Radio+Television Business Report

In November 2013, a veteran of Interep with time at Katz Radio Group and MacGavren Guild was promoted after 3 1/2 years as GSM, of a group of stations serving New York’s Mid-Hudson Valley.

Today, Bruce Feniger remains in command of the Pamal Broadcasting stations, including two 50kw heritage FMs that continue to command large audiences. In this exclusive conversation, Feniger shares on the latest InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, how Pamal has carved a niche within the nation’s No. 1 DMA — and attracts advertisers and consumers in ways New York City-based radio and TV stations can’t.

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: Bruce Feniger, Pamal Broadcasting” on Spreaker.

Streamline Publishing’s Radio Ink and Podcast Business Journal this July are taking you to Podcasting School.

The first person anyone who is serious about making money podcasting calls is Podcasting Hall of Famer Dave Jackson. He created The School of Podcasting.

Jackson began podcasting in 2005, and his weekly School of Podcasting show now has over 2.8 million downloads.

He’s helped thousands of aspiring podcasters plan, launch, and grow their podcasts. If you’re serious about podcasting, you’ve either spent time with Jackson, taken his courses, or packed a room to see him speak.

Jackson is also the author of Profit from Your Podcast: Proven Strategies to Turn Listeners into a Livelihood. In July, during our three-day virtual podcast conference, Jackson is going to tell you how to turn listeners into a livelihood.

On Wednesday, July 14 Dave Jackson joins our virtual podcasting conference, How to Make Real Money Podcasting, where he’ll tell us everything he knows about how YOU can make REAL money podcasting.

 

REGISTER for our virtual podcasting conference July 13-15 HERE

TITLE SPONSOR PARTICIPATING SPONSORS

Subscribe to Dave Jackson’s podcasts HERE. Reach out to Dave Jackson at schoolofpodcasting@gmail.com

His Allen Media Broadcasting had been rumored to be a front-runner in the race to win ownership of 10 television stations Gray Television agreed to sell in order to receive regulatory approval of its merger with Quincy Media, Inc.

It’s now official: Allen Media is the buyer.

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

LOS ANGELES — Cross-platform and connected TV advertising opportunities just got another boost, thanks to a “unique” strategic partnership that’s been forged between television set maker VIZIO and Verizon Media.

BE SURE TO FOLLOW RBR+TVBR ON TWITTER!

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

Early in the pandemic, Comcast shares were “dragged down by NBCU’s cyclicality,” MoffettNathanson Senior Analyst Craig Moffett notes. When they began to rally last November, it wasn’t because the market began to focus on the cable assets.

Rather, Moffett concludes, “it was because the market was searching for more cyclical exposure and was playing the re-opening trade. It was all about the theme parks.”

What does Moffett say now? “Talk about the tail wagging the dog. Now it’s time for the Cable side’s star turn.”

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

TORONTO — One of Canada’s biggest communications companies has forged a strategic alliance with an advanced ad tech company designed to leverage its platform, enabling it to deliver “a proprietary omni-channel demand-side platform (DSP)” for advertisers.

BE SURE TO CONNECT WITH RBR+TVBR ON FACEBOOK 

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

MIAMI — In between songs from Wisin & Yandel, Prince Royce and J. Balvin, Enrique Santos was conversing with his local listeners on iHeartMedia‘s reggaetón-fueled Spanish Contemporary WZTU-FM “Tú 94.9.”

Among the topics shared on Wednesday’s program, “Do you tell your partner when someone flirts with you?” and “My co-worker asked me to be his lover.”

The bits are heard nationally, on a Spanish-language syndicated morning show originating from WZTU. That will continue, along with Santos’ other corporate duties for iHeartMedia, thanks to a new contract.

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

The owner of NewsNation, former Tribune stations such as KTLA-5 in Los Angeles and WGN-9 in Chicago, and key legacy properties including KOIN-6 in Portland, Ore., is rewarding its shareholders with a hefty quarterly cash dividend.

Nexstar Media Group’s Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.70 per share of its Class A common stock.

The dividend is payable on Friday, May 28, to shareholders of record on Friday, May 14.

It’s a testament to the strong performance in 2021 for NXST, which opened Thursday’s trading on the Nasdaq GlobalSelect market at $150.56.

With a $160.37 finish on St. Patrick’s Day, Nexstar shares are in a range that’s higher than they’ve ever seen. As the year started, NXST was at $107.83. One year ago, with pandemic concerns plaguing media stocks, NXST was at $66.60.

Now, it bears a 1-year target price of $166.61.

You’re welcome, Georgia voters.

Meredith Local Media enjoyed a particularly strong fiscal Q3, with the first three months of 2021 yielding a healthy increase in core advertising, along with a surprising influx of political ad dollars resulting from two runoff races in the Peach State that received national recognition — and financial support.

THE NEW RBR+TVBR LINKEDIN PAGE IS NOW ACTIVE! JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION

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

They include WTVJ-6 in Miami, KNBC-4 in Los Angeles and WRC-4 in Washington, D.C., among other stations. They have been, until now, among the NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations.

Not anymore, thanks to a rebrand made by parent Comcast on Thursday.

Introducing NBCUniversal Local, revealed in an internal memo obtained by RBR+TVBR.

“As we continue to transform together and to better represent all the local businesses that make up our division, we decided to rebrand our group,” the company explained to its employees April 29.

Driving the name change: NBCU owned stations and its regional sports networks “are collaborating” and reaching their local news and sports audiences.

This effectively unites 42 NBC and Telemundo owned stations, seven regional sports networks, regional cable news network NECN,  production company LXTV and the LX digital multicast network, in-house marketing and promotions company Skycastle, out-of-home business NBC Everywhere, graphics design team the Arthouse, and multicast networks COZI TV and TeleXitos.

“NBCUniversal Local celebrates all of our company’s local businesses coming together to strengthen their already strong teams so they can better serve their local audiences,” the company said.

The three main components of NBCUniversal Local —  NBC Owned Television Stations, the NBC Sports Regional Networks and the Telemundo Station Group — will not see any changes to their branding.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation has unveiled the finalists for the 2021 Celebration of Service to America Awards.

The honors recognize outstanding community service by local broadcasters. One winner from each category will be announced during the Celebration of Service to America Awards program, which will again be broadcast on television and radio stations across the country as a special one-hour awards ceremony featuring celebrity guests, past honorees and policymakers.

The awards will premiere on July 10 and run through August 14, 2021.

“America’s local broadcasters’ fundamental commitment to public service continues to shine brighter than ever, and this year’s finalists embody the close bond between stations and their communities,” said NAB Leadership Foundation President Michelle Duke. “We look forward to celebrating these outstanding stations and honoring their critical work informing, supporting and strengthening the public in a year of unparalleled difficulties.”

The 2021 Celebration of Service to America Awards finalists represent 20 states and 28 cities. During 2020, these 28 stations devoted a collective 3,528 hours of airtime to public service and provided more $43,440,000 in funds and donations.

Following is the list of finalists by category:

Service to Community Award for Radio – Ownership Group

• Summit Media The Power of Radio: Giving a Voice to Silent Victims  
• iHeartMedia (in partnership with Fox) Living Room Concert  
• Zimmer Radio Miracle for Kids Radiothon
• Alpha Media LLC United for Justice  

  Service to Community Award for Television – Ownership Group

• ABC Owned Television Stations Localish 
• Nexstar Media Group, Inc. Remarkable Women
• The E.W. Scripps Company The Rebound
• Hearst Television Inc. Takes on Systemic Racism 

  Service to Community Award for Radio – Large Market

• WBAL Kids Campaign 
• KYGO Wants to Talk 
• KTMY Rebuilds the Neighborhoods
• WALR Takes on 2020 Election 

  Service to Community Award for Television – Large Market

• KMGH-TV Takes on Public Safety 
• WKMG-TV Works to Make Ends Meet
• WISN-TV Feeds the Hungry
• WCVB-TV Responds to Two Pandemics 

  Service to Community Award for Radio – Medium Market

• WSGW-AM Provides Flood Relief
• WMHJ Community Clean Up
• WYCT-FM Offers Hurricane Sally Relief Efforts 

  Service to Community Award for Television – Medium Market

• WKBW-TV Runs Buffalo Strong-Give 7
• WMC-TV puts School on TV
• WMTV-TV Makes Commitment to Feed the Hungry  

  Service to Community Award for Radio – Small Market

• KRIB-AM Lights up the Night
• KLQL Shares the LUV
• KNDE-FM 136 Charities, $794,573, One Day  

  Service to Community Award for Television – Small Market

• WTOK-TV One You. One Me. One Community.
• KSNT-TV We Together 
• KTVB-TV Idaho Shares

“SiriusXM turned in a great performance across the board,” company CEO Jennifer Witz said as she opened the satellite radio company’s first quarter earnings call on Wednesday. “Like many companies, we are benefiting from Americans getting back on the road, growing auto sales and consumer incomes bolstered by significant federal stimulus. These impressive results are also a strong testament to demand for great content, our resilient business model and once again, our teams flawlessly executing the strategies we laid out.”

How did SiriusXM perform in Q1?

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

In the not-too-distant past, Channel 36 in Salem, Ore., and Channel 26 in Portland, Ore., were simulcast partners offering Christian-themed television programming to Oregon’s most populous areas.

Now, the facility serving the Pacific Northwest’s second-largest DMA is being spun.

Who it is going to begs the question of how Channel 26 will now be used.

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

During the past year, the job of seeking and reporting the truth became increasingly dangerous. Journalists were threatened, assaulted and arrested at an alarming rate while on the job.

For the broadcast journalist in the field, serving both radio listeners and TV viewers, unprecedented levels of verbal and physical violence came courtesy of civilians, police and even, the RTDNA says, “leaders we are meant to hold accountable.”

With that portrait as a backdrop, the RTDNA on Wednesday released “2021 Newsrooms by the Numbers: Data From a Dangerous Year in Journalism.”

The report offers a sobering look at the threats to field reporters that have grown since 2019.

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

Since joining the radio industry in September 1992, she’s been associated with some of Southern California’s most successful Hispanic-targeted radio stations. And, she came from a circus operation — literally.

Now, this accomplished broadcast sales executive has joined iHeartMedia to serve as a Senior Account Executive at its Los Angeles radio station group.

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

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises has selected a Senior Vice President of Research Strategy and Insights — an individual who joins the company to lead research, insights and analytics to inform programming, marketing and digital strategies across the portfolio.

He joins from iHeartMedia and reports to Mónica Gil, Chief Administrative and Marketing Officer at NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. 

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

With report after report of late illustrating the seemingly ceaseless wave of cord-cutting that’s upending the pay TV industry, it was only a matter of time before a research report emerged that put a date on when U.S. consumers will cough up more cash for streaming video than for MVPD-delivered channels.

That, according to Strategy Analytics, is coming in three years.

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

Ad spend and pricing data research and analytics firm Standard Media Index (SMI) has a new Vice President of Sales.

It’s someone who brings 20 years of leadership experience within media and technology to the SMI team, and will oversee the expansion of the ad intelligence company’s sales strategy and new business development.

“It’s truly a pleasure to welcome Dave Dembowski to the SMI family,” said Ben Tatta, President of Standard Media Index. “As an accomplished sales executive, he brings with him two decades of sales leadership and experience from top digital platforms. In this new role, he will be instrumental in further developing the sales pipeline and driving growth for the business, across the board.”

Dembowski most recently served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Business Development at IgnitionOne, and previously held various sales leadership roles at Yahoo and EDGAR Online.

From April 2007-September 2017, Dembowski was a key Yahoo! executive, serving as VP/Sales through its acquisition by Verizon.

 

On March 19, Discovery Inc. shares closed at a remarkable $77.27, climbing from $20.24 on Oct. 30, 2021. There was lots of buzz about its Discovery + OTT launch, which features a massive marketing campaign that continues to dominate the Media Monitors Spot Ten Cable report.

Then, the bubble burst for DISCA on the Nasdaq GlobalSelect market, with Wall Street responding to signs that the OTT growth could perhaps wound core MVPD-distributed channels a bit too rapidly.

With Tuesday’s Closing Bell, DISCA finished at $39.01. Wednesday will be a difficult trading day for Discovery.

Why? Its Q1 2021 results missed Street expectations.

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

Pandora who? As the fourth month of 2021 nears its close, Spotify is arguably one of the most popular audio streaming services in the world. Its penetration in Mexico City is among the company’s best. Across the U.S., Spotify is nothing to shirk at.

So, how did it do in the first quarter of 2021? Futuresource Consulting lead market analyst for music and audio Alexandre Jornod digested the numbers early today from London, and offers up the details.

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