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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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From Mark Harris Broadcast Consulting
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Wednesday's Radio & Media News - October 2, 2013
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