Radio-Info.com: Radio's Online Community

about 9 hours ago
17 layoffs, as Stephen Mindich sells Boston's WFNX (101.7) to Clear Channel

Mindich met with the alternative station's staff this morning, and elaborates in a release on the co-owned Boston Phoenix that operating a standalone in the Boston market has been difficult. Part of his statement: "Despite its celebrated history, its cutting edge programming, its tradition of breaking new music, its ardent fans among listeners and advertisers, for some time it has been difficult to sustain the station — especially since the start of the Great Recession." Mindich previously sold off his radio assets north of Boston, and now strikes a deal to sell his last station to Clear Channel. CC will make seminal alt-rocker WFNX, Lynn its third FM in the market. Clear Channel owns top 40 "Kiss 108" WXKS-FM, rhythmic "Jam'n 94.5" WJMN, plus AMs "Talk 1200" WXKS and Spanish "Mia 1430" WKOX. Read the full statement from Stephen Mindich here.

The Boston Business Journal hears that midday personality Julie Kramer and newsman Henry Santoro are among the immediate casualties. Out of a total staff of 21, 17 are gone. Among the survivors for now is program director Paul Driscoll. The Boston Board of Radio-Info.com started the topic just after 9:30 this morning, and there's both mourning and speculation about the future of WFNX, here.
about 11 hours ago
Pandora qualifies AQH & cume, via Triton Digital

Big news for Pandora, which has been touting its own audience measurement statistics for some time, to the chagrin of terrestrial radio broadcasters: The online radio service will align with Triton Digital to provide audience size and local & national reach via Triton’s Webcast Metrics audience measurement platforms. The data will make it easier for radio buyers to quantify the size and scale of Pandora’s wares from a third-party source.

Already, Triton’s MRC-accredited Webcast Metrics “Internet Audio Top 20 Ranker” reveals that in March 2012, Pandora commandeered 71% of internet radio listening among the top 20 U.S. stations and networks—which Triton can translate into AQH and cume. And here they are: For March, among adults 18-49, Pandora has a weekly national cume of 23,874,175, equivalent to a 17.8 rating. The service boasts that compared to traditional radio networks in Arbitron's March 2012 RADAR 112 report, Pandora is instantly the largest adult 18-49 radio network in the nation.

Pandora Chief Revenue Officer John Trimble says, "The new Triton reports are a great step forward for the radio industry and satisfy the growing demand for an apples-to-apples, third-party measurement solution for terrestrial and internet radio. These findings offer audience details that have never been available before.”

Mike Agovino, Co-Founder & COO of Triton Digital, says the data provides agencies and marketers with an accurate, consistent view of the audio landscape “without relying on estimates, panels or extrapolations. Our solution measures every listener and provides an exact count, expressed in familiar terms.”
about 9 hours ago
SBS ups Albert Rodriguez to Chief Operating Officer

Spanish Broadcasting System appoints Albert Rodriguez as Chief Operating Officer, responsible for the company’s day-to-day operations. He was previously Chief Revenue Officer and will continue to oversee revenue and profit performance for SBS’ consolidated operations, including radio, television, interactive and entertainment. In his total of 13 years with SBS, Rodriguez has also served as GM of the Miami TV market; Chief Revenue Officer of TV; and GSM for Miami radio. Raúl Alarcón, SBS Chairman/President/CEO of the Board of Directors, said, “Albert’s track record and expertise make him the ideal executive to lead SBS’s future growth (with) over 22 years of relevant industry experience.”

The pressure is on for Rodriguez in his continuing role as Chief Revenue Officer, after Tuesday’s 40% stock drop, following its first-quarter 2012 report. Despite an uptick in radio revenue, Wall Street reacted to negative comments from management about national business, pacing for second quarter and lingering concerns about SBS' venture into television.
about 10 hours ago
Emmis is back in compliance with NASDAQ exchange rules

The "EMMS" stock is now trading above $1 a share, which solves the problem. Jeff Smulyan’s late-April announcements about the LMA of New York’s 98.7 to Disney/ESPN and the $10 million in proceeds from 98.7’s “Kiss” intellectual property boosted the stock price. On April 27 it rose past the $1-per share mark and on May 2 it reached $1.63. Problem solved, as far as the NASDAQ is concerned. Emmis delivered a presentation to a NASDAQ hearing panel and on Tuesday was informed of its decision – the stock can continue to trade on the exchange and the matter is closed. Follow Emmis stock here.
about 11 hours ago
Ryan Seacrest makes do with 9,200SF L.A. estate

Ryan Seacrest has devised another deal-making strategy: this time for his own cushy pad. The talking head has paid $37 million to move into an estate currently owned by Ellen DeGeneres. For the guy who has everything, how about a 2.87-acre compound with 9,200 square feet in the main house plus three guest houses? The Beverly Hills estate was assembled by Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi out of four different real estate parcels, says the Wall Street Journal. Last fall it was listed for sale at $49 million and the Journal says the couple was “quietly shopping it for $60 million.” Now they’ll sell for $37 million. Seacrest is currently making do with an L.A. home he bought from Kevin Costner in 2006. It’s now on the market for $12 million. With his reported annual salary of $45+ million a year, Seacrest's new $37M digs are the equivalent of the average Joe buying a new Honda.