6-4-14
In May, Pandora says it had 9.13 percent of all U.S radio listening, that's down from 9.28 percent last month. Listener hours for May were 1.73 billion, up from 1.7 million in April. Active listeners in May were 77.0 million, up from 76 million in April. Pandora announced in March that this would be its final monthly metrics release. The company will release quarterly numbers during its earnings calls.
4-2-14
The Federal Trade Commission has approved Nielsen's plan to sell its LinkMeter cross-platform measurement service to comScore. It was a required FTC spinoff in order to get final approval for Nielsen to purchase Arbitron. The FTC was fearful there would be less competition in the marketplace unless LinkMeter was sold off. The original FTC approval for the $1.3 billion sale was last September.
5-15-13
Pandora says it is integrating a new e-Business advertising technology solution that will allow for "frictionless planning and buying for media buyers." Pandora Chief Revenue Officer John Trimble says, "With this new solution, we are combining the ease of buying traditional radio with the accountability of digital by enabling a more seamless, end-to-end platform from planning through the final billing transaction." The new platform integrates the largest media buying software platforms, Mediaocean and STRATA, with proprietary software built by Pandora's engineering team in conjunction with Pandora's ad operations and billing teams.
Pandora says this marks the launch of the final stage of its plans to fully integrate Pandora into media buying platforms. The first step, announced in May 2012, was the launch of Triton Digital's measurement of Pandora in traditional radio metrics such as AQH and Cume. The second phase, announced in March 2013, integrated Pandora audience data via Triton ratings into the Mediaocean and STRATA media buying platforms.
5-3-13
by Erica Pefferman
Here we find ourselves. Two failed attempts to buy a station and no idea on what to do next. So, what do I do when I find myself in that spot? I pouted, I got mad, and then I went to look for the next possible option. In case you haven?t been able to tell, I?m not one to take no for an answer. When I hear ?No?, I actually interpret that as ?Not yet.?
Here?s how the last and latest chapter has gone. After finding out that we didn?t get the bid on the second station offer, I immediately called my FCC attorney to determine what choices we had. Here is what it amounted to:
? Bidding on a station in an auction. After researching this, I quickly found out that there hadn?t been a station listed in an auction within hours of my home in several years. And, the potential of that happening anytime in the next few years was completely unknown.
? There were creative options about AM stations, FM translators, etc? but they didn?t fit in to what I wanted to do.
? No stations locally were likely to be able to be bought as there were two dominant ownership groups that had bought them all when multiples were extremely high and weren?t likely to sell off any of their stations anytime soon. They?d never get out of them what was owed on them if they broke them up. Holding out for selling them as clusters was the only thing they could do.
? Any independent and remotely locally owned stations seemed to be held for the most part by second generation broadcasters that were ambivalent at best about broadcast but held huge opinions of their extremely underperforming station?s value or were unwilling to sell.
? And, finally?moving to another city to buy a station. There were certainly more options out of our area, but how did I reconcile that with my family dynamic with multiple sets of parents and 5 children that deserved having all their parents in their lives at all times? This has been a struggle.
I?ve had some very talented and kind people offer me advice as I?ve written this series of articles. One such person told me very plainly?if you love this as you say you do, you?ll move to make this happen. They have pressed this point over and over. Finally, I had to agree with them but only with a compromise. I drew a five hour radius from my children?s father and my stepson and made that the limit of my search field. I would compromise, but I wouldn?t go past that point. Even if it meant not having my dream happen for another 13 years.
I have finally admitted that I have been beat. At least for now. I?m mad at the big companies that through consolidation have made it nearly impossible for the independent owner to get involved in any decent markets unless they have millions at their disposal to buy entire clusters at inflated prices.
I?m frustrated with the FCC who has decided that it?s wise to no longer allow new construction permits.
I?ve also learned that being a woman or a minority really does little to help you when you want to buy a new station. Many people are under the false impression that money is just waiting in bags for you if you are a woman or a minority. That?s simply not true. I?ve looked for them! However, what is available is a great step in the right direction. The MIW, NAB and the RAB have done their part by providing programs for training and preparation that are specifically geared to helping women. The MIW?s mentoring program, the NAB?s Broadcast Leadership Training program and the RAB?s Rising Through the Ranks program are great places to gain knowledge and preparation. But, even with all of that, they cannot make stations available for purchase.
Bottom line: I?ve no shortage of funds which everyone said would be the hardest part. I?ve found a shortage of stations available for purchase in a way that makes sense to us. Ultimately, I?ll have to leave our home, move my children, and uproot my entire family in order to chase my dream of ownership.
Truthfully, I have a hard time pulling the trigger on this decision. At what point do I decide enough is enough?
Is it the end of the journey? Definitely not. Is it a pause of indeterminately long length? Definitely.
This is probably the last article in this series for a while. I?ve nothing new to tell. I?m sorry it hasn?t had a happy ending yet. I genuinely hope and feel that it will someday, but I don?t know when that day will be. In the meantime, please feel free to send me your thoughts, your questions, your advice and even your encouragement. I?ve been blessed to receive all of that since this series has started, and it means more to me than I can say. I save every email, and I answer each one. I thoughtfully consider the position of each person.
I know I have a lot to learn, and I hope to continue to do so. I?ll keep you posted as to progressing with this journey. But, until then?the journey is on hold.
God Bless and Go Iowa State Cyclones!! J
Have any advice or thoughts for Erica? You can reach her at erica@theruckusgroup.com
(5/3/2013 12:11:31 PM)
Ya know...Dallas has lots of radio stations! And a baby sister! ;)
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5-25-12
United Stations Radio Networks debuts its first long-form sports talk show, The Final Lap Weekly, extending the brand of its short-form feature "The Final Lap With Kerry Murphey." Murphey and veteran NASCAR writer Toby Christie will co-host the new one-hour weekend show starting with the weekend of June 2-3.
The Final Lap Weekly will be, USRN said, an "all-purpose NASCAR racing talk show," with the week's racing news, recaps, and previews, along with interviews with drivers and other NASCAR personalities. Listeners will be invited to engage with the show via social media and the show's website at www.thefinallap.com -- the weekly show began as a podcast on the site.
"2012 has been another solid year for NASCAR racing, with TV viewership and track attendance both up," USRN EVP/Programming Andy Denmark said. "At the same time, Sports radio is growing exponentially, so we felt it was a great time to bring a new long-form racing talk show to the airwaves. Kerry Murphey is a proven winner, his team covers the sport like no one else, and this is a great brand extension for Kerry and The Final Lap."
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1-17-2012
WBAL's Ron Smith died last month at the age of 70 after a short but public battle with pancreatic cancer. A service was held yesterday in the auditorium of Goucher University. In attendance were U.S. Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger and former Gov. Robert Ehrlich.
The service was emceed by WBAL-TV's Gerry Sandusky, and speakers included Dr. Bill Howard, Smith's physician and longtime friend, WBAL-TV anchor Stan Stovall, Hearst Radio general manager Ed Kiernan, and Jonathan Murray, WBAL radio financial analyst and friend.
Smith's wife June, seen here accepting an American Flag at the service, said ?We called this a gathering of family, friends and loyal listeners. I think everyone who was
there today really saw their Ron Smith.? She said the service was exactly what Smith wanted, a memorial where loved ones could celebrate and laugh together.
Audio and video from the service are HERE on the WBAL website.
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1-10-2012
The Conclave's final webinar aimed at helping out-of-work radio folks is tomorrow. It's called "How To Initiate And Conduct A Successful Job Search." Robert McDonnell will be the webinar presenter and he'll discuss proper networking techniques, appropriate resume presentation, interview preparation, and important do?s and don?ts in a difficult job market.
McDonnell has trained professional resume writers all over the US. He has authored national careers columns for The Military Press and a San Diego newspaper. In addition to writing resumes, cover letters, and job-related addendum documents, McDonnell is an expert in the ever-evolving job search process, and keeping track of how technological innovations impact the success of job seekers. Mr. McDonnell currently owns and operates the online resume service, ?Affordable Quality Resumes.?
A question and answer session will follow the presentation. Each Conclave webinar in this series is FREE of charge, but preregistration is required. Log on to the Conclave?s website to preregister at www.theconclave.com. The presentation is sponsored by Envision Radio Networks and begins at 2PM Central time.
Conclave webinars are hosted/moderated by Conclave Board of Director?s member Jay Philpott, Air Talent/Digital Content Specialist at Hubbard Radio's 106-5 The Arch/St. Louis.
In a little over a month Citadel Stockholders will decide if they want the company to be purchased by Cumulus. A special meeting of the Citadel stockholders will take place on Thursday, September 15th at 8AM on Park Avenue in New York City. And while that meeting takes place, Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey will have, by then, double-checked to make sure his cel-phone battery is fully charged and his connection is strong. During the vote, Dickey will be on stage in Chicago with CBS's Dan Mason and Hubbard's Bruce Reese for the NAB/RAB Radio show leadership breakfast.
Citadel?s board of directors unanimously recommends that shareholders vote ?FOR? the adoption of the merger agreement. If approved, each share of Citadel Class A common stock and Citadel Class B common stock will be converted into the right to receive $37.00 in cash.
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