Industry News

BMI said it distributed a record amount of money to its songwriters, composers and publishers in its recently concluded fiscal year: $1.335 billion, up or 8% over the year before.

“In addition, BMI’s total domestic licensing revenue exceeded $1 billion for the first time, driven by phenomenal growth in the digital sector,” it said. “The company also continued to set revenue records, bringing in $1.409 billion, a 7% increase over last year.” (It will report a slightly different number based on new accounting guidelines for how to recognize revenue earned in one year but collected in another.)

President/CEO Mike O’Neill called it “a year marked by incredible challenges” but said “the power of music is stronger than ever.”

It said total domestic revenue was driven by a 47% increase in digital licensing revenue.

“Digital audiovisual services contributed greatly to the increase, thanks to new agreements with several FAST (free ad-supported TV) services, strong growth from subscription video-on-demand services including Disney+, Hulu and Netflix, and the proliferation of direct-to-streaming film premieres on services such as Apple, Amazon, YouTube and Fandango NOW, among others. The company also forged new licensing agreements including Fortnite, and renewed agreements with Spotify and Pandora, among others.”

But BMI reported declines in its media licensing and general licensing categories due to the pandemic.

“Total domestic media licensing revenue, comprised of cable and satellite, broadcast radio and television, posted an 11% decline from last year to $469 million.”

It said radio posted a $50 million decline year to year, “due to a combination of the ongoing impact of the pandemic on advertising and the one-time retroactive payment included in last year’s radio total that resulted from BMI’s rate court settlement with the industry.”

 

The post BMI Reports Record Distributions appeared first on Radio World.

Borrell Associates has just completed the analysis of its survey of local ad agencies, and it is now releasing the findings.

What’s the biggest takeaway for the radio industry, or for TV industry executives?

Radio is the largest non-digital media among agencies buying and/or managing media for clients, the survey finds.

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It’s the best Hispanic Radio Conference ever, and you won’t want to miss a minute of it.

 

 

Don’t miss the EDUCATION.

• Learn how the pandemic has reshaped programming and redefined executive vision.
• What’s new at the FCC, and how will future regulations and initiatives impact Hispanic radio growth?
• Where are revenue opportunities most likely to flourish, and what categories will be up/down over the next year for Hispanic radio?
• Get the straight scoop from ad agencies on how marketing and advertising strategies have changed since COVID. Share the IDEAS. • Join forces with other Hispanic radio broadcasters to brainstorm strategies focused on garnering a larger share of the ad pie.
• Gain at least 5 new insights about multicultural marketing to millennials.
• Find out how podcasting can help build your brand — and make money (hint: it’s not all ad revenue, either). Be INSPIRED

• Don’t miss this year’s Medallas de Cortez awards presentation, celebrating the best of the best in Hispanic radio.

 

 

The Hispanic Radio Conference is an annual opportunity to share ideas, discuss, and debate challenges in a multi-platform world, and network in a unified setting. Check out the complete agenda here! Register today, and if you are staying in Miami, don’t forget to take advantage of our limited room block at the Intercontinental at Doral.

 

We care about your safety and comfort. The conference will be presented in a larger than customary conference room to provide maximum space and more distancing. And read here for how the Intercontinental has strengthened procedures designed to give you greater confidence and protection throughout all of the hotel’s facilities.

 

NEW YORK — The VAB, which advocates for television industry sales growth initiatives, has moved forward with the launch of a Measurement Innovation Task Force.

This group, the VAB says, “formally mobilize a highly effective group of the top strategic minds in research, analytics and insights from TV publisher companies to accelerate the pace of overdue innovation in media measurement and currency.”

Already committing to the MITF: NBCUniversal and former Nielsen executive Kelly Abcarian. 

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RCA President David Sarnoff at the dedication ceremony for the RCA Building at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York, the debut of television broadcasting. Photo: Getty Images/Bettman

SMPTE has named radio and television innovator David Sarnoff to posthumous honorary membership, the society’s highest accolade.

Honorary membership recognizes individuals who have “performed distinguished service in the advancement of engineering in motion pictures, television or in the allied arts and sciences.”

NBC was incorporated by RCA on this date (Sept. 9) in 1926.

The long list of notable names on SMPTE’s Honor Roll includes Walt Disney, Ray Dolby, Thomas Edison, Lee de Forest and Vladimir Zworykin.

“David Sarnoff is added to the Honor Roll for his visionary leadership in the advancement and implementation of color television and other communication technologies,” the organization sated.

[Read a bio of David Sarnoff.]

“Throughout his career as both a business and technology leader, David Sarnoff had material impact on advancing television and the allied arts and sciences. His understanding that radio signals could be ‘broadcast’ to many, and not be limited to a point-to-point communications channel revolutionized communication to the masses, starting with radio and later through the development and advancement of television.”

It noted that Sarnoff established “a highly productive and successful research and development lab to fuel innovation of new communications technologies. His support of innovation at the RCA Laboratories in Princeton, N.J., led to the establishment of the U.S. color TV standard in 1953 that served as the fundamental approach of monochrome-compatible color TV systems around the world.”

SMPTE also announced a number of other awards and scholarships.

The post SMPTE Honors David Sarnoff appeared first on Radio World.

In December 2020, TEGNA‘s Board of Directors authorized the renewal of its share repurchase program — a decision that allows the company to repurchase up to $300 million of its issued and outstanding common stock over the next three years.

On Thursday morning, the owner of broadcast TV stations, two digital multicast networks, a podcast network and Connected TV/OTT advertising platform Premion “updated” its repurchasing plans.

How so? It is accelerating the repurchase of shares, and it is “driven by accelerated achievement” of TEGNA’s leverage target.

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From our Who’s Buying What page: Cherry Creek Media will use in-dash Visual Quus from Quu Inc. in its radio markets.

Quu adds dynamic visuals to radio broadcasts. “Visual Quus are synced on-screen messages like text, logos, and images on vehicle dashboards related to radio station and client on-air content,” the company explained.

The announcement was made by Jonathan Brewster, CEO of Cherry Creek Media, and Steve Newberry, CEO of Quu.

Newberry said Quu’s web-based software allows stations to publish synced artist, programming and sales messages on vehicle dashboards as often as they want.

Send announcements for Who’s Buying What to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Cherry Creek Media Will Use Visual Quus appeared first on Radio World.

TEGNA-owned Quest, the 24/7 adventure and exploration digital multicast network, has launched an ad-supported free streaming service — a move that could widen its reach.

The streaming app offers on demand programming from a catalog of factual entertainment, science, history and engineering programs, and daring adventure-reality series.

The Quest app is available on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android and iOS.

Brian Weiss, VP of Entertainment Programming and Multicast Networks at TEGNA, says,  “Coupled with our prior launch of the True Crime Network streaming app, this launch furthers TEGNA’s commitment to providing outstanding ad-supported entertainment products to our viewers.”

Seriesavailable to stream include entertaining and informative fare, such as The Aviators, Scrap Kings, Mayday, Huge Moves, Monster Moves, Giant Lobster Hunters, Chasing Monsters and Aussie Gold Hunters. More series will be added in the coming months.

The app will also feature Farpoint Film’s Ice Vikings. For the second season premiering on Quest and streaming in October 2021, TEGNA will serve as a co-production partner. The Quest streaming app will also feature documentary originals such as WFAA’s award-winning VERIFY “Road Trip: Climate Truth” and more from TEGNA stations later this year.

A new webcast from Radio World will highlight the latest products from broadcast infrastructure suppliers and the major radio technology themes of the NAB Show.

The webcast, streaming on Sept. 30 and available on-demand afterwards, features a series of five-minute interviews with technology sponsors, creating a fast-paced look at their newest offerings.

“These next few months are a time of transition for our industry, with some major trade shows resuming while others have been pushed back again into next year,” said Editor in Chief Paul McLane.

“But whether you can attend these events or not, it’s important to stay on top of new products and technology. That’s what this webcast is all about: bringing you face to face with manufacturers to learn what they’ve been working on. And we’ll get a look too at themes of the Broadcast Engineering & IT Conference of the NAB Show including hybrid radio, the performance of all-digital AM in electric vehicles and other topics.”

Participating suppliers include Comrex, RCS, Telos Alliance, Wheatstone and WorldCast Systems.

Registration is free.

https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/3408988/C2FEA8E8AC6DC8212A6D2A016A670933

The post “Radio Face-2-Face” Features Latest Products appeared first on Radio World.

Philip Falcone‘s re-emergence as the CEO of Sovryn Holdings, following his not-so-savory split with HC2 Holdings in June 2020, has captured headlines across 2021.

Under his leadership, HC2 was a buyer. Now, Sovryn is shaping up to be an acquisition player, too.

Falcone has just signed off on paperwork that will bring him a Big Apple low-power TV property.

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