Industry News

Agricultural Organizations Show Support for AM Radio Act

Twenty-five agricultural organizations have written to legislators to declare their support for the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act that would require AM radio be offered in every new vehicle at no extra charge. They say, “Our members rely on AM radio and the vital services it provides daily. AM radio is a source of weather, commodity, and national farm policy updates for our members. Access to radio becomes even more important for America’s producers in times of emergency. For those who work mostly out in the open, often miles from home, response time is critical. Whether a thunderstorm is developing, a tornado is moving closer, or wildfires are spreading, our members need a reliable form of communication to access critical information. AM radio stations are unparalleled in their range. A single AM station can reach up to 700 miles away and travel through barriers like mountains and buildings. When the power goes out, and cell towers go offline, radio is still available. While millions of rural Americans still lack broadband service, rural and agricultural programming through AM radio helps keep rural residents apprised of news that may impact their businesses, health care, education, and family.”

Industry News

Salem Executives Oppose Daylight Saving Time Legislation

Salem Media Group chairman of the board Edward Atsinger III and CEO David P. Santrella signed letters to Congressional leaders opposing a bill (H.R. 1279) that would make Daylight Saving Time permanent in the U.S. The executives point out how a late sunrise – especially in the winter months – would affect the reach of AM signals. They write that their stations “are in jeopardy of suffering a massive blow to their operations through a bill that is before you now. AM radio stations continue to be the backbone of many communities. They serve their audiences with programming features like news updates, traffic/weather reports, sports play-by-play, and talk programs. In some municipalities, AM radio stations also cater to a specific immigrant community, reaching their listeners with a specific foreign language or other programming elements like music or sports.” They go on to say, “H.R. 1279, as it is written, would make Daylight Saving Time permanent, thus impacting AM radio stations’ power and, therefore, coverage in the crucial morning drive daypart. This issue would be even more detrimental during the darkest days of November, December, January, and February, when AM stations would not be at full power until at least 8:00 am. From a programming and revenue standpoint, the morning drive daypart is still one of the most significant dayparts on an entire radio station. It’s the daypart that generates the most amount of revenue and is a cornerstone for the rest of the programming day. AM radio is facing a multitude of challenges. Radio, in general, faces constant headwinds from an ever-changing media landscape. This challenge might likely be the death blow to many AM radio stations. I am confident you don’t want to see that happen. Simply put, H.R. 1279 would significantly hinder AM broadcasters nationwide from effectively serving the communities they have been licensed to reach.”

Industry Views

Pending Business: AI Meets Sales

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

Talk radio - PodcastHave you picked up the most recent buzz around Artificial Intelligence? It’s hard to miss it.

Seems like the AI buzz is getting louder as more companies face the pressure to improve efficiency and profitability during this roller coaster economy. From Silicon Valley’s tens of thousands of layoffs to Steak ‘n’ Shake closing 30 locations, the heat is on.

Companies vested in the terrestrial radio business have known this pressure for years as we function in a world of single-digit growth and AM radio stations going dark as the real estate is worth more than the FCC license. For the first time, some of the players on the podcast side are feeling the financial heat as the congested podcast world fights for highly competitive ad dollars.

How can AI be a resource in the broadcast radio and podcast ad sales world? Here are two examples of what could be around the corner on your next sales email, Zoom or from the office phone pitch.

— AI audio/phone recognition. Imagine software tracking your phone pitch or Zoom call collecting phrases that identify rate objections, efficiency objections, competitive objections, talent objections, even content objections. Management teams skilled in reviewing the “phrase data” analyze everything from the number of times the objection is raised to the category or tenure of advertiser raising the objection(s). Fast forward to solutions. If your team is made up of multiple sellers with various levels of experience and similar objection(s) appear frequently, management responses and adjustments happen faster, with less stress as the numbers tell the story, not the seller in a confessional. Those adjustments appear in coaching bubbles on your screen as you engage.

— AI shows us the phrase that pays. By now you should know many of the key words and phrases that are sales friendly, grab attention and move you to a close. As well as the opposite – those dreaded turn-off words that turn a warm conversation into stone-cold ghosting. What if the AI software interfaces with your emails? AI could be programmed to identify the key phrases that help close a deal as well as those that are deal busters. I once attended a sales seminar that coached away from using the word “contract.” Not a good takeaway for me. All I could imagine was the legal team slapping their foreheads.

Something tells me the AI software discussed already exists working in the field somewhere helping a sales team become more efficient and crushing the earnings barrier. It’s only a question of when our radio/audio world will be smart enough to adapt the tools for a smarter sales path.

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com

Front Page News Industry News

Thursday, January 6, 2022

FCC Releases 2021 Year-End Station Totals: AM Declines by 42 Stations. At the end of December, the FCC issued its annual station totals report and the number of commercial AM radio stations in the U.S. declined by 42. Interestingly, the country also lost 23 commercial FM signals but gained nine educational FMs. However, the number of FM translators and boosters rose by 446 while Low Power FMs declined by 67. The FCC notes that the number of AM signals in the United States was at its peak in the 1990s at around 5,000. As for FM translators and boosters, there were about 6,100 such signals 10 years ago and that number is now 8,866. The category of FM educational will continue to grow soon and the FCC recently opened a window for new non-commercial educational FM construction permits and received almost 1,300 applications.

KWAM, Memphis Names Kevin Davis General Manager. Radio programming and management pro Kevin Davis returns to the Memphis market as the new general manager of Starnes Media Group’s news/talk KWAM-AM “The Mighty 990.” Davis was most recently serving as afternoon host and production director at Radio Training Network’s Christian contemporary WAFJ-FM, Augusta, Georgia. Starnes Media Group says, “Kevin brings more than 36 years of broadcast experience to KWAM. His experience includes a wide variety of radio formats – AC, CHR, Christian, classic rock, classic hits, country and news/talk radio. This isn’t the first time for Kevin in Memphis. For four-and-a-half years, Kevin was at crosstown classic hits WOWW, Memphis “Guess FM” and country WEBL “95.3 The Rebel” as operations manager/program director until departing for WAFJ, Augusta in April 2020. Kevin is eager to serve the community, grow the brand and expand KWAM’s footprint in the Mid-South region.”

CES 2022: Gadgets, Still! “They REALLY don’t want us calling this ‘The Consumer Electronics Show.’” Holland Cooke explains that “harkens back to VCRs and other things-in-boxes, as so much of the now technology on display here is software that enables experiences.” But HC reports that “acres and acres of inventions do transform Las Vegas into nerd heaven this week.” Read more here.

Former KABC, Los Angeles Host Bill Pearl Dies at 71. Former KABC, Los Angeles broadcaster, attorney, and Long Beach investigative website host Bill Pearl died on January 4 at age 71 due to complications from cancer. Consultant Valerie Geller tipped TALKERS magazine to Pearl’s passing. She says most Southern California listeners remember hearing him on KABC with co-host Bill Press on their popular point/counterpoint-style show. Pearl leaves behind his wife – former KOA, Denver and KFWB, Los Angeles radio reporter Sharon Katchen Pearl and children David, Max, and Chaya Pearl. Pictured here during the mid-1990s are (from l-r): Geller, Sharon Katchen Pearl, and Bill Pearl.

iHeartMedia Station Groups Announce Community Partners for 2022. The station groups in Indianapolis, Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky announce they have arranged community partnerships with eight local non-profit organizations in each of those regions that address needs there. iHeartMedia says each non-profit community partner will be promoted during a three-month marketing campaign based on their specific needs, including seeking volunteers, raising awareness and promoting events. The Local Advisory Boards in each market, comprised of numerous community leaders, selected the recipients through an extensive application process. The community partners vary in each market. In Indianapolis, the partners include: AccessAbility, Cancer Support, and Kids’ Voice of Indiana. In Louisville, the partners include: CASA of The River Region, Center for Women & Families, and Family & Children’s Place. In Lexington, the partners include: Alpha Beta Lambda Chapter of Lexington, Court Appointed Special Advocates of Lexington, and Central Music Academy.

TALKERS News Notes. Production pro MJ Bloch is named East Coast director of commercial production for Benztown and its client Yamanair Creative. Bloch joins Benztown from iHeartMedia, where she was creative services director for the New Orleans and Baton Rouge clusters for the past nine years. She also previously served in iHeartMedia’s national production department…..Higher Ground, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s media company, and Spotify announce the new podcast, “The Big Hit Show,” a series of audio documentaries hosted by Alex Pappademas that focus on the pieces of popular culture that have defined and changed our culture. Pappademas says, “The shows and films and albums we explore have all been chosen not just because they’re massive pieces of popular culture. We’ve picked them because each has had a profound butterfly effect on our culture. Whether we’re tracing how an author’s vivid dream about a sparkly vampire led to an entirely new fan culture or how a megastar reckoning with success, expectation and survivor’s guilt crafted a masterpiece that became the soundtrack to the biggest protest movement in a generation, listeners will know from chapter to chapter they’re getting a high stakes narrative that explains how our culture has been influenced and shaped by these creations.”

January 6 Capitol Attack Anniversary, COVID-19, Midterm Elections, Border Crisis-Human Trafficking, and NYC DA’s Jail Policy Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (1/5). The anniversary of the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol building and the House Select Committee’s investigation; the soaring rate of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and abroad and the battles over school attendance and mandates; the November midterm elections and speculation about the Democrats’ ability to keep control of Congress; the migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border and criticism of President Joe Biden’s border policy as the administration marks National Human Trafficking Prevention Month; and New York City DA Alvin Bragg announces plan to reduce incarceration for certain violent crimes were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.