Radio+Television Business Report

By law, Dish on January 12 blocked its customers from receiving The CW Network in Louisville, WDRB-41 and WBKI-TV; NBC affiliate WAND-TV in Decatur, Ill.; and all four network affiliates serving tiny Lima, Ohio.

It was the latest retransmission fee impasse to surface in recent years. Now, it has ended. But, there’s chatter that another carriage dispute has just been resolved, hours before a “blackout” by law was to take place.

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In November 2012, Bruce James and his Vermont Broadcast Associates engaged in a transaction that saw the sale of a 100-watt FM serving a small town some 100km south of Sherbrooke, Quebec.

Just over nine years later, the FM is officially defunct. Rather than try to find a buyer, the owner surrendered the station’s license.

Without comment, the FCC on January 19 moved forward with the cancellation of the license of WQJQ-FM 100.1 in Barton, Vt.

The station, which is now “DWQJQ” in the FCC database to reflect the call letters’ deletion, was owned by Capital Broadcasting Associates.

Led by Michael Percy, Capital had been using the station to simulcast WGMT-FM 97.7 in Lyndon, Vt., covering the St. Johnsbury, Vt.-Berlin, N.H. regional area.

No reason is known for Percy’s decision to surrender the property. He paid $25,000 for WQJQ nearly a decade ago.

However, WGMT has partial coverage of the Barton area, which is fairly rural. It is serviced by Vermont Public Co. stations and by Adult Contemporary WMOO-FM in Newport, Vt., while a host of out-of-region stations can be heard, including those from Canada broadcasting mainly in Quebeçois French.

The decision to turn in WQJQ’s license is a rarity, as it is an FM station. In recent months, a host of companies have turned in their AM radio station licenses to the FCC, for various reasons.

Cumulus Media did so in 2020; Beasley Media Group also opted to do so with one South Florida AM. Saga Communications did so in fall 2021. Additionally, in September 2021 KPHP Radio — an entity tied to Donald B. Crawford and Crawford Broadcasting — voluntarily surrendered the KKPZ license to the FCC. The Commission, as such, immediately cancelled the license of KKPZ.

Meanwhile, in May 2021 Fort Myers Broadcasting Company surrendered to the Commission the licenses of WAXA-AM 1200 in Fort Myers, Fla. and WNPL-AM 1460 in Naples, Fla.

Given the focus on the FM translators and not the AMs, and the ability to feed FM translators from a digital multicast signal in HD Radio led Fort Myers Broadcasting Company to simply give up the WAXA and WNPL licensees.

But, in other cases, the programming heard on the deleted station disappeared altogether.

In Vermont, what was heard on WQJQ will continue on the originating station.

He’s spent the last seven years as VP/GM of the internal digital agency of WEHCO Media.

Starting today (1/24), he’s the new VP of Digital Sales at Beasley Media Group.

Pat Eastburn joins the audio content and distribution company from WEHCO’s Flypaper Digital Marketing.

He reports to Beasley Media Group Chief Digital Officer Todd Handy and focus on leveraging his experience across the entire digital sales team. Eastburn will also have a focus on new products, services and key verticals.

“Pat was the consensus choice as the top candidate for this role given his extensive background in leading digital agency sales teams and disrupting traditional media channels,” Handy said.

Eastburn expressed excitement in joining a company that is “so well-respected.” He commented, “I’ve been thoroughly impressed by the entire team. I believe that digital marketing has significant potential as an industry relative to current and future opportunity. Combine that opportunity with top level talent and the sky is the limit.”

From 1989-2007, Eastburn held various sales and training positions for BellAtlantic, which became Verizon. From there, he spent nearly six years as a RVP of Sales for YP Holdings, a division of AT&T Advertising Solutions.

In a move designed to strengthen the position of an affiliate of The CW Network against the ABC, NBC and CBS affiliates in Indianapolis, DuJuan McCoy-owned Circle City Broadcasting has moved forward with the relaunch of an 11pm newscast at one of his two properties — a sign that WISH-8‘s local news presence seeks to be unrivaled.

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A radio industry veteran who spent the last 11 years in Indianapolis has been named Operations Manager of “98.9 The Rock,” “ALT 96.5,” “106.5 The Wolf” and “99.7 The Point” in Kansas City.

He’ll assume his new duties on February 1 while also taking the role of Brand Manager for two of those Audacy Inc. audio brands.

Taking the OM role for KQRC-FM, KRBZ-FM, WDAF-FM & KZPT-FM in Kansas City is JR Ammons.

The role will see Ammons gain oversight of the stations the content strategy, talent, operations and branding. It’s a return to a company formerly known as Entercom for Ammons, as Audacy/Kansas City SVP/Market Manager Roxanne Marati welcomed him to her group of radio stations. “His extensive background operating multiple stations will position him for success, and we look forward to working alongside him in this next chapter of his career,” Marati said.

Ammons has spent the last three decades in Radio, and has been associated with WZPL-FM, WNTR-FM and WXNT-AM in Indianapolis for the last eleven, exiting as OM. Before that Ammons was associated with Lincoln Financial Media, and its former ownership of WSTR-FM “Star 94” in Atlanta, where he was Program Director. He’s also programmed WAPE-FM in Jacksonville and KMXV-FM in Kansas City.

“I’m so thankful for the 11 years I’ve spent in Indianapolis; we’ve had so much fun, made so many lifelong friends and had so much success,” said Ammons, who began his run at the stations under Entercom ownership and stayed with the properties through their 2019 transition to Cumulus Media ownership. “The opportunity to come back to Audacy and work with Roxanne was simply too good to pass up. I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the team she’s building in Kansas City.”

 

The company co-founded by CEO Daniel Barreto has widened its nearly five-year partnership with Hearst Television, giving the broadcast TV station owner’s “FAST” live channel content another distribution point.

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There are two dominant users of spot cable, according to the latest Media Monitors Spot Ten Cable report.

One is an auto insurance specialist getting lots of attention for their quirky, retro-feel campaign. The other is an auto insurance specialist known for its gecko.

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A fresh look at the latest Media Monitors Spot Ten Radio report for the week ending January 23 shows that a job-search site that’s grown in prominence over the last several years truly appreciates the power of Radio.

Gone are the days of Monster, it seems. Indeed is the job-seeker portal of choice in 2022, and last week saw the brand account for some 72,000+ spot plays on the AM and FM radio stations Media Monitors tracks.

That’s a substantial lead over the No. 2 paid user of spot radio last week: auto insurance giant Progressive.

Who else is using radio? Babbel has become a steady brand at AM and FM, as has Lowe’s, which takes advantage of a soft marketing period from The Home Depot.

Until late September, all seemed particularly strong for iHeartMedia‘s stock price. A year-long increase was underway, with shares moving from just over $14 per share in late February to nearly $27.50 just four months later.

By October, however, worries about the Delta, and Omicron, variants of the COVID-19 virus accelerated, creating new concerns about ad dollar weakness at radio. Ups and downs for IHRT were seen, and the shares still managed to start 2022 at $21.57.

Since then, it has been a bumpy ride on the Nasdaq GlobalSelect market for iHeart.

The latest dip for the company’s shares was seen on Friday, as IHRT fell 2.7% from Thursday to land at $18.67.

That’s the second-lowest closing price of the last six months, with a December 1 finish of $18.37 the only other time IHRT finished at this level.

While IHRT is still above where it was a year ago, it still marks a frustration for the company led by CEO Bob Pittman and COO/CFO Rich Bressler (pictured, top left). The current 1-year target price for IHRT is $32.78 per share.

The company has yet to see its shares climb above the $30 mark.

As a premium subscriber to the Radio+Television Business Report, you are on the VIP list to receive our Winter 2022 Special Report via instant download.

What awaits you?

• The Future of Broadcasting & OTT for OTA TV – Agora Director of Business Development for Media and Entertainment Brad Altfest is interviewed.
• Broadcast Media’s Top Tech Leaders – This first annual list salutes the best tech minds in radio and television – and it’s a reader-generated honor roll.
• Technology: Empowering Broadcast Radio and TV – The cancellation of the NAB Show and the delay of IBC Amsterdam didn’t put a hard stop to product rollouts and big plans for 2022.
• RBR+TVBR’s Products to Watch List – An opportunity to learn more about other companies of note to radio and TV companies.

The RBR+TVBR Winter 2022 Special Edition is available now to all subscribers!

LOCK IN YOUR COPY BY BECOMING A RBR+TVBR MEMBER TODAY.

It’s a tastemaker Adult Alternative noncommercial FM that since 2007 has done what stations such as KCRW in Santa Monica, Calif., and WXPN in Philadelphia have brought to local radio listeners.

Now, ’88Nine’ is seeking a new Executive Director, as Kevin Sucher has stepped down “to pursue other opportunities.”

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In the final days of 2020, the FCC approved a request by Univision to accept foreign investment in excess of the 25% benchmark set forth in its regulations. Then, in summer 2021, the company that is today majority controlled by Searchlight III UTD and ForgeLight and led by CEO Wade Davis requested the Commission’s OK for two specific non-U.S. based entities to grab a share of Univision ownership.

A Declaratory Ruling was released by the Commission on Friday.

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Que pena … The end is near for “Qué Buena” listeners across the New York Tri-State Area.

For those who have wanted WFME back on a FM signal heard in Gotham, it is almost time to rejoice.

Family Stations has closed on its acquisition of what will soon be the former WQBU-FM 92.7, licensed to the Nassau County municipality of Garden City, N.Y.

According to the asset purchase agreement, finalized on December 2, 2021 and subsequently filed with the FCC, Univision is selling WQBU and its two boosters, giving it coverage in Manhattan and Queens, for $9 million.

A 10% escrow deposit was placed with Kalil & Co., as escrow agent. Kalil & Co. represented Univision in the transaction, as the exclusive broker. As previously reported, Univision months ago retained the Tucson-based brokerage to help it spin non-essential radio stations.

With the deal’s completion, after 18 years Family Stations will regain much of its lost FM signal coverage from the sale of the original WFME-FM (today WXBK-FM 94.7) to Cumulus Media in late 2012. At the time, WFME “moved” to 106.3 MHz, a facility from 1964-1993 known as WVIP-FM. As locals can attest to, it is hardly a New York-market facility, with a 980-watt Class A signal covering northern Westchester and Fairfield County, Conn.

Even with WQBU, WFME still will lack a Northern New Jersey FM signal. However, there is an AM option. WFME-AM 1560 uses a two-tower daytime signal and three-tower nighttime signal pushing out 50kw watts of Christian talk and teaching fare; it sold its Maspeth, Queens, tower site and uses a new site based in New Jersey.

In the 18 years since Univision purchased what is today WQBU, it is being sold for $51 million less.

The deal value crossed what Hoffman Schutz Media Capital’s David Schutz in December told RBR+TVBR is a “psychologically significant valuation metric” — one dollar.

Based on the new 2020 Census, the 60 dbu “service area” contour of WQBU reaches 9,396,000 people. “At a $9 million announced selling price, that represents a population metric of $0.96 per person,” Schutz concludes, adding that the twin synchronous on-channel boosters in Manhattan and Brooklyn didn’t exist when Univision bought the facility.

Representing Family Stations, best known for its association with the late Harold Camping, as its FCC legal counsel is Matthew McCormick with Fletcher Heald & Hildreth.

Eric Wotila has gained notice across the U.S. for his role as President of digital multicast network NewsNet.

Now, he’s in the news as Wotila has agreed to an asset purchase agreement that will adjust the ownership in the station branded as “NewsNet Michigan.”

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For fans of Denver-based pro and collegiate sports teams that have rights agreements with Altitude Sports, watching play-by-play while at home has been a frustration for those who are Comcast subscribers for more than two years. The two parties have been sparring over a carriage agreement, and on December 17 mediation was agreed to. Meanwhile, DISH has also been unable to secure a new rights agreement with Altitude.

As such, DirecTV is today the lone home in the Denver DMA for Altitude Sports, as Charter’s Spectrum service, which Altitude has a deal with, is not available.

A “revolutionary” NextGen television service could bring Altitude for those who don’t wish to wait for a possible deal with Comcast.

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Nexstar Media Group and ViacomCBS have reached comprehensive multi-year agreements to renew the existing CBS Television Network affiliations in 39 markets across the country.

That’s not prevented an affiliation switch from transpiring in the biggest city in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, to the benefit of Lilly Broadcasting.

Effective Friday (1/21), WJMN “Local 3” in Marquette, Mich., became an independent news station serving the city and nearby Escanaba, which comprise DMA No. 182. It is now a MyNetwork TV affiliate, and “will continue to provide the news, weather, sports and entertainment that we have for over 50 years across the Upper Peninsula,” WJMN noted on its website.

The new CBS affiliate for Marquette is WZMQ-19, DT2. It is owned by Lilly, which will retain its MeTV affiliation on Channel 19.1, at least for right now. The station is available on Charter’s Spectrum lineup as Channel 3, on DISH on Channel 5, and on DirecTV as Channel 20. A new logo is already in place.

“All of your favorite CBS programming and shows will continue with no disruption, along with CBS Sports coverage of the NFL and NCAA College Basketball including March Madness,” WZMQ said.

Lilly Broadcasting has CBS affiliates in Erie, Pa.; Elmira-Corning, N.Y.; the U.S. Virgin Island and Puerto Rico. It agreed to purchase WZMQ in October 2017 for $103,475.

A Nexstar spokesperson contacted by RBR+TVBR declined to comment on why a new affiliation deal with CBS in Marquette did not come to fruition. All of the other CBS agreements were renewed.

The affiliation switch comes as Nexstar secured a fourth and final agreement that the company says completes “all of ViacomCBS and Nexstar’s affiliation renewals.” Some 39 markets retained their CBS affiliation, and this deal follows three affiliation deals renewed in early 2021.

The new Nexstar/ViacomCBS agreement gives the latter permission to place Nexstar’s CBS affiliates on Paramount+ and on vMVPD platforms.

ViacomCBS President of U.S. Networks Distribution Ray Hopkins commented, “We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Nexstar that includes several early renewals of our CBS network affiliations. This deal demonstrates the power of our collective partnership and our commitment to maintaining strong relationships in order to best serve audiences across the country with leading content.”

Financial terms were not disclosed.

The agreement includes renewals for the following CBS affiliates:

• KTAB in Abilene, Tex.
• KRQE in Albuquerque
• WIAT in Birmingham
• WVNS in Bluefield-Beckley, W. Va.
• WIVB in Buffalo
• WCIA in Champaign, Ill.
• WRBL in Columbus, Ga.
• KGPE in Fresno
• WANE in Ft. Wayne, Ind.
• KREX in Grand Junction, Colo.
• WFRV in Green Bay, Wisc.
• WNCT in Greenville-New Bern, N.C.
• WSPA in Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.
• KVEO in Harlingen, Tex.
• WHLT in Hattiesburg, Miss.
• WHNT in Huntsville, Ala.
• WTTV in Indianapolis
• WJTV in Jackson, Miss.
• WTAJ in Johnstown, Pa.
• KLFY in Lafayette, La.
• WLNS in Lansing, Mich.
• KLAS in Las Vegas
• KLBK in Lubbock, Tex.
• WREG in Memphis
• KXMC in Minot, N.D.
• WKRG in Mobile
• WBTW in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
• WMBD in Peoria, Ill.
• KOIN in Portland, Ore.
• WPRI in Providence, R.I.
• WNCN in Raleigh
• KCLO in Rapid City, S.D.
• WROC in Rochester, N.Y.
• KLST in San Angelo, Tex.
• KELO in Sioux Falls, S.D.
• WJHL in Johnson City-Bristol-Kingsport
• WKBN in Youngstown, Ohio

The deal also includes two stations owned by Mission Broadcasting, Nexstar’s close shared services partner: KOLR in Springfield, Mo., and WYOU in Wilkes Barre-Scranton.

The warning signs were there, with influential Wall Street observer Michael Nathanson one week ago cutting his price target as increased OTT competition and slowing growth made Netflix a little less rosy of an investment.

It turns out Nathanson was right on the money with respect to Netflix’s overall health. Disappointing earnings and subscriber forecast misses were seen by the visual entertainment giant, leading to a Friday sell-off that saw NFLX down by more than 21% in the 1pm Eastern hour.

Yet, there’s dissent among just how poorly Netflix is performing. According to one industry observer, “Netflix’s performance is superb when you consider the crushing competition encroaching on what used to be a fast growing, greenfield market.”

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Chances are that if you live in a multi-unit residential tower or community with a homeowners’ association or spend time in an office building, your choices for broadband services are, well, none — there’s one provider, thanks to contractual arrangements and legacy wiring and provider limitations that in many cases are a thing of the past.

The Chairwoman of the FCC wants to do something about that, and on Friday shared with her colleagues a Report and Order and Declaratory Ruling that she argues would promote competition and increase choice for broadband services for people living and working in multiple tenant environments (MTEs).

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Addressable Advertising. It’s a desire of practically every marketer and advertiser, with media buyers and planners seeking out every form of communication to deliver what the client wants — personalized messaging.

That puts radio in an odd position. Yes, it has audio streaming opportunities. But, radio broadcasting’s broad reach — long its selling point and biggest positive for an advertiser — is now a detriment. What’s an owner of a FM radio station to do?

GeoBroadcast Solutions has an answer, and in autumn 2021 successfully tested technology that literally localizes an FM signal, offering advertisers more options by geo-targeting audiences. It’s asked the FCC to amend its booster rules to allow for program origination — key to the voluntary use of “ZoneCasting” by FM station owners.

The FCC obliged in November 2020 by adopting a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, now under consideration.

Obstacles could prevent “ZoneCasting” from proliferation across the U.S., however. And, GeoBroadcast Solutions says in a letter submitted this week with the FCC, iHeartMedia is the biggest obstructer to making “ZoneCasting” happen.

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RBR+TVBR EXCLUSIVE

There was Aereo. More recently and perhaps more infamously, there was Locast.

Each of the now-defunct services provided broadcast TV channels via an IPTV service, and each were criticized by the nation’s “Big Four” networks and the NAB for skirting retransmission consent accords.

Now comes a new “virtual Over the Air” streaming service offering a “local broadcast bundle” based on one’s location. And, the company offering the service, says, it is the first and only legal platform seen yet in the United States.

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