Radio+Television Business Report

LONDON — AdTonos has appointed Paul Smith as Senior VP of Sales to support the global growth of sales, with a primary focus on the U.K.

Smith has more than 12 years of experience in the radio industry and has successfully managed multiple commercial teams across Great Britain.

In fact, Smith spent much of his career with iHeartMedia investor Global, becoming the youngest Commercial Director at the time.

Smith progressed by joining the Senior leadership team in NewsUKs Wireless group before finally integrating the stations into the Bauer portfolio.

AdTonos is owned by Radio Net Media, an operation designed to monetize podcasts, audiobooks, music and radio streams of over 200 recognized publishers across the U.S., U.K., European Union and in Latin America. Specifically, AdTonos works with online audio publishers and advertisers to deliver ad solutions.

Smith “will strengthen AdTonos’ network of advertising brands so the company can meet the increasing demand for effective, measurable tools within digital audio advertising
and seamlessly connect brands with online radio publishers to utilise the interactive nature of audio,” the company said.

AdTonos CEO Michał Marcinik commented, “Paul’s extensive background in scaling digital advertising solutions, combined with his unrivalled vision of how brands should interact
with their audience makes him the ideal candidate to join AdTonos’ team. Well-recognized
media buyers are actively investing in our audio offering, and the time has come to make it
available to a wider group of advertisers.”

With some vendors saying they’re not going to attend the 2021 NAB Show, Telestream has spoken out regarding its attendance at the early October affair in Las Vegas.

“They’ve got tons to talk about and, despite a reduced presence, will be showing the fruits of their labors especially in regards to technology integrations between products from previous acquisitions,” a spokesperson says.

The workflow automation, media processing, quality monitoring and test and measurement product maker will be using booth C3013 at the NAB Show, from Oct. 9-12 in Las Vegas.

From live and studio production, video on demand and post production, content management, and distribution and monitoring, Telestream has a story to share.

“Attendees will see important updates and enhancements to the company’s wide range of offerings as a direct result of the synergies and integration of intellectual property by development teams provided by the company’s recent acquisitions,” it says.

With rapid analysis, faster diagnosis, and quicker resolution of issues, monitoring and measurement solutions are focused on preserving quality and reducing cost resulting in higher subscriber retention and better business value, Telestream adds.

“It’s been a challenging year and having NAB in October says it all, but the good news is that Telestream has been working closely with top tier organizations to develop processes and workflows that keep them competitive, profitable, and flexible enough to grow in these unprecedented times,” says Scott Murray, SVP Product Marketing at Telestream.

Telestream has continued to advance the state of the art in cloud and hybrid deployments for media processing and video quality assurance. Several Telestream media processing and workflow automation tools will be on display including updated versions of the Vantage Media Processing Platform, ContentAgent, and Lightspeed Live Capture.

The Telestream Cloud suite of services will also be on display allowing customers to mix and match services that meet their specific needs. A brand new, soon to be announced Telestream Cloud service, will make its debut at NAB 2021.

The latest versions of Content Management solutions including Kumulate and DIVA allow customers to easily migrate, update and upgrade their media libraries without affecting day to day operations. Attendees will see how to intelligently manage their storage on-premises, remotely or in the Cloud.

For video quality assurance, new tools for monitoring of QoE and QoS in the production network will be demonstrated. Users benefit from enhanced visibility post origin server of encrypted streams and Dynamic Ad Insertion. Flexible cloud, virtual or appliance-based deployment options are available.

The latest PRISM SDI/IP family waveform monitors will be shown for ST 2110, 4K/8K HDR measurement. PRISM is available in a wide array of form factors and designed to be used in multiple applications from HD-SDI Live Acquisition to 25G ST 2110 IP engineering and diagnostics.

For those unable to attend this year’s show, please visit: https://www.telestream.net/company/events/nab/NAB-2021.htm for more information.

EUREKA, CALIF. — Expanding the range of smart home devices through which radio broadcasters can engage their audiences, streaming and podcast product provider StreamGuys is now offering custom development of Google Actions.

Paralleling the popular Alexa Skills that StreamGuys has been providing for many years, Google Actions enable listeners to access stations’ live and on-demand content on Google smart speakers and other Google-enabled devices through intuitive voice commands.

StreamGuys’ Google Actions creation service allows broadcasters who don’t have their own in-house development capabilities to take advantage of the growing ecosystem of Google smart devices for engaging their audience. Once enabled on a smart device, the custom Actions allow listeners to verbally access not only live streams and podcast episodes, but also additional on-demand content offered by the station. Broadcasters can choose the unique words that users speak to launch their programming, as well as tailoring the interactive experience surrounding their content with customizations such as using their own DJs’ voices for device messages and prompts.

“In today’s media-saturated world, it is important for broadcasters’ brand voice to be presented consistently to their audiences across all listening platforms,” said Eduardo Martinez, Director of Technology at Humboldt County-based StreamGuys. “The ability to create tailored experiences also helps them forge deeper relationships with their listeners than the typical ‘cookie cutter’ approach available through third-party aggregators. Our customers have enjoyed using Alexa Skills to better engage their audiences, and our new Google Actions offering lets them extend these benefits onto Google-enabled devices while providing consistent, cross-platform listener experiences.”

One of the first stations to take advantage of Google Actions developed by StreamGuys is KJTH-FM 89.7 in Ponca, Okla., known as “The House FM.” It is a listener-supported, Oklahoma-based Christian radio broadcaster. Listeners can access the station’s voice-prompted menu by saying “OK Google, ask The House FM to play the live stream” or “OK Google, talk to The House FM”, or go directly to desired content with commands such as “OK Google, play The House of Praise”.

For broadcasters using StreamGuys’ CDN and SaaS-based solutions, tight integration between the Google Actions and StreamGuys’ SGmetadata metadata delivery system also allows live stream listeners to ask questions such as “what’s playing?” or “what song is this?”, with the device then speaking out the current song details.

StreamGuys-created Google Actions can be used on all Google Assistant-compatible devices. This includes native Google devices (Google Nest Audio, Google Nest Hub Max, Google Nest Mini) and third-part smart devices from JBL and Sonos. In addition to dedicated smart home devices, Google Actions are also supported natively on Android smartphones.

Media workflow solutions provider vCreative is welcoming one of the nation’s biggest Hispanic -focused media and marketing technology companies to its family.

That’s because Babson Park, Fla.-based vCreative has completed its deployment of vPPO, the company’s cloud-based software for radio and digital.

Now using vPPO is Entravision Communications.

vCreative implemented its centralized, collaborative platform to connect all departments involved in the production workflow process across all Entravision locations to manage creative radio projects. “From initial task assignments, talent selection and automated advertiser approvals, through to storage and delivery of all digital, local and agency assets, Entravision users now have complete visibility and control of the critical work that drives revenue for their company,” vCreative says.

Entravision also activated the vCreative integration with WideOrbit’s ad management platform WideOrbit Traffic. This integration helps to eliminate duplicate entry and reduce the labor associated with the production workflow process, vCreative says.

Entravision President/COO Jeffery Liberman says, “From the minute a sale is made, the comprehensive work to craft and deliver the best creative message for our customers begins. vCreative has helped us become more effective and precise with our work, allowing us to be efficient, giving us back time while still guaranteeing the highest quality product.”

Susie Hedrick, CEO of vCreative, adds, “The past 18 months have forced us all to take a fresh look at how we operate and conduct our daily jobs. Entravision is a prime example of a company that has consistently focused on finding innovative ways to drive productivity and bring value to its customers. We are proud to offer additional time-saving technology to their employees, who can now focus more acutely on meaningful work for their customers.”

Entravision also manages 47 radio stations across the U.S., most of them serving Spanish-speaking consumers.

Bill Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of Townsquare Media (pictured), and Stuart Rosenstein, the locally focused media company’s Chief Financial Officer, are presently preparing to participate in three upcoming investor events.

This includes the Noble Capital Markets virtual roadshow.

Management will participate in Tuesday’s Noble Capital Markets’ Virtual Road Show Series, presented by Channelchek.

The event will feature a corporate presentation, followed by a Q&A session proctored by Noble Senior Research Analyst Michael Kupinski, featuring questions submitted by the audience.

The live broadcast of the virtual road show is scheduled for tomorrow (9/14) at Noon, Eastern Time.

Later this month, management will participate in the Sidoti Virtual Investor Conference on  September 22 and September 23, 2021.  Management’s presentation is scheduled to begin at approximately 2:30pm Eastern on Wednesday, Sept. 22. Management will be available for one-on-one meetings with investors on both days.

To register for the presentation or one-on-ones, visit www.sidoti.com/events. Registration is free; one does not need to be a Sidoti client to participate.

Lastly, Townsquare management will participate in the Guggenheim Virtual Broadcast Conference on Wednesday, September 29. Management will be available for one-on-one and small group meetings.

He previously served as Market Manager of the company’s Biloxi-Gulfport, Miss., radio stations.

Now, he’s moving on up to Jackson, the state capital, to lead Alpha Media‘s properties there.

Ricky Mitchell has been named Market Manager of Alpha Media’s Jackson, Miss., station group.

Mitchell returns to Alpha after a stint at El Dorado Broadcasters in Yuma, Ariz.

As Alpha Media Regional President and Chief Compliance Officer Bill McElveen explains, Kevin Webb recently retired after 32 years of running the Alpha/Jackson, Miss., station group. This led to a nationwide search for his successor.

“We began a nationwide search for our next Market Manager, and after interviewing dozens of candidates, we were thrilled to be able to bring back to the Alpha Media family a true son of Mississippi in Ricky Mitchell,” he said.

Mitchell added, “I am thrilled to come home to Mississippi. It’s a tremendous honor to be able to live, work and serve the local Jackson community with such a talented and dedicated team and I can’t wait to get started!”

Mitchell’s first day back with Alpha Media is Thursday, Sept. 16.

The NAB; Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC); and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) late Friday filed a petition with the FCC demanding a stay of the Commission’s order mandating disclosures for foreign government-sponsored programming.

The groups also want the FCC to delay implementation of its order until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rules on a petition for review they’ve just filed, which challenges the order.

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Salem Media Group has successfully completed a refinancing effort that effectively sees old debt replaced by new debt.

The move, the company notes, shrinks its debt by more than $9 million.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has selected the Poynter Institute to develop and deliver a new “Digital Transformation Program” designed to educate, assist, and coach up to 80 public media senior leaders on the best strategies and tactics to transform their organization’s digital operations and culture.

The virtual training will be funded by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

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A professional with over 28 years of experience in accounting, finance, human resources and business administration has been named GM of nonprofit Adult Alternative “88Nine Radio Milwaukee.”

It’s a woman who was previously the HR manager and accountant.

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With Ron Walter’s retirement at the end of August, Nexstar Media Group had a choice to make on his successor as the head of two Volunteer State markets.

That decision has just been made by the nation’s No. 1 licensee of commercially licensed broadcast TV stations.

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It’s the parent company of MeTV and several other digital multicast networks that also owns the CW affiliate serving the nation’s third-largest market, as well as the CBS affiliate serving Milwaukee.

Now, Weigel Broadcasting is expanding into the National Capital Region by acquiring a low-power TV facility based in the county seat of Shenandoah County, Va., nearly 100 miles from the White House.

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Norman Shapiro‘s Weigel Broadcasting has just signed off on the purchase of two over-the-air broadcast television facilities serving the nation’s second-largest television market.

The seller: An entity that among its properties were low-powered TV stations using VHF Channel 6 to serve radio listeners with audio at 87.7 MHz.

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The leadership for the guys across the street would prefer you don’t show up. They don’t want you to soak up the information and engage in the conversations about the future of Hispanic Radio.

Your colleagues will be sorry they missed you. They were looking forward to sharing the experience and the entertainment at the 12th Hispanic Radio Conference with you!

Your wallet will be thinner. If you don’t register before 5 pm on Tuesday, September 14, you’ll pay $300 more when the price increases!

This is the agenda, and these are the speakers, you can’t afford to miss!

We all have regrets – don’t let this be one of them.

The clock is ticking – don’t procrastinate.
Register NOW while you can still save $300.

And don’t forget to book your hotel room before they SELL OUT!

BOCA RATON, FLA. — Streamline Publishing, founded in 1986 with the creation of radio industry sales and management trade publication Radio Ink and today a diversified publisher of print and digital titles focused on the art and media industries, has
elevated Deborah Parenti to the role of President of the Radio, TV & Podcasting Division.

In this role, Parenti will extend her leadership responsibilities across the three brands that have helped make Streamline Publishing a trusted source for news, information, and insight in the radio, television, and on-demand audio industries: Radio Ink, Radio + Television Business Report, and Podcast Business Journal. The Radio, TV & Podcasting Division also presents the annual Hispanic Radio Conference and Radio and Television’s Financial Summit: Forecast in New York.

Parenti has served as EVP/Publisher of what was formerly known as Streamline Publishing’s
audio division since joining the company founded by Chairman/CEO B. Eric Rhoads in January 2007. She assumed leadership of Radio + Television Business Report with its acquisition by Streamline Publishing in February 2013. The company launched Podcast Business Journal in the late 2010s.

“Deborah has been a tremendous asset to Radio Ink for nearly 15 years and, more recently, has shown exemplary leadership in growing both RBR+TVBR and Podcast Business Journal into premier destinations for their readers,” Rhoads said. “With solid experience as a leader of radio stations in her home of Dayton, Ohio, and in Philadelphia, Deborah has proven that her expertise as a top-notch marketer and broadcast media sales and management professional can drive the growth of three distinct publications for the audio and visual media industries. We congratulate Deborah on this well-deserved promotion.”

Parenti’s career in the radio broadcasting industry started at “high-flyin'” WING-AM in Dayton, where she rose to VP and Assistant General Manager following roles in promotion, marketing, and research. She later joined Stoner Broadcasting, serving as General Sales Manager at Stoner’s WDJX-FM 99.7 in Louisville before returning to Dayton in 1990 as VP/General Manager of WWSN, as the first woman to manage a radio station in that market. Under her leadership, the station would become WMMX “Mix 107.7,” a station that today remains one of Dayton’s most listened to FM radio choices.

Later, Parenti would become VP/GM of American Radio Systems’ Dayton group, earning a
major profile in the February 1997 issue of Working Woman magazine for her role in
developing one of the first consolidated radio sales platforms, “Radio First!” In September
1997, Parenti would leave her hometown of Dayton for a position as VP/GM of Beasley
Broadcast Group’s country-formatted WXTU-FM in Philadelphia. From 1999-2010, Parenti was a board member of Vox Radio.

Today, Parenti is again based in the Dayton area.

She said, “I am extremely honored and grateful to have the good fortune of working with Eric and our incredible team of professionals. The opportunity to engage with and learn from people across so many levels of a business I love, as well as the chance to make what I hope is a positive impact on it, is something I never take for granted.”

Parenti is a Board Member of the Alliance for Women in Media. She completed NABEF’s
Broadcast Leadership Training Program in 2001. She also sits on the College Broadcasters Inc. advisory committee.

Ed Ryan retains the role of Editor-in-Chief for Radio Ink and Podcast Business Journal. Adam R Jacobson retains the role of Editor-in-Chief for Radio + Television Business Report.

Streamline Publishing and its products play a substantial role within two industries:
radio/television/on-demand audio and the world of art and art collecting. It prides itself on
seeking innovative solutions that break traditional molds. In addition to its radio, TV, and
podcasting titles, it is the publisher of Fine Art Connoisseur and PleinAir. The art division is also the organizer of various events closely aligned with its art brands.

There’s strong stability across the latest Media Monitors Spot Ten TV report, with many of the advertisers seen active in the last several weeks staying within the Top 10 for the week ending September 12.

There is one big new entrant, however. And, it involves a dental care brand that’s seeking to take share from the likes of Colgate and Crest.

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TEGNA’s two television stations serving the Constitution State have a new morning news content director, as of Monday.

He’ll be responsible for overseeing The FOX61 Morning News, which airs weekdays from 4am to 11am on one of those two UHF properties serving most of Connecticut.

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The prevalence of cord cutting and the decline in cable network viewership complicate carriage agreements between cable network companies and traditional multichannel operators.

According to Kagan estimates, top cable networks lost about $179.5 million in affiliate fees since 2013 from cable carriage disputes that resulted in blackouts that were eventually resolved.

Cable network owners risk affiliate revenue loss in hopes of producing a more favorable deal with traditional multichannel operators.

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The Bank of America Securities 2021 Media, Communications and Entertainment Conference will be held on Monday (9/13).

Among those participating at the event: the CEO and the COO/CFO of the nation’s largest audio content creation and distribution company.

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By Rob Dumke

AKRON, OHIO — Travel 20 minutes to the northeast of this Ohio city, and you’ll reach Kent State University.

It’s the home of a Class B FM that offers “Public Radio News for Northeast Ohio,” primarily to Akron and Canton and also to the Cleveland market due north of campus.

That programming isn’t likely to change anytime soon. But, the ownership could be, following the initiation of a “public service operating agreement” at the end of the month.

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