Tag: "Keith Larson"
Monday, September 30, 2013
Nielsen’s Arbitron Acquisition a Done Deal; Say Hello to ‘Nielsen Audio.’ Nielsen Holdings N.V. announces that, as expected, its acquisition of U.S. radio ratings giant Arbitron has been completed and the new name for the division will be Nielsen Audio. Nielsen CEO David Calhoun says in a press release, “This is a great day for Nielsen and a natural step in our evolution. Arbitron will allow us to analyze and understand an additional two hours of the U.S. consumer’s day while bringing us another opportunity to provide advertisers with metrics on the effectiveness of the mediums that they advertise on.” Along with the re-branding of Arbitron into Nielsen Audio, the unit will be integrated into Nielsen’s U.S. Watch business segment, which provides information and insights primarily to the media and advertising industries across television, online, mobile and radio. With Arbitron, Nielsen says it now measures eight hours a day per person of dynamic media consumption. Calhoun continues, “Our combined capabilities offer opportunities to measure unmeasured areas that are important to the industries and clients we serve, like streaming audio, out-of-home measurements for television consumption and deeper measurement of multicultural audiences in the U.S. Globally, this is an opportunity to expand our measurement of consumer behavior and introduce audio measurement capabilities in new markets.” Nielsen will have more to say about its business now that Arbitron is in the fold at its October 23 conference call.
Cumulus Media Files with SEC to Sell $100 Million in New Securities. There’s no slowing down at Cumulus Media as the company files a $100 million common shelf registration with the SEC that allows the company to sell securities. According to the company’s filing, the proceeds from the sale could be used for paying down debt, capital expenditures or future acquisitions. The term shelf registration refers to Cumulus offering a single prospectus on potentially multiple future and as yet undefined stock offerings. Right now, it doesn’t mean Cumulus is offering new shares, but if and when that time comes, the company can clarify and update any changes in the business or its finances prior to actually selling shares.
Do You Know Your Twitter Followers? Wouldn’t it be great to know more about who’s following your station or your on-air personalities on Twitter? Well, now you can, says Bonneville Seattle creative director Chris Pendl. He offers a step-by-step approach to using a free tool to find out more demographic information about who’s following you on Twitter. Plus, Pendl has a few thoughts about some cool uses for all this newly minted data. Click here for more.
Jeff Brown Jumps to Cumulus Media’s Atlanta Cluster. After leading Entercom’s Boston cluster that includes news/talk WRKO and sports talk WEEI for the past 18 months, Jeff Brown agrees to take on the vice president and market manager position at Cumulus Media’s six-station Atlanta operation that includes: all-news WYAY; CHR WWWQ “Q100”; rock WNNX “Rock 100.5”; and country WKHX “Kicks 101.5.” In a statement, Cumulus COO Jon Pinch says, “Jeff brings high energy and an unequaled desire to win to our already successful Atlanta cluster. We are confident Jeff will contribute significantly to Atlanta’s continued growth.” Brown adds, “I am honored to have been selected as VP/market manager for Cumulus Atlanta. The team in Atlanta is driving growth on these power brands as we speak. I look forward to connecting with them and adding value to their already successful effort.”
Houston Talk Host Michael Harris Exits KCOH in Dispute with Owner. According to KHOU-TV, talk show host Michael Harris has removed himself from his position as a talk show host on KCOH, Houston after accusing owner Jesse Dunn of misusing station funds. According to the television station, Harris says he secured loans for the station – for operational purposes – and he alleges Dunn used the money for personal expenses and gambling. Dunn tells the TV station he did use some money for gambling but that the money belongs to him since he is president of the station. He also maintains the station is able to pay its bills. Harris has filed a criminal complaint with the Houston Police Department and has said of Dunn, “He has ruined KCOH radio’s future.”
HOLLAND COOKE: Halloween? Boo! Radio consultant Holland Cooke says don’t let the holiday that is second place in the amount of money Americans spend only to Christmas pass your station by. Whether it’s on the air or online, Cooke has three quick ideas for getting some attention and making some money off of Halloween this year. To read more, click here.
WBT, Charlotte Host Keith Larson Authors Book to Benefit Kids Cancer Charities. Charlotte talk show host Keith Larson’s new book, That Season of Hope, is being published and its official release will be recognized during a press conference tomorrow (10/1) at the Carolina Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium. Larson’s book is “the true story of the ‘Cardiac Cat’ Carolina Panthers run to the Super Bowl, Hope Stout’s wish to grant the wishes of the other 155 kids on the Charlotte Make-A-Wish list, and the beautiful blur they all became in the Carolinas – and far beyond – in 2003/2004.” Proceeds from the sale of Larson’s book benefit three charities: Make-A-Wish, Carolina Panthers Keep Pounding Cancer Fund, and March Forth with Hope Foundation.
Audio Summit 2013. Sabo Media CEO Walter Sabo (l) is pictured here with The Newhouse School Dean Lorraine Branham (r) during the Audio Summit held in New York City last week where radio executives gathered at the event organized by Newhouse School (Syracuse University) grads Sabo and Steve Leeds of SiriusXM (both class of ’73). Walter Sabo reports that panelists were enthusiastic about the importance of live and local radio. Ed Levine, owner of Galaxy Media explained that there are two basic models for running radio stations and both will succeed. One is that decisions are made at the local level and programming is 100% tied to the community. The other is a corporate national template executed at the station level. All panelists believed that radio is the original social medium and it often drives the success of digital initiatives.
Cool Job Opportunities. Attention talk radio producers and board operators, SiriusXM is launching Business Radio Powered by the Wharton School and this 24/7 channel will originate from a studio SiriusXM is building on the Wharton campus at U Penn in Philadelphia. While the full launch is still a few months away, SiriusXM is now interviewing for positions on the channel. SiriusXM is in Philly on October 3 and 4 to interview candidates so anyone interested should apply on-line ASAP right here.
A Man Hug Between Old Friends. Fox Sports Radio Network talk host – not to mention comic and actor – Jay Mohr (right) embraces “Ray Donovan” co-star Dash Mihok (left) who stopped by the Fox studios on Friday, September 27 for a candid conversation about acting and sports. Mihok shared thoughts about his methods in acting and reminisced about losing acting roles to Mohr. He even talked a little New York Knicks.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
ESPN to Take Over Emmis’ Kiss FM in New York Beginning Sunday Afternoon. The rumors of an FM signal for ESPN’s New York sports talker WEPN were true as ESPN is announcing it will begin simulcasting WEPN, New York on Emmis-owned WRKS-FM (98.7) on Sunday afternoon (4/29). Rumored talent changes are also taking effect. Stephen A. Smith is being paired up with Ryan Ruocco for the 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm shift and Mike Lupica moves to a 12:00 noon start for his program. In making the announcement, WEPN VP/GM Dave Roberts states, “This move to the FM dial is in keeping with the trend of sports radio shifting and offers an even broader reach for our content.” The two stations will simulcast through the summer and in September WEPN 1050 AM will become a Spanish-language sports outlet airing ESPN Deportes content. A press conference is scheduled for 1:00 pm this afternoon where details will be fleshed out. As for the urban format of Kiss FM, Emmis is selling the intellectual property of the format to YMF Media and the station will move to WBLS-FM at 107.5.
Feature Series – Part 3: Walter Sabo on Targeted Topics Vital to FM Talk Success. In the third of a four-part series for TALKERS on building a successful FM talk station, Sabo Media president Walter Sabo discusses the importance of targeting topics to appeal to the desired demographic. Sabo says that, unlike AM news/talk, politics is too narrow a subject to bring in the audience necessary to build cume and be successful. “Common sense suggests that very few of the people you know spend much of their day talking about politics. That’s why cable channels focused on politics have astonishingly low ratings. Lower than any radio station in your city.” Sabo maintains that talk on FM will be successful (gaining younger-demo ratings and revenue beyond what AM news/talkers typically do) only when the topics are carefully chosen to reflect what large numbers of the target demo are talking about. “Your FM talk station is trying to reach an audience that is drawn to popular water cooler topics because that’s what they hear on all FM music personality shows. Political talk is what repulses most 18-49 year olds from the AM band. They are, instead, attracted to the topics heard on CHR, Hot AC and country personality morning shows. Hit shows. Those shows are your FM talk competition, not AM talk radio. Read Walter Sabo’s entire column here.
Cumulus All-News Rumors Heat Up. There have been rumblings about Cumulus Media preparing to flip underperforming music outlets to all-news in several markets. Some of this has been based on the registration of domain names with frequencies tied to the phrase “all news.” But the biggie is in Cumulus Media’s home base of Atlanta where there’s more fuel to add to the fire. Radio-Info’s Tom Taylor reports hearing a news staff is quietly (but apparently not too quietly) being assembled and some of them include former Atlanta-based CNN Radio staffers and some current and former WGST, Atlanta news people. Which station will it be? A leading candidate is classic hits WYAY-FM, Gainesville (at 106.7) according to some intense chatter in the market.
Keith Larson May Be Done at WBT-AM/FM, Charlotte. The late-morning host at Greater Media’s news/talk WBT-AM/FM, Charlotte told listeners to his program yesterday (4/25) that he expects to leave the station as he’s been notified his contract – set to expire May 24 – will not be renewed. The Charlotte Observer reports Keith Larson was told his deal would not be renewed but the station would like him to stay on as an at-will employee. It sounds as though Larson will likely not accept that offer. WBT general manager Rick Feinblatt tells the Observer he’s disappointed Larson took to the air with talk of the contract since nothing is set in stone yet but Larson told his audience he couldn’t go on the air and not talk about it. Last year, Larson started the independent advertising and marketing firm Larson Advertising and Media Associates. He tells the paper that may be where he concentrates his efforts for now.
Syndicated Talk Star Mike Gallagher Says Today’s Talent Must Understand Radio from Business Perspective. In addition to being one of talk radio’s most consistently successful air personalities, Salem Radio Network‘s Mike Gallagher tells TALKERS that it has never been more important for on-air talent to be fully connected to the business processes that make the industry tick. He says, “In today’s climate of technological change and financial challenge, you can’t just see yourself as a ‘talent’ who is somehow separate from all the other systems that make a radio station or syndication firm function. You must have a complete understanding of your company’s P&L as well as maintain relationships with advertisers. A talent needs to be in constant communication with the sales department and understand their problems.” Gallagher, who left day-to-day major market radio as a station employee at WABC, New York years ago to launch the groundbreaking syndication firm Dame-Gallagher (with former WGY, Albany owner John Dame) which was later acquired by Salem, will be a featured speaker at the forthcoming New Media Seminar on Thursday, June 7. The panel: Making Money in Talk Radio. Registration, nearing sellout, is open to working media only. For information call 413-565-5413.
Compass Media Networks to Offer 25 Anaheim Angels Games. Compass Media Networks makes Anaheim Angels play-by-play an MLB game of the week and will air 25 home and away contests beginning May 29 when the New York Yankees play at the Angels. As with its other sports programming, Compass will hire a broadcast crew and produce its own gamecasts that will be available nationwide. Dial Global will manage advertising sales for this multi-year contract. The company notes that with this deal, it will broadcast well over 160 major sporting events in 2012 including college basketball, college football and NFL football (which includes Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders, and Sunday afternoon doubleheaders). Compass Media Networks CEO Peter Kosann says, “The Angels have a tremendous brand, fan base and momentum. We are honored and thankful for this opportunity.”
Odds ‘n’ Sods. The 2012 NFL Draft begins tonight from Radio City Music Hall in New York and the big event is being covered by the sports media including Fox Sports Radio Network. The network notes that for the 12th straight year it will cover the event with Fox NFL Insider Jay Glazer leading the coverage. He’ll be joined by Fox Sports Radio college football draft expert Chris Landry, former USC Trojan and Fox Sports Radio host Petros Papadakis, and former NFL great Lincoln Kennedy…..SiriusXM is also on hand for the NFL Draft. Chris Russo and Dino Costa of Mad Dog Radio and Gil Brandt, Tim Ryan, Pat Kirwan and Adam Schein of SiriusXM NFL Radio will all be broadcasting from Radio City for the first round on Thursday. Bill Polian, the former
Colts Vice Chairman and personnel guru who joined SiriusXM NFL Radio in January, will also be contributing to the satcaster’s draft coverage…..Syndicated talk host and actress Janine Turner – whose two-hour program is heard on KLIF, Dallas Saturday evenings at 9:00 pm – joins the Roger L. Simon-founded PJ Media as a regular columnist…..Clear Channel Media and Entertainment names Jon Phillips the market manager for its Tulsa cluster that includes sports talk simulcast KTBZ/KAKC.
2012 Presidential Race, SCOTUS AZ Illegal Immigration Case, Euro Zone Economic Jitters, and New U.S. Spy Agency Among Top News/Talk Topics Yesterday (4/25). The 2012 presidential race; the Supreme Court’s hearing of arguments in the Arizona Illegal Immigration law; continued concerns over economic jitters in euro zone countries; and the announcement of the creation of a new U.S. spy agency were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday according to ongoing research from TALKERS.
Fox Sports Radio’s Loose Cannons Live from New Orleans. Fox Sports Radio Network’s “Loose Cannons” broadcast from New Orleans – the site of the Zurich Classic golf tournament – and hosted special guest Sean Payton. The suspended head coach of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints spoke about the recent story alleging Saints GM Mickey Loomis eavesdropped on opposing teams’ conversations from his luxury suite and called the allegations “garbage.” Pictured here are (from l-r): Vic “The Brick” Jacobs, Payton, Steve Hartman and Pat O’Brien.