by Tom Taylor | tom@in3media.com | 609.883.3321
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
Radio needs a “shout-out” or “lifeline”…
 Where’s the support that local radio needs?
A T-R-I reader says “with the recession in advertising, this is the time the RAB and consultants and other broadcaster resources really need to be out there, offering how-to webinars and extra opportunities” to learn about clients’ businesses and to do sales training. That jibes with the question GA-Carolina Radiocasting CEO Art Sutton asks about last week’s NAB Radio Show – “Were there any panels or sessions about ‘how to sell advertising’ or ‘how to be more community-involved’? I know we have to deal with digital and that’s extremely important. But are we not racing down the same road as newspapers? All emphasis and effort is being placed on digital when in fact the real money is still made on analog radio.” So I’ll raise the question – are local stations, particularly ones who don’t belong to Big Groups Whose Names Begin with a C, getting all the support they need to train their green salespeople and to help sellers get through their prospect's front door? As the phrase goes, “Now, more than ever…”
 Julius Genachowski’s short prepared speech to NABOB (National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters) covered a lot of ground – broadband, the lamentable state of minority radio and TV ownership, lack of good data on the subject – in speedy fashion. But the People Meter stuff is the most immediately interesting. The Chairman acknowledges that the agency’s “authority over the core issue is somewhat limited” – an understatement – but he’s clearly going to use the current Notice of Inquiry to raise the temperature on Arbitron. But then comes a Let’s-reason-together moment – “I will be asking the Media Bureau to pull together a roundtable with different stakeholders in the near future, to try to reach greater understanding and perhaps resolution” of the PPM controversy. Those stakeholders would certainly include the African-American and Hispanic broadcasters who belong to the PPM Coalition, as well as George Ivie and the Media Rating Council. The MRC hasn’t accredited any People Meter markets since Riverside-San Bernardino, last year. While Arbitron has been running up heavy legal and copy-machine bills, responding to requests from four different state attorneys general and other bodies upset with the implementation of the meter.
 FCC Republican Commissioner Rob McDowell asks – Where’s the new minority tax certificate?
He tells last Thursday’s NABOB gathering in D.C. “we all need to ask why such legislation has not yet reached the President’s desk.” He says “Tax incentives are not a cure-all”, but encouraging companies to sell stations to the women, minorities and small businesses who are under-represented seems like a win-win. But only Congress can make it happen. Speaking of diversity - Keep your eye out on what McDowell calls a “full file review” of some kinds of applications. It’s modeled on university applications criteria and it avoids the race-based standards so disliked by the Supreme Court and instead awards points for “experiences in overcoming disadvantages.” Read McDowell’s prepared remarks.
Former Pittsburgh TV owner Eddie Edwards vows to restore black radio to the Steel City.
He tells the New Pittsburgh Courier paper "Don't be surprised if I announce that I have negotiated a deal to buy a property and put a black radio station back on the air." That would fill a gaping hole left when St. Joseph Missions acquired WAMO-AM/FM and WPGR. It plans to take all three to lay-Catholic programming, leaving Pittsburgh without a full-time station targeted at African-Americans. Edwards says he could be holding a press conference about a deal as soon as next week. The onetime owner of Channel 22/WPTT says "I was doing fine in retirement" until the Davenport family sold the WAMO cluster back in May. Then "with no one doing anything to replace it, I got even more upset. It's a 'Black out', [because] there's no news and information about and for the community." Pittsburgh broker Ray Rosenblum spotted the New Pittsburgh Courier story and tells me "Eddie Edwards is a dynamic doer" - not just a talker.
For sale on Craigslist – “AM station…Eastern Mississippi, $60,000.”
“Serious inquiries only” to the poster, who says “all equipment is included” and the rent is $300 a month. We’ve seen plenty of stations for sale on eBay, both AMs and FMs. This is the first one I can recall on the popular bargain-basement venue of Craigslist. The accompanying picture looks to have been taken in the Winter, when the leaves are down around the transmitter shack, satellite dish and single tower. The Memphis Board of Radio-Info.com spotted the station on Craigslist. 
 Air America Media keeps three progressive talkshows on New York flagship WWRL (1600).
The extension of their deal silences the speculation about whether Air America would renew with Access.One’s WWRL. It keeps Rachel Maddow (5-6am), Montel Williams (3-6pm) and Ron Reagan (6-8pm) heard in the New York market, a place where there just aren’t a lot of options. (As earlier Air America management discovered when they lost their first ride, on ICBC’s WLIB at 1190.) WWRL uses mostly progressive programming in other hours, too, such as Stephanie Miller (11am-noon) and Ed Schultz (noon-3pm) via Dial Global. Air America's Senior VP/Programming Bill Hess says keeping his shows available in New York was “a key goal of our conversation with our friends at WWRL."
Another way to slice the latest RADAR sales network results – by cume.
Last week Arbitron released the quarterly RADAR 102, ranked by average audience. Now – you can also see it by cume audience. Ranked that way, Premiere Pearl Network is tops in the buyer-friendly 25-54 demo, with an estimated “audience to commercial” of 16,243,000 and a cume rating of 12.8. While in the “average audience” derby the winner is Dial Global Contemporary, with about 3.9 million average audience and an average rating of 3.1. Arbitron estimates the total 25-54 reach of all the RADAR-subscribing sales networks is 96.1 million 25-54 adults (a gain of 800,000 from RADAR 101), and a whopping 187.7 million persons 12+ (up about a million). Two factors are helping – the growth in total U.S. population, and the integration of cume-friendly PPM results into RADAR. See Monday’s cume-report on network radio here.
If you were at the Philly NAB Radio Show – what did you think?
I’m looking for one-paragraph reviews, please – “What I learned at the NAB”, about the industry, about its place in the media world, the whole enchilada. It would be great if I can use your name and quick identification. The 2009 NAB Radio Show left people with so many impressions and this is such an important moment in the industry’s romance with “digital”, I’d love to get some more viewpoints in T-R-I. Send ’em along to Tom@in3media.com.
 NAB Radio Show review – Dwight Douglas.
“What I learned at the fall Radio Show was simple: something has to be done. NAB, like any other organization during these times, needs a fresh start, a new beginning in a sense. There is clearly a demand and quite a lot of value in the Spring NAB, now traditionally held in Las Vegas. But the fall Radio Show has lost much of its value over the years. Perhaps, they do such a good job in April that few programmers, management and talent feel compelled to attend the second event each year. With the Radio & Records convention gone, one would think that an opportunity has been created. Perhaps the organization needs to step back and take a look at the target audience. Who might that be? If the PD, the Chief Engineer, Talent and Salespeople don’t attend, then who does? Vendors, VPs in for meetings, and the press. How many program directors out of the 2,000+ were able to make the trip? If Washington, D.C. is to be a success, Mr. Gordon Smith will have to figure out how to get 'real radio people' in the mix. If all we have in attendance are the deciders, then where do we find the people who want to learn something? The first thing I would do is change the name. How about ‘Radiofest’ or ‘Radio Jamboree’ or ‘Radio Mindmeld’? Let’s get creative.”
Bob McNeill – “I take umbrage at the calls from ‘visionaries’ pontificating that radio’s ‘old guys’ need to step aside.”
KNTY “Wolf” Sacramento PD Bob McNeill wasn’t in Philly for the NAB, but all the news coverage about one particular subject has him steaming, in this email to T-R-I – “I’m no 20-year-old, but my country station in Sacramento is beating an entrenched CBS competitor in the 18-34 demographic. Is it possible that this old, graying programmer has figured out how to make a radio station appeal to someone 40 years younger than he? Apparently it’s possible. What I’m reading in reports of coming out of the NAB Show would get you sued in the business world for age discrimination. Are we really ‘an industry of old men’? Wow…Is there some research that Larry Rosin can provide that substantiates that a 20-year old is superior to a 50-year old in any way?... Maybe nobody else will, but I’m prepared to challenge his (and others’) assertion. There’s plenty wrong with the radio business right now, but I seriously doubt that dumping everybody over 50 out on the street is the answer.”
 Dan Vallie – “The two most common themes at NAB were signs of recovery and excitement for the digital opportunities.”
Consultant Dan Vallie of Vallie Richards Donovan says “It depends on who you talk to - some say we are searching for answers, others are already putting 'answers' into play. When the subject was the heavy debt loads and cutbacks of the past year, the conversations were often negative. But almost everyone was optimistic about where we are now and where we are going, with optimistic projections of flat to up in revenue next year. On almost any other subject the attitude was positive, whether it’s in regard to streaming or HD, performance tax, syndication, live and local, voicetracking, talent, social networking, electronic measurement, etc…There was some talk, though not enough, about Apple adding an FM radio to the new iPod Nano. If the economy had not been such an issue, I believe this would be the focus of most of the conversations. While we know that it’s a win for Apple, it’s also a win for radio. This is huge. It addresses the technological mobility, the cool factor, and radio's reach to the younger generation that many have been concerned about. This is the most significant thing that has happened to our industry so far this century. That is what we will be talking about at next year’s NAB.”
 Here are two good reasons why - #1, its cluster share from four FM signals averaged a 10.8 share last Fall (October-December). But since April, it’s fallen to a 7.6 – down three full shares. Reason #2 – CBS Radio’s direct challenge, with the February 2009 conversion of rhythmic AC “Movin’ 107.5” KMVK to Spanish CHR “Mega.” Now, seven months later, Univision re-sets the gameboard with a swap among two formats and three frequencies. Here's the scorecard as of last late week - The regional Mexican "Recuerdo" ("Remember") oldies format has been re-parked at 107.1 and 99.1. It had most recently been at 94.1, and it was sometimes #1 in the market, in the age 6+ PPMs. Then came the CBS challenge in February. On February 20, Univision sent the "La Kalle" format from 99.1 to 107.9, the better to counter CBS. The regional Mexican "La Que Buena" format that had been on 107.9 got bumped to the simulcast of 107.1 and 99.1. While "Recuerdo" remained at 94.1. But just last week - I promise this is the last piece of this - "La Que Buena" has been re-positioned to 94.1, and Recuerdo is on the 107.1/99.1 simulcast. Got it? The Dallas-Ft. Worth Board of Radio-Info picked up the news, and probably says it more clearly than I just did.
 The latest weekly Nielsen BDS airplay charts are now on Radio-Info.com…
They cover just everything that can carry a tune in the U.S. – from the new #1 on the Active Rock chart (“You’re Going Down” by Sick Puppies) to the new #1 in country radio (“Small Town USA” by Justin Moore). Check ’em all out online at Radio-Info.com’s Programming/Formats & Charts section – here.
 Ross On Radio #31 – “What would you do with new blood if you had it?”
Sean Ross says “most broadcasters have become comfortable serving listeners under 25 with one format: Mainstream Top 40. They may still own Alternative or Hip-Hop stations, but they’re not quite sure how to be competitive with them in a PPM world.” This all goes to the NAB-inspired debate about radio’s failure to recruit the next generation of programmers (or heck, listeners). Our Sean Ross also navigates through deep waters with a short essay titled “You can’t go home again…especially if you never lived there.” That’s about the collective format memory of newer programmers who grew up in the liner-card era. If programming and music are topics you care about, don’t miss today’s Ross On Radio #31, coming by email. If you’re not getting ROR every Tuesday and Thursday – at no charge – just go here.
Phase II Arbitrends for Jackson, Mississippi…
Jackson, MS – Rainey Radio's urban AC WKXI (an 11.8, total week 12+ AQH share) jumps over Spring-book champ WJMI (now second with an 11.2).
All the ratings you could want, online - at Radio-Info.com - Both Arbitron diary numbers and PPM numbers. They're available any time on the Ratings Page here.
» Arbitrends Summer Phase II
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» Buzzing on the Boards
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 Seattle's commercial-classical KING-FM (98.1) isn't insulated from the economy - it lays off three people, says the Seattle-Tacoma Board. That includes middayer Steve Reeder, nighttime personality Gina Yellen and overnight talent Peter Newman, per the Northwest Broadcasters site. The Bullitt family put KING-FM into a special situation in the 1990s, to safeguard its format through a not-for-profit entity, and set it up so that it shares revenues with the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, and the non-profit "Beethoven" arts fund. But the Bullitt sisters never anticipated an economy this rugged. KING-FM's sales are out-sourced in a Joint Sales Agreement with Fisher.
There’s a very high-level discussion of audio processing underway on the Engineering Board of Radio-Info.com, with the likes of Bob Orban, Frank Foti, David Reaves and Jeff Littlejohn participating. The most recent post, last night, was processing pioneer Bob Orban, weighing in on “The passion of processing.” Click the icon to go directly to the thread.
» Wheeling and Dealing
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In Dallas, the $18 million deal with KVTT (91.7) at the center just closed, to buyer North Texas Public Broadcasting. It plans to debut a non-commercial adult alternative format named “KXT” on November 9. While seller Covenant Educational Media has found an alternative outlet for its Christian teaching format. That’s KJSA, Mineral Wells, TX at 1110, and T-R-I reader Barry King of LB Associates has more on the technical situation - “The FCC granted KJSA’s daytime upgrade to 50-kw on July 20.” You can have a broker for an LMA deal, and Barry says he and Art Holt of Holt Media Group brokered the LMA on behalf of KJSA owner M&M Broadcasters. Barry says Covenant “will be doing business on KJSA as I.P.O. Ministry Management LLC. Doug Price is its president.” So that’s the skinny on KJSA. Back to the original KVTT at 91.7 and its $18 million sale – Kalil & Co. repped the seller, Covenant Educational Media, and Public Radio Capital represented the buyer, North Texas Broadcasting.
» Sound Bites
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 Is Clear Channel International Radio president Bob Cohen leaving at year-end? Heard that yesterday, that the guy who runs Clear Channel’s radio interests in Australia, New Zealand and Mexico is leaving in December. Bob qualifies as a lifer at Clear Channel, back to 1986 and his service as an AE of Lowry Mays’ original station in San Antonio, “KJ97”, KAJA. He’s overseen the CC International division since 2001, working out of San Antonio.
Honduras’ Radio Globo and Cholusat Sur television are shut down by the government, because they’ve been generally favorable to the last elected president, who’s in exile. Tensions were elevated last week when he returned to Honduran soil and sought safety in the Brazilian embassy. The military government that ousted him passed a decree that let it clamp down on civil rights and the media. In fact, this latest raid on Radio Globo isn’t even the first one since the coup of June 28. And it’s a reminder of just how important radio can be in a society – important enough to be seen as a major threat by the rulers. The L.A. Times has more here.
 The UK’s Absolute Radio signs a music deal with EMI Music Publishing that lets it commission its own music, songs and “audio signatures” (says the UK’s Marketing Week pub). That could lead to new revenue, since Absolute could then license those compositions to clients to use in their ad campaigns in other media – even other radio stations. Absolute Radio is the successor to the UK’s Virgin Radio, which was sold last year to a company controlled by a mega-group from India, which wasn’t able to buy the “Virgin” name along with the other assets.
 NBC uses “the lost art of radio storytelling” to plug its new “Trauma” series in radio ads. Adam Stotsky tells the Hollywood Reporter they not only created ads that mimic real 911 emergency calls – they’re employing an unusual buying strategy where those two-minute spots will be the only sponsored content during a two-hour radio segment. The two-minute length lets NBC get in the “call for help”, and the response, with a voiceover by the paramedic on the scene. The buy is in the top 13 markets. In years past, Fox TV has employed several novel concepts of its own, including a dramatic hour-by-hour countdown on dozens of stations for the season premiere of “24.” As for the mock-911 angle, GM’s Onstar employed the same idea for a series of radio ads – and TV ads that were essentially radio ads, using theater of the mind.
CBS caps the complaint about the 2005 “Wing Bowl” at Philly’s WIP with a consent decree and $4,000 payment. There’s also a new “compliance plan”, so that WIP (610) agrees to train employees to avoid future problems conducting contests. This whole thing was just plain weird, given that WIP disqualified its original Wing Bowl contest winner on the grounds that he belonged to a competitive eating association. In the end, CBS gets away with a consent decree that files the whole incident away by agreeing to a compliance program and making a $4,000 voluntary payment (not a fine) to the treasury. Read the terms here. Years ago, in the spirit of fun, WIP began a Friday-before-Super Bowl morning show remote called the Wing Bowl, to see how many chicken wings could be consumed in a short period of time. (Think the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest, but more unsightly.) The thing has grown to a sell-out major revenue-producing event at the Wachovia Center, where the Sixers and Flyers play.
A consent decree ends the complaint against a Florida non-commercial station, with WKSG, Cedar Creek licensee Daystar Public Radio agreeing to settle up with the FCC with a $3,500 voluntary contribution (again, not a fine). The violation was for on-air announcements that went over the “permissible” line and sounded too much like commercials. WKSG’s at 89.5 and does contemporary Christian radio for the Ocala market.
That “trunkload full” of Aerosmith memorabilia was delivered to the contest winner seven months late, and only after he’d complained to the FCC. The other part of the prize awarded by Saga’s WAQY, Springfield, MA (102.1) was the use for two years of a Buick Lacrosse, or the cash equivalent. It was delivered about a month late. The FCC previously laid down a $4,000 fine for this violation and Saga tried several arguments to reduce that tab, but the Commission staff still holds that it was a “willful” violation under its contest rules and requests the full 4K. The decision is here.
 Nexstar Broadcasting’s Perry Sook wins this year’s Distinguished Achievement Award from the National Association of Media Brokers. There are always lots of side-sessions and mini-meetings around the NAB events, and the media brokers gathered for their own early-morning confab last week. Perry Sook gets their annual award for his role in “re-trans” - re-transmission fees paid by cable and other carriers of broadcast TV signals for their programming. Pictured, left to right - Frank Kalil, Andy McClure of Exline, and Perry Sook.
Canada’s Corus Entertainment strikes a U.S. distribution deal with FMQB Productions. That gives Kal Rudman’s Cherry Hill, NJ-based outfit the chance to distribute shows like Alan Cross’ “Ongoing History of New Music”, Jeff Woods’ “Legends of Classic Rock” and the ExploreMusic show. FMQB VP Mike Parrish says the deal “marks a natural progression in the growth of FMQB Productions as a provider of syndicated content” to stations in the U.S. and elsewhere.
» Faces on the Radio
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Michael Hughes has left the CBS Radio cluster in Washington, D.C. after 10 years to fly on his own, via the new MHMedia consultancy. He’ll be working out of beautiful Annapolis, and his first consulting client will be Steve Kingston’s Annapolis-market adult alternative WRNR (103.1). Kingston is “thrilled to have someone of Michael’s caliber joining our team.” MHMedia will specialize in “deep dive” management partnerships with an eye on revenue development, branding, digital platforms and “overall asset value enrichment.” Hughes held various posts with CBS in Washington, including Senior VP/GM of FMs WJFK-FM at 106.7 (now doing all-sports), the former “Globe” WTGB at 94.7 (now “Fresh”) and Spanish tropical “El Zol” WLZL (99.1). He’s reachable at 301-906-1067 (a reminder of WJFK) and MHRadio@aol.com.
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