Radio+Television Business Report

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Mark your calendars for today at 1pm Eastern.

Thanks when global tech trade association ITI will host FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks for a virtual discussion devoted to modernizing digital infrastructure in the U.S.

The Democratic Commission plans to share how the U.S. government can work with domestic industry to ensure effective and timely deployment of infrastructure funding.

The event, part of ITI’s Bridge for Innovation series, will also feature industry leaders and ITI member companies from Cisco, Corning, Equinix and Qualcomm.

“The passage of the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act brings with it billions in new investments in the U.S. for expanding broadband and closing the digital divide, improving our cybersecurity defenses, enhancing government digital services, and much more,” ITI notes. “But how can this funding be allocated to ensure that the largest infrastructure bill in recent history is delivering its full benefits to all Americans?”

That’s a question Starks plans to address.

The event will also feature industry leaders who will discuss modernizing digital infrastructure and providing secure connectivity to all Americans. Panelists will include Alissa Cooper, VP and CTO for Technology Policy for Cisco Systems; Jon Lin, EVP & General Manager of Data Center Services for Equinix; Dr. Durga Malladi, SVP & GM of 5G, Mobile Broadband & Infrastructure for Qualcomm Technologies; and Jason Zelley, Market Development Manager of Carrier Networks and Emerging Accounts for Corning Incorporated. 

Additional details and registration information are available here.

You’ve likely heard of Tesla vehicles and perhaps the Nissan Leaf, in particular if you’ve spent time on Maui. Introducing the Lucid Air luxury electric vehicle.

For owners of a Lucid automobile, there’s one added dashboard benefit that’s on the way. And, it comes courtesy of a new arrangement between Lucid and a Nielsen-owned smart radio platform.

“Innovative and intuitive audio features” are on the way to Lucid Air vehicles, courtesy of Nielsen’s Gracenote. “By integrating Gracenote’s Smart Radio data and technology solutions, Lucid’s elegant entertainment interface will seamlessly connect drivers and passengers to audio content from a range of sources to optimize the in-car entertainment experience,” Nielsen boasts.

Specifically, Gracenote’s Radio Station ID will be employed in-dash across all Lucid vehicles.

This serves to simplify radio station selection and enable browsing lists and station categories, Nielsen’s Gracenote notes.

Gracenote powers the connected car experience for over 120 million cars on the road today.

— RBR+TVBR West Coast Bureau

WASHINGTON, D.C. — PILOT, NAB‘s technology innovation initiative, is now accepting submissions for the PILOT Innovation Challenge through 5pm Eastern on Monday, January 31. The program will provide mentorship and promotion to winning proposals, along with an opportunity to demonstrate their products at the 2022 NAB Show.

This year’s challenge is seeking startups and growing companies providing products that help address some of the key challenges and opportunities facing broadcasters over the next two to three years. The challenge is specifically seeking products or prototypes that align with three new focus areas of the 2022 NAB Show associated with the content lifecycle.

These areas are:

• “Create”: Focused on content creation from pre-production to post, including the latest tools and advanced workflow options to elevate storytelling.

• “Capitalize”: Focused on reach and ROI, including next-generation technologies creating new revenue streams and fueling the content economy.

• “Connect”: Focused on content distribution and delivery, from cloud computing to new media infrastructure.

“The Innovation Challenge presents a showcase for the cutting-edge ideas and innovations that can transform how broadcasters do business and serve their communities,” said PILOT Executive Director John Clark. “This year’s program aligns with NAB Show’s focus on the three main pillars of today’s content ecosystem as we provide renewed opportunities to help broadcasters evolve and adapt.”

Individuals, teams, companies, academic institutions and nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply subject to the Challenge’s official rules of participation. Up to 10 finalists will be selected by a panel of industry experts by early March, with up to three winning proposals being announced the week of March 28, 2022. Participants can review the judging criteria on the PILOT website.

Winners will be selected to receive relevant mentorship, feedback, numerous opportunities to engage with broadcasters and a trip to the annual NAB Show, held April 23-27, 2022 in Las Vegas. They will be provided exhibit space on the NAB Show floor to demonstrate their prototype to potential customers, investors and partners.

To apply please click here.

MIAMI BEACH, FLA. — South Florida has the Brightline high-speed rail service. Now, its beach cities have Breezeline to add to the mix.

No, it’s not a new train service, although Miami Beach could use one to connect it to downtown Miami. Rather, it is the new name for the nation’s eighth-largest cable operator, today owned by Canadian multimedia company Cogeco.

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No, we’re not talking about stations tied in some way to Bobby Vinton but, rather, the town of Vinton, Va. Here, an AM radio station with an FM translator are heading to a new owner, pending FCC approval.

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NEW YORK — Emerson Coleman, the SVP/Programming at Hearst Television, is retiring in summer 2022. His successor has just been named, and it is the person who is joining the operation to serve as VP/Programming under Coleman, who will guide her until he says farewell.

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NEW YORK — Discovery, Inc. has become a minority owner of OpenAP, the advanced advertising company serving the television industry.

Discovery joins FOX, NBCUniversal and ViacomCBS in the joint venture.

The investment signals an expansion of Discovery’s existing relationship with OpenAP, having integrated with OpenID in April 2021 and more recently partnering with OpenAP on the launch of XPm, the TV publisher backed cross-platform measurement framework.

“The commitment to OpenAP furthers Discovery’s strategy of building a technical framework that enables cross-platform audience-based buying and creating collaborative support for alternative currency standards,” OpenAP says, adding that it will help further its ability to grow the overall market for audience-based advertising ‘and expand the breadth and scale of its services across cross-platform identity, measurement and planning.”

Discovery Chief U.S. Advertising Sales Officer Jon Steinlauf and Jim Keller, EVP/Digital Ad Sales and Advanced Advertising, will each represent the company on OpenAP’s Board of Directors.

Additionally, Discovery will be able to contribute to OpenAP’s corporate strategy and product roadmap, while gaining further operational and technical efficiencies by activating audiences centrally through OpenAP.

“Discovery is excited to take an active role shaping the future of advanced audience buying,” Keller said. “Given our current momentum, influence and growth of audience-based sales, we believe Discovery can help further the work OpenAP has been doing to initiate meaningful change in the market.”

OpenAP works with more than 100 advertisers following the 2019 launch of the OpenAP Market with centralized advanced audiences able to be distributed to all national TV publishers regardless of platform.

“There is no denying that automotive dealers have been on a wild ride over the past two years, bouncing from one extreme to another,” says local advertising analyst Gordon Borrell.

A new report from his Borrell Associates recounts the events from the last 24 months that have changed the automotive advertising environment and previews what is to come.

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LOS ANGELES — In 1997, a trio of Class A FM radio stations at 92.7 MHz entered into a “trimulcast,” in a bid to serve the entire Los Angeles DMA. At first it was “Lite.” Then, it was “Jill,” the cheeky female response to first-adjacent Adult Hits “JACK FM.”

Today, two of those three stations remain and serve as Southern California’s home for Educational Media Foundation‘s Worship Music-focused Air1 noncommercial network. Until recently, however, the same issues that plagued the former formats for this facility remained — poor penetration in central Los Angeles.

That issue has now been resolved, thanks to an FM translator and the use of GeoBroadcast Solutions’ MaxxCasting system.

A “Common” settlement reached in 2019 is also an important factor for EMF.

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Why does Gray Television have an interest in a low-power television station licensed to a self-described “beautiful small town nestled in the hills of Southern Middle Tennessee?”

The fact that Lewisburg, Tenn., is an hour south of Music Row has everything to do with the broadcast TV company’s latest LPTV investment.

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RBR+TVBR OBSERVATION

As some three dozen lucky radio industry cognoscenti gathered in Las Vegas on January 6 to enjoy the 2022 Consumer Electronics and QR Code Showcase in Sin City, a veteran radio industry professional widely known for creating Classic Rock as an answer to hair-band free playlists fired off a fiery blog post that lambasted radio for shooting itself in the foot.

What was the problem? For the week ending January 2, 2022, Media Monitors’ Spot Ten Radio report showed Sirius XM accounting for some 33,794 spots aired across the AM and FM stations it tracks.

The latest Spot Ten Radio reports shows that it was likely a one-time deal, as the satellite radio company was absent from the top 10 for the week ending January 9.

Still, the presence of Sirius XM during that end-of-year week when subscription renewals are important is, in Fred Jacobs‘ view, a huge error in judgement, or perhaps a tremendous blunder.

We respectfully disagree and see no reason to panic and fret over radio advertisements designed to bring more attention to audio content. After all, it is Radio that allowed Sirius XM to even exist.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — CBS News has completed what it calls “several key appointments” in its M Street news hub, including the selection of a new bureau chief and giving the executive producer of its Sunday political talk program Face the Nation a wider role.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Media Bureau has announced that it “seeks to refresh the record” on proposed FCC rules intended to enable individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing to fully enjoy video programming through closed captioning.

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BOCA RATON, FLA. — On Thursday, with CES 2022 at its height — and reportedly with attendance at some 75% under the CES 2020 total tally — signs that NATPE MIAMI could be in danger arose with the news that Univision Communications would be cancelling its Tuesday morning breakfast session as part of the Opening Day festivities for the National Association of Television Program Executives’ signature event of the year.

As of 7:15pm Eastern Friday, NATPE Miami was still a go, with press confirmation and registration information sent to reporters with a January 12 deadline to submit COVID-19 vaccination status to the organization.

Less than 24 hours later, the plug was pulled on NATPE Miami  — a victim of Omicron.

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The new year is bringing new responsibilities to four members of the Coleman Insights leadership team.

Eileen Genna is promoted to Senior Vice President, Business Operations; David Baird is promoted to Senior Vice President, Research Operations; Jay Nachlis is promoted to Vice President/Consultant & Marketing Director; and Meghan Campbell is promoted to Vice President/Consultant & Director, Qualitative Services.

“Beyond the insights we deliver to our clients, I’m most proud of how we’ve built an incredible leadership team at Coleman Insights,” said Warren Kurtzman, the company’s President. “Eileen and David’s promotions are a recognition of the enormous multi-decade contributions they have made to our success. In a shorter amount of time, Jay and Meghan have also had a tremendous impact for us and our clients, and I expect even bigger things from them with their new responsibilities.”

— Radio Ink

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIF. — Like many News/Talk radio stations, syndicated programming takes up a lot of the lineup for an American General Media-owned property serving a picturesque slice of California’s Central Coast. There’s Markley Van Camp & Robbins in Rush Limbaugh’s former 9am-Noon slot. From Noon to 3pm is Dave Ramsey.

In drive-time, local hosts known across the region can be heard. Andy Morris has the First Look before he takes middays at the Country-formatted FM sister in the station group. From 3-7pm, Hometown Radio takes to the air.

It’s been on KVEC-AM, in recent years sporting an FM translator, for 30 years, leading to new recognition for host Dave Congalton.

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Many broadcast media veterans may remember her as Jessica Reif Cohen. Today, she’s Jessica Reif Ehrlich, and still an influential Wall Street media industry analyst who ceremonially asks the first question on iHeartMedia earnings calls.

Now, in her role as a Bank of America Securities analyst and Managing Director, she’s giving a lot of love to Discovery Communications. Investors reacted, with the company’s shares soaring by more than 17% on Friday.

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Radio broadcasters, be warned. On-demand audio giant Spotify is rolling out a new advertising format that enriches podcasting by giving listeners a series of “Call-to-Action Cards” allowing them to learn more about an audio ad they hear.

It’s yet another opportunity for the audio industry, so long as legacy broadcast companies in the digital space follow suit.

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TORONTO — The owner of such radio stations as “Boom 97.3” in Toronto and “Live 88.5” in Ottawa, which has a presence in the U.S. via its audio channels found on such MVPD service providers as Hotwire, has finalized the approximately $46,642,450 USD acquisition of the largest in-store audio advertising network in the 50 states.

As a result, Stingray, based in Montréal, is now the owner of InStore Audio Network.

That’s the Gary Seem and Jeff Shapiro-led entity sold by Pop Radio LP for $59 million CDN.

Serving as the broker in the transaction is Richard A. Foreman and Associates.

InStore says it reaches some 100 million shoppers each week in more 16,000 grocery retailers and pharmacies across the U.S., including CVS, Rite Aid, Albertsons, Safeway, Southeastern Grocers (Winn-Dixie), Ahold (Food Lion, Giant, Hannaford and Stop & Shop), Western New York-focused Tops Markets, Pennsylvania Dutch Country favorite Weis Market and Brookshire’s, with more than 180 stores operating in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

The total price paid by Stingray is subject to a specific earn out mechanism set forth in the purchase agreement.

“With this acquisition, Stingray expands its retail-based digital audio advertising footprint in the United States and reaffirms its position as a leading global provider of state-of-the art digital media solutions,” Stingray says.

InStore will continue until the continued leadership and direction of its current management team, Stingray says.

— Carina Newton, in North York

NEW YORK — He’s been the U.S. chief revenue officer since January 2020, and joined FreeWheel in 2018.

Now, he’s succeeding Dave Clark as General Manager at the Comcast-owned premium TV marketplace for buyers and sellers.

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