Radio+Television Business Report

LOS ANGELES — For some, she’s fondly remembered as promoter “Bobbi Flekman” in the 1984 cult classic This is Spinal Tap. Most people know her as “The Nanny.”

Now, she’s succeeding Gabrielle Carteris as President of SAG-AFTRA.

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Fran Drescher has been chosen by the union’s national membership to fill the role, while Joely Fisher will serve as the next Secretary-Treasurer.

Their two-year terms began immediately upon the certification of the ballot count on Thursday (9/2).

It was a tight race, with Drescher seeing a strong competitor for the role that Carteris announced in June she’d relinquish. She’d been SAG-AFTRA President — and a highly vocal one — since her election in April 2016. In the election for president, Drescher received 16,958 votes, followed by Matthew Modine with 15,371 votes.

For the post of secretary-treasurer, Fisher received 18,547 votes, followed by Anthony Rapp with 13,593 votes.

A total of 122,154 ballots were mailed. Of the total number of votes, 32,362 were returned, equating to a return of 26.49%.

Commenting on her election, Drescher said, “Together we will navigate through these troubled times of global health crisis and together we will rise up out of the melee to do what we do best, entertain and inform. We must never forget the important contribution we make to many millions of people each and every day when they buy a ticket to sit in a dark theater or turn on their TVs or streaming devices. Our chosen professions within the SAG-AFTRA membership have literally gotten Americans to laugh, to learn, to momentarily escape that we are all in a pandemic. We members serve an invaluable purpose in the grand scheme of things. We must never forget who we are and what unites us as one union.”

SAG-AFTRA’s National Executive Director is Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.

With her election, Fisher continues a family tradition of union service, a path blazed by her mother, Connie Stevens, who served as secretary-treasurer for the Screen Actors Guild. Fisher’s acting credits include the role of “Paige Clark” on the Ellen DeGeneres sitcom Ellen, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress, Series, Mini-Series or Television Film.

SAG-AFTRA’s executive vice president, as well as the seven category and geographical vice presidents, will be elected by delegates at SAG-AFTRA’s biennial convention.

The event, which will be held October 15–18, will take place virtually, making it the latest affair to forego a live, in-person venue.

— RBR+TVBR West Coast Bureau, in Redondo Beach, Calif.

With growing calls for the Biden Administration to offer its nomination of an individual to serve as the official Chairman of the FCC, the NAB has filed comments with the Commission as part of its latest quadrennial review of broadcast ownership rules by staying the course on its quest to further deregulate the radio industry.

Given the chatter around D.C. over who would take over for Jessica Rosenworcel, the NAB’s words could easily fall on deaf ears.

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The owner of an AM radio station with an FM translator has decided to sell the properties.

How appropriate. The licensee’s name is Sellers Broadcasting.

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Showing proof of a COVID-19 vaccination may be just one requirement the NAB is putting in place in order to attend the 2021 NAB Show in person come October 9 in Las Vegas.

The industry’s chief voice on Capitol Hill for broadcast TV and radio on Thursday left the possibility of a mask mandate open. It says a decision on mask requirements will be made in accordance with the CDC, the Nevada Governor, the Southern Nevada Health District and the Clark County Commission.

That decision will be made closer to the show. But, it signals the possibility that the event, even though it will prohibit unvaccinated attendees from participating, will still require mask use at all indoor events.

As stated above, proof of vaccination will be managed through CLEAR’s free mobile app and Health Pass feature or by a Vaccination Concierge Service before and during the Show.

The holidays, which we all assumed would be fairly normal this year, are just around the corner and unless things get better in a hurry, will be another source of stress in the lives of listeners. Radio can help  make a difference this year with more than Christmas music, says Andrew Curran, President/COO of DMR/Interactive.

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Cars are becoming smart and connected, opening up a wide range of new use cases and business models for the audio industry.

The topic is explored in depth in a new report from Futuresource Consulting.

Although global car sales were heavily impacted in 2019 and 2020, long-term market growth is expected, with car ownership growing strongly in emerging markets as developed market demand recovers.

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TEGNA has selected the first Thursday in November as the day it will share its third quarter 2021 fiscal results, and hold a conference call with analysts and investors to review and discuss its performance in the period.

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He’s been largely known as an outspoken African-American owner of broadcast television stations in Indiana.

Now, DuJuan McCoy is getting attention for deciding to team up with a data scientist to launch what’s being called eMedia Augmentation Co. LLC.

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Former HC2 Holdings leader Philip Falcone has emerged as the head of a new entity seeking to build a collection of low-power TV stations as part of a spectrum play.

He’s signed off on several deals across 2021. Now, he’s putting his signature on an asset purchase agreement involving a California property.

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The entity that today holds a majority interest in Cox Media Group has filed paperwork with the FCC that confirms a change of sorts is underway.

In short, a successor corporation to Apollo Global Management is being formed, as the founding investors in AGM will relinquish their present control.

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The Media Rating Council on Wednesday saw its Board of Directors vote in favor of a suspension of the MRC’s accreditation of Nielsen’s national television service. Perhaps more notably, the MRC also yanked the current accreditation hiatus status designation from Nielsen’s Local People Meter and Set Meter Markets and suspended accreditation for these markets.

Nielsen CEO David Kenny commented on the action in a note to its clients. In short, he’s doubling down on his “confidence” in audience measurement many have questioned.

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Innovation. It’s a word not commonly used by an owner of radio stations. But, Capital Broadcasting Co. is unique, in many ways.

In this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, Capital VP of Radio Brian Maloney offers an exclusive look inside a company that was first to embrace HD Radio and more recently helped bring NEXTGEN TV to fruition.

What is it like being a leader for such an operation? Why are there THREE Sports Talk brands in Raleigh? Is Capital in it for the long-term, one of two independents in a market with few national media companies?

The answers to those questions and more can be found in this fresh podcast. Listen now!

 

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: Brian Maloney” on Spreaker.

It’s an OTT platform that says it wants to be the “Netflix of Live, Local, and Free” TV. Now, it is getting a programming boost from Cox Media Group‘s broadcast television stations, thanks to a newly inked agreement.

The VUit ad-support, free-to-access national streaming service will be adding local news channels featuring content from the broadcast TV channels CMG owns in Boston, Atlanta, Seattle-Tacoma, Orlando and Charlotte.

The deal with CMG expands VUit’s local news coverage to “more than 150” of the 210 total markets nationwide, New York-based VUit says.

VUit, competing against online platforms such as NewsON and Haystack News, seeks to attract viewers with more than just news reports and newscasts. For example, it broadcast the 2021 Iditarod Sled Dog Race produced by Gray Television-owned KTUU-2 in Anchorage. In another example, LinnMar High School’s graduation ceremony from Marion, Iowa, was streamed by Gray-owned KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and was accessible to those across 65 DMAs.

VUit is owned by OTT industry player Syncbak, led by CEO Jack Perry. He says, “Hyperlocal news is no longer just for those living in the community.  There’s an appetite for these stories well beyond the local broadcasters’ markets. Cox is the perfect partner to amplify VUit’s content offerings, and we’re excited to be able to bring the high-quality content of their local stations to viewers nationwide.”

Marian Pittman, Cox Media Group’s EVP of Content, Product & Innovation, added, “We continue to see enormous opportunity for local news on digital platforms to not only drive revenue but to extend the quality of our reporting reach of hyperlocal news across the country. We’re thrilled to partner with VUit to make this happen.”

In addition to Gray and CMG, VUit has contracts with Cowles Media Co., based in Spokane; Heritage Broadcasting Group; and Morgan Murphy Media.

Fort Wayne, IN – Northeast Indiana Public Radio, the licensee for 89.1 WBOI – NPR News & Diverse Music, WBOI.org, WBOI Studios Podcasts, and Classical WBNI is searching for a new General Manager.

Summary and Responsibilities:
The GM is responsible for the strategic and creative vision, and daily operation of Northeast Indiana Public Radio (NIPR) in alliance with NIPR’s overall mission. The GM heads efforts to develop partnerships across the coverage area and ensures financial stability through ongoing fundraising efforts and cost control. The GM leads all aspects of broadcast and digital broadcast and digital programming, including revenue generation, programming, operations, marketing, and staff, while growing the audience to fulfill the goal of becoming an essential local institution throughout Northeast Indiana and the listening area.

This position will build on a brand and image that reflects the potential of Indiana public radio’s market. The GM will transition NIPR to its exciting new location in downtown Fort Wayne, IN and will execute a programming vision to grow diverse, cross-platform audiences including digital and podcasts.

Plans and leads all activities of a public broadcasting operation:
Complies with federal, state, and local regulations, including all Federal Communications Commission rules and regulations.
Responsible for the direction, development, and leadership of staff.
Obtains external funding from federal and state funds, foundations, and major donors; ensures effective membership drives, makes personal solicitations of major gifts and writes grant applications.
Secures external grant funds to support station activities.
Secures major gifts.
Strategic direction and oversight for budget, expenditures, and long-term financial sustainability.
Expands opportunities for public broadcasting beyond traditional areas to broaden funding base and external support.
Leads programming, marketing, outreach, engineering, and business operations.
Serves as a non-voting member of the NIPR Board, attending all meetings.

Required qualifications and education:
Bachelor’s Degree required, preferably in business, broadcasting, or related fields.
Five years senior management experience in broadcasting or related fields.
Demonstrated ability to manage, lead, and supervise other professionals.
Demonstrated success in leading fundraising and securing external funding and grants.
Experience participating with a Board in strategic planning and decision-making.
Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion initiatives to ensure creative service to the community and team.
Demonstrated positive interpersonal skills.
Demonstrated excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Community-focused, passionate about our region, and effective at growing revenue, and philanthropic support.

The GM reports to and supports the leadership expectations of the Board and fosters a culture that inspires excellence, diversity, equal opportunity, and a welcoming work environment. Preferred candidates have significant experience working in public media, fundraising, radio program production, contracts, and grants; and/or have experience in leadership overseeing a journalistic operation.

How to apply:
Please email a cover letter and resume no later than September 22, 2021, to: wboinextgeneralmanager@gmail.com.

On the application, please provide names, phone numbers, and email addresses for three professional references. Applicants selected for interviews may be required to take a personality/communication style survey and be available for in-person interviews in Fort Wayne, IN.

In a stunning and sudden development, Locast — the controversial local TV via IP-delivery service that built its operation around a donation-based model, thus avoiding retransmission consent fees — has suspended operations.

The decision comes less than 48 hours after a New York Federal District Court declined to honor Locast’s request for summary judgment in a case focused on copyright infringement brought against the operation by the nation’s “Big Four” broadcast TV networks.

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SPRINGFIELD, VA. — Regular listeners to Hubbard Broadcasting’s experimental AM offering what literally is engineering maestro Dave Kolesar‘s iTunes playlist in “crystal clear” HD Radio may be wondering why they only received the analog signal for the station today.

Kolesar tells RBR+TVBR there’s a perfectly good explanation, and it involves a request from HD Radio’s parent.

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ATLANTA — With its outer bands prompting tornado warnings as a suspicious package led to the temporary lockdown of Concourse F at Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport on Tuesday afternoon, Hurricane Ida’s travel complications were somewhat minimal. To the north in Arlington and Alexandria, Va., a ferocious series of lightning strikes pounded the Washington, D.C., suburbs across the 3am hour.

Down in New Orleans, the cleanup from the storm is underway. The damage to the market’s radio and TV stations is now being assessed. It’s not pretty.

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It was only a matter of time.

The Media Rating Council on Wednesday saw its Board of Directors vote in favor of a suspension of the MRC’s accreditation of Nielsen‘s national television service.

It is also removing the current accreditation hiatus status designation from Nielsen’s Local People Meter and Set Meter Markets and will suspend accreditation for these markets.

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In a statement released midday Wednesday, the MRC said the changes will become effective in mid-September.

The changes come following the August 12 notification by MRC to Nielsen that the possibility of a suspension action for its National Television service had come to fruition. The MRC followed up with a similar warning to Nielsen for its Local Market service on August 20.

Regarding the Board’s decisions concerning the Local Market services, the Board chose to end the hiatus status that had existed for those markets since January 2021 after Nielsen’s confirmation to MRC on August 17 of its intention to add Broadband-Only (BBO) homes to its local panels in October 2021.

“Based on continuing issues with the Local Market services, some of which parallel those of the National Television service, as well as the Board’s assessment of Nielsen’s ability to appropriately integrate BBO viewing at a local market level at this time, the Board additionally suspended the accreditation for the Local Markets as well,” the MRC says.

Commenting on the decision, MRC Executive Director and CEO George W. Ivie said,  “While we are disappointed that the situation has come to this, we believe these are the proper actions for the MRC to take at this time.” He added that the MRC’s Board of Directors, which includes advertisers, agencies, and media companies of all types, “is strongly unified” in its position on the matter.

Meanwhile, Ivie reiterated that the MRC “stands committed in our willingness to work with Nielsen toward the goal of being able to restore accreditation to these important services at the earliest possible time, and it is our hope that Nielsen likewise will continue to engage with MRC and its clients in pursuit of that goal.”

RBR+TVBR has contacted Nielsen for comment.

As advertisers wrestled to recalibrate their media spending in the pandemic, they didn’t overlook a “seismic shift” to Connected TV platforms. In fact, eMarketer estimates that “CTV” U.S. ad spending grew by 40.6% in 2020. Today, networks are continuing to place a greater emphasis on CTV within their upfronts.

What does this mean for broadcast TV and its clients? AudienceX COO Jason Wulfsohn shares his thoughts in an exclusive thought piece for RBR+TVBR.

By Jason Wulfsohn

The dynamics of the connected TV market fundamentally changed in 2020.

The sudden and significant audience growth in this channel has altered the trajectory of CTV advertising for the indefinite future.

For challenger and midmarket advertisers, it’s important to pay attention. As CTV grows and evolves, so too does the opportunity for brands with less formidable budgets to
strategically drive performance while tapping into the most powerful branding mechanism in the world.

With the lockdown of audiences in 2020, behaviors altered in many areas of their lives, which included spending a greater portion of their media time with streaming TV services. As advertisers wrestled to recalibrate their media spending in the pandemic, they didn’t overlook this seismic shift. eMarketer estimates that CTV U.S. ad spending grew by 40.6% in 2020 to more than $9 billion. That growth is accelerating this year, with CTV ad spend expected to hit $13.41 billion, and that figure is expected to go on to more than double by 2025.

Today, networks are continuing to place a greater emphasis on CTV within their upfronts. The majority of activity is occurring in programmatic channels, making CTV far more accessible to challenger and midmarket brands than broadcast and linear buys. This year, U.S. programmatic CTV ad spending will grow 54% to hit $6.73 billion, rising another 29 percent next year to $8.67 billion.

Big Brand Interest, Small Brand Advantage

The world’s biggest advertisers have started to get the message on the importance of CTV
within their overall media mix. However, many are still focused and heavily invested in linear broadcast advertising and are only shifting dollars toward CTV audiences at the margins of their spend activity.

For many big brands, CTV represents a way of incrementally extending their audiences beyond what they’re finding with the hundreds of millions they’re spending on linear. For challenger and midmarket brands, the CTV opportunity is quite different. These brands have largely been locked out of traditional TV advertising due to budget constraints. Limited linear TV inventory has typically been the playground of the world’s biggest brands and their correspondingly large budgets.

In this regard, CTV serves as the great equalizer for brands that can’t afford (and frankly don’t need) to buy into linear TV. By enabling smaller-scale buys that are targeted and addressable, CTV represents an asymmetrical solution that levels the playing field for challenger brands looking to drive performance in competitive markets. Even without broadcast-level budgets, these brands can drive share of voice where it matters most and do so in ways that integrate seamlessly with their online programmatic spend.

The CTV ad space will continue to evolve as bigger brands pivot their budgets in this direction, but the digital and programmatic nature of the opportunity—not to mention the growing audience and inventory opportunities—will continue to represent a significant competitive advantage for challenger and midmarket brands that embrace the opportunity. As a result, in the coming years, the competitive brandscape will evolve and diversify as well.

Those who want a preview of emerging category leaders need only tune into the CTV advertising space.

 

DO YOU DESIRE A DEDICATED PUBLICATION DEVOTED TO THE BUSINESS OF CONNECTED TV, INCORPORATING ‘FAST’ CHANNELS, SVOD and OTT? RBR+TVBR wants to know as we plan for the future today? Please share your thoughts with Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson via email at adam@rbr.com.

The National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC) and ACA Connects (ACAC), which sponsor the Independent Show, have decided to moved forward with a virtual 2021 event.

This, the organizations say, offers members and vendors with an opportunity to convene as an industry in the safest possible manner amid lingering uncertainty over the appropriateness of large in-person events.

In a statement released Wednesday, ACA Connects Chairman Patricia Jo Boyers explained, “After thoughtful discussion, ACA Connects and NCTC decided to take the Independent Show online next month because of difficult planning issues despite strong enthusiasm for such an important industry event to take place in Minneapolis. It’s the correct decision, with broad support from both ACAC and NCTC members. I’m positive the online event will be a smashing success.”

Outside of her ACA Connects role, Boyers is President of BOYCOM Vision in Poplar Bluff, Mo., a small MVPD and key ACA Connects member.

The 2021 Independent Show had been planned for Oct. 5-6 in Minneapolis; while the event had included a streaming registration option as a convenience for ACAC and NCTC Members who were unable to attend in person, this will now be the exclusive congregation point for attendees.

The decision to host the 2021 Independent Show online will not alter the meeting dates. The event agenda will remain as is, too.

“COVID-19 and the Delta variant have been a moving target. While our plan was to finally meet in-person, it has become more and more clear that it was not the responsible thing to do,” said NCTC CEO Lou Borrelli. “Nevertheless, the online show to me is a can’t-miss program, and I greatly look forward to seeing friends and members on the big screen.”

ACAC President/CEO Matt Polka (pictured, top left) joined NCTC’s Borrelli in endorsing the move to an online show given the current health environment. “We felt that transitioning the entire event to virtual was the best option and in the best interest of our members and vendor partners,” Polka said. “But let’s look at the bright side: We are going to keep all the great content we had planned as well as offer a few fun surprises for those who are registered for the virtual conference.”

Meanwhile, the NAB Show is moving full steam ahead with a full agenda of in-person events at the Las Vegas Convention Center — just days after the Independent Show concludes. The NAB is as of today only offering a smattering of NAB Show digital options; it is believed that the Radio Show is an in-person only event with no events streamed.

The Independent Show is an annual forum created to focus attention on the key public policy issues facing independent video and broadband providers and on other industrywide topics of concern and interest.