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The announced launch this week of the “BetQL Audio Network” by Entercom Communications appears to have sparked much-needed investor interest in the audio media company that owns podcast players Cadence13 and Pineapple Street, the Radio.com audio streaming platform, and broadcast stations such as WFAN in New York.

Entercom stock was up by more than 10% as the conclusion of Friday’s trading on the NYSE arrived.

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Here’s the good news: Global advertising spend is expected to grow 5.8% in 2021 as the industry begins to recoup the 8.8% fall in 2020 brought about by the impact of COVID-19.

Now, the not-so-great news from Dentsu: digital is expected to account for half of all expenditure for the first time.

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The first dentsu Ad Spend Report since the global pandemic began anticipates that $579 billion USD will be spent globally, with all regions enjoying positive growth.

Digital is powering the recovery, with Social (18.3%), Search (11.0%) and Video (10.8%) expected to benefit the most.

That said, television will benefit — we believe — from the postponed 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. Concerns over a possible cancellation loom large, and this could impact NBCUniversal in the U.S.

Even if the Olympics are to occur, the positive signs of momentum in 2021 won’t fully recover the carnage the pandemic brought to advertising.

“A return to pre-pandemic levels of advertising spend is unlikely until 2022, when spending is likely to reach $619 billion and grow at a rate of 6.9%,” dentsu says.

“While a return to growth will be welcomed all round, the road to recovery for marketers should be supported by investing in ways that will put consumer intelligence at the heart of their business strategies,” notes Peter Huijboom, Global CEO Media for dentsu international. “We know from our own CMO survey that understanding consumer behavior in a post-pandemic world is the biggest challenge marketers face. To build hyper-empathy in this new reality will require a real focus and investment in data, e-commerce, and new technologies like connected TV as well as building deeper partnerships across all areas of the industry.”

For the U.S., the 2021 growth forecast is at 3.8%, compared to a 7.5% decline in growth in 2020.

For 2022, the forecast is for 8% growth.

In Canada, the 2021 growth forecast is pegged at 7.2%. But, the Canadian economy suffered -9.6% growth in 2020.

Meanwhile, Italy and Spain are set to experience tepid growth after major 2020 contractions.

By media, global shares of ad media spend show flat growth for radio (5.8%), with a slight dip to 5.5% in 2022.

Meanwhile, global TV ad spend is in a slow decline, moving to 29.9% in 2021 from 31.1% in 2020. It is forecast for 29.6% in 2022.

The deadline to file the 2020 Annual Children’s Television Programming Report with the FCC is Saturday, January 30, reflecting programming aired during the 2020 calendar year.

But, since this date falls on a weekend, you have until the end of day Monday to make your submissions, Scott and Lauren Flick of Pillsbury Law note.

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Other than the signing of conservative Republican U.S. Senator Josh Hawley to its Regenery publishing arm after Simon & Schuster cancelled its book deal with the politician following the January 6 Capitol insurrection, Salem Media Group has issued no official announcements of any kind.

Could investors nevertheless be concerned about Salem?

Friday’s trading session saw Salem shares decline sharply, and on heavy volume.

But, the dip came one day after SALM finished at its highest COVID-19 era value.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — With WGN America set to rebrand itself as NewsNation, building on the Nexstar Media Group-owned cable network’s prime-time news block, a new Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief is settling in Inside the Beltway.

It’s an individual who reports to VP/New Jennifer Lyons that helped Norah O’Donnell get settled in to new D.C. environs in 2020.

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As Cox Media Group stations formerly owned by Brian Brady‘s Northwest Broadcasting cheer their return to Suddenlink lineups across the U.S., Apollo Global Management-controlled CMG faces another retransmission consent battle.

This one involves one of the nation’s two direct broadcast satellite providers.

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The FCC has released what it’s calling the “anticipated agenda” for the next virtual meeting of its Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE).

The online gathering is scheduled for February 11.

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He spent more than 45 years in the radio broadcasting industry, with notable rock ‘n’ roll stints in Western New York, Tampa-St. Petersburg and San Diego. But, he’s most likely remembered as a champion of spoken word radio, thanks to his tenure as News/Talk/Sports Editor for the defunct Radio & Records and, later, at the helm of his own daily e-newsletter.

Al Peterson, who recently retired and lived in Rancho Bernardo, Calif., has died. He was 68.

RBR+TVBR OBSERVATION by Adam R Jacobson: It’s been a rough 48 hours. First, I learned of the loss of longtime mentor and friend Bill Tanner. Then, I received word that my last boss at R&R had died. It’s rough because Al was just wonderful to so many across the industry. (SEE FULL TEXT BELOW).

 

News of Peterson’s passing first surfaced late Thursday and was confirmed early Friday by RBR+TVBR. Former colleagues Steve Resnik and Kevin Carter, partners in RAMP: Radio and Music Pros, were the first to share the news on their website.

They sourced a private message posted on Facebook that provided details of Peterson’s passing. He died “a little over a week ago.” And, he did not die of COVID-19.

Rather, Peterson succumbed from an unusual series of events that led to oxygen being cut off to his heart, his brain and his lungs. His family noted that his death was sudden.

Per Peterson’s directive, his organs were harvested for transplant. According to AllAccess, Peterson’s liver has already resulted in a life-saving transplant of a woman in Southern California. Additionally, enough skin, bone, tissue and other transplantable features could potentially help more than 60 people.

FROM ‘MAGIC’ TO ‘NTS’

Peterson began his career in programming, and on the air, in Rochester, N.Y. In one of his first leadership roles, Peterson was appointed Program director of WMJQ-FM “Magic 92” in Rochester, which switched from News on February 1, 1977 with a Album-Oriented Rock approach similar to what could be heard on stations such as “Love 94” in Miami and, later, at WMMO-FM in Orlando. Previously, Peterson was the production director for WBBF-AM and WMJQ’s predecessor.

Peterson would work crosstown at WHFM, and then relocate to Tampa. There, he programmed WQXM, the original “98 Rock.”

In 1981, he famously jumped across town to Rocker WYNF-FM, sparking a memorable AOR war as “95YNF” rattled “98 Rock” while WRBQ “Q105” commanded the remainder of the young adult and youth audience.

One year later, however, in 1982, Peterson would depart WYNF to join Pollack Communications as VP/Programming and Research.

There, he supervised research for stations consulted by the company, working alongside Jeff Pollack.

From 1983-1993, he headed his own program and management consultancy while also serving as an affiliate consultant to Unistar Radio Networks‘ 24-hour format division.

Then, in October 1993, Peterson was named VP/Operations for PAR Broadcasting, a San Diego-based entity that owned KGMG, KIOZ and KKLQ-AM & FM “Q106.”

Coverage of Al Peterson being named VP/Operations of PAR Broadcasting in October 1993.

At Q106, Peterson’s duties included ensuring the continued success of its morning show, hosted by Jeff Detrow (today the afternoon co-host for Educational Media Foundation’s Christian Contemporary KLOVE network) and Jerry St. James.

Peterson would remain at PAR through the end of 1997.

That’s when he would make a career pivot that would firmly establish him as a trusted voice and columnist for the Talk radio community, as he joined R&R as News/Talk/Sports Editor.

It was a role he kept through R&R’s August 2006 merger with Billboard Radio Monitor, exiting in April 2007 to start up his own operation under the “NTS MediaOnline.com” name.

Peterson would publish NTS MediaOnline Today through Dec. 16, 2016 as an afternoon e-newsletter. Sales was handled by Oklahoma radio station owner Brooke Williams, a SVP/Membership of the RAB who is also a R&R alum.

Peterson is survived by his wife, Cindy, and his children Adam and Rebecca. “We will honor his wishes with a BIG celebration of his life once the world opens up again and we can all be together to laugh, dance, eat, drink and pay tribute to the wonderful life he had,” his family said via Facebook, RAMP 24/7 reports.

In lieu of flowers, the Peterson family asks that donations be made to one of Al’s favorite charities, San Diego Food Bank.

RBR+TVBR OBSERVATION — by Adam R Jacobson

It’s been a rough 48 hours. First, I learned of the loss of longtime mentor and friend Bill Tanner. Then, I received word that my last boss at R&R had died. It’s rough because Al was just wonderful to so many across the industry.

Al arrived a year and a half after I began at R&R. I was hired by one of his predecessors, Randall Blooomquist, and we had a shared passion for rock ‘n’ roll, Tampa, San Diego, and reporting the facts in a fair and honest environment. 

Over the years, Al and I had formed a strong bond, culminating in his informal oversight of daily news operations in the final months of R&R as a Perry Partners-owned operation. On the morning staff learned via media reports that VNU was merging R&R and Billboard Radio Monitor, Al was one of the first people I contacted. 

Later, as Al would launch his own publication, I kept in regular contact even as I had moved on from covering the radio business. It was one way to stay connected, and up to date on everything in the Talk radio world, which he conquered at R&R through conferences dedicated to the Spoken Word format. Those events were among the most remembered by legions of radio industry executives, because it attracted heavyweights including Paul Harvey.

Al’s death was shocking to read. Then, I learned of his wishes. No funeral. Donation of body parts to those in need. That warms my heart, because it confirms just how wonderful of a man Al was.

I’m sure I’m not alone with those sentiments.

The continuing saga of the man known for his quixotic quest to annul an Entercom Communications transaction consummated a quarter-century ago, an individual who is losing ownership of all but one of his radio stations, has reached its zenith, thanks to a judge presiding in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Ed Stolz on Thursday afternoon was ordered to surrender to U.S. Marshals in Riverside on Groundhog Day, at exactly Noon Pacific.

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The order from Judge Jesus Bernal signaled what many who have been observing the case, WB Music Corp., et al v. Royce Intl. Broadcasting Corp., et al: Bernal has lost patience with Stolz.

Importantly, the order to surrender comes after Stolz was held in contempt of court for failing to respect Bernal’s prior orders and a January 12 petition submitted to the court by attorneys Fred Heather and Rory Miller at Glaser Weil Fink Howard Avchen & Shapiro on behalf of the court-appointed receiver of Stolz’s three FMs.

That would be Larry Patrick, Managing Partner of Patrick Communications and the operator of radio stations in Wyoming. Patrick was appointed the receiver of Class A KRCK-FM 97.7 in Palm Springs, Calif.; Class A KREV-FM 92.7 in Alameda, Calif., with coverage of the city of San Francisco and Oakland; and Class C KFRH-FM 104.3 in North Las Vegas, Nev. by Bernal in July 2020.

The naming of Patrick and assignment of the stations’ license to him came after the stations failed to pay ASCAP license fees “over several years” and continued to broadcast songs written and published by the group’s members without permission.

Faced with the loss of ownership of the three stations, Stolz engaged in a series of actions that obstructed Patrick from gaining full control, and moving forward with their sale.

VCY America Inc., the Wisconsin-based non-profit religious broadcaster that gains a considerable foothold in California and in Sin City with its Christian Talk & Teaching programming, is set to become the FMs new owner. It is agreeing to pay $6 million for the properties — per agreement signed not by Stolz but by Patrick.

VCY is all but ready to assume control. It immediately paid $5.4 million in cash, with the remaining $600,000 considered as an escrow payment.

However, Stolz is engaged in “ongoing disobedience,” Patrick’s legal counsel argued. Bernal agrees.

Most recently, Patrick’s attorneys said, Stolz instructed James Palomares — the sole remaining full-time employee of the three stations — to publish a number of post-filing announcements required by the FCC as part of the broadcast license transfer process to VCY. But, Stolz intervened, the attorneys claim. He demanded that Palomares not do so. The act is necessary in order to make the license transfer happen.

“Enough is enough,” the attorneys wrote. “The court is well familiar with Mr. Stolz’ antics, and has already been forced to hold him in contempt and order him jailed in order to secure his compliance with the receiver’s efforts.”

Now, it appears Stolz has run out of further opportunities to concoct a scheme that, somehow, would allow him to retain control of the trio of FMs; a spoken-word AM owned by Royce International serving Las Vegas is not included in the lawsuit.

And, it seems Stolz is now without legal counsel. On January 6, Dariush G. Adli filed a motion to withdraw as counsel of record for Royce Broadcasting.

He will need a new lawyer by February 4.

That said, he will most likely be in the custody of U.S. Marshals on that date.

 

A new free ebook explores what will happen next, now that the Federal Communications Commission has given the OK for U.S. AM radio stations to turn off their analog signals and switch on all-digital HD Radio if they wish.

Which broadcasters might implement the technology? What would your station need to do to convert? How can you estimate costs; what guidance can your transmitter manufacturer provide? 

The ebook, co-sponsored by Xperi, includes interviews by Radio World’s editorial team with several broadcasters who have firsthand experience of airing the MA3 mode of HD Radio, plus experts at NAB, Cavell Mertz, Nautel and several other radio companies.

Read it here.

The post AM All-Digital: Ready to Go appeared first on Radio World.

Marcus Doucette takes requests for “Let’s Hear It,” a weekly request show.

The author is a partner at Inrush Broadcast Services.

MILWAUKEE — 88Nine Radio Milwaukee (WYMS/88.9 MHz) is a catalyst for creating a better, more inclusive and engaged Milwaukee through music and stories created for a culturally open-minded community. Their studio facility, built in 2013, is located in the Third Ward neighborhood. All of their programming, including their subchannel 414 Music exclusively devoted to local music, originates from those studios today.

When 88Nine moved into their new space, the studios were filled out with a combination of Telos Hx1 hybrids and an Nx12 talk show from the old building. In a call back to the 1970s, POTS service was dropped directly into the new building and distributed to studios via Cat-6 patch panels.

However, being forward-thinking in both programming and technical areas, Radio Milwaukee adopted the VX in early 2015.

To allow staff a chance to establish a comfort level with the new system, the VX first replaced the Nx12 in the main air studio while the scattered Hx1 hybrids remained. The staff found the transition to be seamless as the phone module of the Axia Element console displayed the lines identically. A VSet12 12-line phone was also deployed in the air studio for talent that was more comfortable with a more traditional phone instrument.

The improved audio quality and increased reliability of VoIP was immediately noticeable, all while operational telecom expenses were reduced dramatically.

When the VX was implemented in 2015, it connected to our VoIP provider Flowroute directly over the public internet, and has performed flawlessly ever since. In 2020, as we planned our migration to Flowroute’s more robust peering infrastructure, we chose to forgo this direct connection.

We instead made the VX an endpoint on the facility’s newly commissioned Asterisk-based VoIP PBX and trunked the PBX to Flowroute. This will allow the staff to make extension-to-extension calls (when they’re finally back in the building) and enables unified telecom administration.

The VX still performs flawlessly behind the VoIP PBX. Creating additional extensions has been a breeze and we’ve been able to quickly add phone numbers in Flowroute, map those numbers to extensions in the PBX, and add them to the VX.

Since 88Nine is a fully Axia-based facility, this can all be done remotely in a matter of minutes — one of many conveniences afforded by VoIP and AoIP during the pandemic.

In the main studio, the VX has been an integral part of “Let’s Hear It,” a weekly request show hosted by Marcus Doucette for many years. It also allows 88Nine to continue interacting with their local community on a more individual level through frequent contesting and listener contributions.

After the VX deployment in the main air studio, we began looking at expansion to the other studios. A backup control room also featured an Axia Element console with a phone module, so a VSet telephone was purchased and it was configured as a mirror of the main studio.

However, the staff found that they preferred to only use the Element phone module for control in that environment. With the versatility of the VX ecosystem we were able to use the VSet in a production studio that already featured an Axia iQ console. Creating the additional studio and show in the VX was just as simple as the main studio. It was far more time-consuming to remove the Hx1 and its wiring than configuring the new hybrid in the VX!

During the pandemic, the VX has been indispensable.

Pledge drives at the station normally featured a full phone bank of volunteers and multiple hosts on a stage, pitching for the station. This year, during two different pledge drives, access to the studio space was severely restricted. The VX served as a simple method for getting multiple hosts on the air, with one staff member in the studio and others into a dedicated VIP line. Other calls are handled on the additional hybrid channel and regular call-in group.

The Omnia audio processing built into VX makes these phone calls sound clean and full.

In the future, the remaining production rooms will have VSets installed so the VX can handle telephony for the entire studio facility. Retiring the remaining POTS hybrids won’t have the same cost savings as with the main studio since these last few lines are already running on ATAs [analog telephone adapters], but it will continue to simplify management and provide a consistent studio experience for the staff. We’re pleased with the VX’s ability to grow and change with the facility over the years and we rest easy given its flawless track record since it was installed.

For information, contact Cam Eicher at The Telos Alliance in Ohio at 1-216-241-7225 or visit telosalliance.com. For integration information, contact Brian Sapp at Inrush Broadcast Services in Chicago at (312) 872-8911 or visit inrush.net.

Radio World User Reports are testimonial articles intended to help readers understand why a colleague chose a particular product to solve a technical situation.

 

The post User Report: Telos VX Builds Community in Milwaukee appeared first on Radio World.

Shure MV7 microphone shown in a promotional image. It is available in silver, shown, or black.

When a Shure representative contacted us to promote their new MV7 podcast microphone, we were interested to learn that one of its users is New York Public Radio. So we pursued a Q&A with Jim Stagnitto, director of engineering for the organization, which is the home of WNYC and WQXR, to ask about the mic but also get an update on the station’s remote operations.

Radio World: We did a story a while back about how the pandemic had affected NYPR’s workflows. Can you update readers; to what extent is NYPR is getting back to normal?

Jim Stagnitto

Jim Stagnitto: NYPR has announced that we’ll remain in work-from-home mode until at least the end of our fiscal year in June, and make firm plans to return once the availability of a vaccine is confirmed.

This situation has revealed something to us that we would not have considered for normal operation — that is, having talent broadcast from home on a daily basis using the various codecs in our equipment storehouse.

Remember, it’s not just point-to-point audio of our on-air talent that’s needed for the creation of our shows; there are remotely located show directors, producers and screeners, and they all need computer access, intercom, telephone screening and call selection, and integration of remote interview guests.

We’re finding that it works; and it has been working reliably, thanks to all of the efforts of our broadcast and IT engineers.

RW: Shure tells us that the station is using one of its new models as part of the WFH strategy. What has been your experience with it?

Stagnitto: The first month of the COVID-19 lockdown, it was madness. We were making a lot of our solutions up on the fly.

Fortunately, we had enough codec kits and ancillary equipment to get us started quickly. I can’t say enough good things about all of our equipment suppliers; they were right there for us, ready to help with whatever we needed, and we were able to deploy more remote kits pretty quickly.

We’re now up to 25 kits in circulation using hardware-based codecs, along with mics, stands and other equipment. These traditional kits can be mighty expensive. Certainly, we did not budget for this type of expansion of our remote gear.

Now, with the work-from-home scenario going much longer than originally expected, we have increased need to deploy a lot more remote kits for both WNYC and classical WQXR. They would need to have high-quality connectivity and sound on a lower budget.

One way to do this is to utilize software-oriented codecs, and we’ve been looking into different ones we could deploy. A typical kit would be shipped to talent in a flight case and could possibly have a tablet type computer, a pair of headphones and a Shure MV7 Podcast Microphone with a desk stand. That’s pretty much all that would be needed.

For the record, in order to do this review, Shure kindly provided us with sample MV7 microphones, and once we saw what the mics could do for us, allowed us early access to purchase a number of units, so we could fabricate our remote kits as soon as possible.

In the studio, one of our standard in-house microphones is the Shure SM7B. For our kits, we were looking for something that would come close to the quality of the SM7B and had tested some of the current USB microphones on the market.

Rear view of the MV7 (black model)

Some were very good, however we’ve found that the Shure MV7 performed best for our use case — it doesn’t sound exactly like an SM7B, but the Shure MOTIV software gives you the opportunity to tailor the sound of the microphone so you can get a sound similar to what we get in our studios.

An added benefit of the MV7 is the touch panel control on the microphone body that lets the user adjust the microphone’s gain, headphone volume and monitor mix. Should you want to operate the system utilizing the MOTIV software you would have an option to lock these settings, and more, as a preset.

Our plans are to configure the microphone settings in advance, lock them and ship the kit. All the recipient will have to do is plug the mic into the tablet’s USB port, follow the directions to connect back to our Master Control and begin speaking.

RW: How has the organization’s approach to content production and remote work in general evolved — what has been learned since the earlier days of the pandemic?

Stagnitto: The pandemic has changed how we’re handling production. You can have producers receiving remotely recorded sound files, editing them in their at-home system, and then electronically sending them back to our main studio to go into our on-air play-out system. With the proper attention to detail, it’s working amazingly well.

Many of our hosts are recording and broadcasting live from typical New York City apartments, and this is another place where the performance of the MV7 microphone excels. It is a dynamic microphone, tuned for the voice — it’s not going to pick up a lot of subway rumble or street noise as you might with a condenser microphone. We don’t have to worry about putting up a lot of sound absorption materials in somebody’s apartment. The microphone has a very tight cardioid polar pattern, so off axis audio is very efficiently rejected.

We’re aware that we are in our talent’s homes, so if we can use the technology to help us get as close to a studio sound as we can without turning their living room into a studio, that’s a big plus.

RW: What else would your engineering colleagues be interested in knowing about that microphone or the broader workflows now at the station?

Stagnitto: With the MV7, Shure gives the user most of the tools they need to tailor and process the sound of the microphone; to be able to use the microphone in a less-than-optimum physical space.

It really is an “all in one” package. If you feel you need to use mic processing, you can do so, using Shure’s downloadable MOTIV software. Using this, you can access the MV7’s processing, including a built-in compressor, equalizer, and limiter. Once you get a sound you like, you can save your settings as a preset.

The software package also has a setup page for those who simply want to choose some preconfigured presets using all of the above mentioned audio tools. In addition, if you have the need to simultaneously feed a second audio device, the MV7 has a direct analog XLR output of the dynamic microphone.

In a traditional remote broadcast package, using a computer and a software-based codec or recording package, you would start with a good quality microphone, possibly followed by a mic processor, and a separate USB audio interface to connect to your computer to both send and receive audio. With the MV7 Podcast Microphone you’re giving the broadcaster or podcaster all of this. Everything that is needed to create a good quality product from home, built into one unit.

The post Shure MV7 Finds a Home at NYPR appeared first on Radio World.

Rob Babin has been named senior VP, radio, at Cox Media Group. He succeeds EVP of Radio Bill Hendrich, who retired.

The announcement was made by President/CEO Dan York, who called Babin “a collaborative and agile executive, with deep industry and CMG expertise and passion for everything he does.”

[Read: Daniel York Named Cox Media Group President and CEO]

Babin will oversee the company’s 65 radio stations in 11 markets. “He will focus heavily on achieving CMG’s Radio strategic growth objectives while maintaining CMG’s industry leading content, impactful community engagement, and growth-focused culture,” according to a statement. Cox Media Group also owns 35 TV stations plus various streaming and other digital platforms.

Babin’s past roles include regional VP for five Cox radio markets (Miami, Houston, Tampa, Fla., San Antonio and Long Island, N.Y.); VP/market manager for CMG Miami radio; director of sales and general sales manager for CMG Atlanta radio (WSB, WSB(FM), WALR, WSRV); and general sales manager for CMG Orlando radio (WWKA).

“In his most-recent role, Rob was VP/market manager for CMG Atlanta’s award-winning and market-leading radio brands: WSB, WSB(FM), WALR and WSRV; and CMG Athens radio: WRFC, WGAU, WGMG, WXKT, WPUP and WNGC.”

He is a board member of the Georgia Association of Broadcasters and the Radio Advertising Bureau.

 

The post Cox Names Rob Babin Head of Radio appeared first on Radio World.

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Cox Media Group and Altice USA/Suddenlink have reached a new multi-year retransmission consent deal for the ongoing carriage of CMG stations on Suddenlink lineups in Tulsa; Memphis; Spokane; Eureka-Arcata, Calif.; Greenville-Greenwood, Ms.; and Alexandria, La.

The agreement means that Suddenlink customers will have access to CMG’s station content, including local news, weather, sports, traffic and entertainment.

“The parties wish to thank consumers for their patience during this negotiation,” they said.

More Friday from RBR.com