Intelligence Briefs

The U.S. broadcast station industry, in particular TV companies, enjoyed record 2020 political revenue. That income is now gone for four years, and broadcast media has what Kagan analyst Justin Nielson calls "a transitional year" ahead. Keep those seatbelts fastened, and keep expenses under control, folks: It may not be time yet for quarterly comps to 2019.

Tied to the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA)'s reintroduction in Congress was a Friday House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law hearing titled "Reviving Competition, Part 2: Saving the Free and Diverse Press." On behalf of the NAB, which supports the JCPA, Graham Media Group head Emily Barr testified.

Andrew Curran, President/COO of DMR/Interactive, has penned an "open letter" to radio that takes aim at the industry's unfulfilled opportunity to attract women between 18 and 49 years of age who are struggling to hold their families and careers together. And, he's provided RBR+TVBR with an exclusive addendum to his widely distributed comments.

Challenge the status quo. Transform long-held beliefs and behaviors. Build a more equitable future, together. Businesses can help lead the way toward racial equity and our perspective can help you drive the change.

Cavell, Mertz & Associates President Garrison Cavell and retired attorney Erwin Krasnow have made suggestions on assessing station potential from the technical side and deciphering station coverage maps. They then explored treasures that might be found in Cyberspace. Today, they take a look at tire kicking.

It may seem obvious that corporations in the broadcasting field need to keep their records in order and up to date. According to communications law experts John A. Knab and Erwin G. Krasnow, it is not only surprising how many fail in this enterprise, but also how much it ends up costing them.

Despite a pandemic, 2020 marked the fifth consecutive year of growth for the music industry. To little surprise, paid subscription services continued to be the primary driver of revenue increases and reached a record number of subscriptions. Revenues from recorded music measured at wholesale value grew 8.9%.

During its “Stream On” event, Spotify announced that it plans to launch a Hi-Fi streaming plan offering lossless streaming in CD quality later this year in selected markets. This announcement is significant. But, is it noteworthy and of concern to radio broadcasting companies in the U.S. and Canada?

With the last broadcast transaction of the year the broadcast deal volume for 2020 passed the $1 billion line, closing with a total of $1.02 billion. That's an 87% drop from 2019, Volker Mörbitz of S&P Global Market Intelligence notes, clearly highlighting the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is, however, a volume 27% higher than that of 2010.

"Radio is one of the best performing media to help brands recover from a recession." Really? For broadcasters across Great Britain, that seems to be the case, new research from Ebiquity indicates. What learning lessons are there for U.S. radio broadcasting companies that can't seem to propel themselves out of the COVID-19 bog?

The cord-cutting movement is no longer just about saving money on cable versus streaming. Subscription fees for streaming services continue to rise. At the same time, choices are multiplying. Are cord cutters still saving money?

Global marketing firm WARC has released its latest Global Advertising Trends report, with the subject of "Next Generation TV." The study focuses on where ad dollars flowed in 2020. To little surprise, streaming platforms are siphoning dollars, pounds, euros and more away from linear video opportunities.

To better understand the consumer reaction in Michigan to the launch of sports betting, Cumulus Media and its Westwood One national radio arm commissioned MARU/Matchbox to conduct a study of 700 Michigan adults aged 21 and older. The findings are now being shared.

The FCC’s Online Public Inspection File server for radio and television broadcasters has been “live” for nearly three years. Much has been written about what goes in the OPIF, and when. And, the FCC provides a good summary online. Little attention has been paid, however, to what comes out of the OPIF: the co-equal obligation to remove expired material.

Stonecom Radio owner Larry Stone came to Tennessee in 1997 to build a new radio station group serving the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee from the ground up. Now, he's frustrated and has something to say about the state of the industry. In short, Stone laments, "We are a crisis point in radio." Why? He points to syndication company frustrations of late.