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The plaque outside WSTA noting the station’s role during and after Hurricane Hugo (click to embiggen)

Jeff Huggabone forwarded this picture of the plaque outside WSTA(AM) in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. As the plaque notes, “Lucky 13” was the only station to remain on the air in the wake of Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

Jeff was reminded of the plaque by the announcement on Jan. 31 that Addie Ottley was retiring from his six-days-a-week post as host of the “Addie Morning Show.” Ottley had announced last November, on his 80th birthday, was beginning his “semi-retirement” and stepping down as president and CEO of Ottley Communications Corp., which operates WSTA.

“If you read the inscription and really take a moment to unpack it, I think it can give you a feel for Addie’s sense of dedication and what this radio station represents to mush of the residents in the territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands,” Jeff wrote.

The post Mailbag: The Lucky 13 appeared first on Radio World.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — No less than 14 individuals are being elevated to new roles at Sinclair Broadcast Group, owner of broadcast TV properties and Bally Sports RSNs.

And, it is at the regional sports networks where many of the promotions are being seen.

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With World Radio Day coming up, UNESCO is offering a list of suggestions about how radio organizations around the world can celebrate it.

“We encourage all radio stations to plan and take part in this global event by organizing original activities related to the theme ‘Radio and Trust,’” it wrote in the introduction to a list of 13 ideas.

“Make the themes of the day your own — trust in radio journalism; trust and accessibility; trust and sustainability of radio stations.”

Suggestions include special programs, contests and quizzes.

Here is the list, in PDF format for downloading.

The 11th World Radio Day is Feb. 13. The event started in 2011 on the anniversary of the founding of United Nations Radio.

The post 13 Ideas for Celebrating World Radio Day appeared first on Radio World.

G Networks announced a partnership with Text Groove to offer text messaging to U.S. radio stations on barter.

“One of the many benefits of the Text Groove platform is its ability to enable text messaging on a station’s existing studio phone number (landline, toll-free or VoIP), enabling immediate listener text interaction,” the company said in its announcement.

It quoted G Networks Chief Development Officer Rich O’Brien saying the technology was designed for radio station contexts specifically, to encourage listener interaction.

The announcement was made by Curtis Machek, CEO of Text Groove, and Warren Friedland, president of G Networks.

Text Groove launched in 2017 and says it has some 300 stations using its service in Canada and the United States. It says it has the ability to text-enable any landline, toll-free or VoIP phone number.

G Networks is a network audio company, part of media ad sales firm Gen Media Partners.

The post Text Groove Partners With G Networks appeared first on Radio World.

These are good times for RadioDNS, it seems.

“Anyone can implement our open standards without needing our involvement or agreement,” said Project Director Nick Piggott in a press release previewing the organization’s upcoming annual General Assembly.

“That means they’re growing in use, both visible and invisible, across a growing number of areas of the radio industry globally. RadioDNS has established itself as a valuable and reliable resource.”

RadioDNS will hold its 16th General Assembly virtually on Feb. 23; it is open only to members. (See a list of members.)

“Our standards have been widely adopted by broadcasters, manufacturers and service providers, and are now proving valuable across the entire industry, not just hybrid radio,” the not-for-profit organization stated.

“As hoped and intended, our standards are now part of commercial offerings which create differentiation and competition but without creating unnecessary implementation costs and complexities.”

The service is free, and can be adopted by broadcasters directly or through a service provider.

Among other topics at this month’s assembly, RadioDNS will present its plans to develop hybrid radio functionality further.

Among organizations joining RadioDNS in the past year are IEEE BTS, Gracenote and NXP.

The post RadioDNS Readies for General Assembly appeared first on Radio World.

Joining RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson on the latest InFOCUS Podcast is Paul Kelly. He’s the Chief Revenue Officer for A Million Ads, and has two decades of experience leading creative and commercial teams for such organizations as Viacom.

Paul shares his insight and knowledge on audio advertising, and how it’s so hot, LinkedIn is getting in the game.

What can Radio glean from this? You’ll learn more in just 11 minutes.

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: Paul Kelly” on Spreaker.

Thanks to the efforts of Volker Moerbitz, the longtime Research Analyst with the Kagan arm of S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Media & Communications broadcast sector advisory services, a full review of the 2021 transactions marketplace has arrived.

The biggest takeaway: “Cautious optimism” abounds, as year-end deal numbers for 2021 are higher than that seen in 2020.

That’s the overall portrait, however, fueled by television.

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Radio Azadi journalist Mohammad Homayoon Hewad at work in Kabul (from the Radio Azadi website)

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is noting the 20th anniversary of the relaunch of broadcasts to Afghanistan in the Dari and Pashto languages.

“RFE/RL’s broadcasts resumed less than five months after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S. and nearly a decade after the Dari and Pashto services were closed down in 1993 as part of an overall restructuring of RFE/RL operations following the end of the Cold War,” the organization noted in a press release.

“Despite last year’s withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan and return of the Taliban to power, Radio Azadi continues to serve the Afghan people as a trusted and reliable source of news, analysis, and responsible discussion – on radio and, especially, on digital platforms.”

RFE/RL President Jamie Fly was quoted saying Radio Azadi has been “a trusted friend and partner to the Afghan people, in good times and bad.” He said the service’s work is important now “when so many of the achievements of the past twenty years are at risk.”

Radio Azadi marked the anniversary with a video report about the past 20 years, a photo gallery of journalists and a video of colleagues sharing experiences.

The organization said that its journalists “have endured death threats and other forms of harassment from Taliban and Islamic State forces, trends that intensified prior to the Taliban takeover.” It said four colleagues lost their lives in bombings in the past four years.

“The changing reality of producing journalism in Afghanistan forced RFE/RL to take dramatic steps to protect its staff, including the closure of its Kabul bureau, and evacuation of threatened local journalists from the country. Many former Radio Azadi staff remain in Afghanistan, ineligible for refugee status under U.S. government or international resettlement programs. Their situation remains highly tenuous.”

The post RFE/RL Marks Radio Azadi Anniversary appeared first on Radio World.

When it comes to sports networks, nearly all involve a MVPD and are regional in their approach. This includes the Bally Sports RSNs owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, the Baltimore-based media company that has taken a front seat on the rollout of ATSC 3.0.

A few miles to the southeast of Charm City, a local media company that has a formidable presence in the First State and across the Delmarva region is about to launch its own sports network. Only, it is to be a digital multicast piggybacking on its CBS affiliate.

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On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee will play host to a “Zoom video webinar” devoted to the “American Music Fairness Act,” proposed legislation that would impose additional royalties on music played by AM and FM radio stations across the U.S.

While the “AMFA” support is dwarfed by that of the “Local Radio Freedom Act,” and no companion legislation for “AMFA” has yet to emerge in the Senate, one advocating pushing for the bill’s passage is calling for the board of directors of two of the nation’s biggest radio broadcasting companies to discuss “how music creators should be paid when their songs are played on AM/FM radio.”

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It’s nearly earnings season for the nation’s broadcast media companies, and ahead of those reports SiriusXM Holdings Inc. on February 1 released its fiscal health review for the final three months of 2021.

How did SiriusXM fare? It surpassed revenue expectations, as the company shared a positive outlook for investors. Better yet, a special dividend is on the way for shareholders.

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If 2021 wasn’t a big year for your radio or television stations, with respect to advertising dollars and reaping stronger-than-ever marketing budgets, then the forthcoming years may be cloudy unless strong growth beyond retransmission fees for broadcast TV and political dollars for over-the-air television and radio no longer drive revenue.

That’s perhaps the biggest takeaway from the just released WARC Global Marketing Index for 2021.

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A small broadcaster with TV stations in its home market of Salisbury-Ocean City, Md.; adjacent city Dover, Del.; Bowling Green, Ky.; Glenwood Springs, Colo.; and two Georgia markets has just agreed to acquire a construction permit for a low-power television station in one of those markets — a move that bolsters its presence there.

It’s another LPTV deal that sees Bob Heymann, of the Chicago office of Media Services Group, serve as the seller’s broker.

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The company known for its audio research and analytics platform has brought to market what it calls “a first-of-its-kind API for audio scoring.”

“With Veritonic’s API, anyone analyzing audio — including publishers, agencies, and technology vendors — can seamlessly view audience engagement scores in whatever system or tools they use,” Veritonic announced Tuesday morning (2/1).

Powered by Veritonic’s Machine Listening and Learning (M-LAL) technology, the API provides users with access to audio measurement scores for several efficacy attributes including recall, engagement, and intent for every asset in their library. “Publishers can then use these scores to make informed decisions around when and where to use their assets, and how they can be further optimized to increase ROI,” the company says. “Every type of audio asset can be scored through this API, including audio logos, audio ads, podcast ads, functional sounds, music, podcast clips, voiceovers, and more.”

Speaking for Veritonic, CEO Scott Simonelli notes, “We remain committed to providing the audio industry with seamless access to the data and insights that are elevating campaign performance and increasing ROI. Our API enables critical audio efficacy metrics to sit alongside an asset for the first time, unlocking unprecedented scale and making analysis and decision-making faster and more streamlined than ever before.”

Michele Arnese, founder and CEO and Chief Creative Officer of amp sound branding, adds, “We look forward to leveraging Veritonic’s API to further integrate audio measurement into our intelligent Sonic OS platform, the one-stop-shop for data-aided evaluation and implementation of sonic identities. This API will enable us to simplify the process of evaluating and optimizing our assets at all stages of the sonic branding development process, creating even more impactful and measurable audible experiences for our clients.”

It’s a Class C 1kw AM radio station with an FM translator serving as the ESPN Radio affiliate for East Texas’ key Nielsen Audio-rated market.

Now, the facilities belong to a new owner, as the transaction has just closed.

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Two of the biggest Spanish-language media companies in the world are now officially united in fiscal matrimony.

 

Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. and Univision Holdings II Inc. (together with its wholly owned subsidiary, Univision Communications Inc.) on January 31 completed their merger — a transaction between the Mexico City and New York-headquartered companies that effectively melds Televisa’s media content and production assets with those of Univision.

The new company takes the name TelevisaUnivision Inc. and creates one of the world’s leading Spanish-language media and content companies, joining PRISA on an Iberoamerican level of content distribution and advertiser opportunities.

“TelevisaUnivision will produce and deliver premium content for its own platforms and for others, while also providing innovative solutions for advertisers and distributors globally,” the companies said on Monday.

“The close of our transaction marks a historic moment for our company and our industry,” said TelevisaUnivision CEO Wade Davis. “We are combining two iconic and market-leading companies that have a rich, shared history and an incredible portfolio of assets. This combination will create a business without comparison in the global media landscape. Over the past year both companies have transformed themselves, reaching levels of financial performance and audience resonance that has not been seen for years. The power and momentum of the transformed core business is truly unique and will be a springboard for the upcoming launch of the preeminent Spanish-language streaming service. The new trajectory of our company is supported by our new ownership group, which is well positioned to amplify the efforts of one of the best leadership teams in the world.”

Alfonso de Angoitia, Executive Chairman of the TelevisaUnivision Board of Directors, added that the combination of content assets from Televisa and Univision has created a company with “tremendous potential,” adding, “With our attractive financial profile and history of innovation, TelevisaUnivision is ready to revolutionize the industry by delivering the most comprehensive Spanish-language content offering to audiences around the world.”

In Mexico, Televisa’s four broadcast channels and 27 pay-TV channels, Videocine movie studio, and Blim TV subscription video-on-demand service are heritage brands; the television channels in recent years have come under intense pressure thanks to competition from TV Azteca and, to a more limited extent, satellite channels.

Univision’s assets in the U.S. include the Univision and UniMás broadcast networks, nine Spanish-language cable networks, 59 television stations and 57 radio stations in major U.S. Hispanic markets, and the fast-growing PrendeTV AVOD platform.

As a result of the combination, TelevisaUnivision reaches over 60% of the respective TV audiences in both the U.S. and Mexico. Across television, digital, streaming, and audio, the company reaches over 100 million Spanish speakers each day.

Integration and Position as One Company

Since announcing the transaction on April 13, 2021, Univision and Televisa have each transformed their core businesses in anticipation of the integration.

Ahead of that deal, Univision under Wade Davis has helped steer the company to new ratings and revenue riches.

This included widening and strengthening a long-standing partnership between the two businesses, mainly for content.

According to the newly combined company, Univision’s advertising revenue through the first nine months of 2021 increased by 32.6%, returning “significantly” beyond 2019 levels, while Televisa’s advertising revenue for the same period increased by 24% year-over-year.

Meanwhile, TelevisaUnivision remains on track to launch its previously announced unified global streaming service in 2022, which will include both a free and a premium subscription tier. The service will have the largest offering of original Spanish-language content in the U.S. and Latin America, including dramas, comedies, docuseries, game shows, reality shows, variety programs, movies, musical and cultural events, children’s and educational programs, sports and special events, as well as trusted news programming.

Leadership

• Wade Davis will lead TelevisaUnivision as CEO
• Alfonso de Angoitia will serve as Executive Chairman of the TelevisaUnivision Board
• Marcelo Claure will become Vice Chairman of the Board

The TelevisaUnivision Board will also be comprised of Emilio Azcárraga, Bernardo Gómez, Michel Combes, Gisel Ruiz, Oscar Muñoz, Maria Cristina “MC” Gonzalez Noguera, Eric Zinterhofer and Jeff Sine. In addition, Televisa retains the right to appoint two additional directors.

Content production and operations in Mexico will be led by Bernardo Gómez and Alfonso de Angoitia, Co-Chief Executive Officers of TelevisaUnivision Mexico, who also remain co-Chief Executive Officers of Grupo Televisa. Grupo Televisa’s news operations in Mexico will become part of a new, independent company dedicated to producing news for TelevisaUnivision’s networks in Mexico, and will be led by Emilio Azcárraga, Executive Chairman of the Grupo Televisa Board of Directors.

The company’s new investors include SoftBank Latin America Fund, Google and The Raine Group.

Advisors

For Univision: Guggenheim Securities and J.P. Morgan acted as financial advisors; Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and Sidley Austin LLP served as legal counsel; and Covington & Burling LLP served as regulatory counsel.

For Televisa: Allen & Company acted as financial advisor; Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, and Mijares, Angoitia, Cortés y Fuentes, S.C. served as legal counsel; and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP served as regulatory counsel. LionTree Advisors LLC rendered a fairness opinion to the Board of Directors of Televisa.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP served as legal counsel to the SoftBank Latin America Fund.
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP served as legal counsel to The Raine Group.