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Congress Again Asked to Consider Radio Performance Royalties 
Congress is again being asked to considered performance royalty fees to be paid by over-the-air radio stations to go to artists and recorded music labels. But this time with a difference. Instead of setting such fees, proposed new legislation will ask only that the right to such fees be established, with rates to be negotiated between the radio and recorded music industries. U.S. Rep. Mel Watt (D-NC) says the time for this has arrived. He plans to file legislation soon that would recognize performance royalty rights for artists and require broadcast companies to negotiate royalty arrangements with labels. In 2009, Watt and others in Congress pushed the Performance Rights Act, which would have mandated a new royalty for artists and labels when a song is played on traditional radio. "I've felt that it was unfair for AM/FM stations to use the works of artists to make money for themselves without paying the artists whose stuff they're using," Watt tells USA Today. "I was on the original bill that did not move several years ago. Part of it had to do with the fact broadcasters thought the compensation structure proposed in the bill was not fair -- or onerous. And I said, 'Well, OK, maybe it would be better if you all just go out and work among yourselves'." The battlefront, says USA Today, is in Nashville, where performers, labels, songwriters, publishers and radio stations accustomed to working side-by-side have renewed their disagreement. And it comes against the backdrop of Warner Music and Clear Channel announcing a breakthrough deal last week. "At stake are tens of millions of dollars in performance royalties that federal law exempts broadcast companies from paying to artists and labels for songs broadcast on terrestrial radio," says USA Today. "Those payments go exclusively to the songwriters and publishers, as has been the arrangement for decades." WSM-AM/Nashville General Manager Tom English Resigns 
Classic Country WSM-AM, Nashville, General Manager Tom English announces his resignation, as he accepts an undisclosed opportunity outside of radio. His last day at WSM-AM will be September 27. English tells us, "This past 18 months has been some of the best of my career. As I’ve said before, Steve Buchanan basically handed me the keys to this priceless Classic, said 'Don’t wreck it' and let me drive. I cannot thank him enough for that support and trust. And I cannot thank this amazing team enough for their hard work, patience and the education they have afforded me. No team with whom I have ever worked has more passion and dedication toward a radio station." English was appointed General Manager of WSM-AM in 2012. He has served in numerous capacities during his 30-year career in broadcasting. Previously, English was VP/Market Manager for Clear Channel Radio in Nashville, including WSIX. He was with the station for eight years, and was named Clear Channel Innovation Award-winner in 2005 and 2006. He also served as Chairman of the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters in 2008. The New Pandora Brand: 'Let There Be Music' 
Pandora announces a new brand identity, using the slogan "Let There Be Music," which the digital service says will reflect "the company’s mission to cultivate a better musical future for artists and listeners alike." Pandora tells us, "With today’s release of Pandora 5.0 on iOS devices, you will see some refinements to our logo, our app icon, and our visual design. These changes will also be available soon on our website and Android devices." The refresh, a year in the works, will be live today on iOS devices and available in the coming weeks on Pandora's website and Android devices. "We believe Pandora is cultivating a better musical future by enabling an effortless and endless exchange where music flows freely from the artists who create it to the audiences who love it," says Pandora Chief Marketing Officer Simon Fleming-Wood. "This definition of our purpose has become the foundation for the evolution of our brand strategy." He also tells us, "When I joined Pandora as its first CMO, I was drawn to the company for a singular reason: it has a clear mission. The principle that drove Tim [Westergren] to start the Music Genome Project in 1999 – to help people enjoy and discover music they love while connecting working artists with new fans – remains the central mission of Pandora today. Now, almost two years later, I know first hand the commitment and pride of the people who work at Pandora." The timing of the "new" Pandora today may not be a coincidence -- the day that Apple's iTunes Radio officially launches as part of iOS 7. Apple's new streaming service is aimed as a direct competitor to Pandora.
'PepsiCo Official Launch Partner for iTunes Radio' 'PepsiCo to Leverage Global Music Footprint to Introduce New Artists to Millions on iTunes Radio' 
PepsiCo today tells us it is "the exclusive food and beverage launch partner" for iTunes Radio, Apple's new iAd-supported streaming radio service which went live today with iOS 7. "On iTunes Radio, PepsiCo will deliver custom experiences across PepsiCo brands, as well as branded channels within iTunes Radio, reaching millions of consumers on their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, Mac or PC. These innovative experiences will be a vehicle to foster discovery of new global
Pandora Wins Summary Judgment in ASCAP Case 
Pandora has won a federal court decision that rejected efforts by some music publishers to narrow a license that enables the Internet streaming music service to play their music. The federal court in the Southern District of New York granted summary judgment in Pandora's favor in the company's rate proceeding with ASCAP. U.S. District Judge Denise Cote said an existing antitrust consent decree that requires ASCAP to license its works to Pandora from 2011 to 2015 "unambiguously" covers all its works, even if publishers seek to "withdraw" authority to license to "new media" services. The judgment, according to Pandora, allows the company to use all compositions in the ASCAP repertory. "We welcome the court's decision," says Pandora Assistant General Counsel Chris Harrison. "We hope this will put an end to the attempt by certain ASCAP-member publishers to unfairly and selectively withhold their catalogs from Pandora. Pandora continues to firmly believe that musicians must be fairly compensated for their work. We are committed to a responsible, sustainable and equitable royalty structure that benefits and grows the entire industry and does not discriminate against new technologies." Pandora filed a motion for summary judgment in July, seeking an interpretation of the consent decree under which ASCAP has operated since 1941, asking the court to determine that selective withdrawals of so-called “new media” rights by ASCAP-member publishers could not be implemented against Pandora without violating the consent decree. The decision says Pandora is entitled to a blanket license the scope of which is not diminished in any manner by the publishers’ attempts to "withdraw" these rights from ASCAP. This ruling, however, has no impact on the royalty rates Pandora currently pays to ASCAP. Pacifica's WPFW-FM Relieves GM John Hughes of Duties 
Pacifica's WPFW-FM, Washington DC, has placed General Manager John Hughes on paid administrative leave and appointed outside consultant Michelle Price as interim GM. Pacifica interim executive director Summer Reese, in an in-house email, tells staffers to not discuss Hughes’ employment status "on the air, in public, in email, on social media or in the press," according to Current.org. Staffers are further told, "If a caller calls in to express any opinion about John Hughes’ departure, including being pleased about it, the programmer should refrain from comment or agreement and simply thank the caller for his or her thoughts." Reese adds, "The less said the better as I do not want the station to potentially incur any liabilities because of public discourse on this matter." The station's management and its volunteers are at odds over the station's relocation. Staffers objected to its plan to lease space from a subsidiary of Clear Channel in Silver Spring, Maryland. The station moved into temporary studios in downtown DC this summer, but is still looking for a new permanent home. Hughes joined WPFW in 2011 and attempted to revamp the station’s program lineup and bolster its listenership. The changes riled many of WPFW’s volunteer programmers and longtime listeners. As the station’s financial condition worsened, WPFW increasingly turned to on-air pledge drives to stay afloat. Along with New York’s WBAI-FM, WPFW is one of Pacifica’s most troubled stations. During a July 25 conference call with the Pacifica board, Reese said WPFW is in a “pretty critical financial situation.” NAB's 'OK2TALK' Campaign Gains Strong Support 
The NAB announces that local radio and TV stations have donated airtime valued at over $12 million for NAB's 'OK2Talk' mental health public service announcement campaign. That includes over 106,600 airings on local TV and radio stations. Says NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith, "NAB salutes the efforts of broadcasters across America to make a real difference on the issue of mental health.
Radio Veteran Mark Bolke Joins RCS 
Veteran radio programmer, consultant and software executive Mark Bolke joins broadcast software company RCS (Radio Computing Services) to manage corporate programming sales for the Americas and serve as National Software Sales Manager. Bolke previously was VP/COO of A-Ware. Prior to joining A-Ware, Bolke co-founded and was Executive Director for RateTheMusic.com. He's also programmed radio stations in Minneapolis and Denver. Says RCS President and CEO Philippe Generali, “Having Mark join our sales team is a natural fit. GSelector is the world's most powerful multi-station scheduling system and Mark’s background in music scheduling will only strengthen our product and software development path." Bolke will report to Neal Perchuk, VP of Sales for the Americas. "Mark has been in radio over 35 years and knows what it takes to run a top ranked station," says Perchuk. "Not only has he been in the programmers hot seat, he has run successful music research companies and consulted radio stations nationwide. I look forward to bringing his expertise to RCS and in turn our growing clientele." Says Bolke, "As a kid, I would listen to the radio under my pillow at night so my parents wouldn’t catch me staying up late. The magic and intrigue of the medium led me to a career that allowed me to be on the air, meet the biggest stars in music, see the most incredible concerts and entertainment events imaginable, and work with incredibly talented people. By joining RCS, I can continue to share in the magic of programming and hopefully help stations gain higher ratings by using the advanced suite of software products that RCS has to offer." Bolke started in radio in 1975 as an on-air talent and subsequently moved into programming. Jacobs Media Celebrating 30th Anniversary 
Jacobs Media is celebrating three decades in the media consulting business this week at the Radio Show in Orlando. Jacobs Media President Fred Jacobs tells us, "We are truly blessed to have created something very special over the last 30 years. We have served hundreds of clients, and there are so many people to thank for believing in us and what we could bring to their brands. And of course, our families, who supported us all the way." Best known for the creation and popularization of the Classic Rock format, the company has expanded its footprint across the Rock radio format family, as well as provided research and consulting services to a wide array of media companies and brands in radio, television, and audio entertainment. At the Arbitron Client Conference in December, the 17th Jacobs Summit will bring together compelling speakers and panels, designed to help the radio industry better understand the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The creation of jacAPPS in 2008 has put Jacobs Media into a leadership role in the mobile application front. To date, jacAPPS has developed more than 800 apps, generating more than 19 million downloads. The majority of these applications have been commissioned by radio stations, personalities, and brands. Coming up October 23-24, Jacobs Media is partnering to produce radio’s first conference devoted to the "connected car." It will take place in Detroit, featuring a unique lineup of professionals from companies like Ford, Pioneer, Toyota, J.D. Power, iHeartRadio, Pandora and others. "Our Midwest work ethic has served us well over the years," says jacAPPS President Paul Jacobs. "We've always had a lot on our plates, and our energy and vision have been a foundation for our initiatives. Thanks to our clients and our staff for their support." The company will move into new offices in Bingham Farms, Michigan, at the end of this month. Boston's WEEI Wins RAIN Internet Radio Award 
Sports Talk WEEI-FM, Boston, tells us today, "Last night, WEEI Sports Radio received the award for Best Streaming Broadcast Station at the RAIN Awards ceremony held at the conclusion of the Radio and Internet Newsletter Summit in Orlando, FL. Over 100 services made entries for this year's RAIN Awards, sponsored by Triton Digital. WEEI topped both WBZ-AM and ESPN Radio to take home its honor in the Best Streaming Broadcast Station category. " Says Entercom VP of Digital Strategy and Enterprise Platforms Tim Murphy, "This recognition centers on the quality of our audio programming at WEEI." Murphy accepted the award on behalf of WEEI. "This is a tremendous award for an amazing brand, and our incredible team of talent and producers who do an amazing job covering Boston sports. The entire WEEI team is incredibly innovative at distributing our content through industry leading strategies regarding search optimization, mobile distribution and social engagement." This year's RAIN Summit featured Entercom President and CEO David Field as its keynote speaker. Behind the Microphone: The Ins and Outs of Radio 
Classic Rock "100.7 The Bay" WZBA-FM, Baltimore, hires Jay Philpott as afternoon host, replacing Mike Ondayko, starting next week. Philpott arrives from his most recent radio home at "106.5 The Arch" WARH-FM, St. Louis ... Jay Coffey joins BCA Classic Hits "105.7 The Walrus" XHPRS-FM, San Diego, for Assistant PD and middays, effective October 14, replacing Dave Mason, who left for CBS Radio "K-Earth" KRTH-FM, Los Angeles ... Becca James joins CHR/Top 40 "Star 102.1" WWST-FM, Knoxville, for middays, coming from CHR/Top 40 KRBE-FM, Houston ... Rhythmic CHR "Hot 104.7" KHTN-FM night host Danny B steps down for a position with Amazon.com ... Sports Talk "97.5 The Fanatic" WPEN-FM, Philadelphia, announces "The Peter Laviolette Show" to debut October 1, 6-7pm. The Philadephia Flyers flagship station will air the program hosted by head coach Peter Laviolette and co-hosts Chris Therien (former Flyer and radio color analyst) and Jason Myrtetus throughout the season ... Bonneville News Talk KIRO-FM, Seattle, adds "The Tom and Curley Show" from 9am-12noon, hosted by Northwest media personality John Curley and veteran pop-culture enthusiast Tom Tangney ... Hannah Byrom exits the CHR/Top 40 "Z107.5" WAZO-FM, Wilmington, North Carolina, morning show.
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From Mark Harris Broadcast Consulting
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Wednesday's Radio & Media News - September 18, 2013
artists and highlight connections between music and other pillars of pop culture such as sports," says 
As stewards of the airwaves, local radio and television broadcasters and our network partners have a unique megaphone and a remarkable capacity to change attitudes in a positive way. Mental health issues are often the common thread in tragedies like the Navy Yard shooting this week. We thank our broadcast brothers and sisters for their support for the NAB campaign, and urge them to continue carrying these pro-social messages that encourage a meaningful dialogue on mental health." The PSA campaign, launched on July 23, directs people to 
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