Give Arbitron a hug

I almost fell out of my chair this afternoon when I read a bulletin about nine radio broadcasters actually stepping up to the aide of Arbitron. Telling the FCC to "nose out" was an astounding move

On Markey's Satellite/HD/AM/FM receiver bill…

Reading all of the hoopla about Rep. Ed Markey’s proposed radio Receiver Act I was hopeful for what would be a level playing field...

Moody’s reviews broadcast ratings

Radio and television companies are facing another round of potential, if not likely credit rating reductions by Moody’s Investors Service. “Moody's expects rated issuers will face significant revenue

BIAfn expands with new media acquisition

BIA Financial Network (BIAfn) analyzes lots of media transactions, but this time it is the one actually doing the M&A deal. BIAfn announced that...

Wachovia: Citi out, Wells Fargo in (maybe)

Wells Fargo has cut a $15.1 billion deal to buy Wachovia, trumping the deal previously announced with the FDIC’s blessing to have Citigroup buy Wachovia’s banking operations for $2.1 billion

2009 advice: Keep overhead low and hang on

Don’t look for a recovery in 2009. Rather, Wachovia Securities bond analyst Bishop Cheen told RBR/TVBR in a recent interview, 2009 is going to...

GE stock offering priced

A $12 billion offering of new stock by NBC Universal parent General Electric was priced Thursday morning at $22.25 per share. That’s below Wednesday’s...

Minnesota polling stations: The final frontier

ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, CNN and the Associated Press are banding together to eliminate the last state in the union that restricts their ability...

Who do you trust?

Credibility is stock in trade for journalists, and a new study commissioned by a newspaper/online information provider found that broadcasters are among the most...

Newspapers staggering under debt loads

The Minneapolis Star Tribune skipped a debt payment this week. That’s just one manifestation of the impact of tight credit and declining revenues for...

Have You Hugged Your Radio Broker Lately?

I am not sure who needs the hug more. Is it the station owner who is living through some very difficult operating times coupled with declining station cash flow

No lending, no deals, M&A on hold

When CBS Corporation announced plans to divest about 50 radio stations, the company indicated that talks were already underway and deals could be announced within 30 days. That was 64 days ago

Webcaster Settlement Act headed for White House

Negotiations between web streamers and SoundExchange will be allowed to continue, as the Senate seconded the House on a bill to extend the deadline...

New battles in the new frontier require new strategies

If you missed the webinar, What’s a website worth? Valuation Metrics for Local Websites, conducted today by the team at Borrell and Associates along...

Bailout trumps the election again

For the second week in a row, the major troubles afflicting the US financial system outdrew attention from the media, which has spent most...