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Public Radio Thrives, Public News/Talk Audience Grows 
"The public News/Talk/Information format accounts for more than a third of all rated public stations and now, for the first time this year, accounts for more than half of all public radio listening," according to Arbitron's Public Radio Today 2013. "The format is most popular in the PPM markets but it’s the No. 1 format in Diary markets as well. Listeners to this format are better educated and live in a greater number of high income households than the listeners to any other public or commercial radio format." Arbitron's "executive summary" of this year's report tells us, "During the Fall 2012 rating period covered by this year’s study, over 32 million people, about 12% of the 12+ population, listened to a public radio station in an average week. Some 1,247 rated radio stations (AM, FM, streamed, and HD Radio) were evaluated for this year’s report. In an environment of increased media choices, time spent listening to public radio has held steady in recent years. For example when compared to the prior year edition of Public Radio Today, time spent listening in this year's study either remained the same or improved in 11 of 14 key age/gender categories. Public radio’s popularity among younger audiences continues to grow—it reached record numbers of 18-24 Men and 25-34 Men in Spring 2012, and the medium reaches over 17% of older men." While "News/Talk/Information" remains the leader for public radio stations, "Classical remains the second most popular public radio format. As public Classical stations assume the mantle from commercial stations, the format’s popularity continues to grow in PPM markets. Public radio’s most popular music format, Album Adult Alternative (AAA) [Triple-A], along with News-AAA, continues to capture nearly 10% of all public radio listening." News/Talk/Information was the top format among Public Radio listeners during the survey period, with 51.7 percent of the audience. Bipartisan National Media Shield Law Introduced 
Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have written a new shield bill that protects the media from revealing information and sources during news gathering and requires courts to "apply a balancing test before compelling disclosure" from journalists. The bill would also require reporters’ be notified within 90 days of their records being reviewed by Justice and require the courts to arbitrate Justice's media records requests, reports Politico. The bill, we're told, "doesn’t provide an absolute privilege to journalists and contains exceptions for when information about leaks to journalists could be used to prevent terrorism attacks and when information can help prevent deaths and kidnappings in non-national security cases." Politico notes that DOJ's guidelines released last week said journalists' records can be collected only if the reporter is the subject of a criminal investigation, which the senators want to make sure future administrations don't reverse.
Sheryl Underwood to Host Toledo 'Juice' Afternoon Show 
Welch Communications announces that comedian, "The Talk" cast member and Steve Harvey show contributor Sheryl Underwood will begin “Sheryl Underwood in the Afternoon” on Hip Hop "The Juice FM 107.3" WJUC-FM, Toledo, August 2. Says a Welch Communications news release, "Sheryl and the crew, broadcasting from 'The Juice' studios, will be live the entire month of August, putting their particular spin on the topics people are talking about." According to Underwood, "the show fits right in to the taping schedule for 'The Talk,' which she co-hosts on CBS Television, and her philanthropic endeavors." Underwood tells us, "I am excited and proud to be working in Toledo, especially at this station. I feel like I've got new friends and a new family. I'm looking forward to being on the radio again. I've wanted to do this for a while. I believe that there is room on the radio for diverse voices. The radio experiences that I had with the 'Tom Joyner Morning Show' and hosting 'The Sheryl Underwood Show' on Jamie Foxx's 'The Foxxhole' [on SiriusXM] as well as my current role as a contributor on 'The Steve Harvey Morning Show,' have brought me to this place.” WJUC-FM says that Underwood, "along with her 'Super Producer,' will lead an on-air cast that includes the talented comedian Kyle Erby and The Juice's own Tisha Lee and Charlie Mack." There are already suggestions of a possible syndication deal for the new show. KGME-AM/Phoenix Joins University of Arizona Sports Network 
The Arizona IMG Sports Network, in conjunction with the University of Arizona Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, announces that Clear Channel "Fox Sports 910" KGME-AM, Phoenix, will become the new radio home for all Wildcat football and men's basketball games in Phoenix. Also, all weekly football and men's basketball coaches' shows, featuring Rich Rodriguez and Sean Miller, will be aired on KGME-AM. "Creating a new partnership with Fox Sports 910, a 24/7 sports station, provides the Arizona IMG Sports Network an even more valuable platform for our partners and fans alike in the Phoenix market," says Arizona IMG Sports Marketing General Manager Joe Moeller. "Arizona fans and future Wildcats alike will not only be able to enjoy our live network broadcasts, they will also be able to hear from our athletic director, coaches and student-athletes nearly every day of the year." Says Arizona Athletics Director Greg Byrne, "We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with KGME and Clear Channel in the Phoenix market. We have been focused on continuing to grow our presence in Maricopa County and this is a significant agreement that once again shows the tremendous passion and pride that all University of Arizona fans have throughout our great state. Once again, this is a great reminder that Phoenix is Wildcat Country." Clear Channel Phoenix Market Manager Scott Hopeck tells us, "Teaming up with the Arizona Wildcats to provide full University of Arizona football and men's basketball coverage is a significant addition to our new Fox Sports 910 brand. We are happy to serve the large base of fans and alumni who now have a new radio home where they can follow their Wildcats anywhere in the Valley. This is Wildcat Country and the new Fox Sports 910 is the Voice of Arizona Sports." SiriusXM, AT&T Team Up for Nissan Mobile Services 
SiriusXM and AT&T have reached an agreement to provide mobile connectivity for Nissan automobiles in North America. A joint announcement says that SiriusXM's in-vehicle telematics solution will provide Nissan vehicle owners 24/7 emergency support for accidents, stolen vehicle tracking and roadside assistance, along with a host of additional services to be announced at a later date. SiriusXM will use the combination of satellite and cellular networks to expand features for its customers. "Your future car is going to be a smartphone with four wheels with powerful capabilities specifically built for a safe and enhanced customer experience," said Glenn Lurie, President of AT&T Emerging Enterprises and Partnerships Organization. "By adding fast, reliable and built-in mobile internet for SiriusXM's forthcoming in-car experience, we are powering a connected experience inside Nissan automobiles for both drivers and passengers." Says SiriusXM EVP of Operations and Products Enrique Rodriguez. "As a Connected Vehicle services provider for Nissan, we are excited to work with AT&T to deliver a world-class telematics service to Nissan vehicles. SiriusXM is the leader in subscription services to the car and our network provides ubiquitous coast-to-coast delivery of our unparalleled audio entertainment and information services. Now, as we move into a connected vehicle world, SiriusXM will provide a telematics service that will offer Nissan vehicle owners a comprehensive set of telematics, information and entertainment services in their vehicle. A first for our industry." TuneCore Signs Deals with Gracenote, Shazam 
Digital music distribution company TuneCore announces new agreements with music metadata service Gracenote and digital music identification app Shazam. Artists that use TuneCore will also be able to add their songs to the databases of both Gracenote and Shazam. Says TuneCore COO Scott Ackerman said, "One of TuneCore’s top priorities is to continue to increase and enhance the number of channels for getting our artists’ music in front of music-buyers worldwide. Our new partnerships with Gracenote and Shazam, and the integration of the artists’ music with their respective technologies, brings music discovery to an entirely new level, increasing the opportunity for artists to earn more revenue from the downloads and streams of their music from store partners including iTunes, Amazon MP3, Rdio and Spotify." Gracenote, we're told "has analyzed and created metadata describing almost every album and song on the planet. This data is combined with Gracenote music recognition technology to power the world’s most popular music platforms, apps and services, including iTunes, Ford Sync, and Sony BRAVIA TVs. Today, the Gracenote database receives more than 500 million queries every day and more than 15 billion every month – making it one of the highest trafficked music data sources in the world." Jon Davies, Shazam Music Partnerships Manager, says, “We’re pleased to announce our partnership with TuneCore that will allow their artists to add their music to Shazam’s library of over 30 million tracks, giving Shazam’s 350 million worldwide app users the ability to hear, tag, discover and purchase music from TuneCore artists.” Shazam technology recognizes the music and media playing around the consumer. Univision Launches iOS App for Uforia Music 
Univision Communications launches a Uforia music app for iOS. The app offers "U.S. Hispanic's most popular live radio stations, a selection of Latin genres, exclusive digital channels and a custom radio offering with more than 20 million songs." The Uforia music service, launched last quarter (as we reported at the time), aligns Univision's music efforts under one umbrella. Says Univision Radio President Jose Valle, "Our digital growth over the last 6 months has been staggering, we just recently climbed to the #10 streaming position per the Triton Ranker, and we are really just getting started. This new app helps us to create multi-platform integrated marketing solutions for our ad partners, to stay connected and activate our audiences throughout the day." Univision Radio EVP Evan Harrison adds, "We beta tested the new features over the past few months, and we took the time to see what resonates. The response has been phenomenal, fans are coming back daily, and they are going deep -- our exclusive Cumbia and Alternative regional stations rank among the top 10 most listened to and our curation element appears to be the real difference maker." As part of its strategy, the Uforia music service includes worldwide premieres on TV, radio, and digital, by both established artists (from Prince Royce to Vicente Fernandez and Marc Anthony), and developing artists (from Ariana Grande to Becky G and Jessica Sanchez). Uforia leverages the size and scale of Univision’s media platforms, offering the most cutting-edge entertainment to Hispanic America. RAB Announces 'Rising Through Ranks' Scholarship Winners 
Scholarship winners for this year's "Rising Through the Ranks" seminar presented by RAB, BMI and Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio have been selected. Twenty recipients will attend this year's seminar, August 21-22, at the BMI Offices in Nashville. Topics of conversation include: problem solving, managing team personalities, personal brand building, and real world radio dynamics. Featured speakers include Susan Davenport Austin of Sheridan Broadcasting, Erica Farber of RAB, Carol Hanley of Arbitron, Weezie Kramer from Entercom Communications, Dan Spears with BMI, Bud Walters from The Cromwell Group, as well as other industry professionals. The scholarships were funded by BMI.
Pandora Elects Elizabeth Nelson to Board of Directors 
Pandora announces that Elizabeth "Betsey" Nelson has been elected to the board of directors, and will also join the company's audit committee. She will receive pro-rated cash retainers for her Board and Audit Committee service -- currently $40,000 and $12,500, respectively -- on an annual basis. The Board approved the grant of a pro-rated equity grant of $175,000 to Nelson which will vest in full on June 5, 2014. "Betsey has a stellar track record of ensuring the integrity and transparency of companies through her work on several high-profile boards," says Pandora Chairman and CEO Joe Kennedy. "Betsey brings expertise and experience serving companies at the center of growth and innovation in technology – including those in the mobile space, cloud and digital media. We couldn't ask for a better fit for Pandora's board of directors." Nelson has served on multiple boards of technology companies. She currently serves on the boards of Nokia and Brightcove, Inc., as a member of the audit committee and audit committee chair respectively. Other public company board experience includes serving as a director of Ancestry.com, from 2009 to 2012; SuccessFactors, Inc., from 2007 to 2012; Autodesk, Inc., from 2007 to 2010; and CNet Networks, Inc., from 2003 to 2008. From 1996 through 2005, Nelson served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Macromedia, Inc., where she also served as a director from January 2005 to December 2005. Prior to joining Macromedia, Nelson held various roles in finance and corporate development at Hewlett-Packard Company.
Behind the Microphone: The Ins and Outs of Radio Jason Bailey -- "the host formerly known as Buckethead" -- is joining CBS Radio Sports Talk "92.9 The Game" WZGC-FM, Atlanta, as morning co-host. Bailey will join in-place co-hosts Randy Cross and Kristen Ledlow. Rick Kamla will move from mornings to middays to co-host with Jaime Dukes. "Buckethead" recently exited Clear Channel Talk "Real Radio 104.1" WTKS-FM, Orlando ... Randy Alomar joins 90s Hits "Rewind 106.3" WHPP-FM, Fort Wayne, Indiana, as afternoon host. Alomar most recently was Promotions Director and an on-air host at crosstown AC "Majic 95.1" WAJI-FM and Classic Hits "Fun 101.7" WLDE-FM. With Alomar's arrival, afternoon host Chris Cruise moves to mornings ... Former Creighton University Bluejay basketball player Nick Bahe joins Sports Talk "1620 The Zone" KOZN-AM, Omaha, for the 11am-2pm "Nick Bahe Show" starting August 5, in a return to the station for Bahe who previously co-hosted a show there.
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From Mark Harris Broadcast Consulting
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Thursday's Radio & Media News - July 18, 2013
"Our bill will ensure that any administration, now or later, can't make a U-turn and abandon these new guidelines," says Schumer. "We are going to add new provisions to ensure that the proposals DOJ has issued aren't simply suggestions that are followed at the whim of an attorney general, but the law of the land." The new bill applies to government seizure of journalists' business and credit card records, as well as the records of phone and Internet companies written into a previous bill. The tougher media shield effort from the Senate comes on the heels of revelations that the DOJ was monitoring the Associated Press's phone lines in the Capitol. "When you cover political people it’s OK if we get upset, but it's not OK if we use the power of the government unfairly against those who cover us. So having the courts involved I think is a necessary check and balance," says Graham. "This bill makes it much harder for a political appointee to use an administrative subpoena" on the media. Schumer says the chances of the bill becoming law "are high" and believes the White House would be supportive of it. The White House had no immediate comment, but DOJ indicated support for the effort. "The Department is pleased with the progress being made on this important media shield legislation. We will continue to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle as the bill moves forward in the Senate," says DOJ spokesman Brian Fallon. The bill will get a hearing in the Judiciary Committee before the Senate breaks for August recess, according to Schumer.
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