RadioInsight

///////////////////////////////////////////
What's More Important? Generating Sales Leads Or Having The Content To Sell?

Posted: 31 Jan 2017 12:46 PM PST
http://radioinsight.com/blogs/116254...ntent-to-sell/


This morning Tom Taylor wrote about Cumulus CEO Mary Berners new plan to
increase revenue at the company.
Introducing new wolf mascot Sulumuc (Cumulus turned around), Berners Be A
Leader campaign gives monthly and year-end prizes to all employees and not
just salespeople who generate sales leads. The top ten performers get
Unique Experiences, $1000 cash, and other prizes, while the top market for
the quarter receives possession of the Sulu stuffed wolf mascot for
bragging rights. The vimeo hosted video has since been made private after
leaking to Taylor and AllAccess.com.
This leads to a simple question. What will generate more revenue, having
sales leads or having content that makes people want to advertise on your
stations?
Berner admitted in the video that Cumulus underperformed in 2016 compared
to other radio companies and missed their budget for the year. The company
is once again on the verge of filing for bankruptcy protection.
Is the company better off asking all of its employees to basically play the
type of contests chain restaurants ask their waiters and waitresses to do
to sell extra hamburgers or side salads to increase net revenue for a
shift? Or let professional salespeople sell quality products by giving
these salespeople products that are worth buying.
Cumulus top station is ranked 17th overall in the New York market, 19th in
Los Angeles, 13th in Chicago, 8th in San Francisco, 10th in Dallas, and 7th
in its home market of Atlanta. If youre not going to compete at the
upper-echelon of programming how do you expect to win the revenue battle?
It may be a chicken vs. egg situation as Cumulus rapid staff turnover over
the past few years may have left them with weaker sales people that couldnt
even sell the best possible product anymore compared to other radio groups,
but having lesser performing content on top of it isnt going to help
matters.
Let the programming people program and produce better radio or make them
sell on top of their lesser content. What do you think will work best?


///////////////////////////////////////////
Another LPFM Hit By F*** Donald Trump Barix Hijacking

Posted: 31 Jan 2017 12:30 PM PST
http://radioinsight.com/headlines/11...ti-trump-song/



Another station was hit on Monday with the Barix box hijacking as Lake
Keowee Broadcasting Groups Classic Hits/Beach Sunny 105.9 WFBS-LP Salem SC
began playing the loop of YG Nipsey Hussle F*** Donald Trump around
10:00pm.
President Frank Patterson wrote on Facebook that he has captured the IP
address used by the hijackers and has passed it on to the FCC. In a
follow-up comment it is mentioned that it was of international origin.

Additionally it is now believed that the 101.9 pirate in Seattle that
played the song on a loop for nearly a week was 101.9 KQES-LP Bellevue WA.
The station has been operating for nearly a year, but has never filed for
Program Test Authority nor a License To Cover.
Update 1/23: Heat Street confirms that the hackings were done through a
Barix Exstreamer device.
Kathy Weisbach, President of Crescent Hill Radios 100.9 WCHQ-LP Louisville,
told Heat Street:
“Other stations that it happened to have contacted me, and we all used the
same device, and none of us had set a password to the device,� Weisbach
said. “My bad, as I had done other security measures at the tower and the
studio but failed to password protect this device. You can bet it is now.�
We can also confirm another station that was hit; Mother of the Redeemer
Radios 103.5 WIAH-LP Evansville IN. Alpha Media Urban We 96.3 KWEE Portland
OR was not hacked but played a clean edit of F*** Donald Trump once an hour
all weekend long and a pirate on 101.9 in Seattle continues to loop the
song.
Original Report 1/20: For the second time in less than a year multiple
radio stations had their signals hijacked.
This time the stations that were corrupted aired a loop of YG Nipsey
Hussle F*** Donald Trump. Among the confirmed victims are Radio 810
Nashvilles Regional Mexican El Jefe 96.7 810 WMGC/96.7 W244CW Murfreesboro
TN ,Crescent Hill Radios 100.9 WCHQ-LP Louisville, and Sunday Morning Glory
Radios 100.5 KCGF-LP San Angelo TX. Unverified reports of stations in
California, Indiana, and Washington State being affected have also been
seen.
The attacks on the stations began around 2:00pm eastern time on Friday,
January 20. SanAngeloNow.com features a brief aircheck of it on KCGF-LP.
In April 2016 multiple stations were hijacked through unsecured Barix STL
devices via a botnet attack and aired a podcast about furry sex. The
hackers in the first case used the Shodan device search engine to build a
database of unsecured radio stations and over-rode the stations outgoing
audio with the Furcast stream.
If you utilize a Barix or Comrex device at any of your facilities, the
Michigan Association of Broadcasters has a tutorial on how to lock down the
IP address to prevent something like this from happening.




///////////////////////////////////////////
Billboard: Billboard Adds Pandora Streaming Data to Hot 100 & Other Songs
Charts

Posted: 31 Jan 2017 11:16 AM PST
http://www.billboard.com/biz/article...00-other-songs





///////////////////////////////////////////
FCC Amends Public File Rules To Eliminate Paper Copies

Posted: 31 Jan 2017 10:03 AM PST
http://radioinsight.com/headlines/11...-paper-copies/


The FCC has voted to eliminate the requirement that broadcast stations and
cable operators keep paper copies of letters and emails from the public in
their public files.
Stations now have the option to place them in their online public file as
they allow all broadcasters to keep all their information there and cease
maintaining local public files.
The Federal Communications Commission today eliminated two public
inspection file rules. These rules currently requi (1) commercial
television and radio broadcast
stations to retain, and make available to the public, copies of
correspondence from viewers and listeners; and (2) cable operators to
maintain and allow public inspection of the location of a cable system’s
principal headend.
The Commission modernized public file rules for broadcast television
licensees in 2012, moving television public files that previously were
retained at stations’ local main studios to an online, Commission-hosted
database. TV broadcasters completed their transition to the online file in
July 2014.
Moving to an online filing process made it easier for consumers to access
information about their broadcast services without having to travel to the
station’s main studio and reduced the cost of broadcaster compliance. In
January 2016, the Commission expanded the move to online filing to cable,
radio, and satellite operators.
Today’s action furthers the Commission’s progress in modernizing its public
inspection file rules. The elimination of these rules will reduce
regulatory burdens on commercial broadcasters and cable operators without
adversely affecting the general public. Removing these requirements also
will enable broadcasters and cable operators to make their entire public
inspection file available online and permit them to cease maintaining local
public files.
Because the designation and location of cable systems’ principal headend
must be accessible to certain entities, the order requires that this
information be made available to the FCC, television stations, and
franchisors upon request. Alternatively, cable operators may elect
voluntarily to provide this information for inclusion in the Commission’s
online public inspection file database (OPIF), and may elect to make the
information publicly available there. Systems that make this choice can
avoid the necessity of responding to individual requests for principal
headend location information.
Action by the Commission January 31, 2017 by Report and Order (FCC 17-3).
Chairman Pai, Commissioners Clyburn and O’Rielly approving. Chairman Pai,
Commissioners Clyburn and O’Rielly issuing separate statements.


///////////////////////////////////////////
Chris Monk Named Cumulus Media Regional Vice President For Flint/Saginaw

Posted: 31 Jan 2017 09:51 AM PST
http://radioinsight.com/headlines/11...-flintsaginaw/


After exiting his position as Vice President/Market Manager of Adams Radio
Fort Wayne, Chris Monk has been named Regional Vice President for Cumulus
Medias Flint and Saginaw MI and Market Manager for Saginaw.
Monk previously ran those stations under previous owner Citadel from
2007-2012. He has also served as President/CEO of Alliance 180 LLC and
VP/GM of Northern Star Broadcastings Traverse City/Petoskey stations.
Cumulus operates Urban AC Z92.7 WDZZ, Country 95.1 Nash-FM WFBE, CHR CK
105.5 WWCK-FM, Sports Xtra 1330 WTRX, and News/Talk Supertalk 1570 WWCK in
Flint and Rock Z93 WKQZ, AC My 96.1 WHNN, CHR 102.5 WIOG, and Classic Rock
Wheelz 104.5 WILZ in Saginaw.
Cumulus Media announces that it has appointed seasoned radio broadcasting
executive Chris Monk as Regional Vice President for the company’s nine
radio stations in Saginaw, MI, and Flint, MI. In this newly created
position, Monk will also serve as Market Manager for Cumulus’ four-station
cluster in Saginaw and work with the team in Flint to maximize regional
opportunities.
The appointment marks a return to Cumulus Media’s Saginaw and Flint
stations, as Monk was formerly Market Manager for the stations from
2007-2012, under the previous ownership by Citadel Broadcasting. He rejoins
the stations from Adams Radio Group in Fort Wayne, IN, where he was Vice
President and Market Manager. Prior to that, Monk was Senior Vice
President and Chief Operating Officer of Alliance 180, LLC, in Boyne City,
MI, and also served as Vice President and General Manager for Northern Star
Broadcasting in Traverse City/Petoskey, MI. Monk holds a B.A. in Radio/TV
Management from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL, and an M.A.
in Organizational Management from Spring Arbor University in Spring
Arbor/Gaylord, MI.
Bob Walker, Senior Vice President, Cumulus Media, said: “We are very
excited to welcome Chris back home to Michigan and to our market leading
brands in Saginaw. Chris is a true broadcaster with a great passion for
radio and for the state of Michigan. His previous experience in the region
will create new opportunities for both Saginaw and Flint.
Monk said: “I’m very excited to be returning to Michigan, and in
particular, to the Saginaw and Flint markets.Â*After meeting with Mary
Berner and Bob Walker, I’m honored to be asked to rejoin the Cumulus
team.Â*There are a lot of greatÂ*people and opportunitiesÂ*in these markets.â€�


///////////////////////////////////////////
Tampa Bay Business Journal: Federal judge leaves door open for Bubba the
Love Sponge to refile claims

Posted: 31 Jan 2017 09:31 AM PST
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/...-the-love.html





///////////////////////////////////////////
Saga Launches Pure Oldies 107.5 Springfield IL

Posted: 31 Jan 2017 07:12 AM PST
http://radioinsight.com/headlines/11...pringfield-il/


After moving the News/Talk rebroadcast of 1240 WTAX Springfield IL from
107.5 W298AP to 93.5 W228DL, Saga Communications has launched Pure Oldies
107.5 on W298BP/103.7 WDBR-HD3.
The new format is focusing on the older end of the Oldies spectrum with a
core library of 1950s/1960s music. The format will flank sister Classic
Hits Cool 93.9 WQQL. W298AP operates with 250w/84m covering Springfield and
adjacent towns.
W298AP is the first of two Pure Oldies stations Saga will launch this week.
1470 WNYY Ithaca NY will drop Liberal Talk on February 1 to become Pure
Oldies 94.1.


///////////////////////////////////////////
John Williams Exiting WCCO; Returning To WGN Full-Time

Posted: 30 Jan 2017 04:50 PM PST
http://radioinsight.com/headlines/11...wgn-full-time/


Afternoon host John Williams will exit afternoons at CBS News/Talk 830 WCCO
Minneapolis and return to the weekday schedule at Tribunes 720 WGN Chicago.
Williams has hosted afternoons at WCCO since 2010. He worked fulltime at
WGN from 1997 through 2012, doing shows for both stations from 2010-2012
from WGNs studios until relocating to Minneapolis at the start of 2013. He
has continued to host a Saturday show for WGN from Minneapolis.
Williams will host 1-3pm weekdays on WGN and 10am-12pm on Saturdays
starting Monday, March 13. His daily show will replace the second half of
Wendy Snyder and Bill Leff’s split show. They will continue to host
10am-12pm, while adding a third hour on WGNPlus.com according to Robert
Feder.
WGN will also add two new Saturday shows. The Innovation Hour from 1-2pm
and On the Road with Dane Neal from 2-4pm, while Kathy O’Malley and Judy
Markey exit.
WGN Radio announced John Williams will return to Chicago as a weekday host
from 1pm to 3pm and will remain in the Saturday lineup from 10am to 12pm.
The other Saturday moves are the addition of a second business show
focusing on Chicago innovators, an automotive show hosted by Dane Neal and
the departure of The Kathy Judy Show.
Effective March 13, 2017, WGN Radio’s weekday programming schedule:
The Opening Bell, 5am – 6am
Steve Cochran Show, 6am – 10am
Bill and Wendy Show, 10am – Noon
Wintrust Business Lunch with Steve Bertrand, Noon – 1pm
John Williams Show, 1pm – 3pm
Roe Conn Show with Anna Davlantes, 3pm – 7pm
The Download with Justin Kaufmann, 7pm – 11pm
Patti Vasquez Show, 11pm – 2am
Nick Digilio Show, 2am – 5am
Effective March 18, 2017, Saturday programming schedule:
Lou Manfredini, 7am – 10am
John Williams, 10am – Noon
Wintrust Business Lunch, Noon – 1pm
The Innovation Hour, 1pm – 2pm
On the Road with Dane Neal, 2pm – 4pm
The Beat, 4pm – 7pm
“When we learned there was an opportunity to bring John back to Chicago
full time we had to jump on it. There has never been a better time to have
more of his inventive and intelligent talk on the station,� said Vice
President of Programming Todd Manley. “We’re excited about the Saturday
changes and want to express how incredibly grateful we are to Kathy and
Judy for their contributions to the WGN family. We will look for every
opportunity to continue their legacy.�
John Williams, a Chicago native, began his career at WGN Radio in 1997 as
the midday host and moved to afternoons in 2000. Most recently, Williams
hosted an afternoon drive show at WCCO Radio in Minneapolis, while hosting
a Saturday show from 1pm to 3pm on WGN Radio. His WGN Radio career spans
nearly all of the past 20 years.
“I’m thrilled about my new adventure on WGN Radio,� said John Williams.
“Plus, if you do what I do, you want to do it on WGN. The team is now more
creative, aggressive and forward-thinking than any station in America.�