insideradiostatement. emf will charge $9.95 per month or $99.95 per year for the channel. k-love tv...
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015
EMF makes its digital TV move — with a subscription offering. The blurring of lines between the audio medium of radio and the new frontiers of digital video will include the biggest religious broadcaster. Educational Media Foundation has announced it will create “K-Love TV” tied to its flagship contemporary Christian “K-Love” radio format. The multi-platform subscription-based network will offer faith-based programming. “We are thrilled about K-Love TV creating another avenue for fans to connect and go deeper with K-Love, their faith and the artists they love,” EMF president Mike Novak says in a statement. EMF will charge $9.95 per month or $99.95 per year for the channel. K-Love TV is scheduled to launch in March.EMF will work with TAPP to develop the digital streaming channel. It is the company formed by reality television pioneers Jon Klein and Jeff Gaspin. They’ve earlier created online TV channels for the likes of Sarah Palin and Herman Caine. The K-Love TV channel will be tied into the radio format. “We’ll offer premium content and provide subscribers ongoing opportunities to interact with fellow K-Love fans and radio personalities,” Klein says. Specific programming is still in development. But one show certain to be featured is the third annual K-Love Fan Awards, which are set to take place May 31 in Nashville.
Come Monday, ‘Nash’ spreads its video wings. Nash TV is coming Monday to a screen near you. The video manifestation of Cumulus Media’s multi-platform lifestyle brand will launch January 26 in a partnership with Music Choice. Nash TV will encompass a series of programs, covering everything from style to food to extreme sports — all with a country twist. It will be featured across Music Choice’s multi-platform network, including video on demand, cable TV channels, apps and online. A trailer streaming on Cumulus country stations shows the video offerings go beyond just repurposed content from Cumulus-syndicated radio shows like “America’s Morning Show” and “Nash Nights Live.” Grits and Hits takes viewers into the kitchen to see country stars like Dustin Lynch whipping up his favorite game day dip. Nash Lash offers a guided tour of country singer’s purses, while Picks From the Sticks presents their sports picks for the week. Red Carpet Radio relies on clips from the American Music Awards, Fashion Rocks and other TV shows. HickXtreme explores wacky sports like redneck fishing, outhouse races and the downhill cheese roll. Much of Nash TV programming will be what you’d expect: video of big country acts preforming their music. Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey says the Music Choice partnership will put the Nash brand in 57 million homes on cable and satellite and through audio channels and video on demand. “This strategic partnership allows for important, in-home distribution of the Nash brand, also providing another outlet for country fans nationwide to access the Nash music and lifestyle content that we are capturing and curating daily,” Dickey says.
Classic hip-hop arrives in Augusta as ratings remain strong in key markets. Beasley Media Group joined classic hip-hop’s rising tide, blowing up two radio brands to launch “Hot 95.5/93.1.” in Augusta, GA yesterday. It replaces gospel WCHZ (93.1) and “Rock 95.5,” which aired on translator W238AU via an HD Radio side channel. Unlike many throwback stations that have signed on in the last few months, the Beasley version weaves in vintage R&B with a hip-hop edge from such acts as Mary J. Blige, Jodeci and R. Kelly, to go along with classic rap from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Notorious B.I.G. Like other operators who have made it radio’s most buzzed about format, Beasley describes its throwback station as “a mass appeal format geared toward a diverse group of Generation X listeners, now in their 40’s, who love classic hip-hop and R&B.” Beasley-Augusta ops manager Chris O’Kelley has been named the station’s program director. Ratings from Nielsen’s Holiday survey show the format settling down in some markets, while continuing to grow in others. Philadelphia remains classic hip-hop’s shining star so far. In its second full survey on the air, Radio One’s “Boom 107.9” WPHI muscled into the market’s top 10 (3.8-3.9) among all listeners 6+. Radio One’s “Boom” stations in Dallas and Houston have tailed
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back slightly from their initial surges, though they’re still at higher levels than before they flipped. In its first full survey as “100.3 The Beat,” KMJM-FM, St. Louis improved 3.6-3.9 in 18-34, inched 2.8-2.9 in 25-54 and declined 2.7-2.5 in 6+. The iHeartMedia station segued from urban AC “Magic 100.3” in mid-November.
Schizophrenic Christmas format grew WILV’s ratings by one-third. Going from “You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch” into “Give Me Everything” may sound like a train wreck. But it apparently was music to the ears of upper demo women in Chicago. The premise of the “holiday blend” format on Hubbard Radio AC WILV (100.3) was that you’re only one song away from what you want, whether that’s Christmas music or the station’s regular programming. In what may have been radio’s most schizophrenic sounding station, every other song on WILV last month was a Christmas tune, interspersed with regular programming. The result of the back-and-forth playlist was a 32% year-over-year spike in the station’s 6+ ratings in Nielsen’s Holiday survey. WILV didn’t come close to the outsized numbers that iHeartMedia rival “My 93.9” WLIT pulled. But it avoided the typical ratings decline it experiences during the holiday season. During the prime week daypart, WILV shot up 155% among persons 35-44 compared to 2013’s Holiday survey. Women 18-49 jumped 75% and women 25-49 surged 85%. “This isn’t a radio strategy as much as it’s simply giving our listeners a balance of the two types of music they want to hear,” program director Marty Bender says. While it may look wacky on paper, the every other Christmas song formula is more evidence that holiday music isn’t an all or nothing proposition. “The holidays are important to most women but you don’t want to give them the choice of all Christmas or no Christmas,” consultant Alan Burns says.
Study: Music streaming is ‘complementary’ to radio listening. More than a decade ago, the iPod showed consumer music tastes were far broader than previously thought. Now on-demand streaming services are shining a brighter light on the diversity of listener music tastes. A new Bridge Ratings analysis compares radio station playlists to the number of songs that station’s audience consumed on-demand in a given week. A top 10 market CHR station played 67 currents and recurrents in a week or a total of 146 different titles when gold tunes are factored in. Meanwhile its audience streamed 2,048 different songs. A medium market CHR played 137 currents and recurrents while its audience listened to 1,840 songs on demand. Two country stations monitored by Bridge aired about 100 currents and recurrents in a week while their listeners streamed nearly 1,800 songs on demand. The closest any format came to approaching the number of titles streamed by its listeners was classic rock: 790 different songs aired on a top 10 market classic rocker while its audience streamed more than 2,100. Apart from reinforcing the broad nature of listeners’ musical tastes, it’s difficult to draw conclusions from the data. Consumers use radio differently than on-demand audio. Just because they listen to a large library of songs on demand doesn’t mean they don’t want to hear the most popular songs when they punch in a specific station. Bridge concludes that streaming is “complementary” to radio listening and is expanding music consumption and awareness while radio’s role remains as a curator and a source for music discovery. “We saw in our audio consumption study late last year that listeners use radio to help them choose music they want to stream,” Bridge president Dave Van Dyke says.
Federal court upholds FCC framework for picking license winners. In the competition for new licenses there are winners and losers and the FCC’s role as umpire just received a vote of confidence from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. It ruled that comparative selection criteria used by the agency for deciding who to award a license “is part of a reasonable framework” that’s in line with federal law requiring it to fairly select radio licensees. The issue landed on the courthouse steps after the Mary V. Harris Foundation (MVH) lost out on a new noncommercial station in Buffalo, NY to Catholic radio operator Holy Family Communications. MVH argued that its plans for the frequency would have covered more than 23,500 listeners and that 9.46% of the population it would cover only had access to one other noncommercial station. That was just shy of the 10% threshold that would have given it a leg up on Holy Family’s application. But rather than cut MVH a half percent slack, the FCC instead said the differences were negligible and under its point system Holy Family emerged the winner. In upholding the FCC’s decision, the appeals court says the FCC used “a faithful application” of the law to pick the religious broadcaster. The ruling says the FCC has leeway in how to put the law into practice and concludes the 2007 decision fell within a “permission interpretation of the statute.” MVH can now ask the full D.C. Circuit to review the agency’s decision. As for the signal in question, Holy Family has yet to be awarded a construction permit for the Lancaster, NY-licensed station
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at 90.7 FM. In a market that’s 39% Catholic, Holy Family already has WLOF, Elma (101.7) on the air covering the southern part of the market.
A second marriage for CBS and Viacom? Less than a decade after CBS and Viacom went their separate ways, there’s a buzz among some investor circles for the two companies to reunite. It’s not CBS that needs the help, but rather Viacom, which some analysts say will benefit by being able to package its cable channels with CBS’ broadcast TV stations and the must-see programming they provide. There’s also a brewing fight with pay TV providers who want to cut how much they’re paying to Viacom. The key player in such an idea is Sumner Redstone, who controls both companies. It was in January 2006 that CBS and Viacom went their separate ways — a split that returned the CBS Radio branding with the retirement of Infinity Broadcasting. At the time Redstone said the age of the diversified media conglomerate had passed. Whether he thinks that era has returned remains to be seen. Former CBS CEO Mel Karmazin is among those who thinks it has. During a TV interview earlier this month he said a CBS-Time Warner merger is a deal that makes sense to him. Karmazin said a deal would not only give CBS a sought after movie studio, but also combine the news resources of CNN and CBS News and the sports rights deals of Turner Sports and CBS Sports.
Michigan’s WLEN receives Heritage Crystal Award. Lenawee Broadcasting’s AC WLEN, Adrian, MI positions itself as “person to person radio” and its website showcases plenty of community service. It even holds its own annual awards among community groups for best public service announcement. Those efforts have brought WLEN a rare honor: it has been honored with an NAB Crystal Heritage Award. The honor recognizes radio stations that have won a total of five Crystal Radio Awards for year-round community service efforts. Only four other stations have received the honor in the history of the NAB Crystal Radio Awards. “While we don’t do what we do for recognition, it is a real tribute to the entire staff at Lenawee Broadcasting Company for their hard work and dedication,” WLEN president Julie Koehn says. The station will receive its award at the NAB Show in Las Vegas in April. The trade group is still accepting nominations for this year’s Crystal Radio Awards through January 31. Fifty finalists will be announced next month with the winners named at the NAB Show Radio Luncheon on April 14.
Hipcricket files Chapter 11 and finds a tentative buyer. One year after hiring financial advisors to look at its options, including a sale of the company, the mobile marketing firm Hipcricket has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware and selected a potential buyer of the company. Rival SITO Mobile has agreed to pay $4.5 million for Hipcricket and its 21 technology patents as well as provide it with up to $3.4 million in financing in order to fund operations during the sale process. SITO also plans to keep all of the existing employees on the payroll and there’s no immediate changes expected in Hipcricket’s contracts with its clients. CEO Todd Wilson will remain for the next six to 12 months as the two companies integrate their operations. Of course all of that could change if other bidders who’ve remained on the sidelines during a sale process jump back in. As part of the bankruptcy process, SITO Mobile’s stalking horse bid is merely the first offer put on the table and others will have an opportunity to submit higher or better offers before a federal judge closes the sale process. That’s likely to happen within the next 45 to 60 days. The two companies will appear before a judge on Friday for their first hearing. The bankruptcy filing says Hipcricket has $12.1 million in outstanding debts and $16.8 million in total assets. Hipcricket has worked to cut expenses and grow its profitability and revenue during the past year while it looked at a “wide array” of strategic alternatives, according to Wilson. He says a court-supervised sale was determined to be the “most viable option” to keep the staff working and help shareholders from being wiped out entirely. By adding Hipcricket to its existing company, SITO Mobile CEO Jerry Hug says they’ll handle mobile advertising for 38 of the 100 biggest companies.
Streaming executive forms new company. Figuring out digital media may seem like climbing Mt. Everest, and now there’s a Streaming Sherpa. That’s what Liquid Compass founder Zackary Lewis is calling his new consultancy. Lewis sold Liquid Compass to Triton Digital in October and quickly returns to the digital space. While his former company focused on helping stations bring their programming to the web, Lewis says his new focus will be on the business side of the equation to make
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streaming radio a “more profitable, revenue-generating business” for broadcasters, artists and advertisers. While in the tech world for the past decade, before launching Liquid Compass in 2001 Lewis was president of Genesis Marketing Group which worked with clients such as The Weather Channel and Smirnoff.
Inside Radio News Ticker...Survey: digital revenue still growing...Digital revenues today make up a small portion of most stations’ revenue — typically less than 5% according to a survey conducted by consultant Mark Ramsey. Yet the study finds 8% of respondents are currently making 15% or more of their revenue from digital. And nearly a third of those surveyed said they believe digital will grow to represent more than 15% of billings within the next five years...Podcast downloads add up for Ramsey...The self-syndicated Dave Ramsey Show has long been radio’s biggest independent show. Now the Ramsey team says the show, which launched in 1992, has topped 550 affiliates and is heard by more than 8.5 million listeners weekly. With that as a launch pad, the company says a podcast of the show is now downloaded more than 125,000 times a day. In addition to radio, “The Dave Ramsey Show” is available through a 24-hour streaming online video channel on the host’s website and on iHeartRadio...Music students create station sonic logo...A quest started last year by station manager Tony Rudel to create a new sonic logo for classical WCRB, Boston (99.5) has ended with a six-second sounder Out of 18 submissions, Rudel selected the entry created by 27-year old composer Paul Fake at the Boston Conservatory. “I said that’s the sound for the station,” Rudel says on a video detailing the project. WCRB worked with the young musicians at the Conservatory and then arranged 114 different variations for the station to use throughout the year...People Moves...Longtime morning show personalities are out in Norfolk and Wichita. Read People Moves HERE.
In going after radio station, Bills cheerleaders now want a bite of NFL. It apparently wasn’t all smiles and pompoms for the Buffalo Bills football squad — known as the Jills. Their lawsuit seeking back wages has roped in a former radio flagship. But Cumulus Media tells a New York judge even if “97 Rock” WRGF is found liable, it’s the team that should be forced to pay up. That’s because the station’s contract from 1999 to 2011 included a “hold harmless” clause that assumed responsibility. Cumulus also pointed out it was never the Jills’ employer. The company was dragged into the lawsuit as part of its 2011 Citadel buyout. The Buffalo News reports the cheerleaders’ attorney is now asking the court to allow him to also go after the National Football League. That’s based on the approval of the radio rights agreements by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. His signature on the contracts was revealed after Cumulus tried unsuccessfully to get the lawsuit thrown out and the paperwork was part of its filing. But the Bills attorney says it was nothing more than a stamped signature and the lawsuit shouldn’t be widened to include the League. New York Supreme Court Justice Timothy Drury has earlier expressed skepticism about how big a role WGRF had in overseeing the cheerleaders.
Investors pony up more cash for Shazam. Shazam, the smartphone app that can identify songs playing on the radio and television, has been valued at $1 billion. That figure comes as it raises $30 million in funding from new investors, which it will use to expand its capabilities and move into new markets. Shazam claims to have about 100 million active monthly users. “This funding reflects the substantial progress we have made in delivering a new paradigm for brands and content owners to increase engagement with their audiences,” executive chairman Andrew Fisher says. During the past year Shazam has added integration into several streaming music providers, including Rdio and Spotify. It’s also expanded beyond song identification to allow users to access expanded content and information about advertisements they’ve heard on radio and TV. Its next focus is further tying Shazam to in-store beacons. CEO Rich Riley says they’ll continue to build on its base in music identification to find new uses for Shazam technology.
The matchmaking mobile app Tinder finds a match for itself: iHeartRadio. For Valentine’s Day, iHeartRadio is hoping a lot of Tinder users swipe right for the streaming radio service. Its partnered with Tinder, the wildly popular hook-up app, to send nine winners and their valentines to Las Vegas for a romantic getaway, including a private concert with One Republic and John Legend. Tinder users swipe to the left to find one of ten iHeartRadio profiles then swipe to the right to be matched with one of them. All matched users will be entered for a chance to win one of the trips. The campaign will run through the end of January.
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015DEAL DIGEST
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S A L E S
Birmingham, AL — Ann Jones’ Peach Holdings files a $1.6 million deal to buy oldies “97.7 The Peach” WHPH from Brantley Broadcast Associates. Peach Holdings also agrees to buy the Fultondale, AL-licensed translator W256CD at 99.1 FM which is valued at $300,000.
Fresno — Gore-Overgaard Broadcasting’s ethnic KBIF (900) can scratch one of the two names off its masthead. Cordell Overgaard will move from a 56% owner of the standalone station to a 100% owner as he buys out the Gore family in a deal valued at $410,000. KBIF was the last station owned by Gore-Overgaard Broadcasting, the partnership between Overgaard and longtime station owner and media broker Hal Gore, who died last August. It airs a variety of Asian-language programming targeting the Central Valley where 9% of the population is of Asian descent.
Texas — Lake Livingston Broadcasting files to buy the Livingston, TX-licensed translator K288FY at 105.5 FM from Gerald Proctor for $17,500. The signal will be used to simulcast the low-power country station KDOL-LP, Livingston, TX (96.1).
Colorado Springs — Vic Michaels files to buy the Divide, CO-licensed translator K294CH at 106.7 FM from Timothy Cutforth for $10,000. Michaels is in the process of buying“94.7 Oldies” KCMN from United States CP and it will simulcast the station on the translator.
C L O S I N G S
Detroit — The Walt Disney Company closes a $3 million deal to sell Radio Disney outlet WFDF (910) to Kevin Adell’s The Word Network. Brokers: Bill Schutz (for seller) and Greg Guy, Patrick Communications (for buyer)
San Luis Obispo, CA — Eric and Martha Fahnoe’s Dimes Media closes a $1 million deal to buy five stations from Jim Shea’s Mapleton Communications, including adult alternative “Pig Radio” KPYG (94.9), rhythmic CHR “Wild 106.1” KWWV, soft AC “B-93.7” KYNS (1340, 93.7) and the classic hits simulcast of “95.3 The Beach” KXTZ and KXDZ (100.5). Brokers: Frank Boyle (for buyer) and Andrew McClure (for seller)
Laurel-Hattiesburg, MS — Jill Herbert Pol and Timothy Lee’s Eagle Broadcasting closes a deal to buy talk/sports “News Radio 98.1” WMXI from Rainey Broadcasting for $800,000. The deal includes a $200,000 deposit with the balance paid with a promissory note over 84 months.
Montana — Anthony Media closes a $650,000 deal to buy adult hits “MoJo 92.5” KBXI, Park City, MT from Chaparral Broadcasting. The contract states that if Kurt Anthony sells KBXI within five years for more than what he’s paying for the Billings, MT market station, he agrees to give Chaparral a 20% cut of his profit. Chaparral still owns classic hits KEZQ, West Yellowstone, MT (92.9).
Oregon — Mark and Mickie Evans’ Spinlogic Enterprises closes a $170,000 deal to buy adult alternative “Q-94.9” KQCB-FM, Cannon Beach, OR from Calcomm Stations Oregon. The deal includes an FM booster station in Astoria, OR.
Corpus Christi — Bruce and Garrett Harper’s TexKan Communications closes a deal to buy classic rock KRXB (107.1) from Shaffer Communications Group for $40,000. It is the first station for TexKan. Joseph Shaffer still owns low-power TV stations in San Antonio and Austin.
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Triton Digital’s Publisher Development Team is responsible for building Triton’s audio publisher network through the direct-sale and licensing of Triton’s AMP Platform and Triton’s Audio Platform. Success in this digital solutions role will require proven talent in sales, a knowledge & passion for digital media, as well as the ability to manage through a complex sales process. Strong communication & presentation skills are essential as well as an entrepreneurial desire to help prospective and current clients grow their business with Triton solutions. E.O.E.
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KRNB AFTERNOON DRIVE PERSONALITYAre you a multi-dimensional, superstar media personality? Do you “live” and “breathe” the “Smooth R&B” 25-54 lifestyle? Can you captivate listeners on-air, on social media and in-person? Have you mastered PPM and appointment listening? Do you seek every opportunity to engage listeners where they live, work and play? If so, Service Broadcasting may have a rare career opportunity for you. Our new KRNB Afternoon Drive Personality must know how to connect emotionally with listeners to positively impact ratings and relationships. This is a position for an “entertainer,” not a jock.
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GSM - CHICAGOThe most respected and imitated
Classic Rock station in the country has a rare opening for a General Sales Manager.
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qual VP, NETWORK PROGRAMMING — DALLAS, TXReach Media is seeking an experienced VP, Network Programming to oversee their network radio programs. Ideal candidate will have minimum 5 years management experience in radio programming at a network, group or large market. Candidate must have quantifiable success in Urban Radio programming; developing and managing major talent and possess excellent leadership, communication and problem solving skills. Candidate will oversee programming and technical operations of a large operation encompassing multiple locations: remote broadcasts; talent and staff; growing ratings and developing new shows.
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qual GENERAL MANAGER - MINNESOTARare GM opening for Hubbard radio in northern Minnesota!
Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc. is looking for an energetic, motivated and creative manager to lead our five radio stations in Bemidji, MN. As GM you will oversee sales, marketing and operations of KZY 95.5, Z99, KB101, WQXJ 104.5 and KBUN. The last management team was in place for over 25 years so it’s a rare opportunity to lead our five strong brands in a robust and competitive market. Sales background is preferred but not required. The opportunity provides the best of both worlds—small market localism with major market resources.
We can’t wait to hear from you! Send letter & resume to: Dan Seeman,
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