Intelligence Briefs

New data from the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) show a huge jump in the number of adults aged 25-34 streaming video. Today, 9 out of 10 people in this age group are streaming something they can watch.

Who will have control as voice "pervades" the Smart Home? That was the subject of a panel moderated by Futuresource Director of Research Simon Bryant at the British media research firm's recent Audio Collaborative event in London.

Something doesn't add up for one longtime radio industry observer and former big-market OM: If one growing operator of AM and FM stations is making "big money" running less spots, then why is it cutting 11 jobs? It's a good question to ask as Hiring and Firing Season is upon us.

Media Information Bureau columnist Ken Benner is again sharing ways a radio or TV station licensee can avoid paying needless FCC fines and consent decree payments to the U.S. Treasury. In this column, Benner discusses two must-have guides for saving money.

Pass the turkey ... and the credit card. PwC’s 2018 Holiday Outlook suggests that a steady shift in attitudes about Thanksgiving Day shopping is underway: more than 70% of respondents saying they plan to shop on the actual holiday, rather than on Black Friday.

Is your radio or TV station seeking to lure teens and young adults through apps exclusively available through the Google Play store on Android-powered smartphone? Good luck with that. A new Piper Jaffray study shows that with teens, it is all about Apple.

What do "junk faxes" have to do with the level of acquiescence to federal agencies -- including the FCC -- in interpreting the statutes they administer? As Boston College Law School associate professor and AEI visiting scholar Daniel Lyons writes, it has everything to do with FCC deference.

Across the final weeks of 2017, one of the nation's largest retailers weaved its way back to radio by investing in a holiday season campaign that very much included the medium. With 2018 efforts expected to appear in the next Media Monitors reports, Walmart is emerging as an e-retailing giant -- something radio GSMs and AEs may wish to take note of.

Stream this, radio and TV C-Suiters: With an estimated 270 million Americans viewing their smartphones about 14 billion times per day, the smartphone continues to reign supreme as consumers' preferred device for online actions, as well as for controlling and monitoring many daily activities—including consumption of your stations.

Ask anyone in the radio industry what the biggest boost has been in the past year for audience building, and you'll likely get two responses: podcasts and Smart Speakers. It is the latter that is "bringing radio back in the home." Now, there's evidence that suggests radio broadcasters' sales coffers could further grow thanks to the nascent use of Smart Speakers as a shopping tool. For that to happen, it must take eyeballs away from the top consumer shopping aide of today -- also a radio industry must.

It’s 1999, and Julie Benezet is the new director for a fledgling dot-com called Amazon. Her challenge: to figure out how to lease just the right real estate in just the right places, to help the company survive and thrive. She has no idea what the future will bring. Her new book, "The Journal of Not Knowing," recalls her challenge and offers C-Suiters the opportunity to "chart a course where there is none."

More than ever, connecting with multicultural consumers through "inclusive marketing" is a must among CMOs seeking to build brand longevity while reflecting the reality of America today. For P&G Chief Brand Officer Marc Pritchard, this means starting from within, and ensuring that the internal composition of a company matches the audience it seeks. Is radio and TV far behind on this effort?

Take a look at the list of top luxury brands. More than half have been around for more than 100 years. How have they maintained this amazing track record? By escaping the confines of the crowded and cluttered world of needs-based advertising, says guest Media Information Bureau columnist Graeme Newell. Could learning lessons from the luxury brand category help maintain your station's brand allure for decades to come?

Here's a news item we fully thank NAB voice Dennis Wharton for bringing to the attention of RBR+TVBR. Hipster news organization VICE took a bold step forward in trying out something on Facebook that has mushroomed into a potentially major problem that only extends the problem of fake news -- and ad manipulation -- on the social media Goliath. It's great news for radio and TV.

"It is amazing how much you can learn from only a few minutes on this site," Media Information Bureau featured columnist Ken Benner says of the FCC's digital gateway to all of its rules and regulations — FCC.com. More importantly, Benner notes, a visit to the Commission's website can potentially save substantial forfeitures, consent decrees, frustrations and legal expenses.