Headlines

It was an organization the ratings firm established in 2005 to provide clients with a forum to drive research and improve audience measurement. A Nielsen spokesman told Radio Ink Tuesday it is ending its funding to the Council. Nielsen was pumping over $2 million a year into the organization.

(By Andy Bloom) The 2017 World series lived up to the name “Fall Classic.” As the Astros defeated the Dodgers in seven games, did you notice YouTube’s new TV service was a presenting sponsor? YouTube’s presence felt peculiar in light of headlines like this from the New York Post (11/1/17): “Cable Companies Freak Out After 1 Million Cut Cord in 3 Months.”

According to Media Monitors, Wal-Mart aired 43,624 commercials on radio stations across the country last week, making the big box discounter the number one radio advertiser leading up to Christmas weekend. Macy's was number two with 37,000 spots, followed by GEICO (32,751), AT&T Wireless (32,290) and Amazon.com (31,612).

(By Bob McCurdy) With things relatively quiet the week between Christmas and the New Year, it is a perfect time to reflect upon the previous 12 months while getting ready for the next twelve. 

(By Paul Weyland) One of the biggest drains of time and energy in broadcast sales is wasting time with elusive decisionmakers who won’t close. Oh, they’ll engage, but ultimately you are never able to close them. And there is a reason they’re not closing.

(By Ronald Robinson) As I've often said, my threshold for what constitutes effective and listenable radio has never been met. There were times, to be sure, when radio was much more creative and interesting, but I wouldn’t expect the majority of contemporary radio’s participants to have any experience or recall of those times.

WQUD 105.5 Vintage Radio/Erie, IL, has hit one out of the park with their Slick Willy’s Second Annual Stuff for the Troops Drive. The Oldies station collected over 1,400 pounds of sundry items for U.S. troops serving overseas.

WNZR (90.9 FM/Christian AC) and WMVO (100.9 FM, 1300 AM/News-Talk-Oldies) in Mount Vernon, Ohio, as well as many individuals, businesses, and organizations rallied together to fight hunger in their community with the 36th Annual Knox County Food for the Hungry Drive on Saturday, December 9.

(By John Garziglia) In a December 21, 2017 Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, the FCC levied a $13Millon+ fine against TV broadcaster Sinclair for running 1,400 instances of third-party-provided news stories and programming in exchange for compensation without sponsorship identifications. What does this mean for radio?

Just when we thought we fully explained the details of the recent BMI consent decree ruling, along comes Georgia Congressman Doug Collins to add a new twist to the topic. Collins has introduced H.R. 4706, otherwise known as the Music Modernization Act. Collins says the goal of the Act is "to bring music licensing its first meaningful update in almost 20 years."