Industry News

NEW YORK — The only competition exclusively devoted to radio and audio, created 30 years ago “to encourage and reward the development of effective and creative radio commercials,” has selected its 2022 chief judge.

This sees the 31st annual Radio Mercury Awards turning to a Campbell Ewald creative leader.

Taking the seat as chief judge this year is Alejandro Ortiz, Executive Creative Director at the ad shop. In his role Ortiz leads the creative teams in New York, for a number of clients, including Empire State Development, INY, Port Authority of NY and NJ, a number of spirits and beverage brands at Constellation, and the New York Power Authority, as well as Shamrock Farms.

Before his time at Campbell Ewald, Ortiz spent 14 years in New York working at Casanova//McCann for clients such as UNICEF, Coca-Cola, Denny’s, U.S. Army, Microsoft and U.S. Postal Service, among others. His work has won over 140 creative awards, including three Radio Mercury Awards, Cannes, Clio, The One Show, LIA, Art Directors Club and New York Festivals, etc. He has also participated on juries for the Radio Mercury Awards, Addy’s, Ad Stars Festival, New York Festivals, Ojo de Iberoamérica and more.

The annual Radio Mercury Awards, produced by the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), draws entries from advertising agencies, production houses, radio stations and educational institutions across the country.

“Ale is a multi-faceted creative leader who we have known for many years as he was building his creative reputation,” said RAB President/CEO and Radio Creative Fund Chair Erica Farber. “We have truly benefitted from his support of the Radio Mercury Awards, not only as a winner, but as a passionate judge.”

The Hearst Television business unit that independently produces and distributes original programming for broadcast and cable TV, as well as streaming services, has promoted two individuals.

They’re taking “expanded sales, marketing and distribution roles” at the entity formed in September 2021 that has its roots in Litton Entertainment, rebranded at the start of 2022.

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Steve Jones has been promoted to CEO and president of Skyview Networks. He previously held the role of COO/president since joining the firm in 2019.

“Ken Thiele, founder and CEO, moves to founder and executive chairman of the board, where he will continue to engage in a high-level advisory role for the company,” the company said in the announcement.

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Thiele credited Jones with diversifying and expanding the company’s business portfolio, “resulting in a substantial revenue and market share increase.” Jones worked earlier at Disney/ABC, leading business units at ABC News Audio and ABC News Digital.

He said that despite the pandemic, Skyview has been growing fast in network audio sales, syndication and distribution.

Jeanne-Marie Condo continues as executive vice president.

Skyview Networks describes itself as a “broadcast technology, syndication and national network sales solution company reaching half of all Americans weekly through 9,000 radio station relationships.” Its clients include ABC Audio, CBS Audio, Local Radio Networks, Alpha Media USA, JackFM, The Weather Channel, The Associated Press, Hubbard Broadcasting, Cox Media Group, professional and collegiate sports organizations and two state news networks.

Send news of engineering and executive personnel changes to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Steve Jones Is New CEO of Skyview Networks appeared first on Radio World.

It’s a broadcast technology, syndication and national network sales operation known for providing services to ABC Audio, CBS Audio, Local Radio Networks, Alpha Media USA, JackFM, The Weather Channel, The Associated Press, Hubbard Broadcasting, Cox Media Group, professional and collegiate sports organizations, and two state news networks.

It also has a syndication portfolio for such programs as The Dana Cortez Show and Nick Cannon Radio, and enjoys ties to Quu’s ad-sync technology.

Skyview Networks has established itself as a radio industry leader. Now, one of its top C-Suite figures is being promoted to CEO.

Earning the promotion is COO Steve Jones.

In his new role, Jones will lead the sales, content, broadcast distribution and technology company “as it continues to build on a successful period of growth and innovation,” Skyview says.

Jones joined Skyview in 2019. Since then, the company says his efforts have helped Skyview in achieving an expanded and diversified business portfolio.

What does this mean for Ken Thiele, Founder and CEO? He’ll become Skyview’s Executive Chairman of the Board, and continue in a high-level advisory role for the company.

“Over the last 25 years, Skyview has evolved into a dynamic solutions leader in network audio, and through our enduring growth, we have always maintained a commitment to innovation and quality,” Thiele said. “I have had the privilege of working alongside Steve both as a client and as a leader within our company—he embodies these characteristics, which are also matched with an unyielding drive for excellence, keen business sense, and distinguished experience. I am privileged to welcome him to the role of CEO.”

Prior to joining Skyview Networks, Jones spent many years at ABC under the ownership of The Walt Disney Company, leading business units at ABC News Audio and ABC News Digital. He was named Radio & Records “News Executive of the Year” in 2005 and 2007), among other industry accolades received across his career.

“Steve is the consummate leader with total dedication to our employees, the industry and most of all, the growth of Skyview. He guides each step with intelligent, strategic thinking and is sought after by industry leaders for counsel,” Jeanne-Marie Condo, EVP at Skyview Networks, added.  “It has been a privilege for me to partner with Ken and I thank him for this insightful decision. I am excited to continue working alongside Steve taking Skyview to the next level.”

In August 2021, RBR+TVBR first shared the news that Larry Fuss was once again poised o become the owner of a 1,000-watt AM and its FM translator serving a small city in Mississippi. Why? A reversal of his 2011 sale of the properties was in the works, as the buyer couldn’t keep up with his payment schedule and was some $50,000 behind.

Now, Fuss has a buyer for the properties.

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Gray Television has been an active buyer in recent months. And, we’re not talking about its now-concluded deals with Quincy Media, Inc., or Meredith Corporation.

Gray is an investor in low-power television stations. It’s now asked the FCC for approval for another LPTV deal.

On January 13, Gray signed off on an asset purchase agreement that, pending Commission OK, will give it ownership of WMJN-LD in Huntsville, Ala.

The seller is James and Carol Henderson-led Emanuel Broadcasting Corp., which is earning $330,000, from the LPTV spin.

WMJN uses a PSIP of Channel 29 and is assigned to digital Channel 32. At present, it is a Heartland-affiliated station with Retro TV on DT2, and Rev’n on its DT4 multicast channels.

Will this continue? That’s what locals are likely asking as WMJN will become a sibling to NBC affiliate WAFF-48.

Asked what the company’s plans are, a source close to the situation replied, “We are just working on improving [over-the-air] reception where good opportunities present themselves.”

WAFF’s HD multicast channels are comprised of Bounce TV, Circle, Laff and Grit.

TuneIn has released an initiative it hopes will attract “emerging content creators and educational and non-profit broadcasters.” It says these smaller content creators have great stories to tell, but are struggling to get discovered in today’s highly competitive audio marketplace.

“One of our aims with the launch of TuneIn On Air,” Chief Industry Evangelist Andrew Bock said in the announcement, “is to re-energize college radio stations and independent broadcasters around the U.S. by providing them with a simple and easy-to-use way to dramatically increase their distribution through digital audio.”

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TuneIn On Air is intended to give those users “access to the same distribution tools as major broadcasters through the TuneIn platform.”

The service costs $249 per quarter for broadcasters with “specific offerings at reduced rates” for nonprofits and academic institutions. The company says the benefits to broadcasters of participating include TuneIn’s reach to connected devices and cars; access to performance analytics; and support for listener voice commands.

“Immediately upon joining TuneIn On Air, broadcasters will expand their reach to TuneIn’s 30 million United States-based listeners,” the company said.

“This new offering is aligned with TuneIn’s commitment to reinvent radio for a connected world by bringing radio distribution into the digital age and realizing its promise of an open platform for everyone.”

In late 2020, Richard Stern, former chief product officer of Audible, joined TuneIn as CEO. His stated goal for the company at the time was “to reinvent radio as a digital medium and continue to drive the live audio streaming revolution well into the future.”

The post TuneIn Targets College and Indie Radio appeared first on Radio World.

Amazon has introduced a code-free way to make a radio station’s stream discoverable via its Alexa smart speakers. Previously, stations had to go through a streaming aggregator, like TuneIn, or develop their own Alexa Skill.

With the new onboarding system, stations can provide their streaming URLs and metadata via a simple intake form. This will allow smart speaker users to access the station by saying “Alexa, play [station name].” Amazon says support can be included for a station’s alternate name, call sign, or frequency, as well as location-based search, to ease discovery.

[Related: Smart Speakers and How to Talk to Them]

“Previously, onboarding a radio station to Alexa could take a developer as long as three to six months. With this new service, radio stations can fill in the intake form quickly without any developer resources. This new way of accessing the Alexa Radio Skills Kit offers the same features and customer experience as radio stations who build their own RSK skills,” wrote Arun Krishnan on the Alexa Skills Kit Blog.

About half of all U.S. internet users own smart speakers, according to Comscore Plan Metrix Multi-Platform data, and about 94.2 million Amazon Alexa devices are in use nationwide.

As of December 2021, code-free radio onboarding for Alexa is “generally available,” according to Amazon, in the United States, as well as Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

To explore the code-free radio onboarding, Amazon says to email rsk-onboarding@amazon.com.

The post Amazon Offers Code-Free Onboarding for Alexa appeared first on Radio World.

With 5,000 watts at 590 on your AM dial, this Northeastern Pennsylvania powerhouse cranked out the hits from 1959 through 1971. By 2011, it had become a Cumulus Media property, through its merger with Citadel Broadcasting. The next decade wasn’t kind to this former market leader, with a 2014 transmitter failure and power cut that continues to today.

Cumulus spun the AM in September 2021. Now, it is poised to change hands again.

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A 99-watt FM translator at 93.1 MHz that serves the southeastern portion of the Birmingham, Ala., metropolitan area is being spun.

The buyer? The company that has control of the originating station, WAYE-AM 1220 in Birmingham.

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