Industry News

Broadcast radio still “owns the car.”

That’s one of the takeaways for Pierre Bouvard, chief insights officer at Cumulus Media/Westwood One, from the most recent edition of Edison Research’s “Share of Ear” study of how people consume audio.

He writes regularly about findings that he feels can help with radio’s advertising “pitch.”

Writing on the Westwood One blog Bouvard said that AM/FM radio’s in-car share of ad-supported audio, while down a bit, still has hovered around a 90% share for six years:

He also described as “stunning” a finding that for the first time, audience shares for podcasting surpassed the combined audiences of ad-supported Pandora and ad-supported Spotify.

“Podcasting achieved a 12% share compared to Pandora and Spotify’s combined 11% share of ad-supported audio among persons 18+,” he wrote.

“This is notable as ad-supported audio audiences are of great importance to brands and their media agencies. Podcasting also beat Pandora and Spotify handily among the persons 18–34 and persons 25–54 ad-supported audiences.”

Bouvard highlighted the finding that AM/FM radio remains the dominant ad-supported audio platform with a 74% share of ad-supported audio, “11 times bigger than Pandora’s and 19 times larger than Spotify’s.”

Read his post: “Podcasting Eats Spotify/Pandora and AM/FM Radio Remains the Dominant Ad-Supported Audio Platform”

The post Bouvard: Radio “Owns the Car” appeared first on Radio World.

In October 2020, Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group acquired MGM‘s over-the-air broadcast television networks This TV and Light TV, offered as digital multicast networks with national distribution, for an undisclosed price.

Now, This TV is getting a boost, bringing it to more U.S. locales.

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

The number of licensed FM commercial stations in the United States hit a historical peak 15 months ago and has been declining slightly since.

That’s one of the findings of an analysis by Radio World of the latest station count data from the Federal Communications Commission.

We also found that the number of AM stations is at its lowest in decades while the number of NCE FMs has hit a record high, as has the number of FM translators/boosters.

The tally of commercial FMs had been rising steadily over several decades. In 1990 (when FCC public data reporting became more consistent) there were about 4,350 commercial FM stations in the country. Ten years later and four years after the 1996 Telecom Act, there were close to 6,000 commercial FMs; and by the end of 2019 that number stood at 6,772.

But each of the five quarterly reports from the FCC since then has shown a slight ebbing; and at the end of March the number of commercial FM stations was 6,682, or 90 fewer than 15 months ago.

Whether we can read any general decline in demand for commercial FM stations into these numbers is problematic. It’s a drop of only 1.3% since the peak, though it is notable that the trend line had been virtually all upwards over many years prior. And the FCC doesn’t provide analysis of its data. Any shift could be driven by a slowing economy and of course the year-long pandemic. It’s a number we’ll keep an eye on.

Meanwhile the trend in AM station totals is more familiar and it continues in the latest quarter, when the FCC said there were 4,546 AM stations.

According to Radio World’s analysis, the country’s AM station count is the lowest it has been since at least 1990 and very likely longer than that. In 1990 there were just under 5,000 AM stations, and the total around that period tended not to vary much year to year.

But we can say that there are now about 9% fewer AM stations than there were in 1990.

On the other hand, the number of FM educational stations today is at its historic high of 4,213, up about 3% over five years and double the number at the turn of the century.

And the number of FM translators and boosters has also hit yet another record. There are now 8,521 of those, up 30% from just five years ago and more than four-fold from 1990, when there were only about 1,850 translators and boosters.

Demand for translators has been helped by multiple factors including HD Radio multicast plays, AM revitalization and general demand for FM spectrum.

And the number of low-power FM stations is now 2,114. That number has varied within a narrow range for the past decade.

The post U.S. Commercial FM Station Count Is Down appeared first on Radio World.

MIAMI — Until now, its collection of radio stations has been represented on a national level by Gen Media Partners, through its HRN Media Network. 

That’s changing, thanks to an agreement signed this morning by this Hispanic media company’s COO, Albert Rodriguez.

What’s the new national representation firm for Spanish Broadcasting System?

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The former General Counsel of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has joined Wiley Rein LLP, today going by the “Wiley Law” brand, as the co-Chair of its Appellate Practice.

BE SURE TO FOLLOW RBR+TVBR ON TWITTER!

Thomas M. Johnson Jr., has joined Wiley as a partner.

Johnson has more 15 years of experience in private practice and public service at the federal and state levels, representing clients in high-stakes appellate and regulatory litigation matters.

And, he has advised clients on all stages of Federal agency rulemaking, adjudication, and litigation, in fields ranging from communications to environmental law to securities to labor and employment.

in his role as the FCC’s General Counsel, Johnson successfully persuaded the U.S. Supreme Court to review the Commission’s media ownership reforms, resulting in last week’s unanimous ruling in favor of the Commission in FCC v. Prometheus Radio Project.

Johnson also “successfully defended” the Pai Commission’s “net neutrality” repeal at oral argument before the D.C. Circuit. “While naturally building upon a regulatory litigation practice that focuses on communications, technology, and the internet, Mr. Johnson will be positioned to strengthen Wiley’s capabilities in administrative law and appellate litigation across all sectors and practice groups,” the law firm says.

“Tom is an accomplished leader who has been an innovator throughout his career,” said Wiley Managing Partner Peter D. Shields. “His deep understanding of administrative and appellate law on a wide range of issues – as well as his nuanced insights from working in the government and private sector – will be indispensable to our clients.”

Kathleen A. Kirby, co-chair of Wiley’s Telecom, Media & Technology Practice, added, “Among Tom’s many accomplishments at the FCC is his important work streamlining regulations, strategically and successfully leading the effort to defend the Commission’s decision to relax certain media ownership rules before the Supreme Court, and freeing up spectrum for public use for 5G and other applications. His foresight and ingenuity greatly contributed to the efficient operations of our country’s communications systems, especially given the increased network demands of the past year. We’re thrilled he’s joining the firm.”

Prior to serving as FCC General Counsel, Mr. Johnson was the Deputy Solicitor General in the Office of the West Virginia Attorney General, where he helped develop litigation strategy and draft briefs in a series of challenges under the Administrative Procedure Act to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. In addition, he managed a team of attorneys, drafted briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts of appeals, and argued seven cases in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.

It boasts the moniker “Key Weird Radio.” And, it presently has a Construction Permit for a Class A signal putting 680 watts of power over the southernmost city in the continental U.S.

Now, “the most diverse radio station” in Key West is heading to a new owner.

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

What are the most active brands using spot radio?

The list of companies isn’t so different for the week ending April 4 than it was in the prior week. And, that’s good news for Radio.

Why? It demonstrates stability, with certain brands committing to the medium. Among those brands: Progressive, Indeed, and GEICO. That said, Bank of America is back, with a No. 7 placement in the most recent Spot Ten National Radio report.

With GEICO firmly in place as the top brand using Spot TV, by play count, there’s lots of new activity at over-the-air television with respect to campaigns getting a boost.

For the week ending April 4, a Unilever brand and a Procter & Gamble Co. brand, in particular, made waves with consumers.

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

With T-Mobile President/CEO Mike Sievert gushing with confidence and a big trade marketing budget in play, TVision was designed to change pay TV for good.

It failed to catch on with consumers. But, one Wall Street feels Sievert’s plan worked — to the long-term detriment of MVPDs.

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

With all eyes last week turned to Washington, D.C., and also fixated on a major audio media company’s name change, attention is just now being placed on the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Here, a judge has cleared the way for Alpha Media to exit from debtor-in-possession status.

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