Cumulus Media names radio industry veteran Kim Bryant as Market Manager of its New York City cluster. She will oversee all sales and station operations at the cluster. She joins Cumulus following more than 25 years in broadcast radio and television, most recently serving as EVP of Marketing and Sales for international cable channel Cinemoi. Bryant was previously Clear Channel San Francisco President and .Market Manager, and RVP Western Region Ad Sales for Westwod One. Says Cumulus COO/EVP Jon Pinch, "Kim is perfect to lead our legendary New York brands, WABC and WPLJ and to introduce our new station to the market. As you would expect, we had hundreds of applicants for this position and KIM, with her passion for radio and incredible resume, was always our first choice. With WFME expected to close shortly, Cumulus will own and operate a significant cluster in market #1 and Kim's leadership will be essential for our continued success." Bryant tells us, "I believe this is one of the most exciting times in broadcasting. With all of the platforms at our reach from digital, video to social media and the important roll that radio plays in all of it. There is no place that I would rather be then with a progressive company like Cumulus and in one of the most important markets like New York City. I am thrilled to be working with the Cumulus team and one of the fastest growing radio companies in the U.S. today." Bryant replaces Steve Borneman, who moved to Clear Channel New York.
Pandora CEO Joe Kennedy Not Afraid of 'Apple Internet Radio'
Pandora CEO Joe Kennedy says his company is not worried about potential competition from Apple, which is expected to launch its own music streaming service this year, which some have dubbed "Apple Internet Radio." Speaking at the Citi Global Entertainment, Media and Telecommunications Conference in Las Vegas, Kennedy was asked if he was worried Apple would drop Pandora from its devices if it launched its own competitor. Kennedy said, "We have made Pandora a de facto must-have for any Internet-connected device." Kennedy added, "I don’t think we have any fear of losing distribution on any of the IOS platforms. That would be suicidal for Apple to remove Pandora from its platforms. That would probably be the greatest gift they could give to Google and Samsung. So, if Apple were to do something, they’d have to compete with us straight up." Kennedy also said that Pandora is fully focused on music, and has no plans to add any talk, comedy or other spoken word formats to its offerings. That includes Howard Stern, if he leaves SiriusXM. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Pandora CEO also discussed in-car audio as a growth market for Pandora, saying only one million of its users currently are from in-car listenership. "Fundamentally, the Internet is just beginning to reach all of those places where consumers historically listen to radio. Almost half of all radio listening is historically in the car," Kennedy said. "A million is a pretty good milestone. Obviously, given our scale of 67 million regular listeners, that’s still a relatively small piece of the puzzle. But that is a snowball that will continue to grow and continue to grow and become material in some number of years."
News Briefs
Lexus and Toyota will be the first automotive brands to launch integrated audio and real-time traffic services using Clear Channel's Total Traffic Network (TTN), a service that delivers real-time local traffic flow and incident information, and HD Radio. That's according to HD Radio developer iBiquity Digital. The new Lexus IS, which will debut next week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, will be the first Lexus vehicle using the new HD Radio service. Toyota vehicles with the service will launch later this year. For vehicles with navigation systems, Lexus and Toyota will provide a digital audio and navigation system driven by hybrid technology capable of receiving digital traffic and weather information from both HD Radio stations and the cell phone network, using the driver's smartphone connected with the Lexus Enform and Toyota Entune systems. For vehicles without navigation, Lexus and Toyota will offer a premium display audio system complete with free traffic maps and weather information, all delivered by HD Radio stations across the country. Says iBiquity Digital COO Jeff Jury, "Toyota's new system using HD Radio broadcasts will revolutionize the way that traffic and weather data is delivered into the vehicle. A majority of automakers have now integrated HD Radio audio features, and Toyota and Lexus are leading the industry by integrating digital traffic and weather features."
Dial Global promotes Greg Clancy to VP of Creative, for TM Studios. He will lead and direct the development of all jingles, imaging and production music services marketed by the company. "Greg brings a wealth of experience to the top creative position," says Dial Global President of /Programming Kirk Stirland. "His charge is to continue to expand the TM sound, which we’ve focused on for the past year, and bring more new products to the marketplace, like our successful Country360 and K2 packages." In a related move, the company announces a restructuring to bring the Production Directors at Dial Global's 24-hour Format division under TM's management. Scot Kirk, Los Angeles-based Senior Creative Director, will manage that team and report to Clancy in the new organization.
"Greg and Scot are a perfect team to direct the company’s producers, composers and performers, and they've already got a solid plan to inject fresh energy into our creative process, through this reorganization," says Stirland. "We'll gain the tremendous creative vision of all our producers across all our products, with this new structure."
United Stations Radio Networks (USRN) formally acquires the programming of Radiocraft, effective immediately. USRN will now oversee the production, distribution and affiliate relations efforts for Radiocraft’s entire lineup of programming including "Open House Party." USRN had been acting as Radiocraft’s marketing partners to the advertising community since March 2011, and now has closed on a deal to acquire its programming assets. Radiocraft launched in 1988. In addition to "Open House Party," programs include "The Party Playhouse" and "Celebrity Top Ten." USRN's Jim Higgins says that they are "all about talent and branding." That's why they value the acquired programs. "John Garabedian has created a fantastic legacy on both of those fronts," says Higgins. "As programmers, as a bank of on-air talent and as a program supplier, John and his Radiocraft team have shaped a great lineup of entertainment shows that all have loyal followings, generate great ratings and provide a wonderful environment for advertisers. We’re thrilled that Radiocraft’s holdings are now officially and completely part of the USRN family."
P1 Research announces that it has joined forces with Sparknet to create Sparknet Research and Consulting. "This rebranding creates a stronger alignment between research, strategic planning and product execution," says the announcement. "You’ll now get the experience, expertise and global perspective of P1 Research and the innovation, knowledge and consulting support of Sparknet," says President Ken Benson. "This really is a win-win. Together Sparknet Research and Consulting can help you create passionate consumer experiences that deliver ratings, revenues and measurable growth."
LDR promotes two senior executives and adds three new engineers to its support team. Director of Programming Victor Caballero is promoted to VP of Operations and will oversee LDR Support, while Joe Tranchita, who joined the company as a developer and designer, is now lead support engineer. Both Caballero and Tranchita have each been with LDR for two years. The company also names three new support engineers -- James Henline, Jason Robinaugh and Janet Schodowski. The new hires join a team of 17 support engineers who are devoted to developing platforms for broadcasters that LDR says cultivate ratings, revenue and web traffic. "LDR enjoys a strong reputation for providing the very best support and service in the media industry," says LDR CEO Daniel Anstandig. "Everyone on our team has exceptional experience in software engineering and/or media industry management. When stations work with LDR, they can be sure that they're dealing with world class innovators and achievers who can relate to their own daily challenges."
SiriusXM Radio says that beginning this year Toyota will expand the availability of the satellite radio service across its entire vehicle line. SiriusXM will now be standard on the majority of Toyota's multimedia systems. For some Toyota models this will be the first time SiriusXM will be standard across all trim levels. SiriusXM will also be standard on all vehicles equipped with Toyota's Entune system. "Toyota's significant increase in the availability of SiriusXM on its new multimedia system shows its commitment to giving customers technology that makes driving a Toyota vehicle even more enjoyable," says Steve Cook, EVP and General Manager, Sales and Automotive, SiriusXM. "Satellite radio is easy to use and according to a national survey it is a top feature for customers buying vehicles with new multi-media systems. We are proud that Toyota sees value in making the world's best audio entertainment available to even more of its customers."
SiriusXM's 24/7 Spice Radio channel is now Radio Sex with uncensored, explicit adult entertainment. Yes, all the words you can't say on terrestrial radio are used for sex. The channel features live, call-in shows and storytelling "hosted by some of the biggest names in the industry," as well as a variety of weekly shows "taking listeners deeper into the world of adult entertainment than they have ever been before." In addition to the channel's established shows including You Porn, Strippertown and Real Life Stories, the renamed Radio Sex is adding "Naughty Gamers" for Monday nights 10pm-12midnight ET. That show, we're told, will feature porn stars Alana Evans and Missy Martinez "exploring the sexy side of adult video gaming."
Clear Channel Minneapolis names Todd Kalman as General Sales Manager, overseeing the sales operations for KTCZ-FM and KQQL-FM. Kalman is promoted from within Clear Channel Minneapolis, where he's served in a variety of sales positions for more than 19 years. He began his radio career at KQQL as an Account Executive. Kalman most recently served as GSM for KDWB-FM and KEEY-FM which, we're told, "both achieved record billing numbers under his leadership." VP of Sales at the cluster, Greg Alexander, tells us, "Todd is a strong leader and his long history with our cluster will continue to be a great asset to our team."
Jeff Berry is the new Director of Sales for the Clear Channel Greensboro cluster of five stations. He joins from Cumulus Albuquerque, where he most recently was DOS for that cluster’s eight radio stations. Says Clear Channel Greensboro VP and Market Manager Kim Pyle, "Jeff's experience and successful track record, combined with his vision for the future, makes him an exciting asset for our team." Berry adds that his new cluster "is a ratings and revenue powerhouse. I'm eager to assist on building that success with Market Manager Kim Pyle and her staff."
Behind the Microphone: The Ins and Outs of Radio
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