Media Info Bureau

In June 2014, Brian Wieser, a Senior Research Analyst at Pivotal Research Group, penned a column on "bots and waste in online advertising." Given the controversy at Google surrounding ads appearing on "fake news" websites and surrounding YouTube videos promoting hate groups or terrorist organizations, we dove into the archives to revisit Wieser's comments.

Google is presently the center of attention for many advertisers, and it's not for anything positive. The digital ad giant is being assailed by some for its failure to prevent real advertising from appearing on "fake news" sites and for pre-roll to appear on YouTube ahead of "extremist" videos. Our Editor-In-Chief thinks this is a great opportunity for the radio industry and the RAB. Why? It's all about brand security.

Barrett Riddleberger is a sales trainer who has invested the last two decades of his life helping salespeople and sales leaders become more successful. In this Media Information Bureau column, Riddleberger offers a little "spring reading," with the 10 books that he recommends the most to people seeking new inspiration in their sales career. Only one of these books is about sales.

Winning over the Chief Marketing Officer to AM and FM, and VHF and UHF, may be more difficult than ever. That's because the average tenure of a CMO is shrinking, according to newly released data from eadership consulting firm Spencer Stuart. What does this mean for radio and TV? The better question might be, "What does this mean for advertising?"

After eight weeks, Optimum subscribers in Connecticut regained access to their local CBS affiliate, WFSB-3 in Hartford, Friday afternoon. The end of a bitter impasse came after a state senator sought to bring Meredith and Optimum parent Altice USA together to resolve their differences. In this RBR + TVBR INFOCUS report, we talked exclusively to this legislator right at the moment she excitedly learned of the battle's end.

Facebook is ramping up its plans for video programming — "TV-like original programming," The Wall Street Journal's Deepa Seetharaman and Jack Marshall reported March 3. Should broadcast TV's C-Suite be holding emergency meetings about this? Do execs such as Perry Sook, David Amy and Bob Sullivan have a fan-and-friend menace on their hands? We don't think so.

We desire to be stellar salespeople. But what are the common characteristics of superstars? Some traits deal with internal factors such as personality style and thinking patterns. Other traits deal with things that can be replicated such as behaviors and activities. Noted sales coach Barrett Riddleberger offers five common habits that top performing salespeople do on a consistent basis.

There aren’t many decisions bigger than the one to sell your radio or television station. If you are contemplating a sale, make sure that you avoid some common pitfalls that can disrupt and possibly derail the sale of your company. We've provided a list of the most common deal killers and how to avoid them, courtesy of top D.C. attorney Erwin Krasnow and financial services consultant Doug Ferber.

Faced with diminished national buys, fierce competition from such publicly traded large broadcasters as Townsquare Media and iHeartMedia, and a listener pool with a strong appetite for Sirius XM, Radio Woodstock -- WDST-FM in Woodstock, NY -- went to its listeners with a pledge drive not-so dissimilar to one seen on a public radio station. In an exclusive RBR + TVBR INFOCUS report, GM Richard Fusco explains why it was done, and how it can save independent broadcasters across the U.S.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, along with Commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Mignon Clyburn, on Wednesday testified at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. It would seem that so-called public interest advocates would support such Congressional oversight, as it ensures that regulators do their jobs and is indicative of the checks and balances provided by the Constitution. Sadly, it appears some oppose it. Indeed, advocates criticized Congress for its hearing of then-Chairman Tom Wheeler and FCC commissioners. That the FCC testifies before the Senate is not unreasonable and seems to be the bare minimum of oversight, says AEI visiting fellow Roslyn Layton.

Smart appliances have been available for many years without making much impact on the $74 billion worldwide laundry and refrigeration market. But, research from Futuresource Consulting indicates that this may be about to change. That's big news for radio industry sales execs.

Given the recent track record of wonks, soothsayers, curanderas and individuals who hold Nostradamus in high regard, forecasts may not be as accurate as one would think when it comes to digital dollars sailing past that of TV in 2017. It's an interesting surprise, and SMI's CEO has some fresh ad trend info that may put your C-Suite in a pleasant mood.

Does the First Amendment care who won the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 8, 2016? Erwin G. Krasnow, the co-chair of the Communications Group of Washington, D.C. law firm Garvey Schubert Barer, tackles this question in a column that delves into fairness, and the First Amendment, and where broadcasters are under a Trump presidency.

Are the "Top Attentive Shows" a new metric that advertisers -- and broadcast TV execs -- should take seriously?