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In October of last year, BIA Advisory Services predicted a tidal wave of local ad spending fueled by political revenue. Now, two months into 2024, BIA has tempered its US Local Advertising Forecast for the year, and while it’s not necessarily good news overall, it does bode best for television in terms of most impressive growth.

BIA VP of Forecasting & Analysis Nicole Ovadia commented, “As expected, local political advertising will be substantial this year, and it’s fueling spend across the media landscape.”

“Our slight adjustment down for this year is mainly due to mixed economic signals, a slowdown in certain consumer purchases, and lower than expected spending in Digital and Direct Mail advertising at the end of 2023 that may flow into this year. However, we still anticipate 2024 to be better for local advertising than 2023 and certain media like TV OTA, TV Digital, and CTV/OTT are growing substantially.”

BIA’s 2024 U.S. Local Advertising Forecast predicts a 9.3% increase in revenue across all media, reaching $172 billion despite a 2% reduction from the previous estimate of $175.6 billion due to mixed economic indicators and slower consumer spending.

The updated forecast also shows an adjustment in local political ad spending projections, with an estimated $11.1 billion, a 15.5% increase from 2020. Television continues to dominate political ad expenditures, with a notable increase in CTV/OTT investments.

In the breakdown of traditional versus digital advertising, digital is projected to constitute 48.7% of the overall ad spend, amounting to $84 billion, while traditional media ads are expected to make up 51.3%, totaling $88 billion.

Significant growth is forecasted in both media types, with TV OTA and TV Digital experiencing substantial growth rates of 28.3% and 24.9%, respectively. CTV/OTT stands out with a predicted 53.8% growth, driven by quality inventory, higher CPMs, and increased demand.

“Political and issue campaigns are recognizing that the combination of premium TV and targeted advertising can make a strong impact, using the same kinds of data ad buyers need with digital media,” said BIA Managing Director Rick Ducey. “Another factor supporting this growth is that we are observing spending leaking out of search and social and going into CTV/OTT.”

The forecast, covering 96 local verticals, indicates the fastest-growing sectors to be political, real estate, and leisure and recreation. Ovadia anticipates a surge in real estate advertising later in the year as interest rates potentially decrease, sparking activity in the market.

Conversely, health, general services, and automotive are expected to decline, with auto not projected to return to pre-pandemic spending levels by 2027.

The full, updated 2024 US Local Advertising Forecast is available to BIA ADVantage clients as well as separately on the BIA site.

By Rosemary Ravinal

Smart people may be displaying their sharp minds with unspoken signals. There are certain body language signs that experts say show high intelligence and superior communication abilities.

Body language is a silent orchestra, according to Psychology Today. Non-verbal messages including body movements, facial expressions, vocal tone, and volume are collectively known as body language. By comparison, the words they use are a smaller part of the composition.

Though intelligence is multifaceted and influenced by factors such as genetics, environment, education, and experiences, subtle clues in a person’s body language may reveal a great deal about their competence and leadership potential. At a time when communication skills rank higher than ever in the desired qualifications for senior executives, it’s important to decode the quiet signs of brainpower.

You might say people who harness the power of body language combined with skillful word choices are super-communicators because they deploy the full array of speech tools to connect with others. This clarity in conveying ideas without words adds an extra layer to their ability to communicate effectively.

Let’s explore eight non-verbal traits of highly intelligent people. Some of them may surprise you.

1. They maintain good posture.

Good posture is a sign of self-awareness and discipline – two characteristics of smart individuals. Whether standing or sitting, they exude a self-assured demeanor that conveys a sense of authority and competence. An erect posture helps you breathe correctly, project your voice better when you speak, and stay alert and attentive. It’s a silent yet profound display of intellectual curiosity and openness to new ideas and perspectives. Their willingness to learn from others also includes actions such as uncrossed arms and an open stance.

2. They listen with full attention.

Highly intelligent people tend to have a heightened awareness of others. They are adept at absorbing information, and their body language reflects their engagement in a conversation. Exceptional intelligence often comes together with excellent listening skills. Smart people can make you feel like you’re the only person in the room. They maintain eye contact, nod affirmatively, and use subtle gestures like arched eyebrows to signal their attentiveness and curiosity as the other person speaks.

3. They are not afraid of silence.

You can’t assume that the more someone talks the smarter they are. Smart people think before they speak and don’t feel the need to fill every moment with babble or filler words. They used measured pauses to process and formulate their thoughts. Silence can be a powerful tool for reflection and understanding, and intelligent people are OK with letting a conversation breathe. It shows a level of thoughtfulness and self-assurance that speaks volumes about their poise and confidence.

4. They are thoughtful with gestures.

The gestures of highly intelligent individuals are marked by thoughtfulness and precision. Whether it’s a hand movement used to explain a complex concept or a well-timed micro-expression like rapid eye blinks, these gestures are purposeful and reflective of their deep contemplation. Their body language acts as an extension of their articulate and analytical minds. People who use their hands while talking are seen as more engaging and credible.

5. They mirror others’ actions.

Smart people seek to connect on a deeper level and are often good at noticing social cues. That’s where mirroring comes in. It means they unconsciously imitate the gestures, speech pattern, or attitude of another. It’s a way of showing empathy and understanding to build rapport. It may be easier to spot on video calls than in person.

Contact Rosemary Ravinal for details on public speaking training programs or one-on-one coaching services in any of the following areas, in both English and Spanish:

• Public Speaking
• Media Readiness
• Presentation Skills

info@rosemaryravinal.com

NAB President/CEO sat down with Radio World to discuss the policy, legislative and business challenges facing U.S. radio broadcasters as the industry prepares for the NAB Show in its 101st year.

Also, Simon Keens writes about the unexplored power of shortwave in the 21st century.

And Buyer’s Guide turns to the crucial category of broadcast transmitters.

Read it here.

The post Read the March 13, 2024 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

On November 27, 2023, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Carolina Christian Broadcasting, Inc. (Petitioner), the licensee of WGGS-TV (Station or WGGS), channel 2, Greenville, South Carolina (Greenville), requesting the substitution of channel 29 for channel 2 at Greenville in the Table of TV Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to substitute channel 29 for channel 2 at Greenville.

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Media Bureau reinstates in various communities certain channels as a vacant FM allotment.

Issued an Order to San Francisco Television Station KBCW, Inc. canceling the $3,000 proposed forfeiture issued to KPYX .

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Following court approval of its pre-packaged Plan of Reorganization on February 20, Audacy is sharing a look into its financial status, including an upturn to kick off the new year. The broadcaster had been tight-lipped about recent performance, foregoing earnings calls since Q1 with only required SEC disclosures.

The first bright spot for Audacy comes as the company anticipates FCC approval on its Chapter 11 restructuring and intends to submit its 2023 10-K later this month.

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Despite lowering its Q4 net loss significantly and raising revenue year-over-year, one of Xperi Corp.’s largest shareholders has determined that these efforts are not enough and is calling for change on the company’s board of directors, citing what it calls a, “History of Underperformance, Poor Decision Making and Reckless Capital Allocation.”

Rubric Capital Management Managing Partner David Rosen said, “Xperi has built an attractive portfolio of innovative enablement technologies with significant monetization potential. Unfortunately, this potential has been all but squandered under the oversight of the current Board, and stockholders have paid the price.”

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On Monday, President Joe Biden outlined his $7.3 trillion federal budget plan for the 2025 fiscal year. Included in that plan is a substantial increase in funds for the Federal Communications Commission and a future raise for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

If the White House’s proposal passes, the FCC will get $390,192,000 – an increase of 14.8%. As Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel focuses on hunting down unlicensed broadcasters under the PIRATE Act, the Enforcement Bureau would see its budget climb to $49.3 million, making room for around 30 new agents.

The FCC Media Bureau’s budget would increase to $29.7 million.

As for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, President Biden’s FY 2025 budget proposal outlines $595 million for CPB in FY 2027 – an 11% raise. In addition, $60 million would be given for public broadcasting infrastructure and $31 million for the Ready To Learn program.

CPB President Patricia Harrison highlighted CPB’s commitment to delivering educational and informative content accessible to all Americans, saying, “We look forward to working with the Administration and Congress to ensure public media receives the support it needs to fulfill its essential mission.”

She added, “Public media’s trusted, fact-based local, national, and international journalism serves a vital role providing citizens with the information they need to fully participate in our democracy; and the federal investment in CPB supports critical infrastructure for our nation’s emergency alert system.”

Hoping to help radio and TV stations find more talent, the National Association of Broadcasters and its Leadership Foundation have launched an initiative called “You Belong Here.”

“This campaign marks a significant milestone in the broadcast industry’s journey towards a more diverse, dynamic and inclusive future for local stations,” it said in a press release.

It quoted President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt saying the campaign “is our commitment to growing and diversifying the broadcasting industry, and showcasing its wide range of career opportunities.”

The campaign highlights career opportunities within broadcasting, “far beyond the traditional roles of on-camera and behind-the-microphone positions.” And it provides a resource toolkit for stations that includes a customizable spot, a video for classrooms and career fairs, and assets for social media.

“There’s never been a more exciting time to work in broadcast media,” the campaign website tells visitors. “Local television and radio stations have a front-row seat to history and the pulse on their communities. In front of the camera or behind, stations in every small town and big city need someone like you.”

The post NAB Says “You Belong Here” appeared first on Radio World.

As advertisers struggle with ensuring their placement on connected TV programming aligns with their brand safety guidelines, NBCUniversal has formed a partnership with DoubleVerify to enhance the transparency and brand safety of its CTV content library.

This collaboration aims to provide detailed insights into the content environment where ads are displayed, particularly in FAST and ad-supported streaming services lacking such visibility.

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On February 27, Cumulus Media announced a strategic move alongside its Q4 2023 earnings report, seeking to optimize the company’s capital structure. Through its subsidiary Cumulus Media New Holdings Inc., the broadcaster launched an initiative to extend its debt maturity by three years while increasing the interest rate by two percentage points.

Now the first wave of that Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation will see an extension, one day after closing.

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Radio World’s “Guest Commentaries” section provides a platform for industry thought leaders and other readers to share their perspective on radio news, technological trends and more. If you’d like to contribute a commentary, or reply to an already published piece, send a submission to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The author is CEO of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, which has been serving the nation’s community radio stations since 1978. NFCB commentaries are featured regularly at Radio World.

Rima Dael

The national and international news cycle continues to spin fast and, with Super Tuesday behind us, the election spin cycle is on hyper drive.

Staying on top of news and current events is one thing but, for many of us working in media, we find ourselves living in and out of a state of trauma — whether it is experienced directly (a mass shooting locally or the closing of the primary economic driver in your town) or indirectly (reporting on the impact of a mass shooting in another state or the impact of current international legislation to basic human rights).

You also may be dealing with the anxiety and dread of what misinformation or disinformation may lie ahead as we move toward election day in November.

But first, how is everyone doing? (I am taking a page from Elmo’s playbook when he broke the internet, but clearly we all needed someone to check in!)

I hope you are doing okay, and I hope this article provides you with tools to use to make sure you remain okay or get to being okay.

As the new CEO for the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB), not in my wildest dreams would I have thought that barely two months on the job, on the 6th anniversary of the Parkland school shooting, would there be a shooting at a community event that would hit close to home.  

The news of the shooting at the Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City scrolled across the TV behind my laptop in the middle of a Zoom meeting. I shared the news with my colleagues in the meeting. We all shared a moment and shook our heads around the news of another mass shooting. Then shortly after, came the news that a DJ at KKFI, Lisa Lopez-Galvan, died because of her gunshot wounds. KKFI is a long-time member of NFCB.

This happened to one of our own, a community radio station DJ. 

Different from other public media stations, the membership of NFCB is composed of more than 200 community radio stations, where 65% are rural stations, 69% have budget of under $100,000 and the delivery of broadcasted or on-demand music, news and storytelling primarily come from volunteers. Training and volunteer management have always been incredibly important at community radio stations since a volunteer may only come in once a month or once a week for an on-air shift.

With this recent traumatic event hitting so close to home, volunteer training around public safety took a very different turn and tone in some of our member stations right away, with some wanting to offer resources for dealing with trauma and grief. 

Here is toolkit we provided the NFCB members, centering around the expertise compiled from the DART Center for Journalism & Trauma (below), as well as other organizations like the American Press Institute and Journalists of Color. These resources and tips work well across all departments.

• Handling the Death of a Colleague
• Trauma in the Newsroom for News Managers
• Resources for Covering Mass Shootings
• Resources for Reporting Traumatic Community Events
• Style Guide for Trauma-Informed Journalism
• Journalist Trauma Support Network
• Webinar: Prioritizing Mental Health in the Newsroom (from the “Journalist’s Resource”)
• Journalists of Color Resource Guide for Mental Health
• American Press Institute: Journalists and Mental Health

Beyond the resources above, conversations within our membership also turned to the upcoming Pledge Drive season — on-air fundraising was just around the corner. Localism remains the sweet spot in community media, and language is one of the most efficient ways to leverage and celebrate it. Community radio at its best works for, and from within, the communities they serve.

The question we were being asked next was “how does fundraising play out while dealing with a local tragedy?” So I reached out to a colleague and friend, Jay Clayton, individual giving advisor from Greater Public, to advise us on how to frame giving (during an on-air pledge drive or how to talk to donors) in the wake of tragedy. This conversation was inspired by, and especially for, stations close to the incident in Kansas City.

This is what Jay shared:

“For guidance on messaging, and when and how to use it and not use it, I suggest this:

It’s important for anything that’s said about [the shooting] to come off as genuine and not forced or opportunistic. For news stations, I think that means talking about it only around stories about related events. It’s tougher for music stations because [the event] isn’t likely to just come up in conversation. I don’t think stations beyond KKFI should feel compelled to talk about this or should. I understand people may want to, but I don’t think that’s a reason to bring it up.

“I would say the litmus test is that if it feels forced it probably is, and therefore let it go and don’t talk about it,” said Clayton.

When someone does talk about it, I think it makes sense to talk about it in the context of larger events [or trends] in the world, and how this one is hitting us very close to home. Example: ‘Lisa Lopez-Galvan, host of Taste of Tejano on Kansas City’s KKFI, lost her life in the shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade. We hold Lisa, her family and colleagues and community in our hearts.'”

If you want more information about how to frame talking about mass shooting events and what to consider, check out this episode from the podcast “Still Newton.” The 8th episode on this Peabody Award-nominated podcast was produced by WSHU Public Radio honoring the 10th anniversary of Sandy Hook. This episode talks about how to report on mass shooting situations like Sandy Hook and Robb Elementary. The episode features Bruce Shapiro from the DART Center. 

The resources shared here can be used for any difficult situation. Grief and trauma affect all staff and volunteers at our stations. It is best to be prepared before a crisis hits. 

Finally, remember the importance of stepping away from work. Right after the events in Kansas City, I was fortunate to have tickets to attend to attend a local concert of a folk-pop duo, The Oshima Brothers (often heard on Maine’s community radio station WERU) with my dear friend Pat. Their song, Love is Tall hit my heart with these lyrics: 

“Life is short love is tall

Hands and heart

Learn how to hold it all”

Thank goodness for the healing benefits of friendship and live music! As we learn how to hold it all together at our stations with our volunteers and staff, make space to use these resources to keep us all safe. Create time to have conversations about training and public safety. Take care and be well. 

[Read More Guest Commentaries Here]

The post Survival Tools for Broadcasters Navigating Trauma and Grief in Media appeared first on Radio World.

Song skipping and hyper-personalized content delivery are coming to Audacy’s live broadcast streams, courtesy of Super Hi-Fi. The AI-centric radio management company has announced the launch of a new streaming technology tailored specifically for the radio industry, HLS+.

As the inaugural launch partner, Audacy’s portfolio of more than 700 exclusive stations will be equipped with HLS+ technology by the end of March. This platform merges live, linear radio broadcasting with elements of interactivity and personalization within a single audio stream.

HLS+ also maintains compatibility with existing HLS-supporting devices, ensuring a wide-reaching adoption without the need for new hardware.

Outside of Audacy, early industry partners on the project include Telos Alliance, Barix, Orban, Xperi, and StreamGuys.

HLS+ is compatible with an array of devices including Amazon Alexa, iPhone, Android, and various in-car entertainment systems with advanced metadata capabilities. The platform also accepts programmatic advertising.

Super Hi-Fi CEO Zack Zalon said, “HLS+ is not just a technology breakthrough; it’s a real shift for the radio industry. We’ve taken the essence of live radio and elevated it with capabilities that have just never been available before. This is our vision for the next chapter of radio, and we believe it will resonate deeply with both broadcasters and listeners.”

John Pacino, Executive Vice President of Product at Audacy, highlighted the technology’s role in elevating their premium audio content through seamless interactivity.

Telos Alliance EVP of Sales, Marketing and Strategy Marty Sacks added, “Telos Alliance has been on the forefront of audio streaming since 1997 with the first real-time MP3 encoder specifically designed for this application. We’ve participated in many of the advancements made possible by the combination of more advanced streaming technology and a more robust internet. What Super Hi Fi has created with HLS+ has the potential to raise the bar in a big way, and we’re extremely excited to be partnering with them.”

The weight is off San Francisco’s KPYX-TV, formerly known as KBCW, which had been facing a small monetary forfeiture from the FCC’s Media Bureau. The CBS News & Stations channel, which is available over-the-air in the Bay Area on Channel 44 and on Cable Channel 12, faced a proposed fine of $3,000 for delayed uploads of its issues/programs lists to the FCC’s online public inspection file.

Initially, KBCW was cited for not uploading six quarterly issues/programs lists to its public file on time, but after a reexamination of the station’s online public inspection file, the Media Bureau has resolved that case.

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As Congress pushes toward the finish line on the AM For Every Vehicle Act, legislators are showing increased support for radio’s financial protection as well. The Local Radio Freedom Act has seen a boost in significant bipartisan support within the US House of Representatives, growing to 225 cosponsors.

The LRFA would block the imposition of any new performance royalties on AM/FM stations, and boasts an additional 24 supporters in the Senate.

The House bill is primarily sponsored by Reps. Steve Womack (AR-3) and Kathy Castor (FL-14), while in the Senate, Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and John Barrasso (R-WY) lead the companion resolution.

The news comes as support for the American Music Fairness Act, which has taken great strides to codify extra performance fees like those imposed on music streaming sites for AM/FM broadcasters, has all but died out.

The LRFA was part of a broader agenda discussed during a gathering of more than 550 national, state, and local broadcasters in Washington, D.C. last week, where they met with lawmakers to talk about core broadcasting policy issues, including artificial intelligence in journalism and AM radio in the automobile dashboard.

NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt praised the majority swing, saying, “This milestone demonstrates policymakers’ recognition of the vital service that free, local radio provides to their constituents: a lifeline in times of crisis and a connection to the community that cannot be replicated. We thank these 225 members of the House for their unwavering support, helping to safeguard the future of local broadcasting and our commitment to serving the public.”