Media Info Bureau

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.

Believe it or not, Pandora remains the most popular music streaming service in the U.S. But, that will change in the coming years, a new forecast focused on digital audio listeners from eMarketer finds.

One of the most striking takeaways from a letter signed by 10 leaders of radio broadcasting companies that fully backs a NAB proposal to loosen the FCC's ownership restrictions is a claim that, with fewer owners in a market, greater programming options exist. Is this a bogus claim, or is this a factual statement that simply can't be argued, because it's wholly true? It depends on what market you're in, and how one defines "format diversity."

Determining audience “identity” has become a major priority over the past year for U.S. marketers, many of whom plan to increase their investment in finding and developing identity solutions. What might this mean for your radio or TV station group? A newly released study from the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) based on research conducted by Winterberry Group could provide some fresh answers.

Media Information Bureau columnist Kelly Orchard is back with a column focused on broadcast media's continuing battle for relevance. In a world full of instant at-your-fingertips media choices, does anybody have "the" solution to keep broadcast media relevant?

If customers like data portability and companies want to provide it, then it’s a win-win. But legislating portability in the name of enhancing competition is problematic and far more complicated than policymakers may realize, AEI visiting scholar and FCC influencer Mark Jamison writes in this column.