Industry News

iHeartMedia is asking for “a targeted, moderate approach” to changing local radio ownership rules in the United States.

It says the Federal Communications Commission should eliminate the limits on how many AM stations one entity can own in a market, but that it should retain current limits on FMs.

This position, which iHeart had laid out before and is reiterating now, puts the largest U.S. radio company in opposition to the National Association of Broadcasters on this issue.

NAB too would lift the AM subcap, but it wants the FCC to allow an entity to own up to eight commercial FM stations in Nielsen markets 1 through 75, and up to 10 if the licensee participates in the FCC’s incubator program. NAB also wants no cap on FM ownership in markets 76 and smaller.

A licensee currently can own up to eight stations in the largest Nielsen markets but no more than five in one service (AM or FM).

iHeart is worried that “potentially catastrophic harm” could befall AM stations were the FCC to adopt NAB’s proposal to substantially deregulate the FM band.

“The paramount importance of AM radio stations to localism, the trustworthiness of our nation’s communications and information infrastructure, and the continuing financial disparity between AM and FM stations in the relevant broadcast radio market warrant that the existing local radio common ownership limits be eliminated for AM stations but retained for FM stations,” it wrote.

It also says that by maintaining the FM subcap limits, the commission will ensure that financial incentives essential to the success of its Incubator Program remain in place. “The commission should be guided by the overarching principle of doing no harm.”

iHeartMedia has previously expressed concern about relaxing limits on FM ownership, saying it would lead to further devaluation of AM stations and hurt AM owners, including women and minorities, by destroying the financial value of those assets.

In this regard IHM is in agreement with the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB), which has told the FCC that any move to relax the limits on local ownership would increase consolidation and hurt African Americans and other minority station owners and entrepreneurs.

[“NABOB Opposes Lifting Subcaps”]

iHeart also noted that it recently launched the Black Information Network as a national audio news service with a Black perspective and voice, and that it “already has repurposed more than 30 local stations serving large Black populations, the majority of which are AM stations …”

The FCC requested comments to refresh the record in its quadrennial review of media ownership limits. Reply comments are due Oct. 1 (Docket No. 18-349).

The post iHeart Says Lifting FM Subcaps Could Devastate AM Band appeared first on Radio World.

That’s a question financial blog Simply Wall St. is asking about the audio media company that’s home to Cadence13, Pineapple Street and what had been the Radio.com app until its rebranding to Audacy.

With the company’s shares on the NYSE sputtering of late, it’s an interesting look at “who really controls” the company formerly known as Entercom.

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Ivis Alexis Padilla believes in the power of Hispanic radio. As such, the media company she manages has just struck a deal to purchase an AM radio station in Durham, N.C.

It happens to be a station the Winston Salem-based broadcasting company led by Stuart Epperson Jr. acquired in December 2020 from Mark Janbakhsh‘s TBLC Media.

It’s the best Hispanic Radio Conference ever, and you won’t want to miss a minute of it.

To learn more, simply click here.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Incentive Auction Task Force and Media Bureau have a reminder for all full power and Class A TV stations assigned transition completion dates in phases 1-5 of the Transition Scheduling Plan, and for repacked stations that were granted permission to transition prior to the phase 1 testing period.

If you want a reimbursement check, don’t hesitate.

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Why are you not you using a green screen when you Zoom? Public relations veteran Rosemary Ravinal recently conducted an informal poll on LinkedIn and was surprised at the findings. What did she learn? More than 80% of respondents do not use a green screen with a virtual background. “That was disappointing, but not surprising,” she says in this column.

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Quietly, and with hardly any media attention whatsoever, the FCC late Friday (9/3) released its Fifth Report on the ownership of broadcast media stations in the U.S.

It tabulates 2019 biennial ownership data from FCC Form 323 and form 323-E, and the latest findings led Democratic FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks to react. In his view, the data only strengthen the need for action on the “lack of progress” toward increasing the number of owners who are women and/or people of color.

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Audacy plans 47 volunteer events nationally to support sustainability.

The coordinated campaign is part of the company’s “1Day1Thing” initiative.

“Projects including tree planting, park and waterway cleanups, recycling projects and habitat restoration, among others,” it said.

[Read: Audacy Recaps Q2 Earnings]

Jaimie Field, the company’s director of sustainability, said in a press release: “We’re proud to use our voice to move people to make simple changes in their daily habits to protect our planet.”

The company is working with organizations like Blue Water Baltimore, Chattahoochee River Keepers, Central Park Conservatory, Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Wildlands Trust in Boston, Farmers Assisting Returning Military in Dallas and Grow Good in Los Angeles.

It posted a full list on the corporate website.

The post Audacy Highlights Volunteerism With “1Day1Thing” appeared first on Radio World.

The E.W. Scripps Company has named two industry leaders to oversee programming and news standards for the Scripps Networks news division.

Both individuals report to Kate O’Brian, head of the news group for Scripps Networks.

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The author is head of Music for the European Broadcasting Union. Radio World invites industry-oriented commentaries and responses. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

The many challenges faced by artistic programming and performances during the past 18 months are well documented but cannot be overstated. It has quite simply been a devastating time for the creative sector and the subsidiary industries that work within or closely with it.

Performing arts, live music, festivals and cultural programming have all been hit hard by the acceleration of the pandemic and the necessary measures to suppress it, from social distancing to national lockdowns. It was tempting to speculate whether we — and our sector — would ever regain lost ground. But, after multiple cancellations during 2020, I’m glad to see the green shoots of recovery, with welcome returns for some of the world’s greatest concerts and festivals. It is essential that this recovery continues and be supported.

[Read:EBU Finds That Radio Is in the Air]

Live and recorded music is central to radio programming. Every year, our Music Exchange delivers 3,000 concerts, which means 20,000 broadcasts from approximately 770 venues across a range of genres and sounds, from folk, jazz, rock and pop to classical and dance.

During the summer months of 2021, we’ve been able to offer our audiences 240 concerts, from 77 festivals through 28 public service media organizations. As well as the big beasts such as BBC Proms, the well-known festivals at Salzburg, Lucerne and Bayreuth, EBU members have contributed a range of unique concerts including a juxtaposition between Eastern and Western music from Granada in celebration of Jordi Savall’s 80th birthday; Philippe Jordan’s farewell concert from the Paris Opera; and a rare performance of music history’s first opera, Cavalieri’s “Rappresentatione di Anima et di Corpo,” from Utrecht, Netherlands.

Through our networks members, these national events are shared internationally for the benefit of audiences everywhere. Not everyone can get to the major cities for these big moments so radio broadcasting really does open up music to all, it is a public space in itself.

Theatre Antique Orange, one of the venues of the Euroradio summer festivals.

David Pickard, director of the BBC Proms, told us recently, “Our close collaboration with the EBU brings audiences and territories we can reach further and further afield. So many countries right across the world can hear this amazing concert series in their own homes due to the power of public service broadcasting.

This year, the Proms will be more important than ever at a time when musicians have suffered so much during the pandemic, to have the opportunity to perform again and to reach those huge audiences is going to be incredibly important both for them and for the future of music in our post-pandemic world.”

Case studies show that the range of music played on public service media is wider than on commercial channels. PSM outlets offer opportunities for new artists to get their material heard and enable audiences to experience – and discover — a diverse range of content.

These are just some examples from our members:

• Thanks to Belgian public broadcaster, VRT, 25,755 songs were played on Belgium’s national radio in 2020. That’s 72% of all songs. Again, VRT were responsible for showcasing 10,790 artists on national radio in the same year, accounting for 68% of different artists.
• According to the Centre National de la Musique’s report about diversity in radio in 2020, at least 38% of unique tracks played by French radio stations are only played by Radio France.
• And, in the U.K., analysis of RadioMonitor data found the four BBC ‘pop’ stations — R1, R2, 1X and 6 Music — played an average of 14,216 different tracks across 2020, compared to 2,279 on average for 10 key commercial comparators (all hours).

This commitment to an enriched listener experience is enhanced by expert curation, tailoring content to local audiences and the local music scene. Music journalism helping artists promote their music and concerts to build audiences. Multiple platforms — on-air, online, on stage, podcasts and video — providing listeners with convenient, engaging listening experiences. Educational and cultural programming providing context and analysis of music, songwriters, composers and performers.

It is right that PSM, funded in their unique way, should take risks and showcase content capable of stimulating creativity, and support national musical life. And, for us at the EBU, it is critical that cultural events produced and/or recorded by EBU Members can be shared on an international basis.

Because culture is vital for promoting well-being and increasing social inclusion and equity. After the recent debilitating months, we need that connection more than ever. We’re hopeful that the creative industries will be back to full strength and we look forward to sharing with you, our audiences, the very best of their work that ultimately brings us all closer together.

 

The post Radio Brings Audiences Together appeared first on Radio World.

In May 2020, he was named VP of Broadcast Operations at RNN, the over-the-air news and information network based in the New York Tri-State area, born out of the former WTZA-62 in Kingston, N.Y.

Now, this individual with experience at a L.A. UHF station and, before that, at a Tribune property in Portland, Ore., is joining Sinclair Broadcast Group.

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