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Kagan, the media research group within the TMT offering of S&P Global Market Intelligence, has just released its review of all of the broadcast media transactions seen between January 1 and June 30, 2021.

For RBR+TVBR readers, the results aren’t much of a surprise. Yet, Kagan’s Volker Moerbitz’s assessment is still a striking one: the first half of 2021 registered a total deal volume that was less than the average monthly deal volume in any of the years between 2011 and 2019.

Thank the Lord for the brokers involved.

COMING OCTOBER 4: HAS COVID-19 FOREVER IMPACTED MEDIA DEAL VALUES?

 

The Fall 2021 RBR+TVBR Special Report, available to all subscribers of the RBR+TVBR Afternoon Headlines E-mail, features an in-depth report on the state of the transactions marketplace. Adam R Jacobson chats exclusively with some of the nation’s leading brokers, and gets their assessment of the deal-making landscape as 2022 nears. IT’S ONLY IN THE DIGITAL AND PRINT EDITIONS OF THE FALL 2021 RBR+TVBR!

Subscribe now to ensure you get your copy on October 4.

 

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Less than 48 hours after a New York Federal District Court Judge declined to honor its request for summary judgment in a case focused on copyright infringement brought against the operation by the nation’s “Big Four” broadcast TV networks, Locast on September 2 suspended its operations.

Now, that suspension has become a permanent cessation of business activities, thanks to a ruling Wednesday from the 93-year-old judge overseeing the case.

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Nearly one year ago, the radio industry, along with the NAB, started their salute to Radio’s 100 years of service in the United States. While radio stations exited in the 1910s, it was the might of Westinghouse and its KDKA in Pittsburgh that brought Radio into the 1920s as a force to be reckoned with.

One of those early radio stations that predates KDKA didn’t get its commercial license until its relocation to Boston in 1931. Before then, it was located in Springfield, Mass.

That could explain why the current owner of that Bay State giant, WBZ-AM 1030, is sparking a 100-day centennial celebration for the station on Sunday.

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A provider of AI-driven audience engagement and sales intelligence solutions for media has unveiled a selection of principal conclusions from a just-released study conducted in partnership with SmithGeiger.

The biggest finding? There are “tectonic shifts” in how Americans perceive, consume and pay for media content. There are also big changes in how media executives see the sector progressing into the 2020s, putting clouds over their confidence in their ability to address emerging challenges.

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From the People News page: Kristen Delaney will retire from iHeartMedia Albany at the end of the year.

She is area president for iHeartMedia Albany, a position she has held for more than 10 years, overseeing 15 stations in Albany, Poughkeepsie and Sussex, N.J.

According to a company summary of her career, she began in broadcasting in 1989 as an account executive in Utica, N.Y., and worked in sales until 1996 when she was promoted to local sales manager.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

She joined what was then Clear Channel Radio in 1999 in a general sales manager role in Albany, and later was director of sales and then market manager there.

She is also on the board of the New York State Broadcasters Association and the Capital District Radio Association.

“Throughout her time at iHeartMedia, Delaney, along with her teams, helped raise millions of dollars for the Bernard & Millie Duker Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center and WGY’s Christmas Wish,” the company said.

iHeartMedia Markets Group President Hartley Adkins was quoted in the announcement saying, “Rarely do you see someone so inspiring and skilled at their profession as Kristen Delaney.”

Send news of engineering and executive personnel changes to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post Kristen Delaney to Retire from iHeart Albany appeared first on Radio World.

Supply Side is a series of occasional interviews with industry service providers and manufacturers.

Jamie Ashbrook is marketing manager at Radio.co, based in Manchester, U.K. He replied to questions via email.

Jamie Ashbrook

Radio World: For those unfamiliar, what is Radio.co?

Jamie Ashbrook: Radio.co is a platform to host and manage your own radio station online. Think of it like the middleman between you and your listeners.

But let’s face it, talk is cheap. Take a tour of what we can actually do. From choosing your station’s name to broadcasting live to thousands of listeners worldwide, Radio.co has your online radio needs covered. So take a quick on-demand tour.

RW: Who started the company, and who owns it?

Ashbrook: James Mulvany (on both fronts). He’s the man with the plan. Mr. Head Honcho.

Having a love for both radio and business, a fresh faced James launched Wavestreaming way back in 2008. Starting off as a one-man band, the company quickly grew along with the product. In just a few years, thousands of broadcasters were using the platform. But there was a problem: Technology moves fast, quickly outdating the system.

To simplify things and stay ahead of the curve, Wavestreaming was torn down, then rebuilt into an easier solution that anyone could pick and use. In 2015, Radio.co was born.

James Mulvany

James was there every step of the way. And I feel that’s a good thing, to see a founder who owns the company and gets actively involved to improve things on a day to day level.

RW: Your website is headlined “Want to start a radio station?” and it seems targeted to those who want to create audio streams on the internet. Are there offerings for actual broadcasters as well?

Ashbrook: Yup. So there are actually a variety of people from different walks of life that use Radio.co. Whether that’s small community stations like Shady Pines Radio, big Glastonbury style pop up events like ComplexLand or student-led radio like the University of Manchester’s Fuse FM, there’s something for everyone.

Even traditional stations are getting in on the action by relaying their FM, AM, or DAB stream online to reach listeners they wouldn’t normally have access to, just like Radio Exe.

RW: What is Radio.co’s flagship product, and what sets it apart?

Ashbrook: Tricky question. There’s no one aspect that’s considered “flagship.” Radio.co is designed to be an all-in-one solution for broadcasters. But what makes it stand out is how easy everything is to get up and running. If you were gonna time yourself, it’d take roughly two minutes to launch your own station.

In saying that, there are a few features that spring to mind:

• iOS & Android Apps: Put your station in listener’s pockets.
• Talk Shows: Invite guests to record collaborative shows in your browser.
• Alexa Skill: Let listeners tune in with their voice on compatible Amazon Echo devices.
• News Bulletins: Play news on the hour every hour from your preferred news provider.
• Mixcloud Integration: Upload your DJ Mixes directly to your Mixcloud account.
• Listener Requests: Take song requests from listeners automatically for playout on your station.

And probably a load more I’m forgetting about. Not to mention, there are plenty of help guides, new features, and quick support that makes Radio.co the ideal package for broadcasters no matter the size.

RW: Who are some of your customers that we would recognize?

Ashbrook: We’re not one to kiss and tell (ok, we are a bit). But we’ve had some awesome people and businesses walk through our doors over the years.

(Deep breath) A.C. Milan, VICE, Parker’s Kitchen, The Barbican, Australian Government Department of Health, Primavera Sound, M&C Saatchi, Soho Radio, Honest Burgers, Whiskas, Hotel Coastes, Smoke BBQ, Brit Asia TV Café Mambo, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Whalebone Magazine, Everton FC, Cult Records, PHMG, and Complex.

Users of Radio.co at Shady Pines Radio

And a load more we can’t talk about just yet. But there are a few independent stations you might not know like Boogaloo Radio, Melodic Distraction, Diversity Radio, and Foundation FM that are worth checking out.

RW: What is the most important trend or challenge in 2021, for the people who are your customers?

Ashbrook: Covid changed everything. Most people have been stuck at home, so they turned to the internet to stay connected with others. The result? We saw 10 times more broadcasters every month than we usually do.

In terms of challenges, the biggest ones are those nearest to the starting gate. Things like how to set everything up, equipment needed, and reaching the right audiences. But all are addressed in our Radio University, Blog and even over on YouTube.

RW: What else should we know?

Ashbrook: Radio changes. No matter what medium comes along next, radio has adapted ever since its inception in the late 19th century.

Frankly, Radio.co is just one piece of the puzzle. But we’re happy to help broadcasters share their voice to a wider audience. Whether that’s a local community, nationwide or internationally, I’m just excited to see what happens next.

In saying all that, I’m always happy to chat, so if you’ve got any questions (yes you, the reader), drop me a message at studio@radio.co. And hopefully I can help.

The post Radio.co Wants to Host Your Station Online appeared first on Radio World.

By Rob Dumke

A new television viewership report from the spot cable arm of the company that owns Peacock, NBCUniversal and Universal Studios, as well as Comcast, finds that streaming “consistently” serves as a strong complement to traditional TV ad campaigns.

This was based on research conducted during the first half of 2021 from Effectv, the ad sales division of Comcast Cable.

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Petitioner requests the allotment of reserved noncommercial educational channel *4 to Fort Bragg, California, as the community's second local service and its first local noncommercial educational television service.

Licensee has requested the substitution of UHF channel 14 for VHF channel 10 in the DTV Table of Allotments.

The two individuals at the helm of the nation’s largest audio content production and distribution company are preparing for a presentation on Wednesday at the Goldman Sachs 30th Annual Communacopia Conference.

Bob Pittman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Rich Bressler, President, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer, of iHeartMedia will participate in a question and answer session at the highly regarded investor event.

They’ll be chatting it up starting at precisely 2:05pm Eastern on Sept. 22.

A live webcast of the session will be available to the general public at the start of the session through a link on the Investors homepage of iHeartMedia’s website (https://investors.iheartmedia.com/).

A replay of the video webcast will be available in the Events & Presentation section of iHeartMedia’s Investors homepage.

 

What did iHeartMedia stock close at on September 16? Visit the Wall Street Report now at RBR.com’s homepage for a quick glance at all of broadcast media’s publicly traded stocks.

According to Nielsen, the return to the classroom had an effect on monthly TV and streaming viewing.

The Gauge, Nielsen’s snapshot of viewing trends, showed a leveling of viewership after three months of steady growth.

The August data reveals that streaming maintained a 28% share of total TV viewing, compared with broadcast TV (24%) and cable (38%).

Children 6-17 years old viewed about 7.5% less than the previous month.

Nielsen said that drop was offset a bit by a 0.5% increase in overall TV viewing. The slight uptick was attributed to adults tuning in to broadcast programming such as the Olympics.

By Rob Dumke and Adam R Jacobson

“Broadcasting locally but driving national results,” Davis Broadcasting Inc. has stood out in the markets in which it operates radio stations in for its commitment to localism.

Now, its President and CEO has personally written to those in favor of a resolution that would prevent the levying of any new performance royalty payments on Radio.

While the biggest piece of legislation on Capitol Hill designed to do this is largely dead, recording industry advocacy group musicFIRST on Monday will seek to resuscitate it.

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ATLANTA — Gray Television’s dedicated investigative team is readying the launch of a new weekly program featuring “watchdog reports” about government corruption, consumer alerts and health care issues.

The show takes the name of the investigate team and will premiere during this week across all of the broadcast media company’s stations.

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By Rob Dumke

The importance of fact-based broadcast radio and television journalism at a time when misinformation is running rampant on social media is a key mission for local news organizations across the U.S.

It’s also integral to the NAB, which has unveiled a new ad campaign giving a boost to local  stations in particular.

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On its surface, a follow-up report to the U.S. Latino Podcast Listener Report, released in July by Edison Research, offers rather encouraging findings on the percentage of U.S. Hispanics who’ve listened to a podcast.

Now, Edison believes the growth opportunity is even stronger.

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By Rob Dumke

The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation is the latest organization to institute a “COVID Change” for an upcoming in-person gathering.

The 46th Annual Gracie Awards will now be a virtual affair.

The online event is scheduled for October 5.

This year’s awards coincide with AWM’s 70th anniversary. Since its inception in 1951, AWM has been committed to inspiring, educating, celebrating accomplishments and expanding networks of women across all segments of media.

The event will be hosted by actress and comedian Lauren Ash and feature performances by Jewel and Gospel and R&B performing artist Cece Winans.

The AllWomenInMedia page on Facebook will serve as the principal viewing point for the now-virtual affair.

By Rob Dumke

A new study, authored by Ph.D. Economist Hal Singer and Ted Tatos, has examined whether large technology companies should start contributing to the agency’s $9 billion a year program that supports efforts to bridge the digital divide.

It comes following a May 2021 suggestion by one FCC Commissioner that Big Tech should start paying its fair share toward the Universal Service Fund.

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Nielsen says people who only listen to podcasts every week or two are an increasingly important part of the growth of podcasting.

“Today, almost half (49%) of U.S. podcast listeners are light users who are presumably new to the medium: people who listen anywhere from one to three times a month,” the company says in highlighting results of its latest Podcasting Today report.

“That’s a notable contrast to a typical podcast listener five or 10 years ago when most listening came from people who were more likely to listen to each and every episode from their favorite titles — episodes that are oftentimes released once a week.”

Nielsen says this finding “highlights two important storylines.”

It says consumer interest in “new, engaging content” from all forms of media continues to grow, and that podcast content “has proven to be an attractive option” during the pandemic.

It also says the pandemic “paused the growth of heavy podcast listeners,” because of changes in lifestyles and schedules. “Yet while the percentage of heavy listeners declined slightly last year, we’re now seeing it increase, rising from 25% earlier this year to just under 30% as of May.”

[Read: Podcast Listeners By the Numbers]

Nielsen believes the pandemic has not had a negative impact on overall podcast engagement.

“While listener growth  flattened somewhat during the second half of last year, it has ramped up notably in 2021, largely due to an increase in at-home listening, which is attributable to light listeners checking out the medium. The rise in at-home listening is also somewhat counter to historical podcast engagement, and again, speaks to the transformation of industry to a broader audience.”

 

The company asserts that brands and agencies need to be tracking engagement with podcasting and putting the platform to use.

 

The post Podcasting Gets Boost From Casual Listeners appeared first on Radio World.

The NAB Show may have been cancelled, but industry manufacturers still have an opportunity to highlight their new products this season.

The Best in Market Awards offer a platform for the many products and solutions in the marketplace that could not be seen at major trade shows this year. The program will serve in place of the “Best of Show” Awards that would have run at the convention.

The program is open to all manufacturers of professional radio, TV and AV products and solutions, regardless of exhibitor status at major events.

The Best in Market awards will be judged and presented by Future brands Radio World, TV Technology, TVBEurope, Next, Mix, Broadcasting & Cable and Sound & Video Contractor.

These awards are intended to honor and help companies promote outstanding products launching in 2021.

The deadline for nominations also has been extended to Oct. 7. 

 

The post The Awards Are Still On appeared first on Radio World.

Coverage map provided by GeoBroadcast Solutions.

From our Who’s Buying What page: FM station WAWE in the Chicago market is using a GeoBroadcast Solutions MaxxCasting System.

The station, based in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., is owned by Educational Media Foundation and is part of its Air1 Radio Network. GBS said management wanted to improve WAWE’s signal quality and audience.

The equipment for this synchronized-node booster system was purchased through Doug Tharp at SCMS, U.S. distributor of GatesAir/PR&E systems.

“The recently deployed enhancement improves the reach into the lower west side of Chicago in an area quite problematic for its broadcast signal troubles at the convergence of the city’s three major expressways,” GBS said in its announcement.

“The signal improvement … was strategically implemented through a four-node network using the MaxxCasting system. The coverage now reaches the University of Chicago, Rush Medical Center and the historic Pilsen community.”

It quoted EMF Senior Broadcast Engineer Shane Toven saying the station had been coverage-challenged, especially “between the Loop and O’Hare.” He said GBS designed the system for the Chicago market and that EMF worked with GBS to launch a similar one in Boston at WKVB, including HD Radio subcarriers.

“After licensing that system, GBS helped us finish up the WAWE nodes to significantly improve our coverage in the Chicago market and reach deeper into the community,” Toven said.

GBS also said that with these MaxxCasting nodes in place, the same infrastructure could be used to diplex similarly located stations that want to improve coverage. Its Director of Infrastructure Deployment Vern Egli was quoted: “The convergence at the expressway interchange notoriously has had poor reception, due to the concentration of broadcast signals emanating from Chicago’s large towers and the amount of daily automotive traffic.”

MaxxCasting uses nodes to reduce interference between main and booster FM transmissions. It deploys a cluster of high-power, directionalized and synchronized node sites.

The post EMF Deploys MaxxCasting in Chicago appeared first on Radio World.