Intelligence Briefs

"The way your face and body appear on a Zoom call can cast the wrong first impression," notes PR veteran and "Zoom expert" Rosemary Ravinal. As she writes in this fresh column, "The rule of thirds will help you set up your video, so you show up on the screen looking professional, alert, and ready to do business."

There's much discussion about the lack of success for current product on the Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR) charts in the U.S. Why? An opinion piece in The Atlantic seeks to discover the reason, tying radio to the conundrum in his hypothesis. Is that a fair assessment? Our editor-in-chief argues it is not.

Media and entertainment will continue to evolve quickly, not only reckoning with ongoing trends and disruptions within the industry, but also in its continued response to pandemic-led behavioral changes. That's according to Deloitte, which has released a 2022 M&E outlook that explores "five attention-grabbing trends."

Respondents to one of "Zoom expert" Rosemary Ravinal's recent polls on LinkedIn told her that “How to organize my content” is their No. 1 roadblock to great presentations. That didn’t surprise her. "Outstanding presentations require thoughtful planning," she says in this fresh column that puts a spotlight on a fast-paced presentation format you may want to consider.

KANTAR is out with a new thought leadership report. "Media Trends and Predictions 2022" looks at five key themes for the media industry this year, and we've got full access to RBR+TVBR Members. Just click here!

“TV” now spans linear and streaming platforms. Access to clearer, more accurate data has become paramount to success. With 2022 already entering its third week, TVSquared compiled the key trends it expects to define this year.

Is Netflix so powerful that it is impervious to anything negative offered by a respected financial analyst? That appeared to be the case on Friday, as shares in the dominant on-demand visual content creator and distributor rose by nearly 3% before cooling off as the Closing Bell approached. The growth came despite a notable investor note of wariness.

As the new year unfolds, veteran public relations executive and "Zoom expert" Rosemary Ravinal has received "intriguing questions" from people who spend most of their workdays on Zoom, Teams or similar video conferencing platforms. Two questions she received could resonate with you. Here are her answers.

Longtime radio industry programming consultant and tech visionary Fred Jacobs last week penned a column slamming broadcast radio for accepting advertising from Sirius XM. Why? Jacobs asks why Radio "would knowingly aid and abet a fierce competitor that is a stone cold threat – right now today?" This RBR+TVBR Observation offers a counterpoint to Jacobs' views on audio media competition.

No matter how some Americans choose to remember the events that took place on Jan. 6, 2021, in the last days of the Trump Adminstration, Curtis LeGeyt says that, among the many lessons learned that day, "the public was undoubtedly reminded of broadcasters’ critical role in bringing information to the public, especially during times of crisis."

Who knew that Bauer's Absolute Radio would turn the clock back by more than 45 years to do something today that U.S. operators should mimic? They're holding a contest that's all about "You." It's been more than 45 years since U.S. radio put a focus on "You," and a rekindling of that effort is sorely needed.

With the shift of TV audiences to advertising-free video platforms, local advertisers are turning to audio — not simply radio — to build their brands and drive sales. How can a CMO and brand manager help build a successful local audio plan? Pierre Bouvard, the Chief Insights Officer at Cumulus Media and its Westwood One arm, offers up five strategies he believes will yield success.

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.

The increased focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Corporate America is not going unnoticed among Black, Hispanic and other diverse audiences, a new Horowitz Research study shows. As such, to resonate with the multicultural, "brands need to step up," Horowitz advises. Does the concept of "brand" extend beyond the advertiser to the media outlets themselves?

Once again, our editor-in-chief found himself a passenger in a shared ride vehicle where the audio selection of choice didn't involve Spotify or Pandora, or SiriusXM. It once again sends the message that Radio needs a unified pitch to marketers to reinforce its importance — especially today, given the millions raised for charity by AM and FM listeners.