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Thursday, June 5, 2014
THE MOST TRUSTED NEWS IN RADIO
Ratings compression’s impact on radio spot pricing called into question. The transition to PPM in radio’s largest markets ushered in an era of ratings compression. In New York, for instance, two stations are tied for first in persons 25-54 in April with an Average Quarter Hour (AQH) rating of 0.5, four are tied for second place with a 0.4 and five are tied for third with a 0.3. With ad inventory often sold on cost-per point, some say ratings compression has led to a “race to the bottom” in pricing, where the station offering the lowest cost-per point often gets the buy. The issue came up on Radio One’s first quarter earnings call, when CEO Alfred Liggins told investors the company was having ratings challenges in the Baltimore-Washington market. “It’s market compression and how close the radio stations are in the rank to each other, so it’s really more of a pricing problem,” Liggins said. Research Director president Charlie Sislen blames compression on the methodology that rounds AQH ratings to one decimal point and claims “there may be a large quantitative difference between stations with the same reported rating.” Arguing that ratings rounding is “detrimental to our business,” he believes it’s time for Nielsen to change PPM methodology and suggests two potential solutions. One would report ratings to more decimal places. The second would change how a station’s Gross Ratings Points (GRPs) are calculated by multiplying the number of spots by AQH persons instead of AQH rating, then dividing that number by the population. The result would be “far fewer ties,” Sislen says. But there are caveats. Changing the existing currency may be more precise but it wouldn’t improve the reliability of the estimate, which is tied to sample size. The statistical reliability would be “exactly the same no matter how many decimal places are shown,” he says. Another issue Charlie Sislen is that an unrounded rating would be, on average, lower half the time and higher half the time. “So you can charge more half the time, but less the other half,” he says. “But if buyers can see the difference between stations that are currently tied, the industry may be able to avoid the reverse auction,” where the lowest cost-per point wins. Nielsen officials weren’t immediately available to comment. DOJ review could shake up how radio’s ASCAP and BMI rates are set. He may not be well known in the radio industry, but U.S. District Court Judge Louis Stanton has done more to help company profitability than just about anyone else over the past year and a half with decisions that cut payments to ASCAP and BMI by more than $1 billion over a seven-year period. But potential changes to how royalty rates are set could take radio into new, less friendly territory. The Department of Justice has said it will review and potentially update the consent decrees under which the two performance rights organizations have operated since 1941. The DOJ says it’s taking a fresh look at the request of ASCAP, BMI and others in the music industry who think changes in how music is delivered mean modifications are needed. Among the issues potentially on the table is whether to remove the decisionmaking from federal court in New York, where a group of judges oversee what’s become known as “rate court,” to the Copyright Royalty Board, which many believe would be a friendlier venue for songwriters and publishers. The DOJ will also examine whether to do away with the blanket licenses that have given radio access to any song it wishes to play. Some music publishers want to be able to withdraw records from ASCAP and BMI on a case-by-case basis and strike side deals with broadcasters. It’s a change that could potentially allow some of the rights holders to demand higher payments from stations for some of the hottest tracks. The Radio Music Licensing Committee spent more
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than two years preparing and negotiating radio’s current ASCAP and BMI agreements. But that drawn-out process could become a thing of the past. The DOJ is also examining ways it could speed up the review to just 90 days, using arbitration rather than the courts. RMLC executive director Bill Velez says the DOJ review “holds great potential for mischief” but points out that the radio industry has been subjected to these consent decree reviews before and it’s not led to any major disruption. “Only time will tell and our industry needs to continue to have its guard up on these efforts that would enrich copyright owners while threatening the financial viability of music users,” Velez says. Songwriter groups say it’s time to update how they’re paid. Blame Pandora for the Department of Justice review of the ASCAP-BMI arrangements. That’s what copyright attorneys are saying, suggesting a rate court decision earlier this year to slash Pandora’s ASCAP rates was the tipping point for the DOJ. The two performance rights organizations haven’t said they believe the consent decrees should be abolished outright, but BMI president Michael O’Neill said they’d like to “modernize” the decree to “enable songwriters and publishers to realize fair market value for their work, to make music licensing more efficient and to streamline the rate-setting process.” ASCAP president Paul Williams agrees the system needs to be “updated” to reflect today’s music landscape. “The system for determining how songwriters and composers are compensated has not kept pace, making it increasingly difficult for music creators to earn a living,” he says. It’s not the first time the DOJ has updated the consent decrees — ASCAP’s was last amended in 2001 and BMI’s was revised in 1994. The process, which could take more than a year to complete, begins with a comment period that will extend through August 6. Old Spice ‘clear choice’ as industry honors the best in radio creative. Old Spice, the deodorant that has been keeping guys smelling fresh for decades, is now also showing radio creative doesn’t need to stink either. A spot produced for the brand’s body spray by Widen+Kennedy won the Best of Show award at last night’s Radio Mercury Awards. Chief judge Matt Eastwood, who is also JWT’s new worldwide chief creative officer, says the “MomSong” ad was the “clear choice” and the “most engaging spot” that his team of top Madison Avenue creative minds heard. The W+K team picks up $50,000 as their prize. DDB was the winningest agency, picking up prizes for ads its Chicago office created for Milky Way, and for spots its New York office created for the New York Lottery Chief Judge Matt Eastwood, and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute — which W+K’s Justine Armour & was honored for most innovative use of radio. Other agencies winning Radio RAB president Erica Farber Mercury Awards include BBDO-New York, Conill, Deutsch LA, Ignited, and JWT. The $6,000 prize for best station produced radio commercial went to the Clear Channel Creative Services Group for a spot it created for Buy Doors Direct. Clear Channel’s creative team also won the honor for best radio promotion of the year for the multiplatform campaign behind the 2013 iHeartRadio Music Festival. Pepsi’s spot created by JWT San Juan won the honor as the best Spanish-language radio campaign, with Conill taking the honor for developing the best individual Spanish-language spot. It was produced for Argentina New Cinema. As previously announced, this year’s Marketer of the Year Award went to Geico. RAB president Erica Farber said the insurer’s partnership with radio over the past several years has “truly set Geico apart” while showing off the medium’s best qualities, such as the ability to localize a spot. See the full list of winners and listen to all the spots HERE. Agency chief: Integrate our clients into your radio brands. Ratings are important, reach and frequency are critical, but for at least one ad agency chief, they’re not the top reasons for investing in radio. Unique ideas, interwoven into
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the station’s product, float the boat for InnoVision CEO/creative director Ric Militi. “Don’t bring me ideas that can work for any brand,” he said at yesterday’s Hivio conference in San Diego. “I need an idea that is exclusive and proprietary to the brand that I’m representing.” Militi said his agency “demands” input from sales and programming about how to communicate a client’s message to listeners. Calling radio “a great medium that works,” Militi encouraged the industry to engage more with advertisers, to educate themselves about the client before making the pitch and to conceive solutions to client problems that are different from what other stations are doing. “Make sure you’re not just counting on your spots to sell the product,” he said. “Give us exclusive events, create something for us that can help integrate what we’re trying to do into what you do, and make it interesting.” The San Diego-based agency works with clients in auto, casino, financial services, healthcare and other categories. Positioned as the “anti-agency,” it’s known for committing radio allocations up front in annual deals. Using a baseball analogy, Militi compared the agency’s philosophy to “playing by gut” rather than “money ball.” “We need to build relationships and trust” with media partners, he said. “Through that, many extraordinary things are done because of the friendship and the relationship.” Mining listener databases to grow radio revenue. When it comes to divvying up a radio budget, InnoVision CEO/ creative director Ric Militi says he treats Pandora the same as broadcast radio. Speaking at Hivio yesterday, Militi said spreading a $100,000 budget across three radio stations in a market typically includes Pandora as one of them. “I consider Pandora a terrestrial radio station,” he said. But Militi believes the pureplay hasn’t fully realized the potential of leveraging the data it collects from listeners, an opportunity ripe for broadcast radio to pounce on. Calling listener databases “a tremendous opportunity” for radio and “very important” for advertisers, Militi encouraged stations to collect more information about their audiences. Segmenting listeners by lifestyles and product preferences would allow stations to tell advertisers how many of their customers they reach in a specific ZIP code. “What do they buy, where do they go, what are their habits, what do they wear, like and drink — that’s what we need to know,” he said. Ramsey tells radio to “Go big or go home.” Positioned as an “un-conference built to spark innovation in the audio entertainment and information space,” consultant Mark Ramsey used his Hivio event yesterday to point to examples of innovation inside and outside the radio industry. Central to his message is the belief that radio needs to invest more in unique content that it can own and leverage across platforms. “We talk about doing a better job of selling what we have but we don’t talk nearly enough about having things worth selling,” he said, suggesting that radio brands should “have the content people love and put it in all the appropriate places — in appropriate forms for all those places.” Ramsey referenced syndicated host Dave Ramsey as an example of blurring the media lines by hosting a live radio show that is also video-streamed, both live and on-demand, and integrated with books and live events. But with brands and consumers getting into the content creation business, radio is challenged to develop what Ramsey called “big, unique, meaningful, star-filled things everywhere.” From Netflix and Hulu to Amazon and Comcast, companies are investing huge sums to develop original content that can be leveraged across multiple screens, he noted. In an era where music has become commoditized, shutting up and playing the hits threatens to turn radio into just a distribution channel, he added. Instead he called for radio to develop exclusive non-music content or exclusive functionality, such as the ability to vote songs up or down. Ramsey suggested that successful brands are ones that “that matter to people” and pointed to Howard Stern’s star-studded 60th birthday bash in January as an example of how radio should “go big or go home.” Tribune offered Cubs a stake in WGN to keep team, but cash rules the day. Tribune officials cited “changing dynamics” and “upside down” economics for their decision to not renew a nearly 90-year radio play-by-play rights deal for the Chicago Cubs. One of radio’s longest sports partnerships, Cubs baseball has aired on “Radio 720” WGN since 1925, apart from a few years. WGN general manager Jimmy de Castro said yesterday that matching a competing offer
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from CBS Radio for the games would be “financially unsustainable.” The MLB team is expected to announce a new seven-year deal with CBS Radio’s all-news WBBM (780, 105.9). De Castro said WGN did “a lot of analysis,” reviewing how other Major League Baseball teams have structured their radio deals and offered “four or five” potential arrangements to keep the Cubs, including a profit sharing arrangement with a guarantee, equity in the radio station, and having the team control the game broadcasts. But ultimately the Cubs rejected all their proposals. “They made a decision to go to an all-cash offer,” de Castro said. Rights fees for the Cubs have “more than doubled,” since the team was sold to the family of TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts for $845 million in 2009, de Castro said. Meanwhile, Cubs fans have suffered through 288 losses between 2011 and 2013, causing ratings to tumble and ad sales to weaken. “We had no meters on certain of our Saturday and Sunday games in September and October” of last year, de Castro said, referring to Nielsen’s portable people meters. Making matters worse, some advertisers have been “buying around the team” de Castro said, including such Cubs standbys as Chevrolet, Old Style Beer, Budweiser and Blue Cross Blue Shield. “At some point it just doesn’t make sense,” Tribune Broadcasting president Larry Wert said. Tribune’s contract with the Cubs on WGN-TV also expires at the end of the current season. But Wert says he’s optimistic they’ll be able to agree to terms on a new TV contract. As it forecasts growth for radio, PwC cautions digital is ‘crucial’ to longterm future. Broadcast radio will record its first-ever billion dollar digital year in 2014. That’s the prediction of PwC in the firm’s annual Entertainment & Media Outlook. It estimates the industry sold $972 million worth of streaming spots, display ads, text blasts and other new media ads last year. And this year’s tally will reach $1.09 billion. PwC projects by 2018, stations will sell $1.5 billion in digital ads. With a forecasted 9.7% year-to-year growth rate, online revenue is growing by leaps and bounds compared to over-the-air billings. PwC estimates broadcast sales will grow about 1% this year to $15.8 billion. By 2018, its analysts peg the total at $16.1 billion. The report says online adverting is “crucial” to radio’s health in the coming years. “In the near term, the slower moving, but large-scale traditional radio advertising sector will account for the majority of new revenue,” PwC says, adding, “Longerterm, however, the traditional advertising revenue growth will slow as new interactive and digital revenue streams gain in importance.” Like broadcasters, PwC sees the market shifting for digital services. Streaming radio may have the headlines, but analysts at PwC believe the outlook is much more certain for satellite radio. It estimates Sirius XM Radio’s subscription revenue will keep climbing to reach $4.4 billion in 2018, even as the digital dashboard brings new competition to the in-car market. Ad sales will increase too, but they’ll be dwarfed by subscription dollars. PwC projects Sirius XM will sell $98 million worth of commercial time this year and by 2018 that figure will increase to $121 million. The fate of streaming music services is a lot tougher to forecast. “The future that Pandora represents will undoubtedly be a major part of the long-term outlook,” PwC’s report says. “But Pandora’s prospects have become less clear cut.” That’s because the leading streaming radio service has a new crop of competitors while the music industry presses regulators to hike the royalty rates paid by Pandora and similar services. PwC says rival Spotify can afford to offer a free service without worrying about ad revenues since it’s seen as a way to convert user to paid subscribers. At the same time, Apple is shoring up iTunes Radio with Beats Music. “Both competitors are locked in a free music land grab, with Pandora at risk of becoming collateral damage in
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the middle,” PwC says. The report goes on to call Pandora’s decision to go after broadcast radio’s listeners as “brave,” but concedes if history proves that to be the right move, the radio market will be transformed. Report: Twitter weighed making a move on Pandora and Spotify. Twitter Music may’ve shut down in March, but the social network hasn’t given up on leveraging music as a conversation starter. Twitter has reportedly looked at whether it should pursue deals to buy Pandora, Spotify and Soundcloud. The Financial Times says no formal talks were ever held, but the internal analysis shows Twitter still sees streaming music as a way to get users to spend more time on its site. FT says what’s unclear is whether Twitter would have the financial wherewithal to buy Pandora, which has a market cap of about $5 billion, or Spotify, which is valued at about $4 billion. Twitter raised $2.1 billion when it went public last year and it has a credit line of $1 billion. But the social net remains unprofitable and lenders may not be willing to pony up the billions of cash that would likely be needed to buy some of the best known names in streaming. COO Ali Rowghani is reportedly spearheading the charge and he even held talks with Soundcloud. But FT says inside the company there are disagreements over the profitability of an advertising-supported music service that would likely face escalating royalty expenses. Data suggests web listeners migrate back to Pandora. The introduction of iTunes Radio and Beats Music may’ve had an impact on Pandora use during the first quarter, but the effect appears to have diminished since then. For the second month in a row Pandora’s active users grew during May. It reports 77 million at month’s end, up 1.3% from the prior month. That compares to the 244.4 million Americans who listen to FM/AM radio on an average weekly basis, according to Nielsen’s latest figures. The release of the May data marks an end to Pandora’s disclosures of monthly listening data. The company announced in March it would only release metrics on a quarterly basis, saying that Triton Digital’s Webcast Metrics give advertisers the “necessary tools to make accurate side-by-side comparisons” with broadcast radio and other digital services. Texas pirate can’t two-step out of FCC fine. An Austin husband-and-wife team says they had nothing to do with a pirate station that was broadcasting from their property and FCC field agents trespassed on their land to track the unlicensed station. But even if they were behind the pirate station, Walter Olenick and M. Rae Nadler-Olenick contend they’re not subject to agency jurisdiction, in part because they believe the FCC has no jurisdiction over Texas. It’s a line of reasoning that, while surprisingly familiar at the FCC, didn’t get far. The Enforcement Bureau is standing firm and has imposed a $15,000 fine against the Olenicks. Last August field agents tracked the pirate station “Liberty 90.1 FM” to an apartment building owned by the couple. It wasn’t particularly hard to find, with a 50-foot tower mounted to the side of the building. Or Mr. Olenick’s car sporting a “Liberty 90.1” bumper sticker. A warning letter was issued a few weeks later, but when agents checked on the situation again in November the unlicensed station was still on the air. Inside Radio News Ticker...House seeks update on FCC logjam...Just how backlogged is the FCC? That’s what two members of Congress want to know, even though the House has already passed a bill that would reform agency processes. Reps. Greg Walden (R-OR) and Tim Murphy (R-PA) say the information will help them “better understand the scope of the Commission’s challenge.” With legislation stalled in the Senate, FCC chair Tom Wheeler has already started his own streamlining effort that may remove the need for some of the reforms under consideration... Genachowski joins MasterCard board...What’s a former chairman to do in his life post-FCC? Former agency chief Julius Genachowski had already joined the private equity firm The Carlyle Group as a managing director in its media investment unit. And this week Genachowski was elected to serve on the MasterCard board of directors at the company’s annual shareholder meeting...People Moves...Journal names Mark Halverson as its new Omaha market manager. And SBS hires Stephanie Himonidis for mornings in Los Angeles. Read People Moves HERE.
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DEAL DIGEST
Thursday, June 5, 2014 S A L E S
Multistate Deal — Duke Wright’s Midwest Communications strikes a $72 million deal to buy South Central Communications from the Engelbrecht family. The deal includes nine stations in three markets. In Nashville it buys soft AC “Mix 92.9” WJXA and adult hits “96.3 Jack FM” WCJK. In Knoxville, TN the company owns three stations, including AC “B-97.5” WJXB-FM, classic rock WIMZ-FM (103.5), and modern rock “95.7 The X” WVRX. And in Evansville, IN Midwest buys soft AC WIKY-FM (104.1), country “93.5 The Wolf” WLFW, CHR “Hot 96” WSTO, and classic rock WABX (107.5). South Central will still own several broadcast towers across the South as well as a digital ad agency in Nashville. Monterey-Salinas, CA — Mapleton Communications files a $2.15 million deal to buy “Soft Rock K-Wave 96.9” KWAW from Buckley Radio. It will join a cluster that includes adult alternative KPIG-FM (107.5), adult hits “95.5 Bob FM” KKHK, hot AC “101.7 The Beach” KCDU, classic rock “104.3 The Hippo” KHIP and soft AC “B 103.9 FM” KBOQ in the market. Mapleton will spin-off KBOQ to Mount Wilson FM Broadcasters in a side deal to comply with FCC ownership limits. Buckley still owns sports “ESPN 630” KIDD in the Monterey market. Broker: Dick Foreman Tucson — KASA Radio Hogar will convert its local marketing agreement into a purchase of Spanish religious “Radio Ebeneezer 580” KSAZ from Owl Broadcasting & Development. It will pay $1.37 million for the signal, which has 5,000-watts day and 320-watts night. KASA Radio Hogar has been operating the station since March 2009. Pittsburgh — Renda Broadcasting files a deal to sell adult standards WJAS (1320) to Iorio Broadcasting for $1 million. The deal markets Frank Iorio’s entry in the Pittsburgh market. He also owns three stations in the Warren, PA area and a standalone FM that airs the K-Love contemporary Christian format in the Altoona, PA market. The sale will leave Renda with two Pittsburgh stations: soft AC “Wish 99.7” WSHH and “Classic Hits 107.1” WHJB. The company last year parted with another station in its home market when it donated “AM News Talk 1360” WMNY to the Pentecostal Temple Development Corporation, which launched a gospel format. Broker: Media Venture Partners Kentucky — Jonathan Smith’s Lincoln-Garrard Broadcasting files a $425,000 deal to buy classic rock “Rock 105” WTBK, Manchester from Tim Finley’s Manchester Communications. Smith already owns or operates several other stations in the Lexington region, but only hot AC “Mix 96” WKKQ and country “The Bandit 101.9” WKFC — which he leases from Radioactive — overlap with WTBK. He’ll operate the new station under a local marketing agreement until closing. Smith is a Chicago attorney who is a Kentucky native with a family that has a history in radio. His father, Calvin Smith, bought Lincoln-Garrard Broadcasting in 1969. Harrisonburg, VA — Hayden Hamilton Media Strategies files to buy adult standards “Stardust 105.7” WMXH-FM and “Classic Country 1330” WRAA from Easy Radio for $322,000. The deal also includes a non-compete agreement valued at $3,000. South Carolina — Radio One files to transfer the Gaffney, SC-licensed translator W282AX at 104.3 FM to Fowler Broadcast Communications. It’s the second half of a $225,000 deal earlier this year when Dennis Fowler bought the 1,000-watt country daytimer WZZQ, Gaffney (1500) from Radio One. The translator will give WZZQ a 24-hour signal. Deal Digest Archive | ADVERTISE: Call 800-248-4242 x 711 or EMAIL for information.
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Thursday, June 5, 2014
Washington — Bible Broadcasting Network files to buy religious KWFJ, Roy, WA (89.7) from Calvary Baptist Church for $100,000. Bible Broadcasting Network owns a number of other stations and translators, mainly in the Southeast. This is its first station on the West Coast. West Virginia — Vandalia Media Partners strikes an $80,000 deal to buy oldies “The Fun Station 1360” WMOV, Ravenswood from Allen Media Strategies. The sale includes the Ripley, WV-licensed translator W293AK at 106.5 FM which simulcasts WMOV. Under the terms of the deal Vandalia will begin operating WMOV under a local marketing agreement on July 1. It will be the first station for buyers Tom Susman and O.B. Craigo. Texas — Jesus Eduardo Perez’s Organizacion ICC files to buy KHBE, Big Wells, TX (102.1) from Jose Antonio Aguilar for $75,000. Since first being licensed in 2009, the Class A station has been off the air more than on – it’s currently silent, although it did air a regional Mexican format for 14 months before going off the air in April. Perez plans a noncommercial format for KHBE. Indiana — Tom and Diana Taylor file to buy “Classic Hits Radio 1460” WJCP, North Vernon from Pieratt Communications for $70,000. The deal was signed in October 2011 but had been delayed by a lawsuit over a land sale involving Marty Pieratt. The Taylors have been operating WJCP under a local marketing agreement since 2011. Georgia — Randy Gravley and Byron Dobbs’ Tri-State Communications files a $56,250 deal to buy oldies WPGY, Ellijay, GA (1580) from Exponent Broadcasting. The deal includes the Ellijay-licensed translator W286BD at 105.1 FM. The FCC filing says $50,000 is attributed to the AM station, with the other $6,250 attributed to the FM translator. The deal essentially sees Gravley and Dobbs buy out their partners, Clifton Moor and William Brown. The four remain equal partners in WPGY sister classic country/gospel WLJAFM, Ellijay (101.1).
Colorado — Clear Channel files to sell the Durango, CO-licensed translator K277CR at 103.3 FM to Peter Tran for $15,000. The signal will be used to simulcast classic hits “Red Rock 92” KBDX, Blanding, UT into the Durango market.
West Virginia — Radio Greenbrier files to buy the Lewisburg, WVIndiana — Plymouth Broadcasting files to buy the Plymouth, IN-licensed licensed translator W247BZ at 97.3 FM for $10. The seller is Faith translator W291BQ at 106.1 FM from Progressive Broadcasting System for Communications Network. Radio Greenbrier plans to use the signal $55,000. The translator will simulcast classic hits “1050 The Chief” WTCA, to simulcast sports “The Red Zone 1310” WSLW. Plymouth. Fargo — Educational Media Foundation converts an “Air1” affiliate into Wyoming — Wagonwheel Communications files to buy KFZE, Daniel (104.3) an owned-and-operated station with a deal to buy KFAA (89.5) from from Martin Dirst for $50,000. KFZE is a construction permit for a Class C3 Selah Corporation. EMF will pay just one dollar for the Class A signal station. Wagonwheel also owns a 20% stake in Toga Radio, which owns two and front Selah $3,200 to cover costs that may come up during the sale other Wyoming stations: country “B-102 The Bandit” KBDY, Hanna and classic process. EMF also owns KKLQ (100.7) in the Fargo market, as well rock “Big Foot 99” KTGA, Saratoga. But neither overlaps with KFZE’s signal. as a translator at 99.3 FM, both of which air its flagship contemporary Christian “K-Love” format. Pennsylvania — A group of local broadcasters has partnered to buy WHYL, C L O S I N G S Carlisle, PA as current owner Trustworthy Radio proceeds through a chapter 7 bankruptcy. The court has accepted a $30,000 bid for the station by Harold Swidler, Eric Swidler, and Terri Warshawsky. The trio already owns two other Rockford, IL — Mid-West Family Broadcasting closes on a $15.5 million stations in the Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle market, including country “Red deal to buy rock “104.9 The X” WXRX, country “95.3 The Bull” WRTB, 102.3” WCAT-FM and “Country Gold 1000” WIOO. They also operate WEEO AC “B-103” WGFB and Spanish hits “La Movida 1330” WNTA. The (1480) under a local marketing agreement with Shippensburg Broadcasting deal also included a six-station cluster in Eau Claire, WI which closed to simulcast WIOO in the sprawling market. Broker: CMS Station Brokerage last October. The Rockford portion of the deal was delayed by an FCC investigation into whether WNTA violated sponsorship identification rules. Kentucky — Beech Tree Publishing strikes a $26,800 deal that will add an Brokers: Greg Guy, Patrick Communications for Mid-West Family and FM signal to classic hits “Beech Tree Radio” WLBQ, Morgantown, KY. Beech CEA for Maverick Media. Tree is buying the Beaver Damn, KY-licensed translator W268CE at 101.5 FM. Deal Digest Archive | ADVERTISE: Call 800-248-4242 x 711 or EMAIL for information.
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Ft. Wayne, IN — Adams Radio Group has closed a deal to buy country “US 93.3” WBTU, CHR “Hot 107.9” WJFX and classic hits “Rewind 106.3” WHPP from Oasis Radio Group for $3.5 million. In a second deal, Adams has closed on a deal to buy four stations from Summit City Radio for $2.9 million. It includes classic rock “Rock 104” WXKE, oldies WGL-FM &AM (102.9, 1250), and rhythmic CHR “Wild 96.3” WNHT. To come into compliance with FCC ownership limits, Adams has spin-off WHPP to Ft. Wayne Catholic Radio in exchange for WLYV (1450). The religious broadcaster has launched its “Reeder Radio” format on WHPP. And Adams swapped WGL-FM to Calvary Radio for the FM translator W277AK at 103.3 FM. Calvary has put is religious teaching format on the station and it will change the call letters to WJCI. Broker: Media Venture Partners (on Summit City Radio deal) Odessa-Midland, TX — Permian Basin Broadcasting closes a deal to convert a local marketing agreement of regional Mexican “La Caliente 101.3” KMMZ into a $2.3 million deal to buy the station from Devon Broadcasting. Permian Basin has been LMA-ing the station since last September. The sale of KMMZ follows the death of owner Don Cook. St. Louis — Crawford Broadcasting has finalized the donation of gospel/religious teaching “Shine 690” KSTL to Church of God in Christ in a transfer valued at $750,000. Crawford has also agreed to donate as much as $20,000 in funds or personnel support to relocate the station and get it operational under the new ownership. Milwaukee — Starboard Media closes on its deal to buy WKSH (1640) from the Walt Disney Company for $725,000. The station has 10,000-watts day and 1,000-watts night. The former Radio Disney outlet has been off the air since last Illinois & Missouri — Larry Bostwick’s LP Sports Productions closes September. Starboard already owns religious “Relevant Radio” WPJP (100.1) a deal to buy the “Oldies Superstation” simulcast of WPWQ, Mt. in the Milwaukee market. Broker: Bill Schutz Sterling (106.7) and KWBZ, Monroe City, MO (107.5) from Prairie South Carolina — Apex Broadcasting closes a $682,500 deal to buy classic Communications for $175,000. Bostwick owns three other stations hits “104.9 The Surf” WLHH, Ridgeland, SC from Low Country Radio. Apex also along the Illinois-Missouri border, including adult standards “Q-92.5” WKXQ, Rushville, IL; “U.S. Country” WRMS-FM, Beardstown, IL (94.3); owns adult hits “SC-103.1” WVSC in area. and sports WVIL, Virginia, IL (101.3). Gainesville-Ocala, FL — Asterisk Communications closes on a deal to sell WBXY (99.5) to Ricardo Arroyo for $500,000. WBXY has most recently been San Angelo, TX — La Unica Broadcasting closes a deal to buy “Tejano simulcasting rhythmic CHR “Party 100.9” WXJZ. Arroyo also owns adult 104” KPTJ, Grape Creek (104.5) from Castle Holdings for $140,000. standards “Gold 99 FM” WGMA in the Gainesville-Ocala market which it has La Unica also owns Spanish “La Variedad K-107” KSJT-FM in the San started to simulcast on WBXY. Broker: George Reed, Media Services Group. Angelo market. Florida — Tomas Martinez and Mercedes Soler’s Solmart Media closes a deal to buy country “106.9 The Bull” WZZS, Zolfo Springs and regional Mexican “La Zeta 105.3” WZSP, Nocatee from Harold Kneller’s Heartland Broadcasting for $469,000. Solmart has flipped WZZS to regional Mexican as “La Numero Uno 106.9.” The FCC filing says both the buyer and seller will continue to work to move WZZS’s Class A signal into the nearby Sarasota-Bradenton market. If that’s successful within the next five years, Solmart will pay an additional $225,000 to Heartland Broadcasting.
Wyoming — James Atnip’s Gospel Messengers closes a deal to buy religious/gospel KOFG, Cody, WY (91.1) from “Doc” Lonnie Horton’s Tres Hermanas Educational Media Foundation of Texas for $120,000.
California — Matt Warren closes a deal to buy KQGD, Alturas (101.7) from Dale Ganske’s L. Topaz Enterprises for $25,000. KQGD is a construction permit for a Class C1 FM in northeast California about 150 miles northeast of the Redding, CA market. Warren is the son of Mike Warren, who earlier this year sold classic rock KALT-FM, Alturas, Oregon — Donald Coss closes the deals to sell his three Oregon to two separate CA (106.5) and classic rock KLCR, Lakeview, OR (95.3) to his son for buyers. In the first deal, Bustos Media closes on a $250,000 deal to buy Spanish $1,500 each. The move took Mike Warren out of station ownership. oldies “La Clasica 95.1” KSND, Monmouth from Coss. The signal skirts both the Wyoming — Cedar Code Broadcasting has closed on a deal to buy Salem and Corvallis markets and it doesn’t overlap with any of Bustos Media’s KKWY, Douglas (88.7) from Wren Communications for $2,000. KKWY existing stations. In the second deal involving two Portland market AMs, Coss is a Class C3 signal that’s largely been off the air since it was licensed sells “ESPN Deportes 1460” KCKX and regional Mexican “La Pantera 940” KWBY in 2011. to Ed Distell for $150,000. Distell is a former Bustos Media regional vice president. Deal Digest Archive | ADVERTISE: Call 800-248-4242 x 711 or EMAIL for information.
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CLASSIFIEDS OPERATIONS/SALES MANAGER - CA Independently owned, AC format, KATY fm located in Temecula CA is seeking a bright and experienced person for the Operations/Sales Manager’s position. The right person must live very close or in the market, have great people skills, a creative mind and a great “can do” attitude. KATY has a great history and great staff and we are seeking our next great leader. If you are genuine, relatable and hard working with a track record of success I would like to meet you. Must be sales oriented with great people skills. The right person must relate well to clients and our existing great sales staff. Please contact Bill McNulty VP/GM, KCXX/KATY: bmcnulty@x1039.com
Thursday, June 5, 2014
MANAGER, 90.3 WCPN, CLEVELAND OHIO This position has primary accountability for leading and managing the operation and performance of 90.3 WCPN, ensuring that the station’s activities and performance are consistent with ideastream’s mission “to strengthen our communities” and meet strategic goals.
Deadline: June 16, 2014. Email only - resumes. E.O.E.
DIRECTOR OF ACCOUNTING SummitMedia LLC, a successful private radio group with stations in Birmingham, Richmond, Honolulu, Louisville and Greenville, is currently seeking a Director of Accounting. The Director of Accounting is responsible for managing all the day to day functions of the finance department including month end close, reporting and budgeting. The successful candidate must have at least 10 years of broadcast finance management experience and must have experience managing personnel Attention to detail and ability to meet all deadlines is a must. CPA required. If interested, forward a resume to: SummitMedia LLC VP Finance, 2700 Corporate Drive, Suite 115, Birmingham, Al 35242, or Darryl.Grondines@summitmediacorp.com. It is the policy of SummitMedia, LLC. to provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified individuals without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, age, or sex in all personnel actions including recruitment, evaluation, selection, promotion, compensation, training, and termination. INSIDE RADIO, Copyright 2014. www. insideradio.com. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced, or retransmitted in any form. This publication cannot be distributed beyond the physical address of the named subscriber. Address: P.O. Box 567925, Atlanta, GA 31156. Subscribe to INSIDE RADIO monthly subscription $39.95 recurring payment. For information, v i s i t w w w. i n s i d e r a d i o. c o m . To advertise, call 1-800-248-4242 x711. Email: ads@insideradio.com.
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HOW TO APPLY: ideastream is being assisted in this search by Livingston Associates. Visit: www.livingstonassociates. net/openings for the full job posting and to apply. Review of applications is underway. Open Until Filled. E.O.E.
NATIONAL RADIO HOST Well positioned network looking for national level hosts with strong emotional and intellectual range, all tethered to a strong moral compass. On air talent applying must be able to generate strong ratings, based on a platform of traditional faith based values, but must be able to make those values accessible to a new generation of listeners, not simply speak to “the converted” in a boring, predictable manner. Hosts applying for position must submit complete C.V., references and at least 3 hours of un-scoped audio in confidence to: Inside Radio, National Host, PO Box 567925, Atlanta, GA 31156, or, post and send link to: apply@insideradio.com. E.O.E.
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