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Mark Kassof: 'Urban P1s: Into it!' 
"Radio enthusiasts! That's what Urban P1s are, based on our ListenerThink P1 research," says Mark Kassof today. "Out of 18 motivations for listening to radio, Urban P1s score half of them above the total audience average. And they score none of them significantly lower than average. In other words, they have a lot of reasons for listening to radio. Like most, their #1 reason is 'to get in a better mood.' But about as important to them is 'to take your mind off your problems or situations'."
One way radio eases their minds is to reassure them all is OK. While hardly a major motivation for Urban P1s, it is "more major" for them than for other formats' P1s:
Urban P1s are also #1 — tied with their CHR counterparts — for seeking excitement and an “energy boost” from radio. And the energy boost Urban P1s get from radio contributes “to help you work better or faster”…more so than for other P1′s:
And radio is also social for Urban P1′s. More than others, they listen to…
Finally (whew!), nostalgia plays a bigger role for Urban P1s than for any format's other P1s:
"In past research," says Kassof, "we've noted that Urban P1s are more involved and interested in radio than most other formats' P1s. This research explains why…because radio does a whole lot of good things for them!" And, yes, there's more to come as Mark LIn past research, we’ve noted that Urban P1s are more involved and interested in radio than most other formats' P1s. This research explains why…because radio does a whole lot of good things for them!" Kassof promises more as he continues with format breakdown data from this year's "ListenerThink P1 Study." Monday, he will turn the spotlight on the Sports Talk format. Garret Doll Named Charleston 'Kickin' 92.5' Program Director 
Former Lincoln Financial Media Country KYGO-FM, Denver, Director of Promotions and Assistant PD/Music Director Garret Doll is named Program Director and afternoon host for Apex Broadcasting's Country "Kickin' 92.5" WCKN-FM, Charleston, South Carolina. Doll spent 16 years at KYGO-FM until this past May. The PD position at WCKN-FM has been vacant since the exit of Chris O'Kelley in March. Since then, programming has been overseen morning personality "Brother Dale" Desmond, who arrived at WCKN-FM shortly after O’Kelley's departure. "Garret is a great addition to Kickin's already very talented on-air staff and I’m confident Kickin' 92.5’s team will take the station to the next level,” says Apex General Manager David Abel. "As a company we are committed to Kickin' 92.5’s success and we look forward to seeing Garret -- along with morning co-hosts Brother Dale, Summer McQueen, and Jena B -- take over the Country music space here in Charleston." Doll told his Facebook followers, "I'm trading the snow for sand. Going from a mile high to sea level. West coast to East coast. Charleston, South Carolina, here I come." Billy Brown Named WMMO-FM/Orlando Morning Host 
Cox Media Group hires Billy Brown to host the morning show on its Rock AC WMMO-FM, Orlando, starting November 4. Brown is coming to Orlando from his current position as Program Director/Operations Manager and morning host at Heartland Broadcasting’s Country WZZS-FM, Zolfo Springs, Florida. Says WMMO-FM Program Director Hildi Brooks, "From the moment I met Billy, I knew we were going to do great things together. I wish he was starting tomorrow, but he wanted to leave his current radio stations in a healthy state, which speaks to his impeccable work ethic and complete investment in everything he does. I’m excited for him to become a part of this legendary station.” Brown, who previously worked in the Orlando market at CBS Radio Classic Hits WOCL-FM, 2008-10, tells us, "I'm very excited to be moving back to Orlando to work with Hildi, Market Manager Susan Larkin and the great team of professionals at CMG Orlando. WMMO's history is legendary, and its future will lead the way. I can't wait to wake up Orlando!" Boston's WEEI Red Sox Radio Extends Joe Castiglione 
The WEEI Red Sox Radio Network signs Joe Castiglione to a two-year contract extension to remain the voice of Boston Red Sox baseball. Castiglione, who has been calling Red Sox games for 31 years, will continue in his current role alongside Dave O'Brien through the 2015 season, making him the longest tenured announcer in the Red Sox history. "I am extremely happy to continue in the best job in New England. I've been blessed to be a part of a signature franchise that has enabled me to be a witness to some of the most historic moments in Red Sox history," says Castiglione. "From spring training, to opening day, to that famous final out in St. Louis in 2004 I've had the best seats in the house." Castiglione was nominated this week by The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum for the Ford C. Frick award, given to baseball broadcasters of long and meritorious service. Known for his signature, "Can you believe it" call, Castiglione has broadcast some of the most memorable moments in Red Sox history from Carl Yastrzemski's last game in 1983 to Roger Clemens 20 strikeout game, Dave Roberts steal in Game 4 against the Yankees, and the Red Sox's historic 2004 and 2007 World Series Championships. "Joe is more than a just broadcaster. He's become as iconic as Fenway Park or the Green Monster. One of the reasons the Boston Red Sox are such a part of the fabric of New England is because of the work and the voice of Joe Castiglione," says WEEI Brand Manager Kevin Graham. "We are proud to announce that this Hall of Fame nominated announcer isn't going anywhere. Joe will be right behind home plate calling Red Sox games for another two seasons... and hopefully many more." Aha By Harman Adds New Programming American Public Media, CBC/Radio-Canada, BlogTalkRadio and Hay House Publishing Added 
Aha by Harman announces new content available via the free Aha Radio app for Android and iOS and included in the in-vehicle infotainment system in over 40 models of cars. "With the addition of self-improvement publisher Hay House, live podcast network BlogTalkRadio and leading national broadcasters American Public Media (APM) and CBC/Radio-Canada, Aha adds thousands of new programs, across a multitude of genres, extending its content library of 40,000 audio and non-audio programs to include exactly what consumers want to hear in the car, at home, and on the go. Specific offerings include APM’s business and economic news program Marketplace, Triple-A station The Current, Classical Minnesota Public Radio and regional news from Southern California Public Radio and Minnesota Public Radio," according to the announcement. Says Chia-Lin Simmons, VP of Marketing and Content, "Most adults spend, on average, two hours a day commuting. During those commutes, audio has the ability to educate, inform, uplift, inspire and entertain. Aha has made it easy for drivers and other commuters to always find the content that is just right for them. With the addition of American Public Media, CBC/Radio-Canada, BlogTalkRadio and Hay House, Aha listeners will have even more world-class content to choose from." Programs from the new content partners will be fully integrated into the Aha service in the next month. SoundExchange Celebrates Decade in Digital Music Industry 
SoundExchange is celebrating 10 years "of propelling the music industry forward." The independent nonprofit performance rights organization that collects and distributes digital performance royalties for digital radio is marking the occasion by revealing data from "10 Years in Play." We're told, "In just a decade, SoundExchange has put more than $1.5 billion into music creators' pockets. In fact, the organization's third-quarter 2013 payments of $153.7 million mark the highest quarterly payment to recording artists and record labels to date and reflects tremendous growth in the industry. When compared to SoundExchange's entire 2003 distribution of $3 million, it is clear that more and more music fans are listening to their favorite artists through digital radio. SoundExchange is proud to facilitate royalty payments from more than 2,000 digital radio services, including satellite radio, internet radio and cable TV channels, to the recording artists and record labels that it represents."
Samsung Releases New 'Shape' Wireless Multiroom Audio System 
Samsung has announced its new Sonos competitor, the Samsung Shape system. Named mostly after their triangular hardware, which can lie horizontally, stand vertically or be mounted to a wall, the speakers come with WiFi, Bluetooth or NFC, allowing consumers to stream music over their home network. Samsung is emphasizing the easy setup process, which involves plugging either the speaker or hub into a router, and then downloading a free app to an Android or iOS device; and the network setup "takes care of itself." In addition to playing locally stored music, users can also stream from Pandora, Rhapsody, Amazon Cloud Player, TuneIn and any nearby devices that happen to be connected using Samsung AllShare. Using the app, one can also control the volume with either an on-screen slider or their phone's volume rocker -- and, we're told, the volume doesn't have to be the same in each room. Users can also mute speakers remotely, adjust the EQ or have different rooms play different music. As for the app, Samsung's created a drag-and-drop interface wherein one can drag a song to a specific room of the house. TuneIn tells us that the system allows streaming audio from their roster of over 70,000 radio stations to be heard over the system, with the ability to play different stations in different rooms or the same content everywhere in the home. Behind the Microphone: The Ins and Outs of Radio 
Radio One's "Old School 100.3" WRNB-FM, Philadelphia, will begin carrying Sam Sylk 10am-2pm starting Monday (Oct. 7). Sylk, currently heard on WZAK-FM, Cleveland, will also host "The Sam Sylk Show" on WRNB-FM. "Philly, Let's get Silky while you work," says Sylk ... Former News Talk WSPD-AM, Toledo, afternoon host Johny D joins crosstown Country "107.7 The Wolf" WPFX-FM for mornings, starting Monday (Oct. 7) ... Mark Edwards steps down as SVP of Content Development with John Tesh and the TeshMedia Group after 18 months to concentrate on his consultancy business, Mark Edwards Worldwide ... Just three months after starting as the new overnight host at CBS Radio’s WBZ-AM, Boston, talk show host Jen Brien exits with no reason given by management. An announcement was made at the beginning of the overnight show early Thursday morning (Oct. 3) that Brien was no longer the host of the show. Brien took over the shift after Steve LeVeille retired, and a year of fill-in hosts ... Veteran market radio personality Eric Worden is named morning host at Triple-A "The Tide" WXTG-FM, Norfolk, Virginia. Local Voice Media recently acquired WXTG-AM and FM from Red Zebra Broadcasting and flipped the FM to Triple-A. Worden most recently was morning host on Commonwealth Media's Adult Variety Hits "Bob FM" WNOB-FM, Chesapeake, Virginia (also in the Hampton Roads market) ... Dave Hovel is exiting the Operations Manager position at Renda's Fort Myers cluster where he's also Program Director and afternoon host at "Gator Country 101.9" WWGR-FM.
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From Mark Harris Broadcast Consulting
Friday, October 4, 2013
Today's Radio & Media News
To honor its 10 year anniversary, SoundExchange prepared an infographic entitled "10 Years in Play." Says SoundExchange, "From rappers and rockers to pop stars and country singers, the data reveals that music fans of all genres are taking advantage of the streaming capabilities available to them today." 
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Thursday's Radio & Media News - October 3, 2013
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Mark Kassof: 'CHR P1s: Energy, Excitement!'
Today (Oct. 3), Mark Kassof turns the spotlight on the CHR/Top 40 format as Mark Kassof and Company continues releasing data from this year's "Listener Think P1" study. "Today our ListenerThink P1 research looks at CHR P1s -- who score many motivations higher than listeners as a whole do," writes Kassoff. "For example, we’ve seen how listening 'to get in a better mood' is the #1 motivation out of 18 we tested. It’s #1 with CHR P1s too, who score higher than average -- tied for highest with Country P1s. But more than Country P1′s (who listen most to relax), CHR P1s feed off the energy of the format. It’s not their #1 motivation, but it is higher than average -- tied for highest of any format's P1s."
And, says Kassof, CHR P1s tie for the #1 "excitement seekers" among listeners, with 33% saying "very important" for "get you excited." Some 40% say that's "somewhat important" and another 17% respond "slightly important." For CHR P1s, only 7% say that's "not at all important." Today's report on this year's study adds, "Energy, excitement…no surprise to anyone familiar with CHR."
"CHR's P1s also score higher-than-average listening for 'things that make you laugh' and listening 'to add to the fun when your with other people'." However, says Kassof, "that social motivation -- the focus on 'other people' -- does lead to one motivation that is a bit surprising. CHR P1s tie for #1 (with Public Radio P1s!) for listening 'to learn things that make you more interesting to others'." He acknowledges, though, "it's not a strong motivation for CHR P1s, and even less so for listeners as a whole. Still the fact that the majority of CHR P1s consider it at least somewhat important suggests that CHR stations should help them impress their friends by keeping them 'in the know' about concerts, movies, TV, celebrities, and anything else they have strong interest in." And we're told that CHR/Top 40 radio primary listeners "are engaged with radio" -- as they "not only score many motivations higher than average, they don’t score any of the motivations we tested lower than average." This week's format-by-format breakdown continues Friday with a look at Urban. All of the data released last week and so far this week comes from a study conducted last month and is based on 989 online interviews with 18-64 U.S. radio listeners.
Clear Channel Launches New iHeartRadio Theater Los Angeles, 
Clear Channel Media and Entertainment today announced its new music and events venue -- iHeartRadio Theater Los Angeles -- which will launch on October 22 with a live Album Release Party featuring superstar recording artist Katy Perry. Located at The Burbank Studios in Burbank, California, the 20,000 square foot performance space (formerly NBC Lot - Jay Leno Tonight Show) will bring fans intimate performances from top recording artists as well as unique events like exclusive iHeartRadio Album Release Parties, to provide artists, labels and partners with a variety of innovative promotional opportunities. The iHeartRadio Theater Los Angeles will kick off with the Katy Perry iHeartRadio Album Release Party which will celebrate the release of her new studio album, PRISM, set to be released that day. The event will feature a live performance and Q&A with Katy Perry discussing the behind-the-making of her upcoming album, hosted by on-air talent and TV personality Mario Lopez. The Theater's grand opening is sponsored by Sony Electronics and has been equipped with Sony 4K professional cameras and other production equipment, as well as Sony TVs. The event will air in its entirety live on 175 Clear Channel Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR), Adult Contemporary (AC) and Hot AC stations around the country on October 22, at 6pm PT. In addition, the party will be recorded and televised on The CW Network on October 25 at 9pm ET.
Grand Jury Indicts WMMS/Cleveland Host Rover on 13 Counts 
Rock WMMS-FM, Cleveland, morning host Shane "Rover" French has been indicted on 13 charges in connection with an arrest in July. "Rover" is responding and says he was the victim. Police arrested French early on the morning of July 5 after an alleged altercation with an off-duty Cleveland police officer A grand jury returned indictments against French on 13 counts including inducing panic, attempted felonious assault, assault, vandalism, criminal damaging, resisting arrest and illegal fireworks. Another man arrested with Rover, Michael Toomey, faces similar charges. The charges stem around an incident in which an officer claimed to have heard fireworks coming from French's boat and asked him to stop. Rover, 37, and Toomey, 28, were reported to be highly intoxicated and refused. That's when they allegedly started shooting fireworks at the officer, almost hitting him, according to Cleveland's WKYC-TV. The officer then walked to the men, putting out a fuse used to light the fireworks. The men then allegedly got into a shoving match with the officer as he stated he was a Cleveland police officer, showing his badge.
Robin Quivers Returns to Stern Show Studio After 17 Months 
After 17 months of phoning in her limited participation on "The Howard Stern Show” from home, longtime co-host Robin Quivers returned to the studio Wednesday for the first time in 17 months after her battle with cancer. Quivers, 61, was back in the studio for Stern's Sirius XM morning show after doing the show from her home while being treated for a rare form of uterine cancer. "I've been praying for this day. I'm really happy that you are here and it makes me very, very happy," Stern told Quivers as she returned to the studio, welcomed by rose petals that fellow co-host and producer Gary Dell Abate (aka "Baba Booey") laid out for her. Quivers called her return a “pretty remarkable day.” Quivers, who recently revealed that she had been battling uterine cancer, had been working remotely while she underwent treatment. She said last month that after four rounds of radiation and chemotherapy, she had been cured. Of her return, Quivers told listeners, "It's pretty amazing. I was brushing my teeth this morning and thinking about going back on the air for the first time after surgery and how incredibly difficult that was. And today not feeling anything at all. It was just a normal day. You can get up and brush your teeth, throw on your clothes and run out the door." Stern told her "never get sick again" -- adding, "I could never be without you again." WQAM-AM/Miami Ups APD Andy King to Program Director 
Beasley Broadcast "Sports Radio 560" WQAM-AM, Miami, promotes Assistant PD and afternoon producer Andy King to Program Director, replacing Jorge Sedano, who exited for a position at ESPN. King became APD in May of 2012, and briefly served as interim PD. He began his radio career in 2005 as producer of "The Dan LeBatard Show," eventually becoming Executive Producer of "The Jorge Sedano Show."
MLS' NYC Club Reaches Soccer Broadcast Deal with WFAN-AM-FM 
"Sports Radio 660/101.9" WFAN-AM-FM, New York, will be offering its listeners a real kick in the balls -- soccer balls, that is. The New York City Football Club announced today that beginning in 2015, games will be broadcast on the CBS Radio Sports Talk station. The multi-year partnership "furthers the team's mission to bring the love of football to as many residents of New York as possible." WFAN will be the first radio outlet to broadcast Major League Soccer in English in New York City. "We're thrilled to partner with a station as prestigious as WFAN," says Ferran Soriano, CEO of Manchester City Football Club. "This is a huge opportunity for the team to bring football to all New Yorkers, right from the onset of our playing debut." The deal gives WFAN rights to air all of New York City Football Club's MLS matches, in addition to the option to air any friendly matches played during the multi-year partnership timeframe. "As the nation's leading sports radio station, we always look for ways to bring every type of sport to the New York area's fans," says CBS Radio New York SVP/Market Manager Don Bouloukos. "Soccer is beloved across the world, and with the New York City Football Club coming to New York, it's the perfect time to further ignite the passion soccer fans have and bring coverage and play-by-play of this new team to the Tri-State area listeners." The New York City Football Club is Major League Soccer’s 20th expansion club and will begin play in the 2015 season, becoming the first MLS club to call the 5 boroughs home. In addition to beginning play in 2015, the team will also be expanding its grassroots youth soccer program, “City Soccer in the Community” which has been active in New York City since 2010. WestwoodOne to Air Sunday Football-Football-Football-Football! 
WestwoodOne tells us it will air four consecutive NFL games this Sunday, October 6, culminating with a special Sunday Night doubleheader. The unprecedented lineup is due to a stadium conflict in Oakland where the A's and Raiders share a facility. The Chargers at Raiders game originally scheduled for the afternoon was moved to the evening, creating an additional NFL window. WestwoodOne Sports will broadcast national audio of the Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis Colts (Dave Sims/Mark Malone) at 12:30pm ET, the Denver Broncos at Dallas Cowboys (Chuck Cooperstein/Trent Green) at 3:45pm ET, Houston Texans at San Francisco 49ers (Kevin Kugler/James Lofton) at 7:30pm ET and San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders (Tom McCarthy/Rod Woodson) at 11:15pm ET. Says WestwoodOne Sports EVP/Executive Producer Howard Deneroff, "We're excited to be the first network to ever broadcast a quadrupleheader of NFL games in the same day. We hope our listeners enjoy the unique opportunity to hear wall-to-wall football in one place." 'ESPN LA 710' and Lakers Extend Through 2020 
"ESPN LA 710" KSPN-AM, Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles Lakers have reached a new deal to extend their radio play-by-play agreement for seven more seasons, keeping the NBA team on KSPN-AM through the 2019-2020 season. "ESPN LA" will carry all 82 regular-season games as well as the entire pre-season and every playoff game. KSPN-AM has been the Lakers flagship station for the past four seasons. John Ireland will continue as the play-by-play commentator for the Lakers radio broadcasts, with former Laker player Mychal Thompson as color analyst. Ireland is co-host of "The Mason and Ireland Show" which airs on "ESPN LA 710" weekdays 12-3pm. Thompson, along with Mark Willard, co-hosts "ESPN LA Now" weekdays10am-12noon. "We have enjoyed a terrific association with the Los Angeles Lakers over the past four years and we could not be happier about extending our relationship until 2020," says "ESPN LA" General Manager Scott McCarthy. "The Lakers are clearly one of the premier organizations in all of sports, and we at ESPNLA are very proud to be their radio home for many years to come." Triton Digital Announces Side Channels 'A Simple Way for Audio Publishers to Create Side Stations for Online and Mobile Listeners' 
Triton Digital today unveiled "Side Channels" -- described as "a powerful tool that enables audio publishers to quickly and easily create and manage up to 10 niche digital only channels." Side Channels, we're told, helps broadcasters to expand their brand online and across mobile devices with curated streaming audio stations. Any audio publisher can diversify programming, giving listeners access to fresh content, a broad range of genres and more tightly defined formats and a lighter ad load. Side Channels allows Triton clients to enhance and expand their digital offerings for both consumers and advertisers with the ultimate goal of driving incremental revenue. "Research consistently supports the notion that high advertising loads and scarcity of choice are primary reasons consumers migrate from broadcast to digital listening," says Triton Digital COO Mike Agovino. "Side Channels will assist Triton publishers in their efforts to sustain listener relationships across multiple platforms." Side Channels stations are delivered using the Triton Digital delivery platform and player, ensuring all streaming media is both efficient and reliable, regardless of the broadcaster or listener's location. This includes: Rdio Free Mobile Streaming Launches 
Rdio announces it will stream for free on mobile devices in the U.S. on iOS and Android devices. Ads will be heard on the web version of the streaming service, which recently announced a major partnership with Cumulus Media, but the mobile version is now ad-free. The full version of Rdio, which includes additional features and on-demand listening, will still cost $9.99 per month. Free Rdio streaming has been available previously in some parts of the world, but this announcement brings free streaming to mobile users in the United States. Rdio, the digital music service founded by Skype co-founder Janus Friis, is now letting its mobile users listen to its Pandora-like personalized radio stations for free. The move comes just weeks after Rdio announced free, ad-supported desktop listening, and two months after Rdio first introduced its personalized stations. The move puts Rdio into the category of Pandora competitor. Pandora has been offering free personalized radio stations for years, and Apple’s recently-launched iTunes Radio service also offers free streaming on iOS devices. The difference is that Rdio will offer its free mobile streaming without any ads, at least for the time being. The company hopes that the free mobile product will entice enough users to subscribe to its paid offering, which promises full, on-demand access to entire albums, with a total library of 20 million tracks. Pandora and iTunes Radio on the other hand only offer limited interaction, letting users skip a certain number of tracks per hour in order to pay less for music licensing. Rdio's new free mobile stations follow the same rules, defined 15 years ago in the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, but users can dive in deeper if they chose to pay up. The free service is available on both Android and iOS, but only open to listeners in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia.
CNet: Pandora Metrics 'Miss Biggest Plot Point' 
Pandora's latest listener metrics "reveal a service that's still getting bigger but finding it harder to grow as fast as it once did. The most important numbers for Pandora now are the ones preceded by dollar signs," says CNet. Wednesday, Pandora released its latest performance metrics for the previous month, and "as the percentages continued to grow tame, they're are only going to fuel debate about the future of the Internet's biggest radio service. But Pandora's monthly metrics didn't tell us the most important element of its story," says the report. "The missing piece isn't how much iTunes Radio could be swiping away listeners -- though next month will give a better sense of that, when Apple's competing online radio service has existed longer than just 12 days. Pandora's story now is about how it's faring at making money, and the figures released every four weeks don't touch on that. That's OK, because the most valuable audience for the monthly listener checkups isn't journalists or even investors anymore. It's advertisers."
Los Angeles '93.5 K-Day' Duo Deal Reportedly Falls Apart 
According to LA Weekly, the sale of Classic Hip Hop duo KDAY-FM/KDEY-FM to a Chinese company called RBC Communications for $19.5 million is all but dead. The sale of KDAY-FM, Redondo Beach, and KDEY-FM, Ontario, California, both on 93.5 FM, was announced back in April and it was assumed the stations would adopt a Mandarin Chinese format. However, for reasons LA Weekly says are not clear, the sale is not going to happen. General Manager Zeke Chiadez tells the paper, “We have been told by the ownership group that they will be getting back to us on any details soon, but I don't have an official statement on whether that's true." LA Weekly notes that Magic Broadcasting has been trying to sell the duo for some time and will probably seek new buyers. There have been petitions to deny the sale to RBC, with fans wanting alternate buyers who would retain the "Back in the Day" format. PressBox Expands to DC, Signs Deal with WTOP-FM 
Baltimore-based sports media company PressBox announced today that it is making several enhancements and changes to its portfolio of interactive, publishing and broadcast products, including expansion to the Washington DC market, the unveiling of new Web platforms for both Baltimore and DC, and strategic partnerships with Monumental Sports and Entertainment and Washington's WTOP-FM. PressBox says it will begin in-depth coverage of DC sports with a new Web site, PressBoxDC.com, launching later this fall. The site will carry on the seven-year tradition of Baltimore's PressBoxOnline.com, which covers sports including pro, college and high school along with sports business and fantasy football. The company sets itself apart with localized, quality journalism and analysis along with original video and photography. PressBox's websites will be hosted on a new digital platform in affiliation with Monumental Sports and Entertainment and its stable of Web sites. The two companies will also share and create new content together as part of the partnership.
Behind the Microphone: The Ins and Outs of Radio
Eric Tyler re-ups for another two years with Clear Channel CHR/Top 40 "Kiss" KBKS-FM, Seattle, as host of the afternoon show and Music Director ... Dan Orr exits the morning show at Rock "Qfm 96" WLVQ-FM, Columbus. Orr had been part of the program for the past 22 years ... Entercom Sports Talk WEEI-FM, Boston, kicks off the Red Sox post-season play with a live remote broadcast following a shortened edition of the Salk and Holley show. A "Red Sox Roundtable" will broadcast live from Jerry Remy's Sports Bar and Grill in Fenway Park from 5-8pm. Mike Salk, Michael Holley and fellow WEEI personalities John Dennis, Mike Mutnansky, Lou Merloni, Mikey Adams, Kirk Minihane, Alex Speier and Rob Bradford, as well as the Sox broadcast team of Dave O'Brien and Joe Castiglione will be on hand to discuss the Sox American League Division Series matchup.
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French's friends then grabbed the two and said they would take them in for the night. The officer then turned to walk away. French reportedly ran behind the officer and pushed him, saying, "I don't believe you're an officer." The officer turned around and arrested him. French got free and ran to his boat with Toomey. More officers showed up to the boat and both men were taken into custody. Rover later told his radio audience, "The allegations are absolutely absurd, ridiculous and not based in fact whatsoever. In fact, if these charges weren't so serious, it would be comical. But it is very serious and I'm taking the matter very seriously. As soon as I'm able to talk about it more, I will." Now that he's been indicted, he's saying more -- on-the-air. On his "Rover's Morning Glory" radio show, he described the charges as being "trumped up" and says he believes they are in retaliation of his intent to file a complaint against the off-duty officer. French says he was the victim "of a brutal attack" by the officer that night. French says he is confident the facts of the case will prove his innocence. You can watch his full statement on the indictment below.
With the promotion, King, who gives up the afternoon producer role, tells us that former Miami Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder is the new afternoon co-host. "The Crowder and Guzio Show" (with Brandon Guzio) now airs weekdays 3-7pm. Crowder began his radio career with WQAM while still playing professional football. His fulltime radio career began last October as co-host of "The Kup and Crowder Show." Crowder's co-host is Brandon Guzio. A Miami Dolphins fan, he grew up in New Jersey and moved to Miami to start his radio career in 2004. In September of 2012, Guzio took a position with WQAM to co-host both the "Jorge Sedano Show" and "The Kevin Rogers Show." He's also currently the host of "The Post Game Show" following all Miami Dolphins games. Adam Kuperstein remains in the 1-3pm slot and is now joined by longtime WQAM host Captain Curtis Stevenson for the "Kup and Curtis" show. Stevenson is a veteran WQAM producer and on-air host, having begun his radio career in 1999 with WQAM. Curtis has worked with Hank Goldberg, Jim Mandich and Michael Irvin.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Wednesday's Radio & Media News - October 2, 2013
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Cox Media Group Names Keith Hastings New Rock Format Leader 
Cox Media Group (CMG) has named Keith Hastings as its new Rock Format Leader, effective immediately. In addition to his current role as Program Director for KISS-FM and KTKX-FM in San Antonio, Hastings will work closely with Steve Smith, CMG's VP of Radio Programming, and all of CMG's Rock program directors at the company's other rock stations – WXXJ-FM in Jacksonville, Florida; WBAB-FM in Long Island; "97X" WSUN-FM in Tampa; and "Rock 103" KJSR-FM in Tulsa. "We were incredibly fortunate to add Keith Hastings to our programming team earlier this year," says CMG EVP of Radio Kim Guthrie. "He is a seasoned pro in the rock format, making this a natural step to put his rock instincts to work with all of our Cox Media Group rock stations across the country." Hastings has worked for some of the most iconic brands in several variations of the rock format. His career as a rock programmer spans four decades, including Program Director at Greater Media's WCSX in Detroit, with Entercom's WAAF in Boston and with Saga Communications' WHQG and WLZR in Milwaukee, and WAQY in Springfield, Massachusetts. "Keith's proven track record shines with multiple triumphs across the country," says Steve Smith. "We’re extremely lucky to have Keith on our team. He's moved KISS in San Antonio back into the top five with adults ages 25 to 54, and we look forward to his many more successes in San Antonio and in working with our talented rock PDs." Hastings tells us, "I'm extremely grateful to Kim Guthrie, Steve Smith, and Dan Lawrie for this opportunity. To work alongside so many excellent programmers, raising the game for Cox Media rock brands everywhere, is both humbling and an honor. Several in our industry have supported my professional growth over the years, as has my family, and I’m thankful to all of them for affording me the ability to take this next step with a truly amazing group of broadcasters." Former Arbitron Executives Exit Nielsen Audio 
Following Nielsen's Arbitron acquisition official closing Monday, a number of former Arbitron executives exit the company. Arbitron CEO Sean Creamer will leave at the end of 2013, while CFO Debra Delman is exiting immediately. A few other executives have reportedly exited as well, although they have not yet been identified. Nielsen CEO David Calhoun said recently that he expected over $20 million in savings due to "synergies" following the acquisition. Creamer and Delman both had "golden parachute" agreements in place if they were let go after the Nielsen sale. Veteran radio and media news reporter/analyst Tom Taylor says, "Well, it’s time to see those golden parachutes, which would be worth $6,842,360 for CEO Sean Creamer. That’s $3 million in cash, $3.7 million in equity and $89,000 in perks like insurance payments. Creamer (“Kramer”) was already slotted to be paid $6.6 million for his stock options." According to Taylor's "Now" newsletter today, Delman is "in line for a parachute worth about $1.95 million." We hear that in addition to the "golden parachutes," both Creamer and Delman will also be awarded special "transaction bonuses" for their "extraordinary contributions" to the Nielsen deal -- $77,000 for Creamer and $19,000 for Delman. Neither has made any public comments regarding their exits. Following the closing on the $1.3 billion deal, Nielsen re-branded Arbitron as Nielsen Audio, integrated into Nielsen's U.S. Watch business segment, which provides information and insights primarily to the media and advertising industries across television, online, mobile and radio. Casey Kasem's Family Feud Goes Public Kasem's Children Claim Stepmom Won't Let Them See Ailing Dad 
Casey Kasem's family is feuding as his children claim their stepmother won't let them see the 81-year-old radio icon -- and that feud has now gone public. After months of radio silence from Top 40 king Kasem, a family fight caused static at his Los Angeles mansion Tuesday, reports the New York Daily News. "Kasem, 81, is suffering from advanced Parkinson's disease, and his three eldest children staged a protest outside his gated estate, claiming their stepmom, Jean Kasem, won't allow them to visit, daughter Kerri Kasem told the Daily News." She says, "My dad is very sick, and we have been completely shut off from him for the last three months." The daughter adds, "There is no money issue here, we just want to see our dad. We love him, and everyone knows his kids and grandkids are a source of joy for him." She says that she and siblings Mike and Julie -- all from Casey's first marriage -- are worried that isolation might be compounding their dad's illness. Kerri Kasem also tells the newspaper that they have personal trust funds and good jobs and aren't seeking any changes to their dad's longstanding will, which doesn't name them as beneficiaries. "Look, people fight and they don't like each other, and that's fine. But it's cruel to keep us from seeing our dad," she told The News. "We don't want any money from Jean. We don't care about that. We were raised well, and we support ourselves." CRS Announces 2014 Country Hall of Fame Inductees 
The CRS Board of Directors has announced the 2014 Country Radio Hall of Fame inductees in both the Radio and On-Air categories. The radio inductees are L & L and Alpha CEO Larry Wilson and Mike Brophy from WKLB in Boston. The inductees in the On-Air category are Paul Schadt of WKKT in Charlotte and Jim Denny from WFMS in Indianappolis. “The recognition of these deserving and worthy Hall of Fame inductees represent four unique careers filled with accomplishments, contributions and excellence in advancing Country radio,” says CRS Hall of Fame Chairman RJ Curtis. “And each of our honorees for 2014 are still actively, passionately and successfully involved with listeners, artists and the music that helps to sustain Country radio’s dominance.” The class of 2014 will be at a ceremony on February 18 at 6pm at the Nashville Convention Center. The ceremony unofficially kicks off Country Radio Seminar (CRS) week each year. "CRS 2014" will be held February 19-21. The Country Radio Hall of Fame is dedicated to the recognition of those individuals who have made significant contributions to the radio industry over a 20-year period, 15 of which must be in the Country format. LDR Introduces New Top Song Feature for CHR/Top 40 
Listener Driven Radio launches a new Top Song feature to its LDR.1 platform. Now, listeners can vote using a station website or mobile app for the top song of the hour, and the Number One song will automatically play at the top of the hour in the station's automated playout system. LDR displays a station's "currents" in an easy-to-use voting window, where listeners can move songs up and down in the list. Then, the #1 song chosen by the audience, which also passes basic artist/title separation rules set by the Program Director, will play at the top of the hour. "We think this new feature is ideal for Top 40 and CHR stations that want to do a '#1 song of the hour feature.' With LDR's Top Song, listeners stay engaged all through the hour and build TSL. Our mission at LDR is to create innovative platforms that make interactive programming seamless and simple for broadcasters," says LDR Interactive CEO Daniel Anstandig. "We are making LDR easy for all stations and formats to use by integrating with all major automation and music schedulers using LDR's patent-pending Echo automation technology." The LDR.1 platform offers a variety of features for stations including Instant Alerts where listeners can receive SMS text messages, e-mails or tweets from a radio station when their favorite songs are about to play. Also, listeners can preview clips of songs and share their favorite songs on Facebook and Twitter, and at certain points of the hour, they can control which songs play using LDR.1 Voting Sessions. Mark Kassof: 'Country P1s: Relax Me!'
As Mark Kassof and Company continues releasing data from their latest "Listener Think P1" study, Kassof turns his attention to the Country format. "Yesterday, we looked at News Talk P1s — who listen to stimulate their thinking more than other listeners. Today, we look at their opposite… Country P1′s listen to feel better…even more than most. While listening 'to relax' is important for most listeners, it is most important for Country P1s," writes Kasoff. Some 59% of Country P1s say "relax and rewind" is very important, while another 27% say it's "somewhat important." Another 11% responded that it is "slightly important." Only 1% said it's "not at all important" and 2% "don't know." And, writes Kassof, "Country P1s tie for the #1 group listening to improve their mood. One way they improve their mood is using radio to take their minds off problems or situations. Most listeners do, but Country P1′s do more than most." What else did this year's study based on 989 online interviews with 18-64 U.S. radio listeners discover about Country format listeners? "More than average, Country P1s also listen to 'add to the fun' when they’re with others, and to help them 'work better and faster,' though they’re not highest for either of those motivations." So where do these radio listeners rank lower? "Country P1s score lowest for two of the motivations News Talk P1′s score highest for -- 'To learn things that get you thinking'," says Kassoff. "Country P1s also listen less than other P1s 'to get practical information that makes your life better'." He concludes, "Bottom line: Radio helps Country P1s make their lives better by feeling better, much more so than information! This does NOT mean that Country stations should drop news!!! But it does suggest that Country stations could benefit from positioning as a place to escape a crazy world…for example: 'Escape to the Country!'” Tomorrow, promises Mark Kassof, CHR. Pandora Announces September 2013 Audience Metrics 
"Pandora announced today new metrics that were reached in the month of September 2013," says the October 2 news release. As we always note, the streaming music service reports its own (unverified) metrics. According to Pandora, "Listener hours for Pandora during the month of September 2013 were 1.36 billion, an increase of 18% from 1.15 billion during the same period last year. Share of total U.S. radio listening for Pandora in September 2013 was 7.77%, an increase from 6.53% at the same time last year. Active listeners were 72.7 million at the end of September 2013, an increase of 25% from 58.3 million during the same time period last year. Pandora is releasing key audience metrics on a monthly basis to provide the most current information regarding Pandora's users and usage across platforms." Often most questioned by broadcast radio and its analysts are Pandora's claims of "share of total U.S. radio listening." NRB Chooses Jerry Johnson as New President and CEO 
The National Religious Broadcasters Board of Directors has chosen Dr. Jerry Johnson as the association’s new President and CEO. Johnson was unanimously elected by the Board of Directors to replace outgoing President and CEO Dr. Frank Wright. Johnson most recently served was President of Criswell College in Dallas. While at Criswell, he oversaw the operation of Christian radio station KCBI-FM, Dallas, which was recognized by NRB as Station of the Year in 2011. “If Christians want to be heard by the current generation, they will have to communicate the gospel in their ‘media language’ with excellence,” says Johnson, who previously served in the senior administration and faculty at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He graduated from Criswell College in 1986, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies. He went on to earn a Master of Arts in Historical and Theological Studies from Conservative Baptist Seminary in Denver in 1997, and in 2003, he received his Ph.D. in Christian Ethics from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Johnson also studied at Oxford University in England and served as director of the Oxford Distinguished Scholars Program. WPOW-FM/Miami Appoints Shari Gonzalez GSM 
Beasley Rhythmic CHR "Power 96" WPOW-FM, Miami, appoints Shari Gonzalez as General Sales Manager, effective November 11. She most recently was GSM at CBS Radio's WPGC-FM, Washington DC. Says Director of Sales Keriann Worley, "Shari rose pretty quickly to the top of the candidate list, separating herself from all other candidates by exuding true passion for the industry, detailing incredible ideas to drive revenue and radiating a booming personality. We can't wait for her first day at Power 96; she's absolutely going to hit the street running!" Gonzalez tells us, "As a true fan of Power 96, it's my honor and pleasure to accept this position. Becoming a member of Beasley Miami's sales management team is thrilling and I'm eager to start working for Keriann and alongside the market's best at Power 96, 99.9 Kiss Country and Sports Radio 560 WQAM." Bev Tilden Joins Cape Cod Broadcasting as GM 
Bev Tilden is the new General Manager for Cape Cod Broadcasting's four stations -- "99.9 Cape Cod's Fresh Mix" WQRC-FM, "Ocean 104.7" WOCN-FM, "Cape Country 104" WKPE-FM, and "Classical 107.5" WFCC-FM. Tilden's 25-year radio career includes time at "Kiss 108" WXKS-FM and "Sports Radio" WEEI-AM-FM in Boston. She also worked as a corporate marketing executive at Clear Channel predecessor AM/FM Radio. Says Cape Cod Broadcasting Managing Partner Gregory Bone, “Bev is well known in the broadcast industry for her success in building brands and managing teams to both programming and sales success. Bev shares the CCB vision for creating a media company that connects with Cape Codders and provides access to our local community for our clients. Her experience in developing new marketing programs and client services will be invaluable to us and our advertisers." Forbes: Performance Tax Could Cripple Consumer Music Choices 
According to Forbes, the "Free Market Royalty Act" just introduced by Congressman Mel Watt could cripple consumer music choices. Christopher Versace writes, "Over the last few years, the impact of the Internet and the transition from what I call an analog lifestyle characterized by physical magazines, newspapers, records, CDs and the call to a digital one has had numerous implications. Key among that is the how as in how consumers access and consume content. While some will still buy CDs that house the latest tunes and games, devices and services such as Apple's iTunes, iPod, iPhone and the iPad, Spotify, Pandora Media as well as streaming services from Netflix and others has had the same impact on music that Amazon.com, Kobo and others have had on book publishing. There have been changes in business models that been beneficial to those companies mentioned above that either saw the future and embraced it. There have also been companies that have struggled along the way. Some companies, like The New York Times, are trying to find their way while others like Newsweek have been forced to embrace an all digital model. Beneath the distributors of content -- Apple, Spotify, Pandora, newspaper and magazine publishers and so on -- the ripple effect is also being felt on content creators -- musicians, authors and the like. While authors are seeing their articles and books downloaded, musicians have seen the playing field shift from consumers having to buy entire albums regardless of the format to individual tracks. No longer does the the music industry book the bulk of its revenue on a per album basis, but rather on digital singles. Despite that economic shift, airplay on broadcast is still the number one determinate of whether a song is a hit or a bust. For generations, music played on broadcast radio was viewed as promotional material for the artists. While companies in other industries pay to get their material on the air through ad sales, musicians and their record labels get their promotions for free. Even today, 240 million Americans still listen to broadcast radio, even as competition for listeners becomes stiffer thanks to MP3 players like iPods and cell phones, satellite and Internet radio." Read the entire column here.
Behind the Microphone: The Ins and Outs of Radio
Urban "107.3 Jamz" WJMZ-FM, Greenville, announces the return of 2010 Marconi Radio Award winning air personality Kelly Mac to middays. The station will also begin airing D.L. Hughley's syndicated show, 3-7pm, starting October 7 ... Cumulus Montgomery names radio vet Wes McSahy Operations Manager for the company's seven station cluster. McShay will also handle programming and host afternoons at Country WLWI-FM. He replaces Bill Dollar, who recently exited. Most recently, McSahy was Program Director at co-owned KQFC-FM, Boise, Idaho ... Hot AC "Q102" WQXQ-FM, Central City, Kentucky, flips to Sports Talk using Fox Sports Radio. The station serves the Owensboro, Kentucky, market ... Forcht Broadcasting in Crawfordsville, Indiana, names Samantha Stratton to the newly-created position of Assistant PD for its three-station cluster, including Country WCDQ-FM, Oldies WCVL-AM and Classic Rock WIMC-FM. Shel also handle morning news, weather and other duties beginning October 7 ... Mark Lindow is the new morning host and Program Director at Cumulus Media’s Country "Nash 93.7" WSJR-FM, Wikes-Barre, coming from Golden Isles Broadcasting’s Brunswick, Georgia, stations where he was Operations Manager ... Roxanne Stuart is the new Program Director and morning host at WQRS-FM, Olean, New York as the station flips from Country to Classic Rock as "98 Rocks" ... Afternoon host Jordan exits Clear Channel’s CHR/Top 40 WXXL-FM, Tavares, Florida, in the Orlando market. Music Director/Assistant PD Jana Sutter moves from middays to afternoons.
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Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Tuesday's Radio & Media News - October 1, 2013
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Phil Zachary Named Entercom Boston Market Manager 
Entercom Boston has hired Phil Zachary as its new VP and Market Manager. The cluster includes WEEI-FM, ESPN on WEEI-AM, WAAF, WRKO and The Boston Red Sox Radio Network. Zachary comes to Entercom from Curtis Media Group in Raleigh, NC, where he was President/COO. Prior to joining Curtis Media in 2002, he was VP/Market Manager for CBS Radio Washington DC. Zachary has held similar senior executive positions for HMW Communications and Voyager Communications in Raleigh and Clear Channel Media and Entertainment in New Orleans. Says Entercom Station Group President Weezie Kramer, "Phil is the right person at the right time for Entercom Boston. He is a leader and a listener. He understands the challenges we face but he also sees the tremendous opportunity we have. Phil believes in the strength of our brands, the dynamic nature of our content and the true potential of our team." Says Zachary, "The only reason to leave a great job in radio is for one of the absolute best jobs in radio. Make no mistake -- WAAF, WEEI and WRKO are not only some of the greatest call letters in Boston radio history, but some of the best brands in our industry. This amazing opportunity brings me back to my New England roots and the place I started my radio career. There are great challenges ahead, not to mention best of-class competition, but I look forward to it and can't wait to get started." Zachary starts at Entercom Boston October 21. For now, the company has retained the management consultant services of Joel Hollander to assist in the transition. Zachary replaces Jeff Brown, who is moving to join Cumulus in Atlanta. Mark Kassof: News Talk P1s: NOT 'In the Mood'
"Friday, we discussed how mood-related motivations (especially 'to get in a better mood') were the top personal benefits listeners seek from radio. True, but more true for some formats' P1s than others," writes Mark Kassof today, as his Mark Kassof and Company releases more data from their latest "Listener Think P1" study. "Last week's reports on our ListenerThink P1 research focused mainly on the total 18-64 audience. This week, we break down and analyze the P1s of different formats." He tells us, "We didn't ask listeners the format of the station they listen to most…that would be research malpractice -- asking a question most respondents can't answer. Instead, we asked them the name and dial position of the station they listen to most. Knowing that and where they live, we were able to assign listeners to various formats." Kassof tells us, "Here's what we learned, starting out with News Talk P1′s. They are a different breed…far less motivated by emotional and mood factors than most listeners." When listeners were asked to grade different reasons for listening to radio, News Talk P1s scored "better mood," "relax," "take your mind off problem," "energy boost," "fun with others" and "memories" lowest of any format's P1s. "To hear things that get you in a better mood" was the top motivation for listeners as a whole, but not News Talk P1's, as 40 percent of them ranked this reason as "somewhat important." Says Kassof, "News Talk P1s do have strong motivations for listening to radio -- reasons that are more intellectual than emotional. More than any other group, they listen 'to hear things that get you thinking'." Those P1s rate "to get you thinking" the top motivation with 44% saying its "very important," compared to 27% for all respondents, and 41% as "somewhat important" compared to 36% for the overall total. "News Talk P1′s are also #1 for listening 'to hear what others are talking or thinking about' and 'to learn things that make you more informed than other people'," writes Kassof. "Bottom line: News Talk is the format for listeners that THINK (or, at least think they think). News Talk stations would do well to position themselves based on this motivation and psychology…for example, 'The Station for People Who Think' or 'The Station for People Who Know More'." Tomorrow, Kassof promises data on Country P1s. This year's study is based on 989 online interviews with 18-64 U.S. radio listeners, conducted September 12-15. Clear Channel Adds Turner Broadcasting Content to iHeartRadio 
Clear Channel Media and Entertainment today announced a deal with Turner Broadcasting, to offer select audio content including news from CNN, entertainment clips from TBS's "Conan" and sports programming from Bleacher Report, in its new iHeartRadio Talk feature. "The deal broadens the content available on iHeartRadio Talk, which includes thousands of popular news, culture and entertainment programs for the more than 225 million consumers who have downloaded the app," says the announcement. "The iHeartRadio all-in-one digital radio service will offer users both broad access to Turner programming and content including monologue clips from Conan, news segments from CNN such as Anderson Cooper 360, New Day, Piers Morgan Live, and The Lead with Jake Tapper, and sports clips from Bleacher Report. Full episodes of Anderson Cooper 360, Fareed Zakaria GPS, State of the Union, and Erin Burnett Out Front will also be accessible via iHeartRadio Talk." Clear Channel President of Digital Brian Lakamp tells us, "This marks yet another significant milestone for iHeartRadio Talk. We are continuing to identify and add quality partners to iHeartRadioTalk to continue to deliver our listeners even more content that is relevant and entertaining anywhere they are." Launched in July, iHeartRadioTalk is the first audio platform offering on-demand, listener-created talk content alongside popular news, celebrity and entertainment audiosodes. iHeartRadio recently unveiled new mobile app features for its Talk feature, making it easier for the on-the-go consumer to find, listen and save Talk programs. ESPN Deportes Radio Acquires NFL Broadcast Rights 
ESPN Deportes Radio has signed a new multi-year agreement for media rights to the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 National Football League seasons. Under the agreement, ESPN Deportes Radio will have exclusive Spanish-language rights to "Monday Night Football," the 2013-2104 National Football Conference playoffs, the 2014 Super Bowl, 2015 Pro Bowl and the 2014-2015 American Football Conference playoffs. "We're incredibly excited to add NFL to our diverse roster of programming" says ESPN Deportes Radio General Manager Oscar Ramos. "U.S. Hispanics are becoming avid NFL fans and this new deal allows us to deliver the content they want in the language they prefer." NFL VP of Fan Strategy and Marketing Peter O'Reilly adds, "ESPN Deportes has been a long time partner of the NFL and we are pleased to expand the partnership to ESPN Deportes Radio. ESPN Deportes Radio will bring more NFL programming to our growing Hispanic fan base in Spanish." NextRadio Reports 85% App Retention Rate 
NextRadio -- "The smartphone app that puts FM radio back in your pocket" -- says "NextRadio + TagStation Insights" -- has had over 30,000 app downloads with an 85% app retention rate." The retention rate, we're told, involves "a new metric" that "we were just waiting for a substantial sample to show off. According to Flurry, the average rate of retention for a music app is less than 50%. NextRadio enjoys a current retention rate of 85%." And that's "the best vote of confidence we could get from consumers: They’re downloading, listening, and coming back for more." Also, says the post, there are "nearly 3,700 stations tuned to from the app" and so far "over 7,000 hours of listening through NextRadio, and again, these numbers are climbing daily." The September 30 post by The TagStation Team at tagstation.com adds, "Bottom line: You saw a major jump in downloads? We noticed too. Cheers to all the great recent events below that helped influence that jump." NextRadio, of course, is the industry initiative to make FM broadcast radio available on mobile phones. TagStation provides "cloud services" and "empowers the radio industry with a platform to manage album art, meta data and enhanced advertising that are sent to the phone in sync with the broadcast." NextRadio and TagStation were created in partnership with Emmis Communications and HD Radio developer iBiquity. FCC Staffers on Furlough with Federal Government Shutdown 
As a result of the federal government shutdown, approximately 98 percent of the FCC's staff has been put on furlough. A contingency plan -- "FCC Plan for Orderly Shutdown" -- was released Friday that stated the shutdown would result in only a handful of FCC employees working fulltime during the shutdown. All employees were expected to report today, but only to conduct an "orderly shutdown of operations" before going home until the stalemate ends. The FCC employs 1,754 employees at last count. With the furloughs now in effect, 38 employees -- including Acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn, two Commissioners and three full time information technology workers and one part-time IT worker -- will remain at work, says the plan. Among those who are exempt are staff at the High Frequency Direction Finding Center who operate the high frequency antenna system, the plans says, invoking an exemption to furloughs that permits workers to stay at their posts if their functions are necessary for the protection of life and property. The center locates sources of electromagnetic interference to public safety communications. In addition, the FCC is retaining 15 full time contractors at a rate of 12 per day for information technology (IT) support. Senate Committee to Vote on Michael O'Rielly FCC Nomination The nomination of Michael O'Rielly for the Federal Communications Commission will be put to a vote by the Senate Commerce Committee Thursday (Oct. 3). O'Reilly would fill the open Republican seat of Robert McDowell on the FCC if approved by the full Senate. It's expected that after the Committee approves O'Rielly, his nomination and that of FCC Chairman nominee Tom Wheeler, a Democrat, will be brought to a vote by the full Senate. Thursday's committee hearing pairs O'Rielly and Democratic FTC nominee Terrell McSweeny for votes on their respective nominations. On September 18th, the Senate Commerce Committee held a nomination hearing for O'Rielly, who expressed the need of the FCC to be "flexible" and "light handed" in its regulations. He also indicated a need to address the fraud and abuse in the agency's Lifeline program. This raised questions by some Senators concerning his ability to work with the Democratic majority Commission. There are few doubts that O'Rielly will be confirmed. Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) has indicated he will push for a swift vote out of the committee and onto the Senate floor. The FCC is currently down from five members to three, the fewest it can have. Cox Orlando Promotes Heather Stricker to GSM 
Cox Media Group (CMG) Orlando Radio names Heather Stricker as General Sales Manager of WMMO-FM and WPYO-FM. She will report to CMG Orlando Radio Director of Sales Tammie McGrath. Stricker has a long history with CMG Orlando. She joined the cluster in 2003 as a recent graduate of the University of Central Florida as an Account Manager. She then went on to hold several positions including Senior Account Manager for WDBO, where she was a CMG President's Circle winner in 2011. Stricker has previously been, separately, LSM for both WMMO-FM and WPYO-FM, and was, most recently, LSM for CMG Orlando Radio's cluster. "Heather's intense business acumen, solid knowledge of our foundation and natural ability as a coach make her a great leader," says Tammie McGrath. "This new role will allow Heather to leverage her natural strengths and help elevate our cluster to the next level." Says Stricker, "I appreciate the opportunities I have been given during my time with CMG Orlando Radio. I look forward to working with the existing Sales leadership and Sales team to find ways to make this strong cluster even better." Triton Digital Partners with Lotame to Streamline Audience Targeting 
Triton Digital announces a partnership with Lotame to integrate its unifying data management platform (DMP) into a2x, the industry's first programmatic exchange for streaming audio advertisements. The partnership will enable a2x publishers, including Entercom, CBS, Univision and many others, to integrate first- and third-party data from multiple sources in one place, streamlining the user experience and enhancing targeting capabilities and audience segmentation to improve advertising campaign results and inventory forecasting. "Lotame's platform will add even more value to a2x’s inventory, as users can now integrate first- and third-party data from multiple sources in a single, easy to use interface," says John Rosso, President of Market Development at Triton Digital. "This new functionality will enable better audience segmentation, delivering increased value to advertisers and publishers alike." Lotame's DMP enables publishers to collect, understand and activate audience data from any source, including online, offline and mobile. Lotame also provides Triton with a powerful forecasting tool which includes audience segmentation across multiple data sources to better predict volume based on targeted audience segments. "Our unifying DMP enables Triton's a2x clients to access data from all of Lotame’s great partners within a single source of contact," says Kevin Kohn, Chief Revenue Officer at Lotame. "This delivers better visibility, more control and ultimately makes a2x's streaming audio inventory even more attractive to advertisers." a2x is the first audio advertising exchange that enables real-time bidding and programmatic buying of targeted online and mobile audio inventory for advertisers, enhancing the ability to manage, buy and sell third-party advertising campaigns. The platform’s automated, exchange-driven method of buying and selling ad impressions facilitates rapid and precise transactions, eliminating waste and resulting in the highest price for publishers and the greatest efficiency for advertisers. Behind the Microphone: The Ins and Outs of Radio
Fordham University's noncommercial WFUV-FM, New York, has made some programming adjustments "to focus more on providinng a local contemporary music service" -- including replacing NPR news headlines with all local newscasts, and dropping top-of-the-hour NPR newscasts, although the station remains an NPR member station. While continuing as a Triple-A station, WFUV-FM, we're told, will bring forward its role as New York's source for music discovery ... "Rewind 94.9" WREW-FM, Cincinnati, rebrands as "The New 94.9" featuring "Cincinnati's Best Mix". There are no changes to the station's on-air lineup ... Country "100.9 The Big Pig" WPGI-FM Horseheads-Elmira, NY, rebrands as "100.9 The Wolf" under new owner Community Broadcasters. The station is currently running jockless ... Country WQRS-FM, Olean, NY flips to Classic Rock as "98 Rocks" ... At Rock WNNX-FM, Atlanta, the contract of Eric Von Haessler (of "The Regular Guys" morning show) is not being renewed. Also, night host Lewis Alston exits WNNX-FM ... Market veteran Andy Barber joins Classic Hits "92.9 Bob FM" KBEZ-FM, Tulsa, as morning host. Most recently, Barber hosted mornings on crosstown Classic Rock "Star 103.3" KJSR-FM ... "True Oldies 1070" KLIO-AM, Wichita, Kansas, flips to Spanish Sports Talk as "ESPN Deportes 1070" ... Country "99.7 The Mountain" KMTK-FM, Bend, Oregon, Program Director and morning host Donna James exits after four years.
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