Media Info Bureau

RBR+TVBR Media Information Bureau featured columnist Ken Benner has some thoughts on how some radio stations have forgotten how to use the power of auditory messaging to best reach consumers. It could be one reason why Madison Avenue, and its many millennials, don't think of radio as the ROI delivery machine it truly is. Learn if your stations are on the right track by reading this column.

In February 2010, as part of our coverage of Valerie Geller's series "In Case of Emergency," we offered a hypothetical scenario of what were to happen if the Flood of the Century arrived at your radio stations, and at your community. As new horrors unfold in Beaumont, Texas, which Thursday afternoon lost its water supply, we are pleased to offer from the RBR+TVBR archives this column on what to do when the worst shows up on your doorstep.

The late, great comedian Jerry Lewis sat for an interview while in his 90s with a staff member from The Hollywood Reporter. The interview is known as "7 Painfully Awkward Minutes with Jerry Lewis." Many people commenting on the interview blamed Lewis for the awkwardness. Sales training expert Barrett Riddleberger didn’t see it that way.

For featured Media Information Bureau columnist Ken Benner, there is nothing more gratifying than lending a helpful bit of encouragement, information, or suggestion to a colleague in need of assistance. On the other hand, he notes, "there is nothing more disgusting than taking advantage of your colleague by picking his pocket for simple assistance." This sets the tone for his latest commentary.

The FCC recently asked how it should define "advanced communications capability." As American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Mark Jamison points out, that's broadband. He finds this a curious question, "because it presumes that the FCC should define broadband." On that note, he asks, "Don't customers define broadband every day? Why not simply watch what they do?" It's an interesting philosophy any broadcast media company actively using digital platforms should take note of.

Is getting a sale as good as getting "the sale"? Sales pro and Media Information Bureau contributing columnist Barrett Riddleberger says no. Why? You may have had one of our AEs sell something, but they could have easily left more on the table for the buyer to consider, while leaving dollars on the table. 

On a day when a total eclipse of the sun commanded the attention of Americans across the U.S., it reminded us of what could happen if a station were to suddenly go dark, due to a powerful act of Mother Nature that suddenly silences a transmitter. We ventured into the RBR+TVBR archives to provide you with a great column from Cavell, Mertz & Associates President Garrison Cavell, who reminds everyone in the C-Suite of the one thing they shouldn't forget after paying for those building repairs, equipment parts, and the replacement equipment.

Is the 1990s simply horrible and unworthy of a radio station of its own that you can profit from? That's what some consultants may say. That's what some owners may say. RBR+TVBR's Editor-in-Chief disagrees. He believes there's a "throwback" format out there that can make you money. All it takes is thinking like a millennial.

That's the attention-grabbing headline plastered on the promotional announcement for the release of the latest Quarterly TV Attention Report from TVision Insights. The TVision report seeks to tell advertisers which demographics truly engage with television, which TV shows hold viewer interest, and which brands combine engaging content with effective media planning in order to garner the most attention. The Q2 2017 report yielded three key conclusions.

Thanks to steady population growth, increased educational attainment and "a strong inclination toward entrepreneurialism," what's been labeled by many as the "New American Mainstream" is greatly impacting not only broadcast media, but key advertisers. It's one reason why one of the biggest challengers to AM and FM radio, Pandora Media, drafted a 22-page White Paper that provides a primer on why reaching the multicultural consumer is so vital for marketers.

Of the $20.9 billion in the local TV ad market, only 5% of the revenue comes from digital properties such as web assets, mobile apps and distribution platforms such as Facebook. Can local TV operators find a path to increase their digital revenue growth? A new report from BIA/Kelsey may offer some successful suggestions.

What is the Dear Ol' Dad of the ABIP Universe chatting about now? Featured Media Information Bureau columnist Ken Benner wants to discuss radio and TV engineer licensing. Why? He remembers a time when there was "cataclysmic woe and cry" over what he calls the "massive over-regulations pertaining to everyone in every profession." Broadcast licensee membership organizations were among the loudest "cry babies." The "D.C. Kleptocracy" heard their cries. Fasten your seat belts for what promises to be another interesting read. 

A well-prepared sales rep always has a greater chance of landing a sale than those who aren’t. So, how should your sales reps prepare for a sales call? For Barrett Riddleberger, the answer is simple: Start by asking them the right questions to get them thinking about their next appointment from a more strategic perspective.

From job growth picking up and income lagging behind to weak housing investments and the current political climate, consumers are being bombarded with a slew of mixed indicators that are making them less willing to open their wallets and spend. That's the important takeaway for broadcast media sales executives and the C-Suite from a newly released study from IRI.

Walk into nearly any bar, gym, airport or office these days and you’re likely not only to find a TV, but also viewers of all sorts with their eyes glued to the glass. These consumers, out of the confines of their homes, are no less important to networks and advertisers when they’re out and about. This latest insight piece from Nielsen sheds new light on what's being watched away from the home.