Sirius announces install deal with Toyota
Sirius announced that Toyota will offer Sirius, as both a post production and dealer installed option, in nine models beginning in February. Models include: Camry, Solara (including Solara Convertible), Land Cruiser, Lexus LS 430, Lexus ES 330, Lexus LX 470, Scion xA, Scion xB and Scion tC. Toyota now joins automotive partners including Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Infiniti, Jeep*, Lincoln-Mercury, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Nissan, Porsche and Volkswagen. The MSRP will be $299, not including installation labor costs for dealer installed vehicles. Toyota, Lexus and Scion will also use the new Sirius Interior Glass Mounted Antenna on nearly all vehicles.
XM signs data services agreement with Toyota
XM Satellite Radio announced that Toyota has selected XM as its supplier for satellite delivered data services for Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles. In addition, Toyota will offer XM radios as a factory-installed option in Toyota and Lexus vehicles. The first vehicles factory-installed with XM radios will be available in 2006. Toyota will expand the factory-installed availability of XM's satellite radio and data services to additional
Toyota and Lexus models in the future. Plus, Toyota will expand the number of models offering XM as a dealer-installed option in 2005.
Today, as a part of the Genuine Toyota Accessories program, XM is available as a dealer-installed option on the following 10 models: Toyota Camry, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Solara Convertible, Toyota Solara Coupe, Lexus ES 330, Lexus LS 430, Lexus LX 470, Scion tC, Scion xA and Scion xB. In 2005, Toyota will expand the number of models offering XM as a dealer-installed option, including the Toyota Avalon and Lexus GS 330.
NRB convention to highlight technology demos
New to the National Religious Broadcasters 2005 convention is the "NRB TECH LAB," specifically designed to give attendees a unique experience with live demonstrations of the latest broadcast technologies. The must-see event is host to the broadcast industry's top tier manufacturers, including: Apple, Avid, Grass Valley, Hitachi, Panasonic, Pinnacle, Sony and many others.
The NRB TECH LAB occurs over a four-day period, Feb. 12 -15. The demos include: 1) video editing suites, 2) cameras and switchers, and 3) education sessions on various high tech products. Some examples of the demonstrations include: video editing by Mackie Consoles and DigiDesign Audio; a showing of Hitachi's robotic camera systems; a discussion entitled What Can Fiber Do For You?; Archiving Solutions- a discussion helping to meet FCC requirements; Streaming Media by Digital Rapids; Sony's XDCam tapeless format; and more.
NRB 2005 takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA, Feb. 11 -16. Details at www.nrb.org/conv.
Radio markets: The BIA connection
Broadcast Investment Analyst's MEDIA Access Pro database (not Market Pro, as RBR inadvertently called it the other day) is the new source authority for anyone interested in preparing a market concentration report for the FCC in support of a radio station transaction. Emphasize the word "source." It is a source, but as Poe's raven might say, it is "...only that and nothing more." BIA, in short, does not make up the rules - - the FCC does that. And BIA does not define the markets - - that is done by Arbitron in the course of conducting Arbitron business.
To find the station list for a given market as ruled upon by the FCC, defined by Arbitron and reported by BIA, you must use MEDIA Access Pro's Saved Searches function, then the "FCC Geographic Market Stations" option - - it will quickly produce the "FCC Geographic Market Definition" for whatever market you select, including critical information for each station such as frequency, format, home market, the date the station became part of the market, the owner, the city and state of license and the county of license.
There are basically two ways to make it onto the list, according to Haidee Calore of BIA's VP/Media Information Group. If your station is located in a county defined by Arbitron as part of the Metro Survey Area, you're in, whether your station is commercial or noncommercial, rated or not rated. The second way is to be listed above the line in a market other than the one to which your city of license is attributed by Arbitron. This is completely in line with the new FCC definition.
This specialized BIA sort does indeed list WHFS-FM Annapolis MD as being part of both the Washington and Baltimore markets - - this corrects our earlier report, for which we looked only at the quick search version of Baltimore (12/6/04 RBR #236). It's in Baltimore because that is its geographical home by virtue of its Anne Arundel County location, and it's listed in Washington because that's where it is listed above the line by Arbitron.
In short, as far as station transactions, market definitions and station market attribution are concerned, BIA is neither a definer nor an arbitrator. It is a reporter. It is the owner of a comprehensive station database which is useful to the FCC since it has been carefully tied to both Arbitron and to the counties of the United States.
More to come.
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