Intelligence Briefs

While business has changed significantly over the last two months, one thing remains the same: the need to track behavior as customers weave their way through the buying journey. This, says our guest Media Information Bureau contributor, is an opportunity for broadcast radio and television sales leaders and their AEs.

What sort of advise does Media Information Bureau featured columnist Ken Benner have for broadcast station operators that may want an alternative FCC inspection, which he has specialized in for decades? Here's what he has to say, in this column you'll only see at RBR+TVBR.

How trusted are media sales organizations to consistently and reliably deliver on their promises, whatever those promises may be? The Myers Report from media ecologist Jack Myers has some intriguing answers. For Myers, companies that prioritized trust and reliable ratings delivery are more likely to capture market share in the challenging COVID-19 era and beyond.

Financial analyst Michael Nathanson fears that the COVID-19 pandemic has created another period of economic duress, accelerating shifts in consumer and corporate behavior. Now, Nathanson believes that "the fundamental pillars of media," which were starting to crack heading into 2020, are crumbling. This could be a permanent wound ... and likens it to Radio's woes.

The coronavirus-fueled quarantine that Ken and Karen Benner have been enduring these past few weeks has led the alternative broadcast inspectors to shred thousands of documents related to their 25 years of conducting thousands of radio and television compliance reviews. "In the process, we have found enough documentation for hundreds of columns," Ken says.

In this column, GroupM Global President of Business Intelligence Brian Wieser reviews changes relevant to marketers that will occur as the coronavirus crisis evolves. His team specifically considers new ways consumers will spend time, how they will change media consumption and how B2B marketing will evolve.

For Media Information Bureau columnist Ken Benner, satellite fed programming under local computer control has eliminated on-air talent in locales where there's now a greater need than ever for a live and local voice. This raises the question of who and where is the source of that broadcast control is located. It brings to mind FCC regulations regarding "Chief Operators."

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, many small market and independently owned radio stations struggled to stay on the air. Now, it's even more of a worry. Yet, columnist Ken Benner says some tiny AMs and FMs are doing "remarkably well." Why? They continue to focus on the one thing radio has always done best.

New household grocery spend data from NCSolutions show a decline from the COVID-19 Extreme Buying peak but still up 23% from pre-pandemic levels. This marked shift—coupled with a return to a grocery basket mix reminiscent of pre-COVID-19 shopping patterns—indicates consumers have entered a new purchasing stage: Home-Confined Buying.

In this exclusive-to-RBR+TVBR commentary, Horowitz Research President Howard Horowitz shares his thoughts on "the age of media disruption" -- and the search of a new synthesis. "For what seems like an eternity, the media world is described as being disrupted, on the verge of disruption," he writes. "There is truth to this characterization."

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous furloughs and permanent job cuts have been seen. Salary reductions have impacted many who are working harder than ever. What's an executive to do? Here are some tips from today in 1991 courtesy of of "The Human Side" author, Arthur Pell, and a former Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School.

Given the current economic and industry uncertainty impacting media owners, are NFL’s network partners rushing back to the bargaining table any time soon? Wall Street analyst Michael Nathanson is asking and it's unclear to him. That said, there is one thing MoffettNathanson has noticed: the cost of NFL rights is certain to sky-rocket for the three broadcast networks that own the rights.

The spread of COVID-19, and the responses of industry and governments alike, is unprecedented. It is, however, the restrictions on movement of people along with the response of consumers and investors that is causing the biggest disruption and will have the most impact on entertainment businesses. Here, MIDiA explores the potential near- and mid-term impact of COVID-19 the sector.

iHeartMedia is receiving praise for pulling off one of the greatest feats in recent television history, at a time of unprecedented need. Much of the thanks should be directed to Tom Poleman, the President of the company's national programming group.