by Tom Taylor | tom@in3media.com | 609.883.3321
Thursday, December 17th, 2009
CBS to start merging radio and TV websites
 To compete with newspapers, Anton Guitano pushes online synergy at CBS.
The newly-named COO of CBS Local Media tells TVNewsCheck they’ll be aggregating the radio and TV news sites across 14 markets. He says “We want to make it hyperlocal, equivalent to the best local paper with all the local information, and then have links to our assets outside of the local areas such as CBSNews.com and CBSSports.com, etc.” That topic pops up as Harry Jessell notes the similarities in the look of the current sites for New York’s all-news WCBS-AM (880) and WCBS-TV. But it’s not just websites that will get the “synergy” treatment. Anton Guitano and new CBS TV group head Peter Dunn say there’s a road show coming up soon – featuring those two executives plus radio chief Dan Mason, journeying to each CBS market to “figure out what makes the most sense” in driving radio/TV partnerships. Guitano says “we’ll be giving them suggestions and ideas that have come up in other markets, but we’re not going to force them on people.” For example -
 That’s right – non-industry folks may think broadcasters have been slow to adapt to new-media opportunities, but CBS Local Media COO Anton Guitano says “radio has done a very good job of selling digital, whereas TV may not have done quite as well.” Therefore “we’re going to try to get some of our radio people to teach the TV people how to sell local digital together.” Cross-platform selling has been a priority of CBS and before that Viacom. Guitano says that in New York, CBS radio, TV and digital reach more than 80% of the 18+ audience, and nearly 90% of households with $100,000+ incomes. That equals “one-stop shopping.” As for the political ad stream, it’s a case where TV has done “really, really well over the years” and radio’s been more background. Guitano says CBS will be pitching the political agencies to “show them the benefits of buying TV and radio together.” At CBS, it’s a new era in “Local Media.” Of course CBS said just this week that it's no longer going to use third-party ad networks for its companywide web sales, trying to get higher rates. It's really planning to control its digital future. Read the full TVNewsCheck interview with Guitano and Dunn here. Speaking of politics -
It’s not even 2010 yet, and there’s an equal time complaint about Phoenix host J.D. Hayworth.
It’s lodged at the Federal Election Commission by former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods, who’s friendly with the John McCain camp. The Arizona Republic says Woods filed the complaint about alleged unfair use of the airwaves after he talked with some McCain campaign staffers. He’d mentioned the complaint to McCain, who “thought it was fine” to file. But KFYI (550) afternoon talker J.D. Hayworth, a former GOP Congressman, isn’t an announced candidate for McCain’s seat. The paper reports J.D.’s response on Twitter – “Paging Mr. Grant Woods…you left your brain in the lobby! Woods tries to gag a non-declared non-candidate citizen – ME! First Amendment? Bah!” Hayworth was a TV personality before his career in the House – and yes, he’s apparently noodled around the idea of competing with McCain in the 2010 Republican primary. The Phoenix Board of Radio-Info.com picked up on the story yesterday. 
 Jonathan Brandmeier is “The Unemployed Radio MoFo.”
His satirical four-minute video just became a classic – not because it’s bitter, but because it’s funny and creative (with an undertone of bitter). Former WLUP, Chicago morning personality Jonathan Brandmeier casts himself as a rapper in the Winter snows of Chicago, cast off by “the suits” who don’t want to pay for the best talent. Among his rhymes – “He said, we know who you are and we know who you were, but there’s only one thing that corporate does concur. You may have been the greatest and you might be yet. But our bottom line says you ain’t worth --” – well, you know. You have to admit – the motormouth Brandmeier is a natural as a rapper with a grudge. He’s been on the loose since late November, when WLUP (97.9) owner Emmis agreed to release him from his contract several months early. Robert Feder at Vocalo.org has both the story and the video – funny stuff, unless you’re feeling guilty about letting some valuable talent go for budgetary reasons.
 A date for the merged 2010 NAB+RAB Radio Show – and a mission.
Call it “a marriage of convenience” because of the economy (and a Spring 2010 RAB show that had been postponed). This is the inter-association deal that finally had to get done, after many years of near-misses. People used to tell me “We can’t have a convention where both the GM and the GSM are gone from the station.” But GMs have turned into multi-tasking market managers, and they might also be the market manager. And the plain truth is, radio’s largest groups seldom send more than a group head, plus whoever’s nominated for a Marconi or anybody who’s on a panel. Dates for what the NAB’s Gordon Smith and the RAB’s Jeff Haley are calling “The Radio Show Produced by RAB and NAB” are September 29-30 and October 1. The city – as expected - is Washington, D.C. I told you that fact during the September NAB Radio Show in Philly, and it’s because the NAB wants a completely different-style Radio Show that’s also near the D.C. policymakers. NAB Joint Board Chair Steve Newberry of Commonwealth Broadcasting says "I've long felt there was tremendous value in bringing both organizations together" on some causes, and the merged Radio Show (plus sales management event) is finally coming together. Read the carefully-worded NAB/RAB joint press release here.
  Details about the new Radio Show coming in a press conference this morning…
Convened by NAB chief Gordon Smith, just back from testifying in front of a House subcommittee about digital spectrum, and by RAB boss Jeff Haley. Both leaders are taking the high road with this marriage of events. Truth is, everybody’s convention budgets for 2010 are trimmed down. Another factor behind the scenes – Jeff Haley’s own future at the RAB. Has he been working without a contract since September? But if he’s standing up to make the RAB commitment to this new joint Radio Show, Jeff may well be committing to more time as president/CEO. He joined from a division of Time Warner back when the industry climate looked far different for radio.
Nielsen’s two Spring and Fall markets show “incredibly stable results”, book to book.
Nielsen’s Lorraine Hadfield tells T-R-I she’s particularly proud of the 18-34 and 25-54 sample for Huntsville and Shreveport in the Fall book – “that’s the story, because they’re hard to get.” She's also happy with what researchers call proportionality, meaning the sample mirrors the population. This is the first book-to-book comparison for Nielsen’s U.S. sticker diary-based ratings, and Nielsen says they nailed it – “cumes, TSL, dayparts and weekday/weekend all show consistency” between the initial Spring 2009 and now the new Fall ’09 books. Nielsen cites two big factors - #1, the way it chooses its sample, using “representative sample frame”, which works differently from Arbitron. And #2, large sample sizes. Really large – 2,597 diaries for Huntsville (topping the target of 2,200) and 1,615 for Shreveport, versus the target of 1,200. Cumulus gave Nielsen its ratings business in 51 smaller markets and Clear Channel hopped on the hayride too. Lorraine Hadfield tells me “we have a lot of interest from other parties” about signups for 2010. Arbitron’s Michael Skarzynski vows to fight to win back that business. See Nielsen’s presentation about Huntsville and Shreveport here.
 The FCC filing for “request for silent STA”, Special Temporary Authority, was filed by chief engineer Tom Atkins, and it contains a terse description of the accident - "WRCE's tower collapsed on December 14 during guy wire replacement, taking the station off the air." The accident caused the death of a tower worker when it occurred around 2:45 Monday afternoon. Local emergency crews rushed to the scene but couldn't save the life of the tower worker at the station owned by Backyard Broadcasting. The Binghamton Board of Radio-Info.com carries a posting by an engineer who says “I climbed this tower in 1992 to remove an STL dish and it was in poor condition at that time. Very sad. I believe the structure was quite old, dating back to the 1960's.”
 Curtis Media talker WPTF, Raleigh (680) combats the new Rush Radio by beefing up its news.
There will be a 5-9am news block and a new affiliation with CBS News Radio. The Raleigh-Greensboro Board of Radio-Info had part of this pegged back on November 20 – that WSJS, Winston-Salem morning host and PD Brian Freeman was joining sister WPTF for a new morning program, as Premiere and Clear Channel pull Rush Limbaugh away from WPTF. Limbaugh’s headed to a new CC-owned FM talker at 106.1 – the current country WRDU. Not exactly by coincidence, Rush is also being canceled at WSJS (600) and sibling WSML (1200), as Clear Channel planned a “Rush Radio” for Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, too. That’s happening January 1 on regional Mexican “La Preciosa 94.5” WGBT. (It ought to be a culture shock to current listeners.) So back to Curtis Media flagship WPTF in Raleigh – the new post-Rush lineup is Brian Freeman with "North Carolina’s Morning News", then Scott Fitzgerald getting more sleep as the new 9-11am guy (he’s doing mornings now). Dave Ramsey from 11am-2pm. And the local Bill LuMaye, 2-5pm, followed by a two-hour news block. WPTF David Stuckey’s right when he says “news radio is by far the most expensive radio format to execute.” But done right, they’re laying the foundation for a solid future at the heritage AM. The Raleigh-Greensboro Board of Radio-Info.com has seven pages of comments, and counting.
 “#1, Mass layoffs throughout the industry”, says Phil Tower, GM of the Allen Hunt Show – “Layoffs at Clear Channel, Cumulus, Citadel, CBS, and elsewhere. It's the real advent of doing less with more, and it's still far too early to assess the overall impact of the losses on radio operations. #2, The passing of radio's biggest voice - Paul Harvey. No voice influenced and inspired my radio journey as much as his. #3, The continued rapid growth of content creation and migration to digital media. More proof again that great content is platform-agnostic. We also saw continued validation that listeners want, no, demand an interactive component with the content they seek out. Pandora's massive growth says it all. When will radio answer the bell? The explosion of new podcasts is an additional important trend, as it reminds the radio industry that towers and transmitters are becoming less important day by day.”
“Paul Harvey – nothing else even comes close” in importance. That’s from T-R-I reader John Sullivan in Seminole, Florida.
“It has to be downsizing, starting with the infamous Clear Channel day of cuts on Inauguration Day. John Shomby, Max Media’s Director of Programming and Ops in Norfolk says “Doing more with less. It's the story of the year without a doubt, and we must realize that it will never, ever go back to the way it was.”
“#1, The economic collapse "recession" of 2008-09. Hopefully this will ease and growth will return in 2010.” This is KWED, Seguin, Texas GM Hal Widsten. He’s got two more – “#2, The performance fee battle between radio and the music business. This won't go away in 2010. #3, The impending Citadel bankruptcy, and those ‘re-organizations’ that will follow it in 2010.
What were the most important stories and trends of 2009? Tell me. I’m asking industry leaders and thoughtful people, and that includes you. What were the most important stories and trends of 2009? I’d love to use your name and a title/description. Email Tom@in3media.com.
 Ross On Radio #53 – Straddling stopsets on the quarter hours, and Sade’s not-so-smooth Operator…
The final Ross On Radio of 2009 finds Sean Ross examining the elemental question of how to package commercials during the hour. He bases the first part of today’s ROR on Arbitron PPM expert John Snyder’s presentation at last week’s Consultant Fly-In – the one that caused some PDs to call their traffic director in for a meeting. Also in the Ross On Radio e-newsletter from Radio-Info.com – the artist Sade’s return to the radio, causing Sean to share the insight that Sade-like music used to automatically go to smooth jazz stations and bypass other formats. But with so few big-market smooth jazzers left, Sade’s finding a welcome at urban AC, and even younger urban and perhaps even mainstream CHR. It’s always fascinating to watch the boundaries of music move like a restless river, and Sean Ross is the best river guide I know. If you’re not getting Sean’s Ross On Radio by email from Radio-Info.com – at no charge – just go here.
Latest ratings – Phase II Arbitrends for Tucson.
Citadel’s country KIIM – 8.9 to 8.8 to 9.0 since the Summer book – is the picture of consistency, and it reigns as #1 in age 12+ AQH share. It’s a soft month for Clear Channel CHR KRQQ (8.4 to 7.3 to 5.9). But a strong one for sister rhythmic “Hot 98.3” KOHT (3.8 to 4.0 to 5.1). Arbitron diary numbers and PPM numbers are available any time on the Ratings Page at Radio-Info.com, here.
» Arbitrons Phase II Arbitrends
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| 60. Tucson - 864,900 |
Click on the city to review recently released PPM ratings. View a complete list of Arbitron markets here.
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» Buzzing on the Boards
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In Dayton, a descendant of the founder of the Cox media empire, Alex Taylor, will put radio, TV and newspapers under one roof. That means moving 150 or so people into the same complex with the Dayton Daily News, at 1611 South Main Street. I noted a couple of months ago when Cox did its management re-org that Dayton is the only market where a Group VP will directly manage radio (like country K99.1 WHKO), TV (CBS affiliate WHIO-TV) and newspaper. And that Cox was very likely to consolidate them into one physical plant. What wasn’t clear was just where the consolidation would take place – and now we know they’ll all be where the paper is, at a former NCR building. Alex Taylor says they’d like to have the new broadcasting space built out by the end of 2010 or early 2011. The Cincinnati-Dayton Board of Radio-Info.com has had a pretty intense discussion about this (including the technical dimensions of the move) for some time. Follow it at Radio-Info.com
Did Clear Channel knock off the smooth jazz on the HD-2 channel of onetime smooth jazz WNUA, Chicago (95.5)? That's the report from the Chicago Board of Radio-Info.com, which then lists the other places to get your fix of jazz, including "The El" WLFM at 87.7. That's the audio of low power channel 6 TV WLFM-LP.
» Wheeling & Dealing
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Frank Osborn's been waiting since 2003 to buy the FM at 98.1 in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. He had a $3 million deal with Star Broadcasting back then, but it cratered when Star (like some college football coaches) decided to take a sweeter offer from Cumulus. Then the lawyers really started adding up the billable hours. Now the Connecticut Post says Qantum and Star have a deal again. (Frank says "We are grateful that multiple courts vindicated our position.") No price announced for this six-years-later deal, but we do know there will be a new format. A month ago, the "Ticket" sports format migrated from 98.1 to 100.3, another Star property. Just to confuse things further, the 98.1 and 100.3 swapped call letters, too - The WTKE calls went along with the Ticket format to 100.3. So the station Osborn's buying is WRKN. It's a Class A licensed to Holt, Florida, and it joins other Qantum stations such as classic hits "Wave 102.1" WWAV and hot AC "Mix 103.1" WMXZ.
» Sound Bites
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Dial Global suffered an hour-long outage of its 24/7 networks yesterday afternoon. Kirk Stirland, Dial Global President of Programming, answers the "what the hell?" question from a T-R-I reader, and says the third-party uplink facility in Denver had a power failure - and then its backup power failed, too. Stirland says "It's on our watch, it's our responsibility", and says "we're working on some solutions to get in front of this. We know stations are dependent on us." The outage started around 3pm Mountain time.
 Alabama station owner Walter Bowen is arrested on charges of child sexual abuse. The owner of talk-and-sports WNSI, Robertsdale (1000) and WNSI-FM, Atmore (105.9) was arrested Wednesday morning on two counts of sexual abuse of a child younger than 12, says the AL.com site. Police say the child wasn’t a relative, and the incident was first reported to the authorities in Baldwin County in August. A grand jury recently returned an indictment and the 67-year-old was arrested yesterday. This one should get the lawyers going, because of the FCC’s licensee character policy. It forbids ownership by someone convicted of a felony. Of course we don't know if that will happen in this case.
Expect to hear lots about the “If I Can Dream” reality TV show on Clear Channel stations. Clear Channel is a “core partner” in a complex marketing consortium involving Hulu (streaming the TV program), MySpace (for social networking), Pepsi, Ford, and Simon Fuller’s 19 Entertainment. Clear Channel PDs will be figuring out how to deliver on what San Antonio has promised to Fuller – “local radio personalities and audience interaction will spur daily conversations, and through Clear Channel’s content creation and distribution platform, the If I Can Dream cast member stories will come to life on-air, online and on mobile devices.” CC’s Evan Harrison says “we can break new talent across multiple platforms simultaneously.” As you’d imagine, “If I Can Dream” is about auditioning to Make It Big. Five contestants will live in a house that just happens to be equipped with 50 cameras. 19 Entertainment is part of former radio mogul Robert Sillerman’s empire, through CKX Entertainment.
 SparkNet Communications spawns the Canadian-focused SparkNetworks. Pat Bohn in Vancouver says “we see opportunities to offer Canadian radio an innovative approach to programs and services in the digital world.” So SparkNetworks will represent various providers and vendors, through a new syndication company based in Toronto.
The Broadcasters Foundation welcomes a $15,000 donation by the Radio Affinity Metric Task Force. You know what the Broadcasters Foundation does – it aids broadcasters and their families who are in serious need (sometimes desperate circumstances). The Radio Affinity Metric Task Force is a working group comprised of broadcasters, researchers, syndicators, agency folks and others who are doing work toward new measurements of radio’s efficacy. The donation of $15,000 is being made by Arbitron on behalf of the Broadcasters Foundation. Jim Thompson of the foundation says they’re grateful and “very appreciative of the many good works by Arbitron in support of our mission.” That’s one of the industry things new Arbitron EVP/Chief Marketing Officer Alton Adams is getting to understand about radio, and Arbitron’s role in the eco-system.
In the UK, it will be a bummer Christmas Eve at Preston’s Central Radio – because UTV Media is shutting it down on December 24 (says Radio Today) and handing the license back to Ofcom. News of the signoff came in a staff meeting this week, ending the run of a station that got on the air not much more than a year ago. Radio Today observes that this is the third time UTV has turned off the lights at a station just in the past year, counting Talk 107 in Edinburgh and Valleys Radio in South Wales. UTV Media’s Calum Macaulay says “we won the license against strong competition” but the faltering economy doomed the effort. Central Radio is a hot AC at 106.5.
» Faces on the Radio
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 Ichabod Caine leaves the airwaves at Seattle country KMPS (94.1) tomorrow, after more than 20 years there. Phyllis Stark, the executive editor for country music here at Radio-Info.com, says Ichabod's "Waking Crew" morning co-host "Scallops" is also departing. Which makes sense - she's married to Caine. Co-hosts Randy Scott and Stephen Kilbreath will stay on the show while CBS exes decide what to do. Read Phyllis Stark's full story here.
Charlie Gibson not only ends his anchor role at TV’s ABC World News on Friday night – he also ends his radio anchor career, when he does the 5pm Eastern time ‘cast for the Information Network. Starting Monday, Diane Sawyer takes over both the TV and radio roles. She’ll appear on the 5pm radio newscast with Cheri Preston.
 Roy E. Disney was in a line of show-business Disneys named Roy – and also the owner of a significant major-market radio station group known as Shamrock Broadcasting. Most news stories today will focus on Roy E. Disney’s role in spurring on the Walt Disney Company in his 56 years there, leading to the creation of animated movies such as The Little Mermaid, Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast. He led the effort to hire Michael Eisner as CEO and then later to fire him. But let’s remember Shamrock Broadcasting, run by Roy’s friend and business partner Stanley Gold. In 1995, its radio group looked like this – Z100/WHTZ, New York. KLAC/KZLA, Los Angeles. KABL, KNEW, KBGG and KSAN in San Francisco. KTBZ, Houston. WFOX, Atlanta. WDFN and “W4” WWWW in Detroit. KXKL-AM/FM and KZDG, Denver. KFAN and KEEY, Minneapolis. KMLE, Phoenix. And “3WS” WWSW-AM/FM in Pittsburgh. That was a helluva group, and give Stan Gold credit for running it (along with Bill Clark and Marty Loughman). Shamrock (not to be confused with the Scranton-based Shamrock Communications) sold its radio assets during the 1996 consolidation frenzy, and that left Roy E. Disney to do his shareholder battling (with Stan Gold at his side) against Michael Eisner. He was also there when Disney bought the CapCities/ABC radio and TV stations. Roy E. Disney's son Roy Patrick Disney has also been involved in radio ownership and new media ventures. Roy E. Disney died yesterday at 79 in Newport Beach, CA.
Fred “Honz” Honsberger died yesterday at 58, and Pittsburgh radio is missing a giant. He was part of KDKA (1020) for 30 years and got there just in time to do Dupont Award-winning reporting on the 1979 Three Mile Island power plant accident – still the most serious nuke-plant problem in U.S. history. At first Fred was an anchor and reporter, then the news director from 1984 to 1989. He turned talkshow host in 1989 and he’d recently been doing noon-3pm, filling the shift that Rush Limbaugh used to occupy before Clear Channel pulled Rush over to its own WPGB-FM. CBS market manager Michael Young says “Fred truly loved the Pittsburgh area, the KDKA listeners and his colleagues at the station.” CBS Radio President Dan Mason says “We couldn’t be more proud of the work Fred has done as a dedicated broadcaster over the past three decades.” Philly native Honsberger worked at then-Group W sister KYW (1060) before heading west on the Turnpike. Honsberger was very involved with the Salvation Army, and KDKA has set up a “virtual kettle” so friends can make a contribution to the charity in his memory. That’s here. The Pittsburgh Board of Radio-Info.com was talking about “Honz” and his “Honzman text-it Thursdays" and “Honz Honk Off Line” by mid-morning yesterday. |
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