Friday's Radio & Media News - April 5, 2013

Apple Reportedly Close to 'iRadio' Deal with Two Major Labels CNET: For labels, Apple's 'Deal Could Be Sweeter Than Pandora' Apple is reportedly close to a deal with two major music labels to finally launch its streaming music service. CNET says the deal "could pay labels better than Pandora does." Our first reaction was "haven't we heard this song before?" It was September 7, 2012 that we first reported "Apple Seeks to Create Pandora Rival", writing that Apple is "in talks to license music for a custom-radio service similar to the popular one operated by Pandora." In a follow-up not long thereafter, we reported that "Apple Internet Radio is expected to launch before year's end." More recently, we (and others) reported the planned service -- renamed "Apple iRadio" -- was still being delayed because of snags in negotiations with the four major recorded music labels. But CNET's Paul Sloan seems to be convinced that Apple's "iRadio" project now is really on track to become a reality. He writes, "Apple is close to striking a streaming deal with two of the major music labels that could end up far sweeter for the music industry than what the labels currently get from Pandora, according to two people familiar with the negotiations." That's definitely in contrast with the original report last year -- which said, "Apple might have an advantage over Pandora, which is plagued for profitability by high royalty fees for streaming music. Apple could be negotiating its own royalties arrangements directly with the labels, which would be smaller than those paid by Pandora, Spotify, Slacker and other online streaming music services." According to the new CNET report, "Apple could sign deals with both Warner Music and Universal Music Group within the next week, according to the sources." However, writes Sloan, those sources "caution that the deals have not yet been made and could still fall apart." Even if those deals happen, "Apple still needs to get Sony Music Group on board, as well as the music publishers." So should Pandora (and Spotify, Slacker and others -- and iHeartRadio) start worrying? Or in another seven months, will we still be reporting ongoing snags for Apple to launch its "iRadio"? Sloan writes, "Much has been made in recent weeks of Apple trying to squeeze the labels on terms, and the deals do have Apple paying the labels a per-stream rate that's half of what Pandora pays. But CNET has learned that Apple's planned music service would offer new revenue streams as well." That, he says, "includes a quick way for consumers to buy a song they hear, potentially boosting download sales from iTunes, as well as a revenue share of new audio ads Apple is planning to add to the free service, according to sources." His report notes the "product would be tied to iTunes, and available on mobile devices." As was the case last September and since, Apple has declined to comment. [Updated] Dial Global Downsizing in Greater Los Angeles Closing Valencia and Brentwood Facilities, More Than Two Dozen People Are Out MHBC News has now confirmed most of what was first reported by AllAccess.com Thursday night. In fact, Dial Global offers a confirmation of sorts. And the company, obviously seeking to put a positive spin on all of this, says that despite the ouster of more than two dozen employees based in Valencia, the "overall net number of jobs" at Dial Global "will remain the same." DG now tells us, on the record, that its Valencia and Brentwood facilities are being consolidated into the Culver City offices, affecting the 24-hour formats produced by Dial Global. "Due to limited space at the Dial Global offices in Culver City, California, changes are being made that include jobs being lost there. As a result, some dayparts that were being produced in California will now be produced in Denver and Dallas." DG notes that a majority of those who received pink slips were parttimers, many of whom have other jobs in California. Thursday night, citing the All Access report, we told you: "Some of the dayparts for the 24-hour formats that were produced out of Valencia will now be produced in Denver or Dallas. As a result, out of 35 on-air people based in Valencia, 28 were let go. That breaks down to six full-time air talent and 22 part-timers who lost their jobs. Those who made the cut will be transferred, along with two remaining engineers, to the Dial Global offices in Culver City, California." The original report added, "Most of the remaining on-air talent at the 24/7 Dial Global formats will be located either in the company's Denver or Dallas facilities." NABOB: Nielsen-Arbitron Yes, Newspaper-Broadcast No The National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters says that while it does not give its blessing to the deal, it is not seeking to have Nielsen's acquisition of Arbitron blocked by regulators. NABOB, in its latest newsletter, addresses the acquisition of Arbitron by Nielsen, and the FCC's ongoing review of media cross-ownership rules. NABOB says it has "concerns" about the Arbitron-Nielsen deal, but isn't asking the FTC or the Justice Department to block the sale. NABOB Executive Director Jim Winston says the organization is "cautiously optimistic" about that deal. "The combination of the companies could provide better and more extensive audience measurement benefits to both the television and radio industries." NABOB has been publicly critical of Arbitron in recent years since the adoption of PPM ratings measurement, claiming stations that are popular with minorities have been under-sampled. The organization's "concerns" center on possible rate increases for broadcasters when Nielsen’s proposed $1.26 billion buyout of Arbitron becomes a done deal. With the pending exit of Chairman Julius Genachowski, the FCC's media ownership rules review is effectively stalled for now. But, Winston also repeats NABOB's position that we've previously reported -- that his organization is urging the FCC to "refrain from further relaxing any of its ownership rules," including its broadcast-newspaper cross-ownership limits. He reiterates in the newsletter that, in letters to the FCC Commissioners, and in formal comments filed with the FCC, NABOB has said, "If large radio group owners are now allowed to combine their multiple station ownership advantage with ownership of a daily newspaper, the group owner will combine the radio and newspaper sales forces, and will be able to offer advertisers a combined radio-newspaper buy, which will leave minority owners even more disadvantaged in their efforts to compete in the marketplace." EMF Acquires Another Texas Station EMF is acquiring another Texas radio station to expand its Christian CHR Air1 network in the Lone Star State. Tejas Broadcasting is selling Country KOUL-FM, Corpus Christi, to Educational Media Foundation for $1.25 million. The deal calls for an LMA/affiliation agreement with Air1 before closing. KOUL-FM, airing on 103.7, is licensed to Refugio-Corpus Christi. RadioInsight.com reports that the deal with EMF includes "a $500,000 loan to Tejas in order to fund deferred maintenance and repairs to the KOUL facilities as well as build out two Construction Permits Tejas holds for its remaining Corpus Christi area stations." We're also told that KOUL-FM has filed a studio waiver request, "and will follow-up with its usual application to convert KOUL to non-commercial status." EMF currently owns KKLM-FM, at 88.7, which airs EMF's other network, the Christian AC “K-Love” service. Lance Venta writes, "Tejas Broadcasting will retain the rest of its Corpus Christi cluster." Those stations include Hot AC "96.5 The Beach" KLTG-FM, Regional Mexican "La Caliente 98.3" KMJR-FM, and Spanish AC "Exitos 105.5" KLHB-FM. The current Country "Today's 103.7" KOUL-FM is online here. Jim Laski Returning to Chicago Radio Former WGN-AM talk host Jim Laski will return to Chicago radio later this month on Newsweb Progressive Talk WCPT-AM. "Outside of a one-time tryout talk show on WIQI-FM in 2012, this will be Laski's first time on the airwaves since he was fired from WGN Radio in 2010," reports CRM. Starting April 27, "The Laski Files" will air on WCPT-AM, Saturdays 4-6pm, as a brokered show. It will be a live radio program, where Laski will give his opinions on current events and politics, along with taking calls from listeners. WCPT-AM will also simulcast the show on its suburban FM sister stations -- WCPT-FM, WCPQ-FM, and WCPY-FM. In a statement issued by the radio station, Newsweb Radio President Charley Gross says, "I know Laski has a colorful background and am hoping it will make good radio. He has insights into city politics and prison life that are unique. I doubt many of our listeners will agree with Laski -- or believe Laski -- on all issues, but I do expect our listeners will find it entertaining." Laski, now a convicted felon, "was a longtime member of the Chicago political machine." Laski had been a ward alderman for five years, then became the Chicago City Clerk for just over ten years. But ultimately he was "charged with taking bribes, coaxing witnesses to lie under oath, and unethically wielding his clout," writes CRM. "After denying any wrong doing for a couple of years, he finally admitted guilt, especially when he was faced with up to ten years in prison for his crimes. A plea bargain and an admission of guilt knocked the possible jail time down to approximately three years. After a seemingly heartfelt apology to the judge, an admission to coaching a witness to lie to a grand jury, and admitting to accepting at least $48,000 in various bribes, the judge sentenced Laski to two years in a Federal prison." After serving only 11 months, he was released from prison -- and subsequently started a new career as a radio talk host at WGN-AM, airing 7-10pm, under former Program Director Kevin Metheny -- when Randy Michaels was still at the helm of Tribune. Laski is now also a partner with Dot2Dot Collaborative, a brand strengthening company that also assists with government body relationships. TagStation Announces Schedule Feature Tailored for Spoken Word Emmis Communications announces a new Schedule feature for TagStation -- its hybrid radio data service -- "which will enable non-music stations to push visual content and metadata to anticipated FM-enabled smartphones running the NextRadio hybrid radio app." Emmis tells us, "TagStation’s core features -- serving imagery, text, and enhancements in sync with broadcast music and advertising events -- have been expanded to meet the needs of News Talk and Sports formats. Programmers can now create a schedule of broadcast events that parallels on-air programming so listeners can see synchronized text and images displayed in the NextRadio app. Scheduled events are shown when automation triggered events have expired or are unavailable." The Schedule interface is "designed to accommodate everything from a simple on-air program schedule to more complex non-music format programming. Serve a branding image, show title, and call-in action for a talk program." We're told that with "the new Schedule feature, TagStation provides a simple way for any format to visualize on-air programming." Emmis will offer a live demo of TagStation and the NextRadio smartphone app at next week's NAB Show in Las Vegas. More information is available at TagStation.com. Former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt Asks for Redskins Name Change Former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt and other former FCC officials are asking Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder, who also owns Red Zebra Broadcasting, to change the team’s name. Hundt, who was FCC Chairman from 1993 to 1997, an ardent fan of the NFL franchise, writes that changing the team's name would free broadcasters from having to describe the team "using a name they would never use in any other context.” In a Washington Post "WP Opinions" article, Hundt maintains that the FCC has the authority to investigate whether broadcasters' use of derogatory names to describe sports teams is in the public interest. "Pretending that I was once again, for only a day, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), I co-signed a letter this week to Dan Snyder, the owner of the Washington football club," writes Hundt. "Congress has repeatedly passed laws and otherwise raised a ruckus about indecent language on the broadcast airwaves used for radio and television. The public owns the airwaves; Congress gave them to broadcasters for free, with the understanding that they would serve the public interest while trying to maximize profit. An aspect of serving the public is to use the immense power of electronic media to reflect evolving standards of respect for other people." He discloses that "former FCC officials and concerned parties asked Snyder to change the name of our beloved football team -- so that broadcasters no longer would have to describe it using a name they would never use in any other context." Hundt notes that "cultural standards evolve," adding, "The meaning of the public interest also, of course, evolves. Almost all of us adults who grew up as Washington football fans used, without thinking, a name for the hometown team that is now clearly inappropriate. Whatever we might have said decades ago, none of us now would call a Native American by the epithet used to describe Snyder's team." Read the full WP Opinions article, "Dan Snyder should change his team’s name," written by the former FCC Chairman, here. Country Artists Sing the Praises of Radio in Nashville Country artists still rank radio as the most important platform to reach their fans, according to a CBS News report. The format, which last year grew the most of any genre, garners 66 million listeners each week, said the report. "Radio is what you're always striving to get to," says singer/songwriter Dustin Lynch. "Once you get to radio, that's the top of the mountain right there." And says Brad Paisley, "There's something so cold about listening to a play list in my iPod and listening to that. I want to hear somebody make a comment from time to time, even as mad as it might make me." We received an email on this from the NAB's Dennis Wharton, and appreciate the tip! Also, thanks to CBS News for the video! Behind the Microphone: The Ins and Outs of Radio As staff cuts hit Press Communications Monmouth-Ocean, NJ, Station Manager, Director of Programming and WBHX-FM morning host Mike Fitzgerald is out -- as are WWZY-FM morning host and WBHX afternooner and WKMK-FM/WHTG-AM night host Randy Davis; News Director Al Brooks; and, WWZY-FM night host Shelli Cole ... "Rock 104" WWIZ-FM, Mercer, Pennsylvania, serving the Youngstown, Ohio market, officially names Matt Spatz as its new Program Director replacing Christian Aleshire, who exited last month. Spatz had been overseeing the Cumulus station's programming since then. He adds the new programming duties to those of Program Director and morning host at sister Classic Rock "Y103" WYFM-FM ... CodComm's Adult Variety Hits WHYA-FM, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, flips to Rhythmic CHR as "Y101" -- ending a simulcast with sister "93.5 Frank FM" WFRQ-FM, which continues the Adult Variety Hits format. "Y101" is featuring Elvis Duran in mornings, and offering "Open House Party," which is hosted by CodComm's John Garabedian ... We recently reported that Air1 Program Director Paul Goldsmith was exiting the EMF Christian network. Now we know where he's going. Goldsmith is joining Salem's News Talk "560 The Answer" WIND-AM, Chicago, and sister Christian Talk WYLL-AM as Director of Promotions and Marketing for both Windy City stations. He starts there April 22, 10 days after his last day at Air1.