Media Info Bureau

Nielsen’s National Television Household Universe Estimates for the 2018-19 TV season have just been released. A tiny bump upward in the total has been seen. Why? Multicultural households are to thank for the growth.

On the final Thursday in August, thousands of households sharpened their pencils and got out their diaries. Just as they have since 1954, a representative sample of American viewers began meticulously documenting their television habits. It signals just one thing: sweeps. But, do sweeps still matter? This guest columnist seeks to answer the question.

While prepping the program and agenda for a seminar on FCC compliance, featured columnist Ken Benner contacted a regional Commission engineer to see if he would provide an outline of what, in his view, are the most significant items he looks for when visiting a station during a random inspection. The FCC engineer replied, and here's what he has to say.

The FM translator has provided a big boost to more than one AM radio station. At the same time, the FM translator has given operators an added boost through the rebroadcast of their HD multicast stations. But, are there limitations to the placement of an FM translator? That's what our Editor-in-Chief asks.

With much fanfare, Samsung and LG on Thursday each unveiled the first new televisions to feature the new 8K format. But, are consumers hungry enough to make a purchase now? While limited content is one issue, the other may come down to price.

Perhaps the No. 1 question facing broadcast media C-Suiters is how to combat the magnetic ad-dollar behemoth that is digital social media, led by Facebook. Maybe, with time, radio and TV's budget battles will become a bit easier. How so? New intelligence from eMarketer shows Facebook ranking as the No. 1 social media hub across every age group except one. That would be teens -- and that's not good news.

Here's something that's useful for both radio and television station research directors, GSMs, sales professionals and those in the C-Suite seeking clients that are closely reviewing this latest report courtesy of eMarketer. According to those in charge of many a marketing budget and plan of action, campaign data is reliable for up to two years. After that, you might as well toss it in the garbage.

You know that TV show "Undercover Boss"? Media Information Bureau featured columnist Kelly Orchard loves it. "The concept is awesome," she says. Orchard also wonders why the radio industry hasn’t done something like this at their stations, she writes in this exclusive report.

The recent announcement from the FCC advising the proposed expansion of the Equal Employment Opportunity FCC office with additional staff and lawyers has many licensees on edge. Media Information Bureau columnist Ken Benner has some things to say about it.

The industry has a limited amount of tower crews, consulting engineers and other expertise. The time crunch tied to the post-Spectrum Auction repack process means they, and the stations that hire them, will spend the next few years scrambling to manage their repacked schedules, notes one active member in the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society in this exclusive column to RBR+TVBR.

Broadcasters are making big investments in the future of television, pivoting from the sales-dominated culture that has driven success over the past several decades to data-driven, technology-focused people and systems that will drive success in the future.  Although broadcast continues to experience revenue growth, the growth isn’t as predictable as it used to be. 

By far, the three subjects noted in this Media Information Bureau column by Ken Benner cover 95% of the inquiries this "Mock" Inspection Program pro receives. The query associated with fines, fees and forfeitures? "What can I do to prevent the consequences?" Here are some suggestions that could save your stations thousands of dollars in payments to the United States Treasury and/or the FCC.

Sometimes, paving the road to future success requires a look back at what made a product desirable for years, or decades. Veteran radio programming consultant Clark Smidt believes much of what worked for radio station owners in the 1960s and 1970s still applies today. In his view, many of the owners of radio stations today are prime candidates for a trip back to the past to ensure a formidable future.

What exactly is government’s role in addressing misinformation online? That's a question Logan Circle Strategies President and AEI visiting fellow Shane Tews addresses in this column. In an era of "fake news," this could be of keen interest to your TV station or radio news department.

As the world digested the news of the death of the "Queen of Soul," RBR+TVBR opted to play the music of Aretha Franklin in tribute to her astounding contributions to music over six decades of recording industry prowess. It took an Urban One station based in Detroit and its iHeartRadio competitor to satisfy our needs.