Industry News

The author is senior news editor and head of the Eurovision News Exchange at the European Broadcasting Union.

Let’s face it — there are too many podcasts for any of us to listen to in our combined lifetimes. This wasn’t always the case — far from it — but it is true now. And there are podcasts for every taste and style. So, the first thing anyone wanting to start a new podcast has to do is consider who their target audience might be and what they want to talk about.

My colleague Laurent Frat who came up with the idea for the Eurovision News Podcast felt he knew the answer to the first question.

“As an avid podcast listener, I could see the enormous potential for community building among our dozens of member news organizations and I really thought it was the right time to delve into the most pressing issues facing journalism and more specifically public service media like the European Broadcasting Union and its Members in the 21st century,” Laurent said.

I arrived at the EBU in March 2021, having worked as one of the presenters of the highly popular Global News Podcast at the BBC World Service. So, it’s no surprise I was, of course, thrilled when Laurent asked me to work alongside him and the podcast editor, Cathy Milner, to develop his idea. I jumped at the opportunity.

We immediately decided we’d make the first episode entirely about the issue of media freedom and the challenges faced by journalists coming up against autocratic rulers determined to silence them and conspiracy theorists who see the news media as part of everything that’s wrong with society. This was at the time when journalists in the U.S. and Europe were coming under attack on their own streets by demonstrators protesting against new COVID restrictions or the results of the 2020 U.S. elections.

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So, we had cleared that first hurdle of what we wanted to talk about, but who would our target audience be?

From the start, we agreed this fledgling podcast of ours would be primarily directed at the wider EBU community and more specifically the dozens of member networks in Europe and elsewhere that are connected to the Eurovision News Exchange — a network of public-service newsrooms operating in over 50 countries and providing tens of thousands of news stories per year.

If you’ve watched the news in Europe this week or news about Europe either on TV or on your favorite news website — chances are that you will have come across at least one if not five or ten of our news items.

Yes, we are the people who gather and share the images that you see on the news from the tensions at the border between Belarus and Poland to the harrowing scenes of the Kabul airport after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan to the proceedings at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland.

And, unlike traditional news agencies, we don’t usually commission and record that footage. Instead, we rely heavily on the news gathered and recorded by our member news organizations from ZDF in Germany to RAI in Italy to NOS in the Netherlands, RTVE in Spain, the BBC in the U.K. and France Televisions.

For 60 years now, they’ve been sending in their news items and in return they get the latest news — both live and recorded from the other members. It’s a genuine community of the largest newsrooms in Europe and the Mediterranean working together through us.

According to Laurent Frat, “In this challenging period for journalism it’s more critical than ever to build on and develop our already tight-knit EBU community, and it’s why we have made a point of featuring journalists and senior editorial figures from our member news organizations in every one of our episodes to date. As far as we are concerned The Eurovision News Podcast is just as much about them as it is about us.”

So far, we have produced four episodes of our new podcast and we are busy working on another two to conclude our first of what we hope will be many more seasons to come.

In this era of fake news and rising distrust in the news media we are determined to raise the curtain and go beyond the news stories to show our listeners the serious thinking, editorial rigor and determination that goes into producing and delivering the public service media news that we are proud to stand behind and call our own.

Radio World invites industry-oriented commentaries and responses. Send to Radio World.

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Hearst Television’s President, Gray Television’s Co-CEO and President and Cox Media Group’s Executive Chairman are confirmed participants in a Matrix Solutions Media Ad Sales Summit “Executive Keynote Session” during which the three high-profile industry leaders will share their perceptions of the media marketplace transformation and what they believe lies ahead for the broadcast industry.

Jordan Wertlieb, Pat LaPlatney and Steven J. Pruett are just some of the attendees set to appear January 19-21 at the Summit, an in-person event akin to Forecast 2022, with limited capacity at the Nobu Eden Roc in Miami Beach. The Summit is tied to coincide with the much-bigger NATPE MIAMI event, which is held at the Fontainebleau Resort in adjacent space and concludes January 19.

The annual Media Ad Sales Summit, now in its fifth year, brings together executives from across the media advertising ecosystem to discuss and advance the development of a prosperous marketplace that promotes industry-wide automation, data consistency, and transparency. Additionally, the sessions will delve into reducing the friction between the buy and sell sides when delivering advertising inventory across multiple delivery paths.

“We are extremely excited and honored to have Jordan, Pat, and Steve joining us for the opening conversation at this year’s Summit,” said Matrix CEO Mark Gorman. “Our Summit has proven to be a significantly impactful event and is known for its candid and collaborative conversations. We are eager to be back-in-person with an incredible line-up of speakers and sessions that I know will provide valuable content in advancing our industry.”

In addition to the Opening Keynote, the Summit will include a 4pm panel devoted to NEXTGEN TV and advertising moderated by RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson. Panelists include TEGNA Chief Technology Officer Kurt Rao, Marketron SVP of Product Jimshade Chaudhari, and Fincons Group Exec. Director of Strategic Marketing and Innovation Oliver Botti.

For more information on the Matrix Ad Sales Summit, please click here.

On December 8, the FCC’s Media Bureau, led by Michelle Carey, issued an Order denying a stay petition filed by the NAB; Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC); and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) that sought to thwart a Commission order mandating disclosures for foreign government-sponsored programming.

Now, the groups are asking the D.C. Federal Appeals Court to grant a stay of the new rule.

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Several prominent U.S. broadcast associations are asking a federal court to block an FCC order that mandates disclosures for foreign government-sponsored programming.

The request was filed Wednesday by the National Association of Broadcasters, the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

They previously filed a lawsuit with the court challenging the FCC order. They’ve argued that the commission lacks the authority to “impose the investigatory requirements mandated by the order,” lacked justification for the rules and failed to address problems with undisclosed foreign governmental programming on cable systems and the Internet, “which is where the issue primarily exists.” They call the action unnecessary and overly burdensome, and in violation of the Communications Act, the Administrative Procedure Act and the First Amendment.

[Related: “FCC Denies NAB Stay Petition on Foreign Sponsorship ID Rules”]

The FCC adopted amended foreign-sponsorship identification rules in April to target situations where a station broadcasts material sponsored by a foreign governmental entity. The new rules require disclosure of leased programming sponsored by foreign governmental entities.

The commission said its modified regulations further the critical goal of transparency and it applies them to foreign governments, political parties and their agents.

The post Broadcasters Ask Court to Block Disclosure Mandate appeared first on Radio World.

The FCC Media Bureau has okayed a petition from iHeartMedia regarding foreign investors that hold its stock.

iHeart had asked the bureau to approve foreign interests held by Global Media & Entertainment Investments Ltd. and related entities totaling 6.8% equity and 8% voting interests in iHeart. It also asked for advance approval for GMEI and its entities to increase those interests up to 14.99%.

In an earlier 2020 ruling, the bureau had authorized up to 100% overall foreign investment in iHeart; at the time it approved two groups to hold more than the usual limit of 5%. The PIMCO Group could hold up to 32.99% of equity and 19.99% of voting interests while the Invesco Group could hold up to 19.99% of equity and voting. In making those rulings the FCC said iHeart would need its approval for any further foreign investment above 5%.

But then iHeart said it learned last February that GMEI — formerly called Honeycomb Investments Ltd. and based in the Bahamas — had independently acquired about 9.6 million shares of its stock on the NASDAQ exchange, about 6.6% of equity and 8.7% of voting interests.

iHeart notified the FCC and sought approval for those percentages, plus advance approval for GMEI to go up to 14.99%. (GMEI itself asked for approval to go up to 49.99% but later withdrew that request and fell back to the 14.99% figure.) iHeart said this ruling would incentivize foreign investment and benefit U.S. trade policy by encouraging reciprocal investment opportunities for U.S. companies abroad. It also said GMEI represents no national security or law enforcement concerns.

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So in short the latest FCC ruling grants approval for GMEI and its related entities to hold more than 5% of iHeart’s equity and/or voting interest as well as advance approval to increase its interests up to 14.99%. The previous approvals also remain in place: aggregate direct and/or indirect foreign ownership of iHeart above the usual 25% benchmark is allowed up to 100%; (2) approval for the PIMCO Group to hold up to 32.99% of equity and 19.99% of voting interests in the company; and (3) approval for the Invesco Group to hold up to 19.99% of the equity and voting interests.

The Media Bureau took input from a federal advisory committee on foreign participation, which found no concerns. iHeart will still have to obtain approval for additional foreign investors to hold more than 5% (or 10% for certain institutional investors).

iHeart estimated that following the FCC’s approval, direct and indirect foreign ownership of its capital stock would be “at a minimum, approximately 30% as to voting and 40% as to equity.” But that would not be an issue given the FCC’s previous ruling permitting iHeart aggregate foreign ownership up to 100%.

Read the ruling and the commission’s in-depth explanation of the case.

Comment on this or any article. Write to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post FCC Grants iHeart Petition on GMEI Foreign Investment appeared first on Radio World.

An effort by iHeartMedia to cap the FCC’s advance approval of any investment in the audio content and distribution giant by Michael Tabor-controlled Global Media & Entertainment at just under 15% has proven successful.

As such, GMEI, which bankrolls some of Great Britain’s biggest radio brands, will not get pre-approval from the Media Bureau to hold up to 49.99% nonvoting interest in iHeart.

But, GMEI withdrew that request in some six weeks ago.

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SANTA CLARITA, CALIF. — The Station Resource Group (SRG) has announced that a 37-year veteran of public radio will succeed long-term co-CEOs Tom Thomas and Terry Clifford, who have led the organization since its inception.

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What does Wall Street think of the late Monday announcement that the current CEO of Salem Media Group will step aside on January 1 and transition to the newly created role of Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors?

Investors seem to be pleased with the succession plan, as Salem stock soared by nearly 13% in midday trading on Nasdaq.

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The Independent Broadcasters Association (IBA) has elected four new members its Board of Directors.

The new Board members are Tom Burns, the owner Technicom & Sauk Valley Broadcasting; Gary Berkowitz, President of Berkowitz Broadcast Consulting; Steve Clendenin, the owner and GM of WHGM-AM & FM in Havre de Grace, Md.; and Jim Jacobs, President of Radio Richmond LLC.

The election took place between November and December. The new board members will serve beginning January 1, 2020, for a three-year term.

Outgoing board members are David Stephens, Owner of Stephens Media Group; Michael J. Flood, Owner of Flood Communications; Deborah Barrera of R Communications LLC; and Cindy Taylor Chesson, GM of River Radio Network/Bridge Media/Ohio Midland Newsgroup.

Jacobs commented, “In an incredibly short period of time, the hard work of the Independent Broadcasters Association has shown remarkable growth. I am looking forward to working with the IBA Board and being a part of what promises to be an even brighter future.”

From our Who’s Buying What page: Triton Digital said radio group Fresh Media Bulgaria is using its audio streaming technology and services.

“Fresh Media Bulgaria will be able to provide Triton Digital’s cutting-edge Dynamic Ad Insertion technology to its publishers to effortlessly control and monetize content through precision-targeted audio ads,” the supplier said.

Fresh Media Bulgaria will also use Triton’s Supply Side platform Yield-Op to maximize revenue opportunities through programmatic ad buys.

Triton said Fresh Media Bulgaria is the largest radio group in the country. Its brands include BG Radio, Radio 1, NRJ, Radio City, Radio1 Rock, Veronika, Radio Nova and City TV.

The announcement was made by Fresh Media Bulgaria General Manager Nikolay Yanchovichin and Triton Digital Head of Global Revenue Stephanie Donovan.

Send news for Who’s Buying What to radioworld@futurenet.com.

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