Tag: "Cromwell Group"

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Journal Broadcast Group Milwaukee Announces Promotions.  From Tom Langmyer, VP/GM of radio operations for Journal Broadcast Group’s Milwaukee stations – news/talk WTMJ and adult hits WLWK “94.5 The Lake” – come the following promotions: Tom Sheridan is promoted to director of sales from his GSM position.  The company says in this role, Sheridan has a more clearly defined, overall responsibility and accountability for all top-line revenue at Milwaukee’s radio operations.  With his promotion it has eliminated the previous dual reporting structure for interactive and national sales and streamlined the sales organization.  Jason Bjorson is elevated from local sales manager to general sales manager.  Bjorson will continue to oversee local sales, with additional leadership responsibilities across all other top-line revenue streams.  He will oversee sales training, recruit to expand the sales organization, develop general revenue strategies, lead the company’s growing events business and expand local relationships.  Katie O’Connell is promoted to executive producer, digital content and social media.  This new lead position will drive the company’s content and social media strategies across all platforms.  Prior to her current role at Milwaukee’s radio operations, O’Connell served with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, WTMJ-TV, and Journal Interactive.  Collin Roth has been promoted to managing editor for Right Wisconsin, working with WTMJ personality Charlie Sykes and leading his content team for this growing digital/subscription-based product.  Additionally, Bryan Shore and Steve Frank have been named digital sales associates.  Langmyer says, “This solid new structure and excellent team will lead us in product development, cross-platform content and revenue growth.  These promotions represent a new leadership structure to drive further growth at Journal’s Milwaukee Radio Operations.”

“Brent & Meg” Graduate from TalkersRadio to Launch New Terrestrial Midday Show on GCN.  The husband/wife talk radio team “Brent & Meg” (legendary rock radio personality/newsman Brent Seltzer and award-winning public relations veteran Meg McDonald) have signed a deal with Genesis Communications Network (GCN) to launch a Monday-Friday midday show (1:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET) on Monday, July 7.  This development marks the first time a program conceived and launched on TalkersRadio has made the leap from the experimental platform operated by TALKERS magazine to terrestrial radio. “We couldn’t be more delighted,” states TalkersRadio GM David Bernstein, adding, “This marks an exciting milestone for TalkersRadio and is a wonderful testimony to our initial success in carrying out our ongoing mission to be a laboratory where new concepts in talk radio can be developed.  I am personally proud of Brent & Meg because I believe what they’ve got to offer midday talk radio has been – with rare exceptions – a missing element from our medium for many years.  They are, simply put, sensationally fresh!”  TalkersRadio officially began streaming on Talkers.com in September of 2013 and Seltzer and McDonald were among its charter performers.  TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison (who “discovered” Brent & Meg) adds, “Brent & Meg couldn’t be in better hands than with entrepreneurial visionary Ted Anderson who has done such a fantastic job of developing GCN into a budding powerhouse syndication firm.  He reminds me of the old record company and studio heads who understood how to build and develop new talent and acts from the grassroots markets up.  We sure need more of that in today’s network radio scene.”  Harrison goes on to describe “Brent & Meg” as “the newest thing ‘old school’ has to offer – perfect, contemporary husband/wife chat for the midday position…where yesterday meets tomorrow.”  To read TALKERS managing editor Mike Kinosian’s fascinating in-depth account of the Brent & Meg saga posted today (6/18), please click here.

Clear Channel to Put New Audience Targeting Tool to Use for 2014 Political Buys.  The new tool is called AuDiO – short for Audience Delivery Optimizer – and what the company calls “a groundbreaking, proprietary radio targeting tool developed specifically for political advertisers.”  Clear Channel goes on to say, “This first-of-its-kind radio optimization tool enables local and national political campaigns across the country to precisely target key voter segments using radio — which was confirmed by recent research to be one of the most effective and efficient consumer advertising vehicles.”  How does it work?  The company says AuDiO matches key information about 245 million Americans who listen to Clear Channel’s 840 U.S. terrestrial radio stations to leading political databases to make actionable predictions about which desired voter segment is listening to which stations at which times.  The launch of AuDiO means that Clear Channel is now uniquely able to match broadcast listener data – for any of its 840 stations, at any time of day and in any political district nationwide – to multiple third-party data sources to identify which listeners fall into any given political district and, within that district’s listening audience, which segments are present and in what numbers.  CCM+E EVP for political strategy Nathan Daschle comments, “Ninety-two percent of Americans listen to radio every month — but despite radio’s incredible reach, campaigns have never had a tool like AuDiO for radio before.  AuDiO takes the guesswork out of radio buying by replacing wild hunches with actionable and precise models so that campaigns know which of their desired target audiences are listening, when and to whom.  This means that campaigns, political parties and other groups across America have the ability to use radio in a much smarter way to reach their target voters.”

Nielsen Releases Revised Los Angeles PPM Data.  After the controversial case of one Univision Los Angeles programming staffer (who’s been fired) being involved in a PPM household, which delayed the release of May PPM data for the market from last week to this week, the ratings company releases the Los Angeles numbers and revises the April PPM data for the market as well.  Those numbers can be found at TALKERS magazine’s sister publication RadioInfo here.  Also, see managing editor and West Coast bureau chief Mike Kinosian’s “Takeaway” from the LA ratings here.

Reality Star Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi Podcast Debuts on PodcastOne.  Add another colorful celebrity to the lineup of podcasts available through Norm Pattiz-founded PodcastOne as former “Jersey Shore” reality series cast member Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi begins producing a weekly on-demand show for the service.  Pattiz comments, “Sometimes I feel like we’re on the Starship Enterprise going where no man has gone before!  Taking a star of one medium like Nicole and exposing – in every sense of the word – her on another is what makes this all fun.  PodcastOne is pleased to welcome Nicole’s audience to our platform and expose her to the additional hundred million monthly listeners who currently consume PodcastOne programs.”

AdLarge, KMG and Harris Media Partner for Control Room Pro Distribution.  Three firms are teaming up to sell and distribute the new Control Room Pro suite of digital production field and studio tools.  AdLarge Media will lead the national advertising sales effort, while KMG Networks will spearhead radio station distribution.  The two firms share a similar relationship on behalf of several radio and digital products and services.  Harris Media founder Lee Harris says, “Most of the new digital and mobile programs for broadcast radio are consumer-facing.  We focused on the development of cutting-edge newsroom and radio station field tools that expedite the gathering of news-related material for anchors and streamlined the field reporting process.”  Krantz Media Group president and CEO Gary Krantz adds, “Control Room Pro tools already are proven winners in the news/talk marketplace, including top stations like WINS, New York; WCBS-AM, New York; and KYW-AM, Philadelphia.  News/talk stations have a high overhead on field equipment and in-studio production programs.  These digital products fill a clear marketplace need by increasing productivity and decreasing equipment and production library costs.  Radio station affiliates will experience positive bottom line results.”

WIP-FM, Philadelphia and Personality Angelo Cataldi Sell Bobbleheads to Benefit Police Survivors Fund.  In cooperation with local business Cottman Transmission & Total Auto Care and the Philly Team Store, CBS RADIO sports talker WIP-FM, Philadelphia and morning drive personality Angelo Cataldi are selling Cataldi bobble-head dolls, a portion of the proceeds from which will benefit the Philadelphia F.O.P. Lodge #5 Survivors Fund.  The dolls are being sold for $20 via the station’s website.  Both Cottman Transmission and the Philly Team Store are giving dolls away with major purchases.  The F.O.P. Lodge #5 Survivors Fund, since its inception, has been invaluable to the members of the lodge who have experienced the most devastating tragedies.   The losses incurred by the families of deceased and extraordinarily injured officers cannot be recovered but can be eased through financial support or assistance.  This fund continues to be able to provide help for families due to the charitable donations of police family, friends and business partners.

Cromwell’s Bud Walters to Receive National Radio Award.  At the coming NAB Radio Show in Indianapolis in September, Cromwell Group founder and president Bud Walters will receive the NAB’s “National Radio Award” during the Radio Show Luncheon on September 12.  NAB EVP of radio John David states, “Bud Walters’ exemplary leadership and his enthusiasm for radio have had a positive impact on the industry.  We salute Bud for his tireless devotion to serving local communities through the power of radio.”  Walters founded his company in 1972.  He currently owns and operates 28 radio stations (six AM, 17 FM and five HD2+ translators) in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.

Iraq Turmoil, Primary Results/State of the GOP, Hillary Clinton Memoir, Benghazi Suspect Prosecution, Child Immigrant Influx, IRS Scandal-Missing Lerner Emails, Soaring Food Prices, and World Cup Action Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/17).  The violence in Iraq as a militant Muslim group vies for power in the state; the victories of Tea Party-backed candidates in the primaries and the future of the GOP; former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s memoir; the plans to prosecute a suspect in the deadly Benghazi attack; U.S. immigration policies and the large numbers of child immigrants pouring across the Southwest borders; the IRS scandal and the loss of Lois Lerner’s emails; the dramatic hike in U.S. meat prices; and American interest in World Cup action were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS.