Industry News

In late June RBR+TVBR first told readers about Dartmouth College’s decision to place its 6kw Class A FM, branded as “99Rock,” on the market.

The commercially licensed radio station that is advertiser-driven doesn’t shy from loud, hard rock. Soon, it will be up to a new owner to determine whether or not acts such as Seether, Godsmack and Alice in Chains will remain on the station’s playlist.

With veteran station trader George Kimble of Kozacko Media Services serving as the exclusive broker in this transaction, WFRD-FM in Hanover, N.H., is being sold to Sugar River Media.

A $225,000 price was agreed to, with John Landry signing off on the FM’s purchase for Sugar River, a 50/50 partnership between him and Bob Landry.

A $30,000 escrow payment is being held by Kozacko Media Services.

With WFRD, Sugar River will grow its stable to five, as it also owns WUVR-AM 1490 in Lebanon, N.H.; WNTK-FM 99.7 in New London, N.H.; WCVR-AM in Randolph, Vt.; and WCNL-AM in Newport, N.H.

Dartmouth says the sale proceeds will be used to support “WDCR,” which is not to be confused with Decatur Catholic Radio and its WDCR-FM. Student-run “WDCR” had been an on-air AM from 1958 through 2010.

The sale of WFRD will result in the loss of one staff position, the college said earlier this year.

Why is Dartmouth selling WFRD? “The station has been operating at a financial loss for a number of years,” it says. “In addition, student involvement in the commercial station has waned.”

The Gauge, Nielsen‘s recently created monthly total TV and streaming snapshot, has just released its latest data portrait, reflecting the month of September.

Here’s the good news for broadcast television: the share of total TV viewing saw a 2% increase.

Now, for the not-so-lovely news: The gain puts broadcasters as recipients of 26% of consumers’ total TV time.

“The boost,” as Nielsen calls it, comes on the heels of “a strong ratings start” to the NFL season, as well as the beginning of the traditional TV season on September 20.

Still, the consumer share of TV time for both cable and streaming remained flat at 38% and 28%, respectively.

At the same time, the “Other” category—which includes and is reflective of video game usage—was down from 10% to 8%.

This 2% decline, Nielsen concludes, was driven by a combination of video game users turning off their collective controllers and heading back to the classrooms as well as a shift of attention from gaming to the gridiron.

Looking at the streaming platforms themselves, data from Nielsen’s Streaming Platform Ratings show both Netflix and Disney+ each ticking down a percentage point from August. Netflix now commands 6% share of total TV time, while Disney+ holds 1% of share of overall TV time. Hulu and Amazon Prime Video remained steady at 3% and 2%, respectively.

The first worldwide 24-7 live linear video channel dedicated to the growing E-Sports arena has partnered with an independent provider of personalized sports data and gaming visualization to help bring greater value for both fans and, importantly, sponsors.

BE SURE TO FOLLOW RBR+TVBR ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS!

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

It’s been way too long since broadcasters have been able to gather, meet, network, and discuss. Don’t wait until April. Secure your seat in New York for Forecast 2022, an exclusive gathering where broadcast TV and radio’s top leaders will be — live and in-person. The issues. The challenges. The opportunities. All the things that matter to broadcasters. FORECAST IS BACK – AND BIGGER THAN EVER! From broadcast leaders and media investment pros to Wall Street analysts, communications attorneys and other key industry influencers, all will be present at Forecast 2022 — the only event of its kind this year!

Debra OConnell — President, Networks, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, The Walt Disney Company Bill Wilson — CEO, Townsquare Media FEATURING …

INFORMATIVE SESSIONS INCLUDING:

• Broadcast Revenue Trends and Expectations for 2022
• Prospects for Broadcast Media as an Investment in 2022
• Cross-Ownership and the FCC
• Main Street Media: Where Local Broadcast Survives & Thrives— What Now?
• Passing the Torch: A Conversation with Gordon Smith
and Curtis LeGeyt
• Executive Leadership Session – Sharing Visions for Tomorrow

There’s nothing like Forecast — especially this year. Register today!! The venue is small – demand is higher than usual – don’t be left out due to a sellout!

 

PLATINUM SPONSORS

 

 

 

 

GOLD SPONSORS

 

 

 

SILVER SPONSOR

BRONZE SPONSOR

TOP 40 PLAQUE SPONSOR

CORPORATE SPONSORS

PARTICIPATING SPONSORS

 

The presentation of the 2021 NAB Marconi Radio Awards and the annual “State of the Industry” Address by NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith will take place virtually on the second Wednesday in November — just days before his appearance at Forecast 2022 in New York, perhaps his last industry event before Smith’s year-end retirement.

The Marconis, and Smith’s speech, are scheduled for Wednesday, November 10 at 2pm Eastern. To view the event, access is available at NAB.org/watch and will be available on-demand on NAB Amplify.

The NAB Marconi Radio Awards honor radio stations and on-air personalities for excellence in broadcasting. NAB will name the winners in each of the 23 categories during the November event, which will be hosted by Angela Yee, co-host of the nationally syndicated morning show, “The Breakfast Club.”

Prior to the awards presentation, Smith will deliver his final State of the Industry address, in which he will reflect on his tenure leading the association and how the broadcast industry can continue to thrive into the future.

“It has been my great honor to represent America’s broadcasters in Washington D.C. and around the world for the past 12 years,” said Smith, who will assume an advisory and advocacy role beginning next year. “While I am disappointed we are not able to gather in person in Las Vegas, I look forward to connecting virtually and seeing everyone in-person at the 2022 NAB Show.”

Passing the Torch: A Conversation With Gordon Smith And Curtis LeGeyt
As Gordon Smith exits his role at year’s end as CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters and Curtis LeGeyt prepares to take the helm, what is the state of the broadcast industry from the Beltway view? Steve Newberry, who worked closely with both executives during his own tenure at the NAB, sits down with them in an exclusive Forecast 2022 chat covering legal, regulatory, and legislative initiatives under the leadership of the NAB that have impacted the broadcast industry over the past 12 years, how they will shape and define its future, and what challenges and opportunities lie on the horizon.
Moderator: Steve Newberry, CEO, Quu
Curtis LeGeyt, COO, National Association of Broadcasters
Gordon Smith, President and CEO, National Association of Broadcasters

 

REGISTER NOW!

Veteran public relations pro Rosemary Ravinal is often asked, “How do I stand out during a virtual meeting and make a strong impression?” 

“My answer draws from techniques honed during my corporate career, combined with what I teach my clients about public speaking and executive presence online,” she says in this latest Media Information Bureau column focused on Zoom excellence in today’s workplace.

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

It’s official. And, a formal announcement was released minutes ago.

A COVID-19 pandemic-influenced plan to co-locate the Radio Show, co-produced by the NAB and the Radio Advertising Bureau, at the now cancelled 2021 NAB Show will be extended to 2022 — and beyond.

There will no longer be a stand-alone Radio Show. 

“In today’s world where radio companies are essentially multimedia companies, the value in attending NAB Show cannot be overstated,” said Dave Santrella, president of Broadcast Media at Salem Media Group and NAB joint board chair. “We are now streaming and podcasting and even producing video. NAB Show provides unparalleled access to the critical tools, knowledge and connections we need to grow and thrive in today’s media business.”

For the last two decades, the Radio Show has faded with respect to its size and must-attend status in a consolidated industry. As a co-production of the NAB and RAB the Radio Show enjoyed renewed vigor in the last five years, with the 2016 Radio Show in Nashville particularly memorable, followed by the 2017 Radio in Austin. At the Austin event, Audacy CEO David Field delivered an impassioned speech in support of Radio industry leaders still recall.

With attendance of 2,130 people, the 2018 Radio Show was staged in Orlando. In 2019, it shifted to Dallas.

Then came COVID-19 and the pandemic. The 2020 Radio Show, scheduled for Sept. 13-16 of last year in Nashville, was scrubbed. A decision to co-locate in October 2021 in Las Vegas was then made, with a definitive plan to return to Music City USA from October 5-7, 2022.

That Nashville event is now a permanent COVID-19 scar.

With April 2022 now set for a redo of what was supposed to have concluded today (10/14), the 2022 NAB Show, which will precede the Radio Show, will feature “signature awards, networking events and a comprehensive conference program, including popular sales and marketing sessions” the RAB will present.

RAB President/CEO and former Radio & Records Publisher Erica Farber said, “It’s important that we continue to bring radio professionals together to network, celebrate audio and engage in meaningful discussions around the future of our industry.”

The RAB and NAB also note that the permanent change will benefit radio industry leaders by gaining access to the NAB Show floor and sessions, should they choose to attend those co-located events.

While the newest FCC Commissioner, Nathan Simington, is widely known as an advocate for Section 230 reform, it’s unlikely he’ll agree with newly crafted legislation introduced by Democrats on the House Energy & Commerce Committee.

Introducing “The Justice Against Malicious Algorithms Act,” which Democrats say erases the liability shield when a digital platform “knowingly or recklessly promotes harmful content.”

This FCC Commissioner Wants To Hear From You FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington As he demonstrated at the recent Hispanic Radio Conference, FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington is eager to learn about the broadcast media industry’s input and concerns. You can share your thoughts and desires with Simington in-person, with your registration to Forecast 2022 at the prestigious Harvard Club in New York.

 

 

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

The 2020 Census is complete. The topline data is out. And … are marketers doing anything yet to better reflect in their advertising campaigns the consumers that define the U.S.A. today?

It’s a tricky question. As Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts have swept through Corporate America and many media companies, some in the marketing and advertising world wonder if D&I has inadvertently become synonymous with marketing.

In this fresh InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, Ana Ceppi, a senior advisor on the U.S. Hispanic market at Edelman, shares how one can easily distinguish DEI from multicultural marketing and what broadcast TV and radio station management and ownership may wish to consider if the goal is connecting brands with all consumers — including key multicultural segments.

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: Ana Ceppi, Edelman” on Spreaker.

WHAT BROADCASTERS NEED TO KNOW ON ADVERTISING’S NEW COURSE Brands are paying attention to the multicultural consumer like never before. Consumers are watching and listening to see how brands are reacting. Creative directors and media buyers are shifting greater focus and budget to better reach a more diverse audience and engage the same in marketing partnerships. At Forecast 2022 on November 16 in New York, General Motors Global CMO Deborah will chat with with American Urban Radio Networks CEO Chesley Maddox-Dorsey (pictured, at left) for an exclusive conversation on GM’s commitment to increased minority media expenditures along with her thoughts on how broadcast media fits into GM’s marketing strategy. They will be joined by Doug Ray, Chief Product Officer, Global Media & dentsu Americas, who has been instrumental in the creation and launch of Project Booker, an initiative focused on African American-developed and -owned content that is being distributed on African American-owned radio and is leading the way in how the global media agency community is doing business with African American-owned media. DON’T HESITATE. SECURE YOUR SEAT FOR FORECAST 2022 TODAY!

In August, RBR+TVBR shared with readers the details of two “unique” low-power TV station permits that had just been sold by Mako Communications.

These LPTV permits don’t need to be constructed until 2023, giving the buyer a big window for getting the stations on the air.

The transaction involving this LPTV-to-be pair just closed.

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