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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014
Get ready for the 12 days of recycling Christmas cume. For stations that go all-Christmas, the time immediately following the holiday is a singular event, a once-a-year opportunity to showcase the station’s regular format in the best possible light. The goal is to keep people listening — even after the sleigh bells stop ringing. The courtship of the station’s newfound cume typically swings into high gear when Christmas listening levels reach their high point. Hourly promos airing on CBS Radio AC “Today’s 101.9” WLIF, Baltimore reinforce the station’s Christmas position. But they also include a collage of hooks from songs the station will be pumping out after the stockings and ornaments are packed away. “The message is, ‘Come back after the holidays, and this is what you’ll hear,” WLIF VP of programming Dave Labrozzi says. The hope is the music montages will win over some new year-round converts. Through music promos, artist drops and its own air talent, iHeartMedia AC “93.9 My FM” WLIT-FM, Chicago is pounding the message that “more variety from the ‘90s till now returns after the holidays.” Artists are doing their part. “Hi, this is Kelly Clarkson,” says a promo voiced by the pop star. “My FM plays my Christmas music but after the holidays you can hear more of my favorite songs.” For stations that have updated or evolved their format, like WLIT-FM, such promotion is crucial. “Some people listen to our Christmas format and think we’re still Lite FM,” PD Mick Lee says. “If they hear that [messaging] consistently during the holidays, they might say, ‘Wait a second, they’re playing Meghan Trainor “All About The Bass”? That’s not the station I used to listen to.’”
The post-Christmas format rebuild: Cue up the contests and promotions. Keeping listeners locked in after the Christmas music ends becomes the top priority for hundreds of stations next Friday. To entice them to stick around, many have already begun teasing big contests and promotions that kick in when the regular programming resumes. Steel City Media’s “Country 94.1” KFKF-FM, Kansas City began promoting a January contest that will award season tickets and a trip to the spring training camp for the Kansas City Royals — even before it flipped the Santa switch. The promotion also includes giving away a drawer-full of Kenny Chesney tickets. “It gets them excited about what we’re doing in 2015 and lets them know we’re coming back as a country station,” KFKF PD/morning man Dale Carter says. “You look for the most white-hot thing you can find.” Nothing is more revered in Kansas City right now than the Royals. From December 26 of last year through the end of January, Chicago’s WLIT-FM aired a Variety Pays music-based cash contest that sold the station’s core artists. The station is expected to launch another contest designed to recycle Christmas cume again this year. Ditto for CBS Radio AC “Today’s 101.9” WLIF, Baltimore. Paying close attention to the basics, like music sequencing and imaging, is even more important in the hours and days following the Christmas format, says Summit Media SVP of programming Bill Tanner. “In some markets we advertise, but as a rule we think fans of the format come home quickly, especially the AC fans who give you the most quarter-hours,” he says. FCC won’t block word ‘Redskins’ from radio and TV airwaves. The Federal Communications Commission is refusing to order radio and television stations to stop using the term “Redskins” as it rejects a petition seeking to block the license renewal for a station owned by Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder. George Washington University law professor John Banzhaf had led the charge, urging the FCC to reject the application filed by Red Zebra Broadcasting’s WWXX, Buckland, VA (94.3) seeking a new license. They claimed the “ESPN 980” WTEM simulcast wasn’t fit to be a license holder since it used the word “Redskins” on-air, which they characterized as “a derogatory racial and ethnic slur” and a violation of government
[email protected] | 800.275.2840 PG 1 NEWS insideradio.com FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 limits on profanity and obscenity. But Audio Division chief Peter Doyle concluded in the seven- page decision that “Redskins” doesn’t fit the bill since it’s not sexual or excretory in nature. “The First Amendment and Section 326 [of the Communications Act] prohibit the Commission from censoring program material or interfering with broadcasters’ free speech rights,” Doyle concludes. He also points out there are no provisions in the law or FCC rulebooks that specifically bans hate speech. Communications attorneys had said it was doubtful the FCC would step into the fight or try to limit stations’ use of the word. Red Zebra has also noted opinion surveys show a “small minority” of Americans object to its use. The company had been pushing the FCC to quickly rule on its license renewal to undercut Banzhaf’s threat to bring similar actions against radio and TV stations around the country.
Law professor vows to appeal FCC ruling. The decision by the FCC to reject an attempt to block the license renewal for WWXX, Buckland, VA (94.3) and direct stations to avoid using the word “Redskins” was not unexpected. That’s according to George Washington University law professor John Banzhaf, who brought the challenge. Disappointed but undeterred, he now vows to appeal the staff-level decision to the full Commission and onto the U.S. Court of Appeals if necessary. “We have many more strings to our bow,” Banzhaf says. He points out a similar petition seeking to block the license renewal of Fox Television’s KTTV-TV, Los Angeles should get a “more serious consideration” by the agency since it was filed on time, unlike the one filed against WWXX. And Banzhaf says the L.A. petition includes several additional legal arguments, including that stations that use the term “Redskins” on-air are creating a “racially hostile environment. Radio One buys Russell Simmons-founded hip-hop site. Continuing to bulk up its online portfolio, Interactive One has purchased GlobalGrind, a website focused on hip-hop culture. The Russell Simmons-founded site will anchor a new Millennials channel for the online division of Radio One. The deal completes a sales, content, technology, product and marketing partnership with GlobalGrind which Interactive One began in April 2013. Since then, Interactive One says the site’s reach has increased 60%. Simmons and Global Grind co-president Michael Skolnik will remain involved, with Skolnik serving as editor in chief of the site, which covers entertainment, celebrity news, music, style, culture, news and politics from a hip-hop perspective. It will join the company’s flagship properties, including HelloBeautiful, TheUrbanDaily and NewsOne. During the last year, Interactive One says its reach has grown 145% to 33 million unique visitors per month. “This acquisition, which perfectly aligns with our existing multimedia brands, allows us to exponentially fast track our Millennial channel expansion strategy,” Radio One CEO Alfred Liggins said. Simmons said he’s happy with the care Interactive One has given “my baby” under the partnership and that he plans to continue to contribute his views to the site on important issues and trends. “GlobalGrind will continue to be a pop culture tastemaker and voice for the hip-hop generation,” he said. Internet ad revenue jumped 17% in record-setting quarter. Shrugging off a slower mid-year pace of sales, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) reports a new record was set during the third quarter. Marketers spent $12.4 billion across all digital platforms, beating a previous record set late last year by $300 million. “Interactive advertising is clearly maintaining its strong momentum,” says David Silverman, a partner at PwC which compiles the data for the IAB. “These figures directly reflect how brands are increasingly embracing digital as a must-have in their marketing mix.” Not only did internet advertising revenue climb 17% during the third quarter compared to a year earlier, but the IAB says the figures also mark a 6.5% increase from second quarter, when an across-the-board slowdown in the ad market was a slight drag on the torrid pace of growth. IAB SVP of research Sherrill Mane says the latest numbers signal there’s a “new age in advertising” where digital will play a larger role. “Brands and agencies have clearly recognized that interactive advertising offers rich, immersive experiences,” she says. The Radio Advertising Bureau reported last month that the industry’s digital revenue increased 11% compared to a year ago and that $720 million of web sales have been booked through the first nine months of the year.
Court gives SBS one victory, but other cases remain pending. In the latest setback for Lehman Brothers, a Delaware court has upheld the February decision to dismiss the firm’s lawsuit against Spanish Broadcasting System. The preferred shareholder had sought unspecified damages, alleging SBS violated the terms of its loan agreements when it bought the Houston television station KTBU-TV in 2011 for $16 million and took on new debt while missing quarterly dividends payments.
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In a decision handed down December 11, the Supreme Court of Delaware affirmed the lower court’s decision saying it could “find no error ... given the undisputed facts of record.” The ruling was welcome news for SBS, which has been doing battle with its preferred shareholders for the past several years. “We are glad to see this matter resolved,” SBS chief executive Raul Alarcon says in a statement, adding that it “supports our long-standing position that Lehman’s claims were frivolous and without merit.” The ruling could be followed by a dismissal of a separate lawsuit brought by two other shareholders, River Birch Capital and Visium Catalyst Management, on similar grounds. Even so, Lehman and SBS aren’t completely finished in court. SBS has filed a separate lawsuit against Lehman alleging it violated the terms of an agreement to fund a portion of the company’s former revolving credit facility. SBS says it will continue to “vigorously pursue” that case. Lehman, which holds 38.8% of the Hispanic broadcaster’s stock, did score one victory. It and other preferred shareholders were able to elect two directors to sit on SBS’ board after the company failed to catch up on its back dividend payments. L.A. radio owner welcomes policy shift on Cuba. Meruelo Media Group is hailing a decision this week by President Obama to establish formal diplomatic ties with Cuba and work to end a decades-old embargo of the country. The privately- held management company may have more of an interest in Cuba since it is headed by Alex Meruelo, the New York-born son of Cuban immigrants. The company says it “fully supports” the administration’s actions, and says Cuba is a country that is “full of new opportunities.” The owner of the Los Angeles urban “K-Day” combo of KDAY, Redondo Beach (93.5) and KDEY- FM, Ontario (93.5) — along with “Mundo Fox 22” KWHY-TV, and several low-power TV stations in Southern California — stops short of saying explicitly it hopes to soon be broadcasting to Havana. But Meruelo does offer a hand of support. “We look forward to lending our experience and expertise to ensure the success of this new policy that will benefit Cubans and Cuban Americans everywhere,” the company says. Many other U.S. companies are salivating at the opportunity to do business in the island nation, including Cisco, Marriott, MasterCard, Pepsi and Major League Baseball. Radio Mercury Awards chief judge named. A former winner of a Radio Mercury award will help select the winners in the coming year. The Radio Advertising Bureau says Y&R-New York chief creative officer Jim Elliott will serve as the chief judge for the 2015 awards, set to be handed out June 3 in New York City. He’s overseen work for clients such as Land Rover, Campbell Soup Company and Dell. “Media is constantly evolving and changing around us, and yet radio creative is still the most challenging and truly the best writer’s medium in which to challenge yourself,” Elliott says. “With all the new platforms radio has, there are no boundaries.” Over the coming months a team of radio creative pros will join the judge’s panel. With Cannes and Clio awards also on his shelf, among others, RAB president Erica Farber says the industry is privileged to have Elliott play a pivotal role in the 2015 awards. “Jim has a true appetite for exceptionally creative radio and has shown a commitment to transport the medium to new levels of excellence,” she says in the announcement. Now in its 24th year, the call to entry for the Radio Mercury Awards is now open. Entries can be submitted through April 6. Prizes will be awarded in 19 categories, including the $50,000 best-of-show. Bridging brands and bands: Dastur named iHeart SVP of programming integration. After eight years of programming radio’s largest-cuming CHR brand, Sharon Dastur is joining iHeartMedia’s National Programming Platforms department. Replacing her as program director of “Z100” WHTZ, New York is Mark Medina, who currently programs CHRs “Hot 99.5” WIHT, Washington and “Z104.3” WZFT, Baltimore. As SVP of programming integration, Dastur will work to create programs that leverage iHeart’s assets for brands and work with artist managers and labels on their execution. Drawing on her deep music industry relationships and Z100 experience, her marching orders are to develop partnerships between labels and ad agencies — and work with local programmers to refine existing programs and initiatives. WHTZ has long served as the litmus test for whether a concept, such as the Jingle Ball holiday concert, can be implemented across the company’s CHR portfolio. Dastur has been part of 19 Z100 Jingle Ball concerts and co-booked this year’s national tour, which hit nine
[email protected] | 800.275.2840 PG 3 NEWS insideradio.com FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014 other cities. Now she’ll work with the company’s artist relations team on booking and talent negotiations for all iHeartRadio national events. As national CHR brand coordinator, Dastur has overseen programs like “On The Verge” which coordinates group airplay for acts as they’re about to break. Dastur, who broke into radio by answering the request line at Houston’s KRBE (104.1), joined Z100 in 1996 and was promoted to PD in 2006. She’s guided the station to its highest ratings and revenue, ranked third in the nation in 2013 in billings, according to BIA/Kelsey. “When we look at where we’re taking iHeartMedia, Sharon’s experience and skills are perfectly suited for this role,” says NPP president Tom Poleman, who has worked with Dastur for 20 years.
Republican uprising at the FCC. The relationship between the two Republicans on the Federal Communications Commission and its chairman has hit a new low, as Ajit Pai and Michael O’Rielly are using unusually frank language to say their role as decision-makers is being ignored by Democrat Tom Wheeler. The issue that led to the eruption was a decision made by the Wireless Bureau on mobile wireless services that Pai and O’Rielly felt should have been brought to a vote before the five commissioners. Under previous chairmen, a single request would have been accepted, according to Pai. “This is not how democracy works,” he said, adding, “Bad process makes for bad policy.” Under Wheeler the agency has empowered Bureaus, including the Media Bureau, to issue more rulings in an effort to speed decision-making. The Republicans believe that’s an abdication of the responsibility Congress gave the commissioners. O’Rielly says he “strongly objects” to that change in procedure, fearing Wheeler sidelining them will set a precedent. “I didn’t just go through the confirmation process in order to have bureaus and advisory committees make decisions that should be made by commissioners,” he said. Pai says Wheeler’s “antics” will only fuel efforts on Capitol Hill to focus on FCC process reform. “I hope that the new year yields successful legislative efforts to ensure that we — plural — are an independent agency.” Delmarva adds two in Wilmington. Delmarva Broadcasting Company has owned stations in the Delaware Valley since 1927. It will enter 2015 with two additional ones. The company has struck a $3.25 million deal to buy urban “Kiss 101.7” WJKS and gospel “Faith 1510” WFAI in Wilmington, DE from QC Communications. Delmarva will manage WJKS and WFAI under a local marketing agreement beginning January 1. “Wilmington is a terrific market for local radio,” VP/general manager Michael Reath says. “This transaction further strengthens our ability to deliver original content to even more audiences and thus provide more value for our advertisers.” Delmarva currently owns 11 radio stations in Delaware and eastern Maryland and the two stations join a Wilmington cluster that already includes CHR WSTW (93.7) and “News Talk 1150” WDEL.
First move by new USA owners: sign Steve Deace and move him to afternoons. USA Radio Networks, which is undergoing a rebuilding under new owner Cross Platform Media Group, has picked up nationally syndicated radio host Steve Deace as part of its lineup. As part of the deal, Deace’s show will move from nights to afternoon drive, starting January 20. “It is one of the prime time slots in radio,” Deace says. “Moving there, just as the most important presidential election of our lifetime gets going, is great timing.” Previously self-syndicated, Deace’s program currently clears on 44 affiliates. “Steve is a significant addition to our line-up and reflects the aggressive growth plan of USA Radio Networks,” says Sam Hassell, chief executive of Cross Platform Media Group which bought the network with an $850,000 bid during a court-ordered auction in June. The company sees the radio network fitting into its other Christian media assets, including radio syndicator TEN Syndication. Inside Radio News Ticker...Deezer names new CEO…On the heels of its expansion into the U.S., Paris-based digital music service Deezer has appointed Dr. Hans-Holger Albrecht as CEO. He arrives from the same position at telecom and media group Millicom, which operates in Africa and Latin America. In addition to targeting audiophiles in the U.S, Deezer expanded into spoken word content with an October acquisition of Stitcher, which offers content from 35,000 talk shows and podcasts. Deezer has a worldwide user base of 16 million people and 6 million paid subscribers in 180 countries...Astros ink new four-year radio deal...The Houston Astros may have a new coach for the 2015 season, but they’ll have a familiar radio outlet. The team has signed a multiyear contract with “Sports Talk 790” KBME. “They have been great partners for many years, presenting Astros baseball in a first-class manner,” Astros president Reid Ryan says. The first spring training game of the 2015 season is scheduled for Thursday, March 5...People Moves...A longtime Las Vegas morning man makes a surprise decision to leave his show. Read People Moves HERE.
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FLORIDA TRANSLATORS qualLOOKING FOR A MARKET MANAGER TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE FOR SALE Are you sick of corporate radio and want a piece of the action in a Over twenty built translators dynamic market with proven stations? and translator CPs available in multiple Florida locations Wilks Broadcasting is seeking a proven leader to run its Country including Jacksonville, Ocala, Station - 92.1 The Wolf, Classic Rock - 100.9 The Bandit, and AAA Venice, the Treasure Coast, Station - 100.1 The X in Reno, Nevada. and South Florida. This position requires the ability to lead by example; desk jockeys need For information, not apply. Our Market Managers become our partners with real equity so write to: you must be a dynamic leader, a consummate salesperson, love to make [email protected] sales calls, have a strong work ethic, desire to build a great team, believe in honesty at all times, and be able to handle tough coaching. qual SALES MANAGER You must be a radio professional with experience as a CALIFORNIA Sales Manager, Director of Sales or Market Manager. It’s warm and sunny Note “Mkt Mgr” in the subject line when sending your today in Southern resume and salary requirements to: [email protected]. E.O.E. California! Riverside/San Bernardino’s All Pro Broadcasting Alt Rock LOOKING FOR THE X1039 (KCXX) is looking for PERFECT RADIO SALES an aggressive, high energy sales leader with a proven OR MANAGEMENT PRO? track record to lead our sales PLACE YOUR JOB OPENING HERE! department. Must possess EMAIL: [email protected] FOR A excellent organizational and time management skills along qual GM - MATTOON.CHARLESTON, IL with a “can do” attitude. Candidates must be self If you have a reason to be in the South Central Illinois area, and motivated, self disciplined, if you are a “selling manager”, Cromwell Radio Group has a great a great communicator and position for you. Growing area, college town on interstate. Not a a positive leader. turn-around. Performing wonderfully. Need the right GM with solid Please contact VP/GM business and digital knowledge to keep it that way and growing. We Bill McNulty at: have three FMs, two being the most listened to Country and CHR [email protected]. stations in the region. Great community involvement. No calls, please. All Pro Broadcasting is an Equal Opportunity employer. This is a position where you can make a difference and see it. It is not a position for “ratings or transactional” selling GM. It’s a “roll your sleeves up, get the job done, serve the community and be a leader” position which is always appreciated in smaller markets. Base plus bonus and good benefits for the right person. Current 11 year GM leaving on great terms for a position she can not pass up and we support her.
Candidate must be involved in the community and be able to lead by example. E-mail resume and cover letter to: [email protected]. E.O.E.
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