Media Info Bureau

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.

Six years ago, Seth Godin noted the difference between the perception and the reality among professionals regarding their allocation of time in operating their business.  He used professional photographers to illustrate his point that managing time and resources involves trade-offs, but it certainly extends to entrepreneurs and leaders in any field. We revisit his points today.

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.

Donald J. Vucasovich is a name that's not widely known among radio historians or, for that matter, many who believe they know a thing or two about the "legends" of broadcasting. Media Information Bureau featured columnist Ken Benner feels otherwise, and offers this tribute to a most gifted individual whose career includes many years on the AM radio dial in Big Sky country.

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.

That’s the suggestion of featured Media Information Bureau columnist Ken Benner, who believes the time has come for a Political Action Committee representing broadcast media. Why? It appears obvious to him that the nation's television industry executives are struggling with how to handle "their massive, unprecedented income from the midterm Congressional elections."

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."

Forget about Election Day. The holiday shopping season has already started, and retailers are anticipating a banner year for sales. According to newly released data from eMarketer, low unemployment, strong income growth and high consumer confidence will combine to make the 2018 Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa shopping season an exceptionally strong one for retailers. Both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retailers are poised to benefit.

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?