Industry News

In mid-February 2021, Audacy Inc. shares were priced at $6.26 per share, swiftly rising from a $2.80 per share price seen in early January.

By mid-March, a slow and steady deceleration for the company’s NYSE-traded stock would commence. By November 1, AUD seemingly seemed content on staying in the mid-$3 range.

With Thursday’s Closing Bell on Wall Street, Audacy’s shares have now retreated to where they sat on January 4.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

NEW YORK — Across the third quarter of 2021, broadcast media executives touted their performance and what they bring to consumers and advertisers in conference call after conference call for analysts and investors to digest.

But, what about the broadcast companies that aren’t publicly traded — in particular the small to mid-sized players that continue to enjoy strong cash flow and boast low leverage levels? Forecast 2022 was the exclusive home for such a discussion, with The Cromwell Group‘s CEO joined by the owner of WISH-8 and WNDY-TV in Indianapolis, JVC Broadcasting‘s President/CEO, Lilly Broadcasting‘s CEO and noted broker and licensee Larry Patrick all participating.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

A little lamb of a television station may be roaring like a lion, thanks to a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture handed to its owner by the Video Division of the FCC’s Media Bureau.

A similar NAL, one double in value, was also handed out to Eastern Florida State College.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

Following close examination of new COVID protocols from the Dutch government and consultation with key IBC stakeholders, IBC2021 recently declared that it is “firmly set” on delivering a safe and valuable event in Amsterdam from December 3-6.

That has not stopped the flow of technology companies, which include some of broadcast media’s bigger suppliers, from pulling out of the biggest event outside of the NAB Show for the global radio and telecommunications industries.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

Until now, it has been a Canton, Ohio-market Class A offering Christian Talk & Teaching programming as “The Light.”

Soon, the light will be extinguished, and is poised to be flooded with a little love, or some rarefied air.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Leadership Foundation elected Tony Coles of Black Information Network and iHeartMedia, Paul J. Curran Jr. of Cox Media Group (CMG) and Melody Smalls of Allen Media Group, Inc. to serve on its Board of Directors.

“We are excited to welcome three outstanding individuals to the NAB Leadership Board and are grateful for our Board’s guidance as we work to develop leaders, advance diversity and highlight the community service initiatives of our industry,” said Darrell Brown, chair of the NAB Leadership Foundation and president of Bonneville International/KSL Broadcast Group.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

“We want to thank the new members for their willingness to serve and look forward to their insights as we continue to expand our programs and prepare the next generation of industry leaders,” added Michelle Duke, president of the NAB Leadership Foundation.

Tony Coles, president of Black Information Network (BIN) and iHeartMedia’s division president of Metro Markets, has more than 35 years of experience in the radio industry. He joined iHeartMedia in 2004 and has held various on-air, programming and management positions across the country. Most recently, Coles served as the executive vice president of programming for the company’s West region. In his current role, he oversees profitability for 21 iHeartMedia markets.

Send your people news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post NAB Leadership Foundation Adds Three New Board Members appeared first on Radio World.

NEW YORK — The “No Hispanic Dictate.” It still rears its ugly head, and for Jason Hall, EVP of Advertising Sales at Estrella Media, Hispanic Buying Power doesn’t equate to the 3%-4% of total advertising investments being placed on U.S. Hispanic media in 2021.

“There’s a lot of brands that still don’t get,” added Isabel Rafferty, CEO at Canela Media.

Both Hispanic market leaders participated in a prerecorded virtual panel presented Thursday as part of the Hispanic TV Summit produced by Joe Schramm for the Virtual Fall TV 2021 event.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

NEW YORK — Just in time for the holiday shopping season, Pearl TV — the business organization led by Anne Schelle representing U.S. broadcast television companies — has shared the first images of an upcoming NEXTGEN TV holiday brand marketing campaign.

For Pearl TV, the effort is designed to “deepen consumer awareness and engagement.”

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

Adthos Creative Studio has released a free radio campaign that encourages Covid-19 vaccine uptake. The campaign uses synthetic voices created with AI technology.

Assets are available for free download and use. Promos cover 6,500 cities in 40 countries and in 70 languages and dialects. The company said that for the United States it includes 1,000 cities and communities.

https://www.radioworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Adthos-New-Orleans-30-sec.mp3An example of the 30-second Covid-19 vaccination PSA produced by Adthos using AI-generated voices.An example of the 30-second Covid-19 vaccination PSA produced by Adthos using AI-generated voices. -->
The company said it wanted to do good while highlighting its ability to create targeted messaging quickly and easily for multiple locations. “We also see this as a positive use for AI technology that benefits humanity”

Adthos states this is “the largest audio ad campaign in history.” It bases that statement on involving the work of 13,000 creatives and “supported on its release by stations with a total of more than 250 million weekly listeners.”

[See Our Business and Law Page]

Stations using the campaign must disclose the use of synthetic voices to their audiences; the company posted examples of the required disclosure.

Adthos Creative Studio is a product that is intended to be used to create audio advertising using text-to-speech and synthetic voice technology.

“Using Creative Studio, broadcasters and advertisers are not only able to create, produce and playout their ads in record time, they also have access to a suite of pre-produced adverts covering various kinds of businesses or services which can be quickly and easily customized to their needs,” the company states.

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

The post Adthos Vaxx Campaign Uses Synthetic Voices appeared first on Radio World.

NEW YORK — Speaking at Forecast 2022 on Tuesday, Scott Schober of Cybersecurity Ventures and President/CEO of Berkeley Varitronics Systems soberly shared with attendees of the daylong conference that they will never stay ahead of the hackers. But, there are several things one can do to keep hackers at bay.

Building on that theme, cybersecurity company Surfshark has new facts that sound new alarms when it comes to online security. They start with e-mail address protection.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)