news INSIDE >> Thursday, November 21, 2013
Transcription
news INSIDE >> Thursday, November 21, 2013
GET MORE NEWS & UPDATES @ INSIDERADIO.COM >> FRANK SAXE Frank@insideradio.com >> PAUL HEINE Paul@insideradio.com (800) 275-2840 Thursday, November 21, 2013 THE MOST TRUSTED NEWS IN RADIO Health insurers pull back advertising following Obamacare botches. The troubled launch of the HealthCare.gov website has been well documented, but it’s more than just a political mess. In light of what’s happening with the rollout of Obamacare, some health insurance companies are putting a hold on their marketing. “I’ll be very candid, we have pulled back from marketing, not knowing how to get people enrolled at the moment,” WellPoint CEO Joseph Swedish said at the WSJ CEO Council this week. WellPoint, the country’s second-biggest health insurance company, has seen “anemic” enrollment through the government exchanges so far, according to Swedish. While that’s a setback for radio and other media outlets looking to sell advertising, Swedish told the conference that once the website is fixed and the rollout gets back on track that he sees the potential for a “significant uptake” in the insurer’s product. When that happens, Swedish said its marketing will resume with a specific target on young adults and Hispanics. Entravision, Cumulus Media and other broadcasters have said Affordable Care Act-related spending hasn’t lived up to expectations so far, but they are looking at it as a long-term lift. “Whatever is not spent in the fourth quarter, we expect to see that money return in first quarter,” Entravision CEO Walter Ulloa said this month. As Inside Radio reported earlier this month, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services has similar plans. CMS administrator Marilyn Tavenner told a Senate hearing the government’s advertising outreach will be “a combination of media — both television and radio, with some print” as it goes after young people. But that won’t happen until she says HealthCare.gov is “stabilized” and people can actually sign up. No radio spending data for the category has been released so far. But Kantar Media says the markets where it has tracked the most health care ads are Denver, Dallas, Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago. But the firm’s political unit points out very few campaigns reference the ACA in their spots. Kantar Media’s Campaign Media Analysis Group says insurers are “are leery of acknowledging a law that is politically controversial and publicly unpopular.” Brands and bands: New report shows they make good music. Stations trying to sell a client for a holiday event or next summer’s concert series may have some new ammunition courtesy of Nielsen. Its new Music 360 report finds the public responds favorably to brands that wrap themselves around music-based events. A majority (51%) of consumers favor a brand that sponsors a concert or artist tour. That level of affection for brands that pony up their support is even higher among people who attend the event. Nielsen found that three-quarters (76%) of concertgoers think a little better about a brand that helped present the show. The survey also shows brand affinity is even more pronounced among new media consumers of music. Three-quarters (74%) of Americans who consume streamed music say they favor brands that engage them through music sponsorships, giveaways and contests. That compares to 58% of non-streamers. “Given these large numbers, big brands can learn from events as ways to give their branded efforts exposure and connect to a wider group of fans,” the Nielsen report says. Clorox Company senior group manager Drew McGowan said during a Radio Show panel that he views music as one of the few things that people get passionate about. “Whether it’s on the radio or at a live event, music has that special ability to take you someplace,” he said. “And if we can leverage that in a way that makes sense for our brand, we can win.” Clear Channel Connections president Greg Glenday said it’s surprising how many calls the company gets from big brands that ink deals with musicians and aren’t quite sure how to leverage that relationship. “I think this is an emerging marketplace,” he said. “I think radio can play a deeper role in associating brands news INSIDE >> with those artists and figuring out how to do it.” Glenday said it can be something as simple as having an artist record live reads for a client rather than cutting a traditional :30-second spot. To boost participating among younger demos, Eastlan adds e-surveys to its radio ratings service. Expanding beyond its traditional telephone-recall methodology, small and MORE NEWS >> INSIDERADIO.COM >>Amping up Super Bowl ads on radio PAGE 1 NEWS Thursday, November 21, 201 medium market ratings firm Eastlan Ratings will add new electronic surveys to its standard methodology beginning with the spring 2014 survey period. The product enhancement will affect how the company recruits and measures a portion of its sample in all of the 90 markets it measures. “E-surveys will not replace our current methodology but rather enhance it,” Eastlan chief technology officer Bert Hambleton says. “The portion of survey respondents recruited electronically will have the choice to participate via the e-survey or through a callback on their cell phone.” The announcement comes as consumers are increasingly difficult to reach through traditional means, like direct mail and phone-based efforts. Eastlan hopes the e-surveys will boost participation among young demos whose primary telephone is a cell phone with an out-of-market area code. The company says it saw wider participation among 12-49 year olds during a pilot project earlier this year with the most dramatic increase in participation among 25-44 year-olds. Completion rates were slightly higher among women than men. Nielsen-predecessor Arbitron reported positive results in May for a third pilot test of an e-diary that could replace its paper-and-pencil diary service. Participants were asked to register online and to provide their self-reported listening activity through a desktop web-based application or mobile app. To make its ratings samples more representative the company has expanded the use of address-based sampling in diary markets and fully converted to address-based sampling in all PPM markets, where a portion of panelists are recruited in person. “It is incumbent upon ratings providers to reach a sample that is as representative of the local market composition as possible — wide and varied,” Eastlan president Mike Gould says. WestwoodOne challengers radio advertisers to bring their A-game to Super Bowl broadcast. Why should Super Bowl ads on television get all the attention? That’s what many in radio have wondered for years. The short answer is the TV spots are carefully crafted to grab viewer attention, while spots aired on the radio broadcasts are often a creative afterthought at best. WestwoodOne aims to change that, challenging advertisers to turn up the creativity on their Super Bowl radio commercials too. The network, which holds the radio rights to the February 2 game, is creating what it’s calling the Super Bowl Audio Index. It will offer the option to clients to pre-release their radio creative and ask listeners to use social media sites to vote on the best radio ads. There will also be a “media choice,” which WestwoodOne says will be selected by an “advisory council” made up of media and creative executives who’ll pick the winners across multiple product categories. CEO Paul Caine sees it less as a challenge and more of an opportunity for advertisers. “I’m giving them the platform and the encouragement so that they can ideate and develop for the event,” he says. WestwoodOne’s contest aims to build consumer interest by sharing the radio spots on the web and social media to generate buzz like the TV spots do. “We’re Paul Caine going to give advertisers an incremental opportunity to get more attention to their creative,” Caine says. In the past most advertisers ran their regular network radio spot during the Super Bowl, and Caine says he doesn’t blame them since there wasn’t much of a reason to do otherwise. If consumer interest is as strong as expected, Caine thinks the Audio Index will help radio as much as advertisers. “This gives us as an industry an opportunity to celebrate great radio and great audio creative,” he says. Unlike TV there are no Super Bowl-specific ratings for radio, but when Dial Global commissioned a survey it determined that 23.1 million people caught some part of the 2012 game on radio. Caine thinks that number could top 20 million this year with as many as 700 affiliates. With that sort of audience, he says Super Bowl ads sales are pacing ahead of where they typically are, pointing out that just like on TV the inventory for the game always sells out. FCC taps Navy vet to lead Homeland Security Bureau. The Federal Communications Commission is one of the federal agencies that is said to come under frequent political fire. But the man whose been chosen to lead the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau knows what it’s like to be in a real life war zone. Admiral David Simpson has been named to lead the Bureau. He most recently was vice director of the Defense Information Systems Agency, where he helped lead an organization responsible for planning, developing, and providing interoperable global communications for the defense MORE NEWS >> INSIDERADIO.COM PAGE 2 NEWS Thursday, November 21, 201 community. Before that he spent a year as director of Communications and Information Services for U.S. Forces in Iraq. FCC chair Tom Wheeler says that experience will come in handy as he heads a bureau that has in the past led the agency’s response to natural disasters, such as the 2012 Derecho and Superstorm Sandy. “At a time when our networks are continuously being attacked, it is also important to have someone with Admiral Simpson’s cybersecurity skills,” Wheeler says. A Naval Academy graduate, Simpson has worked in telecom and crisis communication roles for ships at sea and other deployed forces in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America during his military career. He succeeds David Turetsky, who will take a new role as coordinator of the FCC’s informal task force on the agency’s response to international disasters. 50 years on, WBAP to rebroadcast its coverage of JFK assassination. The radio clock will turn back 50 years tomorrow when Cumulus Media’s “News Talk 820” WBAP, Dallas streams in real-time the station’s coverage from November 22, 1963 on its website. The stream will also be heard on iHeartRadio and WBAP will re-broadcast key moments during the day on its over-the-air signal. Operations and program director Tyler Cox says the best they can determine, it was pretty rare to record a full day’s worth of programming 50 years ago. “But someone had the smart idea to roll for the day, to preserve history,” he says. The day begins at 7am CT, when President Kennedy made two appearances at the Hotel Texas. There are some gaps in the recordings between events. When the motorcade made its way through Dealey Plaza at 12:30pm, there was no live coverage since it was seen as a nicety of the day — not a news event. “Coverage picked up about 10 minutes after the shots were fired,” Cox says. For the rest of the day WBAP aired a mix of locally-anchored and network coverage. When the station rebroadcasts the recordings tomorrow, any gaps will be filled by an announcement telling listeners what was happening that day. Remarkably, Cox says the tapes remain in perfect condition. They were stored in 10-inch metal canisters and packed away in boxes for more than four decades. “They were found a few years ago in the basement of KXAS-TV, which used to be WBAP-TV,” Cox says. “When those reels were delivered to me back in 1997, I was so nervous threading them up on the reel machine.” But fears of breakage quickly went away and despite a bit of rust on the outside of the canisters, the tape was just as pliable as it was back then. “Whoever stored them in metal canisters was a genius,” Cox says. Once a rival, now a WBAP sister station, KLIF (570) also aired extensive coverage (then at 1190 AM) with broadcasters Gordon McLendon and Joe Long anchoring late into the evening. Its historical broadcast is being offered to listeners as a podcast on its website. KLIF will also air live coverage of tomorrow’s special observances set for Dealey Plaza. Cumulus streaming partner Rdio confirms layoffs. Three dozen Rdio employees are said to have been laid-off from the streaming music service that came on broadcasters’ radar in August when Cumulus Media took a 15% stake in the company in exchange for $75 million worth of marketing and promotional support over the next five years. The company isn’t confirming those numbers provided by former staffers to TechCrunch, saying only the “across-the-board workforce reductions” were taken to improve the company’s cost structure and “ensure a scalable business model for the long-term.” Rdio hasn’t disclosed how many users it has, but the company says the number of new users has tripled since the end of 2012. “We’re thrilled with the traction we’ve seen so far,” it says in a statement. Rdio also points out that 90% of its users are paid subscribers. The company is expected to launch an ad-supported option, and it’s one of the reasons its alliance with Cumulus and its team of radio ad sellers was sought out. One position that Rdio is hiring for is chief executive. CEO Drew Larner announced in June he plans to step down from day-to-day management of the five-year old company, although he’ll remain chairman. FCC upholds fine against Miami pirate that Facebook helped it find. Radio pirate Romayne Davis went by “Joker Boy E-N-T” on the air, but it’s the FCC that gets the last laugh. It’s upheld a $10,000 fine against him for operating an Oakland Park, FL pirate station at 89.5 FM in June 2012. After receiving complaints that the unlicensed station was interfering with classical MORE NEWS >> INSIDERADIO.COM PAGE 3 NEWS Thursday, November 21, 201 WKCP (89.7), field agents traced the signal to a commercial building leased by Davis where they heard an air personality, who also referred to himself as “Jungle Boy E-N-T.” When they later inspected the property, they found a transmitter connected to a mounted antenna via coaxial cable. They also found photos on Facebook of Davis who referred to himself using the onair handles, and mentioning he works at Joker Boy Entertainment. The FCC proposed the fine last spring and after giving Davis more than the required time to respond, it’s made the order to pay $10,000 final. Working with local police, Davis was also charged with one count of unauthorized transmission/interference with a radio station, a misdemeanor under Florida law. Inside Radio News Ticker…FCC sets AM comment due dates…With the publication of the FCC’s proposed rulemaking on AM radio now published in the Federal Register, the comment due dates are set. The first round of comments on the proposal are due January 21 with reply comments due February 18…Salem boosts size of quarterly dividend…Salem Communications is giving its shareholders an early reason to give thanks. The company has announced it will boost its quarterly dividend by 5%. Shareholders will get a payment of $0.0550 per share. The timing is also a nice way to end the year — it’ll be paid out on December 27…Nokia relaunches streaming service…The blurring of lines between content providers and tech companies continues. Nokia is stepping up its personalized radio app for owners of its Lumina Windowsbased smartphone. Its relaunched and rebranded the Nokia Music app as Nokia MixRadio with Pandora-like thumbs up/ down buttons and social networking capabilities. There’s no charge for the built-in ad-free service, although Nokia offers users unlimited song skips and downloads for $4 per month. While competitive to radio, comScore says Nokia has a tiny 0.3% share of the U.S. smartphone market…House Committee clears patent bill…Radio’s facing at least two battles that owners say are being waged by so-called patent trolls. Legislation that would clip the wings for those law firms yesterday passed the House Judiciary Committee. It now goes on to the full House for a vote. The National Association of Broadcasters has joined a chorus of trade groups pushing Congress to do something about what most agree is an abuse of the system that also costs the economy…Wyoming race brings radio ads…The U.S. Senate race in Wyoming will be, in reality, a Republican primary fight according to election-watchers. And the radio ads have started to roll in. Ads supporting incumbent Mike Enzi have just launched tied to the launch of Obamacare. The Casper Star-Tribune says the group Wyoming’s Own will spend $15,000 for the radio-cable TV ad buy…Kevin Matthews to voice WGN brand extension...Former Chicago radio personality Kevin Matthews will serve as the imaging voice for WGN.FM, the online-only station launched by Tribune Broadcasting as a brand extension for Chicago talker “Radio 720” WGN. Matthews, who enjoyed an 18-year stretch on Chicago radio, will work from his home studio in Grand Rapids, according to Chicago media blogger Robert Feder. His presence on what’s known as “The G” reunites him with WGN GM Jimmy de Castro, Tribune Broadcasting president Larry Wert and morning man Jonathon Brandmeier, who moved over to the digital station in September. All four previously worked together at “The Loop” WLUPFM...People Moves...A longtime Boston talk show host makes a comeback. Read People Moves HERE. AHAA sticks with broader effort to sell Hispanic media to marketers. Some 18 months after announcing a strategic shift to expand its work beyond ad agencies to all media firms including radio, AHAA says it’s happy with how things have developed. Formerly known as the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies, AHAA says membership has grown by more than 15%. New members include ESPN Deportes, with Entravision, Spanish Broadcasting System and Univision Radio among its existing members. “We are confident in the direction our organization is headed,” says AHAA chair Roberto Orci, who is also CEO of Acento Advertising. Orci is stepping down as chairman and Richards/Lerman creative director Aldo Quevedo is taking over. He’ll become the first creative director to chair AHAA. The group says it’s working to expand its research efforts to show marketers the return on investment offered by Hispanic media. AHAA will release its next study this fall looking at total market media consumption. “Marketers are faced with new challenges and need to take greater measures to understand the differences among Hispanics — we are here to provide that insight, advocate for trusted Hispanic experts and increase corporate investment and support in the multicultural space,” Orci says. — Read More News, People Moves, Ratings and Job Listings at www.InsideRadio.com — MORE NEWS >> INSIDERADIO.COM PAGE 4 DEAL DIGEST Thursday, November 21, 2013 S A L E S Houston — Univision spins off Spanish CHR “104.9 Tu Musica” KPTY to John Walton’s Excel Media for $525,000. It’s a first station for Walton. Univision still owns five other Houston-area stations including Spanish CHR “105.3 Tu Musica” KAMA-FM, Spanish news-talk KLAT (1010), regional Mexican “Estereo Latino 102.9” KLTN, Spanish adult hits “Recuerdo 106.5” KOVE-FM, and regional Mexican “Que Buena 93.3” KQBU-FM. New Jersey — Kenneth Pustizzi files to buy talk WSNJ, Bridgeton (1240) from Jim Quinn for $400,000. Pustizzi will operate WSNJ under a time brokerage agreement until closing. He’s also taking control of the “TV2 QBC” cable channel which Quinn ran in Cumberland County, NJ through an agreement with Comcast. Pustizzi is the co-founder of the aerial equipment company Trico Lift. Quinn bought the standalone AM for $550,000 in 2004. Richmond — Wilkins Communications files a $250,000 deal to buy the former Radio Disney station WDZY (1290). WDZY has 25,000-watts day and 41-watts night. The filing says Robert and Jack Wilkins are also buying another Radio Disney spin-off: WKSH, Milwaukee (1640), although that deal has not yet been filed with the FCC. Disney is still looking for buyers of AMs in Kansas City and Salt Lake City. Broker: Bill Schutz Pennsylvania — Todd Bartley files a $250,000 deal to buy sports “ESPN Radio 1050” WLYC, Williamsport from Daniel Klingerman and Larry Allison’s Colonial Radio Group of Williamsport. Bartley has already filed a $50,000 deal to buy WJSA, Jersey Shore, PA (1600) from Covenant Broadcasting, which has simulcast WLYC since last December under a time brokerage agreement. His not-for-profit Williamsport Lycoming Broadcast Foundation also owns jazz WPTC (88.1) in the market. Charlotte — Don Curtis has struck a $125,000 deal to buy the construction permit for a new translator W262BM at 100.3 FM from Isothermal Community College. It’s the second deal in the market for Curtis Media in the past two months. In October it agreed to buy the Charlotte-licensed translator W234BY at 94.3 FM from Mary Medicus for $165,000 to give “ESPN Radio 730” WZGV an FM. Broker: Bob Heymann, Media Services Group South Dakota — Kevin Culhane’s Agnus Dei Communications files to buy KTUT, Frankfort (89.5) from Church Planters of America for $52,500. KTUT has been off the air since April. Agnus Dei already owns the religious teaching “Lamb Radio” stations KSJP, Ipswich, SD (88.9) and KSJW, which is a construction permit for a new Class C licensed to Murdo, SD at 100.9 FM. Watertown, NY — Michael Stapleford’s Intrepid Broadcasting buys the translator W281AA at 104.1 FM from Katherine Ingersoll for $50,000. The translator simulcasts adult hits “Tunes 92.5” WBLH which Intrepid has operated under a local marketing agreement with Radioactive since 2008. ADVERTISE on the Deal Digest page. Call 800-248-4242 x 711 or EMAIL for information. Get more transactions online at www.insideradio.com. MORE NEWS >> INSIDERADIO.COM PAGE 5 DEAL DIGEST Thursday, November 21, 2013 Texas — Armida Saille files to buy the Abilene-licensed translator K281BP at 104.1 FM. Seller Edgewater Broadcasting will pick up $32,500 for the signal. The translator is currently simulcasting Jose Antonio Aguilar’s regional Mexican “La Mejor” KGDL (92.1). In a second deal, Saille files to buy the Abilene-licensed translator K290BV at 105.9 FM. It will pay seller Radio Assist Ministry $32,500 for the signal. Broker: CMS Station Brokerage Idaho — Brigham Young University files to buy the Soda Springs, ID-licensed translator K278BY at 103.9 FM. Seller Max Nichols will get $8,500 for the signal. BYU will use the translator to rebroadcast “BYU-Idaho Radio” KBYI, Rexburg (93.4). Indiana — Christian Radio Friends files to buy a construction permit for a Class B1 station at 88.9 FM licensed to Battle Ground, IN. It will pay seller Bethel Christian Life Center $5,000 plus forgiveness of an unspecified amount of debt for the Lafayette, IN market signal. The filing shows Christian Radio Friends agrees to pay Bethel Christian Life Center one-third of the proceeds if the station is sold within five years of signing-on. Birmingham — Clear Channel picks up the translator W286BK at 105.1 FM from Bob Augsburg’s Way Media. No cash is changing hands. Instead the transfer is the outcome of a Pueblo, CO deal. The filing says Clear Channel will simulcast “News Radio 105.5” WERC-FM on the translator — or perhaps an HD subchannel since the signal covers the core population center of the metro. C L O S I N G S Philadelphia — Merlin Media has closed on its $20.25 million sale of news-talk “IQ-106.9” WWIQ to Educational Media Foundation. EMF has now flipped it to its contemporary Christian “K-Love” format and moved the WKVP call letters to the frequency. Broker: Michael Bergner Kentucky — Steve Newberry’s Commonwealth Broadcasting closes on a deal to sell AC WOVO, Horse Cave (106.3) to SOKY Radio, a 50-50 partnership between Newberry and Charles Anderson. The value of the deal is $364,000. The FCC filing indicates the payment will be used to reduce debt currently owed by Newberry to South Central Bank. Mississippi — William Hill closes a $300,000 deal to buy AC “Magic 107” WLSM-FM, Louisville from Harrison Broadcasting. It is Hill’s first radio station. Texas — James Boles closes on a deal to buy KCHT, Childress (104.1) from Peter Salazar for $50,000. The Texas Panhandle station is a new Class A that’s about to have its third owner before it signs on. But this time is probably different: Boles already owns country KCTX-FM (96.1) and AC “The Cat” KCTX in Childress. ADVERTISE on the Deal Digest page. Call 800-248-4242 x 711 or EMAIL for information. Get more transactions online at www.insideradio.com. MORE NEWS >> INSIDERADIO.COM PAGE 6 CLASSIFIEDS Thursday, November 21, 201 qual GENERAL SALES MANAGER - BONNEVILLE, PHOENIX GSM - DELAWARE Bonneville Phoenix is looking for a dynamic, proven manager to lead the sales team. Candidate must have an established track record of success, strong leadership, recruitment and coaching skills. Tremendous opportunity to join a seasoned, close-knit group of radio professionals at a locally driven, heritage AC station. Candidate must have experience in digital, sports marketing and creating integrated marketing programs. Wilmington, DE market leader WJBR-FM seeks GSM capable of attracting, recruiting and retaining talent. Do you stand above the crowd ? Have experience in budgeting, pricing inventory? Are you a proven leader with strong sales and management skills? Complete the on-line application on the employment page at: www.ktar.com. Equal Opportunity Employer. MARKET MANAGER - OREGON Market Manager’s retirement creates a rare opportunity. Bicoastal Media is searching for a Market Manager to provide strategic vision, expand our existing customer base, grow revenue and manage the day-to-day operations for our five-station radio group in Medford, OR. Applicants must have 3 to 5 years of General Management, Sales, Sales Training, Programming and Agency experience. Digital Media skills are a requirement. To learn more about the market and our company go to: bicoastalnational.com. Interested parties, send a cover letter/resume to: hr@bicoastalmedia.com. EOE qual TIME FOR CHANGE Advantage Systems, Inc. seeks a Seller/Trainer/ Presenter who is ready to take control of their own destiny. North America’s market leader in independent media sales has a rare opening for a Revenue Development Manager. The successful candidate will have extensive experience in media sales and in leading media sales teams. He or she must be willing to travel and be able to form relationships and sell at the highest levels of media ownership and management, as well as to small businesses. Broadcast media experience and a strong working knowledge of Digital media is necessary. A drive to sell and succeed is a must. If you are an outstanding GSM, DOS or GM, and you are ready to take control of what you do and what you earn, then send your resume to: frank@advantagesystemsinc.net. Maybe it’s time for a change. INSIDE RADIO, Copyright 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced, or retransmitted in any form. This publication cannot be distributed beyond the physical address of the named subscriber. Address: P.O. Box 567925, Atlanta, GA 31156. Classifieds, email: ads@insideradio.com. Subscribe to INSIDE RADIO monthly subscription $39.95 recurring payment. For information, call 800-248-4242 or subscribe at www.insideradio.com. MORE NEWS >> INSIDERADIO.COM Send your resume to: email@bbgi.com Sales Management experience preferred. Equal Opportunity Employer MM/GSM - COLORADO Clear Channel Media + Entertainment in searching for candidates for two important positions in Colorado Springs. MARKET MANAGER: Can you lead our 8 station cluster to its full potential? If your strengths include attracting and recruiting the best talent, revenue development ahead of your competitors, and ability to build on a winning culture, we are excited to hear from you. Previous MM experience preferred.” GENERAL SALES MANAGER: Lead our team to meet and exceed budgets. Strong leadership, management and presentation skills, both oral and written, and a proven track record of leadership, negotiating, coaching, training, and motivating employees required. Qualified candidates, send cover letter and resume to: JenniferPrice@ clearchannel.com EOE PAGE 7