Radio+Television Business Report

In early 2020, a Kansas City radio station operator made headlines for its decision to air six hours of programming each day from Russia-sponsored Sputnik Radio, as a result of a lease agreement with Florida-based RM Broadcasting LLC.

Now, the station’s owner has opted to part ways with a far-suburban silent FM translator. It’s a deal that will bring “vida” back to this dormant facility.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

John Moesch, the Vice President and General Manager of the West Texas Radio Group, oversees a group of radio stations in a region known as Permian Basin — and it’s a place where his company competes against another local operator, and against Townsquare Media.

What should media buyers and planners in places such as New York or Chicago know about locales including Midland and Odessa? How does local compare to national in a region of the country not widely known for its affluence?

Moesch answers these questions and more in this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM.

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: John Moesch, West Texas Radio Group” on Spreaker.

At the start of the lockdown when our lives migrated to Zoom, a CEO coaching client of veteran PR professional Rosemary Ravinal said he welcomed being distanced from the audience because his legs shake from nerves when speaking in person. He was excited about being able to read from a script on the screen seated with his legs out of sight.

“Can you guess what happened when we practiced for a high-stakes online speaking opportunity?,” Ravinal says.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

On August 16, Gen Media Partners rebooted its radio network sales and affiliate sales arm that was known as Sun Broadcast Group, rebranding it as G Networks. The shedding of the Sun name follows the late July exit of Danno Wolkoff as COO and Laura Wolkoff as Sun’s VP of Operations.

It is now known that their exit was a bit acrimonious. The Wolkoffs have filed a wrongful termination suit against the company.

As first reported in Streamline Publishing’s Radio Ink, the Wolkoffs are seeking a $2 million judgment against G Networks and GMP. The Wolkoffs first came into the GMP fold in 2020, when it acquired Envision, the company the Wolkoffs launched in the early 2000s.

The lawsuit alleges that the Wolkoffs received a termination letter alleging “gross negligence and gross incompetence in the performance of their duties and take reasonable measures to cured their conduct and its consequences within 30 days.” The Wolkoffs also say their salaries were also “suspended until further notice as a partial offset of the damages to its business caused by them.”

The Wolkoff suit also claims the termination notice failed to identify any specific conduct of Daniel and Laura Wolkoff that allegedly constitutes gross negligence, gross incompetence or willful misconduct. Plus, the notice failed to identify which duties the Wolkoffs allegedly performed with gross negligence, gross incompetence or willful misconduct and that the notice failed to identify what reasonable measures it deems necessary to cure the couple’s alleged gross negligence, gross incompetence or willful misconduct.

As reported by Radio Ink, Danno Wolkoff earned $250,000 at the time; Laura Wolkoff was being paid $200,000. They claim they were fired without cause and, as such, are owed  $2.1 million for a breach of their contract.

— Ed Ryan, with additional reporting by Adam R Jacobson

ATLANTA — Television viewers with the latest NEXTGEN TV-equipped capabilities in the largest city in the South can now enjoy viewing programs delivered with the new ATSC 3.0 digital broadcast standard.

Five channels, including all “Big Four” network homes in Atlanta, have their NEXTGEN TV signals up and running.

Participating stations include Meredith Local Media’s WPCH-17 and CBS affiliated WGCL-46, Cox Media Group’s ABC affiliated WSB-2, FOX Television Stations O&O WAGA-5, and
TEGNA-owned NBC affiliate WXIA-11.

For those pushing the voluntary rollout of NEXTGEN TV, the ignition of broadcasts in Atlanta promises viewers “an enhanced live broadcast viewing experience.”

Tom Casey, VP of Engineering and Technology for the Meredith Local Media Group, also notes that NEXTGEN TV “exclusively offers Voice + audio from Dolby, so viewers can
hear every voice, while also experiencing movie-theater quality sound and uniform volume
across different channels.”

Television models equipped with NEXTGEN TV capabilities are presently available from LG
Electronics, Samsung, and Sony, although features available on NEXTGEN TV vary by device.

Anne Schelle, managing director of Pearl TV, the broadcaster business group that is coordinating NEXTGEN TV station launches, is pleased that many NEXTGEN TV sets are available across the country ahead of the fall football season.

In January 2020, Brenda Floyd and James Allgood closed on their purchase of a pair of FM radio stations in Louisiana. The $200,000 deal was brokered by Bill Whitley of Media Services Group.

Now, one of those 50-50 ownership partners is selling their stake in the stations.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

Across New England, “Super” Frank Copsidas is well-known for his investment in local broadcast television. Earlier this year, Copisdas expanded his low-power TV holdings by grabbing a facility in Texas, and in late 2020 entered Indiana.

Now, Copsidas is getting recognition for an act that doesn’t even involve a Form 314 filing with the FCC, but has everything to do with how Washington, D.C., and Wall Street impact and shape the low-power television business.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

It’s official: With under two months until the start of the first NAB Show since spring 2019, and associated co-located events such as the Radio Show set for an in-person October affair, National Association of Broadcasters EVP/Managing Director of Global Connections and Events Chris Brown has revealed that all attendees and participants must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination should they wish to attend any of the Las Vegas conferences and vendor expos.

The announcement, distributed to the NAB Show Community just past Noon Pacific Time, came less than 24 hours after the Consumer Technology Association said all CES 2022 in-person attendees must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

“We have worked for the past several weeks to finalize protocols that will maximize the experience and safety of all members of the NAB Show community,” Brown said, noting that the process involved “extensive consultation with health and safety experts, gathering feedback from a range of exhibitors and attendees, and a review of safety measures recommended by local and national health authorities.”

Brown added that there’s a “strong eagerness” among the NAB Show community to return in person, and “steady attendee registration” is being seen.

This is key for the NAB, as it is holding out on offering any sort of hybrid option, eschewing a digital access option. This is being offered by CES 2022 as well as the ANA Masters of Marketing Conference the week prior to the NAB Show, in Orlando, Fla.

NO FACE MASK MANDATE

The other big takeaway for the NAB Show, aside from no digital log-in option, is that there will be no requirement for attendees to wear a face mask.

Potential NAB Show attendees were asked specifically about a potential mask mandate in a two-day online poll conducted through Wednesday (8/18).

With the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus still wreaking havoc among the unvaccinated and a select number of vaccinated Americans, it shows that the NAB is turning to its community in deciding to make face masks fully optional and based on local guidelines.

The survey asked specifically if a mask mandate for all participants would aid, or lessen, one’s comfort while at the NAB Show; and if a vaccination and mask mandate would make an attendee more or less comfortable. The NAB also asked in the poll if it should require participants to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters is outright snubbing the Radio Show by scheduling its 45th Annual Fall Broadcast Conference and 21st Power of Urban Radio Forum from October 13-15 at the Urban One-owned MGM National Harbor Resort & Casino in Maryland. The NABOB conference will again be held jointly with the U.S. Black Chambers, the national advocacy organization for Black-owned businesses.

A company that has filed an application with the FCC for a license to cover a FM translator station in Oklahoma is facing a potential monetary forfeiture for two key violations of the Commission’s rules.

For one, it did not submit its License to Cover Application until after the necessary submission date. Furthermore, this licensee also operated the FM translator after its Construction Permit expired.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

From the town of Spring Harbor, Mich., a Class A FM serves the cities of Jackson and Albion with a student-run Christian music format. Until now, it has reached the Ann Arbor area via a FM translator outside of the city that’s home to the University of Michigan.

Soon, that will end, as the school that owns the FM translator is selling it to another religious broadcaster.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

The use of a low-power TV signal to reach communities that may not have access to a full-power station’s signal due to distance is one that’s increasingly common, especially in an era of “cord cutting.”

Perhaps that’s why The E.W. Scripps Co. is agreeing to purchase a LPTV construction permit in the Southernmost City in the U.S.

At the same time, Scripps is adding a LPTV in a swath of Southern California it presently has no presence in. Could this point to an expansion of Scripps’ digital multicast networks?

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

While linear TV vehicles have long been a mainstay of political ad spending, viewer consumption habits have changed drastically in the last year alone. Now, new findings suggest that in the next election cycle, 17% of political ad spend will to shift to streaming.

That’s a whopping $1.5 billion not going to broadcast or cable television.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIF. — For years, Sirius XM has turned to its customer retention department to keep its churn level as low as possible by offering existing customers deep discounts off the “rack rate” for an annual subscription. There are also free trials for new users of the satellite radio service.

For one California man, those promotional rates are unfair, as they don’t justify the “regular” pricing structure at Sirius XM. As such, he’s suing the New York-based company in Federal court.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

On August 30, the Construction Permit for a 250-watt FM translator serving a city in northern Louisiana expires.

Rather than rush to put it on the air, or risk losing the license, the mini-station’s owner has opted to sell it by hiring Kalil & Co. as its broker. The buyer? The nation’s second-largest licensee of radio stations.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

From Disco Duck and ruling Memphis’ morning show ratings in the mid-1970s to his long run across the 1980s and 1990s as the wakeup host at KIIS-FM in Los Angeles, Rick Dees is one of the most successful air personalities of his generation.

While Dees has largely focused on his syndicated Weekly Top 40 program in recent years, he’s about to get a new career boost that has nothing to do with radio.

Thank the nation’s No. 1 licensee of broadcast TV stations for its desire to rewind the clock with a segment of the viewing audience.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

He was an engineer and loved electronics and technology. That passion helped fuel a career as a cable television pioneer in Southwest Missouri, and the co-founding in 1993 with Stan Searle of the “Small Cable Business Association.”

That association is now known as ACA Connects, and it is being joined by others across the cable TV industry in mourning the passing of Alvin “Dean” Peterson.

Peterson died on August 8, two days shy of his 81st birthday.

His family built and owned cable and radio systems across the Springfield, Mo., region, while also serving in an advocacy role in Washington, D.C., to help advance cable TV industry issues at the FCC and on Capitol Hill.

Peterson served as president of Southwest Missouri Cable TV in Carthage, Mo., until its sale in 1999. At that time, Peterson stepped down from the board of what had become the American Cable Association (ACA).

“Everyone at ACA Connects is deeply saddened to hear the news of Dean Petersen’s passing,” ACA Connects President/CEO Matthew Polka said. “ACA Connects simply would not be here today without Dean’s vision and wisdom.”

Peterson and Searle created the Small Cable Business Association to create a voice in Washington, D.C., for independent, smaller providers in reaction to passage of the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992 and the FCC’s implementation of the rules associated with the legislation.

Services were held August 12 at at Knell Mortuary in Carthage, Mo., with a private burial following a service.

Sinclair Broadcast Group has chosen the individual who will succeed company sales veteran Dan Mellon, who retired on July 31.

It’s an individual with more than 25 years of experience in the broadcast and cable industry.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

As the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) reviews the results of a two-day attendee poll designed to help guide the nation’s biggest advocacy group for radio and TV stations on mask and/or vaccination protocols for its annual affair in Las Vegas, the organizers of the largest annual convention and expo to take place in the city has wasted no time in issuing a vaccination declaration for all in-person attendees.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) on Tuesday formally announced in an email communique that CES 2022, the world’s biggest technology event and an increasingly important convention for radio industry leaders, will require in-person attendees to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

What’s notable is that CES 2022 is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas on January 5-8, 2022. The NAB Show, which is eschewing a hybrid option, is scheduled to begin October 9, with the Radio Show events held October 13-14. As of now, it is reviewing its options while assuring the safety of participants will be stringent and per current guidelines.

Furthermore, those that are unable to travel to CES 2022 will have access to a digital event that will run in parallel with the in-person program. While this will not offer the same experience, the CTA says digital audiences “will have the opportunity to share the spirit of the in-person event.”

CTA President/CEO Gary Shapiro explains, “Based on today’s science, we understand vaccines offer us the best hope for stopping the spread of COVID-19. We all play a part in ending the pandemic through encouraging vaccinations and implementing the right safety protocols. We are taking on our responsibility by requiring proof of vaccination to attend CES 2022 in Las Vegas.”

CTA is also assessing the acceptance of proof of a positive antibody test as an alternative requirement and will share more details on this later.

In Las Vegas, CES 2022 attendees will be able to interact with representatives from some 2000 companies — including companies in the nascent space tech, food tech and NFT categories.

The show will undoubtedly highlight advancements in AI, AR/VR, gaming and computing, digital health, automotive and transportation, home entertainment, and the smart home.

Live keynotes from GM Chair/CEO Mary Barra and T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert remain on the schedule.

The company formerly known as Entercom is also the owner of a digital streaming app formerly known as Radio.com, and both now use the Audacy name.

While Audacy’s radio stations dominate the Audacy app found on smartphones and other devices, companies including Cox Media Group and Seven Mountains Media have partnered with Audacy to help bring their audio streams to the widest audience possible.

The nation’s leading media company focused on Black consumers has followed their lead.

Audacy has signed a content distribution partnership with Urban One, bringing their radio stations audio streams and on-demand content to the Audacy digital platform. Already, one can stream such stations as WKYS-FM in Washington from the Audacy app; localized advertising is heard pre-roll, based on information provided to Audacy from the user’s app.

The partnership is non-exclusive, as Urban One’s radio stations are also accessible via the TuneIn app and the iHeartRadio app.

This makes Urban One’s radio properties universally accessible across the three primary radio streaming apps found in the U.S.

Some 57 radio stations across 13 Urban One markets are now on the Audacy platform.

“This partnership underscores our unwavering commitment to amplifying diverse voices and delivering premier audio content to the communities in which we serve,” said Corey Podolsky, Vice President of Business Development at Audacy. “We’re delighted to unite with a power player in the audio space to expand and enhace our content offering and add dozens of dynamic brands to our library.”

Alec Drake, the Director of Sales for Cumulus Media’s radio stations in the Dallas-Fort Worth market, is retiring.

The company revealed August 17 that he will depart the stations at the end of August. This puts the wheels in motion on a series of promotions, with a VP/Sales named as two other individuals take key posts.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)