Intelligence Briefs

In 2018, Kelly Orchard proposed a diagnosis about radio people suffering from “adjustment disorder,” a treatable condition that in most cases is a short-term concern. Now, Orchard writes that in order to grow successfully, one must introduce methods in company culture and properly adjust or adopt them to engage and encourage teams.

It’s 2019, and to mark the new year featured columnist Ken Benner has pledged to de-clutter his 60+ years of collected broadcast industry documents. He's in his second month of shredding, and just uncovered an item he challenges anyone "to find anything so pathetically and disgustingly over-complicated in the massive historical files of FCC regulations."

Seven years ago radio industry veteran Lee Abrams, co-founder and CEO of V-Satcast (described as “a hybrid broadcast/broadband OTT multicast streaming platform with original highly differentiated branded programming channel”) penned a highly received RBR + TVBR Intelligence Brief. In this Classic installment, Abrams discusses how “traditional” media companies may wish to better attract talent.

The "Breeze" is swaying Radio. Soft AC is exploding. But, is it a smart move, or just another reactionary wave from companies looking for a quick fix to long-term problems? RBR+TVBR reached out to a veteran consultant known for bringing "Softrock" to Boston more than 40 years ago for his view on this newly hot FM programming choice.

Is the ad foundation at Facebook a bit shaky? New data from Standard Media Index, released in response to news that another security leak is plaguing the social media giant, has arrived that looks specifically at Facebook's ad revenue. Guess what? There's some slowing growth in an area that's been healthy of late for radio.

We all see the headlines. "Cord cutting" is accelerating. Viewers may soon do away with TV as we know it. As Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streaming services gain traction, it may seem that traditional pay TV services -- cable and satellite -- are heading for the exits. But, headlines can be misleading -- in a big way. 

As one of the 17 surviving SBE Charter members, featured columnist Ken Benner played "a small but significant and proud role" in the development of The Society of Broadcast Engineers and, later, The National Radio and Telecommunications Engineers. With the recent passing of SBE Past President Barry Thomas, Benner reflects on the importance of these two groups.

With 2019 quickly approaching, executives are beginning to think about what the new year will hold for the TV industry. Among these industry voices are leaders engaged in programmatic, digital engagement measurement, a global ad-tech company, AI-driven advertising and a "second screen" DSP.

An interesting new Marketplace-Edison Research Poll sheds light on such employment as driving for a service such as Uber or Lyft, selling products or services online, or working as a freelancer. What does this mean for broadcast TV and radio? Are there ad dollars here for the taking?

Just how vital is radio to consumers? This just-released report from Deliotte has a quote you'll want to incorporate into every sales pitch your AEs and GSMs wish to make.

A Senate vote on Thursday affirmed who will take over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from acting director Mick Mulvaney, the subject of this column from Ken Benner. Mulvaney's attitude towards how things, in his mind, get done in D.C. irks Benner yet again.

After several years of silence — at least that’s what it seemed like from the outside — FCC economists again have a voice, says a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. In this column, Mark Jamison argues that the communications industry will benefit from this return of economic voices.

The third quarter 2018 edition of Edison Research's "Share of Ear," released Monday, was the focus of a blog post from Cumulus Media and Westwood One Chief Insights Officer Pierre Bouvard. Front and center is data suggesting that AM and FM radio outreach ad-supported audio platforms daily. Really??

What is the common denominator to successfully serve its community of license for any broadcast operation? Here's the answer, courtesy of featured columnist Ken Benner, who has tallied at least 2,000 station visits.

With more choices than ever for visual entertainment, there’s still this thing called “broadcast television,” featuring free over-the-air channels with a plethora of local and network programming. Nexstar founder and CEO Perry Sook is confident in his belief that broadcast television has a bright future.