Friday, September 21, 2012

Study: Radio Strongest Pre-Shopping Medium


AM/FM radio delivers the largest reach during the time periods immediately prior to peak shopping hours, it continues to dominate the audio entertainment landscape, and out delivers web, social networking or mobile usage during the average day among Adults age 25 to 54. 

These are the most notable findings of a study commissioned by Arbitron and presented at this week's Radio Show, hosted by the National Association of Broadcasters and the Radio Advertising Bureau in Dallas.

"Where Radio Fits: Radio's Strengths in the Media Landscape" examines the continued strength of AM/FM radio among Adults aged 25 to 54 and the advantages radio delivers over other media outlets.  The study also looks at where consumers are accessing various media platforms and the emotional impact these media have on users.

Key findings of "Where Radio Fits: Radio's Strengths in the Media Landscape":

  • AM/FM radio is the strongest pre-shopping medium, reaching 31% of 25-54s during the hour before the peak shopping period (1-2PM).  AM/FM Radio's reach during this crucial decision making hour is nearly twice that of live TV (17 percent).


  • AM/FM radio delivers 86 percent of the total time Adults aged 25 to 54 spend with the three main audio platforms. AM/FM Radio delivers nearly eight times more time spent than satellite radio and seventeen times more than internet audio streaming.


  • AM/FM radio is the second most widely consumed of the top media platforms. During the average day, radio reaches 59 percent of adults aged 25 to 54, second only to television, which reaches nearly 80 percent of these adults. Trailing radio are the Internet (49 percent), social networking (19 percent), mobile web/app usage (16 percent).


  • AM/FM radio adds considerable reach to other media platforms.  When combined with live television, radio adds an additional 14 percent reach of adults aged 25 to 54 and an additional 60 percent when combined with Internet.


  • AM/FM radio is heard by a variety of decision influencers with 43 percent of respondents aged 25 to 54 saying they listen with their children, 38 percent listen with their spouse or partner.  


"Radio's consistently large reach together with its ability to deliver the 'the last word' during the crucial pre-shopping hours make it highly valuable for advertisers who are looking to maximize ROI in a fragmented media environment," said Bill Rose, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Arbitron Inc.  "This study along with the more granular data Arbitron is providing to agencies and modelers should help reinforce radio's strength in the marketing mix."

WGN Cuts The Ribbon On Renovated Showcase Studio

Steve Dahlman photo

It took a few months to happen, but tomorrow, WGN Radio will host an official ribbon cutting ceremony for its recently renamed and renovated Allstate Showcase Studio.  Chicagoradioandmedia.com reports the ceremony will take place Friday afternoon outside of the studios, which are located at the base of Tribune Tower, 435 N. Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

The 4:30pm ribbon cutting will feature WGN-AM personalities and staffers, as well as Allstate Insurance Company executives. At approximately 5:15pm, Garry Meier will have a live interview with Alice Byrne, Field Senior Vice President for Allstate's Midwest Region.

After the event, pictures and videos from the ribbon-cutting ceremony will be posted on WGNRadio.com.

Back in April, WGN Radio announced new partnership with its longtime sponsor, the Allstate Corporation. On May 1st, WGN-AM's Showcase Studio overlooking Michigan Avenue was renamed as the Allstate Showcase Studio. The famous Chicagoland-based insurance company had been granted the naming rights to the Chicago radio station's famous, over 25 year-old, street-side radio studio.

Allstate's sponsorship agreement with the radio station included an interior studio wrap featuring WGN Radio and Allstate graphics, as well as on-air naming recognition. Financial terms and the exact length of the multi-year agreement were not made public.

The Radio Marconi Winners Are....


The 2012 Marconi Awards winners were announced Thursday night in Dallas at the NAB/RAB Radio Show.

And the winners are…

Legendary Station:
KSTP-F (KS95)/ST. PAUL-MINNEAPOLIS


Major Market Station of the Year:
WTOP/WASHINGTON

Large Market Station of the Year:
Country KSON/SAN DIEGO

Medium Market Station of the Year:
Talk WHO-A/DES MOINES

Small Market Station of the Year:
Top 40 WVAQ/MORGANTOWN, WV

Major Market Personality of the Year:
Sports WFAN-A/NEW YORK's MIKE FRANCESA

Large Market Personality of the Year:
KSTP-F (KS95)'s MOON AND STACI

Medium Market Personality of the Year:
WHO-A's JAN MICKELSON

Small Market Personality of the Year:
Country KCLR-F (CLEAR 99)/COLUMBIA, MO's SCOTTY AND CARISSA IN THE MORNING

AC Station of the Year:
WBEB (B101)/PHILADELPHIA

CHR Station of the Year:
KIIS/LOS ANGELES

Country Station of the Year:
WYCD/DETROIT

News/Talk Station of the Year: 
WTOP/WASHINGTON, DC

Oldies Station of the Year:
WOGL/PHILADELPHIA

Religious Station of the Year:
KLTY/DALLAS

Rock Station of the Year:
KINK/PORTLAND

Spanish Station of the Year:
KMVK (MEGA 107.5)/DALLAS

Sports Station of the Year:
WEEI-A-F/BOSTON

Urban Station of the Year:
WBLS/NEW YORK

Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year:
DAN PATRICK

Execs: Radio Doomed If It Doesn’t Adapt


The death of traditional AM/FM radio was predicted at today’s Radio Show in Dallas, a conference hosted by the Radio Advertising Bureau and the National Association of Broadcasters, according to a story by Carol Marie Cropper at netnewscheck.com.

Michael Harrison
Michael Harrison, publisher of the industry publications Talkers and RadioInfo, told an audience of radio executives and industry insiders that five problems need to be solved — and solved fast — in order to save “terrestrial” radio (as opposed to streaming Internet radio).

But, he continued, “Do I personally think it’s going to happen? … No.”

Harrison, who said he has worked in the industry for 45 years, warned that massive debt spawned by industry consolidations, combined with a cavalier attitude toward old-style music radio programming is killing the medium.

Stations now don’t even bother to announce the name of the songs they play — or even, sometimes, to have a disc jockey to announce them.

But music radio is the lynchpin on which other forms, such as talk radio, hang, he said. “By saving music radio, we’re going to save talk radio.”

Also, he said, traditional radio is important to our culture. Without it, he suggested, Internet radio is also in danger. “There’ll be no model to make it special,” he said, likening a world with only Internet radio to the appeal of listening to your neighbors put on a concert or your friends show their videos in the movie theater.

Jeff Smulyan
After the magazine publisher spoke, Jeffrey Smulyan, chairman of Emmis Communications, which owns stations in Los Angeles and New York, pointed out another problem — and possible solution.

Smartphones usually have built in radio, but it is not activated on U.S. devices, Smulyan said. A Congressional mandate could change that, he said, helping to keep free broadcast radio available, and continuing its public service role.

But, Smulyan said, large phone companies such as AT&T and Verizon have a lot of lobbyists to work against such a mandate.

According to Harrison, one of the first radio industry “dragons” to slay is its “smothering debt. The business plan at some companies now is simply to find new sources of debt to stay in business,” he said.

Family-owned stations that didn’t rack up debt to buy others are doing better, he said, suggesting that stations hobbled by massive debt be cleared to make room for new groups with fresh capital and a commitment to quality broadcasting.

CC San Antonio Adds Hip-Hop Station


Clear Channel Media and Entertainment on Thursday launched WRPT / WiLD 92.5 and  K289BN WiLD 105.7 in San Antonio, two stations that will exclusively play hip-hop music, according to a story by James Aldridge at San Antonio Business.

The stations will play music from artists like Drake, Pitbull and Nicki Minaj.

Clear Channel San Antonio owns and operates Mix 96.1, KJ 97, KZEP 104.5, Q101.9, News Radio 1200 WOAI, Ticket 760 and WiLD 92.5/105.7 FM.

WHLO Akron Host Interviews President Obama

Jim Albright, WHLO (640-AM) radio talk show host, had the opportunity to speak with President Obama on the phone Wednesday morning.

According to a story by Donna Smith at  Jackson.ohio.com, the interview, which lasted about five minutes, was a first for Albright.

"In all my years in radio, I have never talked to a president," said Albright.

The main focus of the interview was Ohio jobs. Obama explained that his priority is to get more businesses to come back to the United States.

"When manufacturing is doing well, the whole economy gets a boost," the president said.



Poll: Distrust of Media Sets Record


Three-fifths of Americans distrust the mass media - an all-time high, according to a poll released Thursday, according to Kevin Robillard at politico.com.

Sixty percent of Americans have little or no faith in the media to report the news accurately and fairly, according to a Gallup poll, and 40 percent trust them a fair amount or a great deal. The percentage of Americans who distrust the media has been steadily rising since 2006, when 50 percent still trusted the press. In 2011, 55 percent of Americans were distrustful and 44 percent trusted the media.



 There’s a sharp partisan divide as well: 58 percent of Democrats trust the press, compared to 26 percent of Republicans and 31 percent of independents.

A Hoot! Homer Simpson Votes...

And Romney gets it!


Sports Talker: Radio Rant To KC Chiefs



Kansas City sports talk radio host Bob Fescoe just wants the winless Chiefs to do one thing:

"Admit you suck!"

According to the NYDaily News, In a rant for the ages, Fescoe rips into the Chiefs after they followed up a Week 1 40-24 home loss to the Falcons with an inept performance in Buffalo last Sunday. The Chiefs (0-2) trailed 35-3 in the fourth quarter before scoring two meaningless touchdowns in the final minutes to make the final tally look slightly more respectable, 35-17.

The host of 'Fescoe in the Morning' blows his top after he quotes running back Jamaal Charles saying "We just didn't come out and play."

‘Fox & Friends’ Lampooned By ‘SNL Weekend Update Thursday’

Thursday, September 20, 2012

RIP: Oregon Broadcaster Bob Johnson


Bob Johnson was born into media broadcasting and carried a love for it until he died this week while vacationing with his family at Lake Shasta.

According to a story by Chris Conrad at mailtribune.com, the 64-year-old Johnson owned and operated four radio stations in the Rogue Valley, including KTMT and KCMX, and his father brought KTVL television to the area decades ago.

Johnson was enjoying his yearly trip to the lake when he fell ill, according to his wife, Karen Johnson.

He was admitted to a hospital in Redding, where he died Sept. 17. The cause of death was septic shock, a serious infection.

"This was not expected," his wife said, adding family members still don't know how he contracted the infection.

Johnson was a longtime fixture in Rogue Valley radio, having brought one of the first rock 'n' roll stations to the area in the 1980s, his wife said.

He also owned and operated sports and talk radio stations. However, his heart was always geared toward rock.

"He was rock 'n' roll all the way," Karen Johnson said.

Bob Johnson sold his four radio stations in 1994 and then kicked off an eventful retirement, his family said.

10-year Renewal Keeps Skilling at WGN


Robert Feder at timeoutchicago.com is reporting Tom Skilling, the undisputed king of Chicago weather, will continue to reign supreme at WGN-Channel 9 and the Chicago Tribune for 10 more years.

In a blockbuster deal that was expected to be signed Wednesday, Skilling, 60, agreed to continue as chief meteorologist for the Tribune Co. flagships here through 2022. 

Terms were not disclosed, but Skilling is believed to be the highest paid local weatherman in the country, with a million-dollar salary and 12-person staff.

2012 Marconi Award Winners To Be Announced


The National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Radio Awards honoring radio stations and on-air personalities for excellence in broadcasting will be announced tonight at the NAB Marconi Radio Awards Dinner & Show, held during the 2012 Radio Show at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, TX.

The nominees are:

LEGENDARY STATION
KFOR-AM, Lincoln, NE
KSTP-FM, St. Paul, MN
KYW-AM, Philadelphia, PA
WBT-AM, Charlotte, NC
WFAN-AM, New York, NY

NETWORK/SYNDICATED PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Neal Boortz, Dial Global
Elvis Duran & the Morning Show, Premiere Networks
Tom Joyner, Reach Media
Dennis Miller, Dial Global
Dan Patrick, DirectTV/Fox Sports Radio

MAJOR MARKET PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Angelo Cataldi, WIP-FM, Philadelphia, PA
Lisa Dent & Ramblin' Ray, WUSN-FM, Chicago, IL
Mike Francesa, WFAN-AM, New York, NY
Tiffany Hill & Michael Chew, WBEB-FM, Philadelphia, PA
Preston & Steve, WMMR-FM, Philadelphia, PA

LARGE MARKET PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Cornbread, WIL-FM, St. Louis, MO
Dr. Don with Rachael and Grunwald, WYCD-FM, Detroit, MI
Moon and Staci, KSTP-FM, St. Paul, MN
Kym Sellers, WZAK-FM, Cleveland, OH
Dave Smiley, WZPL-FM, Indianapolis, IN

MEDIUM MARKET PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Barrett, Fox & Berry, KKNU-FM, Eugene, OR
Chris Coleman, WBHK-FM, Birmingham, AL
Brian Gary, Todd Harding and Susan Moore, KUAD-FM, Fort Collins, CO
Brent Lane, WYCT-FM, Pensacola, FL
Jan Mickelson, WHO-AM, Des Moines, IA

SMALL MARKET PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Tim Fleming, KGLO-AM, Mason City, IA
John and Dave Hiatt, KCIN-FM, Cedar City, UT
Warren Krech, KWOS-AM, Jefferson City, MO
Scotty and Carissa in the Morning, KCLR-FM, Columbia, MO
Greg Travis, KEEZ-FM, Mankato, MN

MAJOR MARKET STATION OF THE YEAR
KPWR-FM, Los Angeles, CA
WBBM-FM, Chicago, IL
WMMR-FM, Philadelphia, PA
WQHT-FM, New York, NY
WTOP-FM, Washington, DC

LARGE MARKET STATION OF THE YEAR
KQKS-FM, Denver, CO
KSON-FM, San Diego, CA
WKRQ-FM, Cincinnati, OH
WOKV-AM, Jacksonville, FL
WXYT-FM, Detroit, MI

MEDIUM MARKET STATION OF THE YEAR
WCLZ-FM, Portland, ME
WHO-AM, Des Moines, IA
WTCB-FM, Columbia, SC
WTIC-AM, Hartford, CT
WYCT-FM, Pensacola, FL

SMALL MARKET STATION OF THE YEAR
KCLR-FM, Columbia, MO
KFAT-FM, Anchorage, AK
KNUJ-AM, New Ulm, MN
WKDZ-FM, Cadiz, KY
WVAQ-FM, Morgantown, WV

AC STATION OF THE YEAR
KSTP-FM, St. Paul, MN
WBEB-FM, Philadelphia, PA
WREW-FM, Cincinnati, OH
WSNY-FM, Columbus, OH
WVAF-FM, Charleston, WV

CHR STATION OF THE YEAR
KIIS-FM, Los Angeles, CA
KQKS-FM, Denver, CO
KTXY-FM, Columbia, MO
WGIC-FM, Cookeville, TN
WIOQ-FM, Philadelphia, PA

COUNTRY STATION OF THE YEAR
KCLR-FM, Columbia, MO
KUAD-FM, Fort Collins, CO
WIL-FM, St. Louis, MO
WYCD-FM, Detroit, MI
WZZK-FM, Birmingham, AL

NEWS/TALK STATION OF THE YEAR
KCBS-AM, San Francisco, CA
KFGO-AM, Fargo, ND
WBBM-AM, Chicago, IL
WGN-AM, Chicago, IL
WTOP-FM, Washington, DC

OLDIES STATION OF THE YEAR
KKLZ-FM, Las Vegas, NV
WJJK-FM, Indianapolis, IN
WNCL-FM, Milford, DE
WOGL-FM, Philadelphia, PA
WXGL-FM, Tampa Bay, FL

RELIGIOUS STATION OF THE YEAR
KKJM-FM, St. Cloud, MN
KLTY-FM, Dallas, TX
WAGG-FM, Birmingham, AL
WLIB-AM, New York, NY
WPRS-FM, Washington, DC

ROCK STATION OF THE YEAR
KINK-FM, Portland, OR
WCLZ-FM, South Portland, ME
WDRV-FM, Chicago, IL
WXRT-FM, Chicago, IL
WZLX-FM, Boston, MA

SPANISH STATION OF THE YEAR
KGBT-FM, McAllen, TX
KLNZ-FM, Phoenix, AZ
KLZT-FM, Austin, TX
KMVK-FM, Dallas, TX
WYUS-AM, Milford, DE

SPORTS STATION OF THE YEAR
KTCK-AM, Dallas, TX
WEEI-FM, Boston, MA
WIP-FM, Philadelphia, PA
WSCR-AM, Chicago, IL
WXYT-FM, Detroit, MI

URBAN
WALR-FM, Atlanta, GA
WBHJ-FM, Birmingham, AL
WBHK-FM, Birmingham, AL
WBLS-FM, New York, NY
WPEG-FM, Charlotte, NC

Online Radio Platform Radionomy Hits US


Radionomy.com on Tuesday launched its online radio platform in the US, putting its spin on a market dominated by the likes of Pandora and Spotify.

Unlike online radio services that let listeners create play lists based on tastes in music, Radionomy invites people to become deejays or talk-show hosts of their own programs streamed online for anyone to hear, according to a story at bizcommunity.com.

Radionomy provides simple tools for people to create radio programs and provides a library of music.

VIDEO: How It Works, click here.

The company tends to royalties through a deal with Sound Exchange and asks that for four minutes out of every hour on the air it gets to run ads, the revenue from which is shared with program creators.

Radionomy launched in France in 2008 and added offices in Belgium, Germany and Spain. The company opened a San Francisco office as part of its drive into the US.

RADIONOMY FAQs, click here.

'Bleak' Picture For Minority Managers In Newsroom


A new study shows media has a lot of influence on attitudes about Latinos. But when it comes to who decides what Americans see on TV or news, the National Association of Black Journalists says minorities have a long way to go. NPR  Host Michel Martin speaks with NABJ's Bob Butler and Felix Sanchez of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts.


NYMRAD: "How Radio Creates the Next Star"


New York Market Radio [NYMRAD] will present a panel focusing on "How Radio Creates the Next Star." Offering insiders' perspectives, the panel will host entertainment industry leaders, brand decision-makers, and business leaders who will discuss radio as a powerful vehicle in today's media world.

Presented during Advertising Week 2012, "How Radio Creates the Next Star" will take place on Monday, October 1 at the Times Center located at 242 West 41st Street in New York City. The panel will kick off with a special keynote presentation from Grammy Award-winning music industry executive, songwriter, producer and TV celebrity, L.A. Reid.

Additional "How Radio Creates the Next Star" speakers include music and advertising luminaries, such as Mark Shimmel, Chief Operating Officer, Epic Records; Steve Bartels, President and Chief Operating Officer, Island Def Jam Music Group; and Bozoma Saint John, Music and Entertainment Marketing, PepsiCo, and moderated by Ebro Darden, Vice President, Programming, Emmis, New York.

"Radio is not a passive medium," stated Joe Puglise, NYMRAD Chair and President and Market Manager, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, New York.  "It is a uniquely powerful tool that influences tastes, establishes trends, and defines brands. As such, we are thrilled to present a unique and interactive approach to showcase how and why radio works to build brands."

Deborah Beagan, Executive Director, NYMRAD added, "Each and every day radio connects millions of consumers to brands in an environment that is relevant and personal. Radio goes far beyond the dial and is a critical marketing tool for brand-builders that fully understand how to harness and leverage its power."

For more information about New York Market Radio, click here

For more information or tickets to the "How Radio Creates the Next Star", click here

Arbitron: Black Radio Today


Highlights from the 2012 edition of Arbitron's Radio Today


Could Country Music Make a Comeback on New York Radio


Each time an FM station flips format or purchases a New York City dial position, the new opportunity for Country is overlooked. 
In an examination of the lack of Country in the nation’s top market, FishbowlNY gets the thoughts of former New York City Country DJs, a veteran radio programmer, and a current program director at a Country station on the outskirts of Manhattan. 
First, some background. 
New York, which has been in the radio biz for more than 90 years, has had just a smattering of full-time Country stations. WHN made the flip in 1973. Prior to that, only WJRZ in neighboring Hackensack, New Jersey, and Mineola-based WTHE, gave listeners the Nashville twang. 
WHN and its respectable ratings suffered when it faced some competition in the early 1980s with the birth of WKHK at 106.7, now the home of WLTW/Lite FM. It was the era of the John Travolta film, Urban Cowboy, where bars with mechanical bulls were popping up everywhere–even this far north of the Grand Ole Opry.
On July 1, 1987, WHN was gone and WFAN took over 1050, and ultimately 660 AM. But Country got a reprieve from the Governor. WYNY used the WHN change to fill a void in the market and inject life into its own sluggish station by giving the rarely used New York format another shot. It remained that way until February 1996. 
Pete Salant, who ran the now-defunct WYNY in the 1980s as an Adult Contemporary station, tells FishbowlNY that Country can get people tuning in here, but not enough. 
“The problem is not a lack of potential Country listeners in the New York Metro,” Salant tells FishbowlNY. ”In New Jersey, Long Island, and Connecticut, inside the Metro geography, there’s probably a 3 share in total persons for a full market signal FM Country station.” 
He says that would typically generate eight to 10 million dollars per year in gross revenue for a format. 
“The problem is the advertising time buyers, who are young, inexperienced, generally women born and raised in the boroughs,” Salant says. “They don’t personally like most Country music, and they perceive it as being for hicks or cowboys. No amount of education has changed their minds, just ask the former general managers of the post-1988 WYNY when it was Country and owned by Westwood One. They pulled their hair out over this.”

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

US Spot Radio Revenues Up 1% Y-O-Y in Q2


US spot radio revenues edged up 1% year-over-year to reach $3.76 billion in Q2, per a September 2012 report [pdf] from the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB). Off-air revenues grew more rapidly, increasing by 4%, though digital was the fastest-growing segment for the first half (H1) of 2012, up by 7%. (The report excludes network radio data for Q2 as the cooperating threshold representing 90% of revenues was not reached.)


Despite digital’s above-average growth, the segment accounted for just 4.5% of combined spot, digital, and off-air revenues in H1. Spot revenue, which made up 86% of combined revenues for those 3 segments, was flat year-over-year in H1. (Marketingcharts.com)

Tony Hawk Skates Through The Halls Of SiriusXM

Official: Kidd Chris To Wake-Up Cincy


John Kieswtter at Cincinnati.com is reporting Howard Stern contributor and former Atlanta DJ Kidd Chris told Stern this morning that he’s the new morning host on WEBN-FM (102.7).

WEBN”s New FM operations director Chris Williams, who was the Clear Channel program director, hired Chris at Atlanta’s WKLS-FM.  The Atlanta station dropped the Project 9-6-1 format and Kidd Chris in August.

Born Chris Foley in Syracuse, he has worked at stations in Wichita, Sacramento, San Antonio, Philadelphia and Portland OR.

WEBN-FM fired the Mark & Mo morning team last week after only seven months.

Obama Does Lettermen

Colbert Mocks USA Today’s New Logo


Stephen Colbert told Comedy Central viewers Tuesday night that his fears over USA Today’s “dramatic” redesign were “for nothing” :


Matthews Interviews Carter About Romney Video


James Carter IV, the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter and the researcher who discovered the hidden camera video of Mitt Romney making his now infamous comments about the 47 percent of Americans who pay nothing in income taxes and logically would support President Barack Obama, appeared on MSNBC’s Hardball on Tuesday. There, he talked about how he uncovered the video and why he did it. (Mediaite.com)


Hanson Audio: State of the Industry Address


From RAIN Summit Dallas 2012: RAIN publisher and AccuRadio CEO/founder Kurt Hanson's State of the Industry Address. Covers the "Innovator's Dilemma," 801(b) and why "willing buyer/willing seller" is "gibberish.




Listen to the keynote presentation of RAIN Summit Dallas 2012, as delivered by Clear Channel's Tim Castelli. As one of the industry's top digital media sales executives, Castelli ensures the close integration of Clear Channel's national sales & partnership operations, including Digital, Strategic Partnerships, Clear Channel Radio sales & Premiere Radio Networks sales and others.


Study: Youth View The News As 'Garbage'


Millennials couldn't care less about the news.

Tyler Kingkade at huffpo writes that's according to the research of University of Texas at Austin journalism professor Paula Poindexter. Young people do not make it a priority to stay informed because they feel that media talks down to them, comes off as propaganda or is just plain boring, Poindexter found. They also think most news media do not cover issues important to them.

Some of her findings for her new book, “Millennials, News, and Social Media: Is News Engagement a Thing of the Past?", include:

Most millennials give the news media average to failing grades when it comes to reporting on their generation.
Millennials describe news as garbage, lies, one-sided, propaganda, repetitive and boring.
When they consume news, millennials are more likely than their baby boomer parents to access news with smartphones and apps and share news through social media, texting and email.

Most millennials do not depend on news to help with their daily lives.

The majority of millennials do not feel being informed is important.

Opinion: The Style & Substance of The Right Talkers


Different hosts take a very different approach on the spectrum of conservatism. Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Mark Levin take a more traditional Reagan conservative view. Beck leans close to libertarianism, while still holding social conservative views. Michael Savage speaks loudly for the anti-war right. Hosts Bill Bennett, Michael Medved and Dennis Prager offer a reserved and analytical style absent the yelling or name calling of other programs. The bigger picture from this is that conservative talk radio has become such a large universe that different definitions of conservatism and different styles of programming can co-exist on the airwaves. 
What Limbaugh and Beck represent is two eras of talk radio. Beck became a cultural phenomenon during the Obama administration the same way that Limbaugh became a cultural phenomenon during the Clinton administration. Even in the universe of talk hosts, Beck is the only host that rivals Limbaugh in invoking something akin to hatred from the left. 
“Glenn’s emergence reminds me of Rush’s emergence in the early ‘90s,” nationally syndicated conservative host Mike Gallagher told Politico in 2009. “People have asked me, ‘Who’s the next Rush,’ because Rush is the gold standard. … seems to be Glenn.”

Study Reveals Need to Optimize Online News Content


The results of a national media study revealed that adults who are motivated to seek out rewards rather than avoid threats are more likely to use mobile media platforms to access local and national news compared to adults who are more concerned with avoiding threats than seeking out rewards.

The difference is largest among smart phone users with 27% of reward seekers compared to 12% of threat avoiders who consider the smart phone to be a very important technology for accessing news. The results indicate that the desktop computer is still the dominant platform for accessing online news among all individuals. However, reward seekers are more inclined to include mobile media in the news consumption.

Reward seekers are also significantly more likely to comment on, recommend and share online news stories than threat avoiders. Reward seekers tend to be aged 22-45 and are more likely to be male than female.

The study was conducted by the Missouri School of Journalism, the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) and HCD Research in March among a national sample of 1,039 between the ages of 18-70 to determine their media use and reactions to various media images.

The intent of the study was to obtain a deeper understanding of the psychological motives that drive media preferences and use to help news outlets and advertisers optimize content and delivery platforms for their target audiences.

Among the key findings:
  • Receiving up-to-date, detailed information about natural disasters and crime is more important to threat avoiders than reward seekers, while receiving up-to-date information on sports is more important to reward seekers than threat avoiders.
  • Online news must be designed and optimized by category in order to appeal to reward seekers versus threat avoiders.
  • Reward seekers demonstrate a stronger preference for videos embedded with online news.
  • Threat avoiders are more likely than reward seekers to perceive that detailed reporting instead of news briefs is more important for crime, natural disasters and politics.

The survey measured individual differences in approach and defensive related motivations and related them to variation in online media use and preferences. The outcome of the study will be detailed psychological profiles of news audiences that go beyond existing audience data.

Now, It’s ‘Today’s’ Turn To Cry


Less than three months after a tearful Ann Curry bid goodbye to NBC’s “Today” show, it’s the network’s turn to cry, according to the NYPost.

The once-dominant morning powerhouse is falling even further behind in the ratings race after forcing 15-year veteran Curry aside and replacing her with freshman Savannah Guthrie.

ABC’s ascendant rival “Good Morning America” looks set to win its third consecutive week in a row — not just in total viewers but also among core viewers ages 25 to 54, according to preliminary ratings.

NBC has long crowed about its smooth transitions in the news division, from Katie Couric to Meredith Vieira at “Today” and Tom Brokaw to Brian Williams at “Nightly News.”

But call it the curse of Ann Curry.

The decision to push her off the couch after just a year on the job — sparking outrage among her fans — has backfired.

Even with the two-week boost from Olympics — which was supposed to give “Today” and NBC a leg up on the competition — ratings for the show were down nearly 7 percent during the summer.

In the 10 weeks leading up to her teary signoff, Curry averaged 4.94 million total viewers and 2.1 million in the core 25-to-54-year-old audience, according to Nielsen figures.

In the 10 weeks after her departure, including the Olympics, NBC fell to 4.6 million viewers and 1. 9 million in the key audience group.

Meanwhile, “GMA” topped “Today” in total viewers with 4.7 million during the 10-week period ended Sept. 9. Among 25-to-54-year-old viewers, it trailed with 1.75 million, although it has also been narrowing that gap as well.

Read More Here.


ALSO MUST READ: Matt turns ‘anchor animal’, click here.

Clarksville, TN: Bonecutter Fired From WJZM Morning Show


Hank Bonecutter, namesake of “The Bone Show” and Clarksville, TN radio personality for some 40 years, has been taken off the air.

The new owners of WJZM met with Bonecutter after the morning show on Tuesday and let him go, just a few months after buying the station from Bonecutter himself.

Tuesday morning’s show was his last one.

“I have no ill will,” Bonecutter told Chris Smith at The Leaf-Chronicle. “They have to do what they have to do. I wasn’t sure I’d stay on to the end of the year anyway.”

As part of their agreement when new owners Dave Loos Jr., Greg Walker and Mike Parchman bought the station, Bonecutter was to continue doing the daily “Bone Show” and the Saturday show “Clarksville in Review” through the end of the year.

“My reporting and all we were doing was not in their whole scope of what the station would be about,” Bonecutter said.

“I don’t think there’s any question I’ve rubbed a lot of people the wrong way for several years. I’m sure they were taking a lot of heat from some folks in town, but I can’t speak to whether that was part of their decision or not.”

Bonecutter said he has nothing but respect and appreciation for the new owners, whom he considers good friends.

In August this year, Bonecutter sold the news-talk radio station WJZM 1400 AM to Walker, a sports talk and broadcasting personality; Loos, another prominent local voice in the sports broadcasting realm; and Parchman, who also owns and operates Neal-Tarpley-Parchman Funeral Home.

Bonecutter’s career at WJZM began in 1973, and he’s worked there on and off ever since, according to previous reports. In 1994, he became its owner.

He started “The Bone Show” when he became owner in 1994, and he started “Clarksville in Review” about six to eight years ago, he said.


Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Boston’s WEEI To End AM/FM Simulcast


A year after Entercom gave sports WEEI, Boston (850) a spot on the FM dial with WEEI-FM (93.7)

Entercom, the parent company of WEEI, and ESPN officially announced Tuesday that the 850 AM radio channel will begin broadcasting ESPN Radio programming in October.

The schedule starts Oct. 5 and is as follows:

6-10 a.m.: Mike & Mike in the Morning
10 a.m. - 1 p.m.: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
1-4 p.m.: The Scott Van Pelt Show with Ryen Russillo
4-7 p.m.: ESPN Today
7-10 p.m.: Hill and Schlereth/ ESPN Play-by-Play
10 p.m. - 12 a.m.: SportsCenter Tonight
12-6 a.m.: SportsCenter All Night

Report: Young Demos Boost Radio Listening


Adults aged 18 to 34 showing largest gain in radio listening, increasing by more than 800,000 weekly listeners

Arbitron Inc. announced Tuesday highlights from its September 2012 RADAR® 114 National Radio Listening Report.  The report shows radio’s audience increased slightly year over year by 249,000 persons aged 12 and older, representing nearly 93% of the population.

Young radio listeners were largely responsible for the year-over-year increase, with Adults aged 18 to 34 showing the largest gain in weekly listeners, adding more than 800,000. Persons aged 12 to 17 increased slightly also.

Radio continues to reach 91% of this demographic.  Adults aged 18 to 49 and Adults aged 25-54 showed year over year declines in weekly radio listening, largely due to shifts in the composition of the population versus last year. Radio attracts 126 million adults aged 18 to 49 and 119.6 million adults aged 25 to 54 on a weekly basis.


Radio’s Diversity

Radio’s diverse listener base saw a big jump in the September 2012 RADAR study compared to the September 2011 study. The number of Hispanic weekly radio listeners saw impressive increases across most demographic segments.

  • Radio’s Hispanic audience aged 12 and older grew by more than 2.5  million versus the September 2011 report.  Radio reaches nearly 95% of Hispanics aged 12 and older.
  • Hispanic Teens aged 12 to 17 showed an impressive increase over the past year, rising by more than 300,000 weekly listeners.
  • The Black (non-Hispanic) audience also show significant gains.  Radio among Black (non-Hispanic) listeners aged 12 and older grew by more than 975,000 versus September 2011.  Radio reaches approximately 93% of the Black (non-Hispanic) population.
  • Black (non-Hispanic) adults aged 18 to 34 showed the most gains, adding nearly half a million average weekly listeners versus last year.
  • The adult 25 to 54 Black (non-Hispanic) demographic also showed impressive gains with an increase of more than 280,000 weekly listeners.

Radio Delivers Affluent, Educated Adults

The September 2012 RADAR report illustrates radio’s ability to attract affluent, educated consumers.  More than 95% of adults aged 25 to 54 with a household income of $75K or more and a college degree tune in to radio on a weekly basis, that’s 25.6 million listeners in this demographic.  Also, nearly 69.7 million, or 94%, of Adults aged 18 to 49 with a household income of $75K or more tune into radio on a weekly basis.

Miami: Sports Talk Radio Wars


As October lurks with the annual confluence of professional football, baseball, basketball, hockey and NCAA football, the radio media goes into hyper drive trying to score during the important November ratings sweeps. GamingToday.com takes  a look at this year’s radio sports talk wars in South Florida.

Ridiculous as it may seem, the four SoFlo counties with 8 million people have four full time sports talk radio stations. That’s three too many. Even in NYC, Philly, LA, DC, Minneapolis, Detroit or Dallas, only two all sports stations might survive.

And, that does not include the huge Hispanic language radio arena.


When WQAM 560, 790/104.3 WAXY “The Ticket,” 940 WINZ “The Sports Animal” and 640 WMEN, go head-to-head, advertisers are in a quandary about buying their male 25-54 demographic. Consequently, high profile talent on these stations look to provide any edge to attract Ford or Budweiser or Harley Davidson. All four sports station’s ratings added together fall short of the top rated FM music station.


Radio AM 560 has been at it for nearly three decades. Station 104.3 FM recently joined the fray by acquiring the programming of 790AM; Station 940AM carries the Miami Dolphins – king of the broadcast rights in the market, and WMEN appeals to the Palm Beach/Boca market due to a weak signal.

For 20 years 560 mega talents Neil Rogers, Hank Goldberg and Jim “Mad Dog” Mandich ruled the sports talk airwaves. In the last decade newcomer 790 put a dent in their ratings causing the 560 Beasley management to fire their high profile talents and their large salaries. Station 790, largely behind the edgy/broader approach of afternoon drive talent Dan Le Batard, assaulted the 560 and stole audience persistently.


 In late August AM 790 owner Lincoln Financial, shook up the market by moving its sports talk to FM 104.3. The move exposes their programming to triple the cherished demo audience of the AM band. Similar moves in other markets suggest this will catapult the station into a dominant ratings position.

Having the broadcast rights to the Florida Marlins and Miami HEAT can only add to the ratings. The remainder of the 790/104.3 programming features popular ESPN syndicated host Colin Cowherd midday and ex-ESPN anchor and Heat TV commentator Jason Jackson.

Answering back, WQAM 560 added veteran talent Jorge Sedano as afternoon drive host and program director. Formerly 790’s morning drive DJ, he also hosted late night nationally on Fox Sports Radio and is a television personality doing weekend sports. He also is a member of the Heat broadcast staff.

With Dolphins/TV personality Joe Rose, longtime host of the 560 morning drive the station remains competitive. 560 also carries the broadcast rights of the University of Miami – an eroding but loyal audience. The remainder of the programming includes long time ex-Tampa sports talk fav, UM Hurricanes and Dallas Cowboys player Dan Sileo middays, and a polished Kevin Rogers at night. The QAM weekend hosts are by far the best of the bunch. Mike Levine hosts a nightly hour of baseball-only programming during season – the only one of its kind and well done.

Clear Channel station 940 AM WINZ was the market’s longtime all news/talker. The station recently turned all sports and won the Miami Dolphins broadcast rights, which are extremely expensive and involve a complicated advertising agreement with the team. The games are also broadcast on FM 105.9, a sister station.

Jackson,TN Stations Swap Frequencies


 Forever Communications and Grace Broadcasting Services officially swapped radio broadcast frequencies on Monday.

According to a story at jacksonsun.com, Grace Broadcasting now transmits its Christian music format called “The Dove” over 105.3-FM. Forever Communications now broadcasts a mix of music from the 1970s to today over the former WTGP 97.7-FM. That station is now called WYJJ. The station plays oldies music performed by the O’Jays, Anita Baker, The Isley Brothers and Prince and also “top adult urban contemporary artists such as Usher, Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly and more,” according to an e-mail from Forever Communications.

Forever Communications plans to hire three additional full-time staff members for WYJJ, the e-mail states.

Changing broadcast frequencies gives Forever Communications a stronger signal and larger coverage area. WTJW, which carries NEWS/Talk, is a 4.7-kilowatt radio station. WTGP-97.7 FM is a 50-kilowatt station. Forever Communications also operates Froggy 104.1-FM, Rock 92.3-FM and a news/talk network called The TJ Network, which is WTJS-1390 AM, WTJJ 94.3-FM and 94.1-FM in Jackson. The company streams its local talk shows at WTJS.com.

Grace Broadcasting’s president, Lacy Ennis, said previously that Forever paid Grace $525,000 to change frequencies, which Ennis said will help his company reduce its debt load.

'BMR Radio' Mornings 98 WRRM Cincinnati



Bob Goen and Marianne Curan join Cumulus’ Warm 98 for morning drive in Cincinnati as BMR, Bob & Marianne Radio. The husband/wife team, (he’s known for Entertainment Tonight, The Miss Universe Pageant, and a variety of game shows, and she’s an improvisational comedienne seen frequently on Fox, ABC, HGTV, in sitcoms as well as a dozen appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno), start on October 1st. Joining the duo as producer is Chicago native Sam Alex. He was most recently a part of the morning show team on WMZQ/Washington, DC.

Regional VP/Market Manager, Dave Crowl, said “The Cumulus team is very excited to welcome Bob & Marianne to Cincinnati and Warm 98. We know that they will make mornings on Warm 98 entertaining, interesting and fun while helping our listeners start their day.”

“What an outstanding opportunity for a heritage AC brand such as Warm 98 to be working with the Goen’s” added Program Director Chris Lynn. He continued “Cincinnati has a long history of being the home to great personality radio. We are proud to be a part of that tradition by welcoming Bob & Marianne.”

Bob said “TV has been an incredible career for me. But I started in radio and always looked forward to the day when I could return. And better yet, I get to do radio with my wife!”

BIA/Kelsey: Online Deals Spending to Reach $3.6B


Twenty-six percent of local businesses say they are ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ likely to participate in an online deal in the next six months.

BIA/Kelsey, advisor to companies in the local media industry, forecasts U.S. consumer spending on online deals (including daily deals, instant deals and flash sales) to reach $3.6 billion in 2012, an increase of 86.9 percent over 2011. BIA/Kelsey projects 23 percent growth in deals spending in 2013, followed by mid-single-digit growth in later years. This translates into deals spending climbing to $5.5 billion in 2016.


“After astronomical growth in 2012, the online deals marketplace is showing signs of maturity,” said Peter Krasilovsky, vice president and program director, BIA/Kelsey. “There has been consolidation in the space, deal conversion rates may be suffering due to over-familiarity and the market may be near saturation. Still, market leaders continue to exhibit growth as market awareness and penetration spread.”

Going forward, BIA/Kelsey envisions online deals will become an anchor for a platform of non-advertising small-business services. These services include instant mobile deals, loyalty products, promotions, reputation management, transaction processing and ecommerce. While these services have already been introduced to the marketplace, they have not made a significant impact on overall deals revenues to date. Eventually, BIA/Kelsey expects they’ll become an anchor element in the broad local play.

MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell on Twitter and Politics

NYDaily News Metrics Grow With National Website


The Daily News' bid to reposition its website as a nationally-facing product appears to be paying off, according to a story atcapitalnewyork.com.

Since the redesign and relaunch of the News homepage as "Daily News America" at the beginning of July, unique visitors to nydailynews.com have risen 21.6 percent to 19.1 million in August from 15.7 million in June, according to metrics from the web measurement firm comScore that the News circulated internally today.

That puts the Daily News in the same digital ballpark as bigger papers like USA Today, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times, according to a comScore ranking compiled by News management.

In print, the News has the fifth highest circulation in the country, but almost all of its distribution is in the New York area. By tailoring its website to a wider audience through a combination of photo-heavy celebrity news and re-write coverage of the most click-friendly national stories of the day, the News is hoping to capture advertisers that wouldn't necessarily be compelled to position their brands alongside local fare.

"We can now say with confidence that we are a national player," wrote News president Bill Holiber and editor-in-chief Colin Myler in an effusive memo to staff on Monday. "Every aspect of the content being created, whether it be national, international or local, has had a significant impact on our great web audience growth. From covering the Aurora cinema massacre to the Sandusky trial, from the TomKat divorce to the Empire State shootings, we have consistently led the field with fast, accurate and intelligent reporting."

Their note also included the requisite jab at the competition: "In case you were wondering, the New York Post website does not figure in the ComScore premier league of players."

News chatter has it that the Post is cooking up its own national web offering, but Post sources were unable to confirm that this is true.