Radio+Television Business Report

The Region President for iHeartMedia‘s St. Louis; Des Moines; Cedar Rapids-Iowa City; Quad Cities; and Springfield, Mo. radio stations and associated digital assets is packing up and returning to Virginia’s Tidewater region.

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Now overseeing WOWI-FM, WNOH-FM, WMOV-FM and WHBT-FM in Norfolk is Derrick Martin, taking the position of Market President.

In this role, Martin will work closely with the programming, business and sales teams and oversee all of the station’s on-air and digital programming as well as create new revenue opportunities.

Martin reports to iHeartMedia Virginia Area President Chuck Peterson.

And, it’s a return to a region that includes Newport News and Virginia Beach for Martin. Prior to serving as the Region President for St. Louis, from 2013 to 2017, he served as the Market President for the Norfolk market.

“I am extremely excited to return to Norfolk to lead a great staff of employees and work with advertisers to grow their business while utilizing our company assets,” said Martin, who began his career at iHeartMedia in Memphis. “iHeartMedia Norfolk has a cluster of stations that are a fabric in the community, and I can’t wait to reconnect again.”

Peterson noted that he’s “excited to bring such a strong performer back to iHeartMedia Norfolk. The market performed exceptionally during Derrick’s previous tenure from 2013-2017, and I see a very bright future again with his return. He earned the trust and respect of our team and the Norfolk community, and I know they will give him a warm welcome back.”

Nick Gnau, Division President for iHeartMedia, added, “Derrick is a proven leader, especially during his time in Norfolk with deeps ties with our clients, the Norfolk community and our staff. I am extremely excited for Derrick to reconnect with the market and expand our community efforts, our revenue and ratings footprint.”

And the Acast team tells Podcast Business Journal it should be business as usual for podcasters that use RadioPublic to host their podcasts.

RadioPublic co-founders Chris Quamme Rhoden (CTO) and Matt MacDonald (Chief Product Officer) will join the Acast team.

Co-founder and CEO Jake Shapiro has joined Apple Podcasts as Head of Creator Partnerships.

RadioPublic was launched in Boston back in 2016 with backing from a range of institutional and strategic investors, including Project 11, The New York Times, TechNexus, Automattic, Bose, GBH, American Public Media, PRX, and the Knight Foundation.

 

Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson has signed a multi-year deal with Fox Nation for a new video podcast and a series of in-depth specials.

Along with the new Tucker Carlson Originals, he will continue to host his FNC weeknight program.

“This is my twelfth year at Fox News and I’ve never been more grateful to be here,” said Carlson.  As other media outlets fall silent or fall in line, Fox News Media’s management has redoubled its commitment to honesty and freedom of speech. I consider that heroic at a time like this.”

Carlson will release at least three new video podcast episodes a week beginning in April.

Global marketing firm WARC on Thursday released its latest Global Advertising Trends report, with the subject of “Next Generation TV.”

To be clear, it isn’t a review of ATSC 3.0 rollout worldwide. Rather, WARC offers an analysis of how viewing has evolved and how brands are reacting. Specifically, the study focuses on where ad dollars flowed in 2020.

To little surprise, streaming platforms are siphoning dollars, pounds, euros and more away from linear video opportunities.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The NAB has set the dates for two of its signature events, which will be held in conjunction with the 2021 NAB Show in Las Vegas.

The Radio Show, co-produced by NAB and the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB), will be held October 13–14, 2021.

A spin-off event of the annual Sales and Management Television Exchange (SMTE) will take place October 8–9, 2021.

NAB Show programming begins October 9.

“We are excited to bring these popular events under the NAB Show umbrella in 2021, offering a unique experience that is both familiar and new at the most comprehensive convention of its kind,” NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith said.

Designed for television station-level managers and staff in small and medium markets, NAB’s SMTE explores innovative management and revenue-generating sales strategies to help stations increase their bottom line.

Registration for the Radio Show and SMTE will open in early summer.

The dynamic insertion of advertising based on audience tracking data is of ever-increasing importance to broadcast radio and perhaps even TV. With a $230 million price tag, iHeartMedia clearly sees the value in this by purchasing Triton Digital from The E.W. Scripps Co.

Veritonic is just one company that has marketing intelligence tools wrapped around digital audio marketing. In this podcast, presented by DOT.fm, Veritonic founder and CEO Scott Simonelli thoughts on the impact of this transaction.

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: Scott Simonelli” on Spreaker.

The religious noncommercial “Kingdom Keys Network” station roster has, until now, included a Class A facility in the tiny West Texas town of Stratford.

Now, this Top O’ Texas down due north of Amarillo is being spun, and a change in language — but not format — is on the way.

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KAISERSLAUTERN, GERMANY — Here’s something broadcast TV stations seeking a unified viewership metric of use to the sales squad and marketers may wish to learn more about.

There’s a tool that is offering TV ratings in real time. It’s just come out of beta test. And, it could bring a new dimension to over-the-air TV companies actively gaining eyeballs in OTT, AVOD and digitally delivered content packages — across Bavaria.

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MIAMI — Publicly traded Hispanic-centric multimedia company Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) has completed its recapitalization effort and has closed its previously announced offering of notes due 2026.

But, here’s the big news: That Delaware Chancery Court matter regarding its Series B Preferred Stock is over.

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On Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2017, Rich Boehne stepped aside as CEO of The E.W. Scripps Co., yielding the position to Adam Symson.

However, he retained a role on the company’s board of directors, serving as Chairman.

Now, Boehne is fully set to retire when his term expires.

Boehne has notified the Scripps board that he’ll step down as Chairman effective May 3.

This puts the wheels in motion to give the Chair to Kim Williams. 

She’s been a board director since 2008 and has served as the Scripps board’s independent lead director, elected by public Class A shareholders, since 2018. Williams is also the Chair of Scripps’ audit committee and a member of the executive and nominating and governance committees.

“Since she joined the Scripps board, Kim has contributed to the company in so many ways, through her wealth of board experience, deep financial expertise and an innate sense of corporate stewardship – all of which has helped Scripps continue to capitalize on the changing media landscape,” Symson said. “I look forward to her leadership as we set our course as a full-scale television company.”

Williams is a financial expert with more than 25 years of investment management experience. This includes a role as SVP and Associate director of Global Industry Research at Wellington Management Co.

GOODBYE FROM BOEHNE

Boehne leaves a long legacy of stewardship over the company, having had a hand in driving much of the company’s evolution and value creation over decades.

A director for 13 years and Chairman of the Board for eight, Boehne, 64, served as Scripps’ President/CEO from 2008 to 2017.

He became CEO and joined the board in 2008 when Scripps Networks Interactive was spun off into a separate publicly traded company with its cable network assets, including HGTV and Food Network. Prior to the split, Boehne was COO of the combined company.

“Rich has left a lasting imprint on our businesses and culture, from his belief in the journalist’s role in bringing light to the world’s injustice to the entrepreneurial mindset he instilled in his team and that remains core to who we are today,” said Symson. “Rich’s leadership for over 30 years has been invaluable to our company’s success, and we wish him well as he steps away to pursue other interests and opportunities.”

A 1981 graduate of Northern Kentucky University, Boehne joined the corporate staff in early 1988 to help the company prepare for its initial public offering of stock. Before moving to Scripps headquarters, he was a business reporter and editor at the now-shuttered Cincinnati Post, where he covered Wall Street, the national economy and developments in the media industry.

 

The continuing saga of Ed Stolz, the owner of Royce International Broadcasting Corp., has taken yet another twist.

The Federal Judge who on January 28 ordered Stolz to surrender to U.S. Marshals no later than February 2 took it up a notch on Wednesday (2/17).

Why? Stolz ignored the order, and in the judge’s words is “a fugitive from justice.”

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Chairman of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee have scheduled a fully remote hearing for February 24 that takes aim at how “disinformation and extremism” has been fueled by U.S. media. BE SURE TO FOLLOW RBR+TVBR ON FACEBOOK!

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In fall 2020, Debra OConnell was elevated to President of Networks for Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution, thus leaving the role of President/GM of WABC-7 in New York open for her replacement.

ABC Owned Television Stations has just select that individual, and it is WABC’s News Director.

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Futuri is known in media circles for its AI-driven audience engagement and sales intelligence technology.

Now, it seeks to be known for its forthcoming suite of offerings for local, network, and cable television and digital publishers.

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In April 1958, just 3 1/2 years after the team won the 1954 World Series, the New York Giants baseball club moved to San Francisco from the Polo Grounds.

Now, a Nexstar Media Group local TV leader is moving from the Bay Area to the Big Apple.

Chris McDonnell has been promoted to VP/GM of WPIX-11 in New York, the former Tribune Media flagship that serves as the CW Network’s affiliate in Market No. 1.

Officially, he will direct WPIX under the terms of a local programming and marketing agreement between Nexstar and the station’s licensee, Mission Broadcasting.

As RBR+TVBR reported on Dec. 30, 2020, The E.W. Scripps Company is no longer the owner of WPIX-11. Mission became the owner through Nexstar’s decision to transfer its option to purchase the station to Mission.

Scripps purchased WPIX as part of its acquisition of eight television stations in seven markets from Nexstar. Those stations were being divested in connection with Nexstar Media Group’s acquisition of Tribune Media in September 2019.

McDonnell has been VP/GM of news-intensive KRON-4 in San Francisco since 2017, and his move to WPIX suggests Nexstar will ramp up WPIX’s news department — one that is largely known as the weekend home of veteran Big Apple anchor Kaity Tong. 

During his tenure at KRON McDonnell and his team added new hour-long weekday newscasts at 3pm and 9pm, while he also orchestrated the launch of KRONOn.TV, a local 24-hour digital streaming news application.

With KRON-TV now producing nearly 20 hours of local news each weekday, WPIX could be poised for a similar ramp-up in a market where Spectrum News NY1 has come under scrutiny for changes since its time as a Time Warner Media property and where Optimum-distributed News 12 has a highly localized approach to its round-the-clock news coverage.

If anything, WPIX’s increased news coverage would be a competitor to CBSN New York, the all-news OTT offering produced by WCBS-2 in New York.

Before joining KRON McDonnell served as the President/GM of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises’ WSNS-TV in Chicago. He also handled sales and marketing for the Telemundo station and, before that, worked in sales management at NBC O&Os WMAQ-5 in Chicago, KXAS-5 in Dallas and at KNSD-39 in San Diego.

 

She’s been singled out by her new boss for her “extensive knowledge and experience” in the Atlanta market, along with her “winning attitude and impressive accomplishments.”

That’s what Debora Collura, GM of WGCL-46 and WPCH-17 “Peachtree TV”, has to say about the stations’ new Director of Sales.

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There are two new members of the National Association of Broadcasters‘ TV Board of Directors.

Concurrently, there is a new addition to the NAB’s Radio Board of Directors, and it is the person in charge of such radio stations as Easy 93.1 in Miami and K99.1 in Dayton.

Cox Media Group CEO Dan York and WDBD-TV in Jackson, Miss. VP/GM RaMona Alexander have been appointed to the NAB Television Board of Directors.

York succeeded Kim Guthrie in 2020, following Apollo Global Management’s majority acquisition of Cox.

Alexander leads a FOX affiliate at Channel 40 that, while owned by American Spirit Media, enjoys a shared services agreement with Gray Television. She also oversees management of WLOO-TV in Jackson, a MyNetwork TV affiliate licensed to Tougaloo College.

Additionally, Alexander is responsible for Program Acquisitions at American Spirit Media.

But, it is her experience at Gray Television that has been the hallmark of her career. Alexander began her career at WJTV-12, in Jackson, Miss.

Meanwhile, Cox Media Group SVP and Head of Radio Rob Babin has been appointed to the NAB Radio Board of Directors.

Babin recently assumed those duties from now-retired Bill Hendrich.

 

SANTA CLARITA, CALIF. — Tune to 1100 kHz in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California, and you’ll get a Spanish-language radio Class B radio station that serves as the Bakersfield affiliate of the Don Cheto radio program.

Will that continue, now that this AM with an FM translator is being sold?

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As the continuing COVID-19 pandemic will put a kibosh for a second-straight year on the annual alcohol-fueled parade of media buyers across Manhattan that’s become Upfront Week, media companies are already gearing up for what will be a zoom-fueled cavalcade of online sessions.

Among those companies is a newly reconstituted Univision Communications. But, ahead of its May 18 digitally delivered affair, Univision’s new CEO will team with Steve Mandala’s replacement in holding a virtual presentation to clients two months ahead of that event.

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In June 2020, he was promoted to Director of Marketing for Hulu, an ascension that came after roles as SVP of Growth Marketing and VP/Subscriber Growth at the Santa Monica, Calif.-based OTT platform.

Now, this former longtime Yahoo! global marketing executive is joining Discovery Inc. to serve as its Global Chief Marketing Officer for its Discovery Direct-to-Consumer unit.

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