Emmis To Reveal Major NextRadio Update

9-3-14

The company will show off the app update at the Radio Show in Indianapolis next week during a Wednesday 2 p.m. press conference. TagStation Senior VP Paul Brenner said, ?Since launching a year ago, we learned a lot about what consumers, handset-makers, wireless carriers, and radio people would do to improve the experience. The NextRadio update we?re revealing at the Radio Show will exceed expectations.  It will deliver to radio listeners, advertisers, and content owners something they could not have imagined: a unique, compelling way to interact with broadcast radio that has never before existed."

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Major Changes at WEEI Boston

5-12-14

In an effort to better compete with CBS' The Sports Hub, Entercom is making changes to sports-talker WEEI-FM. Former NFL tight end Christian Fauria (pictured) will join Lou Merloni middays. And, joining Fauria and Merloni will be 970 ESPN Pittsburgh sports personality and Clear Channel Pittsburgh sports director Tim Benz beginning in late May. Merloni has co-hosted middays since 2011. Merloni?s current co-host, Mike Mutnansky, will shift to another role inside the company that will be announced within the next few weeks.

WEEI program director and brand manager Kevin Graham said, ?We are thrilled with the new team we have assembled.  This show will be the only sports radio program in New England that offers listeners insight from a former major leaguer and a former NFL player. When you add in the sports radio experience of New England native Tim Benz, listeners will hear a brand new sound in the market.?  Graham describes the new program as ?fast-paced, loose and fun with a diverse mix of opinions and entertainment.?   The show will be called ?Middays with MFB? and will also be heard across New England on the WEEI Radio Network.

(5/12/2014 3:19:44 PM)
I would compare listening to sports talk radio to being at a party-- that is, you can listen to other people (including the talk show hosts) talk to each other for a few minutes, but after awhile, you want to chime in and participate in the conversation, or you move on to another group. Listening to a conversation that other people are having, without outside participation, becomes boring after a few minutes. Bringing in callers, helps to keep it lively.
(5/12/2014 2:18:10 PM)
WEEI had some great personalities, no question. But they make one big huge mistake that is a failure of programming-- they (WEEI) do not take enough phone calls from the listeners. The highest-rated Talkradio- including sports talk- is two way INTERACTIVE talk radio, with a non-stop flow of callers, who weigh in on the air, with the hosts. WEEI lets their hosts go on and on, 15, 20 minutes and more, talking to each other, with no listener involvement for large stretches of time. Big big mistake.

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Alpha Gets Major Press For Hidden Money Trick

9-26-13

Customers were finding $100 bills in grocery stores and at Wal-Mart in Portland and Southeast Washington. It had them wondering, should I turn the money in or should I keep it? Turns out Alpha Broadcasting's  KUPL-FM was hiding the money as part of a promotion called "Secret Cash Giveaways." The Today Show picked up on the story as did the local Fox Affiliate KPTV. The money was appearing in egg cartons, candles, and groceries of shoppers.

Alpha Broadcasting Director of Programming, Scott Mahalick said, ?We wanted to give everyone a chance to win.  Having a live and local radio station with live on-air talent that live and work in our community means that we can be connected to our listeners on a personal and immediate level.?

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Apple Close to Deal With Two Major Labels

4-5-13

That's the word from CNET writer Paul Sloan who says he has two sources that tell him the deal could be "far sweeter" than what the labels are currently getting from Pandora. He also says Apple's much-hyped music service would offer additional revenue streams to the labels, including a quick way for consumers to buy a song they hear and revenue sharing from audio ads Apple will air on its free service. And, he writes, "Apple is building some unique features, such as the ability to jump back to the beginning of a song." Read Sloan's piece at CNET HERE

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Managing In A Major Market

1-8-2013

Yesterday, Kim Bryant was walking the halls of WABC-AM and WPLJ-FM in New York City. Call letters that are recognized industry wide. Bryant was just announced the new Market Manager for the two Cumulus stations and was taking note of some of radio's biggest stars, who at one time, called one of those two stations home. 

From hundreds of applicants looking to lead the Cumulus New York cluster, Bryant got the call. Most recently at cable channel CineMoi, Bryant is a radio person, having spent 25 years with Clear Channel, and Westwood One. We spoke to Bryant about getting the call to turn WABC and WPLJ back into New York powerhouses.

RI: Why come back to radio?
Bryant: I just love radio. I am just so glad to be back in it, back in the local side of it, and thrilled to be working with Cumulus. I think radio is redefining itself as we speak. There are so many platforms out there. All of those platforms, whether you are talking about digital or any of those spaces, online, magazine, print....they all need radio to extend the reach. I think radio is being seen as an extension of that. I think we are having to redefine ourselves, so I think this is a perfect time to get back into radio and to help redefine it. I am thrilled to be a part of a company that is doing it and growing again, and not going backwards.

RI: What's it like getting the call to be the manager of WABC and WPLJ? 
Bryant: I am still pinching myself. It is a thrill of a lifetime. I never dreamt in a thousand years that I would get that call. I am absolutely thrilled and full of pride and excited to be a part of these unbelievable stations that have been a part of the fabric of New York for years and, quite frankly, created radio as we know it today.

RI: What do you think the biggest challenge of managing in New York City is?
Bryant: I don't think it has anything to do with New York City. It's like any market in any format. It is about selling radio today. I think you have a generation of buyers and planners that live a different lifestyle than  the rest of the country,  or who's listening habits are different in Manhattan, or maybe their listening habits are different. I think selling through the relevancy of radio is really important in New York. I think that has been the challenge in New York for a while. In talking to people that live and breathe here, who have been doing this for the last 20 years, Manhattan is one of the biggest challenges. I think that is probably it. I think, again, that radio is in a different place today than it was three years ago, and we are redefining ourselves and really redefining where we fit in that new landscape.

RI: Where do you want to take those two stations, other than the obvious, to drive the revenue higher?
Bryant: In the market, I want the market to believe and feel that they are the brand and the heritage stations that they once were. I want this building to believe that they are the brand that they once were, and currently still are. I walked the halls today, and you can't help but be impressed with the Scott and Todds and the Imuses -- everything that built these two stations to where they are today, really their essence is still here, and they're still great and there is still great things going on in this building.

(1/9/2013 2:37:37 PM)
"Brand. Platform. Lifestyle. Digital. Redefining." What, no "social media"?
(1/9/2013 10:15:14 AM)
Why bet against her? The landscape can shift and she might have the resourcefulness to make it work out. I'd take the Vegas odds on her.
(1/9/2013 9:39:11 AM)
I have a lot of respect for Kim and I wish her the best.
(1/9/2013 7:14:29 AM)
She just became the captain of a sinking ship.
(1/9/2013 3:25:44 AM)
Good luck to Kim! And you have to appreciate her enthusiasm. ... The success of radio stations, or any platforms, is driven by UNIQUE COMPELLING CONTENT. Unfortunately, Cumulus completely trashed legendary stations KGO in San Francisco and KABC in Los Angeles, by dumbing down the stations with syndicated programs that local listeners DID NOT CARE ABOUT. It is doubtful that the Dickeys have learned anything by these failures.

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Survival. Major Newspaper Shifting to Online

As consumers continue their lifestyle shift online and toward devices, newspapers continue to struggle to find a solution to their costly print publications. Some time this year, The New Orleans Times-Picayune will cut back it's printed edition to three days a week and eliminate jobs. When that happens, New Orleans will be the largest city without a daily newspaper.

Times-Picayune publisher Ashton Phelps Jr. confirmed the paper will cease daily publication, moving to three days a week in the fall: Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.  "Press reports have necessitated our giving you this news now. We realize it  will make people anxious, but we do not know enough today to be able to announce how the changes will affect individual employees. We will move as quickly as possible in the coming weeks to make that determination and to inform each of you personally."
The Times-Picayune announced on its site that a new company, NOLA Media Group, will run the newspaper and its website, and another new company will print and deliver the paper. It said NOLA Media Group ?will significantly increase its online news-gathering efforts 24 hours a day, seven days a week.?

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"Major Directional Change" Taking Place at Merlin in Chicago

Apparently a format specifically designed to talk directly to a female listener isn't working out the way Merlin had planned. On the heels of radio veteran Dave Williams' surprise firing by Merlin in Chicago a source inside the station has confirmed that the station is making "major directional changes." The source also says there will not be any more layoffs and in fact the station is hiring again. "What we went on the air with looked good on paper. But then once it went on the air it was apparent we had to change the focus from narrowcasting to broadcasting. Some of the features weren?t working and we went with a harder news approach, but still with a more modern execution and feel," the source also told us.

In the October 24th print issue of Radio Ink magazine, Merlin COO Walter Sabo described why the format he helped put on the air was different. "All day, you take the news of your life and you share it with your spouse, parents, friend, co-workers, etc. The way you share it is different. Let?s say you got a promotion. You would tell it differently to each of them. You might feign modesty when talking to your neighbor. You might simplify it when talking to a 5-year-old niece. You might brag a little when telling your dad. It?s the same fact, but you present the information to the audience you are talking to a little differently. You communicate in words, terms, symbols that are meaningful to your audience. The traditional all-news stations are great stations. They are brilliant at reaching the retirement set. You look at the demography of those stations, and they aggressively appeal to people over 65."

When the station originally went on the air it was quickly criticized by Chicago media, some saying it was unlistenable. The station source told Radio Ink, "we?ve done a lot of things to actually add muscle to our coverage. It didn?t help that we had the world?s worst computer system in the buildings. You can?t imagine the problems that caused. No way to describe. That?s now changing. It?s too bad our staff was blamed for poor execution when newscasts were locking up, disappearing, etc."

Sabo is quoted in the magazine saying what Merlin was putting on the air was "not really a new way. It?s the way people have spoken all of their lives. When you are late to meet your friends because of traffic, you?re not going to say, ?There was a four-mile backup due to a disabled vehicle with police activity on the side of the road.? We are going to say, ?Some idiot ran out of gas,? or, ?The police are doing radar, stay away from there.? Because that?s how you would tell your friends."

Sounds like Merlin is leaning more toward saying things the old way. More toward the CBS way.

(10/12/2011 5:42:01 AM)
Well! What do you know? The only reason this group has ever gotten so much publicity is because of your affinity for them, not because they were newsworthy. Now we find this small company, yes it is small, is also fallible. Thanks for giving them an inordinate amount of publicity. Now let's get back to the rest of the broadcasting community.
(10/11/2011 11:56:16 AM)
Please be quick.

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Cumulus Makes First Major Change.

Fresh off final approval of the purchase of Citadel, Cumulus has made its first major change. Washington's 630 WMAL-AM will now also be available on 105.9-FM. The goal is to "compete directly with the nation's highest-grossing radio station," WTOP. Beginning today at noon, WMAL will simulcast its news and talk programming on 105.9 FM WVRX -- providing FM listeners in the DC area with access to WMAL's 85 years of programming and community service.  Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey says "When we grew to 570 stations nationwide last week, after closing the Citadel deal, I told my team to be creative at using innovative ways for the newly acquired stations to bolster our community involvement and that's what our Washington, DC team has done so elegantly here."

WMAL GM Jeff Boden says ?By expanding our successful brand to the FM dial, we will be a viable listening and advertising option for many more people in the Washington, D.C., area. There are many potential listeners who never listen on AM, and we are now making programs of wide interest available to the largest possible audience."

Cumulus says, "this simulcast uniquely positions WMAL/WVRX to compete head-to-head with WTOP, whose $57 million in annual ad sales make it the highest-grossing station in the nation. While WTOP has a repetitive news-wheel format, WMAL/WVRX programming is interactive through a mix of news reports and call-in shows that allow for engagement with listeners. 

Programming simulcast as of noon today on AM and FM includes The Chris Plante Show, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin and ?Morning Majority? (hosted by former Fox News anchor Brian Wilson, ?The Daily Caller?s? Mary Katharine Ham and WMAL veteran Bryan Nehman).

On Friday, following approval from the Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission, Cumulus completed a $2.2 billion purchase of Citadel Broadcasting.

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