Thursday's Radio & Media News - March 21, 2013

Nielsen Study: Passionate Music Fans Want 'Compelling Content' 'The Music Fan and How to Reach Them' Offers Valuable Insights for Radio Programmers Nielsen's new "The Buyer and the Beats: The Music Fan and How to Reach Them" music study says 40% of U.S. consumers – those classified as "Fans" – are responsible for 75% of music spending. Those Fans, who spend between $20 billion and $26 billion on music each year, could spend between $450 million and $2.6 billion more on music if compelling content is made commercially available. The study also finds that the most avid "Fans" have downloaded the most tracks for free -- approximately 30 digital songs per fan over the course of a year. The study offers insights about music fans, those "who are passionately invested in music." Although this study is targeted to the music industry, the insights offered could prove valuable to radio programmers in efforts to reach the most passionate fans of their formats. Co-presented by Nielsen and SXSW during the 2012 SXSW conference in Austin, the report explores how music listeners engage with music and technology, utilize their smartphones, tap into free content, and engage in crowdsourcing; as well as how companies, artists and fans can be better served. "It's encouraging to see such strong demand for content from music fans," says David Bakula, SVP of Client Development and Analytics for Entertainment for Nielsen. "We are finding that there’s a lot of untapped demand for additional content, which can translate into beneficial and profitable opportunities for artists, labels, and advertisers." The study finds that a majority of "Fans" want greater engagement with their favorite musicians and would be willing to pay considerably for that access. They want to know more about what they’re like as people, and get a better understanding of the creative process. These "Fans" are prepared to pay more for exclusive or premium content, autographed products, and special merchandise. In addition, these fans would consider paying about $30 for an "online ticket" to view an exclusive live webcast. Nielsen also identifies the difference between a casual music consumer and a music "Fan," and the best way to reach them. The core music fans include "Aficionado Fans," "Digital Fans," and "Big Box Fans." Fans who don't meet the criteria to be classified as one of Nielsen's core music fans are the "Occasional Concert Consumers," "Ambivalent Music Consumers," and "Background Music Consumers." "Aficionado Fans" -- 14% of respondents -- are the most avid and engaged music fans, spending about $400 per year on music, concerts and artist merchandise through retailers such as iTunes, Amazon and independent record stores. These fans prefer alternative rock, are active social network users, attend live concerts and listen to music via computer. For "Digital Fans" (13%) the smartphone is the entertainment hub for these fans, who discover music via technology and listen to music via Facebook. They spend over $300 per year on music and share music more than other fans, giving music as gifts and sharing their playlists. "Big Box Fans" -- 13% -- are the fans who shop at mass retailers, and are partial to pop and country music, and listen to music through a CD or MP3 player. They are highly influenced by bargains, respond well to brand endorsements, and spend about $200 per year on music. "Occasional Concert Consumers" -- 14% -- and "Ambivalent Music Consumers" -- 22% -- are less engaged with music than the "Fans," and they spend less -- about $100 and $70 per year, respectively. Still, the "Ambivalent Music Consumer" is open to discovery (60% use Pandora). They expressed some willingness to pay for exclusive content. "Background Music Consumers" -- 24% -- are the least engaged of all music consumers, spending only $40 per year on music. NBC Sports Radio Names Brian Kenny to Host 9am-Noon NBC Sports Radio names former ESPN Radio host Brian Kenny to host "The Brian Kenny Show" 9am-12noon ET Monday-Friday slot, as the new network completes its roster and rolls out 24/7 sports talk programming April 1. Kenny is currently an MLB Network host, which he will also continue. Says a news release from distributor Dial Global, "A respected interviewer, Kenny will go one-on-one with some of the biggest names in sports. Additionally known for his adept skill as a 'numbers cruncher,' he will also go beyond the scores and delve into the data, breaking down the analytics of the games. A 25-year national television and radio veteran, Kenny hosts the popular Clubhouse Confidential on MLB Network and covers boxing for Showtime. Kenny formerly hosted The Brian Kenny Show on ESPN Radio. He also anchored SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight, and called play-by-play for ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball and the World Baseball Classic. Kenny was named “Media Personality of the Year” by SI.com in 2004." Kenny says, "I'm thrilled to be joining the team at NBC Sports Radio and Dial Global and I am excited to be back on the airwaves. We look forward to building a show that fosters intelligent sports conversation with in-depth analysis. It's going to be a blast." Dial Global EVP and General Manager Chris Corcoran adds, "I've always enjoyed Brian's unique perspective on sports and his incredible interview skills. He's going to make listeners think outside the box and will deliver one of the most intelligent national sports talk shows to the scene." NBC Sports Ventures SVP Rob Simmelkjaer tells us, “Brian and I have worked together in the past and I know he is a consummate pro who truly loves radio. He will be a great listen, day in and day out." Eric Rosado to Be Fort Meyers 'Beat' and 'Y100' Program Director Clear Channel Media and Entertainment Fort Meyers names Eric Rosado as Program Director for Rhythmic CHR "105.5 The Beat" WBTT-FM and CHR-Top40 "Y100" WZJZ-FM. Rosado transfers from Clear Channel's Monterey, California, cluster where he was Assistant PD and Music Director of Rhythmic CHR KDON-FM and Rhythmic AC "105.1 K-Ocean" KOCN-FM, handled on-air promotions for the cluster, and hosted afternoons on "102.5 KDON" (as the station is known). "I am very pleased to announce the addition of Eric Rosado to our staff in Fort Meyers as the PD of WBTT and WZJZ," says Operations Manager Louis Kaplan. "His passion for radio as well as his years of experience in the formats makes him the right choice to lead our programming efforts and continue to grow the 105.5 The Beat and Y100 brands." Rosado tells us, "I am tremendously excited to work with such a talented staff and two great brands. Many thanks to the leaders who have helped me reach this programming and career goal. I can't wait to help bring more success to an already successful market and lead our team to continued dominance." NRB President/CEO Dr. Frank Wright to Step Down NRB President and CEO Dr. Frank Wright, who has led the National Religious Broadcasters for the past 10 years, announces his intention to step down this coming October. "After a decade of faithful service and leadership," Dr. Wright shared in a letter to NRB Chairman Rich Bott that he has "prayerfully concluded that my season of service at NRB is drawing to a close." Wright writes, "Ruth and I have counted this as a special season of blessing in our lives," referring to his wife of 32 years. "We have felt our time in your service to be fruitful and fulfilling, yet we now have a clear sense that the Lord is leading us to another area of service." According to the NRB, "from now until October 4, Wright will continue to lead the association of Christian broadcasters and communicators. Chairman Bott, meanwhile, will be appointing a search committee comprising members of the NRB Board of Directors and Executive Committee to begin the process of recruiting and vetting qualified candidates for the leadership position." Says Bott, "We appreciate Frank's dedicated service and stellar performance as NRB's President and CEO. We especially appreciate the top-notch team of dedicated professionals he has assembled to do the work of NRB, serve our membership and protect religious free speech on Capitol Hill. I trust that the Lord will bless us and guide our efforts as He so clearly did ten years ago with the selection and acceptance of Dr. Frank Wright." Clear Channel Adds James Carlisle to Board Thomas H. Lee Partners Managing Director James Carlisle has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Clear Channel Communications. Carlisle, who will not be compensated for his board service and will not be appointed to any board committee, fills the seat left vacant by the resignation of Charles Brizius from the board. Prior to joining Thomas H. Lee Partners, Carlisle worked at Goldman, Sachs and Co. in the financial institutions group. Carlisle is also a Director of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings and Agencyport Software Ltd. and a board observer at Univision Communications. His prior directorships include Achievement Technologies Inc. and Front Line Management Companies Inc. 'The Infinite Dial 2013: 'Navigating Digital Platforms' to Be Presented in April 2 Webinar Arbitron and Edison Research will present "The Infinite Dial 2013: Navigating Digital Platforms" in a one hour live webinar, April 2 at 2pm ET. The landmark Infinite Dial series from Arbitron and Edison Research has provided a detailed view of digital media trends since 1998. This year's edition of Infinite Dial will review the growing penetration of smartphones and tablets and the ways people use these devices; radio's continuing role in the lives of the digital consumer: at-work, in the car and as the "last word" before shopping; the continued growth of online radio usage and time spent listening; an update on social media use by brand and age demographics; and the devices people use to wake up in the morning. The webinar will also discuss the finding that Time Spent Listening to all forms of online radio (AM/FM station streams and Internet-only audio) is now a self-reported 11 hours 56 minutes per week among online radio listeners, which is up by more than two hours since last year and nearly double what was reported in 2008. Registration is free. Sign up is here. Prime Time Is Peak Time for Mobile Gaming and Social Media As radio increasingly looks to its digital and mobile future, Arbitron Mobile offers an hour-by-hour analysis of smartphone/mobile use. Mobile gamers and social networkers spend the most time playing games or posting updates during TV prime time -- weekdays from 8-10pm -- according to the analysis of Arbitron Mobile smartphone panelists in the United States. Five functions -- voice calls, messaging, browsing, social networking, and gaming -- dominate weekday smartphone use by Arbitron Mobile panelists in the U.S. A weekday hour-by-hour analysis for the top five functions reveals that shifts in usage tend to be linked to the traditional 9am-5pm workday schedule and to TV prime time. Average time per hour for each of the five top smartphone functions rises sharply until the 9AM to 10AM hour when messaging, browsing, social networking, and gaming enter a late morning plateau. The plateau exception: mobile voice calls. Average time per hour continues to increase until noon, when it sags slightly over the lunch break, and then accelerates again to a 5pm peak. Both mobile social media and mobile gaming see a slow increase in their average time per hour for Arbitron Mobile smartphone panelists starting with the 1PM and 2PM hours, respectively. The late afternoon hours of 4PM and 5PM mark a significant inflection point for smartphone usage patterns among Arbitron Mobile panelists in the United States. Starting at 5pm, the average time per hour for voice calling falls off sharply. At the same time, average time per hour for mobile gaming and social networking begins a sharp acceleration toward their respective peak hours of 9pm. Messaging begins a slow decline at 4pm that continues until 9pm. It then begins a sharper decline in average time per hour that goes on into the after midnight hours. The end of the workday exception: mobile browsing, which maintains a consistent average time per hour from 10am through 10pm. As prime time wanes, browsing then declines at a slightly lower rate than other top smartphone activities. Mobile gaming and social media activities accelerate between 5pm and 6pm to their hourly peaks in TV prime time. Around 10pm, the average time per hour for gaming and social networking begins a steep decline that continues into the early morning, when the workday-based cycle begins again. 2013 NAB Show Gets Freaky and Funny with Paul Feig Q&A with Creative Force behind "Bridesmaids" and "Freaks and Geeks" Added to Schedule Award winning producer, director and writer Paul Feig ("Freaks and Geeks," "The Office," "Nurse Jackie," "Bridesmaids") will appear at the 2013 NAB Show as part of the session "Paul Feig: Entertaining by All Means Necessary." The Q&A session will be moderated by the award winning producer and director Alan Poul ("The Newsroom," "Rome," "Six Feet Under"). The session is produced in partnership with Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival. "Paul Feig: Entertaining by All Means Necessary" will take place April 10 from 11:45am-12:45pm. The session will be presented as part of NAB Show’s Creative Master Series Conference which brings together key players in the entertainment industry and filmmaking community for an exploration of the craftsmanship of content. The 2013 NAB Show takes place April 6-11 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Feig has brought audiences ground-breaking TV shows like "Freaks and Geeks," "The Office," and "Nurse Jackie," as well as blockbuster comedies like "Bridesmaids." As the release of his next film "The Heat" starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy approaches, Feig will share with NAB Show attendees his insight on navigating the entertainment world and storytelling across media. Pandora and Microsoft Launch Windows Phone App After extensive promotion that it was coming, Pandora rolls out its Windows Phone mobile app. Pandora listeners on Windows Phone 8 will receive ad-free personalized radio at no cost, courtesy of Microsoft, through the rest of this year, plus features unique to the platform. Says Pandora Chairman and CEO Joe Kennedy, "Pandora has reached a level of ubiquity that allows music fans to tune-in to the best internet radio anytime, anywhere and we are thrilled to bring the experience to even more mobile listeners through the highly personalized platform that Microsoft has created with Windows Phone." Microsoft Windows Phone Division VPJoe Belfiore adds, "Pandora pioneered the personal music experience with individualized stations and it's a perfect match for Windows Phone, the first truly personal smartphone experience with unique features like Live Tiles and Kids Corner. Pandora for Windows Phone takes advantage of these features and more to deliver a free personalized music experience exclusive to the platform." In what's bad news for terrestrial radio, we've now learned that with the new Pandora push, Microsoft has removed the FM radio tuner as a base feature from Windows Phone 8. Daily Big Ten Football to Return to Fox Sports Radio Fox Sports Radio in conjunction with Big Ten Network announces the third season of BTN Live, a daily Big Ten football show. Beginning August 26, the program will be available for airing Monday through Friday, 6-7pm ET. "Throughout football season, BTN Live will take fans inside every Big Ten locker room as teams prepare for games, and provide the latest news, expert analysis, and interviews with players and coaches," says the announcement. The nightly show will be hosted by Big Ten Network personalities Dave Revsine, Mike Hall and Rick Pizzo, with Big Ten Network analysts Gerry DiNardo, Howard Griffith and other special guests. Dave Miller Joining Sports USA Sports USA adds college football insider Dave Miller to sportsusamedia.com. Miller is the college football editor and writer for the National Football Post and an analyst for Campus Insiders. Beginning in August, Miller will offer a weekly column and podcast discussing the world of college football. "Dave Miller will be a great addition to Sports USA's growing digital lineup," says Sports USA President Bob Moore. "I've been a fan of his for a long time and am excited to showcase his work on sportsusamedia.com." Says Miller, "I am very excited and really looking forward to being a part of Sports USA. To be involved with a site that is dedicated to high-quality broadcasts of NFL and NCAA College Football games is fantastic, and I am honored to be working alongside Joe Morgan, Ross Tucker and others on a very strong platform." Behind the Microphone: The Ins and Outs of Radio Morning host Eric "The Bulldog" Deters exits Cincinnati's Rock trimulcast "Class X Radio" WMWX-FM/WKCX-FM/WYNS-FM ("The New Breed of Rock") to spend more time with his law firm. "Class X Radio" has now launched mornings with "Snake and Carson" featuring hosts Rick Bernius and Kenny Carson ... CHR-Top40 "94 Rock" WLVY-FM, Elmira, NY, afternoon host and Music Director Brian Stoll has exited for a new gig at AC "Magic 92.7" WENY-FM, Corning, NY, as morning host. That means moves at WLVY-FM. Night host Criztian moves up to afternoons and Music Director. Taking nights (at least in the short run) is Austin via voice tracking from CHR-Top40 "Channel 963" KZCH-FM, Wichita, Kansas ... ... Program Director Paul Goldsmith announces he will be leaving EMF's Christian Air1 network in early April ... Country "Kickin 92.5" WCKN-FM, Charleston, SC, Program Director and afternoon host Chris O’Kelley exits, and is seeking his next position, "looking at all options" ... Rock KDKB-FM, Phoenix, hires Active Rock KCLB-FM, Palm Springs, California, APD/MD and afternoon host Kevin Conklin to join "Shmonty in Mornings" starting April 11 ... Radio veteran Dale Desmond joins Country WCKN-FM, Charleston, SC, as morning co-host with Summer McQueen, already in place. He replaces Charlie James as the morning co-host at WCKN-FM. Desmond is the former Program Director at Country KTHK-FM, Idaho Falls, Idaho ... WSLM-AM, Salem, Indiana, flips to Classic Country, plus News and Sports, ending a simulcast with sister Adult Variety Hits (including a mix of Classic Rock and Classic Hits) WSLM-FM. Both stations also air local and regional sports programming and community events ... Imaging/Creative Services Director Drake Donovan will exit CBS Radio Pittsburgh, after 17 years, to move with his wife to Louisville where she's accepted an Attending Surgeon position with Norton Healthcare. Most recently, Donovan has been Creative Services Director for Hot AC "Star 107.7" WBZZ-FM and Country "Y108" WDSY-FM, and the imaging voice of WDSY-FM.