Industry News

The SVP and Market Manager of the Boston-market properties owned by Audacy, the company formerly known as Entercom, has been promoted to the C-Suite position of SVP of Digital Audio Content. He’ll now be working with the company’s central digital team, as his successor has been named by Audacy.

Earning the new role is Tim Clarke.

This makes Clarke responsible for all audio content across the Audacy digital platform. This includes the recently rebranded Audacy app formerly known as Radio.com, the Audacy.com web portal and the websites for each Audacy-owned station.

He is also being asked to “drive strategy and execution for new exclusive and original content for the platform” and will have oversight of Audacy’s new exclusive digital music stations. Furthermore, Clarke will also be responsible for the digital audio experiences of Audacy’s portfolio of broadcast stations, local and national station affiliates, and podcast partners.

Clarke will now work alongside Pam Russo, EVP/GM of the Audacy digital platform; and John Pacino, Audacy’s EVP of Product. Additionally, Clarke will work closely with EVP and Head of Programming Jeff Sottolano and Audacy’s programming and content teams across the company.

“Tim is a rising star in our industry and we’re excited to add his talents and capabilities to our digital business,” said J.D. Crowley, Chief Digital Officer at Audacy. “He brings rich experience leading content and consumer strategies that we trust will enable him to help us further elevate our mission of delivering dynamic digital audio content through a listener-friendly platform every day.”

Tim Clarke

Clarke added, “I am truly honored to join our industry-leading digital and content teams as we build the future of audio with Audacy. A sincere thanks to the team at Audacy, including Mark Hannon and my colleagues in Boston. I have loved working with the incredible people and brands in this market and look forward to seeing their continued success under Mike Thomas’ leadership.”

Clarke joined Audacy in March 2021 and previously served as VP of Content and Audience for Cox Media Group. At Cox, Clarke also held the roles of Director of Branding and Programming for Top 40 WPOI-FM “Hot 101.5” in Tampa; and served as PD of Top 40 WAPE-FM in Jacksonville. He’s also been Music Director for the company’s WBLI-FM in Patchogue, N.Y.

AUDACY’S NEW BACK BAY LEADER

With Clarke’s rise, Mike Thomas has been chosen to succeed him as Audacy/Boston SVP/Market Manager.

This gives Thomas oversight of six radio stations: Classic Hits WBGB “Big 103,” Adult Contemporary WMJX “Magic 106.7,” Hot Adult Contemporary WWBX “Mix 104.1,” and the WEEI Sports Network.

He’ll assume his new role on November 1.

Mike Thomas

“I am thrilled to welcome Mike back to Boston to lead Audacy’s leading brands here,” said Audacy Regional President Mark Hannon. “Mike’s a proven winner and his leadership will be critical in moving the business forward. I also want to thank Tim Clarke for the exceptional job he has done this past year and wish him continued success as he moves to our central digital team.”

Thomas served as the Brand Manager for WBZ-FM 98.5 “The Sports Hub” from 2017-2019 and returns to Boston after serving as Market Manager of WMVP-AM “ESPN Chicago 1000,” today owned by Craig Karmazin’s Good Karma Brands.

Before that, Thomas spent nine years with CBS Radio, holding multiple roles including VP of Sports Programming.

Classic Rock veterans are likely familiar with Thomas for his 11-year run as PD of WZLX/Boston, in addition to serving as CBS Radio/Boston’s Vice President of Programming.

Before that, Thomas got national notice in such trade publications as Radio & Records for his roles as a PD and on-air personality at Clear Channel Classic Rockers KGB-FM in San Diego and WFBQ-FM in Indianapolis.

“Boston evokes memories of great times and celebrations,” Thomas said. “When Mark Hannon reached out about coming back and leading such a diverse group of stations, it was exhilarating! I can’t wait to reconnect with a lot of talented people, some which I spent over a dozen years working side-by-side with, and celebrating many more victories.”

The Best in Market Awards nomination deadline has been extended to Oct. 13.

The program is open to manufacturers of professional radio, TV and AV products and solutions, regardless of exhibitor status at major events. This program this fall serves in place of the “Best of Show” Awards that would have run at the NAB Show.

The Best in Market awards will be judged and presented by Future brands Radio World, TV Technology, TVBEurope, Next, Mix, Broadcasting & Cable and Sound & Video Contractor.

These awards are intended to honor and help companies promote outstanding products launched or launching in 2021.

Nominations can be submitted via the award form page, which also includes answers to frequently asked questions.

The post Nomination Deadline Extended for “Best in Market” Awards appeared first on Radio World.

The latest InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.fm, expands on the Radio + Television Business Report’s coverage on October 6 of how a radio or television company should act when one of its high-profile employees becomes the subject of allegations that not only harm the individual, but could also damage the station they are associated with. The topic is today a big one, largely due to claims offered by three women who once worked with a Chicago-based morning show host employed by Hubbard Broadcasting. One of the women is a former co-host who exited in December 2020. Allegations are just that, claims. But, a radio or TV station can’t just sit there while its employee is tarnished through social media and, quite frankly, the crosstown linear media competition. What’s the first best act a station’s management should take? Scott McIntyre, a partner and the employment practice leader at the law firm of BakerHostetler, joins us from its Cincinnati office to answer this and other timely questions in an interview with RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson.

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: Scott McIntyre, BakerHostetler” on Spreaker.

Nielsen, which offers streaming content and ad measurement in its role as the nation’s dominant ratings and consumer data supplier, is congregating its streaming measurement tools under a single platform.

This, Nielsen explains, will include both ad-supported and subscription-based service models across content, ads and platforms.

Nielsen explains that its renewed focus on “comprehensive streaming measurement” comes at a moment when U.S. consumers now spend over a quarter of their total TV time engaging with this type of content.

“By combining our streaming solutions under one banner, Nielsen is providing the industry with a single destination to understand streaming audiences and how they are engaging with content, allowing media buyers and sellers to make the best decisions around ad strategies,” said Deirdre Thomas, Nielsen’s Managing Director of U.S. Audience Measurement Product Strategy. “Content creators, platforms, studios and advertisers will have an unprecedented view of who is streaming, what they’re watching, which platforms consumers are gravitating to and how much time they are spending with streaming content.”

The relaunch results in the rebrand of two streaming measurement platforms “to better align with its transition to Nielsen ONE,” the company’s cross-media product. In addition, Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings “will provide the most comprehensive view of streaming activity across connected TV (CTV), computer, mobile and tablet,” Nielsen claims.

• Streaming Video Ratings will now be referred to as Nielsen Streaming Platform Ratings. Nielsen’s Streaming Platform ratings will still provide a macro view of streaming activity across major subscription and ad-supported streaming services. It was launched in January 2021.

• Nielsen SVOD Content Ratings will be known now as Nielsen Streaming Content Ratings. Launched in 2017, Nielsen Streaming Content Ratings is used by seven of the top 10 TV network groups and 14 of the top agencies, the company says.

Nielsen’s Digital Ad Ratings (DAR) will continue to deliver audience measurement for streaming ads on CTV devices.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in streaming throughout the past year — with ad-supported content, in particular, generating incredible growth,” said Iván Markman, Chief Business Officer of Yahoo.

This explains why the heritage online brand has expanded its partnership with FOX Entertainment’s ad-supported Video-on-Demand (AVOD) service known as Tubi.

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Laura Gore Ross, Bruce Ramer

The board of directors for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has re-elected current Chair Bruce Ramer and Vice Chair Laura Gore Ross to one-year terms.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

Ramer has a background Southern California and entertainment/media law. He has also been on the board of KCET(TV) along with numerous boards at the USC Annenberg School of Communications.

Ross is a retired lawyer from New York who has also served on Capitol Hill and at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Send news of engineering and executive personnel changes to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post CPB Re-Elects Ramer and Gore appeared first on Radio World.

Between Utica and Albany, N.Y., along the Erie Canal is the city of Amsterdam.

Here, an AM radio station with an FM translator are being spun. The buyer: THNK Think Tank Media.

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Astute Wall Street watchers on Tuesday may have wondered what, exactly, was going on at Emmis Communications.

It appeared that Emmis’ stock, traded on the OTC Pink Sheet, had suddenly plummeted in value. On Wednesday (10/6), there was no movement.

What’s the story?

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According to section “47 U.S. Code § 331” of the Communications Act, the Rules that the Federal Communications Commission enforces, it is the policy of the FCC to allocate channels for VHF commercial television broadcasting “in a manner which ensures that not less than one such channel shall be allocated to each state, if technically feasible.”

But, does that language require that station to focus on content for that state’s viewers?

A group of Capitol Hill Democrats say yes, and they want to use the language to help craft legislation that would force a Secaucus, N.J.-licensed station owned today by FOX to turn its attention away from the Big Apple and focus instead on the Garden State.

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The organization that represents some 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other entertainment and media professionals has reached a tentative three-year agreement for a new contract with Telemundo.

It’s positive news for unionized employees, and comes four years after a trio of unfair labor practice charges filed against the NBCUniversal-owned Hispanic television network on behalf of certain telenovela actors by the labor union were settled.

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