Radio+Television Business Report

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A Senior Director of Content Strategy and Inclusive Journalism has been selected for the Local Media division of The E.W. Scripps Company. It’s a new role that the company says “will help all Scripps television stations better connect with their audiences.”

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Radio imaging, voiceover, programming, podcasting and jingles company Benztown has appointed an East Coast Director of Commercial Production.

It’s an individual who was previously Creative Services Director for iHeartMedia radio stations in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, where she’s been for the last nine years.

Taking the position is MJ Bloch, a role that will also see Bloch serve in the position at Benztown client Yamanair Creative.

Dave “Chachi” Denes, President at Benztown, said, “We’re excited to have MJ Bloch join
our all-star team as East Coast Director of Commercial Production. Her incredible talent
and deep experience as a producer make her an industry go-to, and our client
Yamanair Creative and their customers and listeners will love what they hear. The fact
that MJ has done contract work for us in the past and knows our systems is a definite
advantage and makes her a terrific fit for this position.”

Bloch added, “I am overjoyed to join the incredible team at Benztown. They
have been family and friends for years, a trusted name for quality wherever I was
working, and now, I get to be part of that team! It’s a dream come true! We look forward
to continuing to super-serve our clients and produce incredible branding and advertising
campaigns for radio stations across the globe.”

Dave “Chachi” Denes, the President and co-founder of radio imaging, production library, programming and jingles company Benztown, is the latest audio content and distribution industry executive to share why he’s attending CES 2022. What is Chachi looking forward to by traveling to Las Vegas to the mega-conference and expo? Is there one thing in particular that radio industry executives should keep their eye on? Chachi shares his thoughts in this InFOCUS Podcast.

In mid-December, noted Washington communications attorney David Oxenford shared details of a new joint letter posted on the Radio Music License Committee website that shed light on a possible settlement with Global Music Rights (GMR) that would settle   their long-running litigation over the royalties that the commercial radio industry will pay for the public performance of music written by GMR composers.

A “conditional confidential settlement” has now been distributed to RMLC members that outlines a member station’s ability to obtain future licenses from GMR to avoid potential copyright infringement.

Asked for comment, RMLC Executive Director Bill Velez said, “At this juncture, neither side is commenting beyond what has been transmitted to radio operators.”

But, what was sent to RMLC Members contains important information concerning a conditional settlement of antitrust litigation that dates to late 2016.  The battle was bruising, with RMLC striking first in November 2016. A month later, GMR countersued, assailing the RMLC as “an illegal cartel.”

At long last, those war cries appear to be squelched, as RMLC has offered instructions to its members on their ability to continue to obtain a GMR license after the current one expires.

Importantly, an election is required by January 31.

“GMR will send each broadcaster a direct communication about the settlement, which is confidential and should not be discussed outside your radio group,” the RMLC said.

It added, “The conditional settlement recognizes a shared desire by both sides to resolve these disputes and to find a way for radio stations and GMR to work together on a long-term basis without repeatedly resorting to litigation. The resulting conditional settlement reflects a commitment by GMR to treat all similarly situated radio stations consistently
and to ensure that radio stations … have access to the performance rights you currently need as well as those you may need in the future as your business evolves and grows.”

The conditional settlement also reflects changes in the licensing landscape, including growth in GMR’s roster, since the parties filed these lawsuits five years ago, the RMLC says.

The settlement opens the door to long-term license agreements to commence on April 1, 2022. However, there is one important — and large — caveat.

The settlement is “conditional” because it will be finalized only if a sufficient percentage of radio stations opt into the settlement by signing the form license agreement that
RMLC and GMR negotiated. The negotiated form license agreement, with member
stations’ annual license fees, will be sent directly by GMR via e-mail.

What happens if a significant number of RMLC members say no to the settlement?

“While it is ultimately your decision whether to enter into the license, we strongly
encourage your company to consider this negotiated settlement offer if your
stations desire to continue publicly performing songs in the GMR repertory,” the RMLC advised. “It will put an end to five years of litigation between RMLC and GMR, and give radio stations the opportunity to perform GMR works for several years with rate certainty. If an insufficient percentage of radio stations accept the negotiated license with GMR, the settlement will not be finalized and the litigation will continue.”

Thus, the RMLC has issued to its members a “take it or leave it” notice. A “no” to the settlement means more litigation, and GMR has made zero commitment to offer any other license to Radio once the current interim license expires at the end of the first quarter of 2022.

“[If] this settlement fails and the litigation continues, there is no guarantee GMR will make another license available to your stations at all, much less at the prices in this settlement,” RMLC warns.

As we slowly return to work in physical spaces, you may be thinking: “good riddance to Zoom in 2022.” Not so fast, says public relations veteran and video conferencing expert Rosemary Ravinal. “Video meetings will remain an integral part of our work lives as remote, hybrid and work-from-home schemes become standard practice in knowledge-based industries,” she says. Here’s how you can learn to enjoy Zoom meetings with a new mindset and understanding of how to use them better to succeed in your career or business.

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With Nexstar Media Group‘s merger with Tribune Broadcasting — a transaction originally planned by Sinclair Broadcast Group until the Pai Commission questioned Sinclair’s close relationship to station spinoff partners — the company founded by Perry Sook in Scranton, Pa., became one of the most important affiliate partners of The CW Network.

Now, according to multiple reports Nexstar’s not commenting on, it appears the nation’s largest Over-The-Air TV station group seeks to take a sizable equity interest in the network known for its young adult programming, including just-concluded sci-fi series “The 100.”

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By Brian Galante

RAYMOND, ME. — For many low-power television station licensees, the multilevel ROI opportunities associated with ATSC 3.0 and NEXTGEN TV — getting a big splash in Las Vegas at CES 2022 — could mean big dollars for savvy operators investing in the right technology.

Among the companies with LPTVs in its stable taking the lead with ATSC 3.0 is ARK Multicasting. It’s just selected a Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned antenna provider to usher in the NEXTGEN era at its television stations.

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SAVANNAH, GA. — Dick Broadcasting has selected an Operations Manager to lead the programming of its five radio brands serving the Coastal Empire of Georgia.

The individual taking the slot was formerly in a similar role at SummitMedia in Omaha.

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“If its start is any indication, 2022 is going to be a busy and productive year at the FCC.”

Those are the words of Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, who shared on Wednesday a preview of what the Commissioners will consider at its January 2022 Open Meeting on Thursday, January 27.

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Should a television station licensed to Opelika, Ala., offering content from diginets THISTV and NBCLX be given “must carry” status for the Atlanta DMA, something its owner believes should be enforced by DirecTV?

The Media Bureau of the FCC says no.

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LAS VEGAS — Despite the negative press, lines of CES 2022 registered attendees were seen at McCarran International Airport awaiting their official credentials on Wednesday.

At the same time, the NEXTGEN TV team was busily sharing three big stories involving the rollout of the ATSC 3.0-powered broadcast television technology — making Day 1 of the three-day affair a significant one for next-generation television.

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The second retransmission consent breakdown in two months transpired on Tuesday evening for TEGNA, with Verizon FiOS joining Dish Network as MVPDs presently preventing its consumers from seeing the broadcast TV station owner’s offerings in lieu of a fresh carriage agreement.

With those negotiations as a backdrop, TEGNA has selected the final day in February for hosting a conference call to discuss its Q4 and full-year 2021 fiscal results.

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Until March 2017, Hector Villalobos owned and operated three FMs and an AM serving agricultural areas tied to the Monterey-Salinas market. At the time, one of those FMs was sold. Then, Villalobos in September 2020 sold the two other FM stations.

Now, the AM has been spun, marking his exit from ownership of stations serving the picturesque region of Northern California.

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The latest quarterly broadcast station totals have been released from the FCC.

And, when one compares the numbers to the end of the third quarter of 2021, one big takeaway is obvious.

There are more broadcast radio and TV stations licensed in the U.S. than on September 30, but still much fewer than the total seen at the end of Q2 2021.

The total number of AM stations declined again, and is now down by 37 from July 1, 2021. This includes the surrendering of licenses by Crawford Broadcasting in Portland, Ore., and Saga Communications in Norfolk in addition to December 2021 actions recently reported by RBR+TVBR.

The FM station count is also down, however, a rather disconcerting reminder that the COVID-19 pandemic has had its challenges on some operations.

Meanwhile, the incessant growth of FM translator and booster stations hasn’t ceased, again. There are 345 more of this facilities as of the end of Q3 2021 and 1,052 more when compared to the end of Q2 2018.

And, once again, there are fewer LPFMs, the latest numbers show.

For the TV industry, there are fewer low-power TV stations, the latest FCC data show. This is likely a result of channel-sharing tied to the FCC’s post-spectrum auction repack process.

BROADCAST STATION TOTALS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2021
(Compared to Sept. 30, 2021)

TOTAL BROADCAST STATIONS:  33,467 (up 65)  

All comparisons below to the end of Q3 2021

AM STATIONS                  4509 (minus 10) 
FM COMMERCIAL             6676 (minus 6)
FM EDUCATIONAL            4204 (minus 7)
TOTAL                          15,389 (minus 23)

UHF COMMERCIAL TV      999 (plus 1)
VHF COMMERCIAL TV       374 (unchanged)
UHF EDUCATIONAL TV      266 (plus 1)
VHF EDUCATIONAL TV      119 (unchanged)
TOTAL                            1,758 (plus 2)

CLASS A UHF STATIONS   351 (minus 3)
CLASS A VHF STATIONS    31 (no change)

FM TRANSLATORS & BOOSTERS 8,886 (up 95)
(up from 7814 as of June 30, 2018)

UHF TRANSLATORS               2434 (down 31)
VHF TRANSLATORS               641 (no change)

UHF LOW POWER TV             1488 (plus 35)
VHF LOW POWER TV             440 (plus 2)

LOW POWER FM             2,069 (down 12)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On October 1, 2021, television stations located in Iowa and Missouri were required to file applications for license renewal for terms expiring on February 1, 2022.

Four low-powered television stations failed to file license renewal applications and their licenses.

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WOODBRIDGE, VA. — For one woman who turned on her TV set this morning and attempted to watch the CBS Morning News, a disappointing message appeared instead of the visage of Gayle King. She couldn’t tune to the local CBS affiliate, WUSA-9 in Washington, D.C.

What happened? Her MVPD service provider, Verizon FiOS, has just become the latest cable entity to fail to reach a fair and equitable retransmission consent agreement with a television broadcasting company. In this instance, it involves Tysons-based TEGNA.

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On Wednesday, December 29, Max Media‘s WVHT-FM “HOT 100” in Norfolk was cheerfully promoting on Twitter its syndicated nighttime program, on until midnight. A day later, the host took to Twitter to note he was “just sitting in my radio studio taking phone calls.”

Today, the host is no longer available to take calls, and he’s no longer heard on HOT 100 or any affiliates. Westwood One, the national radio arm of Cumulus Media, has killed The Zach Sang Show.

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Comscore has brought to market what it’s heralding as “a true single-source unified cross-platform measurement solution.”

Once one wades through the marketing language in the company’s announcement, the goal from Comscore is for the new product to become the unified way people use Comscore (similar to audience measurement giant and rival Nielsen’s approach with ONE) to get holistic audience measurement.

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About the Broadcasters Foundation of America
The mission of the Broadcasters Foundation of America foundation is to improve the quality of life and maintain the personal dignity of men and women in the radio and television broadcast profession who find themselves in acute need. For more than 70 years, the Foundation has provided financial support to those broadcast industry professionals who have faced life-altering circumstances. We reach out across the country to provide an anonymous safety net in cases of critical illness, advanced age, death of a spouse, accident, natural disaster, or other serious misfortune. The Broadcasters Foundation of America is a 501(c)(3) public charity based in New York City, and it is the only charity devotedly exclusively to helping broadcasters in dire need. The staff consists of four full time employees and one part-time employee. The Board of Directors of the foundation is made up of high-level Broadcast professionals who have achieved tremendous success in radio and television and want to give back to the Broadcast community.

Expectations (report to the Co-Presidents)
• Commit to 3 days a week, ideally in office, some flexibility open for discussion
• Oversee cash flow for grants, general ledger activities, insurance, and payroll functions
• Provide monthly income statements, balance sheets, and other financial reports, for monthly Executive Committee and quarterly Board of Directors meetings
• Review and approve event contracts throughout the year
• Preparation of monthly and annual budgets
• Provide appropriate information to external auditors and assist in final preparation of year-end financial statements

Qualifications:
• Minimum of 4 years of general business accounting
• Understanding of SAGE accounting system strongly preferred
• Not-for-profit background preferred
• Proficiency in payroll processing (ADP) and financial statements
• Ability to converse with management M-F, 9a-5p EST (flexibility to be discussed)
• Ability to communicate with high profile board members

Salary is negotiable.
References will be checked, and a background check completed prior to hire.

Broadcasters Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Interested in learning more? Contact Tim McCarthy tim@thebfoa.org

In mid-December, Audacy Inc. shares earned an upgrade from Wall Street financial house B. Riley. The firm’s Daniel Day saw bad news for the audio media company “more than priced in” ahead of an earnings inflection for the coming year.

A better-known Wall Street analyst now shares that he sees things differently for the owner of Cadence13 and Pineapple Street, BetQL, the Audacy streaming app and AM and FM radio stations including KROQ/Los Angeles, WFAN/New York and WXRT/Chicago.

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