Headlines

(By Bob McCurdy) In today’s listening landscape, many stations are separated by only a tenth or two of a rating point, which greatly impacts rank and, in reality, statistically speaking, there’s little if any actual audience difference between these stations. The reason for this...

Sports gambling info outfit VSiN have announced a partnership with KNBR 680/1050 that taps VSiN to deliver daily Bay Area-focused updates for the sports station. Beginning August 6, the station will run VSiN Action Updates covering how the sports betting markets are reacting to Bay Area sports teams, with one report in the 9 a.m. PT hour and another in the 5 p.m. PT hour each weekday.

The net revenue increase was $600K (1%) in Q2 for Beasley Media Group. Wilmington, Philadelphia, Augusta, Boca, and Boston were all called out as high-performing markets. Consumer services was Beasley's number one category in the quarter, followed by retail (which was down) and automotive (which was up). What about Beasley's digital revenue?

Milwaukee and Tulsa have been sold, netting the company $28 million so far and more announcements are coming soon, according to Scripps executives. Scripps has 27 more radio stations it plans to unload, and during a conference call Friday Local Media President Brian Lawlor said, "We are well on our way to divesting our radio group."

Scripps uses both Midroll and Stitcher to push out podcasting programming and the company says revenue is up 50% over last year in that division, including money from Proctor & Gamble in Q2. Podcast subscription revenue is also growing with dozens of original shows driving the growth.

Our thanks to JazzRadio CEO Julian Allitt in Germany for sending in this international advertiser success story. JazzRadio Berlin has a bi-weekly cume of 528,000 listeners and, because the station is blockaded by bigger radio groups to stop them from getting national advertising, local and regional advertising clients are very important. Check out what they've done with The Ellington Hotel. (Our weekly Advertiser Success Stories are sponsored by Sun & Fun Media).

(By John Garziglia) The FCC on August 2, 2018, adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NRPM) under which FM stations and FM translators (along with LPTV and TV translators) will be reimbursed from a $50M Congressional-authorized fund, for costs incurred in being collocated with, adjacent to, or in close proximity to a repacked TV station’s facility changes.

SESAC, The National Music Publishers’ Association, the Nashville Songwriters Association International, and the Songwriters of North America released a joint statement Thursday in support of the Music Modernization Act. The groups stated that the MMA improves how songwriters are paid by digital streaming services.

SAG-AFTRA and New York Public Radio have reached a Voluntary Recognition Agreement that will add per diem and temporary employees working in SAG-AFTRA covered titles to the union’s longstanding contract that currently covers over 100 full-time workers at NYPR.

The Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio Group will present “C-Suite Insights into Processes, People and Platforms to Grow Your Revenue” on Thursday, September 27 from 10:30 a.m.–11:15 a.m. at the 2018 Radio Show, September 25–September 28 in Orlando.