3-6-2015
The streaming wars are heating up, Google announced today that they are offering a Play Music account trial for three months at only $3 a month, the service would normally cost users $9.99 a month. The account gives users access to the library of over 30 million songs. Once the three-month trial ends, you'll have to cancel the service or fork over $9.99 a month. The discounted deal only applies to new subscribers.
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12-2-13
Sirius FM-6, the newest addition to the company's satellite fleet, has been successfully placed in orbit and declared ready for service. The new satellite is intended to help ensure SiriusXM's array of audio entertainment and data services are received by vehicles, receivers for home and business, as well as mobile devices. Sirius FM-6 was launched October 25 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard an International Launch Services (ILS) Proton.
10-7-13
The award was given to KUPL-FM The Bull in Portland by the Oregon Association of Broadcasters. KUPL held a benefit concert at Duke?s Bar & Grill on December 22, 2012 to raise funds for families of the Clackamas Town Center shooting victims. American Idol finalist, and local artist, Crystal Bowersox headlined the concert and over $8,000 was collected.
Alpha Broadcasting?s Director of Programming Scott Mahalick said, ?I?m humbled by the outpouring of support from our community. In tragic times, it?s comforting to know that our fellow Oregonians go above and beyond to come together for the greater good. For everyone that helped support this event and cause, I can?t thank you enough. My heart is filled with sadness and appreciation at the same time. It?s powerful to be live and local in the community and have the ability to rally support for a cause like this.?
What is your station doing to make your community a better place to live? Send all the details and photos to edryantheeditor@gmail.com
5-15-13
As expected, Google has debuted a streaming music service, Google Play All Access, getting out ahead of arch-rival Apple in this expanding area of audio entertainment. The company made the announcement of the subscription service Wednesday at its I/O developer conference.
The on-demand music service, which takes direct aim at such rivals as Pandora, Spotify, and Rdio, will cost $9.99 a month after a 30-day free trial. The Google Play service already offers a music store and locker and a games service. Read more about the service here at CNET
Google also said at the conference that it will be launching a custom version of Samsung's Galaxy S4 smartphone, loaded up with Google software and services.
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3-8-13
CNET reports Apple is still negotiating with Sony over licensing rights which has delayed the radio service which was planned for release last month. It's expected the fees will be worked out in time for a summer launch of the service. CNET reports the new service is being designed to come on Apple devices preinstalled rather than as an app download.
The New York Post reports that record labels are not happy with what Apple is offering to stream their music. The offer is said to be 6 cents per 100 songs which is about half of what Pandora now pays.
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10-22-2012
While Apple was making waves unveiling the new iPad Mini and other products on Tuesday, it may have been what they didn't talk about that helped Pandora's stock make its biggest jump since August. There was no mention of a new Pandora-like music service. Apple Senior VP Phil Schiller, when introducing the new iPad Mini said, "Pandora looks and works great on the device."
It was back in early September when news broke that Apple was negotiating deals with record labels to start a new service similar to Pandora's. The Pandora stock was slammed on that news, dropping 17 percent to close at $10.47. It's been slowly recovering. Pandora was up over 8 percent yesterday closing at $9.86.
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10-11-2012
Bob Lefsetz is the author of "The Lefsetz Letter." It's a free online blog/newsletter that at one time Lefsetz would charge subscribers $100 per year to read. He's been publishing for over 25 years now and is one of the most widely read writers in the music business. His website doesn't include any advertising which, as the site states, allows him to speak the truth about the music business, downloading, copy protection, pricing and music. After reading Pandora founder Tim Westergren's latest blog, he opened his latest piece with, "He's at it again."
Westergren, in his blog, detailed how much money his company was sending to artists, which included tens of thousands of dollars to obscure bands to millions of dollars to popular artists. It was a new angle for Westergren who is hoping to convince Congress to set lower rates for what Pandora and other Internet radio companies pay to play music. And, he said to artists, they should embrace his model. Lefsetz isn't buying Westergren's approach and followed up with a blog of his own. Here's what he had to say.
"Tim Westergren is not running a music service, but a religion. He expects his flock to follow him blindly, leaving their minds behind, all with the goal of lining his pockets. He owns stock worth double digit millions, yet he's complaining the company's getting screwed. Who does this resonate with? Certainly not artists or listeners.
And now in this latest blog post he raves about how much obscure artists are making on his service so he can rationalize paying them less. Huh?
What he's saying is if you let me pay less, the sphere will grow and you'll make tons more money! Never mind that this is anathema to Pandora's shareholders. You can only listen to one radio station at one time, whether terrestrial, satellite or Internet, people only have so many hours in a day, where are all these listening hours gonna come from? It's kind of like the Internet. If I'm surfing all night, I can't watch television. Hell, I oftentimes can't even listen to music! Market share is everything, and Tim Westergren seems to be saying here that he's willing to give up some of his. This is like Lucian Grainge giving away Parlophone if the European Commission would just approve the EMI merger... How duplicitous can you get?
If it's all about money, why doesn't Pandora add some commercials. That's what their main competitor, terrestrial radio does, you've got to pay the
bills somehow, there's no free lunch. Just ask Facebook, we give up our data for that service.
As for Sirius XM, I love this e-mail I received: "So, Tim Westergren doesn't own the pipeline, doesn't have to design and manufacture hardware (much less convince auto manufacturers to install it) and doesn't pay for upkeep on a network of satellites? Cry me a river." Tim's got a fraction of the costs of his competition, but he wants the same deal. A level playing field? Tim wants full-blown TILT!
This is why the music industry hates technologists. Self-satisfied pricks like Tim Westergren who believe they're entitled to make a huge profit off the hard work of others, in this case the copyrighted material known as music. And he rationalizes it by saying it's good for the public. Isn't that like saying free food is good for the public? And free cable TV? But who's gonna pay to grow staples and lay the pipe?
Why are all these techies so delusional?
Yes, the music industry has been too slow to license.
Yes, it tends to extract its pound of flesh.
But your way into copyright holders' hearts is by proving you're going to make them more money. And that's not what Tim Westergren is doing here, he's just lobbying on behalf of his shareholders.
The road to the economic future of the music business is riddled with potholes and conundrums. But in order to succeed in delivering a better model, we must work together, all sides must be included, creators, distributors, exhibitors and the public. The industry lost credibility and revenue by refusing to put the public in its equation. Now Tim Westergren wants to push the creators down to help him, not even the public. This is not a solution, this is heresy!
Subscribe to The Lefsetz Letter HERE
You can e-mail Bob directly HERE
Follow on Twitter @Lefsetz
(10/11/2012 2:48:21 PM)
Bob, I appreciate that you are calling the sham a sham. Us "terrestrial losers" still dominate listening-over 93% of the total Radio listening each week. Why, because it is free and easy. If you do not like the song, the commentary, or the ad, you click to a different station.
Advertisers want engagement with their local audience. You cannot create that connection with a digital jukebox.
Terrestrial Radio has seen many of these shiny new toys, with the accompanying predictions of its demise.
(10/11/2012 1:19:24 PM)A definite step up in audience measurement accuracy compared to over the air monitoring via people meters.
CCR - Up Around the Bend
Boston - More than a Feeling
Eagles - Take it Easy
Tom Petty - Free Fallin'
Animals - House of the Rising Sun
David Bowie - Modern Love
CCR - Proud Mary
They even repeated an artist within the first 7 songs! Yes, Pandora is so deep and original.
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9-25-2012
We are all guilty of it. We sign an annual contract, turn in the order and count the commission in our pockets.
As soon as the first ad hits the open market, the competitors will target a fresh prospect which is your new client. If a sales rep does not service that new client, competitors could potentially steal them away. To head off the competition, make sure to provide plenty of service after the sale.
Case in point: I recently met with a former client of a media company for a property where Luce Performance Group consults. I sat down with the client to learn why she had canceled her advertising campaign with the property. The answer: A lack of customer service in two critical areas.
1. Contact: The advertiser received one return call for every 10 she placed. The rep serviced the account via email, and that was not acceptable. One of the property's unique selling advantages is personal service and developing relationships with clients. It is difficult to land a new client, and it is even harder to replace lost business.
2. Creative: It was never delivered on time. Where was the follow-through from the rep? This property has award-winning creative departments. If the rep does not deliver on time, it gives the competition time to sneak in.
After enduring these and other frustrations, the advertiser sent the following letter:
Dear: ___________
Please accept this letter as my written notice of intent to terminate my contract with your company, effective immediately. The following explains my reasons why.
First and foremost, I contacted you prior to the official run of our ad to ask for a change in the ad to include our phone number in hopes that it would be easier to remember than our web address. You stated you would take care of it. I have been waiting patiently to hear back from you, perhaps even reviewed a new copy of the ad, to no avail. If, in fact, you planned to change the ad as discussed why were you unaware that the initial ad was already up and running, and more importantly, why haven?t you followed up on the email you claimed to have sent? When selling to a customer, one of the most important priorities is to deliver to the customer what they want. You started out strong, but the minute we signed the contract (that we would have liked to sign for only 3 months), you disappeared. No response to our ad, no response to the product we created for the trade, no follow-up as to when the ads would run, no update on the change. Because no changes were made, I paid you to provide a service. We should not have to track you down. This is very unfortunate because we?ve grown fond of your company. However, you failed to deliver what I paid for, so we will take our business elsewhere.
To avoid receiving a letter like that one, follow these steps:
1. For all the A and B clients who are the bread-and-butter customers that represent 70-80 percent of the billing, make weekly in-person visits depending on the market. Make them with a purpose. No milk runs. A rep will secure the relationship through face-to-face contact. Make these clients understand that as part of their investment in YOUR company, that will they see YOU and work with YOU. Make this commitment and you will earn their trust and respect.
2. For all of the C clients which are those active in the past 90 days but not yet up to A or B annual investment levels, a rep should have face-to-face contact at least bi-weekly. If they have A and B potential, see them every week with new ideas and new energy!
3. For D accounts which are those with developing potential to be advertising in the next 60 days, make a list of these Top 10 D accounts. Really work them. Return to any other D accounts after working those Top 10. D accounts command the same in-person action as C accounts. If they are truly developing accounts, see them once a week!
The letter-writing advertiser is considering running ads with another media outlet. There are two sides to every story. However, the lesson to take away is that we can always do a better job of servicing our clients. It is not easy. Pleasing customers can be like pulling teeth. Clients will say, ?You don?t have to see me all the time,? but deep down they want the rep in there making them feel special and important. Don?t be misled. Make the customer understand that once they are up and advertising with you that the customer service begins with YOU!
Sean Luce is the Head International Instructor for the Luce Performance Group and can be reached at Sean@luceperformancegroup.com.
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7-2-2012
Mother Nature sure is helping make the case for the FM chip, and if broadcasters were wise they would seize on what just happened in Washington D.C. to continue to push that issue. You can find story after story about how cellular service was interrupted by the storm that swept through the nation's capital last Friday. Power was down, traffic lights were not functioning, cell companies were scrambling to repair broken towers and replace damaged cables. Through it all, WTOP was pushing out information, not only on the radio but through social media and online. Couldn't have asked for a better -- or worse -- collision of events. Washington lawmakers with no cell service, a system that failed, and radio station just doing what it does every day. We asked Emmis CEO Jeff Smulyan, the muscle behind the FM cell chip push, to chime in after witnessing the Washington mess. Here's what he had to say.
"The recent storms that hit the Eastern Seaboard once again remind us of the remarkable service that America?s radio broadcasters provide during times of emergency. Once again, we demonstrated that our industry provides a lifeline for millions of people when their need is most critical. And once again, we have observed that when emergency strikes, the cellular system can never be a substitute for radio.
"There are several reasons why the cellular industry?s claim that it can provide emergency information through its 90-character text system is nonsensical. First, ask anyone who has endured the recent storms in Washington, or those in Katrina?s path, or those in the ice storms of Owensboro, or the tornadoes of Tuscaloosa or Joplin, if a 90-character text message was capable of providing lifesaving information. Of course, that assumes that the text message would even get through, and as we have observed over and over again, in the worst disasters, the power grid goes down?and cellular service goes with it. Since most broadcasters have emergency generators, we have the ability to alert the public. Even if only a few broadcasters stay on the air, as was the case with Katrina, they can provide critical, nonstop information to citizens desperate for that information. Ask the people in any disaster-stricken area who provided continuous information, and invariably the answer is local radio.
"Of course, even if the power grid stays on, the wireless industry has a nearly impossible challenge in alerting the public. The reason: In a crisis, usage spikes as people try to locate their families, and this additional usage jams the phone system, making text and voice messages nearly impossible to get through. Again, ask anyone in an emergency how tough it was to get calls through?such as on 9/11 or during a major storm.
"Many in the public don?t understand this issue because they believe they have access to radio through streaming audio?which they do, until the system goes down or is jammed. At precisely the most critical times, the ability to listen to broadcast streams is impaired by the fragile nature of the wireless system.
"Since we know that well over a billion cell phones have activated FM radio chips all over the world, the question is: What is stopping this from happening here? Most consumers don?t know that almost all smartphones have an embedded FM radio that has been turned off by the carriers in the United States. With an easy flip of a switch, millions of people could be prepared at the time of their greatest need. So you might ask, why doesn?t the wireless industry just turn on the radios?
"The answer is frighteningly simple. When people listen to audio through the wireless system, they are consuming, and paying for, data. When they listen to radio on an embedded chip, the signal is free. As we enter into an era when unlimited data plans are ending, these data charges will start to skyrocket. The carriers recognize that this growing revenue stream can be curtailed by the use of free, local radio when consumers have a choice. Based on listening in other countries, we believe that radio usage will grow demonstrably when the chips are activated.
"Because we now have created HD/FM chips, broadcasters, and the wireless carriers, will be able to benefit by having enough radio spectrum to transmit coupons, location-based services, and all sorts of other information that can be immensely beneficial to consumers and profitable to broadcasters and the wireless carriers. We now believe there is a business proposition for the wireless industry that will be compelling in spite of their long-standing reluctance to activate the FM chips.
"Broadcasters need to remind their audiences that there are finally cell phones with activated radios, and that they need to ask their carriers about them. In the rest of the world, the carriers aggressively market these chips; in the U.S., they usually don?t bother to inform their salespeople when they are in certain models. We also need to constantly remind our elected representatives that we provide the only option when it comes to protecting the public in emergencies. And we need to provide consumers with the news that there is an alternative to ever-growing data charges on their smartphones.
"Our industry has protected the lives and property of our listeners for over 90 years. We have the ability to reach many more of them when these chips are turned on. Neither our industry nor the American public can afford to wait any longer."
Jeff Smulyan is the CEO of Emmis and a proponenet of arming all cell phones with an FM chip.
(7/3/2012 6:26:51 AM)
What good is the chip...in a *phone*...if cell service is down?
(7/3/2012 12:00:49 AM)
Give it up, Smulyan! I am in DC and pulled out my trusty AM/FM pocket radio, probably just like thousands of others. Remember, there are about 700,000,000 analog radios in the US. Stop trying to burden the cell phone carries with FM chipsets. And, we all know you guys are investors in iNiquity. It isn't going to happen through mandates, Smulyan!
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5-10-2012
As more and more listeners turn to devices to listen to audio it's become a priority for the industry to figure out how to accurately measure that audience. Radio needs to be able to show advertisers real numbers if it ever plans to generate revenue from streaming. It's become clear the industry wants consumers to listen online, on their smartphone and on their tablets. Anywhere and everywhere seems to be the cheer you hear from more and more groups as life shifts to digital. After those consumers get pushed away from the radio and into the digital space, there needs to be a consistent and accurate ratings system so advertisers know those ears are still there. Enter Arbitron.
On the conference call yesterday, Arbitron's Bill Rose said Arbitron is actively pursuing online audience measurement. He says the company is working on a solution so broadcasters can combine their online listeners with over-the-air listeners and present those numbers to advertisers. "We believe in the idea of using both PPM audience measurements for the broadcast and over-the-air version as well as server based or log-file measurement, the best measure for the online component. We have been working with a number of our broadcast customers to get their server data; their log file data. We are in the process of building some prototypes."
Rose says Arbitron will likely rollout whatever it develops locally. "We'll share that with our customers who shared their server-based data with us, and then build out towards a national prototype." As far as a date when all of this will happen. "I don't have any specifics beyond that to share with you at this stage."
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5-8-2012
ABC News and Univision News announce they have agreed to form a multiplatform joint venture dedicated to informing Hispanic Americans in English. The new 24/7 network will include America?s first English-language channel for English-dominant and bilingual Hispanics as well as integrated digital and social platforms. It will deliver news content focused on issues, lifestyle interests and culture of importance to Hispanics and will feature journalists of ABC News and Univision News.
Currently, Hispanics represent 16 percent of the total population in the United States, a number that is projected to double to 30 percent by 2050. Hispanics are the fastest growing segment of the population, wield considerable spending power of over $1 trillion, and have an increasing impact on social, economic and political trends.
?This exciting joint venture represents the latest example of our long-term strategy to broaden the reach of ABC. Our powerful premier news brand, combined with the world?s leading Hispanic media company, will create the nation?s first news and lifestyle channel targeted to this quickly expanding and important community,? said Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney/ABC Television Group.
A website, mobile and social media content are expected to debut this summer. The currently unnamed television channel is expected to launch in 2013. Editorial coverage will focus on the issues most relevant for U.S. Hispanics, including the economy, jobs, health care, immigration, education, politics, entertainment, health and wellness and more.
A management team is expected to be announced this summer. The network will have anchors and correspondents in major cities across the U.S. Additionally, ABC News and Univision News will share newsgathering and production resources.
2-17-2012
Emmis owned WRKS will stream the service from New Jersey. Program Director Jay Dixon said, "on behalf of the family of Whitney Elizabeth Houston, 98.7 KISS FM will broadcast her service from the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark this Saturday starting at noon. ?We?re providing this service to our community and for her fans that are unable to attend - but want to celebrate her going home. We are thankful for the honor."
2-15-2012
Arbitron was vague about plans to launch a new ratings service that focuses specifically on streaming companies like Pandora, Slacker and Spotify. In fact, the company would not even discuss which players might be involved in a new service. "We are collaborating with players" is all they would say yesterday in the company conference call to discuss earnings. We reached out to several Internet companies to see if they were in the loop on when a new ratings service might be available to them. All they were allowed to say was they're not allowed to say anything.
Here's one response we received, "We are in discussions, bound by a mutual NDA, to solve for a measurement tool that the marketplace is demanding?.something that allows advertisers to compare all audio ad options in one report."
Arbitron officials did say, "we are engaged in defining the service, the timing is not within our control" and "this is a complex question, as far as what the service will look like," and we have no clarity on timing but the dialogue is continuing." Arbitron says the final product may be a combination of data from the Portable People Meter and data and log files.
Another reason Arbitron has been vague is the challenge of developing this new service to create new revenue for the company and shareholders and the reaction this new type of service may get from its golden goose...radio. How will radio react to its one and only ratings service when an industry, lead by Pandora saying it's coming directly after its revenue, launches a service that will lead to just that...facts and figures they can to take to radio advertisers aimed at pealing away radio revenue.
The radio industry flag is flying at half staff today in honor of a tremendous family man and a great friend to many in our business. A service for Buckley Broadcasting founder Rick Buckley is being held this morning in Greenwich Connecticut and many of Radio's owners and managers will be in attendance to pay their final respects. Buckley died unexpectedly of a brain embolism in late July. Joe Bilotta was named the new President and CEO of Buckley and in the current issue of Radio Ink Bilotta wrote about his friend, which you can read here:
RICK AND ME BY JOE BILOTTAAdd a Comment Send This Story To A Friend
Bilotta tells Radio Ink the family will have a private service this week for Buckley Radio CEO Rick Buckley who died suddenly this past weekend of a brain embolism. A public service will be held September 8th at 11AM at the Christ Church (254 East Putnam Ave.) in Greenwich, CT. Buckley received accolades, industry-wide yesterday, as a man dedicated to his family, his listeners, his employees and his advertisers. Many of those comments are posted in the related stories box attached to this story.
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