800.275.2840 MORE NEWS» insideradio.com

THE MOST TRUSTED NEWS IN RADIO

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015

Nielsen Takes Bubba To Court For PPM Influence. In what appears to be the first-ever case of its kind, Nielsen Audio has sued Bubba The Love Sponge in federal court over alleged ratings tampering. Filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in the Middle District of Florida in Tampa, the civil action accuses the host (Todd Clem) and his Bubba Radio Network of fraud, conspiracy to defraud, violating the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Practices Act and interfering with business and contractual relations between Nielsen and Beasley Media Group, which airs his syndicated show in Tampa. It seeks at least $1 million. In the suit, Nielsen claims Clem met with the “cooperating panelist” multiple times in July and August, offering to pay $300 per month if the listener helped increase his ratings, up to $400 if a target ratings threshold was achieved. According to the Tampa Tribune, Clem sent texts to the panelist including one that read, “U have to PROMISE NOT TO SAY A WORD ... This could ruin me.” The suit describes the lengths Clem went to in an effort to artificially boost his ratings. He bought radios on Amazon.com and had them shipped to the panelist’s house, it claims, and advised the panelist on how to circumvent the PPM’s motion-sensing technology. “He described that by using certain tricks the Cooperating Panelist could make it appear that he was listening to Bubba Clem’s show even when the Cooperating Panelist was not carrying the PPM device,” the complaint states. And when his ratings went down instead of up, Clem allegedly urged the panelist to try harder, saying “Please buddy. Please. I’m paying u!!!” But the charade came to an abrupt halt in August when the panelist contacted Nielsen and blew the whistle on the host.

For Bubba, Confession Leads To Allegation. Nielsen’s ratings fraud charge against Todd “Bubba the Love Sponge” Clem in a federal court in Florida comes less than two weeks after Clem publicly confessed to attempted ratings distortion in the Tampa market. “I was accused of attempting to influence the listening activities of a particular panelist,” the host said during an Oct. 6 press conference. “It is with deep regret and embarrassment that I face you directly and say [the accusations are] true.” Clem’s apology followed an investigation by Beasley Media Group, owner of his Tampa affiliate “Bubba 98.7” WBRN-FM, which said it had determined that Clem was contacted directly by a PPM panelist. Nielsen said then that the improper activity was discovered in a timely manner and it removed the tainted panelist’s results from the delayed September survey results. When it took the harsh step of delisting WBRN-FM from the Tampa ratings, Nielsen signaled it wouldn’t tolerate attempts to distort its ratings. “Nielsen is committed to maintaining the highest standards of data integrity and will continue to act swiftly to ensure those standards are upheld, including taking additional measures if circumstances warrant,” the company said Oct. 5 in a statement. It now has taken such measures for what is believed to be the first time it (or predecessor Arbitron) has ever sued a radio personality. Clem is an independent personality, not a Beasley employee, and he hinted during his Oct. 6 mea culpa that the ratings dust-up may not be over. “I’ll subsequently face any consequences here forward,” he said. “I don’t know what the future of my program is going to be.”

NextRadio Wants Verizon To Put Its Chips In. NextRadio is setting its sights on its biggest prize—cellphone carrier Verizon. Following deals with T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint, NextRadio NEWS INSIDE >> is unleashing a grassroots social media campaign to pressure Verizon to activate FM chips On The Inside with... on Android-based smartphones on its network. NextRadio execs have promised a high- profile effort to court the last big holdout. The Emmis Communications-owned company used DEON LEVINGSTON “National Get to Know Your Customer Day” on Thursday to mount its “Verizon Wireless Social

[email protected] | 800.275.2840 PG 1 NEWS insideradio.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015

Media Campaign.” “Verizon needs to know that their customers want FM radio on their smartphones without using a ton of data or draining their battery like streaming apps do,” NextRadio says. It is advising Verizon customers to visit www.freedomonmyphone. org and provides contact information for Verizon, as well as Apple (which has yet to activate FM chips in iPhones) and the Federal Communications Commission. NextRadio is also urging Verizon customers to use the hashtags #unlockFM and #bettermatters to advance the campaign on social media, and share and retweet related posts. NextRadio is even scripting tweets for users to cut and paste, such as “Hey @Verizon it’s #gettoknowyourcustomersday and they want to listen to us with no data using @NextRadioapp on their smartphone! #unlockFM.” The social strategy has proved successful in the past. Following a clever vlog campaign initiated in August by NextRadio and its president Paul Brenner, T-Mobile president & CEO John Legere took to Twitter to commit to NextRadio. The Verizon campaign is set to run through the end of the month. The company is supplying suggested social media posts to keep the pressure on, including highlighting how FM radio uses less battery and less data than streaming, and can help disseminate emergency information. As one sample tweet sums up, “Free radio is better for your listening experience w/ @NextRadioapp’s LiveGuide. #bettermatters”

AudioBurst—A Good Listener Masters Search. A new curation website has launched that claims to offer a searchable platform for U.S. talk radio content, making audio available and shareable in real time. Based in Tel Aviv, AudioBurst.com allows users to plug in any topic—for example, Donald Trump—and discover relevant on-air content that is then clickable to hear. The site is powered by the company’s proprietary AudioBurst Engine, which it says, “transcribes and understands the meaning of auditory content in real time, [bringing] consumers a new digital medium for talk radio content to be accessed anytime, anywhere.” The company says the search engine scours hundreds of radio stations across the U.S. and captures audio segments, called “bursts,” which are then curated and served to users via AudioBurst.com. Content can then be shared on social networks and embedded for bloggers and websites. AudioBurst is pitching a premium partnership with radio stations to provide tools that would give them a guaranteed minimum of three bursts per week promoted through the website and social media channels. Broadcasters would be automatically notified every time a burst is created from their content. The company says that in addition to helping radio show owners with distribution and content longevity, its platform increases general talk radio consumption online as a result of its bursts ranking prominently in search engines. Amir Hirsh, AudioBurst CEO & cofounder, said in a release, “AudioBurst.com has been designed to make radio content more available in people’s day-to-day online and search activities.” AudioBurst.com also aims to organize audio info with products for radio broadcasters, Internet users, publishers, app developers and those in need of in-depth auditory search capabilities.

New Deal Switches NPR One To Drive. With just a few touches on the digital dashboard, drivers can now tune into NPR’s “All Things Considered” or the latest episode of “Serial.” NPR One, the customizable public radio app that allows listeners to select their preferred national and local public radio content, can now be accessed directly on select car dashes through a new partnership with MirrorLink. NPR One users can connect the app via Mirror Link, a car industry standard for smartphone and in-car connectivity, and its Rock Scout app, which delivers Android audio apps into a car’s digital dashboard. The new integration will allow NPR One to appear as its own icon, much like iHeartRadio, Spotify and Pandora do on many car displays. It creates a safer way for NPR fans to access their favorite content, says Joel Sucherman, NPR’s senior director of digital products. “Compatibility with MirrorLink makes NPR One driver-aware and accessible via large icons that conform to established guidelines in driver distraction,” Sucherman said in a statement. MirrorLink was created by the Car Connectivity Consortium, a group of 100 companies that includes carmakers, smartphone manufacturers and after-market consumer electronics vendors. It features large icons designed to minimize driver distraction and recognizes if a car is in park or drive mode. “Access to NPR One is a major turning point for the MirrorLink app ecosystem,” Alan Ewing, president and executive director of the CCC, said in a statement. “RockScout has attracted the attention of some of the world’s most iconic music and audio brands because, with zero integration, the platform extends access to millions more potential subscribers.”

Tips On When To Play Serious X-Mas Music. Plenty of AC and classic hits stations are wondering when—or if—to pull the trigger on an all-Christmas format. Tracy Johnson Media Group’s namesake president & CEO offers valuable tips on his website about when

[email protected] | 800.275.2840 PG 2 NEWS insideradio.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015 to begin season’s greetings. While the format is a ratings home-run for scores of stations, typically boosting cume “through the roof,” Johnson notes it has some risk: Regular P1 time spent listening among core station fans may sometimes decline. Johnson offers seven tips for stations that decide to go holly and jolly: Lead the market. “Even if you have to go earlier than you think makes sense. Stake your claim to the position as far in advance as necessary. You can’t afford to be the second or third station in.”If someone is already all-Christmas, don’t be afraid. “It’s about the mood and attitude you create, not simply being the only one.” Play the hits. “Be traditional. Contemporary Christmas stations don’t perform nearly as well as those who play the familiar standard hits. Offer a few surprises, but don’t get too aggressive.” Promote your typical format with listener benefits, including what you offer and who your core is. “Your imaging and messaging should match the Christmas theme.” Get your day’s timing right. “Promote the morning show to convert new listeners and retain your fan base who misses your regular format.” Plan a major promotion that begins the day after Christmas and extends into the new year. “This is a great time to launch 10,000 songs in a row, or a mass appeal contest at specific tune-in times. Your goal should be to establish new listening patterns on the back of the specialty programming.” Don’t just throw the music on the air. “Program it. Image it. Position it. And put personality into making your station sound like Christmas.”

Emmis Double-Teams Indy In Sports Approach. Emmis-Indianapolis is joining the ranks of broadcasters with dual sports stations, one locally focused, the other covering the national scene. The company has purchased Frankfort-licensed translator W228CX at 93.5 and, pending FCC approval, will use it to deliver a 100% simulcast of “1070 The Fan” WFNI, where a majority of the programming is live and local. Indy-licensed translator W298BB, which has been airing a combination of WFNI’s local programming and ESPN Radio’s national feed, will relaunch as “107.5 ESPN: Indy’s Sportscenter,” relying almost exclusively on ESPN content. The goal is to make more of WFNI’s local shows available on FM while launching a new station built around the ESPN brand. “We had so much success with the local parts of “The Fan” that we were simulcasting, we went on a search for another FM frequency,” Emmis market manager Charlie Morgan told the Indianapolis Business Journal. Launching a dedicated ESPN station at 107.5 also allows Emmis to fulfill its ESPN contract. “We think there’s value in associating our brand with ESPN,” Morgan said. ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike will be the only non-local show on “The Fan.” Cohosts Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic were set to appear at the company’s Indy headquarters Thursday evening to help launch the station. NBC Sports’ “The Erik Kuselias Show” will air in mornings on 107.5. Since “The Fan” began simulcasting on FM in early 2013, Morgan says its audience has more than doubled—and advertisers have followed. While Nielsen reports their AM and FM ratings separately, their combined share in men age 25-54 hit a 9.3 in its September survey to top the market. The new ESPN-branded station will join a crowded fray that includes iHeartMedia’s “Fox Sports” WNDE (97.5, 1260) and Entercom’s “Sports 1430” WXNT.

Competitive Info—More Readers Than Revenue For Newspapers Sites. The online audience for newspapers is growing at double the rate of the Internet, figures from the Newspaper Association of America show. Yet online revenues for the industry have failed to keep up with that torrid pace and are even declining at some large publicly traded newspaper publishers. Citing comScore data, the trade group says the newspaper digital audience grew more than twice as fast as the overall Internet audience in the 18-24, 25- 34 and 35-44 demos. It attributes the upward trajectory to explosive growth in the use of mobile devices for news and information during the past year. In fact, as of August, half of the newspaper digital audience is composed of those who use only mobile devices to interact with newspaper websites. And overall, 83% of adult men and women online during the month engaged with newspaper digital platforms on their desktop or mobile devices. But the industry has struggled to monetize its wide digital reach and fast online growth. Although industry figures for newspaper online revenue aren’t available, a Mediapost story examined results from a trio of the industry’s larger publicly traded companies. During Gannett’s second-quarter earnings call, president & CEO Robert Dickey said the company’s digital revenues were up in the low- to mid-single digits year-over-year with digital revenue, including subscriptions, accounting for one-quarter of its total revenues of $727 million. Other companies didn’t fare quite so well. Digital dollars fell 10% to $43 million at Tribune Publishing, per Mediapost, representing 10.5% of total revenues. And digital ad revenues declined 1.8% at McClatchy. The numbers don’t jibe with overall Internet ad revenue growth—at least for these three publishers. According to the most recent Interactive Advertising Bureau figures, total online billings jumped 16% in the first quarter.

[email protected] | 800.275.2840 PG 3 NEWS insideradio.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015

Karmazin, Carter Family Now Broadcasting ‘Giants.’ Mel Karmazin and the Kansas City-based Carter family were among nine luminaries with deep radio roots honored as “Giants of Broadcasting” by the Library of American Broadcasting at its Thursday New York luncheon gala. Karmazin, of course, cofounded and served as CEO of Infinity Broadcasting, where he helped launch Howard Stern into syndication before becoming president/CEO of CBS Corp. and CEO of SiriusXM Radio. In a TVNewsCheck profile, writer Reed Bunzel deemed Karmazin a “habitual CEO and dealmaker” with more than $100 billion in M&A activity. The story reveals that he was the son of a taxi driver and factory worker who had no plans to go to college until he took a job at an ad agency because the office had AC. After working his way up to VP/co-owner of the agency, Karmazin joined CBS Radio in New York in 1970, before hitching with Metromedia (WNEW/WNEW-FM) as his momentous corporate climb was launched. The Carter family, one of the first black station owners in the nation, owns urban powerhouse “Hot 103 Jamz” KPRS and “Gospel 1590” KPRT in Kansas City. Accepting the award, Carter Broadcast Group owner Michael Carter said, “My grandparents revolutionized Black radio. We’re keeping their dream alive.” Indeed, as Bunzell wrote in a profile about the family in TVNewsCheck, “The Carter Broadcast Group is the oldest continually run, African-American, family-owned U.S. radio station group.” It was founded in 1952 by Andrew “Skip” Carter and now led by grandson Michael. Along with Karmazin and the Carter family, the Giants luncheon also honored CBS’ Gene Jankowski; NPR’s Jarl Mohn; journalist and radio reporter Don West; writer, director and producer Bill Persky; longtime ABC exec Herb Granath; TEGNA president & CEO Gracia Martore; and producer & director Don Mischer.

Country Radio Rarely Buys Into Reality Successes. Contrary to what some may believe, winning a reality TV show artist competition is not a big influence on subsequent success at country radio. That’s the takeaway from a Billboard story that explored the connection between TV competition winners and radio hits. “Despite—or perhaps because of—the large number of artists that have been channeled into the format through reality TV, country radio has long had a fractious relationship with the genre,” writes veteran reporter Phyllis Stark in the article. For every Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert and Chris Young, who all first rose to fame singing on TV, “there’s an artist like ‘The Voice’ winner Craig Wayne Boyd and ‘X Factor’ winner Tate Stevens that came and went from the airwaves (and their major-label record deals) seemingly in an instant.” CBS Radio Houston VP of programming Bruce Logan said in the Billboard story, “What history tells us about artists who ‘create fan bases’ from TV shows is that typically these TV shows have fan bases that are much older than my stations’ target audience.” And among artists that gained notoriety from TV, “the number that actually hit and have staying power is miniscule.” Programmers agree that roaring out of the gate after a TV win is paramount. “You need a hit, and quick,” said Emmis “Hank FM” WLHK, Indianapolis (97.1) PD Fritz Moser of TV talent show finalists making their way to radio. “People have short attention spans and move on to bond with other contestants on a similar show.” Added Tom Hanrahan, OM/PD at iHeartMedia “102.5 The Bull” WDXB, Birmingham, AL, “Just because you’ve won a big reality TV show competition doesn’t make me go, ‘Oh wow, I have to add that record.’ Most programmers still like the one-on-one radio visit so we can get to know them. ”

Making Hits—Still Radio’s By-the-Book Plan. Despite predictions in some quarters over the past decade that online audio might one day stream past traditional radio in breaking hits, “The Song Machine,” a new book from John Seabrook, suggests the opposite outcome. “The multiplicity of choices offered by streaming services has reinforced the importance of the hit. But no one—not Spotify, not Apple Music, not SoundCloud—has solved the problem of what to listen to next. Hit radio fills that void,” writes Seabrook, in a book excerpt published in Business Week. “Big Radio is still the best way—some would argue the only way—to create a hit.” In his detailed discussion about the making of a hit song, Seabrook also relates that 10% of all songs still supply more than 90% of the music industry’s revenue. Adds industry vet and Lava Records CEO Jason Flom, “Hits not only move records and earn royalties, they also sell tickets to shows and generate fees from commercials, TV shows and movies.” You can read the excerpt HERE.

Inside Radio is written by Paul Heine, Chuck Taylor and Allison Romano, and is edited by Rob Edelstein. If you have comments on a story, a news release, or a news tip, send it to [email protected], or call 800-275-2840. To advertise in Inside Radio, contact Karen Bak [email protected], and for anything else, contact Gene McKay, [email protected] — Get more news, people moves and insider extras @ www.insideradio.com. —

[email protected] | 800.275.2840 PG 4 On the Inside with... insideradio.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015 On The Inside With... Deon Levingston Many radio stations host live the community. This year, we events to grow revenue and wanted to localize our cooking extend their brand, but Emmis pavilions, and we took a whole Communications’ New York day and we are featuring cluster takes a bolder step with celebrity chefs from Harlem. its annual Circle of Sisters event. As we expand, we try to keep And Deon Levingston, a top that local base. GM for the company, is at the center of all the action. A two-day IR: How do you monetize the empowerment expo for women event? of color taking place Oct. 17-18, It is a revenue generator for us Circle of Sisters offers seminars and it has made money every on topics such as health, lifestyle year. We charge for admission and finances, a cooking pavilion, and there are booths for vendors musical performances, live radio and there are sponsors. The broadcasts and a star-studded booths help cover expenses R&B concert. Deon Levingston, and the sponsors help. general manager and VP for Our marketing department rhythmic CHR “Hot 97” WQHT, spearheads the event. We urban AC WBLS (107.5) and have one outside person who gospel WLIB (1190), talks to DEON LEVINGSTON coordinates the booth and the Inside Radio about the event’s growth, its importance for venue. Our digital department coordinates all the his brands and how Circle of Sisters generates revenue. social media that supports it like the website, our apps and with video. Our programming department IR: What does it take to put on an event like Circle books the talent and we have performance stages of Sisters? inside of the event. Our engineering department sets Circle of Sisters is a three-day event for us and everyone up the remotes – we broadcast from there for all from all three radio stations is involved, including the three stations. The digital department is there, they’re talent. We started the first Circle of Sisters in 2005 in shooting video, capturing moments and posting video. the smallest room at the Javits Center [in New York]. We And our sales department works selling sponsorships. waited for buses and trains to see if anyone would come It is the largest event I know of its kind. in. Over the last 10 years, we’ve grown so much we take the whole bottom floor and, last year, we had 53,000 IR: Are most of the women who attend your people. That is tremendous growth for the event. We are listeners? How does this grow your audience? unique for a radio station or cluster because we do two Seventy percent of the people who come to the event 50,000-plus-person events a year. At our last Summer are in our DMA, either from Connecticut, New York or Jam for Hot 97, we had 54,000 people. For most people New Jersey, and 30% are outside our DMA. Last year, that do one event like that, it is their whole year. Our staff we had people come from 29 different states and I executes both events. We have one outside contractor, even met someone from Seattle. We know where they but otherwise it is just our staffs. come from because you buy tickets online. Our three stations, especially Hot 97 and WBLS, have such a IR: How does Circle of Sisters help grow your radio strong streaming presence that there are people who stations’ brands? love the brand everywhere. We also have people For a lot of people, the Circle of Sisters brand is so who lived in the New York area and moved out and large that they don’t realize the radio station puts it on. continue to love the brand. They follow us on social Even though the radio station branding is everywhere, media and listen to our streams. So we can reach a they think the radio stations are just sponsors. But the lot of people. event extends our footprint in the community. It allows us to touch listeners and bring them something back to Cooking Up Something Good — Levingston talks their community. We make sure we have two or three about new things coming to this year’s event at panels on community issues and things going on in InsideRadio.com

Check out other recent Insider Interviews >> Scott Herman | Jimmy Steal | Kevin Gallagher | Gordon Smith | Peter Smyth | Pierre Bourvard | Paul Brenner | Rod Phillips | Anthony Bay | Lary Wilson | Kristin Kolodge | Bill Hendrich | J. Pat Miller | GE Capital’s Ray Shu |

[email protected] | 800.275.2840 PG 5 MEDIABASE insideradio.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015

[email protected] | 800.275.2840 PG 6 CLASSIFIEDS insideradio.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2015 qual NEWS-TALK GENERAL SALES MANAGER qual MARKET MANAGER Looking for your dream job as a market-leading news/talk/sports GSM? WEST COAST News / Talk 95.3 MNC is looking for YOU! We are a family-owned, We’re looking for an experienced, innovative, and legacy media company based in Northern Indiana aggressive and passionate in the heart of Notre Dame Country. You’re 90-minutes away from GM for a top-rated and #1 billing Chicago and less than an hour from the beach. This market is a great medium market cluster. place to raise a family and has some of the most affordable housing in The ideal candidates will have at the nation. We have all the top radio brands (Rush Limbaugh, Glenn least 7 years of winning Beck, Fox News, etc.), plus a local all-news morning show, a great local GM or DOS experience and a PM-drive talk host and one of the best interactive teams in America. The track record of recent success station already has ratings success. Now all we need is the right leader managing a multi-station to take us to the next level. You will have demonstrated experience organization. leading a spoken-word radio sales team and a proven track-record of success. See a full list of requirements in our full ad HERE. Interested? You’ll be expected to attain and For confidential interview, send resume & cover letter: exceed overall revenue, market share and audience Stephanie Michel, growth goals. If you’re tired of Director of Sales large corporate radio and want [email protected] to work for a smaller stable company that respects employees Federated Media provides extensive marketing and sales training while demanding excellence, through The Radio Advertising Bureau and The Center for Sales send resume in confidence to: Strategy. Digital Training and Digital Services are provided through westcoastradiojobs@gmail. Federated Digital Solutions. Equal Opportunity Employer. com. EOE qual SALES — NEW YORK CITY ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE - AUSTIN, TX You are the best of the best. You are self-motivated, creative, a pro- Salem Radio has an active problem solver, tenacious, detail-oriented, money-motivated unusual opportunity for a and approach this job as if you are your own CEO. You are a self- dynamic sales executive to starter, organized, detail-oriented and have the ability to work without much direct supervision. Entercom is seeking AE’s for 94.7 MIX FM, join the New York Cluster. Magic 95.5 FM and Talk Radio 1270 AM/96.3 FM. Entercom has Salem is one of the the latest tools and technology, the most knowledgeable management great dependable media and is known as offering the best work environment for selling radio advertising in the industry. Nobody in the Austin market can offer more companies in America. to their clients than Entercom Austin. Come join us!

Email: Laura Sheaffer, [email protected] Or, 212-857-9639 to Successful candidates are experts in: Strategic targeting of clients; Prospecting and relationship building; and setting face to face schedule an interview. appointments. Find more qualifications and requirements HERE. APPLY HERE EOE In keeping with the other members of the Entercom Teams, the #1 trait we hire for is “WINNING ATTITUDE”. We are looking for driven individuals who refuse to lose or compromise their level of success. If this describes YOU, please forward your resume and career success stories today: [email protected]. Equal Opportunity Employer

INSIDE RADIO, Copyright 2015. www.insideradio.com. All rights reserved. No part of this publication MORE OPPORTUNITIES may be copied, reproduced, or retransmitted in any form. This publication cannot be distributed @ INSIDERADIO.COM >> beyond the physical address of the named subscriber. Address: P.O. Box 567925, Atlanta, GA 31156. Subscribe to INSIDE RADIO monthly subscription $39.95 recurring payment. For information, visit www.insideradio.com. To advertise, call 1-800-248-4242 x711. Email: [email protected].

[email protected] | 800.275.2840 PG 7