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Rock Fans Bigger on Online Than AM/FM Radio -- 
Some 43 percent of Rock P1s tune in to online radio on a weekly basis, while an above-average 26 percent listened to Pandora in the past week, but are below average for AM/FM listening, according to "Infinite Dial 2013" -- as Arbitron and Edison Research release the final round of results from this year's study. Rock P1s have a notably above-average awareness of Pandora, iHeartRadio and Spotify, with 90 percent of Rock fans showing awareness of Pandoa. Additionally, an above-average 79 percent of Rock P1s are familiar with podcasting, but just eight percent listened to one in the past month. After releasing additional data on AC, Urban, CHR, Religious, Country, Public Radio, Classic Rock/Classic Hits and News/Talk/Sports P1s, the final data release focuses on Rock fans. According to the study, 85 percent of Rock P1 listeners have Wi-Fi in their homes, with an above-average 38 percent living in homes with at least five Wi-Fi connected devices. An above-average 62 percent of Rock P1s watch YouTube on a weekly basis, while 49 percent are likely to keep their cell phone 'within arm's length." Rock P1s are more likely to use their cell phone to wake them up in the morning, with 40 percent, and an impressive 70 percent own a smartphone, while an above-average 34 percent of them own tablets. When it comes to social media, almost three-quarters of Rock P1s have a social network profile, while 36 percent of them report that they use social networking "several times per day." Rock P1s have an below-average number of Facebook friends and Rock listeners reported an above-average usage of all social media services across the board.
Radio Does Not Rule for Sports Fans U.S. Sports Media Consumption Report Reveals What's Hot/What's Not in Fan Engagement 
Sorry, radio is not the leading medium for Sports consumption -- despite the growing proliferation of Sports oriented radio, both in terms of stations and national networks. In fact, a new study says radio usage by Sports fans has seen a decline in usage in the last two years. Sporting News Media -- now a Perform Group Company, which owns SportingNews.com, the Sporting News (SN) ePlayer and the U.S. and Canadian editions of Goal.com -- has released their third annual survey into U.S. sports media consumption. The U.S. Sports Media Consumption Report 2013, produced in conjunction with Kantar Media and TV Sports Markets, provides an annual snapshot of trends around the devices, platforms and types of content fans engage with in an increasingly diverse media landscape and this year finds that while social networking and smartphone usage have gone mainstream for sports fans, connected TV and second screen viewing are still experiencing low adoption. The study, which surveyed over 1,000 American adults aged 18+ in February 2013, found over a third of sports fans use smartphones to access sports content, and of those fans, 36% access sports content via their mobile device at least once per day. Also, a quarter of U.S. sports fans are now using social networking platforms to follow sports. The majority of social fans follow sports on Facebook (77%), followed by YouTube (47%) and Twitter (33%). However, while only 7% of fans say they use connected TV to consume sports, 19% believe connected TVs will have the biggest impact on the way they consume sports in the next two years. Despite the hype around second screen viewing, the report found that 4% of fans believe that second screen consumption of sports will have a big impact on the way sports is consumed in the next two years.
Three Atlanta 'Zone' Sports Talk Morning Hosts Fired After 'Mayhem in the AM' Bit Mocking Former NFL Player with ALS 
The final part of the Monday saga was that the three hosts of Lincoln Financial Media Sports Talk "790 The Zone" WQXI-AM, Atlanta, morning "Mayhem in the AM" show were out. First came the report of their bit making fun of former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason, who has ALS (better known as Lou Gehrig's Disease). Second, management's announcement that the hosts -- Nick Cellini, Steak Shapiro and Chris Dimino -- were "suspended indefinitely pending further management review of their actions." Then, "We suspended the three individuals involved immediately following their comments and have since terminated their employment." Both the early announcement and the later follow-up came from SVP and General Manager Rick Mack. "Mayhem in the AM" aired a bit making fun of former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason, who has ALS, Monday morning. Cellini played Gleason, while Shapiro and Dimino "interviewed" him using a computerized voice a la Stephen Hawking. The first, official reaction from LFM Atlanta came in a statement from Mack posted on the station's website: "We deeply regret the comments made by Mayhem In The AM this morning on 790 The Zone regarding former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason. 790 The Zone, Lincoln Financial Media, our sponsors and partners in no way endorse or support the unfortunate and offensive commentary concerning Mr. Gleason this morning. The members of the show involved with this incident have been suspended indefinitely pending further management review of their actions." Meanwhile, "Mayhem" co-host Nick Cellini tweeted, "My apologies to everyone. It was a stupid attempt at humor that backfired. Emphasis on stupid." Before the end of the day, the official word came that the three co-hosts had been terminated. An updated statement from Mack said, ""We deeply regret the offensive programming that aired this morning on 'Mayhem In The AM' on 790 The Zone, related to former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason and his battle with ALS. We suspended the three individuals involved immediately following their comments and have since terminated their employment. 790 The Zone, our owners, sponsors and partners in no way endorse or support this kind of content. We sincerely apologize to Mr. Gleason, his family and all those touched by ALS." And co-host Cellini then tweeted, "An update: we all got wacked. I apologized to Michel Gleason, she understands it was a stupid joke. I'll do my best to help Team Gleason."
NRB Tells FCC: Keep the 'Bleeping Blank' Off the Air 
As the National Religious Broadcasters organization weighs in with the FCC about on-air indecency, they urge the Commission to "improve and tighten its current indecency regulations" -- not loosen them. The NRB (which despite its name is a self-declared "non-partisan, international association of Christian communicators") has filed comments in the FCC's indecency docket. Objecting to the idea that the FFC should now only issue citations for "the most egregious” cases of indecency, SVP/General Counsel Craig Parshall writes in the NRB filing that “a diminishing of the civility and decency of discourse and imagery during children’s viewing hours will diminish families, children, and our culture, and will impair the public interest." According to the filing, “We believe that the rules should be enforced against all indecency between 6am and 10pm, not just the most outrageous kind. Our children are worth protecting, and that notion has been made clear by the Supreme Court. At the same time, we are urging the FCC to establish two narrow, very limited exceptions that will help fend off First Amendment challenges: first, a ‘live news’ exception, which would cover a 'spontaneous utterance' of profanity as happened when stations covered a pre-game ceremony at Fenway Park, and Red Sox player David Ortiz used a four-letter word when referring to the recent Boston Marathon bombing.” You might remember that Ortiz said, "This our fucking town" in his emotional statement. A second exception proposed by the NRB would allow for "fleeting offensiveness" in broadcasts with "serious artistic, literary, social, political, or scientific value for children" -- but only if the broadcaster gives adequate warnings.“While our proposal could permit an image of unclothed bodies in a concentration camp as part of a World War II documentary intended for older teens and adults, or the strong language used in the 'Saving Private Ryan'-type situation, this exception would not excuse broadcasters airing a live rock music program during the proscribed hours hosted by a celebrity for whom profanity is practically a second language. That latter case shouldn't pass the 'serious value' test." NRB President and CEO Dr. Frank Wright adds, "Families with children need a media safe harbor. From the standpoint of protecting children, there are already many dangers permitted in broadcast programs and ads. It would be egregious for the FCC to lower its standards more."
Phil Hendrie Partners with Ron Hartenbaum's WYD/WYM with TRN Exit 
"The Phil Hendrie Show" will continue in national syndication following its exit from Talk Radio Networks, airing weekdays in a new time slot of 10pm-1am ET, beginning June 25. "Spearheading the new national syndication effort and overall brand expansion" is WYD/WYM Media Management's Ron Hartenbaum. Effective immediately, WYM Media Management is handling affiliate sales and Dial Global is managing advertising sales and satellite distribution. You might remember that on May 8 we reported: "Talk Radio Networks and Phil Hendrie are parting ways as of June 25. A spokesperson for Hendrie says in a statement, 'Phil Hendrie has elected not to pursue any further association with Talk Radio Network'." Now comes the announcement of the new arrangement. From June 25 to July 5, affiliates will air Hendrie's Comedy Gold broadcasts. On July 8, Hendrie :"will be on air with live callers with his famous web of satire and comedy." Says Hendrie, "Ron gets my show and has a highly talented and motivated team behind him. Our longtime loyal affiliates and advertisers will appreciate the level of professionalism and sophistication they bring to the table." Hartenbaum, meanwhile, tells us, "Broadcast radio needs the breadth, depth and creativity of Phil Hendrie. There's a whole new generation of listeners ready to join the ranks for what Phil has to offer. He's a comic genius who's going to grow in ways most people can't even imagine ... stay tuned!" Hendrie joined TRN in 2007 and before that was distributed by Premiere Networks. Last month, his spokes, announcing the decision to exit TRN, told us, "As he delves deeper into his successful digital platform and ongoing television and film work, Hendrie remains open to terrestrial radio opportunities, but only those with strong sales, marketing and programming support." TKRN Appoints Bob Hamilton SVP of Programming 
The Tom Kent Radio Network appoints veteran programmer Bob Hamilton as SVP of Programming. Hamilton has been consulting TKRN, now with over 400 affiliates, for the past two years. Last year he was promoted by TKRN to National Director of Music Programming. Previously, Hamilton was Program Director of Lincoln Financial Media's Classic Hits "Magic 102.7" WMXJ-FM, Miami. TKRN CEO Tom Kent tells us, "When you hear the name Bob Hamilton, it's one of those legendary names that means great radio! No one deserves this appointment more than Bob and to say that I'm excited is just slightly less than what I truly feel. This is one of radio's all time best and we have him!" Says Hamilton, "Very happy to continue the growth with Tom Kent and TKRN. I am blessed to be with radio people who 'get it.' Look out 500 affiliates... here we come!" Dial Global Hires Ronald Furman As Chief Revenue Officer 
As Dial Global continues its senior management restructuring, the company hires Ronald Furman as Chief Revenue Officer, based in New York City. Furman will report directly to new CEO Paul Caine. Furman comes to DG from Insignia Sports and Entertainment where he was EVP/Managing Director. "Ron is a recognized industry leader who is proficient at building, developing, and leading high-performing sales teams across multiple media properties," sayd Caine. "And the timing is perfect, as we announce that Dial Global will broadcast over 90 games this season, including all Monday Night, Sunday Night, and Thursday Night Games, the Thanksgiving Day Triple Header, a full slate of Sunday Afternoon Games, the entire Post-season, and Super Bowl XLVIII. His deep sports knowledge and client relationships are a perfect complement to our strength in the sports market, and we look forward to working closely with Ron as we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in audio content and distribution." Says Furman, "I am excited for the opportunity to be joining a company with such a deep legacy in sports programming. Audio continues to be one of the most dynamic and progressive mediums for broadcast and I'm looking forward to working with a company and a team that is leading the way and raising the bar for audio media across all platforms." Jon Schweitzer Appointed Cumulus Kansas City VP of Sales 
Cumulus Media appoints Jon Schweitzer as VP of Sales for its Kansas City cluster. Schweitzer was most recently with Midwest Communications in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He previously was General Manager of Journal Broadcast Group's KQRC-FM in Kansas City from 1989-1997. At Cumulus Kansas City, Schweitzer's main focus will be working with Urban AC "Magic 107.3" KMJK-FM and Adult Variety Hits "105.1 Jack FM" KCJK-FM. "This is an exciting day for us here in Kansas City," says Cumulus Kansas City Regional VP and General Manager Mark Sullivan. "We're eager for Jon to share his great enthusiasm and radio experience with the Kansas City team." Says Schweitzer, "Coming back to Kansas City is a real thrill! I'm excited to get to work with these seven great radio properties, and help the cluster gain more share in the market!" And Chiefs Radio Network Sales Manager Rich McArdle welcomes Schweitzer back to the KC market. "His previous experience as the SVP of WTMJ and the Green Bay Packers Radio Network, and extensive knowledge with sports sponsorship recruitment and sports marketing activation will be great to help elevate our Sports Marketing efforts for the Chiefs Radio Network," says McArdle. John McConnell Teams with ACM 
Veteran talent agents Marc Guss and Phil Sutfin, co-founders of the talent management company ACM, partner with veteran programmer John McConnell to launch ACM Broadcast. Based in New York, the company aims to create a unique business environment where established and new talent strategize on using radio and other audio broadcast platforms as the foundation to build their brand. McConnell formerly was SVP of Programming for ABC Radio Networks and previously partnered with The Elvis Duran Group (EDG) to head its radio syndication division. "I've always believed in the power of radio and am a proponent of making that a priority in a performer's career," says McConnell, who also remains President of Entertainment Radio Network and founder of New York and Los Angeles-based McConnell Media, a traditional and new media consultancy. "I look forward to working with talented individuals and helping them to realize their full potential as they soar to new heights." ACM co-founder Guss tells us, "John has always been one of my main go-to radio programming executives because of his innovative thinking. What a thrill it is to now be working together under the same roof with the same objectives." Beasley Officially Announces Multiple SW Florida Format Changes 
Some of today's announcement officially confirms what we've previously reported, but some new information is provided on cluster changes at Beasley Broadcast in Fort Myers-Naples, Florida. The main new news is more about "The Link" which is set to debut soon. Today the company announces that in addition to flipping Active Rock WJBX-FM to an ESPN Radio affiliate, it is reworking its Hot Talk "96 K-Rock" (as we previously reported), and officially confirms that the coming debut of a new Alternative (or maybe more correctly, an alternative Alternative) will be on four FM translators. We already reported that Rock "99X" WJBX-FM and "96 K-Rock" are merging to form "Southwest Florida’s Rock Station" on 96.1 FM. As previously reported, Sports Talk "770 ESPN Sports Radio" WWCN-AM will be simulcasting on 99.3 FM (formerly WJBX-FM) as "ESPN 99.3." Later this summer, however, the simulcast will end and the FM will be the lone new home of the current Sports Talk format, while Beasley will flip WWCN-AM to Spanish-language ESPN Deportes.
Behind the Microphone: The Ins and Outs of Radio Greater Media Charlotte tells us that longtime WBT-AM-FM personality John Hancock will segue from 6-9pm to afternoons 3-6pm, beginning July 16. Hancock originally joined the station in 1990 in the 9am-12noon slot. In 1996, he moved to afternoons before leaving in 1999. In 2001 he returned for the 6-9pm shift, which he's held since. "The Brad and Britt Show" with Brad Krantz and Britt Whitmire will be moving from 3-6pm to 6-9pm ... Saga Columbus, Ohio, Brand Manager (Program Director) TJ Holland exits to move to crosstown Christian Contemporary AC WCVO-FM as Program Director ... Active Rock "100.3 The X" KQXR-FM, Boise, Idaho, weekender Adam moves up to night host replacing Britt Reid, who remains for Traffic reporting duties for the full Journal Boise cluster ... News anchor Brad Wheelis is exiting ABC News Radio at the end of June when the network moves evening newscasts to New York. Wheelis joined ABC News Radio in 2001 and currently anchors the 6-11pm ET hourly newscasts from the network's bureau in Los Angeles. Previously he was an anchor at CBS Radio's WCBS-AM, New York.
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From Mark Harris Broadcast Consulting
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Tuesday's Radio & Media News - June 18, 2013
Rock P1s are below the Persons 12+ average when it comes to AM/FM listening, as 78 percent tune in to terrestrial radio in the car, followed by 65 percent who listen to their CD players in the car. Meanwhile, an above-average 37 percent use an iPod/MP3 Player, while an above-average 19 percent tune in to online radio in their car. Thirteen percent listen to satellite radio as well, with three percent using HD Radio. Unsurprisingly, 75 percent of Rock listeners said it is "very or somewhat important" to keep up with new music, and 87 percent would be disappointed if their favorite station went off the air. Rock fans are twice as likely "like" their favorite station on Facebook as the overall Persons 12+ average, and are more than twice as likely to sign up for their favorite station's email list. However, 38 percent of Rock P1s are likely to be listening to the radio just before going to shop.
And Beasley confirms, as we'd sepeculated, the coming new station -- "The Link" -- will air on the four FM translators previously providing an FM presence for WWCN-AM -- 96.5 in North Lee County, 98.1 in Lee County, 101.5 in Collier County, and 105.1 on Marco Island. Says Beasley Southwest Florida VP and Market Manager Brad Beasley, "We have two phenomenal heritage brands with ‘K-Rock' and '99X’. We felt strongly that putting the best of both worlds together on one station creates the most powerful rock station of any kind in Southwest Florida." The company tells us that "The Link" will air on the four translators, as well as WRXK-FM's HD2 multicast channel. "The Link" will, we're told, "play the biggest songs from Triple-A, Alternative, and Hot AC on one radio station" and include artists such as Imagine Dragons, Muse, Mumford & Sons, fun. and Coldplay along with U2, R.E.M., Dave Matthews Band, INXS and more. "The Link" will also be programmed by Chris Delozier. Brad Beasley adds, "The crossover music between Alternative, Triple A, and Hot AC formats have never been hotter. We feel a unique radio station celebrating the richest artists in today’s Pop/Alternative music alongside proven artists with multiple decades of success will deliver a unique upscale audience currently not being served by the many gold-based radio stations in Southwest Florida."
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