Tag: "Andre Fernandez"

Friday, March 8, 2013

Journal Broadcast Group 2012 Q4 Revenue Up 53% on Strong Political; Radio Up 15%.  Journal Communications chairman and CEO Steve Smith reports the Broadcast Group’s fourth quarter of 2012 was up an amazing 53% due to a very good quarter of political advertising.  He says that same-station revenue – excluding political – was up 4%.  Journal owns TV stations so when that was broken down, radio was up 15% for the quarter compared to the same period a year ago.  President and CFO Andre Fernandez went a little more in depth about radio during the conference call.  “On radio, revenue increased nearly 15% in Q4, but only 1.5% on a same-station basis excluding political and the extra week.  And that was driven by a 4% gain in local and helped by such categories as auto, up over 20%.  Political revenue was a more modest $700,000 in radio for the quarter and $1.7 million for the full year.  Looking ahead to the first quarter for radio, total revenue is pacing up in the mid-single digits, though in the low single digits on a same-station basis.”

NBC Sports Radio Moves Erik Kuselias to AM Drive; Jon Stashower to Evenings.  As the NBC Sports-Dial Global co-operative sports radio network project prepares to go full time on April 1, NBC Sports Radio announces that current evening host Erik Kuselias will be the AM drive host airing from 6:00 am to 9:00 am and weekend sports talk personality Jon Stashower will move to the 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm slot.  Kuselias has been in the evening slot for the network since its soft debut in September of last year.  Rob “Stats” Guerrera will serve as Kuselias’ producer.  Kuselias states, “I’m thrilled to be in the prime spot for NBC Sports Radio’s first daily lineup. We believe this is the smartest and most fun sports radio program in the nation, and we look forward to the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.  Additionally, NBC Sports and Dial Global Sports allow us to have an unparalleled guest list, which will help us rejuvenate mornings for those looking for a fresh approach.”  As for the evening show, Jon Stashower says, “In sports, so much happens at night.  It’s when the games are played and so many of the stories break.  I’m really looking forward to being on every night to break down all that’s going on.”

Heavy Hundred to be Revealed at 12:00 noon ET on Tuesday, March 12.  The highly anticipated 2013 installment of annual TALKERS magazine feature, “The 100 Most Important Radio Talk Show Hosts in America,” — also known as the “Heavy Hundred” — will be posted at Talkers.com this coming Tuesday at 12:00 noon ET.  This marks the 19th edition of the feature (which launched in April of 1995 as the “Talkers 25″ and was expanded to 100 in 1996).  In announcing the date, TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey states, “It is never an easy task for the TALKERS editorial board to arrive at a final list considering all the many factors taken into consideration, not to mention the pressure and consequences attached to the endeavor.  This year, however, has been especially challenging due to all the changes that have taken place in the composition of the industry during the past year and we needed an extra week to make last minute adjustments.  You wouldn’t believe all the screaming matches that take place in our conference room during this process every year.  It would make an amazing reality TV show.”

KRLA, Los Angeles Debuts “The Bigger Picture with Timothy Spangler.”  Salem Communications’ KRLA, Los Angeles “AM 870 The Answer” brings a new program to its Sunday evening schedule as “The Bigger Picture” hosted by Timothy Spangler is airing in the 10:00 pm to 12:00 midnight slot.  The station calls it a show with “its focus on the unusual and humorous aspects of international affairs and global events…it brings the attitude and sensitivities of ‘The Daily Show,’ ‘The Colbert Report,’ and ‘Tosh 2.0’ to talk radio for a younger generation of listeners.”  Spangler is an accomplished young man having studied applied mathematics at UCLA and law at Vanderbilt University, he earned his PhD in law at the London School of Economics.  He is admitted to practice as an attorney in California and New York, as well as a solicitor in England and Wales.  He writes an award-winning syndicated foreign affairs column that appears each week in the Orange County Register and the Jerusalem Post, as well as other newspapers across the US.  He is currently an adjunct professor of law at UCLA School of Law.  He also serves as a visiting lecturer at the University College, London’s Faculty of Law and a senior fellow at the University of Melbourne School of Law.

2013 “Hersky” Awards for Achievement in Talk Radio Advertising and Sales Announced Today.  Each year, TALKERS magazine’s resident radio advertising and sales maven, Al Herskovitz, presents the “Hersky Awards” recognizing outstanding achievement in the field of talk radio advertising and sales.  This years presentations are made for the following categories: Best Live Read,  Best Humor, Best Produced,  Best Website Presentation of Sales by a Rep, Best Website Presentation of Sales by a Radio Station, Best Jingle, and Nosey (which means Most Stinky).  To read Al Herskovitz’s presentation of this year’s Herskys, click here.

On the Road with Dave Ramsey.  Nationally syndicated talk radio superstar Dave Ramsey has been on the road recently visiting markets including Kansas City and Las Vegas.  In Las Vegas he presented his intimate “Building Your Legacy” live event before a sold-out crowd.  At this event Ramsey’s daughter, Rachel Cruze, joined him on stage.  Local affiliate KXNT helped promote the event.  Ramsey (center) is pictured here with KXNT program director Andrew Paul (left) and SVP/GM Jerry McKenna (right).  Paul says, “Our listeners were thrilled to have the opportunity to meet and hear Dave.  He is such a dynamic speaker.  He motivated and inspired everyone.  We are so grateful and proud that Las Vegas was a stop on the ‘Building Your Legacy’ tour.”  Ramsey also visited Kansas City recently hosting his “EntreLeadership 1 Day” event there before a packed house at Folley Theater.  Ramsey, along with speaker Jon Acuff, spoke about how to run a business using the same common sense principles that Ramsey practices in his own company of more than 300 employees.  Affiliate KCMO took part in the event.

Odds & Sods.  Nashville-based syndicated talk show host Phil Valentine tells TALKERS magazine his program was the top-cuming talk show in the Nashville market during the Fall 2012 Arbitron survey.  Phil says his show had “more listeners than Limbaugh and Hannity combined and almost four times the listeners of Beck!”  The 12-plus DMA weekly cume for his program was 144,800…..CBS Radio Philadelphia announces all-news KYW reporter Mark Abrams will report live from Vatican City as the Cardinals of the Catholic Church prepare to elect Pope Benedict XVI’s successor.  The station reports Abrams has arranged interviews in Rome with a number of Catholic Church officials and clergy from the Delaware Valley.  His reports will begin this weekend on KYW Newsradio, and can be heard hourly throughout the conclave…..“Gun Talk Radio” host Tom Gresham reports that he delivered 16,630 new “Lifetime Members” to the National Rifle Association.  Gresham announced a special $300 Lifetime Membership deal with the NRA on his program during the second week in January with a special direct phone number.  The deal ended the last day of February.  He tells TALKERS, “It’s incredible that we were able to send the NRA almost five million dollars in only seven weeks.”…..Digital audio aggregator TuneIn announces the continuance of its relationship with Performance Racing Network.  With this alliance, TuneIn now carries the excitement of every NASCAR race.  Listeners can hear live coverage of all 36 races of the Sprint Cup Series, including the Coca-Cola 600, the Brickyard 400, and the Bank of America 500.

Broadcasters Foundation of America Announces Ward L. Quaal Recipients.  The Broadcasters Foundation of America announces the recipients of the 2013 Ward L. Quaal Leadership Awards that will be presented at the BFoA’s annual breakfast on April 10 at the Wynn Hotel during the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas.  The six honorees this year are: Skip Finley, radio executive, managing partner, Noepe Communications; Alan Frank, president/CEO, Post-Newsweek Stations, retired; David Kennedy, former president/CEO, Susquehanna Media Co.; Mike McKinnon, president/CEO McKinnon Broadcasting; Charles Osgood, TV news anchor, radio and TV personality; and Bob Schmidt, president/CEO Eagle Communications, retired.  The Leadership Awards are given annually in recognition of career contributions to the broadcast industry and the community at large, and are named in honor of iconic broadcaster Ward L. Quaal.  The breakfast, which is complimentary to all, is sponsored by the National Association of Media Brokers, Arbitron, Frank N. Magid Associates, the Television Bureau of Advertising, Marketron and the National Association of Broadcasters.

Sequestration Battle Remains Top News/Talk Story for Week of March 4 – 8.  Even with a number of major international stories breaking during the week, the battle over the sequester stayed atop the Talkers Ten^TM for the third straight week as the most-talked-about story on news/talk radio.  At #2 this week was North Korea’s nuclear threats.  Coming in at #3 was Iran’s nuclear program followed by the death of Hugo Chavez at #4.  The Talkers Ten^TM is a weekly chart of the top stories and people discussed on American news/talk radio during the week and is published every Friday at Talkers.com.  View this week’s entire chart here.