Industry News

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.

The FCC has updated its political programming and record-keeping rules for broadcast licensees.

A Report and Order adopted this week revises the rules with the goal, the commission said, of aligning them with modern campaign practices and increasing transparency.

The rules revise the list of ways that define if someone is a “legally qualified candidate” to add the creation of a campaign website and the use of social media to promote or further a campaign for public office.

The revision will help determine whether an individual running as a write-in has made “substantial showing” of his or her bona fide candidacy.

David Oxenford, a communications attorney with Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP, wrote about it on his Broadcast Law Blog. “Legally qualified candidates, even write-ins who have made this substantial showing, are entitled to all the protections of the commission’s political rules, including equal opportunities, lowest unit rates and, for candidates for federal office, reasonable access to buy advertising time on commercial broadcast stations.”

A person just saying that they are a write-in candidate is not enough to qualify for protections under the FCC rules, he continued; a substantial showing is also required.

[Previously: Rosenworcel Wants to Update Political Programming Rules]

“The FCC is simply recognizing that online media is an important factor in determining if a candidate is a serious candidate who should receive the benefit of FCC protections, “ he wrote.

The commission does specify in the order that a legally qualified candidate needs his or her campaign to be more than totally virtual. “Some real-world activity is still necessary for a write-in candidate to be considered legally qualified,” the FCC wrote.

The National Association of Broadcasters, in comments filed during the political programming and record-keeping rulemaking proceeding in 2021, expressed support for these changes, according to the FCC.

The revisions, which Oxenford deemed as minor, includes a second part that brings the FCC in line with existing federal statutory requirements by requiring stations to upload to their political file any information about advertising on federal issues.

This record-keeping requirement makes the FCC’s political file rules consistent with the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, according to the commission. This extends a station’s political file requirements to any request for the purchase of advertising time that “communicates a message relating to any political matter of national importance.”

The requirement was adopted some 20 years ago but never formally carried over in the FCC’s rules, Oxenford explained in his blog; yet the FCC has been enforcing the record-keeping requirement, even issuing admonitions to some TV stations for perceived violations of the political file rules.

“So formally adding these obligations to the rules just reiterates what is already required of broadcasters dealing with federal issue ads,” according to Oxenford’s blog.

The FCC first adopted rules requiring broadcast stations to maintain public inspection files documenting requests for political advertising time more than 80 years ago. It says the record-keeping requirement is integral to ensuring compliance with the statutory protections for political programming.

Comments made during the FCC’s political programming and record-keeping rulemaking proceeding (MB 21-293) can be viewed here.

The post FCC Adopts Revised Political Broadcast Rules appeared first on Radio World.

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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He calls himself “The Other Alan Peterson,” but here at Radio World there’s really only ever been one.

Al, who has worn many hats in his radio career, has announced that he is retiring. His gig for the past 18 years has been at Radio America Network, based in Arlington, Va., where he most recently held the titles of national production director and weekend program coordinator.

In that time he was the engineer and/or producer behind programs like “The Pet Show with Warren Eckstein,” “Intelligent Medicine with Dr. Ronald Hoffman,” “Liberty Nation,” “Tech It Out” and “Eat Drink Smoke.” He also was co-creator of the comedy jingle collection “Dork-a-Pellas,” now produced and distributed by Dan O’Day’s L.A. Air Force.

But Radio World readers know him as ARP, because for 15 years he authored “From the Trenches” and “The World According to ARP” in our pages, and ultimately became our technical editor. He reviewed audio equipment, offered tips, spun yarns and made readers laugh. Al says he started using the nickname “The Other Alan Peterson” when the late radio consultant Al Peterson began writing for Radio & Records.

I worked with Al daily for eight of those years — in our beloved, hated old dump of an office building at Bailey’s Crossroads — and I have a warm appreciation for his communication skills, storytelling ability, photography eye and, most of all, his wacky, ever-present sense of humor.

Al also has done live radio in Washington; Syracuse; Danbury, Conn.; and Springfield, Mass., and he wrote comedy and song parodies for air talent, including Doug “The Greaseman” Tracht.

In a postscript to the announcement, Al was quoted saying he’ll be moving to Williamsburg, Va., “where — just out of boredom — he will probably offer to board-op the Sunday polka show at a local AM’er.”

Congrats Al, and please keep in touch. Your byline is always welcome in our pages.

The post Al Peterson Retires (or So He Says) appeared first on Radio World.

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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