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First batch of holiday PPMs produce year-over-year gains for most Christmas stations. Santa stuffed a little more
holiday cheer in the ratings stockings of all-Christmas stations in 2013, based on Nielsen PPM ratings released so far. Of the
10 rated stations in non-embedded PPM markets that went all Christmas in 2013 and 2012, eight posted a higher 6+ share
in the 2013 holiday survey, one held steady and one declined. While the average Christmas station was half a share higher
than in the holiday 2012 period, many did far better. The 11.6 share that Clear Channel’s rebranded “93.9 My FM” WLIT-FM
Chicago posted in 2013 is 1.6 shares better than the 10 share it knocked out in 2012. The 17.2 share racked up by Jerry Lee’s
WBEB (101.1) Philadelphia was more than a full share higher than the already-astronomical 15.9 it achieved one year earlier.
Across the street, CBS Radio’s classic hits WOGL (98.1) nailed a 6.0, making Philadelphia the only market so far where allChristmas claimed first and second place. WOGL tied sister “Sportsradio 94” WIP-FM with a 6.0, 1.5
shares higher than what the all-Yule format delivered in 2012. In Houston, Clear Channel AC “Sunny
99.1” KODA (7.1-8.5-12.2) found nearly a full share more under its tree than in 2012 holiday period.
It’s unclear why holiday ratings were up, although there was one more day of holiday programming
in the 2013 survey, which reflected the period from December 5, 2013- January 1, 2014. With the
majority of PPM ratings not coming until later this week, it’s too early to know if the higher trend will
hold up across all PPM markets. According to Nielsen, average 6+ shares for AC and soft AC combined — the formats that
together produce the lion’s share of all-Christmas stations — were trending down during the past two years in the December
survey, which only offers a partial reflection of the public’s appetite for holiday music.
In Dallas, a successful holiday hand-off moves KLUV to the top. It wasn’t just stations that already own the all-Christmas
position in their market that got the expected ratings jolt in Nielsen’s holiday PPM survey. After a major makeover last year,
CBS Radio AC KVIL, Dallas (103.7) gift-wrapped the all-Yule format and handed it off to classic hits sister KLUV (98.7). “We’re
passing the torch from KVIL to KLUV,” Ron Harrell, director of music programming for the company’s Dallas stations, said at
the time of the hand-off. “It’s a natural move to complement the contemporary progression that we’re making on KVIL and a
spectacular fit for the lifestyle of the KLUV audience.” So did it pay off? Since November, KLUV went 3.5-5.2-7.2, finishing
first and unseating Clear Channel CHR “106.1 Kiss FM” KHKS, which has long had a chokehold at the top of the ratings. KVIL,
meantime, finished eighth (3.7-3.4-3.4). But KLUV’s 7.2 isn’t quite as high as the 8.5 KVIL posted one year ago with the holiday
format. Christmas was No. 1 in every non-embedded PPM market whose ratings were released yesterday, except Atlanta
where Salem’s Contemporary Christian “The Fish” WFSH-FM (104.7) trended 3.8-3.8-6.4 with all Christmas music. Across the
street, Cox Media Group’s AC “B-98.5” WSB-FM once again programmed a part-time holiday format and finished one-tenth of
a share shy of first place (6.3-6.1-7.3). December also produced a couple of winter storms and that may have helped some
East Coast all-newsers. CBS Radio’s “Newsradio 1060” KYW, Philadelphia moved 5.1-5.6 while sister WCBS, New York (880)
tracked 3.3-3.8. Head over to StationRatings.com for more Holiday 2013 PPM results.
New Apple patent application shows FM-AM inclusion, but there’s an ad-skipping catch.
It’s no secret broadcasters would love to get FM radio built into the iPhone. But that welcome
may not be quite as warm if access came with a technology that could also help users avoid
any commercials. Newly-awarded U.S. Patent No. 8,634,944 suggests it’s something Apple
engineers are working on. The “auto-station tuning” technology would seamlessly switch audio
content between a station, whether it’s broadcast over-the-air or streamed online, based on
pre-set user preferences. Apple is notoriously opaque about its plans, but it leaves little doubt
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Wednesday, January 22, 2014
on how it’s thinking of applying the technology. “A user may configure a media player or portable media device to operate an
FM radio receiver to tune to a FM radio station different from the current FM radio station when an advertisement comes on
the currently tuned station,” the patent filing says. It goes on to say a user “may configure the
media player to operate the FM radio receiver to automatically select a new FM radio station
or to automatically initiate playback of content stored on the media player based a user’s
tastes in music, a given volume level, an aversion to talk radio, or the like.” While potentially
groundbreaking technology, Apple says the net outcome is no different than someone hitting
the scan button on their radio — albeit with a content insertion add-on. The filing suggests
Apple also foresees a way to integrate satellite radio, HD and low-power broadcast stations. From Apple patent filing
The big unanswered question is just how Apple intends to deploy such a technology. But as it
embraces streaming with iTunes Radio and iTunes download sales slowing, it has more motivation to embrace streaming music.
Sprint begins giving phone owners a NextRadio nudge. There are now about one million smartphones in the marketplace
capable of running the NextRadio app that activates the ability to listen to FM radio. The app has been turned on to date on
124,000 phones. To kick-start use by owners of FM-ready HTC models that were sold before the official launch in August,
Sprint has begun sending out “push notifications” to about 400,000 customers, urging them to download and try NextRadio.
It’s counting on station promotions to help market the feature to new phone buyers. Sprint is also showcasing NextRadio
on its website. App developer Emmis says users of the app have so far logged 78,000 listening hours across 6,400 stations.
Meanwhile another new handset is FM-ready. Sprint’s Boost Mobile began selling the NextRadio-enabled Moto G yesterday.
Another Boost phone that offers FM will go on sale later this month.
Morning show characters inspire first-of-its-kind gaming app. For a second time in the past three months, Greater Media
has launched a standalone gaming app tied to one of its Detroit rock stations and based on an activity its core audience is
passionate about. Dave & Chuck The Freak’s “Kick Ass Game” appears to be the only videogame app built around a radio
morning show. Available for 99 cents through iTunes and the Google Play Store, it features the morning show hosts working
their way through levels of the game to save co-host Lisa Way from the app’s villains, who are
manifestations of morning show characters like Asian rapper Vanilla Rice and the Evil Mayor
of Detroit. The morning team initially released the app last February via social media as a way
to keep listeners involved in the show during its six-month absence from the airwaves before
joining WRIF. It hit the top 35 in the iTunes iPhone Game App Store in North America. “We’re
looking for every way we can to make our show a part of listeners’ lives,” co-host Dave Hunter
says. “It seemed like a no brainer to take the characters and fun aspects of our show and
bring them to a different form of entertainment.” While it’s a good fit for WRIF’s demo, deerhunting is more up the alley of classic rock sister WCSX (94.7). Its Buck Master deer hunting
app launched in November to coincide with the deer hunting season in Michigan. Since then,
there have been over 53,000 Buck Master downloads, according to the station. The free app is part of an integrated campaign
for WCSX sponsor Carhartt that included in-game ads, on-air, online, email and streaming components. Director of interactive
marketing Jennifer Williams says single-purpose apps that address listener passions are a natural radio brand extension. “We
see a great deal of potential for strengthening our station’s bond with fans when we are able to deliver them apps built with their
interests first,” she says.
Auto dealers upped digital spending 28% last year: report. Local automotive dealer ad spending on digital media increased
28% last year according to Dealer.com, a firm that helps car dealerships expand their online presence. Dealer.com chief
digital strategist Dave Winslow tells Adweek that display ad spending is “rapidly growing” with some luxury brands like Jaguar
trying “more savvy” options like web radio ads and social media. Search remains a big part of dealer budgets as well. One
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Wednesday, January 22, 2014
reason for the shift is Dealer.com calculates local dealer website traffic increased 28% last year and more than a quarter of site
visitors came on a mobile device. While a growing digital focus may sound like a negative for over-the-air advertising, Dealer.
com also reports that local car dealerships were on pace to spend 26% more in traditional media last year. Its analysis shows
roughly one-third of that was spent in the fourth quarter as part of year-end clearance sales. Tracking digital spending by local
dealerships, Borrell Associates has reported more dollars are shifting to online options as buyers do more research on the
internet before walking into showrooms. But EVP Kip Casino tells Inside Radio things don’t look quite as grim as they did early
last year when radio and TV stations alike were wondering where all the auto dollars had gone. “We see auto going down
some, but not dramatically,” Cassino says. “It’s not leaving radio — but it is going down some.” He thinks radio needs to ramp
up interactive efforts even more to be a player in local dealer media plans. “Radio isn’t paying enough attention to the digital
space which could bring a lot more money,” Cassino says. In a light week for national advertising, Media Monitors data shows
only the Ford Dealer Association aired enough spots to make the top 100 last week on stations it tracks. It came in at No. 99,
airing just 3,757 ads on stations nationwide.
Some AM fix-it ideas take a more novel approach. The FCC will have no shortage of ideas to consider as it considers what
steps to take to revitalize AM radio. In the dozens of filings submitted, expanded use of FM translators is the most-mentioned
suggestion of all. But several broadcasters also have some novel ideas for ways to improve the service. Curtis Media Group
owner Don Curtis, who has invested several hundred thousand dollars buying translators around North Carolina to extend the
reach of his AM brands, may support eliminating the 25-mile rule requiring a translator’s entire 60 dBu contour is within a 25-mile
radius centered at the AM station’s transmitter site. But it’s his proposal on receivers that’s even more unique. Curtis suggests
the FCC require that all receivers have both the AM and FM bands on a single continuous band. In other words, when a listener
scans the radio “dial,” the set would start at AM 550 and continue through 107.9 FM without any need to switch bands. “This
again would increase the opportunity for AM stations to be on the same footing with FM stations,” Curtis tells the FCC. He and
several other filers also suggest the FCC take steps to encourage consumer electronics manufacturers to improve the quality
of AM receivers. “Even minor improvements in the quality of AM receivers would have an enormous impact on the quality of
the AM signal received,” Curtis writes. As for translators, Georgia-Carolina Radiocasting CEO Art Sutton tells the FCC that
when one is simulcasting an AM station it should no longer be considered a secondary service that’s potentially knocked off
the air by a new FM facility. “The worst possible scenario would be for an AM station to have an FM translator and then lose it
in the future,” Sutton writes. He also proposes the FCC start licensing stations at AM 530. Sutton and several other filers also
tell the FCC that the clear channel, Class A signals are a relic of radio antiquity and other than a few DX hobbyists the special
protections they get aren’t worth the impact on thousands of other AMs.
Engineer proposes a moratorium on new AM licenses. While there’s been talk of moving AM radio stations to the analog
FM spectrum previously used by TV channels 5 and 6, the engineering consulting firm of du Treil, Lundin & Rackley says one
of the first orders of business is to stop licensing new AM stations. The firm says new AM stations licensed in recent years
“effectively blocked improvement possibilities for existing stations” since they had to protect their assumed facilities. “Existing
AM stations should be encouraged to improve their service to their actual audiences with as much flexibility as possible in
choosing their transmitter site locations and the details of their technical facilities — or get out of the way to let other stations
make improvements,” it tells the FCC. The engineering firm has presented the FCC with a list of about two dozen proposals that
it believes will help AM radio. And given how complex the fixes will be, it suggests that the FCC form an industry committee to
analyze all of the proposals that have been submitted. It also suggests updating antenna rules, recalculating skywave signal
propagation, updating ground conductivity maps, revising antenna rules, and reworking expanded band (AM 1610-1700) rules
to help more stations voluntarily move up the dial.
Radio, TV, and digital are in the mix for CBS’s Grammy Awards coverage. Leveraging the Grammy Awards television rights
of its sister TV network, CBS Radio is serving up a raft of Grammy-related programming this week. Modern rock KROQ-FM
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Wednesday, January 22, 2014
(106.7) and CHR “97.1 Amp Radio” KAMP-FM, Los Angeles present performances by Young the Giant and Grammy Awardnominated Imagine Dragons on Friday and Saturday, respectively, at The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live with fans flown in from
cities nationwide for the intimate shows. There’s also a live show with Grammy Award-nominated Capital Cities at the Conga
Room. The company has created a series of video documentaries with music experts weighing in on each of the Album of the
Year nominees. Full length versions are streaming on Radio.com and CBS Radio station websites. CBS Television Stations
began broadcasting highlights from the segments during local newscasts last night. Radio.com is also reporting the latest
Grammy news and streaming features and interviews with artists and industry luminaries, along with photo galleries, reviews,
and coverage of the red carpet arrivals. And Grammy Radio is back as the official streaming station for the fifth straight year,
featuring performances from the nominated artists.
NABOB says ‘corrective statements’ from big tobacco ignore urban radio. Black radio is being shortchanged as big
tobacco spends millions of dollars on “corrective statements” about the harmful impact of cigarettes. That’s the message that
the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) and the National Newspapers Publishers Association (NNPA)
are delivering to a federal court in Washington. U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler must decide if the list that includes ad buys
on the big three TV networks and three dozen general market newspapers is inclusive enough. In a joint filing with the court,
NABOB and NNPA say because African Americans were a “primary target” of tobacco companies, using their member stations
and papers “will disseminate the information more comprehensively and more directly” to the community. The groups point
to court documents which revealed tobacco companies intentionally targeted young blacks to convert them to smokers. For
instance, Kool cigarettes sponsored a hip-hop DJ competition. NABOB/NNPA also contends the media outlets set to split as
much as $45 million miss a geographic target, with not enough ad buys in the Southeast and no money going to markets such
as Baltimore, Washington, DC or Cleveland.
Tobacco fights a shuffling of ad buys. A hearing will be held today during which U.S. District Court Judge Gladys Kessler
may signal whether she’s willing to reopen the issue of which media outlets will collect big tobacco’s “corrective” advertising
dollars. Big tobacco is asking the court to reject the suggestion by the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (and
its 200-station members) and the National Newspapers Publishers Association to take a second look at how those dollars are
divvied up. “This request comes too late,” attorney Matthew Campbell writes in their response, arguing it has been more than
seven years since the court selected which TV networks and newspapers should get the ad buys. Campbell says if the court
makes changes it will nullify the 2006 agreement and send everyone back to the negotiating table. As an alternative the tobacco
companies recommend that dollars that were earmarked for newspapers that have since gone out of business go instead to
some of the media outlets on the NABOB/NNPA list.
Programmatic buying companies Xaxis and 24/7 Media close merger. One year after Xaxis teamed with Triton Digital to
create Xaxis Radio to sell streaming audio commercials, the programmatic buying platform has completed a merger with sister
ad tech provider 24/7 Media. The companies were both already owned by ad agency holding company WPP. By combining,
they say they will be able to boost advertisers’ ability to run major brand campaigns across top tier digital media including display,
video, mobile, social, online radio and out-of-home channels. Xaxis Global CEO Brian Lesser says that consolidating the buy
and sell sides within a single platform will bring advertisers and digital publishers closer together and enable a more efficient
marketplace for brands and media owners. The merger is seen as a bid for scale in the fast growing machine-based digital ad
selling space. According to a recent IAB /Winterberry Group study, 85% of advertisers and 72% of digital publishers now utilize
programmatic technology with the publisher number expected to rise to 83% in the next two years. The combined company,
known as Xaxis, will manage over $750 million of audience-targeted digital media for more than 2,700 clients around the globe.
Inside Radio News Ticker…Radio apps find a place in the home too... Streaming apps are delivering radio content to more
than just smartphones, and the CasaTunes 5 is the latest example. The multi-room streaming music system is releasing its
newest model and most broadcast stations will be offered to users via the iHeartRadio, TuneIn and NPR apps. The device will
also feature SiriusXM Radio, Spotify, Slacker, and Last.FM among other apps. Pandora will give buyers a one-year subscription
its commercial-free PandoraOne service…Sportscaster back on the air…There’s a happy ending to a health scare for a
Minnesota play-by-play broadcaster. Minnesota State-Mankato hockey announcer Mike Sullivan has been on ice since October
when doctors discovered a cyst on his vocal chords. The Mankato Free Press says after successful surgery two months ago,
and a 22-game absence, Sullivan has returned to the radio booth. Sullivan has been calling Maverick hockey for Linder Radio
Group’s talk KTOE (1420, 102.7) since 2000…People Moves…There are new program directors in Atlanta and St. Louis. Plus
several morning show hosts sign new contracts. Read People Moves HERE.
Felix Perez named NYMRAD chair. Univision Radio’s New York market manager Felix Perez is taking over as chair of the New
York Market Radio Association. He succeeds Clear Channel manager Joe Puglise, who remains on the board. NYMRAD says
CBS Radio DOS Jennifer Donohue will take over as vice chair, a position previously held by Emmis manager Alex Cameron,
who also remains on the board. Perez says he’ll work at “aggressively increasing the profile and revenue share of New York
Radio.” Executive director Debbie Beagan continues to oversee day-to-day operations. She says Perez has “has infused energy
in his contributions to board meetings” and she’s looking forward to working with him to develop new initiatives to advance radio.
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