Radio+Television Business Report

A company known for its radio imaging, voiceover, programming, podcasting and jingles business has added to its production leadership team.

Coming from YamanAir is a new West Coast Director of Commercial Production, while the company is also welcoming a Production Manager for Long Form Programming.

The former position is that of Darren Silva, who spent 22 years as a Network Production Manager for Radio Disney in Los Angeles who began his career as an overnight air personality in San Luis Obispo, Calif. In the late 1980s, he was “Dangerous Darren” at Heavy Metal rocker KNAC-FM 105.5 in Long Beach, Calif. Later, he worked at KEGL “97.1 The Eagle” in Dallas.

In addition to his Radio Disney role, Silva for the past 17 years has been an air talent associated with Sirius XM’s Hair Nation, Ozzy’s Boneyard and Classic Rewind channels.

Meanwhile, the Production Manager for Long Form Programming role is now being held by Jake Urbanek. He joins Benztown from Apple Music in Los Angeles, where he was
Assistant Producer of The Zane Lowe Show. Prior to that, he was Audio Engineer for
over 8 years Mr. Smalls Recording Studio in Pittsburgh. He was also Sound
Engineer for the Washington Symphony Orchestra in Washington, Pa.

Global travel restrictions and time restraints in conducting Factory Acceptance Testing for new transmitters have been addressed by Nautel with a new online FAT program.

A FAT is a set of pre-defined tests that many customers must witness being completed in real-time as part of project specifications. “Many of our customers simply haven’t been able to travel to factory locations since late 2019 due to the pandemic,” said Charles Andrews, Nautel Test Supervisor, “and even in the absence of COVID many customers have cost or visa restrictions making it difficult to attend these tests in person.”

Andrews’ team leveraged the increasingly-versatile capabilities of online meeting platforms,
paired with virtual communications interfaces such as Teams or Team Viewer, to allow
customers to witness transmitter testing in real-time as part of their final acceptance process. The Nautel AUI and multiple pieces of measurement equipment are employed along with a suite of cameras, wireless microphones and personnel to conduct the tests. Customers are able to communicate with their transmitter(s) via the AUI and view performance measurements throughout the final testing process.

“We consider comprehensive communication with our customers critical to the manufacturing and testing process,” said Andrews. “Although we enjoy having our customers here in person, this new system brings a more affordable and immediate solution to them.”

A short video explaining the online FAT process is available via Nautel’s YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7v5MNA2Ncc .

Greg Fink joined Comscore in 2017. He exited as its Chief Financial Officer at the end of August 2021.

Now, the audience and advertising measurement company led by CEO Bill Livek has named Fink’s successor.

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Add another third quarter earnings call for a broadcast media company to an already crowded November 4 slate.

At 10am, company representatives from Urban One will share details of the multimedia operation’s three-month period ending September 30.

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With RAJAR ratings due Wednesday for the first time since the arrival of COVID-19 in Great Britain some 19 months ago, many across the U.K. are biting their nails and praying that listening levels haven’t fallen for the nation’s privately operated radio brands or those under the BBC’s control.

At the same time, they’re perusing new rules “needed to protect British radio output on smart speakers” — regulations that do not put a mandatory switch-off date in place for analog FM transmissions.

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There’s a good chance you are not familiar with the name Cliff Freeman. But, you should be. Why? He was a branding master. “Pizza, Pizza?” He’s responsible for it. “Where’s The Beef?” Yup, that, too.

Freeman passed away of pneumonia at the age of 80, and news of his passing started to trickle out in early October — first on a Sunday TODAY “A Life Well Lived” segment and on October 25 in the Tampa Bay Times, his hometown newspaper.

Broadcast media owes a debt of gratitude to Freeman.

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It’s a city of roughly 26,000 residents that bills itself as a “first choice for families” and a “great choice for opportunity.” This municipality, which is part of a DMA that includes Bismarck and Minot, N.D., is four hours to the west of Fargo and five hours to the south of Regina, Saskatchewan.

Here, a 100kw Hot Adult Contemporary FM is being sold. It’s a “totally amped” transaction, thanks to the station’s seller.

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As the Media Rating Council sees it, its accreditation is “the primary mechanism for transparency and accountability in advertising and media measurement.”

But, what exactly is “accreditation,” and how does the process work? A webinar scheduled for Wednesday aims to explain all.

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Every day we hear of another ransomware attack or data breach, and it seems that the cyber adversaries are taking over companies, catching them off-guard and ill-prepared.

Cyber security expert Steve Morgan, founder of Cybersecurity Ventures and Editor-in-Chief at Cybercrime Magazine, has some great advice on how to prevent a potentially crippling incident from thwarting day-to-day operations at your radio and/or television stations.

He’ll be sharing his thoughts exclusively at Forecast 2022 on November 16 in New York — a “no press” event you need to be at.

 

 

At Forecast 2022, Morgan sits down with WABC Radio’s Juliet Huddy for what is shaping up to be a provocative interview that will cover — in non-technobabble — how the cyber adversaries are doing it, why people and companies are in the dark when it comes to cybercrime, and what they can and should do to protect their organizations.

STEVE MORGAN and JULIET HUDDY ONLY AT FORECAST 2022, presented by RBR+TVBR and Radio Ink

 

“The value of a business depends largely on how well it guards its data, the strength of its cybersecurity, and its level of cyber resilience,” Morgan says.

Seating is limited. Register today for Forecast 2022and take advantage of early bird pricing. Registration include admittance into the Broadcast Leadership Reception honoring the 2021 Top Radio and Television Leaders. Always a great networking event, this may be a one-of-a-kind opportunity this year!

On October 20, RBR+TVBR reported that Gray Television is amending and restating its senior credit facility while concurrently seeking an additional incremental term loan valued at $1.5 billion.

The broadcast TV station owner plans to use the funds to help pay for its merger with Meredith Local Media.  On Monday, Gray had more to say regarding how it will handle the final bill for those Meredith television properties, with its formal announcement of a new senior note offering.

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What are the top advertisers using spot radio to connect with AM and FM radio listeners?

For the week ending October 24, some intriguing brands are on the latest Media Monitors Spot Ten Report. One new entrant is a Procter & Gamble Co. brand not necessarily known for its audio creative.

That would be Swiffer, the all-in-one mop and floor cleanser that P&G has made a common kitchen and household tool. In a new campaign, Swiffer spots enjoyed 33,311 spot plays at the radio stations tracked by Media Monitors.

Among paid advertisers using spot radio, Indeed is the big No. 1.

For auto insurers, Jake from State Farm is there — and no other auto insurance brands can be found this week.

Rounding out the Spot Ten is top QSR McDonald’s.

 

If one of your radio or television stations is a member of the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB), here’s a chance for your sales team to benefit from getting a piece of the action in a multimillion-dollar ad campaign signed off by one of the biggest champions of multicultural marketing today: Marc Pritchard.

How has revenue recovered from the onset of a pandemic that saw generally steep declines and where some categories continue to experience slower than hoped for rebounds? What’s in store for 2022 matters more than ever, especially after Snap Inc.’s dismal Q3 2021 results suggests supply chain problems could lead to lower advertiser activity at radio and TV in Q4. A Forecast 2022 panel of experts is poised to propel a provocative discussion about who is going to “show us the money” in the year to come … or not.

FOR FULL DETAILS AND TO REGISTER FOR FORECAST 2022, NOVEMBER 16 IN NEW YORK, CLICK HERE!

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For those with moderate to severe eczema, there’s a pharmaceutical product that’s gotten a lot of exposure thanks to a spot television campaign.

Total up those spots, and this brand tops them all in the latest Spot Ten TV report from Media Monitors.

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Five years ago, Snapchat was the app that radio industry air personalities sought to master. Today, Instagram and TikTok rule, with Pinterest and Facebook still key as Truth Social makes its debut with the support of U.S. President Donald Trump.

It now appears Apple’s privacy changes have made things worse for Snapchat parent Snap Inc. It missed Wall Street revenue estimates with its Q3 2021 results, resulting in a sharp drop in its share value on Friday.

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It was July 2018 when Salem Media Group shares were priced this high.

And, with Friday’s closing price on the Nasdaq GlobalMarket, the company known for its conservative Talk and Christian-themed radio stations will have concluded one of its biggest-ever trading days, with a massive 32.8 million shares traded.

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The RBR+TVBR InFOCUS Podcast, hosted by RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson, this week taped its 161st episode.

What are the five most-listened-to episodes of the InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM,  offered to listeners since July 1?

Anne Schelle, Managing Director of Pearl TV

With nearly 2,200 downloads and even more listens via our embedded podcast player at the top of the RBR.com website, the most-listened to episode of the second half of 2021 is our interview with Anne Schelle, Managing Director of Pearl TV.

Given the average price of a TV equipped with NEXTGEN TV capabilities, we just had to catch up with Pearl TV Managing Director Anne Schelle. Are chip shortages and supply chain issues a factor? Are consumers really coughing up more than $1,000 for a new set?

Schelle shares all, along with what TV viewers in big Canadian markets with access to U.S. TV stations, can expect, in this fresh InFOCUS Podcast. LISTEN HERE.

The second most-listened to InFOCUS podcast since July 1 features our interview with Marketron SVP of Product Jimshade Chaudhari. It was conducted just hours before the NAB announced it was killing the 2021 NAB Show due to continued COVID-19 pandemic concerns.

Our No. 3 most-listened to podcast features Capital Broadcasting Co. VP of Radio Brian Maloney, who offered an exclusive look inside a company that was first to embrace HD Radio and more recently helped bring NEXTGEN TV to fruition. LISTEN HERE.

Rounding out the top five podcasts: an exclusive conversation with veteran media broker Dick Foreman (LISTEN HERE) and a September 30 podcast with Keith Pelletier, the Dielectric executive who shares details on why a move from physical to AI-driven simulated modeling could matter to all C-Suite executives (LISTEN HERE).

 

 

MIAMI BEACH — One of the last media industry events to be held prior to the March 2020 arrival of COVID-19 in North America was Matrix Solutions’ fourth Media Ad Sales Summit.

The Pittsburgh-based tech company has confirmed that it is heading back to South Florida, and will stage its two-day event right next door to NATPE Miami.

The event, returning to the Eden Roc/Nobu Hotel, is scheduled for January 19-21, 2022.

The Summit brings together media and tech thought leaders from across varying market verticals and, says Matrix Solutions, will provide “the necessary forum for discussing and invoking real change for building a prosperous advertising ecosystem that promotes industry-wide automation, data consistency, and transparency.”

Additionally, the sessions will delve into “reducing the friction between the buy and sell sides when delivering advertising inventory across multiple delivery paths.”

Among the key topics to be discussed are:

• Ad Sales Automation & AI
• Programmatic Ad Sales
• Data-enabled Linear & Cross-Platform Sales
• Addressable Advertising
• Fast, OTT, CTV & AVOD
• Local TV Advertising in a Digital World

To register, view the agenda, or get more information on the Media Ad Sales Summit, visit https://www.matrixformedia.com/summit2022.

The Radio + Television Business Report welcomes industry leaders to share their views, thoughts and opinions by writing a column, opinion piece or Letter to the Editor. Today, we offer a Letter to the Editor from Jamie Arbona, President of San Francisco-based In-Language Radio. 

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The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has appointed the former Chief of Staff for Alexandria City Public Schools in Northern Virginia as its first-ever SVP of Human Resources and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

He will begin his new job on December 6.

In this new position, Dr. Stephen Wilkins will be responsible for the development and implementation of a human resources strategy that builds on CPB’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Dr. Wilkins will report directly to CPB President/CEO Patricia Harrison and will work closely with his peers in the public media community.

Dr. Wilkins has also been Chief Human Resources Officer for Alexandria City Public Schools.

“I am honored to have this opportunity to join the outstanding team at CPB,” Dr. Wilkins said. “I have been so fortunate to work with talented people during my time in the public education sector and military. Now I look forward to using the knowledge and experience in organizational management to help CPB maintain a great workplace for the success of our employees in our public broadcasting mission.”

Prior to his work in education, Dr. Wilkins served on the Pentagon staff and commanded at the company, battalion, and brigade levels, leading soldiers, civilians, and contractors to mission success. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and a master’s degree in public administration (MPA) from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Dynamic Pricing is also a key subject up for discussion during a November 3 webinar for broadcast sales professionals hosted by Marketron.

The session aims to explain to broadcast sales professionals how they can leverage the power of yield management and dynamic pricing to increase revenue.

Titled “Yield Management in Broadcast Sales: Why It’s a Powerful Tool,” the webinar begins at 2pm Eastern. An overview of yield management will then turn to a discussion of just how integrating dynamic pricing into the sales process can help drive greater success and profitability.

“Because commercial inventory is a fixed and time-limited resource, it is vital to sell as much as possible at the best rate possible,” said Todd Kalman, Marketron’s SVP of Sales. “Yield management simplifies this task, making it easy for sales managers to price inventory dynamically based on demand. It’s a must in today’s competitive advertising marketplace.”

Adam Lang, founder and CEO of Relativity Consulting Pty. Ltd., will present the webinar.

Registration is open now:
https://www.marketron.com/yield-management-in-broadcast-sales-webinar/.