Media Info Bureau

American Enterprise Institute columnist and blogger James Pethokoukis believes that, like many Capitol Hill observers, "writing a bill is a whole lot easier than building enough consensus to pass one, especially in a contentious Congress in a midterm election year." That said, what should the Federal government do to regulate Facebook? Here are his thoughts, which could result in action that has unintended consequences on your ad revenue.

If digital media is forecast to continue to beat the pants off of broadcast radio and TV for years to come, shouldn't Facebook and YouTube fork over some money to content producers like ... radio and TV stations? It's an interesting concept and one that's getting serious play in Australia. RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam Jacobson shares his thoughts on the concept of "retransmission fee agreements" of the social kind in this exclusive commentary.

A new study released Thursday by the trade group focused on Hispanic marketing finds that one's culture plays a significant role in driving digital behavior regarding how information is shared, how on-demand content is consumed, and which platforms are chosen. The report from the Culture Marketing Council (CMC), Digital Lives 2018: A World of Digital ‘Everything’ through a Cultural Lens, concludes that presence in cultural platforms, in-culture ads on mainstream sites, and organic diversity in social media and video content are some of the critical strategies that resonate across all audiences and increase brand engagement.

The level of mobile and apps annual ad spend in 2010 was 2.2% that of national TV. Between 2010 and 2016, mobile and apps annual ad spend (excluding mobile search) grew by nearly $20 billion. Jack Myers TomorrowToday forecasts that mobile and apps total annual ad spend will grow by over $24 billion between 2017 and 2020. That's an average annual growth rate of 23.3%. What does this mean for National TV? We've got the answer right here.

"Until the broadcasting industry takes the initiative to sever the Congressional chains of bondage over the FCC, it will continue to endure massive abuses with preposterous fines, fees, forfeitures, legal expenses, frustration, wasted time and wages for employees desperately attempting to address compliance for the licensees they work for." That's a common refrain from Media Information Bureau featured columnist Ken Benner. What irks him today? Capitol Hill abuse and an Arizona senator are the focal points of this latest effort from Tucson-based Benner.

The age-old concern for just about every employer, Media Information Bureau columnist Kelly Orchard notes, is this: “Where are all the good candidates? Why can’t people just come to work and do their job?”  Orchard discussed the topic with RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson at a NAB 2018 Broadcast Leadership Training reception held Sunday night in Las Vegas as one of several unofficial opening events tied to the 2018 NAB Show. She took her ideas to paper, and pens this report on how to find the best person for whatever job you seek to fill.

"TV now means much more than producing stories for the 5 o’clock news," say two Knight Foundation executives who have teamed to share some key findings from the organizations new study, “Local TV News and the New Media Landscape." In short, television is a key source of news. But, audiences are slowly shrinking. What can your stations do to prevent an audience drain from your newscasts?

We've read much about cord-cutting in recent months. But, just what is the potential financial impact from any current and anticipated loss of cable TV subscription cancellations? It's big, the eighth edition of Research & Markets' North America Pay TV Forecasts report finds.

Why should broadcast media owners and executives take a closer look at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? Featured Media Information Bureau columnist Ken Benner knows why. On Monday, it became known that President Trump wants to weaken the independence of the CFPB. That could sound the alarm for Washington watchdogs who wonder if the White House also wants to weaken the independence of the FCC.

Before hiring a sales rep, conduct an apples-to-apples job comparison, suggests pro sales coach Barrett Riddleberger. Line up the structure and activities of your sales job and your candidate's current or previous sales job. "Good interview questions enable you to do this," he says. Why? "It’s easy to assume your sales candidate facilitated the same sales process and had a similar sales culture if they come from within the same industry or sold a similar product."

Nielsen on Monday released its April 2018 cable network Universe Estimates, and there's one thing in particular that sticks out for Pivotal Research Group Senior Research Analyst/Advertising Brian Wieser. The "bottom line" on the new UEs: there's an ongoing decline in traditional pay TV network penetration rates, led by lower traditional MVPD subscription levels.

In September 2017, Toyota teamed up with one of America's biggest Urban stations for an experiential marketing effort that placed its redesigned Camry at the center of its sales efforts. What transpired is another tale about radio's ability to deliver strong results for brands looking to build relationships, along with profits. This story comes courtesy of NYMRAD - New York Market Radio.

In this guest Media Information Bureau column, Fincons Group executives Greg Jarvis and U.K.-based Oliver Botti discuss how traditional broadcast TV and OTT each have significant strengths, but have "limitless" opportunities when combined.

"Media channel buyer bias must end." "Junior buyers need to be better educated." Sound bytes from a meeting with Entercom President/CEO David Field? Nope. That's what top radio industry executives are moaning about in Australia, based on a study conducted in Great Britain.

"Our work in traditional media has seen its challenges," notes broadcast leadership expert Kelly Orchard. "The recent bankruptcies of two of the largest radio broadcasters, as well as mergers, acquisitions, and transitions, are main topics as I continue to engage in conversations with my colleagues. Their opinions are as varied as the size of their radio markets." In this column, Orchard reviews "the good, the bad and the ugly" of the radio industry, while reviewing today's top concerns for smaller markets and, in particular, family owned stations.