Weekly News Recap April 2-6-23, 2018 Nielsen: Radio Remains Media’s Reach Machine. While Baby Boomers grew up apple-to-apples comparisons of age demographics, from teens with radio and Millennials tune media platforms more than two (94%) to adults 25-54 (97%). into the medium in strikingly large years ago. numbers, radio’s largest reach That consistent reach hasn’t gone comes from Generation X (ages Comparing technology trends unnoticed by big national brands. 35-54). Some 80.5 million Gen to fashion trends, Nielsen Audio “Billion dollar advertisers are re- X-ers tune in to AM/FM radio managing director Brad Kelly calls discovering the power of radio and during an average month (97% AM/FM radio “the blue blazer” of how it can augment, supplement of the generation’s population), the media universe. “Who would and amplify their media mix,” Kelly according to fresh research from have believed 100 years after its says. “New ad dollars are flowing Nielsen. Gen X is followed by debut AM/FM radio would continue to the medium, and major national to top the charts as the brand names that have been absent medium that reaches from commercial radio for decades more consumers can once again be heard on the each week than any air – further evidence that we are other,” he says in the entering into an age of ‘reawakening’ introduction to “Audio about what radio has to offer both Today – How America the general consumer public, and Listens.” “Audio plays a the ad community.” central role in the daily lives of hundreds of The report also shines a light millions of consumers,” on which radio formats have the Kelly adds. highest appeal among the country’s Millennials (18-34-year-olds) with growing podcast consumers. More 71.6 million monthly listeners (95% The new report offers a snapshot of than 30 million Americans watch, of the Millennial population) and the audio world, where a plethora of listen or download podcasts each 41.2 million monthly Baby Boom new apps and streaming services month. But their appeal is stronger listeners (ages 55-64), representing continue to make headlines on a daily among some formats than others 98% of the generation’s population. basis. Yet broadcast radio’s weekly and “Audio Today” offers a roadmap reach of 228.5 million outpaces the for programmers navigating the All told, radio reaches 93% of adult 68.5 million for streaming audio, podcast landscape. Alternative and Americans (18+) each week, some 35.7 million using satellite radio and triple A score highest with roughly 228.5 million consumers, more than 21.9 million consuming podcasts. 20% of each format’s audience also those watching television (216.5 listening to podcasts. million), using an app or accessing “Radio plays a special role in our the web on a smartphone (203.8 culture. Its audiences are as varied Rhythmic CHR (17.1%), hot AC million) or watching video on a and diverse as our national makeup. (17.0%) and sports (16.8%) round smartphone (127.6 million). All generations, demographics and out the top five formats among ethnicities are tuning in,” Kelly says. podcast fans. But every format, The new numbers, from Nielsen’s In fact, the new data shows radio except country (12.1%) and regional second-quarter 2017 Comparable reaches 97% of Blacks (34.5 million Mexican (11.5%), over-indexes Metrics Report, keep radio in the consumers) and 96% of Hispanics against the 12.7% national average enviable position as the country’s (44.6 million) on a monthly basis. of all American adults for using top reach medium, which it has The medium’s monthly reach is podcasts. occupied since Nielsen first began remarkably consistent across all Page 1 Weekly News Recap April 2-6, 2018 Live Music Makes The Event Revenue Register Ring. The annual radio station outdoor concert season is blossoming once more. While station concerts are perhaps the ultimate vehicle to generate good will with listeners, make no mistake: These multi-layered live events are also designed to generate revenue. While the usual sponsorship opportunities exist, along with restaurant and bar tie-ins for ticket giveaways, station sales teams are getting more creative when approaching clients who want to be attached to these events. “Depending on the concert, we build a number of different activation pieces that are specific and relevant to that audience,” Cumulus Media Atlanta VP/market manager Sean Shannon says. “The activation pieces we do for the ‘Kicks 101.5 Country Fair’ are going to look very different from the activation pieces that we do at ‘Q-Topia.’ For the WXTU Philadelphia “34th Anniversary Show,” senior VP/ market manager David Yadgaroff says the station offers the Country, News/Talk Most-Listened-To Formats. sponsorship of a country dance floor at the venue, captures Country remained out front as radio’s most listened to format ticket upgrades for listeners while they hold a sponsored in 2017 with a 13.2 share, down slightly from its 2016 level. picture frame, which all is pushed out via XTU’s social media News/talk gained ground and is now within one share of channels “to a fully integrated program encouraging concert country with a 12.3 share, when counting both commercial goers to make good transportation decisions” with a campaign and non-commercial stations. This is according to “Audio called Blow a Zero, Be a Hero. Today – How America Listens,” and is based on Nielsen’s Fall 2017 survey, Mon.-Sun., midnight-midnight, 12+ AQH share. NAB To FCC: Streamlining Doesn’t Mean New Filing For the first time, Nielsen breaks out Requirements. commercial and non-commercials Keep it simple. That’s the message from the NAB to the news/talk stations separately. FCC as the agency decides whether or not to eliminate the Commercials news/talkers captured filing requirement for paper contracts and a variety of other an 8.3 share of the national audience, documents. The NAB is pushing back against a proposal compared to a 4.0 for non-comms. But there are nearly four from a coalition of public interest groups that urged the FCC times as many commercial news/talk stations measured by to require stations to put such documents in their online public Nielsen (1,670 stations) than non-commercial (437 stations), file within 30 days of their execution. The NAB argues the meaning the non-comms punch above their weight compared groups simply oppose the suggested reform because they to their commercial brethren. AC came in third place, (8.1), believe broadcasters don’t deserve to have their regulatory followed by CHR (7.1) and classic rock (5.9). After that it’s burdens lifted. The Commission voted unanimously in January classic hits (5.7), hot AC (4.9), urban AC (4.3), sports (3.8), to launch the rulemaking that would, if adopted, eliminate contemporary Christian (3.8), urban contemporary (3.6), the requirements that broadcasters submit paper copies of rhythmic CHR (2.6), regional Mexican (2.5), adult hits/80s certain contracts and other documents relating to ownership hits (2.2), alternative (2.0), active rock (1.9), AOR/mainstream and control of stations, such as time brokerage and joint sales rock (1.7) and Spanish contemporary/Spanish AC (1.6). agreements. Here Is Sports Radio’s Next Big Growth Opportunity. Amazon Echo Adds ‘Routines’ To Allow Automated After three years of declining cume, sports radio has a stadium-sized opportunity to grow listenership by Access To Music & Radio. cultivating a more diverse audience. That was a flashpoint Amazon has advanced a feature on its smart speakers called topic at Barrett Sports Media’s Programming Summit in “Alexa Routines,” in which users can now add multiple tasks Chicago, after Nielsen VP Jon Miller showed new research such as turning on music, podcasts and live radio, as well as of the format’s five-year ratings trend and remarkably non- smart home commands like switching on lights, diverse audience composition. From a cume perspective, heating and TV, all with a single command. First sports radio peaked in Fall 2014 with a male 25-54 cume launched in 2017, Routines works by saying, of 11,118,600, according to Nielsen. The format’s record for example, “Alexa, I’m home,” which then share in its core demo came one year later, with a 7.5 in enacts those chosen user skills. Routines can fall 2015. Both numbers have been declining ever since. include music from a specific artist, album, At the same time, the demographic makeup of the U.S. playlist or radio station; supported services population continues to evolve. While 18% of the population include Amazon Music, Spotify, Deezer, is Hispanic and 12% is Black, sports radio’s audience TuneIn and Pandora, according to Techradar. composition is woefully out of step with the country as a “People can choose a radio station as part whole. Among the top ten performing sports stations, the of a customizable routine on both Echo and average audience was just 1% Hispanic, 9% Black and Google home devices,” Amplifi Media’s Steve 90% “other.” The numbers point to a major opportunity for Goldstein tells Inside Radio. “That’s pretty future growth by bringing a more diverse audience into the exciting.” sports radio tent. “Attracting women to sports is always a big thing but more so the opportunity is among Blacks and Hispanics,” Miller says. Kagan: Deal Market Heats Up In First Quarter. Weekly News Recap The broadcast station deal market is showing signs of April 2-6, 2018 heating up, at least when compared to the fourth quarter of last year.