured, NTIA head and current employee at the Commerce Department. His experience is on the telecommunications side of the FCC (he's a former Washington lobbyist for Verizon Wirele! ss and Airtouch Communications), and according to the times has not staked out a particular position on any broadcast issues. However, he is said to have been endorsed by Powell, who has not always seen eye-to-eye with Martin. Still, Martin has close ties to VP Dick Cheney. Other names in the mix have included former Texas Public Utility Commission Chair Becky Klein, FERC head Pat Wood, former Ted Stevens (R-AK) aide Earl Comstock.03/11/05 RBR #50

Erwin Ephron is thumbs up
on Less is More - Part 3
It is in the advertiser's interest to use the unit that holds audience best. That is the shorter unit. But if some advertisers opt for 60's, all advertising that follows will suffer. That's why radio has to eliminate some advertiser options to manage clutter. Get rid of the 60, run fewer commercials and charge more for the 30. But relax. The actual cost is still negotiable. Television faces similar challenges and has been slow to respond. We know clutter threatens the effectiveness of broadcast advertising. And we know only the media can clean it up.
03/11/05 RBR #50

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