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Volume 24, Issue 74, Jim Carnegie, Editor & Publisher
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Monday Morning April 16th, 2007
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| Publisher's Perspective |
 Day 1, CBS Radio CEO
Mason's Mission
Starts this morning 4/16/07 for returning CEO Dan Mason. He's walking in at the beginning to a hopeful new era at CBS Radio. I wondered what it was like sitting on the sidelines during the Imus-NBC-CBS media frenzy-which lead to the firing of Don Imus-and for CBS losing another long standing recognizable brand, especially in NYC. Mason and I spoke over this past weekend to share his focus for CBS-not about what has happened but what will happen and it starts today. My perspective on what to expect is this:
So what do you do when faced with this black eye on CBS? First I do not see Imus returning to CBS. From my perspective, Mike & The Mad Dog and the like, I trust you got your hostility out because Mason is moving forward with "Mason's Mission." This is what will happen and it breaks down in areas of: Local Radio - Local Content - World Wide Distribution - and doing a good job. What is a Good job? In Mason's eyes, going back to his days at Westinghouse he views, a good job when: A station is in the top 5 in their target demo - Is top 5 in revenue - And with a respectable profit margin depending on the format. It does not mean it is accomplished immediately more so accomplished on a daily basis to achieve a top 5 slot. So there is breathing room? Yes, but no free hall pass. Local Radio focus means do not expect to see a lot of 'Push Down'. Meaning - Mason will not 'Push Down' programming concepts to CBS stations or a simple translation-not creating new multiple formats and shoving it down Local Stations' throat. It does not mean stations cannot carry syndicated programming but local executives in charge will make those individual decisions.
Local Content is a strong and a firm belief of Mason as nobody is better at producing Local radio content than local radio people. Now if the station is doing a Good Job then the next step is capitalizing on the success into WWD. WWD is World Wide Distribution, which brings in a digital strategy of creating local content or the 'Pull Up' process by which local content that stands out can utilize CBS's world wide forum to distribute successful content world wide. Now it is digital or Streaming performance ratings, not website performance, as CBS is fifth (5th) with Yahoo music #1, with AOL #2, #3 Clear Channel, and #4 Live 365. The goal via local content is move CBS stations up in streaming performance. Mason's goal for the next 3 years is creating a CBS brand for radio on demand. And that is exciting if you are at the local level as I see Mason is hungry to get today's radio competitive with the Yahoo's and AOL's. Imus is probably an end of an era but if Mason's Mission holds firm, it is a new competitive beginning for local radio and the entire radio medium. Last read below and learn from what has happened last week as it time to move on.
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Radio News ®
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 Team accepts apology
As everyone knows by now Rutgers women's basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer announced Friday that the team had accepted the apology that Don Imus offered face-to-face the previous night and were "in the process of forgiving" him for an on-air remark branding the team members as "nappy-headed hos." She also noted that her team had never demanded that Imus be fired, although that occurred a few hours before the meeting at the Governor's Mansion in New Jersey. In a bizarre sidebar to the story, Gov. Jon Corzine was seriously injured in a traffic crash while en route to the Imus-Rutgers meeting Thursday evening. Also on Friday morning, wife Deidre Imus demanded that people stop sending hate-mail to the team over her husband's firing. "If you must send email, send it to my husband," she said. Deidre Imus and Charles McCord sat in Friday morning to wrap up the 18th WFAN Radiothon, which raised a record 3.1 million, with pledges being taken through the weekend. As the event came to an end on-air at 10:00 am, McCord praised Don Imus, thanked him for the 35 years they had worked together, and said he was proud to still call Imus his friend. Will there be a 19th Radiothon with Don Imus back in charge? McCord said not to count out that possibility.
RBR observation: Also don't count out the possibility of legal wrangling to come. Bear Stearns analyst Victor Miller told clients he believes Imus has 3-4 years remaining on his five year contract with CBS. While it probably had an out for CBS should the FCC cite Imus for indecency, we doubt that it had any legal language to cover this situation.
Comment turns focus to Hip-Hop culture
Numerous commentators have said that Don Imus and producer Bernard McGuirk were trying to imitate Rap and Hip-Hop culture when they dropped the racist and sexist remarks that have left both of them without jobs. That has resulted in renewed calls for record labels to stop distributing Rap and Hip-Hop recordings that denigrate women and celebrate violence. With new pressure being put on them, among others, Russell Simmons, Chairman, and Dr. Benjamin Chavis, President of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, issued this statement: "Hip-hop is a worldwide cultural phenomena that transcends race and doesn't engage in racial slurs. Don Imus' racially-motivated diatribe toward the Rutgers' women's basketball team was in no way connected to hip-hop culture. As Chairman and President of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN), respectively, we are concerned by the false comparisons some in the media are making between Don Imus and hip-hop. We want to clarify what we feel very strongly is an obvious difference between the two. HSAN believes in freedom of artistic expression. We also believe, with that freedom, comes responsibility. Don Imus is not a hip-hop artist or a poet. Hip-hop artists rap about what they see, hear and feel around them, their experience of the world. Like the artists throughout history, their messages are a mirror of what is right and wrong with society. Sometimes their observations or the way in which they choose to express their art may be uncomfortable for some to hear, but our job is not to silence or censor that expression. Our job is to be an inclusive voice for the hip-hop community and to help create an environment that encourages the positive growth of hip-hop. Language can be a powerful tool. That is why ones intention, when using the power of language, should be made clear. Comparing Don Imus' language with hip-hop artists' poetic expression is misguided and inaccurate and feeds into a mindset that can be a catalyst for unwarranted, rampant censorship."
RBR observation: This is deserving of only a two-word response. The first word is Bull.
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 Radio companies,
FCC agree to decree
The long-awaited agreement between the FCC and four radio giants is out. It involves the payola controversy which emanated from Eliot Spitzer's efforts in New York state back while he was AG (he's now the governor). Entercom, Clear Channel, CBS Radio and Citadel will pay a total of 12.5M (on a sliding scale) to put the matter to rest. Entercom was at the head of the parade, with a 4M voluntary payment to the US Treasury, followed by Clear Channel (3.5M), CBS (3M) and Citadel (2M). In return, the companies will face no further liability on the matter, and as is SOP with the consent decree format, they are not required to admit wrongdoing. The companies will institute policies and procedures to head off any future payola/plugola activity, including staff training. It will document all items of value exchanging hands in dealings with record companies, will appoint a corporate compliance officer to monitor the company's internal efforts, aided by compliance contacts at each local operation. The compliance officer will report quarterly to corporate general counsel, and annually to both the corporate board of directors and the FCC. The companies also agreed to air four thousand hours worth of material from independent artists, an agreement struck outside the parameters of these consent decrees but hailed in the comments of Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein (D), who was a driving force behind the agreements. All four commissioners supported the agreements, with Adelstein and Michael Copps (D) appending the longest commentary. Copps couldn't help linking the practice to ownership consolidation and promised that he would be monitoring the situation going forward. Included in each consent decree is a list of prohibited and limited activities germane to the payola rules. It is worthwhile reading (for your attorney, at the very least), so we are providing this laundry list intact from the CBS Radio consent decree under the click.
| Payola guidelines here |
Talkers juggle top news stories
Looking back to the week of 4/1-6/07, the Project for Excellence in Journalism identified Iran (13%), the 2008 campaign (10%) and Iraq policy (9%) as the biggest three stories. Talkers, as usual, agreed, and as usual, started from that point and upped the ante. However, they juggled the order, placing Iraq first (19%), Iran second (18%) and the campaign third (16%). There were two 5% news stories, Pelosi in the Mideast and global warming. If you guessed gabmeisters focused on the environment, you are not smarter than a fifth grader. They doubled down on Pelosi for 10% and skimped on warming at 3%. Talkers were still on the US attorney firings, giving the ongoing tale a 2% rating, even though it dropped off the news top ten list.
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 NAB continues to fuel
opposition to XM/Sirius
They're getting ready for the fourth hearing on the proposed merger of XM/Sirius on Capitol Hill next week, and in advance of that, the National Association of Broadcasters is providing information on the topic. Two experts load their shotguns and give the merger the skeet treatment. Former FTC chair James C. Miller III fired off a letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) with his thoughts on the matter. "This is a two-down-to-one merger," he flatly asserted. "There are no other providers in the market." He said that the two traditional defenses of such a move is either "failing firm" - but Sirius's Mel Karmazin states neither company is failing - or that new entrants will compete if the surviving merged entity abuses its monopoly - but in this case entry is too expensive to be feasible. He said the argument that XM/Sirius are but a small part of a large audio entertainment universe has some justification, but in the end, "It is common sense that to many consumers the alternatives are not an adequate substitute..." Fordham University's Philip M. Napoli wrote a paper, "Market Definition in Satellite Radio: Why the Sirius/XM Merger Would Result in Anti-Competitive Conditions." He argues that the merger would be bad for programmers, because there would suddenly only be "one buyer for many forms of national audio programming." As for listeners, he said the only truly competitive services are mobile, rather than local, and that few if any other audio services substitute for XM or Sirius. Finally, advertisers using the services will find that pricing competition between the two has evaporated.
RBR observation: As Ace Ventura would say, "Alrighty, then." The fact that Democrats are in charge on the Hill indicates a tilt against media mergers, particularly after they entrenched with significant Republican support against the FCC's 6/2/03 ownership dereg attempt. Against that backdrop, the hopes for XM and Sirius to get this merger past Washington hinge on the definition of the market. We're sure they'll find their own experts to counter people like Miller and Napoli, but we suspect they'll have a hard time answering their conclusions AND overcome all the other hurdles in their path.
 Murr retires from Regent
Regent Communications announced the retirement of Fred Murr as Senior Vice President of Operations due to personal health reasons. "Fred has been at Regent since we first opened the doors in 1997. He was also by my side during the development of two other successful radio companies. Fred's extensive radio experience was instrumental in building Regent into a premiere mid-small market radio station group. Fred and his family will be in our prayers. We are all very grateful for the unselfish contribution Fred made to Regent and the radio industry" said President and CEO Bill Stakelin and also announced that the annual Regent award in recognition of outstanding performance given to the Regent "Market of the Year" will be named "The Fred Murr Award" in Fred's honor. "It has been a privilege to work closely with Bill Stakelin and the radio professionals at Regent. While I will certainly not miss selling spots, interpreting ratings, or analyzing financial statements, I will greatly miss working with the wonderful people in the radio industry and especially the members of my Regent family," said Murr.
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Ad Business Report TM
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Supermarket chain drops Imus items
The Imus firings on CBS Radio and MSNBC aren't all that are going to hurt The I-man in the pocketbook. The Massachusetts Republican reports Big Y Foods is pulling Imus Ranch Foods products from its supermarket shelves in the wake of his remarks. Claire D'Amour-Daley, vice president of corporate relations, told the paper last week that all 56 Big Y supermarkets have removed or are in the process of removing Imus Ranch salad dressing, the only Imus Ranch Foods product Big Y still carries. The company recently stopped carrying Imus salsa and coffee because they weren't selling, she said. "We have discontinued his salad dressing, based on recent issues, just because I think it's been offensive to our customers, and it's the right thing to do now," she told the paper. Imus Ranch Foods includes chips, salsas, coffee, salad dressings and cleaning products.
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| NAB Daytime Planner |
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The following will be attending the NAB.
Call or email to make your
appointment in advance.
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BANKERS
Jacob J. Barker; Barker Capital www.barkercap.com Bellagio Hotel
(212) 332-4312 [email protected]
Peter H. Ottmar; Dover Capital Partners, LLC; office 401/723-1063 x103;
cell 401/639-4958; Bellagio Hotel; [email protected]
Brian Eick/Dave Meier/John Weller; Gladstone Capital; Bellagio Hotel;
Brian cell 847-612-3002, Dave cell 847-650-1735, John cell 509-496-3254; [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
BROKERS
Todd Fowler/David Reeder; American Media Services; Bellagio Hotel; 843-972-2200; [email protected], [email protected]
Brian Cobb/ Denis LeClair /Dan Graves/Jack Higgins; Cobb Corp; Bellagio Hotel; 212-812-5020; [email protected]
Andy McClure/Erick Steinberg, The Exline Company, Bellagio Hotel, office 415-479-3484, cell 415-497-3855, [email protected]. [email protected]
Frank Boyle; Frank Boyle & Co.;
Imperial Palace; 203-969-2020; cell 203-249-7818; [email protected]
John L. Pierce/ Jamie Rasnick; John Pierce & Company LLC; office 859-647-0101, John cell 859-512-3015; Jamie cell 513-252-1186, Bellagio Hotel; [email protected]; [email protected]
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Gordon Rice; Gordon Rice Associates;
843-884-3590; Bellagio Hotel; [email protected]
Dick Kozacko/George Kimble;
Kozacko Media Services; office 607-733-7138; cell 607-738-1219; Bellagio Hotel; [email protected], [email protected]
Media Services Group; Bellagio Hotel; www.mediaservicesgroup.com
Elliot Evers/Greg Widroe/Brian Pryor/Patricia Carberry-Harris;
Media Venture Partners;
415-391-4877; Bellagio Hotel;
pcarberryharris@
mediaventurepartners.com
Brian Byrnes; Paramount Media
Advisors, Inc.; 312-396-4043;
cell 312-933-7559; Bellagio Hotel; bbyrnes@[email protected]
Glenn Serafin; Serafin Bros., Inc.;
office 813-885-6060; cell 813-494-6875; Aladdin Hotel; [email protected]
Bill Schutz; Schutz & Company; Bellagio Hotel; 757-258-8740, cell 757-880-9251; [email protected]
Larry C. Wood; Wood & Company, Inc.; Alexis Park Hotel; Office: 513-528-7373; Cell: 513-225-5100; [email protected]
CONSULTING ENGINEERS
Gary Cavell, Richard Mertz, Michael Rhodes, Dan Ryson; Cavell, Mertz & Associates, Inc.; Main Office 703-392-9090; [email protected] |
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| Washington Media Business Report TM |
Tampa details detailed
 The FCC has spooned out a bit more information on its upcoming public forum on media ownership scheduled to convene in Tampa on 4/30/07. The event will run from 4PM to 11PM and will be held at Louise Lykes Ferguson Hall in the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. The late afternoon-to-late night format should quell critics who pointed out that the session in Harrisburg, which was held during the day, may have held down attendance since some would not be able to escape employment obligations. No particular theme was announced other than that the "purpose of the hearing is to fully involve the public in the process of the 2006 Quadrennial Broadcast Media Ownership Review..."
RBR observation: Interesting that their still labeling this a 2006 effort, when it is basically a do-over of a 2003 effort that itself actually began in 2002. This is the fourth of six such meetings (following Los Angeles, Nashville and Harrisburg). With two to go and two more which are to be held on the topic of localism, it is almost a certainty that the Review will spill into 2008.
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| Media Markets & Money TM |
EMF spins another
Educational Media Foundation is getting some payback from its 2.5M deal with American Family Association filed with the FCC back in December. In that transaction, it picked up some 18 FM CPs. It has begun to spin a few of them off, and that's what's happening with KBEX-FM CP Brenham TX, in the Bryan-College Station area. The DIY project is going to KSBJ Educational Foundation for 100K cash. The foundation already has two noncom FMs in the Houston area, KSBJ-FM Humble TX and KZBJ-FM Bay City TX. The KBEX CP calls for a Class A on 89.7 MHz wiht 250 watts @ 404'.
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| Entertainment Media Business Report TM |
KCAA to air Don Imus reruns
A San Bernardino radio station intends to run the "Best of Imus" this week in defiance of Don Imus' firing, reported The AP. Fred Lundgren, chairman of KCAA-AM said the station would start the series today with the program that wound up getting Imus cashiered. "I'm not going to let networks dictate to me who I run on my station," Lundgren told The AP. The station, which has broadcast the morning show since 2003, also plans to air mostly supportive listener mail and e-mail reacting to the controversy. The Imus material also will be available on the station's Web site at www.kcaaradio.com today. Lundgren said the motive for broadcasting the Imus reruns is in part financial. "I hate to say it, but without Imus, we're pretty much toast," said Lundgren, adding: "What Imus did was deplorable, inexcusable, but it shouldn't end the career of a man who has done so much good. This is an overreaction beyond anything I've ever seen in radio."
RBR observation: Maybe Imus will self-syndicate....he's got plenty of money...he's surely getting calls to move over to other syndicators. After this blows over, we may see him resurface.
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| Internet Media Business Report TM |
 Lawmakers may slow down
racy websites
If we've learned nothing else over the past few years, protecting children and fighting indecency is a bipartisan effort. Upping the punishment ante for broadcasters who cross the boundary was wildly popular on Capitol Hill, and now the Internet is in the crosshairs. Two members of the new majority party, Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Max Baucus (D-MT) are in the early stages of drafting legislation which would go a long way to keeping children away from websites with questionable featured material. According the CNET News.com, the duo is looking at a new requirement for such websites to embed a tag such as "L18." The effect of that would be to enable the website to be easily blocked by parents, thus preventing their children from happening upon it during a casual web-surfing expedition. "Parents and teachers shouldn't worry about their kids when they're on the computer at home or in the classroom," said Baucus. "This bill will help keep kids safe and give parents peace of mind."
RBR observation: We would expect widespread bipartisan support for something along these lines, and in the case of many sites that make no bones about their pornographic intent, there will be little argument from the regulated. But the rub, just as with broadcast indecency, will be deciding where the line is in the inevitable gray area. Just as moviemakers want to avoid a rating that dampens attendance by excluding 17-year-olds, many websites will wish to be considered spicy rather than racy and avoid losing youthful views. So once again we face a journey into subjective definitions of taste and First Amendment territory. The issue may look easy at first glance, but it is guaranteed to be anything but.
Bonneville to use Ando Media for online measurement
Ando Media and Bonneville International announced an agreement whereby Bonneville will utilize Webcast Metrics, an audience measurement system for Internet radio across all of its radio stations and streams. Through the use of Ando Media's Webcast Metrics Audience Measurement Platform, Bonneville will be able to track the growth in its Internet radio audience and utilize audience information for planning ad campaigns.
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| Ratings & Research |
 Only one in 10 stations programmed by women
The Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio (MIW) group has released their Program Director Gender Analysis Summary for 2006. It shows that women have made essentially no progress in this job category and in fact, can't be found as PDs in many radio station or groups markets across the country. "It stands to reason that if we as an industry more accurately reflect the communities to which we are licensed, we are likely to become more relevant and to thrive," commented Joan Gerberding, newly appointed President of LocalFocus in New York City and longtime spokesperson for the MIW group. "The PD pool is just not reflective of the marketplace." Among the 120 groups that own 12 or more stations, women program just 10.2% of all stations compared with 9.7% in 2002. As of late 2006, 317 of the 3114 PDs were women, and they programmed only 9.4% of the 4952 stations owned by these groups. More than a third (44) of the 120 groups collectively owning 795 stations list no women PDs.
Clear Channel, with 1173 stations, ranks slightly above average with 10.8% women PDs, compared to 9.3% in 2002. The next five largest groups, with a total of 948 stations, show only 8.3% women PDs-CBS is above average with 12.7%; the remaining four groups are significantly below average: Cumulus with 8.5%, Entercom with 6.5%, Salem with 6.1% and Citadel with 5.4%. The nine groups with 50-99 stations (628 stations total) have an higher than average percentage: 11.2% women PDs-with Radio One at 20% and Nassau Broadcasting at 19.2% as standouts. Regent brings up the rear (and down the average) with only 3.8% (only 2 of its 53 PDs are women). The 33 groups owning 20-29 stations (770 total) have the highest overall average of women PDs: 13.5%. The 55 groups with 12-19 stations (791 total stations) average 9.3% women PDs. However, seventeen groups owning 30-49 stations (642 stations total), average only 8.4% women PDs; four of these groups (totaling 129 stations), list no women PDs: American General, Backyard Broadcasting, Qantum and Triad. Overall, among these groups that own 12 or more stations, women programmed 9.4% of 4890 stations that listed a PD in 2006, compared to 10.6% of all 10,521 stations, and 9.7% of the 2236 stations in the top markets.
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| Engineering Business Report TM |
VCI offers a "Bundled Service Package" with Pathfire
VCI Solutions, supplier of media revenue solutions for the broadcast and cable industry, announced today that they will offer a "Bundled Service Package" that includes their autoXe Automation System and Pathfire's Content Delivery System. This offer includes hardware, software, on-site installation and training. VCI's automation software system, autoXe, fully manages and monitors a completely automated process from Pathfire's Content Delivery System. The complete transition between the two systems, ingest to playout, is seamless; eliminating human error and enabling an automated, hands-free workflow. VCI will highlight Pathfire in their NAB Booth SU11620 as part of their Point-of-Sale to Point-of-Air presentation.
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| Monday Morning Makers & Shakers |
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Transactions: 2/26/07-3/2/07
Two relatively large television transactions and a small market radio group sale in Missouri brought some fresh air into the trading environment as February segued into March. The CBS-to-Cerberus agreement accounted for most of the value with 185M on the sticker, but helping out was Emmis, finally finding a buyer for its Hawaii TVs, and Dean Goodman, who expanded his new group to the tune of 15 stations.
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Total
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Total Deals
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9
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AMs
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12
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FMs
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11
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TVs
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8
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| Value |
266.466M
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| Complete Charts |
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Radio Transactions of the Week
Goodman makes good on growth promise
| More... |
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TV Transactions of the Week
CBS spinners go to investment group
| More... |
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| Transactions |
5.885M WFXI-TV & WYDO-TV Greenville-New Bern-Washington NC (New Bern, Greenville NC) from Piedmont Television of Eastern Carolina Licensee LLC, a subsidiary of Piedmont Television Holdings LLC (Paul Brissette) to Esteem Broadcasting of North Carolina LLC, a subsidiary of Esteem Broadcasting LLC (David Bailey). Cash. WYDO is a satellite of WFXI. Buyer is entering into an SSA/JSA/purchase option with Bonten Media Group LLC, which will pay 29,275 for the option and owns in-market WCTI-TV. WFXI-TV is a Fox affiliate on Channel 8, satellite WYDO-TV is a Fox affiliate on Channel 14, and WCTI-TV is an ABC affiliate on Channel 12. [File date 3/28/07.]
3.8M WDRJ-AM Detroit MI (Inkster MI) from Davidson Media Station WMKM Licensee LLC, a subsidiary of Davidson Media Group LLC (Peter Davidson) to Communicom Corporation of Michigan LP, a subsidiary of Communicom Broadcasting LLC (Richard Kylberg Jr.). 26OK escrow, balance in cash at closing. [File date 3/26/07.]
2.56M WAKX-FM Providence RI (Narragansett Pier RI) from Davidson Media Station WAKX Licensee LLC, a subsidiary of Davidson Media Group LLC (Peter Davidson) to Rhode Island Public Radio (Eugene B. Mihaly). 256K escrow, balance in cash at closing. Combo with WRNI-AM. Buyer is noncommercial. [File date 3/26/07.]
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| Stock Talk |
Inflation news boosts stocks
Friday's trading saw stocks rise as the Labor Department reported a small 1% rise in producer prices for March. In fact, if you strip out the volatile energy and food components, wholesale inflation was flat. The Dow Industrials rose 59 points, or 0.5%, to 12,612.
Radio stocks were higher. The Radio Index gained 0.574, to 0.4%, to 161.714. Salem was the leader, up 5.4%. Radio One saw its Class A rise 1.4% and Class D 1.1%.
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| Radio Stocks |
Here's how stocks fared on Friday
| Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
Company |
Symbol |
Close |
Change |
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Arbitron
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ARB
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48.42
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-0.07
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Hearst-Argyle
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HTV
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27.72
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+0.27
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Beasley
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BBGI
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9.02
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-0.11
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Journal Comm.
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JRN
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13.01
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-0.06
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| CBS CI. B |
CBS |
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31.45
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+0.04
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Lincoln Natl.
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LNC
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67.85
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+0.15
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| CBS CI. A |
CBSa |
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31.48
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+0.03
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Radio One, Cl. A
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ROIA
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7.22
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+0.10
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| Citadel |
CDL |
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9.66 |
+0.01 |
Radio One, Cl. D
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ROIAK
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7.22
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+0.08
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Clear Channel
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CCU
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36.24
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+0.19
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Regent
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RGCI
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3.45
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+0.03
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Cox Radio
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CXR
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14.77
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-0.02
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Saga Commun.
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SGA
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10.24
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-0.01
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Cumulus
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CMLS
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9.97
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-0.15
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Salem Comm.
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SALM
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13.20
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+0.67
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Disney
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DIS
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34.72
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+0.05
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Sirius Sat. Radio
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SIRI
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3.08
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unch
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Emmis
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EMMS
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9.48
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+0.03
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Spanish Bcg.
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SBSA
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3.88
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+0.08
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| Entercom |
ETM
|
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28.32
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-0.06
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SWMX
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SMWX
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0.70
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-0.01
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Entravision
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EVC
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10.05
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+0.05
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Westwood One
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WON
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6.76
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-0.02
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Fisher
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FSCI
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49.45
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+0.01
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XM Sat. Radio
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XMSR
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12.23
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+0.09
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Bounceback
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 We want to
hear from you.
This is your column, so send your comments and
a photo to [email protected]
On NBC firing Imus...
 Sad day for radio. The company that spent the first 50 years of its existence wanting the public to think that it practically invented radio is now cutting its last real tie to the medium. Sad day for free speech, too. Who will be the next person driven into obscurity because something said in jest was reinterpreted to be a manifesto of their core beliefs? And when will we see the language, and worse, that Imus was fired for be banned from ALL airwaves if it is so abusive?
Cris Allen
Lancaster OH
More on Imus...
Though, I am NOT in anyway supporting the comments made by Don Imus toward the women's basketball team at Rutgers University; we are overlooking the fact that when Mr. Howard Stern ruled the broadcast airwaves with his banter and oversensitivity toward women, nothing was really done. Mr. Stern, I believe, holds the record for broadcast indecency fines for his employer (or himself) and yet, we are jumping all over Mr. Imus' comments with a "politically correct" response and not evaluating the broader picture. Yes, I would have suspended him with pay for two weeks (or longer) for the embarrassment that his comments have caused. But, Mr. Imus has repeatedly (and sincerely) has apologized to the team, the African-American community, the national listeners/viewers of his syndicated show and the listeners of the Rev. Al Sharpton show. What Mr. Imus did was unfortunate and stupid; but, should we bury a man that has done something "insensitive" that happened to offend one segment of our overall community. I don't think so. I don't get to view or listen to Mr. Imus' show on a regular basis; but, compared to listening or viewing a Howard Stern show. I would take Don Imus & Imus in the Morning ANYDAY.
Sam Jordan
Broadcasting Executive from Pennsylvania
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Below the Fold
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Ad Business Report
Supermarket chain
Drops Imus items, Shame since proceeds goes to the kids ranch for cancer...
Media Markets & Money
EMF spins another
Getting some payback from its 2.5M deal...
Entertainment Media
Business Report
KCAA to air Don Imus reruns
Did anyone take into consideration the stations that depend on the Imus program for ratings & revenue...
Ratings & Research
Only one in 10 stations
Programmed by women...
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Stations for Sale
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Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
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Contact
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Radio Media Moves
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 Upped in Philly
Greater Media has promoted Paul Blake to Vice President of Sales for Greater Media Philadelphia. He had been Director of Sales for the five-station cluster since January 2006.
Katz taps Robert Lyons
Robert Lyons has been named VP/Director of Technology for Katz Media Group, responsible for overseeing the technology direction for new products and for the enhancement of the company's existing systems.
Boehme, Brewer
upped at Katz
 Gerry Boehme has been named EVP/Strategic Planning & Information Technology (IT) Services for Katz Media Group, responsible for the strategic direction, planning and implementation of the company's new business and e-business ventures, aligning information and technology services to support the company's operations. Boehme was most recently SVP/Strategic Planning for the Katz Media Group in New York. Joe Brewer has been named SVP/IT Services for Katz, responsible for the day-to-day operation of the entire IT department. He joined Katz Media Group in 1996 and was, most recently, its VP/Director Customer Support.
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More News Headlines
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Double duty in NYC
Beginning today, "Mike & The Mad Dog" are doing double duty at WFAN-AM New York. They are filling the former Imus timeslot 6-10 am and then doing their regular shift 2-6:30 pm until the station decides on a permanent line-up.
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TVBR - TV News
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Sinclair inks retrans pact with Charter
Cable MSO Charter Communications has come to an agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group to carry 28 stations in 19 markets for a three year term, and affecting 1.9M subscribers. Terms were not disclosed. The deal includes three stations in Nashville TN; two stations each in Asheville NC-Anderson SC, Birmingham AL, Cape Girardeau MO-Paducah KY, Columbus OH, Milwaukee WI, Raleigh NC & Springfield-Champaign IL; and single stations in Cedar Rapids IA, Dayton OH, Flint MI, Greensboro-High Point-Winston Salem NC, Madison WI, Minneapolis, Norfolk VA, Richmond VA, St. Louis MO & Tallahassee FL.
TVBR observation: We hear less and less about threats, ultimatums, rabbit-ear distributions and temporary extensions for further negotiation. Are broadcast and cable settling into an acknowledgement of a new retransmission reality?
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RBR Radar 2007
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Radio News you won't read any where else. RBR--First, Accurate, and Independently Owned.
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The other shoe falls for Imus
As everyone knows by now Don Imus will not be on the air at CBS as they too canceled the "Imus In the Morning" show permanently.
RBR observation: In the end, there may have been no choice - either fire Imus because of the protests or shut down the show because advertisers won't touch it. Unlike conservative talk hosts whose names have also been bandied around in the media lately for alleged racially insensitive remarks, Imus in the Morning had mostly mainstream advertisers. That's because Imus wasn't a conservative talk host, or even a conservative. His show was a one-of-a-kind mix of entertainment, politics, popular culture, sports and education. That's why it attracted big names from across the political spectrum - and big advertisers. Having lost 100 million in billings from Howard Stern a little over a year ago, CBS Radio will now have to deal with losing another 15 million plus in billings from the end of Imus In the Morning. Joel Hollander may not miss his job so much as he exits today.
04/13/07 RBR #73
Time for "jump change" in TV
GroupM CEO Irwin Gotlieb told TVB Management Conference attendees in New York yesterday that events are moving so fast that gradual change, which he called "step change," won't do, the TV industry has to institute "jump change" to keep up. "The mindset we're trying to impose on ourselves is to stop looking at 'new' versus 'traditional' media. Digital delivery will allow addressability, census-level measurement, etcetera," Gotlieb said. Saying TV needs to identify problems and eliminate negatives before it looses its position as the best marketing vehicle there is, Gotlieb complained that "we have some of the worst measurement in the business - two thirds is still diaries. We are competing with digital media."
04/13/07 TVBR #73
NBC Capus Caved In
Rather that just suspending the "Imus In the Morning" program for two weeks as previously planned, MSNBC has cancelled the show completely.
RBR observation: NBC - Imus helped build MSNBC out of loyalty to Jack Welch and Bob Wright going back to his days at NBC radio WNBC. But Welch and Wright are gone and with it went a lot of vision and guts. - Now you see what we have running the media today - Flip Floppers - In this case it was Steve Capus, NBC News President , appearing on MSNBC's Hardball, 4/11/06, for 20 minutes and RBR watched as he explained why he terminated Imus. Capus said it was NOT because of advertisers who were canceling on MSNBC. In fact, Capus stated that he was Not Fully Aware of the dollars involved until recently. RBR says Bull to that statement - as anyone in the media knows the ad dollars do a lot of talking.
Plus, you can not tell us at RBR that the President of NBC News did not know the ad dollars to the pennies that were at issue of being lost. Next, Capus admitted what seemed to be the True Reason for the firing of Imus - Not being able to take the Heat. Capus said the attention from all media was tremendous. It wasn't just Imus all over the 24/7 news world, but Imus/MSNBC/NBC News appearing together in report after report. NBC became the news and management could not take the heat. Capus Caved In.
04/12/07 RBR #72
Clock ticking for CCU bidders
The vote on a 26.7 billion buyout of Clear Channel is scheduled for this Thursday, 4/19 - and almost certain defeat. That is, unless Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital up the ante.
RBR observation: We noticed the other day that Clear Channel had made a filing with the SEC, changing its bylaws so that the company is no longer required to have its annual shareholders meeting in April. That would clear the way for a postponement of the April 19th vote on the Lee/Bain buyout, without the company having to go ahead with a shareholders meeting (a pointless exercise if it is going to be sold, lock, stock and barrel). At this point, the only reason we could see for a second postponement would be to issue new proxy solicitations for a higher bid. Will it come? The magic number appears to be 40 bucks a share to get over that two-thirds hurdle. It looks like that additional 2.40 per share is going to be tough for Lee/Bain to justify.
04/12/07 RBR #72
MSNBC dumps Imus
Rather that just suspending the "Imus In the Morning" program for two weeks as previously planned, MSNBC has cancelled the show completely.
04/12/07 RBR #72
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New listing
Web Content Director
RBR/TVBR is looking for an aggressive and progressive Media Website Director. Will be working side by side with all aspects of our editorial, sales, marketing and production staff. RBR/TVBR is moving forward with a Pro-Active Strategy see what is required as we begin our 25th year in the media business. See Radio Careers
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