Industry News

iHeartMedia plans to acquire audio ad technology company Triton Digital for $230 million.

It said the agreement to buy Triton from E.W. Scripps Company “establishes iHeartMedia as the only company to provide a complete set of advertising technologies and measurement solutions for all forms of audio media.”

It highlighted benefits of the acquisition in expanding its “data and measurement capabilities, programmatic platform, self-service platform for small businesses and podcast capabilities.”

Providing some insight into where iHeart sees the greatest business opportunity, the headline of the press release emphasizes iHeart’s description of itself as a podcast publisher as well as its role in“ all forms of audio media.”

The agreement is subject to certain closing conditions, including regulatory approval.

“With this acquisition, iHeartMedia will now be able to provide audio content to producers and advertisers with an industry-leading full ad service package for streaming and podcasting no matter their size, reach or distribution method,” it stated.

iHeart says it will be the first company in the audio market “to provide four distribution methods for audio, including on-demand, broadcast and digital streaming radio and podcasting, and to service all audio assets programmatically.”

This is the latest in a string of audio-related moves. IHM acquired podcast marketplace Voxnest late last year and, as it noted in the announcement, in the past two and a half years it also acquired buying platform Jelli Inc., social intelligence platform Unified and, through its subsidiary RCS, the cloud-based audio platform Radiojar.

The post iHeartMedia Will Acquire Triton Digital appeared first on Radio World.

The E.W. Scripps Co., which sold its podcast company Stitcher in October and nearly doubled its return on that investment, was an early entrant into podcasting and digital audio.

Now, it is selling Triton Digital, a divestiture the broadcast TV company says “reflects Scripps’ consistent invest-for-growth strategy that capitalizes on emerging media marketplaces to unlock shareholder value.

The buyer is iHeartMedia, and the price tag is a cool $230 million.

For Scripps, the deal represents a cash-on-cash return of 1.6x for a business Scripps acquired in late 2018.

Triton is a global technology and services leader for the digital audio and podcast industry. Scripps bought the company for $150 million, and it has been accretive to segment margins since then, it says.

Operating in more than 50 countries, Triton Digital is a global advertising technology SaaS platform for audio streaming, podcasting and metrics that, Scripps says, “enables publishers to monetize their audiences by providing digital audio measurement and advanced audio-focused infrastructure to maximize the yield of audio inventory.”

The company’s two lines of business focus on advertising infrastructure and measurement, including a content delivery system that distributes digital audio streams and podcasts to listeners while dynamically inserting ads and measurement business that tracks audience and creates ratings reports.

In addition to measuring audiences for customers, Triton Digital operates a programmatic marketplace for digital audio programmatic ad-buying and Yield-Op, a Supply Side Platform (SSP) that specializes in audio and enables programmatic audio advertising.

“We are thrilled to join the iHeartMedia family,” said Triton Digital CEO Neal Schore. “We remain deeply committed to providing the world’s broadcasters, podcasters, and online audio publishers with continuously innovated, best-in-class solutions and services for online audio management, advertising, and consumption data, and are well positioned to enhance iHeartMedia’s value proposition to audiences and advertisers.”

A CHAPTER CLOSES FOR SCRIPPS, AND IS WRITTEN FOR iHEART

“The sale of Triton creates significant value for Scripps’ shareholders and employees, as we close a chapter on our growth of digital audio businesses through a series of successful transactions and a focus on prudent operations, including our core TV business,” said Scripps President/CEO Adam Symson. “We believe iHeartMedia is a perfect fit for Triton Digital given their focus and position as the leader in audio solutions.”

For iHeartMedia, “Adding Triton Digital and its industry leading services to the iHeartMedia audio ecosystem establishes iHeartMedia as the only company with a total audio advertising technology and data solution,” said Bob Pittman, the company’s Chairman/CEO. “iHeart, with our strong leadership position in podcasting, digital radio and broadcast, already provides cutting edge audio management, programmatic and data solutions for the broadcast radio, digital audio and podcasting industries, and this acquisition further strengthens our position as the No. 1 audio company in America and provides unique — and critical — solutions for the industry and for advertisers.”

The company adds that with this acquisition, a significant investment in the podcasting business, iHeartMedia “will now be able to provide audio content to producers and advertisers with an industry-leading full ad service package for streaming and podcasting no matter their size, reach or distribution method.”

In particular, iHeartMedia claims it is now “the first and only company in the audio market to provide four distribution methods for audio, including on-demand, broadcast and digital streaming radio and podcasting, and to service all audio assets programmatically.”

Scripps Chief Financial Officer Jason Combs said the company would use proceeds from the Triton sale to pay down debt.

“We remain focused on bringing our debt back down to our company’s historical levels as quickly as possible while at the same time we reap the financial benefits of being a new leader in national television as we have been in local broadcast,” Combs said.

For iHeart, the Triton purchase follows post-bankruptcy emergence investments in the audio technology space for iHeartMedia. In October 2020, the company once known as Clear Channel Communications acquired Voxnest, a marketplace for podcasts and provider of podcast analytics, enterprise publishing tools, programmatic integration and targeted ad serving. This followed the purchases of Jelli Inc, purveyors of technology that offers marketers a digital-compatible buying platform for broadcast radio that includes programmatic buying, data targeting and creative optimization; Radiojar, which developed a cloud-based audio playout platform through iHeartMedia-owned RCS; and Unified, a social advertising data intelligence platform and solutions provider.

Transaction highlights:

• Sale price of $230 million, representing an internal rate of return after taxes in the mid-20% range and a low teens EBITDA multiple
• Proceeds from the sale used primarily to pay down Scripps debt
• Tax liability effective rate of 5%
• The move of all Triton employees to iHeart

The Triton transaction is expected to close in the first quarter, pending Hart-Scott-Rodino clearance.

While the nation’s leading radio broadcasting companies have shunned it, TuneIn remains one of the leading live streaming and on-demand audio platforms on a global level.

As such, it is ramping up its C-Suite with the appointment of a Chief Technology Officer, a Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Product Officer — among other changes.

The moves see Paul Brody become CTO, Rob Deichert as CRO, and Joe King taking the CPO role.

At the same time, Yasmin Coffey has been elevated to Chief Legal Officer (CLO).

Kevin Straley will continue to serve as Chief Content Officer (CCO).

The news comes on the heels of the recent appointment of Richard Stern to Chief Executive Officer and a new investment in TuneIn led by Innovation Endeavors.

Additionally, six new members will join TuneIn’s Board and bring their deep expertise in the areas of business, technology, media and entertainment: Eric Botto, Steve Cakebread, Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, Greg Coleman, Rick Scanlon and Harpinder Singh.

Previously, Brody served as CTO at Rakuten Advertising, where he built and operated the technology for the company’s ad platforms and innovative e-commerce measurement business. Before that, he served as Chief Product Officer for CleverTap, co-founder and CEO of Sococo, and Vice President of Products for Yahoo!

Deichert was formerly CEO at Eyeview, where he refactored the product roadmap, business processes and developed a plan to continue scaled growth.

As CPO, King is responsible for TuneIn’s product management and interaction design. Previously, he served as Principal Product Manager, Kindle Content at Amazon.com.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Board of Directors for the company that owns such key NBC affiliates as WXIA-11 in Atlanta and WGRZ-2 in Buffalo has declared a dividend payable April 1.

The news came ahead of the Closing Bell on Wall Street, which saw TEGNA shares reach close to $18 in a positive trading session for the broadcast TV company.

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This article appeared in Radio World’s “Trends in Codecs and STLs for 2020” ebook.

Working from home or remote studios is in “normal” times a challenge for broadcast and voiceover talent. When one factors in a pandemic lockdown and the ensuing scramble to move studio-quality audio back and forth, a service like ipDTL can make that task less of a challenge.

The ipDTL service has been enjoying more attention during the pandemic but has been around for several years. It comes from In:Quality, which “operates a worldwide network for the real-time transmission of professional audio.” The company says its users include the BBC, New York Public Radio, NPR and Global Radio.

[Check Out More of Radio World’s Ebooks Here]

The service is based on the open source Opus codec. Founding Director Kevin Leach, a former radio host and BBC sound engineer, says ipDTL runs smoothly on any modern computer: “If you can browse the internet smoothly on your computer, then you can run a stable ipDTL connection.”

A subscriber of the service can send a link to another location, where that link is opened in a browser and a bidirectional studio quality audio link would then be established.

ipDTL has additional capabilities: With the proper configuration, the subscribing user can also connect to legacy ISDN codecs (where still available) and even connect to a voice grade telephone. With SIP protocols and using a sip.audio account from In:Quality, a subscriber can also connect to hardware codecs (e.g. Comrex, Tieline, Telos, JK Audio) that are configured for Opus connections.

It is also compatible with G.722 and G.711 over IP. There is a video angle as well, VP8 and H.264. And it lives on Windows, Mac, Linux and ChromeOS computers.

Subscription Levels

There are three levels of ipDTL annual subscriptions: Bronze users can send one connection link, Silver users two and Gold users may send up to four simultaneous connections. A version allowing six connections is in the late stages of testing. The Gold subscription also includes basic video functionality. Prices start at $15 per month. Subscribers get a sip.audio address (XXXXX@sip.audio), which allows SIP-enabled devices to talk to the subscriber.

How does this work in the real world? I tested the service recently during a virtual NAB Show demonstration with Leach.

There are some caveats from my experience.

All codec developers (software and hardware) caution users that sending a true mix-minus is vital for proper operation of the codec. For example: On a mixer like the Allen+Heath ZED 10, there are three ways to send a mix-minus (aux send, FX send and record bus). The best one that seems to work with USB connections is the record bus, where inputs other than the USB connections are selected (mics, etc.). The USB out can be fed from the record bus. If the main mix were fed to the USB out, that would create a feedback loop. A standalone codec could be fed mix-minus from the aux or FX send.

During our demonstration, I fed the record bus with the USB output. When Leach talked about the importance of a mix-minus, I created a feedback loop (which happens when the codec or other receive channel is fed back to the other end of the connection).

Unless a laptop is within visual distance of a wireless router, and it is the only device on the network at that particular time, in:Quality strongly recommends a wired connection to the network router when using the ipDTL service. With a wired gigabit connection over Cat-6,  I experienced no connection problems.

Leach says multiple SIP connections with ipDTL at the studio end provide maximum flexibility. He said devices such as Wheatstone SwitchBlade and Comrex Access MultiRack can receive multiple duplex real-time SIP streams from remote sites and guests. The studio so equipped can send a connection link to talent and guests so they can connect easily to the SIP hardware. There’s also an option to connect from one of the company’s range of SIP Opus Codecs.

Subscribers may opt to be listed in a database of ipDTL users around the world for an extra charge. That’s a useful resource for audio reporters and producers, and it could also help those producers and reporters to connect with newsmakers and subject matter experts.

“For too long now, there has been uncertainty and trepidation about the migration from ISDN to IP codecs,” Leach said. “With SIP now, it feels like we’re finally past the point of no return, but there’s still some work to do. A newspaper journalist should be able to ask a radio producer what SIP address they should call for an interview, and get a confident reply. Looking at the messages in our support inbox, we’re not quite there yet.”

Paul Kaminski, CBT, is a longtime Radio World contributor, and host and producer of msrpk.com’s “Radio-Road-Test” program. Twitter: msrpk_com; Facebook: PKaminski2468

The post Live Remote Broadcasting in Your Browser appeared first on Radio World.

The author is president of WorldDAB.

Last year was a pivotal year for DAB+ radio — with a string of developments providing clear evidence of the standard’s progress:

• In October, Germany launched its second national multiplex — offering 16 new services to a potential audience of 67 million people;
• In December, Switzerland confirmed that it would be switching off FM radio — starting with the public broadcaster in 2022, followed by the private broadcasters in 2023;
• Also, in December, the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) came into force — requiring all new car radios in the EU to be capable of receiving digital terrestrial radio.

Device Sales

These market developments have been mirrored by strong consumer demand for DAB+ radios:

• DAB/DAB+ consumer receiver sales increased by 12% in 2020 (analog sales dropped by 21% over the same period);
• In Q4, the DAB/DAB+ performance was even stronger with sales up 22% year-on-year.

Consumers are moving away from FM-only devices to the more compelling offer available on DAB+ (increased choice, more consistent audio and, increasingly, color displays).

DAB’s Green Credentials

At the end of last year, a major advance was made when the BBC published its report into the energy footprint of its radio services. Presented at the WorldDAB General Assembly, this report broke new ground as, for the first time, it considered energy consumption across the whole of the radio full value chain: production, distribution, and consumer listening.

The conclusions highlighted the greater efficiency associated with DAB radio:

• 28% more efficient than FM (per listening hour);
• 59% more efficient than IP (per listening hour).

These findings are clear evidence of the critical role which DAB/DAB+ plays in creating a sustainable future for radio — a priority of increasing importance for broadcasters and policy makers.

Prospects for 2021

The next major development for DAB+ in Europe will be the launch of national (i.e. metropolitan) services in France.

The media regulator, the CSA, has given the green light for services to be on air beginning July 15. Two national multiplexes offering 25 services will be available, with the key focus on the major road networks — starting with the highways between Paris and Marseille.

Conclusion

The EECC directive, coupled with strong developments in key European markets including France and Switzerland confirms that DAB+ is established as the core future platform for radio in Europe.

The strong growth in DAB+ receivers in cars and consumer radios underlines this progress, and the significance of these advances should not be understated.

• Radio’s role as the most trusted source of news and information has rarely been more important;
• In times of emergency, broadcast radio consistently provides levels of service reliability unmatched by mobile networks;
• The environmental advantages of DAB radio are clearly evidenced in the BBC report into energy consumption.

The challenge for us now is to maintain this momentum. Digital broadcast platforms lie at the heart of radio’s future. Now is the time to ensure we have the policy frameworks and strategic focus to deliver on this promise.

The post DAB+ Takes Center Stage appeared first on Radio World.

On January 25, ten brands in the state of Michigan went live with sports betting.

To better understand the consumer reaction in Michigan to the launch of sports betting, Cumulus Media and its Westwood One national radio arm commissioned MARU/Matchbox to conduct a study of 700 Michigan adults aged 21 and older.

The research was conducted from Friday, Jan. 29-Monday, Feb. 1. The findings are now being shared.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has selected the agency’s next Press Secretary.

It’s an individual joining the Commission’s Office of Media Relations after having served as Communications Director for then-Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small of New Mexico.

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Have you downloaded Discovery+ yet? If not, perhaps you’ve heard about the new OTT platform from the company behind some of cable TV’s most watched networks.

Or, maybe you haven’t — given the ad plan of action from the company.

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The latest Media Monitors Spot 10 Radio report shows a big gap between the leading auto insurance brand and its closest competitor. Is this the start of a new trend?

It may be way too soon to make such predictions, but Progressive has a commanding lead by play count over GEICO in the latest report.

And, Progressive is the lone fully paid brand over 55,000 plays.

Otherwise, there’s little movement in the Spot Ten for the week ending February 14, 2021, with McDonald’s now at No. 10.