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By Justin Fromm
Special to RBR+TVBR

“Gradually, then suddenly.”

It’s how Hemingway describes bankruptcy in The Sun Also Rises, but it rings true in so much of our existence. Change very often happens slowly all around us, only for us to recognize the effect all at once. Over the past decade TV has been changing gradually, but it’s truly in the past year that it has suddenly transformed.

In 2021, nearly 100 years after its invention, and more than a decade after Netflix, Hulu, and Roku made it possible to stream video to our sets, TV has all at once evolved from a one-to-many, live broadcast medium into an IP-delivered, one-to-one, on-demand digital medium.

To keep up with how consumers use their TVs, advertisers must shift how they think, plan, and buy TV.

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Global media advertising research firm Standard Media Index (SMI) is welcoming a new Head of Insights & Analytics.

It’s an individual with more than 20 years of experience leading top research and product teams, and he will oversee SMI’s Insights & Analytics division.

Being named to the post is Rick Bruner.

SMI President Ben Tatta calls Bruner “a leader in his field,” who brings “a wealth of knowledge, his impressive network, and extensive leadership experience running advanced research and analytics teams to the SMI family.”

Bruner will play an instrumental role in the continued growth and development of SMI’s Insights & Analytics practice.”

Bruner previously ran research and product teams at DoubleClick, Google, MTV Networks, Marketing Evolution and Viant Technology. He is also the founder and CEO of Central Control, an advanced media analytics firm that he will serve as Chairman for going forward. Bruner currently serves as Vice Chair for the U.S. of I-COM, a global forum for marketing science, and a Research Affiliate of the Advertising Research Foundation.

Bruner is also founder and moderator of the influential Research Wonks industry discussion community. A former Ad Age reporter and author, he is a recipient of the Advertising Research Foundation’s David Ogilvy Award.

James Fennessy is Standard Media Index’s CEO.

When Esther-Mireya Tejeda and Jen Morales each exited the company formerly known as Entercom Communications, the audio media company hit the reset button on its corporate communications and public relations efforts.

Today, that company bears the name Audacy. And, it now has a three-person PR department.

It lured a Tiger to make it happen. Seriously.

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It covers stories of Black people “from Kampala to Atlanta,” and spurred the recent launch of a television network featuring African American-focused content.

Now, the owner of The Grio — Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group (AMG) — has named a SVP of News and Entertainment for the unit.

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George G. Beasley, who purchased WPYB-AM in Benson, N.C., in December 1961 and would go on to build what is today Beasley Media Group, died Wednesday morning at the age of 89.

“While best known for his many trailblazing achievements in the radio broadcasting industry, George will be most remembered for his humility, kindness, integrity, work-ethic and love of family and friends,” the Naples, Fla.-based company that recently expanded beyond radio and podcasting with investments in eSports said in a statement.

Mr. Beasley was born on April 9, 1932. He grew up working in the tobacco fields in his hometown of Ararat, Va., a tiny town to the north of Winston Salem, N.C.

“His drive and determination led him to enlist in the army to pursue a degree in Education through the G.I. Bill,” Beasley Media said.

Upon completing his B.A. and M.A. from Appalachian State University, he taught in Virginia before moving to North Carolina in the late 1950s to become a high school principal and coach.

His career then took a pivot into radio broadcasting, and ownership. Mr. Beasley built WPYB-AM in Benson from scratch.

It provided the spark for what today is a publicly traded company led by his daughter, CEO Caroline Beasley, comprised of 62 radio stations across 15 markets.

Mr. Beasley stepped back from his role as Chief Executive Officer in 2016. However, he continued to serve as Executive Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors.

An avid philanthropist, George served on the board of the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters (NCAB) for eight years as President, Vice President and as a member of the Board of Directors. In 1996, he received the NCAB’s organization’s Distinguished Service Award and was inducted into NCAB’s Hall of Fame in 1998 upon accepting the prestigious “Distinguished Broadcaster of North Carolina” Award.

In November 2016, George Beasley was inducted to the 28th annual National Radio Hall of Fame. In 2019, he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

George Beasley received numerous awards and accolades throughout his life. In 2020, he was inducted into the Country Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame and received the Broadcasters Foundation of America Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, George Beasley was recognized as a “Giant” by the Library of American Broadcasting in 2012. The Florida Association of Broadcasters named him “Broadcaster of the Year” in 2011 and the Country Radio Broadcasters presented him with the distinguished “Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award” in 2010. The Nevada Broadcasters Association also inducted George into the organization’s Hall of Fame in 2008.

In 1990 his alma mater, Appalachian State University, designated George Beasley as one of the institution’s Distinguished Alumni. “Among his proudest professional accomplishments was receiving an honorary doctorate and the unveiling of the George G. Beasley Media Complex on campus to provide future generations of students with the opportunity pursue their entrepreneurial dreams in broadcasting,” the company said.

In prepared remarks, Caroline Beasley said, “George’s unconditional love for our mother, Ann, and our family, along with his passion for the radio industry, helped to guide him throughout his lifetime. A loving father, mentor, and friend, I will especially miss his incredible wisdom, keen insight and gentle smile.”

NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith also offered his sympathies to all at Beasley Media and to the Beasley family.

“[The] NAB is deeply saddened by the passing of George Beasley,” Smith said. “George was a pioneer in broadcasting and a giant in his field, building Beasley into one of the premier radio station groups over the course of 60 years and serving the radio industry with distinction. We join with the entire broadcasting community in mourning our friend, and extend our thoughts and prayers to the Beasley family on their loss.”

A memorial service will take place for family and friends in Naples, Florida. Details will be forthcoming. A private burial service will be held for the family in Ararat, Virginia.

RBR+TVBR’s Carl Marcucci interviews George Beasley in April 2007 and discusses the state of the industry ahead of The Great Recession.

George Beasley is survived by his wife of 67 years Ann; five children; 16 grandchildren; and 12 great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the Beasley family requests donations be made in his name to The Broadcasters Foundation of America, 125 West 55th Street, 4th Floor New York, New York 10019. Online donations may also be made at www.broadcastersfoundation.org.

George Beasley has died.

The founder and patriarch of Beasley Media Group was age 89 at his passing in Naples, Fla., today.

An announcement was issued by the company, which called him a “radio industry innovator, advocate, mentor and pioneer and community philanthropist” who led his company for 60 years.

He had stepped down as CEO in 2016 but continued as executive chairman of the company’s board.

A memorial service is planned in Florida; details will be announced later. His family will hold a private burial in his home town of Ararat, Va.

“In lieu of flowers, the Beasley family requests donations be made in his name to The Broadcasters Foundation of America, 125 West 55th Street, 4th Floor New York, New York 10019. Online donations may also be made at www.broadcastersfoundation.org.”

His daughter Caroline Beasley, now the company CEO, was quoted in the announcement, “George’s unconditional love for our mother, Ann and our family, along with his passion for the radio industry, helped to guide him throughout his lifetime. A loving father, mentor, and friend, I will especially miss his incredible wisdom, keen insight and gentle smile.”

George Beasley built his first station, 500-watt WPYB(AM), in Benson, N.C. while working as a high school assistant principal in 1961. The company now has 62 stations in 15 markets, digital platforms and an esports arm. Four of Beasley’s five children joined the company as employees: Bruce, Brian, Caroline and Brad Beasley. The company went public in 2000.

He told Radio World in 2015 that radio’s value proposition remained as solid as it was five decades earlier.

“I am proud to say that Beasley has been a pioneer in the adoption of technologies such as FM radio, which surpassed AM in the late 1970s; HD Radio and PPM in the ensuing decades; and streaming and mobile applications today. Each of these innovations enhanced the listener experience and strengthened the medium as a core buy for any brand or product seeking to reach consumers at large or consumers within distinct demographics.”

NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith issued a statement about his death: “George was a pioneer in broadcasting and a giant in his field, building Beasley into one of the premier radio station groups over the course of 60 years and serving the radio industry with distinction.”

Beasley was born in April 1932, “working in the tobacco fields in his hometown of Ararat, Virginia.”

He enlisted in the army to pursue a degree in education through the G.I. Bill. “Upon completing his B.A. and M.A. from Appalachian State University, he taught in Virginia, before moving to North Carolina in the late 50’s to become a high school principal and coach.” Even after starting his first station he only worked evenings and weekends in radio until 1969 before leaving education to focus on broadcasting.

Beasley receive the National Radio Award from the National Association of Broadcasters in 2015, and his daughter Caroline will receive it this fall.

He was a former president of the board of the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters and had been inducted into its Hall of Fame as well as those of the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters and Nevada Broadcasters Association.

He was also in the Country Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame and received the Broadcasters Foundation of America Lifetime Achievement Award. The Library of American Broadcasting listed him as one of its “giants of broadcasting.” He received honors from the Florida Association of Broadcasters and Country Radio Broadcasters.

He remained close to his alma mater Appalachian State University, where he was a former chairman of the Appalachian State University Foundation Board of Directors as well as a member of the university board. A media complex on campus bears his name.

“The many challenges that George faced over the years, he did with humility, dignity and grace. A loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, his legacy serves as a reminder that anything is possible with dedication, hard work and respect for one another,” the company stated. “George is survived by his wife of 67 years Ann, five children, 16 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.”

The post George Beasley Dies, Age 89 appeared first on Radio World.

In February, RBR+TVBR first reported on the sale of nine radio stations owned by Sound Communications in the Twin Tiers of Northern Pennsylvania and Western New York.

The deal, brokered by Michael J. Bergner, has now closed — making the company led by Kristin Cantrell a dominant player in the region.

It didn’t even own stations here in 2017.

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The late Jim Baum now has part of a Texas highway named after him.

The Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a measure honoring the owner-operator of KVMC(AM) and KAUM(FM) in Colorado City, who died in 2018. Baum was also a three-time mayor of that community.

“SB 1124 by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, renames a stretch of Business Interstate Highway 20-J in his honor,” the Texas Association of Broadcasters noted in its newsletter.

“Baum owned and operated KVMC(AM) Colorado City, ‘the Voice of Mitchell County,’ for nearly 40 years. He signed KAUM(FM) on the air later in the 1980s.”

According to his obituary, Baum “found his lifelong love of radio” when he worked for KCRS(AM) in Midland. He later managed KBYG(AM) in Big Spring.

In an earlier post, TAB described Baum as “well remembered by those in Mitchell County and by the TAB staff as a tireless public servant, whether it was leading Colorado City through challenging times as mayor or by his dedication to reporting the day’s events in his radio newscasts. If wildfires or a tornado threatened the area, day or night, he was on the air with lifesaving information. Baum also brought Mitchell County history alive with on-air stories about the area’s past events.”

The post Texas Honors the Late Jim Baum appeared first on Radio World.

The Broadcasters Clinic returns with an in-person event in September.

The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association has announced the conference agenda.

“We are committed to making the Broadcasters Clinic safe for all. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available at the Clinic,” WBA stated on its website. “If you are not vaccinated, please wear a mask. Guidelines are subject to change based on the latest public health guidance.”

The longtime, engineering-friendly event will be held Sept. 8 to 10 at the Madison Marriott West Hotel in Middleton, Wis.

Topics relevant to radio attendees include virtualization, cloud infrastructure and ”containerization”; computer modeling of FM directional antennas; on-air processing in the cloud; SRT protocol for signal distribution; the role of metadata in radio; saving power in FM transmitters; lessons from Alternative Broadcast Inspections; cybersecurity; LED obstruction lights; and post-pandemic management strategies.

Of the three days of the conference, the first day focuses on radio topics, the third is about television, and the middle day bridges both.

David Layer of the National Association of Broadcasters is among the featured speakers. An early bird rate applies for registration until July 15.

The post WBA Announces Broadcasters Clinic Lineup appeared first on Radio World.

iHeartMedia named Judy Copier as president of its Salt Lake City market.

She succeeds Stu Stanek, who has retired after two decades with the company. Copier will report to Division President Tom McConnell.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

Joyce Wirthlin was promoted to senior VP of sales, Copier’s former position; and Jeff McCartney was recently named senior vice president of programming for the market.

McConnell thanked Stanek for his work. “Stu has been one of our strongest leaders over the past two decades, and I can’t thank him enough for all of his hard work and countless contributions.”

Send news of engineering and executive personnel changes to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Copier Takes Over in SLC for iHeartMedia appeared first on Radio World.

The Triangle region of North Carolina has long been known as a technology innovation center. For the television industry, this has seen Capitol Broadcasting Corp. become a NextGen TV pioneer, with its WRAL-5 and WRAZ-TV at the forefront of the new broadcast TV standard based on ATSC 3.0.

Now, the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill market is the latest to gain access to new technology that the NAB and the nation’s Big Four networks have tried to exterminate.

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June is Microphone Month here at Radio World. This is one in a series of interviews with people who work in and around radio about the kinds of mics they love and why.

Joan Baker is co-founder and vice president of the Society Of Voice Arts And Sciences. She is a voice actor, author and coach.

Radio World: What is your personal favorite microphone for the kind of work you do, and what sets it apart?

Joan Baker: I’m at a place in my career where I can afford the best, so I stick with Neumann and Sennheiser.

I have several mics. Some I rarely use unless a client specifically asks me to use a certain mic to help better match with previously recorded material.

But I’d say the one that sets me apart is my Neumann U 67. I can use it for multiple genres in voice acting especially commercial and narration because it blends the lower, mid and upper tones in a way that seems to add a certain sparkle to my sound. Also, no one’s ever asked for their money back, so why fix what isn’t broken?

RW: What is your choice for remote work or other specialty applications out of the studio like live venues? 

Baker: My choice is the Sennheiser MKH 416. It’s great because it reduces ambient noise and allows you to really work the mic. So when I’m doing remote work in unfamiliar or less than ideally treated spaces, the MKH 416 deliver a clean sound. I use it for promos as well, because it cuts through with a touch more edge, even when I’m performing in a naturalistic, conversational voice.

RW: If you were training someone about using and buying mics for voiceover or radio applications, what’s a tip you might share or a common misconception you’d try to dispel for them?

Baker: One of the most common questions, and it’s an honest one, is “What mic should I buy?” Choosing a mic depends on personal factors, like affordability, the equipment that will be needed to compliment the mic, the environment in which the mic will be used, and the predominant type of work for which you will use the mic.

No one can answer this question properly without knowing all these factors. So one misperception is that there is one mic that works best for your voice, without knowing all the other circumstances.

I recommend that all my students speak to full-time audio engineers, and learn to discern the different mic qualities when comparing (apples to apples) under various conditions.

Read more of Radio World’s coverage of microphones.

The post My Favorite Mics: Joan Baker appeared first on Radio World.

The Board of Directors for broadcast television company Gray Television has signed off on a quarterly cash dividend.

The announcement could only further fuel Gray’s stock price, which hit a five-year high on Tuesday (6/1).

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Nearly 50 years after its first broadcast, a Vermont community radio station has announced that is officially owned by the public — a rare feat in the annals of radio ownership transition.

Station WGDR/WGDH was built and operated by Goddard College in Plainfield, Vt., as a college and community radio station. In 2020, the newly established nonprofit Central Vermont Community Radio (CVCR) was gifted the radio station from the college, making it the only full-power community owned and operated noncommercial station in Vermont.

The transfer represents “a huge milestone nationally for the public and community radio industry,” the station said in a release. The move is noteworthy, especially for a college station, since university- and college-owned stations across the country are often sold to meet budget shortfalls, the station said.

[Learn more about community broadcasting with our Community Broadcaster column]

Under CVCR’s ownership, the station will continue its affiliation with the Pacifica Network, a community of independent radio stations that give local communities a platform on which to share local issues on a national level. The Pacifica Network also airs nationally broadcast programming like “Democracy Now” and live coverage of international events.

With this move, Goddard College is saying that their commitment to residents, students and the local culture is far greater than money, said Ernesto Aguilar, executive director of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. “When institutions like Goddard say they want to pass the torch of media access in this way, it’s worthy of thanks and celebration,” he said.

The transition allows WGDR/WGDH to continue to broadcast a diversity of ideas, stories and culture to Vermonters across the northern part of the state.

“Radio is more relevant and relatable today, especially on a local level,” the station said in its statement. “When you tune in to community radio, you hear the voices of your neighbors, which, during the pandemic, has proven to be a powerful tool in remaining connected.”

CVCR said it will continue the mission of the station, providing a forum that covers issues such as social justice, arts and music and protection of the environment.

“As an independent station, WGDR/WGDH will be able to pursue a variety of ways to diversify not just what is broadcast, but who is given a voice on the air, uplifting the stories of those who are underrepresented in the current Vermont media landscape,” the station said. “CVCR takes this deep responsibility of community radio to heart as it takes on ownership of WGDR/WGDH. CVCR invites all to tune in to help program what comes next.”

The post Vermont Station Celebrates Transition to Public Ownership appeared first on Radio World.

Adthos has introduced what it calls “the only free ad-serving technology built specifically for radio.”

Adthos Ad-Server is an ad sales application that replaces playout of ads by an existing automation system, allowing digital audio and radio “to be sold seamlessly within a single integrated campaign.”

The company said the accompanying “integrations” provide users more flexibility; replace audio live and quickly without having to take multiple actions; and send reconciliation back to the user’s traffic system. The system also can facilitate local insertion on boosters and translators, and integrate workflows between the user’s digital and broadcast products.

Its streaming encoder encodes streams in AAC, HE-AAC and MP3, and is compatible with major streaming servers.

The platform is free to stations, and Adthos says further releases are planned later this year.

Adthos is a trademark of Wedel Software. The introduction was announced by CEO Raoul Wedel.

“Adthos Ad-Server can be installed without the need for multiple integrations and zero downtime. Radio stations gain the ability to easily sell, schedule and execute multi-platform campaigns with minimal intervention and with many tasks completely automated,” the company stated.

“In the first release, users can enjoy features such as instant reconciliation and an intuitive customer interface providing for updates and insights on campaigns at a moment’s notice, while the ability to replace spots in real time delivers incredible responsiveness.”

The post Adthos Ad-Server Is Free Ad-Serving App for Radio appeared first on Radio World.