She began her career in 1997 as an assistant assignment editor at WPXI-11, Cox Media Group’s NBC affiliate in Pittsburgh.
Now, after some time in the South, she’s coming back to the Keystone State to serve as President/GM of a TEGNA ABC affiliate.
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Mark Chernoff, the veteran programming executive who is one of four members of the New York State Broadcasters Association (NYSBA) Hall of Fame Class of 2021, is stepping down on June 30.
While that puts a firm date on previously known news he’d be calling it a day, it is only now known who will be taking on the VP/Programming role for what is perhaps Audacy‘s most prestigious asset: Sports Radio WFAN-AM & FM in New York.
It’s hardly a surprise. The job is going to Spike Eskin.
Eskin is the Brand Manager of Sports WIP-FM, which successfully transitioned from Rocker WYSP, in Philadelphia. He’ll serve as the programming chief for not only the WFAN on-air brand, but also for CBS Sports Radio.
The transition date is July 1.
“Spike has the vision, creativity, and drive to craft the next chapter of the iconic and influential WFAN brand,” said Chris Oliviero, SVP and Market Manager for Audacy/New York. “Along with CBS Sports Radio, his experience will be ideal … As a long-time colleague of Spike, I am excited that he has joined our all-star team and have no doubt that he will succeed.”
Eskin added, “I’m humbled and excited for the opportunity to help lead WFAN into its next chapter. It’s an iconic station with incredible talent, and I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’m grateful to Chris Oliviero and Audacy for the opportunity. Working at 94WIP over the last decade has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I’m grateful to David Yadgaroff for his belief in me and the staff who stepped up to every challenge.”
Eskin has been Brand Manager of 94WIP since 2014. Prior to that, Eskin held additional on-air and programming roles at the station and was a member of the WYSP staff.
On April 19, RBR+TVBR exclusively reported on the sale of WNUE-FM 98.1 in Deltona, Fla., as part of Entravision’s wind down of operations in the Orlando DMA.
The buyer is the operator of a “positive & encouraging Christian radio” non-commercial Contemporary Christian Music network, and programming has already shifted from secular Spanish-language programming.
Now, this Christian broadcast ministry is growing again, with the addition of FMs in the Treasure Coast and in the state capital.
Radio Training Network Inc., a Georgia-based non-profit corporation that owns The Joy FM, is agreeing to purchase WTSM-FM 97.9 in Woodville, Fla., presently an ESPN Radio affiliate, and Adult Contemporary WHLG-FM 101.3 in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
WTSM is a Class A covering Tallahassee from the southeast. WHLG’s Class A signal covers Martin and St. Lucie Counties, including Stuart and Fort Pierce; it is not to be confused with the original WHLG, at 102.3, which is today WMBX-FM.
The seller is licensee WJZT Communications, and licensee WHLG FM LLC, doing business as Horizon Broadcasting Co., led by Christopher D. Smith.
The deal was struck on May 5, with an asset purchase agreement posted to the FCC’s LMS after hours on Tuesday (5/11).
With Melissa G. Repp representing the seller, Horizon is pocketing $1.3 million from the asset sales.
A $65,000 escrow deposit is being held by Fowler Media Consulting, led by Todd Fowler, the buyer’s broker. Representing the seller is industry veteran Jay Meyers, of Broadcast Management & Technology.
With the divestments, Horizon’s holdings are reduced to WSBH-FM 98.5 in Satellite Beach, Fla., and WGSX-FM 104.3 in Lynn Haven, Fla. The station serve Melbourne and Panama City Beach, respectively.
For The Joy FM, the Florida footprint will now extend to the Panhandle, and closer to South Florida.
Listener-supported, The Joy FM in 2021 celebrates its 35th year of operation.
Alphonso Inc., recently rebranded as LG Ads, has successfully won a patent dispute with the developer of a content recommendation engine and viewer tracking application designed for Smart TVs regarding the use of television audience data for targeting viewers on digital devices.
It concludes 5 1/2 years of litigation, including a December 2018 Federal District Court ruling in Alphonso’s favor.
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If you didn’t think anyone could make money podcasting, think again.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has just released its U.S. Podcast Advertising Revenue Study, and it reveals that podcast advertising will grow as much in the next two years as it did in the past decade.
Do you want to learn how you can get in on some of that revenue? Join us in July for our virtual podcasting conference:
Driven by a strong Q4 in 2020 (+37%), podcast ad revenues climbed to $842 million in 2020, up from $708 million in the year prior.
IAB projects podcasting will see $1 billion in ad revenue in 2021 and $2 billion in 2023.
Here are additional highlights from the IAB report:
The largest African-American owned media company superserving Black consumers across the U.S. has released its first quarter earnings report. And, like many media companies, the first three months of 2021 weren’t so rosy.
That set, the seeds for a strong COVID-19 pandemic recovery have been planted, and the digital dollar tree — like that of its peers in the media industry — is blossoming.
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In the early 2000s, Adam Curry (along with software developer Dave Winer) invented podcasting.
Today, Curry — once-known for his stints on Z100 in New York and on MTV — is reinventing podcasting with a new open-source platform called Podcasting 2.0, a collection of open technologies designed to enhance the RSS podcasting ecosystem.
On July 14 at Streamline Publishing’s virtual How to Make Real Money Podcasting conference, Curry will participate in a keynote interview.
In addition to his new Podcasting 2.0 platform, Curry will reveal how his 14-year-old podcast, “No Agenda,” pulls in thousands of dollars per episode — enough money for himself and co-host John C. Dvorak to make a living.
Just last week, one listener to the No Agenda show donated $3,333.33 because he felt that’s how much value he was getting from the show.
Curry and Dvorak are generating the kind of money every podcaster would love to have, and they are doing it without a single advertiser, network, or appearance on Apple’s New & Noteworthy. In July, you’ll hear all the secrets to their success.
Curry and Dvorak have created more than just a podcast with No Agenda. It’s a dedicated tribe of followers who just can’t get enough of their favorite hosts, including listener-generated meet-ups and a No Agenda social media platform.
You’ll find out how he built it all on July 14 at our How to Make Real Money Podcasting virtual event.
REGISTER HERE BEFORE THE PRICES GOES UP! You CAN Make Money Podcasting From the comfort of your own home, office, or vehicle, you’ll find out how.“The equity markets have transitioned from looking to buy COVID winners in early to mid-2020 to seeking re-opening plays post the announcement of new successful vaccines last November to this current amorphous period of aimless drift,” notes MoffettNathanson Senior Analyst Michael Nathanson. “In our world, the question is what should media and internet investors do now?”
Should they keep last year’s streaming trade on? What about that short-lived (and memorable) rotation into media stocks? Now that they’ve worked so well, are the moves in Facebook and Google over?
He offers his thoughts in an investor note distributed Tuesday.
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Urban One is the next media company to present its first quarter earnings report. And, it hosts a conference call Wednesday at 10am Eastern to share its performance with analysts and shareholders.
RBR+TVBR will have full coverage of the company’s financial results in the afternoon headlines e-mail.
The company’s fourth quarter and full-year 2020 earnings were nothing short of spectacular. Net revenue in Q4 rose to $113.5 million, from $105.85 million a year earlier. At the same time, operating expenses on a consolidated basis fell to $79 million, from $93.79 million. This was driven by lower programming and technical expenses and lower selling, general and administrative expenses.
This resulted in an operating income gain in Q4 2020, jumping to $34.53 million from $12.06 million.
General indices declined on Tuesday, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped by 1.4% to 34,269.16 and the Nasdaq slipped by just 0.09%, to 13,389.43.
How did radio and TV industry stocks fare? Action was mixed.
Aside from Saga’s big surge, Townsquare Media and iHeartMedia were softer. In contrast, Nexstar Media Group grew again.
Five days ago, Saga Communications delivered first quarter results that were less than stellar. Expense reductions were not enough to prevent Saga from seeing its net income dip to $758,000 ($0.13 per share) from $1.68 million ($0.28). However, Saga’s debt leverage ratio is 0.92, with just $10 million in long-term debt.
That could be particularly attractive to investors. It’s just one theory as to why Saga shares rocketed upward by 30% on Tuesday.
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On April 9, the FCC established a formal pleading cycle that seeks public comment on iHeartMedia‘s request to win Commission approval for greater foreign ownership and non-U.S. investment.
It is tied to the audio media giant’s petition for declaratory ruling seeking FCC approval of a stake in the company controlled through Bahamas-based Global Media & Entertainment Investments Ltd. by one of Great Britain’s wealthiest individuals.
Legal counsel for this person, Michael Tabor, have now responded to the Commission. In the filing, GMEI’s position is clear: the PDR represents iHeart’s desire to use the FCC as a “poison pill.”
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NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith delivered remarks today at the association’s State Leadership Conference. The annual gathering of 500 radio and TV station owners and executives from all 50 states is designed to educate the broadcast industry to advocate on relevant legislative and regulatory issues.
This year’s conference is a virtual-only event and saw Smith delivered prepared remarks. They touched on his year-end retirement, and on the year that was for the broadcast media industry.
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Big retailers aren’t exactly plentiful when it comes to spot TV advertising.
However, one nationally recognized department store chain opted to use broadcast TV to perhaps drum up some Mother’s Day register ring-ups.
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It’s always exciting to see activity from a new advertiser, or an entirely new category, at Spot Radio.
The latest Media Monitors Spot Ten Radio chart delivers, with a new entrant representing the ride-share industry now actively using AM and FM stations to attract customers.
Now at No. 8 is Uber, which is engaged in a larger multiplatform marketing effort to win back riders as the pandemic eases in many parts of the U.S. Uber is present with some 32,479 spot plays.
That tops GEICO, which appears to be in a soft cycle with respect to advertising against Progressive. Of late, the latter auto insurance specialist has been omnipresent across audio, with its humorous voiceover artist intent on saying “bulbous walrus” one of the more entertaining commercial campaigns of late.
Not to be confused with V/O babble, Babbel — the online language-learning tool — remains strong at Radio, with some 46,568 spins detected for the week of May 9.
Here’s this week’s Spot Ten Radio report in full. It includes promotional spots airing on stations owned by Media Monitors parent iHeartMedia, which should be subtracted by readers who seek fully-paid advertiser data for their own sales department needs.
If you think this is just another streaming CTV/OTT puff story, you’re wrong.
Amagi serves broadcasters with advanced cloud-based automation, playout, and delivery. And, Amagi’s products enable the creation, distribution, and monetization of channels such video services as streaming, OTT, and, of course, traditional broadcast.
Mike Woods joined Amagi right before the pandemic in February of 2020 as SVP of Product. In this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, Woods shares how Amagi is working with broadcast media companies and how the broadcast TV station owner can benefit, rather than fret, over lost dollars and audience to fast-growing digital video delivery platforms.
Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: Mike Woods, Amagi” on Spreaker.
Veritone says it has made “enhancements” to its cloud-native, AI-enabled media management platform, the Veritone Digital Media Hub.
Why does this matter?
While COVID-19 has created additional challenges for content creators during the production process, remote collaboration, compatibility with their existing applications and the ability to extract increased value from their existing content will remain even in a post-pandemic world. Veritone Digital Media Hub’s new features – including an annotation tool, data export tool and content notifications – are designed to meet these challenges by prolonging the lifespan of existing content by easily searching and identifying segments in both archived and newly produced content, the company says.
Powered by aiWARE, these new features, Veritone notes, “will assist current and future customers to rapidly curate and activate assets to increase content discoverability, operational efficiency and revenue opportunities in content creation.”
New enhancements to the solution include:
“Our enhancements to Digital Media Hub, coupled with the power of aiWARE, will give current and future media and entertainment customers a new way to visualize, edit, and engage with their content and its associated data,” Veritone President Ryan Steelberg President. “This will provide them with greater control over their content by increasing the accuracy of how their content is tagged, giving them more ways to export it, and helping them stay on top of what is currently available in their library, which will culminate into more licensing and revenue opportunities. Additionally, these new capabilities have piqued the interest of our state and federal government customers too, and we look forward to expanding the value of Digital Media Hub into those markets as well.”
For more information on Veritone’s Digital Media Hub, visit: https://www.veritone.com/applications/digital-media-hub.
A new DAVID IV 719N FM/HD Radio Broadcast Processor with Network Interface has been added to the lineup of tech products available from Inovonics.
The company says it provides eased internet access for set-up, control, and increased networking capabilities to the DAVID IV 719 processor.
There is no price increase for the new 719N processor model.
“Adding the Network Interface to our popular 719 processor really gives it two very important features,” Inovonics President/CEO Ben Barber says. “One, the Web GUI can be controlled from any web enabled device; and two, adding SNMP makes remote management and control a breeze.”
The 719 DAVID IV processor was originally launched in 2011.
The New DAVID IV 719N model adds an intuitive, menu-driven Web interface for remote set-up, monitoring, and control.
UPGRADE PROGRAM: Inovonics will provide Free upgrades to 719 users that purchased their processors from January 1, 2020 to May 2021 (transport not included). For those with 719 processors purchased before 2020, there will be a $500 upgrade fee + transport to convert their 719 units to the new 719N model.
For more information about price and availability, please contact Inovonics Sales Department a 831-458-0552 | Email: sales@inovonicsbroadcast.com
BOCA RATON, FLA. — Xytech, the facility management software maker serving broadcast media, has appointed Rob Evans as Product Manager for Broadcast and Transmission Products and Linda Staudenmaier to the role of Director of Professional Services for ScheduALL users.
The appointments follow the closing of Xytech’s acquisition of ScheduALL from Net Insight.
A veteran of ScheduALL, Evans has more than 25 years of experience in broadcast media. He transitions from ScheduALL, where Evans served as a Senior Product Architect, researching complex client environments, and designing contribution and distribution scheduling solutions for video transmission.
“I’m excited to put my industry knowledge at the service of the Xytech community and look forward to show ScheduALL customers our upgrade path,” Evans said. “The industry we serve continues to change rapidly and we have to be nimble and innovative to stay relevant.”
Staudenmaier joins Xytech from production platform The Switch, where she served as Vice President of Enterprise Applications, Software Development and IT. Before that, she spent more than 10 years as the Senior Implementation and Professional Services Manager at ScheduALL.
“I’m thrilled to join the Xytech team during such an exciting time of growth,” Staudenmaier said. “As the leader in its space, Xytech sets the pace when it comes to resource management for media and broadcasters. My extensive background in software and experience working with top-tier broadcasters will be put to good use. I look forward to continuing assisting users through their ScheduALL journey.”
Staudenmaier will be based at the Plantation, Fla. office, and report to Xytech’s Stefan Nied, ScheduALL’ s Managing Director.
In the British live TV show “Dancing on Ice”, a figure skater is skating among the dancers with a Sony HDC-P50 camera and Canon HJ14 lens. This broadcast camera is stabilized and remote-controlled through a NEWTON system and the results are unique in the broadcast world.
DANCING ON ICE
Dancing on Ice is a British television series that features celebrities figure skating with professional skating partners in front of a panel of judges. Each season has 10 shows that airs live on ITV from January to March and each show has around 6 million TV viewers. The series started in 2006 but was cancelled in 2014 and then revived in 2018 with a new TV studio at RAF Bovingdon. With the revival, the production hired Alan Wells Camera Services, which supplies a rail cam along the skating rink and since the 2019 season has helped introduce a new camera angle to the show, the Ice Cam.
THE ICE CAM
The Ice Cam consists of the figure skater Jordan Cowan, wearing a Ready Rig that holds a NEWTON stabilized remote head. The head features a Sony HDC-P50 broadcast camera and a Canon HJ14 lens that is remote controlled by cameraman Dominic Jackson, through the renowned NEWTON control panel at a normal operator’s desk.
JORDAN – THE SKATING CAMERA DOLLY
Jordan Cowan is an American figure skater who used to compete in the national team, and since a few years, he is bringing cameras onto the ice to film figure skaters under the name “On Ice Perspectives”. In mid-2018, Cowan heard through a friend that the producers of the reality show “Dancing on Ice” in London, UK were looking for a cameraman who could skate. Jordan explains: “I contacted the producer and showed them some of my recent video productions. They liked it and hired me for the 2019 season, making me the first ever skating camera operator for a live televised skating show.“
DEVELOPING THE ICE CAM
Cameraman Domenic Jackson had operated a Steadicam on “Dancing on Ice” for several seasons and he used to walk out on the ice, with spike shoes, to shoot links in and out of dance numbers. In October 2018, ITV asked Alan Wells to put together a rig that could move faster on the ice and replace the Steadicam. Alan Wells first thought of a push trolley featuring a remote stabilized camera head but soon abandoned it for a handheld solution. The outside broadcast company Telegenic supplies the cameras and lenses for “Dancing on Ice” and with their input, the team at Alan Wells customized a Ready Rig so it could control a Sony HDC-P1 camera and Canon HJ14 lens. This was achieved by adding carbon fiber brackets on the Ready Rig so it could hold a NEWTON stabilized remote head, which is rarely used handheld, but that Alan Wells use for broadcast on cable cams and rail systems. Unlike typical handheld gimbals, NEWTON has a control panel that features a standard broadcast setup for camera angle and lens, which is much more suitable for professional TV cameramen.
During the development of the camera rig, the team at Alan Wells had conference calls with Jordan and when he arrived from USA, they could do the final customizing to Jordan’s body and arrange the balance of the gear to allow full movement. They also met up with the “Dancing on Ice” production at the Bovingdon studio, to do tests with camera supervisor Lincoln Abraham and director Nikki Parsons. The final wireless camera rig, the Ice Cam, weighed 15 kg and included an RF system for data communication, a Boxx Link for video, batteries and a monitor so Jordan could see the picture.
Jordan comments the weight:
“The rig could be lighter, but NEWTON was the only gimbal that could keep a steady horizon through all the twists and turns at high speeds on the ice, while carrying the standard 4.3-60 mm zoom lens. NEWTON also requires less clearance for the 3-axis motors which, while requiring counterweights, meant I could let the rig hang close to my body and thus keep it close to my center of balance.”
AT THE TV PRODUCTION
Dancing on Ice is rehearsed on Saturdays as they do a full camera run-through of all music numbers and this amounts to three rehearsals per dancing couple. Then on Sundays all the links are rehearsed with the presenters and there is a full dress run before the live show at 6 PM.
Since Dominic had been a camera operator on the show for several seasons, he knew the format well but controlling a skating camera was new. He soon realized that he needed line of sight to Jordan so he arranged his control desk so he always could see where the camera was in relation to the dancers. Apart from hearing production talkback, Dominic and Jordan have a radio system that allows them to talk to each other.
Jordan is an experienced skater, so he knows how skaters behave and to read their movement during the show. However, he had only filmed skaters with a DSLR gimbal before and never on a TV set, so he had a steep learning curve about live TV production; Technical sides and terms, to count bars and beats whilst listening to the director, the PA and Dominic, being aware of other cameras, what shots are before and after to keep out of the other cameras. Jordan elaborates: “Dominic has been an essential part of the show for me and his experience working with Nikki was invaluable. We work closely together on headset the entire weekend through rehearsals and the show. Dominic taught me everything I needed to know to work in a live multi-camera broadcast situation and taught me how to translate Nikki’s shot cards. He’s been a great mentor as well and I’m lucky to have learned so much from someone so experienced in live broadcast television.”
THE POSITIVE RECEPTION
The new perspective of the Ice Cam was well received by the UK TV viewers and after the first season in 2019, Dominic Jackson and Jordan Cowan were nominated for the GTC Awards for Excellence. The Guild of Television Camera Professionals stated the following reason for their nomination:
“A whole series of brilliant teamwork bringing some spectacular shots that fitted in seamlessly with the live performances and the rest of the camera coverage. The addition of the Ice Cam to the show helped audiences get closer to the action and feel as though they were on the ice with the skaters. I don’t believe anything like this has been done on an ice-rink on a live broadcast before and the skill and synchronization required of Dom and Jordan deserves an award.”
Jordan continues: “The Ice Cam revolutionized Dancing on Ice and gave audiences a new way to appreciate the real speed skaters experience on the ice. The 360 degree shots also let us see the back of the studio and audience for the first time, something the show’s set designer really appreciated because he always puts work into making a full 360 degree experience. In December 2020, another British show, The Real Full Monty on Ice, also brought in the Ice Cam with me skating and Alan Wells in person behind the NEWTON controller.“
MORE REMOTE CAMERAS ON THE SHOW
Apart from the Ice Cam, Alan Wells Camera Services also supplies another NEWTON stabilized remote head moving on a Ross Furio dolly on a completely bespoke track designed to follow the oval shape of the ice rink. The NEWTON stabilization helps transition between different radius curved track and the remote head controls another Sony HDC-P50 with Canon HJ14 lens which unlike the Ice Cam is cabled to the production. The company also supplies a hothead above the ice rink which offers shots of the skaters and the light projections on the ice.
WHAT’S NEXT?
After the 2021 season of Dancing on Ice, Jordan Cowan will continue to develop his “On Ice Perspectives”. He explains: “I want to keep pushing myself into the professional TV and movie world, because I believe that seeing skating in television, movies and on live TV shows is going to be so important for the future of this sport.
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