Radio+Television Business Report

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A 22-page VAB PowerPoint presentation that seeks to place a spotlight on the “billions of lost TV impressions” it believes are linked to a Nielsen undercount of television audiences between September 2020 and December 2021 has come under scrutiny by the Media Rating Council.

As the MRC sees it, the VAB’s characterization of the group’s analysis of Nielsen’s undercounting of linear television consumption isn’t a correct representation of the facts.

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On Wednesday, all eyes will be on Washington, D.C., for radio industry leaders that have collectively voiced their opposition to any legislation that would impose new royalty fees on music their stations play.

At the same time, radio’s C-Suites — and those for television broadcasting companies — will have their eyes and ears attune to a just-confirmed House Judiciary Committee hearing that will consider the nomination of a highly controversial selection of the Biden Administration to serve as a FCC Commissioner.

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Comscore has agreed to renew and expand its agreement to provide broadcast station owner Gray Television with its “full suite” of local market currency tools, including Comscore’s Advanced Automotive Demographics segments.

Importantly, Gray TV will now be using Comscore’s audience data as primary selling currency across 199 stations in 96 markets including its largest, Atlanta, and will serve as Gray’s exclusive currency in 95 of those markets. It’s bad news for Nielsen, which remains the television industry’s dominant provider of audience measurement and consumer psychographic data.

“Gray Television has been a terrific partner of Comscore’s for many years, and we are very excited to once again renew and expand our commitment to each other,” said Comscore Chief Revenue Officer Carol Hinnant. “Comscore’s local measurement service provides Gray and all of our clients with the audience insights made possible by our industry-leading and currency-quality measurement footprint of over 30 million homes across the U.S.”

As of today, there’s a new individual charged with overseeing the day-to-day management for the eight ABC-owned television stations owned by The Walt Disney Company.

Now President of ABC Owned Television Stations, which comprise properties in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno, is Chad Matthews.

He reports directly to Debra OConnell, President of Networks at Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution.

“Chad is an exceptional leader who has a track record of success, always championing innovative content and storytelling, programs that have a meaningful impact on the community overall, and achieving and maintaining the highest standards of operational excellence while driving enormous success across linear and digital platforms,” OConnell said. “His strategic vision, passion for local news, forward thinking roll-up your sleeves attitude and commitment to teamwork are among the many attributes that will ensure that under his leadership our Owned Television Stations will continue to thrive.”

Matthews commented, “I am truly honored to be given this opportunity to lead the best station group in the country! The great eight as I like to call it. The team members who make up the ABC Owned Stations are the best in the business. Their talents, innovation, perseverance and flexibility are sources of constant inspiration. I am very much looking forward to working with them to further grow the business while continuing to find new ways to super serve our viewers and communities in a way that raises the bar for local television.”

Matthews presently serves as President/GM of WABC-7 in New York, overseeing the station known for the most-watched newscasts in the U.S. and for its role as the hub of “Live with Kelly and Ryan.” The syndicated program was born out of the WABC Morning Show, starring Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford, in the mid-1980s.

Matthews started his career at WABC in 2000 and was promoted to senior executive producer in 2002. In 2012, Matthews exited WABC for a five-year stint as Assistant News Director at NBC-owned WTVJ-6 in Miami-Fort Lauderdale. He returned to New York in 2017.

 

FROM THE RBR+TVBR ARCHIVES:

WABC-7 Selects OConnell’s Successor Adam Jacobson In fall 2020, Debra OConnell was elevated to President of Networks for Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, thus leaving the role of President/GM of WABC-7 in New York open for her replacement. ABC Owned Television Stations has just chosen that individual, and it is WABC’s News Director.

If at first you don’t succeed, try again? That’s what the Richmond, Va., City Council has done with respect to a casino referendum which, if approved by voters, will bring a casino resort owned by Urban One to fruition.

The 8-1 move comes following a devastating November 2021 election defeat of the original proposal.

As first reported by Streamline Publishing’s Radio Ink, Richmond City Council on Tuesday evening voted 8-1 to place the ONE Casino + Resort proposal on the ballot for another vote.

While local media outlets were relatively mum on the decision, Richmond BizSense, the city’s business newspaper, offered a full update on the move. The key difference with the new referendum, the newspaper notes, is “a promise to cut the real estate tax rate as a sweetener.”

This would bring the ONE Casino + Resort project back to the fold for Richmond, and prevent Urban One from seeking out sites in other Virginia municipalities, which CEO Alfred Liggins III said in November was something he was prepared to do.

The City of Richmond’s Tuesday vote saw leaders note that Urban One “didn’t show its full cards” in the first referendum, and that the benefits from the $565 million proposal are simply too good to pass up.

Of the nine members of the city council, Katherine Jordan of the Second District was the sole dissenter at the virtual meeting held on Zoom due to continued COVID-19 concerns.

In November, some 51.4% of voters disapproved the referendum. Now, they will get a new pitch touting not only positive economic impacts, but job creation and other benefits. These include a commitment to a two-cent reduction in the city real estate tax rate, and $560 million in capital investment specifically to Richmond Public Schools and city projects, Richmond BizSense reports.

Liggins appeared at the virtual hearing. He commented, “Many referendums are reheard, particularly if the project and the benefits of the project have changed. I applaud the administration and council for starting the discussion tonight on the main issue I heard from people of where the dollars are actually going, who was going to benefit.”

The project is estimated to cost approximately $563 million and Urban One’s aggregate capital investment in RVA Entertainment Holdings, LLC (RVAEH) is anticipated to be up to approximately $100 million. The company’s investment will be sourced from a combination of cash on Urban One’s balance sheet and/or capacity from the company’s undrawn $50 million revolver. The company also anticipates investment from local investors in the amount of $11.5 million as well as a personal investment by Liggins, Urban One stated in a recent SEC filing.

A veteran local media executive who most recently served as VP/GM of the CBS affiliate in Atlanta recently transferred to Gray Television through its merger with Meredith Corporation has returned to the Golden State capital affectionally called by some as Cowtown.

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RBR+TVBR OBSERVATION There’s much discussion about the lack of success for current product on the Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR) charts in the U.S. Why? An opinion piece in The Atlantic seeks to discover the reason, tying radio to the conundrum in his hypothesis. Is that a fair assessment? Our editor-in-chief argues it is not.

 

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It is known for creating “fresh, insightful and responsive content for multi-platform audiences from diverse backgrounds.” Now, it has revealed the three PBS Member stations selected as Regional Digital Centers of Innovation.

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A company veteran who began his career as a Senior Editor for FOX Latin American Channels has been named SVP of Engineering, Operations and Technology for FOX Television Stations (FTS).

Who are Broadcast Media’s Top Tech Leaders? There’s only one place to find out who’s on the list. RBR+TVBR’s first-ever Winter 2022 Special Report, a full-color digital magazine, is now available. But, you need to be a RBR+TVBR Member to receive a copy of this publication. Not a Member? Join your peers — and your competitors — by clicking here!

 

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A low-power television station serving the Redding, Ca., area is being spun to an operator known for its radio, TV and digital offerings focused on Christian-themed programming.

The purchase will help in bringing additional offerings from “theDove” to a region known officially as “Jefferson.”

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It’s known for the Ave Maria Grotto and for being the halfway point between Birmingham and Decatur, Ala. Now, this town of some 18,500 people is in the news as a low-power television station licensed to this municipality is heading to a new owner.

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LOS ANGELES — It’s known as one of the few live audio streaming platforms to offer direct access to radio stations across the globe. Now, it is augmenting its already rich array of Spanish-language content from across Iberoamérica with the addition of radio stations tied to one of Mexico’s largest spoken word radio broadcasting companies and the regional Mexican-formatted stations held by a U.S. multimedia company based in Southern California.

TuneIn has inked partnerships with Estrella Media and with Grupo Fórmula, respectively.

For Estrella Media, known for such radio brands as “Qué Buena” in L.A., TuneIn will help expand the company’s revenue opportunities by reselling instream advertising outside of the local markets of Estrella Media’s 11 stations, all of which are now on the TuneIn platform.

According to a recent RIAA study, which TuneIn cites, revenue from online radio based Latin content grew 24% in the first half of 2021, which has helped pave the way for TuneIn’s collaborations with Estrella Media and Grupo Fórmula.

“Both Estrella Media and Grupo Fórmula are market leaders in Spanish-language entertainment and news radio content,” TuneIn CEO Richard Stern says. “We are extremely pleased to be expanding our Spanish-language offerings to a new generation of Latin radio fans and listeners around the world through the TuneIn platform. We’re also thrilled to help Estrella Media’s local stations increase monetization outside of their local markets as an added benefit of our partnership.”

René Santaella, EVP of Digital & Streaming at Estrella Media, adds, “Our partnership with TuneIn amplifies our popular shows like Don Cheto Al Aire and our Regional Mexican music stations by being available for free on all streaming platforms including the rapidly growing smart speaker and auto markets. It is a great pairing of our programming expertise with TuneIn’s scale and innovative distribution.”

Isaid Mera, Digital Manager for Grupo Fórmula, comments that the partnership with TuneIn represents an opportunity for the company to amplify the reach of our content and to increase profit for our clients. “We live in a hyperconnected world where we have access to much information, that’s why we need serious and trusted sources,” he says. “Grupo Fórmula achieved our goal of ‘Keep Mexico Well Informed’ by using our multi-platform presence and adding alliances with other important organizations who can help us in moving forward. Here is where TuneIn plays an important role as it lets us reach listeners during all moments of their days.”

 

Until one week ago, Beasley Media Group stock hovered near the $2 mark, with small fluctuations seen across much of December 2021 and into the first half of January 2022.

This seemed to be a stabilization point for the company’s shares, which began a downtrend to start the fourth quarter of 2021. With Beasley poised to release its Q4 and full-year 2021 fiscal results within the next 2 weeks, BBGI is showing particular weakness on the Nasdaq market. As of midday Wednesday, a new 52-week low is taking shape.

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The CFO Summit, Media Financial Management Association’s (MFM’s) “signature winter event” designed to help the media industry’s financial leaders prepare for the challenges ahead, will return to an in-person experience for 2022.

Additionally, MFM has selected co-chairs and agenda for the annual summit, which will once again be held at the Grand Pelican Resort in Ft. Lauderdale.

The dates of the event at the boutique beachfront hotel on A1A are March 3-4, 2022.

The 2022 CFO Summit co-chairs are Andre Alexander, CFO of GBH; Virginia Hernandez, CFO of Trilith Studios; and Glenn Krieg, CFO of Morgan Murphy Media.

Now in its 16th year, MFM’s annual CFO Summit is an opportunity for senior media finance professionals to exchange thought leadership as they discuss ongoing and future issues facing the industry. The event features expert speakers from across the media landscape who will share best practices and lead in-depth discussions on a range of topics of importance to high-level financial professionals in the media industry.

The sessions in the two-day summit include:

• A keynote address from Jonathan Kozy, Managing Director and Senior Macro Strategy Analyst for the Chief Investment Officer (CIO), Bank of America Corporation
• Cybersecurity and Data Breach with speakers Robert Schechter, principal of Porzio, Bromberg & Newman, and James G. Mottola, MS, CPP, CISM, Vice President – Data Privacy, Investigations and Security, Porzio Compliance Services, LLC
• Payment Trends with Kevin Outram, Executive Director, J.P. Morgan; and Steve Bernstein, Executive Director at J.P. Morgan
• A state of the industry presented by Mark Fratrik, SVP & Chief Economist, BIA Kelsey

“As the media industry – and it particular its financial leaders – continues to grapple with the repercussions of the ongoing pandemic, legal and political developments, and other business issues, companies must look to new strategies for growth,” said Dave Bochenek, Chair of MFM/BCCA’s Board of Directors. “The CFO Summit has long been known as the place for high-level media financial professionals to gather and share information vital to keeping their companies moving in the right direction. We’re excited that we can once again meet face to face to exchange ideas, network and be armed with new strategies and tools to effectively address what lies ahead.”

This MFM event is limited to senior financial professionals working for media companies. Attendees can obtain CPE credits over the 2-day summit. For additional details visit https://www.mediafinance.org/cfo-summit

Cumulus Media has made a series of promotions at its Rhode Island operations, elevating five individuals across its stations serving Providence and its surrounding communities. Among them: the appointment to a key programming post for a well-known industry veteran.

Now serving as Director of Music Programming for Adult Contemporary WWLI-FM “Lite 105,” heritage Top 40 WPRO-FM and rhythmic Top 40 WWKX “Hot 106” is Mary Ellen Kachinske. She was previously Operations Manager and Program Director of Lite 105.

Kachinske is well-known across the radio industry, as she spent eighteen years at WTMX-FM “101.9 The Mix” in Chicago, the Hubbard Radio Hot Adult Contemporary station that recently saw a change in its morning show following a period of instability tied to allegations of sexual misconduct and abusive behavior against longtime host Eric Ferguson.

Kachinske joined Cumulus/Providence in January 2020.

Before taking the WTMX role of Program Director some 20 years earlier, Kachinske was in Cleveland, serving as PD of WQAL “Q104.” She held that role for nearly 6 years, rising through the ranks over a tenure that began in fall 1987, when she joined WQAL as Traffic Director.

Holly Paras, Vice President/Market Manager for Cumulus in Providence, praised the Kent State University graduate. “When Mary Ellen Kachinske came to Providence in 2020, WWLI immediately benefited from her many years of broadcasting in larger markets. Elevating her to a position where she can oversee music programming for the entire cluster will allow all the stations to draw from her successes. In addition, the team of individuals working with Mary Ellen will provide the necessary support to succeed in the ever-changing landscape.”

Among the other moves at Cumulus/Providence, Nick Giuliano adds duties as Assistant Program Director of WPRO-FM. He will continue in his previous roles as an on-air talent in afternoons at WWKX, where he also serves as Asst. PD/MD.

Meanwhile, WPRO midday host Jess Schiano rises to Music Director and shifts to afternoons. Succeeding her in middays is J Buff, who will continue to produce the station’s Giovanni and Kim Show, its wake-up program.

Lastly, Heather Gersten is now MD for Lite 105, adding the role to her Asst. PD duties.

Cumulus Media owns and operates five radio stations in Providence: WPRO-AM/WEAN-FM (News/Talk); WPRV-AM/AM 790 Talk & Business (News/Talk); WPRO-FM/92PRO-FM (CHR); WWKX-FM/Hot 106 (Rhythmic CHR); and WWLI-FM/Lite 105 (AC).

For 22 years, he’s been a top programmer and Brand Manager for stations such as legendary News/Talker KMOX. Now, this Brand Manager is being promoted to Operations Manager for Audacy Corp.‘s St. Louis six-pack of radio stations.

Steve Moore will now oversee Adult Contemporary KEZK-FM, Hot Adult Contemporary KYKY “Y98,” Talker KFTK-FM 97.1, R&B WHHL-FM “Hot 104.1,” Adult Hits WFUN “96.3 The Lou,” and the aforementioned KMOX, which has a nighttime signal bigger than no other in the USA and an FM translator to help attract audiences in St. Louis who do not consume AM radio.

“I am beyond delighted to have Steve ascend into this new role,” said Becky Domyan, Senior Vice President and Market Manager for Audacy in St. Louis. “He has been so instrumental in building operational alignment, collaboration, and synergy across our St. Louis footprint. I am looking forward to Steve helping us continue to grow our incredible brands.”

“I couldn’t be more excited for this new opportunity,” Moore commented. “I appreciate the trust that Becky Domyan and Audacy have shown me and I’m looking forward to working more closely with Derrick, Leo and the talented broadcasters on these incredible music stations.”

Moore officially rises from Operations Director, a role given to him in November 2017 following the merger of CBS Radio with Audacy (then Entercom).

National radio programming provider United Stations has signed an agreement to sell national network commercial time for the team at KRS Audio Productions and their “Country Music Countdown” package.

The deal is effective immediately.

KRS Audio Productions is the radio group formed by Ken Halford, Roger Ramsey and Shawn Studer, who handle the production and affiliation for Bob Kingsley’s long-running Country Countdown show.

The decision follows a summer 2021 decision by KRS Audio Productions to produce a new Top 30 Country Countdown in a “brown bag” format.

In commenting on the addition of KRS Audio Productions to the company’s ad sales portfolio, United Stations’ Greg Janoff commented, “Country remains the most prevalent format in U.S. Radio, and the KRS team know how to super-serve local stations in that format. We’re happy that we can now include the environment of their programming to our marketing partners.”

KRS Audio Productions’ Shawn Studer added, “The guys at United Stations recognized immediately what we are doing at KRS, and we appreciate their partnership as we roll out and grow our programming.”

United Stations Media Networks was founded in 1994 by the late Dick Clark and Nick Verbitsky.

ATSC 3.0-delivered next-generation TV signals, promising better sound and picture and improved reception, has been launched in the professional home — at least for today — of NFL star Aaron Rodgers.

Now offering NEXTGEN TV signals are five broadcast TV stations serving Green Bay, Wisc.

With BitPath coordinating the launch, as of January 25, 2022, local viewers with a NEXTGEN TV-capable set can watch ATSC 3.0-delivered signals for Gray Television-owned ABC affiliate WBAY-TV, CBS affiliate WFRV-TV, FOX affiliate WLUK-TV, NBC affiliate WGBA-TV and The CW Network affiliate for the northern Wisconsin market, WCWF-TV.

WCWF, owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group as part of a duopoly with WLUK, is the lighthouse station for the market.

WFRV is owned by Nexstar; WGBA is a E.W. Scripps Co.-owned station.

If you were a National Football League fan, last weekend’s matches — all of them — offered some spectacular thrills. From superstar Tom Brady’s furious comeback attempt to the Cincinnati Bengals’ victory over the Tennessee Titans, there was much to keep viewers glued to the TV. Then, there’s the epic match that saw the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Buffalo Bills in an overtime match shown on CBS.

Just how many people were tuned to CBS, and to the Gray Television-owned affiliate in Kansas City showing the game, one of the greatest in NFL history?

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