Media Info Bureau

"The success of any endeavor is directly proportional to the dedication of those involved," says alternative broadcast inspection specialist Ken Benner. In this Media Information Bureau column, Benner offers what he considers to be "one classic example" of these premise. It involves a Class C1 FM serving the second-largest metropolitan area in the 49th state of the union.

In these COVID-19 times, a little feel-good nostalgia could provide some new inspiration and ways to propel growth, even when you think the worst. This involved listening to one of the most-revered Top 40 stations L.A. ever saw. No, it's not 93KHJ. Rather, it's the Rick Dees-era KIIS-FM. Why it was so successful could bring big riches to you in 2022, our editor-in-chief says.

Deloitte’s holiday survey turns 35 this year. To honor the long tradition, it's added new elements to the annual report, including supplemental data from Deloitte’s Insight IQ. There's also an economic forecast discussing the emergence of what it describes as a "K-shaped recovery."

Even as social media companies struggle to combat misleading information on their platforms, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that 53% of adult American respondents receive their news on social media sites “often,” or “sometimes.” And, of the 11 social media sites asked about as regular sources of news in the study, Facebook sits on top.

You've seen it. Your morning show hosts have likely discussed it.  That horribly embarrassing Zoom gone wrong has become the stuff of lore. How can you prevent a repeat of these Zoom fails? Veteran PR executive Rosemary Ravinal has some great advise to share on avoiding your next e-meeting from becoming the latest social media humor vehicle.

Domestic ad spend for the pharmaceutical and healthcare category is forecast to be $11.1 billion this year, WARC notes. What does this mean for brands, consumers and the healthcare system? The research firm took a look, and has this report.

While linear TV vehicles have long been a mainstay of political ad spending, viewer consumption habits have changed drastically in the last year alone. Now, new findings suggest that in the next election cycle, 17% of political ad spend will to shift to streaming. That's a whopping $1.5 billion not going to broadcast or cable television.

Ranking number one among all advertisers, one friend to Radio aired 85,799 spots in September — up from 73,302 instances in August. That's according to Media Monitors advertising data covering the period between August 1 and September 30, 2021.

While some may shed a tear over the final broadcasts of a handful of AM radio stations that are seeing their licenses surrendered to the FCC, our editor-in-chief believes there is a bigger, more fundamental question that needs to be asked. Did the Radio industry fail in not embracing DAB? Yes, and no, he argues, as such a move would have damaged the brokerage community and iHeartRadio.

Online presentations can be a drag. But you can change that, says "Zoom expert" and veteran public relations executive Rosemary Ravinal. "How you open can make a huge difference in your ability to hold attention and make your content memorable," she says.

A new Pew Research Center study shares journalists’ perspectives about the news industry they work in and their relationship with the public they serve. While journalists recognize the many challenges facing their industry, the Center’s survey of nearly 12,000 working U.S.-based journalists finds that they continue to express a high degree of satisfaction in their jobs.

Traditional TV advertising "has been relatively resilient to date." That's not been the case in the red-hot digital ad world, where slowdowns suggest "a weakening macroeconomic environment." Are other factors at play, "especially given such a strong and seemingly unsustainable surge of spending in 2021, which has created an incredibly tough comp in 2022?" MoffettNathanson has three potential reasons beyond macro for digital advertising’s weakness this year.

There are many techniques for managing fear when you speak. "Zoom expert" and veteran PR pro Rosemary Ravinal emphasizes the word "manage" because, she explains, "in truth the jitters or butterflies in your stomach will show up most of the time. The trick is how you deal with them." This column offers tips for overcoming those fears.

In this column, veteran PR industry pro Rosemary Ravinal shows how gaffes called "eggcorns", like malaprops but more innocent, can be stopped before one needs to go into damage control to erase from peoples' minds a potentially embarrassing public statement.

Tom Cheli, the nine-year CEO of ad sales automation and workflow company Frequence, got thinking about how its local ad partners have benefited from an omnichannel approach during this period — something that could benefit broadcast radio and TV. He joins RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam Jacobson on the latest InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, to share his thoughts. LISTEN HERE