Radio+Television Business Report

On October 22, a 34-year relationship with Salem Media Group will conclude for the individual heading up national news and public affairs.

In more recent years, he has directed Salem’s Office of Government Relations.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

DAYTON, OHIO — Her career in the radio broadcasting industry started at “high-flyin’” WING-AM, at the time the Top 40 leader in the Gem City of Ohio. There, she rose to VP and Assistant General Manager following roles in promotion, marketing, and research.

In 1990, she became the first woman to manage a radio station in the Miami Valley, bringing WMMX-FM to life as “MIX 107.7.”

Now, Deborah Parenti, recently named President of the Radio, TV & Podcasting Division for Radio Ink, Podcast Business Journal and RBR+TVBR parent Streamline Publishing, is receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award for her positive contributions to Dayton radio.

The founding members of the Dayton Area Broadcasters Hall of Fame notified Parenti on Monday (9/27) of their intent to honor her with the award.

“Your achievements in the field of broadcasting have not gone unnoticed,” the group’s Jim Johnson, Sharon Howard and Retha Phillips said in their letter to Parenti. “The many recognitions that you continue to receive from the broadcast industry nationwide make it that much more deserved.”

The plan is for Parenti to be recognized at the next Hall of Fame event, which is yet to be scheduled owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parenti said, “I am so proud to have been a part of the Dayton broadcast community and to continue to watch and listen to the dedicated professionals who carry on the tradition of excellence that is part of Dayton’s media heritage. This is an incredible honor and I am truly grateful to so many here with whom I have had the privilege to work with over the years.”

Parenti’s career includes several years at Great Trails Broadcasting, which transitioned the Top 40 format from WING to WGTZ, creating “Z93,” a Top 40 leader across the 1980s. She later joined Stoner Broadcasting, serving as General Sales Manager at Stoner’s WDJX-FM 99.7 in Louisville before returning to Dayton in 1990 as VP/General Manager of the former WWSN. Under her leadership, the station would become WMMX “Mix 107.7,” a station that today remains one of Dayton’s most listened to FM radio choices.

Later, Parenti would become VP/GM of American Radio Systems’ Dayton group, earning a
major profile in the February 1997 issue of Working Woman magazine for her role in
developing one of the first consolidated radio sales platforms, “Radio First!” In September
1997, Parenti would leave her hometown of Dayton for a position as VP/GM of Beasley
Broadcast Group’s country-formatted WXTU-FM in Philadelphia. From 1999-2010, Parenti was a board member of Vox Radio.

Today, Parenti is again based in the Dayton area and has served as EVP/Publisher of what was formerly known as Streamline Publishing’s audio division since joining the company founded by Chairman/CEO B. Eric Rhoads in January 2007. She assumed leadership of Radio + Television Business Report with its acquisition by Streamline Publishing in February 2013. The company launched Podcast Business Journal in the late 2010s.

Parenti is also a Board Member of the Alliance for Women in Media. She completed NABEF’s
Broadcast Leadership Training Program in 2001. She also sits on the College Broadcasters Inc. advisory committee.

On June 3, RBR+TVBR first shared the news that Sinclair Broadcast Group had opted to sell its lone radio broadcasting stations — a pair of AM spoken-word stations, a heritage Hot Adult Contemporary FM, and an FM that simulcasts one of those big AM properties.

The transaction closed on Sept. 28, shifting ownership to a family-run broadcasting company with both Spanish- and English-language stations primarily across the Western U.S.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

He’s an investor, entrepreneur, cryptocurrency expert and host of the “Market Disruptors” podcast/YouTube series.

As of October 2, he’ll be adding Premiere Networks syndicated talk show host to his curriculum vitae.

Introducing “The Mark Moss Show,” hosted by Mark Moss.

It’s designed to be a three-hour weekend program, for a Saturday or Sunday slot at any time between 6am and Midnight.

“The Mark Moss Show” will also be available as a podcast on iHeartRadio, Premiere says.

Moss’s content is designed to assist listeners in comprehending Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies.

“We’re witnessing the most important technological revolution right now – it’s the greatest ‘asymmetric opportunity’ of our lifetime,” Moss said. “But to take advantage of this
opportunity, you need to have asymmetric information and you need to know what most others do not. That’s what I’m excited to share with listeners each and every week.”

Julie Talbott, Premiere Networks’ President, notes, “Mark is uniquely qualified to inform and educate audiences on how to make smart investments, grow their money, understand the financial markets and prepare for the future. He doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk.

“The Mark Moss Show” replay podcast is distributed by the iHeartPodcast Network and will be available on demand following the broadcast as three one-hour shows on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Radio station owner Saga Communications has declared a quarterly cash dividend payable on October 22 to shareholders of record on October 8.

The aggregate amount of the payment to be made in connection with the quarterly dividend will be approximately $960,000, as the quarterly cash dividend’s value has been pegged at $0.16 per share.

The quarterly cash dividend will be funded by cash on Saga’s balance sheet. Including this dividend, Saga will have paid over $73 million in dividends to shareholders since the first special dividend was paid in 2012.

Saga currently intends to pay regular quarterly cash dividends in the future as declared by the Board of Directors. “Consistent with returning value to our shareholders, the Board of Directors may also consider declaring special cash dividends, stock dividends, and stock buybacks in the future,” Saga says.

Saga owns or operates 79 FM and 35 AM radio stations.

Since joining ABC in 2015, she has managed such projects as “The Little Mermaid Live!,” “The Disney Family Singalong” franchises, “JEOPARDY! The Greatest of All Time,” “Shark Tank,” and the revival of game show “The $100,000 Pyramid.”

That track record has led Walt Disney Television to name this individual to the role of SVP/Unscripted and Alternative Entertainment at ABC Entertainment and Walt Disney Television Unscripted.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

Al Shuldiner isn’t the only Media Bureau leader seeking to bolster the Commission’s coffers by handing out more Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture letters to broadcast stations for a failure to follow the agency’s rules.

Barbara Kriesman, the Video Division Chief who works alongside Audio Division Chief Shuldiner, has been plenty busy with her own NALs to over-the-air TV operators.

In fact, two were released today to none other than the biggest licensee of TV stations in the U.S.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

One of the busiest broadcast media personalities in the world has committed to three more years of service to the nation’s No. 1 creator and distributor of audio content.

The new deal keeps Ryan Seacrest with iHeartMedia and in mornings at its KIIS-FM in Los Angeles through the end of 2025.

Under the agreement, for which financial terms were not disclosed, Seacrest will continue in his role as “one of the core personalities across all iHeartRadio platforms.”

Seacrest’s deal was negotiated by Jeff Refold, COO and CFO of Ryan Seacrest Enterprises, and Jonathan West at Latham & Watkins LLP.

This includes hosting the internationally syndicated On Air with Ryan Seacrest program, along with the current incarnation of American Top 40. He will also continue to work closely with Chairman/CEO Bob Pittman and President/COO and CFO Rich Bressler, “providing input into the company’s major initiatives and hosting several tentpole events.” This includes the two-day iHeartRadio Music Festival; New York City’s annual iHeartRadio Jingle Ball holiday concert; and, quite possibly, future trips to Cannes, such as his 2017 excursion.

In addition to those duties and his role as a co-host of LIVE with Kelly and Ryan, a Disney ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution production, Seacrest will continue as only the second morning host KIIS-FM has had in 40 years.

Seacrest has hosted the morning shift at KIIS since March 2004, taking over for Rick Dees. Dees exited the station a month earlier, and had been with KIIS since July 1981, moving from former Top 40 KHJ.

Now, Seacrest’s tenure will be extended to beyond 30 years, making it longer than that of Dees, who became a globally known air personality at KIIS some eight years after his novelty song “Disco Duck” put him on the Top 40 as a recording artist in fall 1976.

“Continuing my relationship with iHeartMedia was a no-brainer,” Seacrest said. “Thirty years speed by when you love what you do. I get to live out my dream every day by interacting with our listeners and hearing their stories. Thank you to Bob and Rich and the entire iHeartMedia team for continuing to support us and grow with us.  And a special thank you to my on-air crew, the best team in radio, for making the show work seamlessly every day.”

Seacrest first arrived in Los Angeles by joining Lisa Foxx as the hugely successful afternoon co-host of KYSR-FM, then a Pop/Alternative known as “Star 98.7.” Before that, he was a popular air personality for Jefferson-Pilot’s WSTR “Star 94” in Atlanta, discovered by then-station head Tony Novia; Seacrest was a regular caller who, through perseverance, found his way into the studio and on the air.

Bressler added, “We are honored to continue working with Ryan, who has consistently delighted audiences both digitally and in-person with his knowledge, energy and trustworthiness. Ryan is truly unique in the world of entertainment, with a keen eye for business and the talent to match. His impact is unparalleled, and we congratulate him on nearly three decades as part of the iHeartMedia family.”

RBR+TVBR OBSERVATION: Congratulations to Ryan Seacrest for extending his iHeartMedia deal. He’s certainly integral to the iHeart machine, given his role as the host of AT40 and his syndicated On Air with Ryan Seacrest, which can be heard practically everywhere these days. That said, we wish iHeart would reconsider his role at KIIS-FM. Like the last years of Dees, his predecessor, the ad revenue may be decent. Like Dees, his predecessor, some of the ratings in particular demos may be good. But, Seacrest no longer fits what the biggest Top 40 station in the nation needs to be, unless KIIS wants to become a broad mass-appeal Hot AC and model itself after 104.6 RTL in Berlin, perhaps the most successful contemporary music station in the world. Seacrest would be best served, in our view, as the morning host of Hot Adult Contemporary KBIG “My104.3,” which could use a nice bump. It would complement Adult Contemporary KOST, with former Dees sidekick Ellen K, kicking butt in wake-ups. And, it would allow KIIS to send “97.1 NOW” off by playing Taps as the Audacy FM is rumored to be prepping a flip to Sports Talk. KIIS’s NEXTGEN morning host could be someone of the Olivia Rodrigo generation, one who knows the leads of “Cruel Summer” (not the Bananarama song but the Freeform limited series) and likely follows them on Instagram alongside Kaitlyn Dever. Seacrest’s star power notwithstanding, it’s time for KIIS-FM to bring in someone a 22-year old Latina can relate to — not their moms.

In late 2019, Richard French’s RNN and Ted Bartley‘s NRJ struck a deal that saw French’s broadcast TV company acquire 8 stations in a $81.2 million deal in which Moelis & Company served as the seller’s broker/financial adviser.

Now, RNN is selling one of those properties — a UHF station serving the Hawaiian Islands.

The buyer? Look no further than the ABC affiliate in the 50th state. It’s a deal that creates a duopoly for a man intent on creating the nation’s largest TV station ownership group.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

Townsquare Media, the “local first” company that uses digital media, programmatic solutions and its radio stations to best connect brands with listeners across small and mid-sized U.S. markets, has locked in the date it will release its Q3 2021 financial results.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

Pierre Bouvard, Chief Insights Officer of Westwood One and its parent, Cumulus Media, is well-known for being the radio industry’s biggest cheerleader. Every week, his blog posts illustrate the continued strength of a business that continues to lose dollars to digital media and lacks respect among many Madison Avenue decisionmakers.

Perhaps that will soon change, as he’s now taking the lead position of Cumulus’ newly created “audio media and creative advisory group for marketers and agencies.” 

Introducing the Audio Active Group (AAG), described as a “natural evolution from a sponsor-focused research and insights group to a true comprehensive marketing advisory.”

How so? The Audio Active Group seeks to partner with clients to measure the impact of the entire audio campaign — not just the Cumulus/Westwood One investment.

It will specialize in audio creative best practices, media planning, strategic allocation within radio, and measurement of the entire radio investment.

“One-third of brands in audio today are new to the medium. As major brands discover audio, they have lots of questions about audio creative strategy, media planning, and campaign measurement, and we have a deep understanding of what audio campaigns can accomplish,” said Suzanne Grimes, EVP, Marketing for Cumulus and President of its Westwood One national radio arm. “Under Pierre’s deft leadership, we are the only company that measures the impact of the entire audio investment and uses our trove of creative-testing and campaign-effectiveness data to help guide clients’ media investments and creative strategy.” 

The Audio Active Group publishes weekly audio insights, advertiser case studies, and sales videos:   ·        The Audio Active Group’s weekly reports and the latest up-to-date audio insights are available here.  ·        The Audio Active Group’s library of weekly sales videos is available here. 

During the 2020 Christmas season, a well-known brand of TexMex-style food products integrated some of its offerings into a Lifetime yuletide yarn. The products also found their way into one of Food Network’s top cooking programs.

Did those product placements translate to a bump in sales? TV measurement and analytics firm 605 and the company that handled the product integration agreements teamed up to find the answer.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

For two generations of Top 40 radio listeners, Saturday evenings may have involved tuning in to a syndicated program that was never shy to play a European dance track or take requests from those tuning in across the U.S.

John Garabedian‘s “Open House Party” was a fave from Poughkeepsie to Eureka, with its roots at iHeartMedia-owned WXKS-FM “Kiss 108” in Boston, where Garabedian first found success with the program.

Garabedian sold “Open House Party” to United Stations in 2012, and retired as host on January 28, 2017. But, he was still active in radio, thanks to his ownership of four FMs and two FM translators on Cape Cod.

That ownership is about to end, thanks to a deal brokered by Kalil & Co.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

On September 17, RBR+TVBR readers first learned about some of the key findings in the just-released study, “The Future of Audience and Revenue,” produced by Futuri, with the assistance of SmithGeiger. On September 24, a White Paper with further details from the study was released.

With many insights for radio and for television, we asked Daniel Anstandig, founder and CEO of Futuri Media, to summarize much of the 36-page report. He obliged and is our guest on the latest InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM.

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: Daniel Anstandig” on Spreaker.

SWANSEA, WALES (U.K.) — With the announcement this month of the cancellation of NAB 2021, Quicklink has announced a series of virtual NAB 2021 webinars.

They’ll occur on October 5 and 6, during which the Quicklink team will announce and give a first-look at the Quicklink Virtual Event Production Solution.

The product gives users “professional, high-quality guest contributions, build and create a professional production, and broadcast to multiple physical, digital and social destinations – all on your own hardware or cloud instance.”

Quicklink will also offer details on its Quicklink Manager remote contribution management platform.

The 40-minute live webinar will include discussions on language localization, contributor session termination, and triggered notifications.

Registrations will have access to watch live and receive an on-demand version after the events have taken place.

To register for Quicklink’s Virtual NAB webinars, click here.

TM Studios is welcoming an industry veteran who has been charged with representing the company’s radio industry products to clients across the Western United States.

It’s an individual with on-air experience at Smooth Jazz stations in Cleveland and Denver, and for Jones Radio Network and Dial Global.

Taking the position is Greg Allen. 

“TM Studios presents the perfect opportunity for me to collaborate with stations all over the country,” Allen said. ‘Under the leadership of Greg Clancy, Dave Bethell and Chris ‘UK’ Stevens, TM is poised for great success. I look forward to partnering with our clients to solve their audio branding challenges while helping to increase ratings and revenue.”

Clancy, co-owner of TM Studios added, “We are thrilled to have someone with Greg’s passion and experience join our team.”

Allen is based in Cleveland, where he once was a host for WNWV “107.3 The Wave.” He later worked at the former KHIH-FM in Denver, under Adams Communications ownership.

TM Century in late 2020 was acquired by Reatro Ventures-owned Media10, joining the ARC Software family of products for Radio. ARC was developed by Sun Broadcast Group founder and former CEO Jason Bailey.

Simplifying cloud-based production.

That’s a key focus of a virtual technology portal that will serve as a primary connectivity point for learning about the latest enhancements to Evertz‘s BRAVO Studio cloud-based control room.

The scalable BRAVO Studio is a collaborative live switching platform that gives broadcast operators an environment that simulates a traditional control room, allowing users to produce shows in the cloud.

It incorporates web-based interfaces that can be accessed from anywhere.

And, BRAVO Studio allows staff to collaborate with any number of team members to produce live events from their own homes, regardless of the size or complexity of the projects they are working on, Evertz notes.

The platform encompasses such Evertz products as MAGNUM OS Orchestration and Control, which provide signal routing solutions.

Other useful functionality includes multiviewing, VUE user interfaces for operations and access to the DreamCatcher suite of live production tools.

Evertz will introduce the latest additions during its Evertz Connected 2021: Fall Edition. It is scheduled for October 1-15. Registration is free and is now open at connected.evertz.com.

In other product news, Evertz has integrated its Ease Live graphics engine into BRAVO Studio. “This means that program creators can deliver many more interactive options to consumers, allowing them to make bets, select players, view statistics, view highlights, or take part in quizzes – all of which will keep viewers engaged in the live production,” Evertz says.

Evertz is based in Burlington, Ontario, Canada.

Sierra Wireless‘ 5G New Radio (NR) module has been integrated by AVIWEST, a provider of live and recorded video contribution systems, into its mobile video encoders.

This, the companies say, is designed to help broadcasters remotely stream HD video from live sporting and other events.

The encoder with 5G module has already been used by broadcasters to live stream video from the Tokyo Olympics, as well as professional football and basketball tournaments to remote video production facilities.

The benefits: Simplified operations and lower production costs, Sierra Wireless promises.

“5G will fundamentally transform live video production, making it simpler and less expensive, while eventually enabling new, more entertaining, immersive, and exciting viewing experiences with additional mobile, Point of View (POV), and other cameras,” said Ronan Poullaouec, CTO at AVIWEST. “With the Sierra Wireless EM9191 module, AVIWEST’s mobile video encoders can use 5G networks to stream high-definition video from live events to broadcasters’ production facilities, allowing these broadcasters to realize the cost, simplicity, and other benefits of 5G-powered remote video production today.”

The EM9191 module for the broadband edge is currently available globally, from Sierra Wireless’ global network of partners.       For more information, visit:    www.sierrawireless.com/products-and-solutions/embedded-solutions/5g-iot/   www.sierrawireless.com/EMSeries      To contact the Sierra Wireless Sales Desk, call +1 877-687-7795 or visit http://www.sierrawireless.com/sales.  

A company widely known for its radio imaging, voiceover, programming, podcasting and jingle services has inked an agreement with a web design and development company serving radio for 20 years that will extend its tech platform to Benztown clients.

Envisionwise presented by Benztown delivers to users three technology products that deliver and maintain station websites, Alexa Skills and Text Messaging services for radio: LinkedUpRadio, Pivot Radio and TextMeMan.

Stations can activate one, two or all three products, with the convenience
of one log-in for multiple stations. Envisionwise presented by Benztown also offers
continuous live concierge support.

“The platforms are scalable and give stations more capabilities for less money, with no long-term commitments with both cash and barter options,” the company says.

LinkedUpRadio is a custom-designed website platform that allows individuals or groups to manage all station websites, ads, content, and social networking in one system, with no coding or special skills required.

LinkedUpRadio websites are designed for radio stations housing  blogs, image sliders,
schedules, photos, and custom forms, among other items. “A variety of premium add-ons
available for unlimited digital revenue opportunity,” Benztown notes.

Pivot Radio develops custom Alexa Skills for radio stations that integrate with Amazon
smart speakers. Benztown comments, “Stations can schedule pre-rolls and outro advertisements while managing the Alexa voice and the visual display graphics through a simple admin interface. Pivot Radio handles all development, submissions and establishes an Amazon Alexa skills store presence for each station’s skill. Custom banner graphics are
provided help promote skills and analytics are available to share with station advertisers. Pivot Radios newest skill feature provides an opportunity for stations to take client requests over Alexa.”

Lastly, TextMeMan connects stations directly to listeners through texts for contests, giveaways, song requests, and local updates, including news, events, and advertising promotions. Listeners can receive both SMS or MMS messages, with options to opt in and out at any time.

The iHeartMedia owned radio network focused on news and insight for African American listeners has struck a content distribution and marketing agreement with a Detroit-based entity focused on Black consumer needs.

BIN: Black Information Network, the 24/7 network that launched in June 2020, will see Real Times Media (RTM) share and distribute news created by the iHeart entity under the direction of Tony Coles.

The deal also allows iHeartMedia to source and distribute news stories from RTM publications across BIN radio stations and sites.

In return, RTM will source and distribute BIN news, entertainment and sports stories and place BIN’s audio widget on their digital properties. Opportunities for iHeartMedia to convert RTM stories into audio reporting also will come from the agreement.

Real Times Media is the parent company to The Atlanta Daily World, Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine, The Chicago Defender, The Michigan Chronicle, and The New Pittsburgh Courier, all of which focus on African American audiences.

BIN can be heard in 32 markets.