Wednesday's Radio & Media News - September 11, 2013

Brian McAndrews Named to Head Pandora, McAndrews Replaces Joe Kennedy as CEO Pandora announces that the company’s Board of Directors has appointed Brian McAndrews, formerly of Madrona Venture Group, Microsoft and aQuantive, to succeed Joe Kennedy as CEO, President and Chairman, effective immediately. Kennedy announced earlier this year that he would be stepping down. "We had very specific criteria for our new CEO, and we were very strategic about finding the right person. Brian is that person," says Pandora Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Tim Westergren. "No one better understands the intersection of technology and advertising, which he clearly demonstrated during aQuantive’s meteoric rise. He has a recognized ability to set strategy, lead large teams and drive growth and innovation at great scale. He is also a natural cultural fit with Pandora. This is a great development for our company." Says McAndrews, "It is a great privilege to be asked to lead Pandora at this important moment in the company's history. By capturing the enthusiasm of more than 72 million monthly listeners, the management team, led by Joe and Tim, has made Pandora the clear internet radio leader and created a product that consumers love. I look forward to joining this great team to build on Pandora's success for years to come." Kennedy tells us, "It has been an honor and pleasure to work with our management team and employees for the past nine years to reinvent radio and put Pandora on a clear path toward continued long-term growth. With a proven record of growing businesses and managing complex organizations, Brian is uniquely qualified to lead Pandora to the next level in our business. I’m confident that under his leadership, Pandora will continue to expand its business and deliver tremendous value to listeners, artists and advertisers." Official: New York Yankees Move to WFAN-AM-FM New York Yankees Ink Multi-Year Broadcast Deal With WFAN AM & FM It's official. The New York Yankees announced today that they will be moving to CBS Radio's "Sports Radio 66 and 101.9" WFAN-AM-FM, New York, for the 2014 season. The team has previously aired on sister All News WCBS-AM. The Yankees have signed a multi-year broadcast agreement for their games to be simulcast on both WFAN-AM and WFAN-FM. Both stations will carry all Yankees regular season and post-season games, Yankees pre-game and post-game shows, as well as broadcasts of select Yankees spring training games. CBS Radio has also acquired Spanish-language Yankees broadcasts rights on a multi-year basis. "We are extremely excited to have reached an agreement with CBS Radio," said Yankees Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner. "The paramount consideration was how our fans would best be able to hear our games. Having the Yankees on WFAN-AM-FM provides listeners in the New York metropolitan area and beyond with superior broadcast quality and vast territorial signal strength." Says CBS Radio President and CEO Dan Mason, "We are privileged to welcome the New York Yankees to WFAN. There is no bigger name in baseball than the Yankees, nor an organization so steeped in tradition. As the nation's premier sports radio station we look forward to capturing all the excitement surrounding the team, and bringing it to millions of fans for many years to come." Meanwhile, it's expected that the New York Mets, who have been heard on WFAN, will be leaving the CBS "Sports Radio" duo in the Big Apple. We hear that an announcement from the Mets on their new flagship will be coming soon. Read more on the Yankees deal from CBS Local New York. Apple iTunes Radio Officially Launching September 18 Apple's iTunes Radio will be available September 18 with its new iOS 7 operating system. The official announcement was made Tuesday in Cupertino, California, as Apple held a media event to introduce a new budget smartphone, the iPhone 5C, and its new iPhone 5S. iTunes Radio, the long-awaited online "radio" (streaming music) service from Apple, was unveiled in June at Apple's WWDC presentation to developers. The service was widely expected to launch Tuesday in the U.S. as part of iOS 7. "Streaming music -- a rare corner of growth for the otherwise beleaguered music industry -- is already a field crowded by the likes of Pandora, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Rdio, Google Music All Access, et al., but Apple's base of at least 575 million iTunes customers worldwide makes up for missing out on first-mover advantage." reports CNet. "Pandora, by comparison, is the current king on streaming radio with about 72 million active users as of last month, and it surpassed 200 million registered users earlier this year." According to Billboard, "The radio streaming function, which will catapult Apple into the ad-supported streaming music market currently dominated by Pandora, will be embedded within Apple's existing iTunes Music product. Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, spent less than two minutes showing off iTunes Radio by creating a Rush station and calling it 'a pure dose of awesomeness' before moving on to highlight a handful of iOS 7's other features." A news release from Apple tells us, "Apple today announced iOS 7, featuring a completely redesigned stunning new user interface, will be available starting Wednesday, September 18 to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users as a free software update. iOS 7 has hundreds of great new features, including Control Center, Notification Center, improved Multitasking, AirDrop, enhanced Photos, Safari, Siri and introduces iTunes Radio, a free Internet radio service based on the music you listen to on iTunes. In addition, iOS 7 has been engineered with deep technical and design integration with both iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c." Apple clearly isn't making the launch of iTunes Radio the focus of its new launches. The new service is at the bottom of a list of features. "iTunes Radio, a free Internet radio service featuring over 200 stations and an incredible catalog of music from the iTunes Store, combined with features only iTunes can deliver." Apple's news release notes, "iTunes Radio will be available with the launch of iOS 7 in the U.S." The company tells us that iOS 7 "will be available as a free software update starting on Wednesday, September 18 for iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, iPad mini and iPod touch (fifth generation). Some features may not be available on all products." Clear Channel Teams with Nissan for Dashboard iHeartRadio Clear Channel Media and Entertainment says its digital iHeartRadio service will be available in-dash of select 2014 Nissan vehicles via its made-for-driving application iHeartRadio for Auto -- or "iHeartAuto" as it's being called. Beginning this fall, iHeartRadio will be available in select Nissan vehicles equipped with NissanConnect, an in-vehicle global smartphone integration platform for Android and iPhone operating systems. Once a user connects their compatible smartphone with the NissanConnect App, drivers can control their iHeartRadio listening directly through the dashboard or via steering wheel controls. We're told that the iHeartAuto app "offers a simple, safety-minded user-interface designed to provide seamless access to the most popular live radio stations from across the country right from their dashboard. The iHeartRadio for Auto app also allows users to create Custom Stations inspired by their favorite artists or songs and provides in-dash access to a variety of other iHeartRadio features." CCME President of Digital Brian Lakamp tells us, "Working with Nissan to integrate iHeartRadio into the NissanConnect platform allows our listeners to seamlessly access the stations they love in a way designed to minimize distraction," said , for CCM+E. "Now, Nissan drivers will be able to tune into radio stations from anywhere in the country and keep connected to their favorite on-air personalities without having to worry about driving out of range." NYC 'Hot 97' DJ Mr. Cee Resigns Amid New Allegations We heard rumors of a developing scandal centering on allegations of using male prostitutes against longtime "Hot 97" WQHT-FM, New York, DJ Mr. Cee (Calvin LeBrun), but chose not to report the allegations pending confirmation. Although the station only says that it's because of "some personal circumstances that have become public," the veteran radio personality "has chosen to resign." Although WQHT-FM SVP and General Manager Alexandra Cameron doesn't indicate the station specifically asked Mr. Cee for his resignation, she does say that they "feel that this is in the best interest of both Hot 97 and Cee's personal well-being." The longtime New York City radio personality, in his own on-air statement, did indicate that either the station, or owner Emmis Communications, wanted him to exit. This isn't the first time that such allegations have become public. Earlier this year, Cee faced similar allegations that were published by some. Two years ago, rumors first began surfacing about his alleged use of male prostitutes. LeBrun -- as Mr. Cee -- spent 20 years at "Hot 97" -- and was Big Daddy Kane's DJ for years. Cee also was instrumental in the career of The Notorious B.I.G. In a statement, Cameron tells us, "Due to some personal circumstances that have become public, after 20 years of service, Mr Cee has chosen to resign. We feel that this is in the best interest of both Hot 97 and Cee’s personal well-being. While we do not endorse the alleged activities, he is clearly facing a personal dilemma that is for him and only him to comment on. We are saddened by his departure; his contributions here at Hot 97 were great and we know him as a friend, a caring individual and significant hip hop advocate. We wish Mr. Cee the best and will always consider him a family member of Hot 97. Moments ago, he officially signed off, on the air and will finish out his last show today on September 11, 2013, an already sad day for New York City." On his final show today, Cee said on-air, "Today is my last day on Hot 97. I'm resigning today. It is not a mystery that the past two years I've been through a lot and I've tried to deal with it the best way that I could deal with it and Hot 97 has tried to deal with it the best way they've had to deal with it. But when you're dealing with corporate America and you're dealing with a station you love as much as this station, I don't want to put this station through more than what they've been through I've been thinking of this for a long long time. I've been thinking about this day for a long time, I never want to be in a situation where I get pushed out anywhere. I've been at this station for 20 years since 1993 and if I'm gonna go out let me go out with me saying I'm gonna go out. Allow me to have that and so the station is allowing me to have that today and I appreciate that." Radio Benefits from Partnering with Children's Miracle Network As radio has struggled in recent years, some have gone so far as to say it needs a miracle to again thrive as it once did. A new study from Coleman Insights doesn't promise miracles, but does say radio can greatly benefit from partnering with the Children's Miracle Network (CMN). The study finds that radio stations partnering with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for special events enjoy a more positive public perception, increased year-round listenership and higher revenues than non-partners. The study finds that listeners say they tune in more to CMN partner stations the rest of the year, and indicates that CMN Hospitals' partner stations who conduct radio events have stronger images than non-partners in several categories. Those include a 51 percent better image for being local, a nine percent better image for having caring personalities, a 42 percent better image for being involved in the community, a 111 percent better image for raising money for a local charity, and that 72 percent of listeners feel better because the station gives back. The Coleman Insights research, we're told, also shows that valuable brand depth beyond the music is attained at partner radio stations, increasing local branding which leads to higher station revenues. In 2012, stations generated $3.5 million in additional revenues from leveraging their relationships with local Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, with all monies staying at the station. Results from the study also show that CMN radio events elevate talent at partner radio stations, infuse the station’s brand with an image of community service and help the station position itself as a "local brand." [For more information about radio and Children’s Miracle Network, visit LocalRadioMatters.com.] AdLarge Media Launches New RADAR-Rated Network AdLarge Media is launching a new RADAR-rated network, the AdLarge Return on Investment (ROI) Network. "With heavy concentration in major markets and broad U.S. reach, the AdLarge ROI Network delivers a core 25-54 adult audience, with an equal balance of male and female listeners, on an extensive variety of music-formatted radio stations," says the announcement. The AdLarge ROI Network is comprised predominantly of existing RADAR inventory and will be reported with a special tab later this month, after RADAR 118 is released, and then in RADAR 119. "We built the ROI Network specifically to help our advertisers get the most return on their advertising dollar investment," says AdLarge Co-Founder/President Cathy Csukas. "We are proud of that accomplishment, and excited to offer our advertisers a wide-reaching, entertainment-driven network with strong top market coverage." Says Arbitron Director of National Radio Services Bruce Supovitz, "We welcome the AdLarge ROI Network into the RADAR radio ratings service, which measures audiences to the commercials that stations run on behalf of networks. As the network radio industry has made great strides to become more accountable to its advertisers, we think that more and more marketers will take a look at committing ad dollars to this unique and very attractive medium." Arbitron's RADAR (Radio's All Dimension Audience Research) is the industry's standard currency for national network radio ratings and measures 45 individual radio networks. Walt Phillips Named DOS at Cox Media Group Atlanta Walt Phillips is named Director of Sales at Cox Media Group's four Atlanta radio stations -- News Talk WSB-AM and 95.5 FM; AC "B98.5 FM" WSB-FM; Classic Hits "97.1 The River" WSRV-FM; and Urban "Kiss 104.1" WALR-FM. Says Cox Atlanta Market Manager Ben Reed, "I am very pleased that we have an exceptional talent like Walt Phillips stepping in to lead radio's best sales organization. Walt is a proven, respected, talented and inspirational leader, and CMG Atlanta radio will rise to new levels under his leadership." Phillips, who previously was Director of Sales at the Citadel Nashville cluster, tells us, "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to work with so many talented people and look forward to building on the tradition of success with CMG Atlanta radio. I'm excited about the future and where we’re going." NABEF to Host Radio Show Career Fair The NAB Education Foundation (NABEF), in partnership with the Broadcast Education Association (BEA), will host a Career Fair on September 17 from 1-5pm at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando. Held the day before the 2013 Radio Show begins, the Career Fair will provide experienced professionals and entry-level job seekers with the opportunity to network with major radio companies. The Career Fair will be structured as a round-table networking event, allowing attendees and recruiters to interact in a fast-paced and personal setting. Entry-level and seasoned professionals interested in radio sales, technology and on-air positions should register using the code CF13 to obtain entry to the Radio Show Career Fair and Exhibit Hall. NABEF tells us, "Recruiters interested in registering for the event must complete the recruiter registration form available here. All registered recruiters will receive Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) credit for their participation. For additional information, visit the NABEF Career Fair website or contact Isabelle Tilghman." Behind the Microphone: The Ins and Outs of Radio Clear Channel Active Rock "X106.3" WAMX-FM, Huntington, West Virginia, flips to Classic Rock "106.3 The Brew" ... Summit Media shifts "Rock 96.5" WKLR-FM, Richmond, back to its former "Classic Rock 96.5" ... BCDayton Broadcasting launches Urban Oldies "The Soul Of Dayton" on 98.7 FM via translator W254BA, fed by WHKO-FM's HD3 multicast channel ... Broadcast news veteran Denise Bishop is out at Radio One’s "News 92" KROI-FM, Houston, as her News Director position is eliminated. She'd been there since the All News station launched in 2011, after 16 years as News Director at Houston's KRIV-TV ... All News WTOP-FM, Washington DC, adds veteran journalist Mike Murillo as a fulltime anchor and reporter. Murillo has more than 15 years of experience in news and talk radio, most recently as news anchor/reporter at Merlin's "IQ 106.9" in Philadelphia ... Gow Broadcasting's Yahoo Sports Radio (YSR) adds former NFL quarterback and veteran sports journalist Sean Salisbury to join John Harris on "The War Room," from 2-4pm weekdays.