On A-B cutting radio spend…
Anheuser - Busch cutting its second half radio, reminds me of a decision made by Coca Cola in the early 60's. Coke left radio for one summer, a small company took a major position in radio, Pepsi
News Corp. and partner bid to buy out NDS shareholders
News Corporation and companies affiliated with funds advised by Permira Advisers LLP have made a bid to buy all of the shares of NDS...
Nexstar sells notes in private offering
Nexstar Broadcasting Group announced that its subsidiary, Nexstar Broadcasting Inc., sold $35,623,410 aggregate principal amount of newly issued Senior Subordinated PIK Notes due January...
VSS acquires majority stake in Brand Connections
Veronis Suhler Stevenson (VSS), a private equity firm focused on media, information and education industries, has acquired a majority stake in Brand Connections. The...
Debating performance fees
I have to disagree with Gordon Hastings of the Broadcasters Foundation of America. Although it may sound like a great idea, it's a sell out for what we the broadcasters offer Artists
Senators propose XM/Sirius conditions
How does providing leased access for 50% of the channel capacity of the merged XM/Sirius entity grab you? Three US senators think that would be an entirely reasonable condition to impose
CNET now part of CBS
CBS Corporation closed on its $1.8 billion acquisition of CNET networks and merged the company into an expanded CBS Interactive. Quincy Smith has moved up to CEO of CBS Interactive from
WNBC Wins Seven NYSBA "Awards for Excellence in Broadcasting"
Big Apple's WCBS, WNET, WFUV, WINS and WOR Also Multiple Award Winners; WGY, WSYR, WHAM, WXXI, WIVB, WBAB, WLNY, WBNG and WRNN Are Pace...
Gray fills coffers, cuts debt
Gray Television did some adjusting of its balance sheet last week by selling $75 million in new Series D Preferred Stock. $65 million of...
An idea on royalty fees…
Here is an off the wall idea. Why not pay royalties to artists in exchange for a thirty or sixty day (or some negotiated formula) exclusive radio broadcast-only airplay before songs were released to other distribution systems
Fairness … be careful what you wish for
According to John Gizzi, writing in Human Events.com, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, “…signaled her strong support for revival of the “Fairness Doctrine” -- which would require radio station owners
On Chrysler and 2009 models equipped with Internet
Fred Jacobs of Jacobs Media has a comment on our observation in yesterday’s story about Chrysler offering wireless Internet access
Performance Fee feedback
If broadcasters are to pay a tax or fee for playing artist’s music, then a reasonable addendum to the bill would be for the record companies to pay
Media General boardroom heating up
Dissident shareholders kicked off three directors at Media General, but two of them have been put right back on. The board, whose majority is...
How about more content regulation?
A survey by Rasmussen Reports finds that 49% of Americans think there should be federal regulation of what’s on the Internet, just like FCC...