Radio+Television Business Report

On March 1, the new President and CEO of the nation’s primary advocacy and lobbying group for radio and television broadcasting companies issued a request. Despite being a “fierce defender” of the First Amendment, Curtis LeGeyt asked that any state-sponsored programming with ties to Moscow be pulled from U.S. airwaves — now.

LeGeyt seemingly took aim at Sputnik, the English-language service of the Voice of Russia. It is heard for six hours each weekday in St. Louis, in addition to 24/7 service on an AM and an FM translator serving Washington, D.C.

The owner of the St. Louis station has already been vocal, sharing his ire over LeGeyt’s request. This week, KCXL-AM‘s owner renewed his disdain for LeGeyt’s request, labeling it “a call to disregard our right of free speech.”

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Roger Wahl is a convicted felon. As the FCC’s Media Bureau noted, Wahl’s convictions of a felony and multiple misdemeanors alone “raise the question under the Commission’s Character Qualifications Policy Statement whether he possesses the requisite character qualifications to remain a Commission licensee.”

Indeed, Wahl could be stripped of his license. But, that may not happen for a year, based on a Hearing Designation Order schedule released by the FCC on Thursday.

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B. Eric Rhoads, CEO of Streamline Publishing, is asking fellow broadcasters for one minute of their time to consider a way radio can help change the world.

“The situation in Ukraine is dire,” he says. “Radio around the country is raising money and doing what they can to help. But we can do more.”

Rhoads writes:

Radio has changed lives, raised money for charity, and made a difference in each of our communities. We have all used our platforms to create awareness, help our neighbors, and use music to move hearts.

Years ago, radio pushed the song “We are the World” as an anthem to help people in Africa. Radio made that movement possible.

An anthem for Ukraine is needed to bring the world together to keep a focus on Ukraine until this situation is resolved fully.

Feeling the need to do something, I came up with a concept and co-wrote this song, “Tears for Ukraine,” with artist Billy Craig and Matt Jacobs.

Please consider doing your part and adding this song into rotation. Show that the radio industry continues to have influence over the world to unify our listeners.

Let’s use the power of radio to impact worldwide sentiment to raise awareness and prevent this kind of thing from ever happening again.

To download, click on the image below:

To download this song in WAV or MP3 file format, click on this image. https://www.rbr.com/wp-content/uploads/BC-Tears-For-UkraineWAV.wav

Listen to the song by clicking above.

Watch the Video on YouTube by Clicking Here.

“Uncle” Bob and “Cousin” Mark have signed a deal that will make one of those two figures an owner of “The Talk of the Town” in Athens, Tenn., situated between Chattanooga and Knoxville on U.S. 11.

Why? The Uncle has decided to sell his stake in the station.

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The GM of Gray Television‘s NBC affiliate in Louisville, formerly the head of its WVUE-8 in New Orleans, is being promoted to a senior-level position.

At the same time, Gray has created the position of Regional Vice President/General Manager and is elevating five General Managers into this new role.

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Until this morning, the ninth work stoppage in Major League Baseball history appeared to gain investor angst on Wall Street, with an Opening Day delay poised to eat into Bally Sports revenue, thus impacting Sinclair Broadcast Group shares.

At the Closing Bell on Nasdaq, SBGI was down 7.1% to $26.04.

Friday could be a big rebound day for the stock. Some 45 minutes before the end of Thursday’s trading, the 99-day lockout appeared to be over.

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With CEO Ed Christian “unscripted” and sharing with investors and Wall Street analysts “what happens in the kitchen” in describing how Saga Communications gets its revenue each quarter, SVP/Operations Chris Forgy offered a peek at what the company’s top three ad categories were in the final quarter of 2021.

At the same time, CFO Sam Bush shared details on something Forgy praised as “beautiful” to Saga’s bottom line — its Local Direct prowess.

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A 19-year veteran Allen Media Group employee who first joined as Vice President of Advertising Sales has been given the new role of Chief Revenue Officer.

Before his 2003 arrival at the Byron Allen-owned operation, he spent over a decade in national broadcast buying.

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Of the broadcast media companies offering rich dividends, Saga Communications has consistently delivered, with the company’s stock going ex-Dividend on March 21 and a $0.16 per share award scheduled for an April 8 delivery.

In Q4 2021, the numbers were good, showing across-the-board improvement from 2020. That said, Saga still has a way to go to return to 2019 — or 2018 — dollar totals.

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There’s been much chatter about where the presentation of the 2022 NAB Marconi Radio Awards will be, now that the Radio Show has been abandoned, with sessions integrated into the annual NAB Show schedule.

The honors won’t be in Las Vegas in late April. Rather, they will be held on a Wednesday evening in mid-October as part of NAB Show New York.

The awards, which honor radio stations and on-air personalities for excellence in radio broadcasting, will take place during a special dinner program at NAB Show New York on October 19, 2022 at the Javits Center.

Established in 1989 and named after inventor and Nobel Prize winner Guglielmo Marconi, the NAB Marconi Radio Awards have emerged as a signature awards program for the Radio industry.

For those questioning the choice of NAB Show New York for the awards dinner, NAB EVP of Industry Affairs April Carty-Sipp replies, “NAB Show New York is the perfect venue for the Marconi Radio Awards with its prime location and ideal timing in the fall when the Marconis have traditionally been presented. We look forward to celebrating the best in radio in October.”

The entry window for the 2022 NAB Marconi Radio Awards nominations will be May 1-31.

DALLAS — A 98,000-watt Class C FM signal that covers the northern half of the sprawling Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and the Oklahoma cities of Ardmore and Durant has officially transitioned from talk about hoops and passes to Biblical teaching, Sacred Music and “Informative News.”

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When it came time for questions from financial analysts who cover Townsquare Media to ask questions, the focus was on pacings and on Automotive category performance. CEO Bill Wilson and the company’s Chief Financial Officer obliged, and the situation regarding Auto dollars in 2022 isn’t a great one.

At the same time, Townsquare’s top two executives talked up their company’s underappreciated value to Wall Street.

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The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday said yes to a more than half-billion-dollar advance funding funnel for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in fiscal year 2024.

It’s part of a 2022 omnibus appropriations package that includes a sizable chunk of money to establish at FEMA the “Next Generation Warning System.”

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The fourth quarter earnings parade, after a brief pause, resumed Thursday (3/10) with the pre-dawn release of Townsquare Media‘s fiscal results for the final three months of 2021.

How did the “local first” company that derives much of its revenue from digital, rather than its small to mid-size market radio stations, perform? “A strong Q4 finish with great momentum for 2022” is how the company describes its financial health report.

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It serves an area of Appalachia between Roanoke and Lynchburg, Va., with 6,000 watts, focusing on Bedford and its surrounding communities. And, until March 1, it was a simulcast partner with a co-owned Oldies station focused on Lynchburg, owned by Lynchburg Radio Group.

That shared programming has ended. In its place: KLOVE, as Educational Media Foundation has acquired the property.

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Advertising expenditure by over-the-counter (OTC) healthcare brands in 13 key markets as determined by Zenith will expand by 7.6% in 2022 and 5.0% in 2023.

That key finding can be found in Zenith’s newly released Business Intelligence – OTC Healthcare report, and it says this growth will be driven by tailored digital brand advertising, as well as performance advertising driving traffic to OTC ecommerce platforms.

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As noted by the communications law attorneys at Fletcher Heald & Hildreth on its CommLawBlog.com website, FCC License renewal applications and associated EEO Program Reports are due on or before Friday, April 1 for radio licensees located in a pair of East Coast states.

AM and FM licensees in Delaware and Pennsylvania must file renewals regardless of commercial or noncommercial status in the FCC’s licensing Management System (LMS).

These licensees must include Schedule 396, the Broadcast Equal Employment Opportunity Program Report, in their renewal application.

The FCC also requires radio licensees to provide local post-filing public notice of their renewal applications. Pre-filing announcements are no longer required.

Listeners and viewers may review the station’s filing and file comments regarding renewal applications.

As Fletcher Heald & Hildreth has noted, “a major focus” of the FCC’s review is a thorough inspection of the station’s on-line public inspection file (OPIF).  ‘For that reason, we urge all stations with upcoming license renewals to begin a thorough review of their OPIFs.  Any incomplete filings or late filings in the station’s OPIF will be disclosed in the renewal application.”

It was expected. Under the leadership of Emily Barr, the Graham Media Group headquarters office was located in Chicago, where Barr resided.

With her retirement, announced in January, and the naming of Catherine Badalamente as her successor, a shift back to Detroit for the broadcast TV station owner’s HQ was all but certain.

On Wednesday (3/9), that move became official.

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The Radio Mercury Awards has announced the final round judging panel for its 31st annual honors.

The panel of top-level agency creative leaders represent radio’s top advertising companies — including industries such as automotive, consumer packaged goods (CPG), communications, community service, fitness, nonprofits, quick-serve restaurants, retail, spirits, telecommunications, travel and utilities.

The jury, assembled with the help of Chief Judge Alejandro Ortiz, Executive Creative Director at Campbell Ewald, is comprised of creative leaders from across the country. They represent all size markets with diverse audiences and innovative creative work for some of advertising’s largest brands.

Here is the 2022 Radio Mercury Awards Final Round Judging Panel, along with Ortiz:

• Mitch Bennett, executive creative director, Baldwin&
• Josh Grossberg, executive creative director, McCann Health
• Bianca Guimaraes, partner/executive creative director, Mischief USA
• Donnell Johnson, group creative director, Anomaly
• Nicky Lorenzo, senior vice president/group creative director, Taylor Global
• Wendy Mayes, creative director/copywriter, Plot Twist Creativity
• Sean McBride, chief creative officer, Arnold
• Bowen Mendelson, creative, Tempo Fit
• Joyce King Thomas, creative consultant, King Thomas
• Sherman Winfield, executive creative director, VMLY&R

The RMAs are presented by the RAB and the Radio Creative Fund, both of which are led by Erica Farber.

“We are looking forward to our first in-person judging event in over two years with this incredible group of creative talent who represent a broad spectrum of agencies,” Farber said. “We are excited to have them select this year’s winners and know they will bring their passion and expertise to our final round judging event.”

The Radio Mercury Awards’ Call for Entry is open through April 6. Winners will be announced at the 31st annual Radio Mercury Awards event on June 9 at SONY Hall in New York.

To find out more information regarding entries, please visit www.radiomercuryawards.com.