Industry News

Edison Research: Digital Continues Eating into AM/FM Listening

Edison Research – celebrating 10 years of its Share of Ear audio survey – is making a topline finding from its subscriber-only dataset available to the public. The company says the data indicates some substantial shifts in the amount of time U.S. listeners age 13+ spend with various types of audio in an average day. “Ten years ago, the average American age 13+ spent just over half of their total daily audio time with AM/FM radio,im including radio over-the-air and radio streams. The next highest portion, 18%, was spent with owned music such as CDs and downloaded audio files, and 11% of their daily audio time went to streaming. Today, we see the increase in listening from linear sources to more on-demand audio sources such as YouTube for music or music videos (not the YouTube Music streaming service), and podcasts. Americans age 13+ now spend an average of 18% of their audio day listening to streaming music from sources such as Amazon Music, Apple Music, Pandora, and Spotify, 14% listening to YouTube for music, and 10% listening to podcasts. AM/FM radio still takes the largest portion of the audio day on a 13+ basis with 36%, driven heavily by in-car listening.” Edison director of research Laura Ivey adds, “A decade ago Share of Ear was created to answer the question, ‘What do Americans listen to?’ Today we can understand the listening patterns of Americans and see how audio sources have emerged to vie for our daily listening time. There are surely audio developments that we can’t even imagine that will impact our daily audio time over the next 10 years.” See more about Share of Ear here.

Industry News

WWO: Nielsen Shows AM/FM Radio Improves Ad Campaign Reach

This week’s Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group blog looks at a Nielsen analysis of the reach of media plans – specifically those that are rooted heavily in Linear TV with the addition of CTV (connected TV) and digital in the mix. No matter how much CTV and digital spend was added in place of dollars taken from Linear TV, reach did not increase. The blog post says, “Regardless of the size of yourim media budget, adding AM/FM radio to a digital/TV plan sharply builds reach. Via Nielsen Commspoint, the media allocation planning tool, a wide range of monthly digital/TV media plans were examined. Very small, light, medium, and heavy campaigns were examined. The lightest digital/TV campaign reached 10% of the market. The heaviest reached 60%. Then a 20% allocation of AM/FM radio was introduced. The results were stunning. Across the seven monthly campaigns, from the lightest to the heaviest, the addition of AM/FM radio generated significant lifts in reach. Shifting 20% of the lightest TV/digital campaign to AM/FM radio caused reach to double. Introducing the 20% allocation of AM/FM radio to medium-sized campaigns causes reach to soar by 36% to 55%. Even the heaviest TV and digital campaign saw reach grow 20% with the addition of AM/FM radio to the plan.” Read the full blog post here.

Industry News

WWO: Study Shows Radio Ads More Engaging Than TV Ads

This week’s blog from Cumulus Media | Westwood One’s Audio Active Group looks at data from a Mediaprobe study using electrodermal activity (via a special monitor attached to the respondent’s hand) to determine their reactions to ads in actual AM/FM radio segments. Mediaprobe says the electrodermal sensor “allows out-of-lab and real-time measurement of unconscious reactions to ads and mediaim content, providing an accurate assessment of the audience’s attentiveness and engagement.” Some of the key findings include: 1) Despite lacking “sight, sound, and motion,” AM/FM radio programming was +13% more engaging than Mediaprobe’s norm for television in the U.S. For advertisers, this means the AM/FM radio context for their ads has greater engagement than the TV context; 2) Overall, AM/FM radio advertising’s Emotional Impact Score (EIS) outperformed TV advertising by +12%. These new findings validate the recently released Dentsu/Lumen study, which revealed audio ads outperform video for attention and brand recall; 3) AM/FM radio news was the most impactful genre, consistently measuring as a high-quality contextual environment for advertising (+14% greater than Mediaprobe TV News norms and +8% than total AM/FM radio); 4) Mediaprobe audio benchmarks reveal the sound contrast between AM/FM radio programming and the ads drives higher attention and brand recall. For example, ads with music and jingles perform very well in spoken word programming due to the contrast; and 5) Creative best practices: Use female voiceovers, jingles, and include five brand mentions. See the blog post here.

Industry News

Audacy Reveals Connected Car Study Results

Audacy releases the results of four surveys conducted between 2021 and 2023 designed to explore the connected car experience with the goal of deciphering what truly captivates drivers. Audacy says audio “emerges as the driving force behind an unforgettable journey.” Two-thirds of drivers listen to AM/FM radio, 20% more than music library streaming. Moreover, 45% of respondents want their next connected car to have voice activation. Driver behaviors have witnessed a significant shift in the last two years, with a 10% increase in accessing audio through the dashboard from 2021 to 2023, while phone usage forim audio experienced a 17% decline. The study identified radio app and voice users as super users who shared common traits and expectations. Audacy notes, “These highly engaged individuals demand seamless transitions for Audio across their home, phone, and car systems… Moreover, they exhibit readiness to spend, particularly in high-budget categories like home improvement and financial services, responding actively to targeted radio ads. For advertisers, crafting personalized ads targeted at these audiences presents an exceptional opportunity to guide listeners through all stages of the purchase funnel.” Other key findings of the study include: 1) Nearly half of radio app users sought information about advertised products online after hearing an ad in the car, compared to 22% of all listeners; 2) 31% of radio app users and 27% of voice users visited the store they heard about, doubling the rate of all listeners; and 3) 27% of radio app users purchased advertised products, more than doubling the rate of all listeners. See the study here.

Industry News

Auddia Backs Off Acquisition of Radio FM

Auddia Inc is ending its attempts to secure the financing to acquire the AM/FM radio streaming app Radio FM. Auddia executive chairman Jeff Thramann comments, “We have been pursuing anim aggressive AM/FM streaming app acquisition strategy by negotiating with three targets simultaneously. It is now clear that market conditions are unfavorable for securing the largest acquisition as our first target. As such, to optimize shareholder value we are withdrawing the current S-1 on file that contemplates the Radio FM acquisition.”

Industry News

Edison Research: Urban, Suburban, and Rural Listening Matters

According to data from Edison Research’s Share of Ear study, the listening habits of Americans change depending on whether they live in an urban, suburban or rural setting. Edison says, “Those who live in rural areas spend a much higher portion of their audio listening time with AM/FM radio, as compared withim those living in suburban or urban areas. Rural listeners spend 43% of their daily audio listening time with AM/FM radio and radio streams, compared with urban listeners who spend 34% of their time with AM/FM radio and radio streams. Meanwhile, Urban listeners spend over twice as much of their daily audio time with podcasts as rural listeners. Urban listeners spend 13% of their daily audio time with podcasts compared with rural listeners who spend 6% of their daily time with podcasts.” Interestingly, if you combine the AM/FM listening and podcast listening numbers for Urban, Suburban and Rural listeners, these numbers are essentially the same – between 47% and 49%. Edison notes, “It appears that the ‘time budget’ for radio and podcasting combined is consistent across locations; it is just the apportionment of that time that varies.”

Industry News

WWO: AM/FM Radio Ads Provide 14% Average Lift in Site Traffic

This week’s Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group blog looks at the results of 17 attribution studies the company commissioned from LeadsRX for AM/FM radio campaigns for various goods and services. Some of the conclusions drawn from these studies include: 1) On average, AM/FM radio campaigns generated a +14% lift in site traffic across the 17 campaigns. Campaigns are measured against LeadsRx benchmarks to determine the performance of attributed lift. The scale ranges from aim small attributed lift (0% to +3% lift) to excellent (+15% or more). Across the 17 campaigns analyzed, the average attributed lift was +14%. Three tax preparation service campaigns achieved “excellent” status ranging from a +30% to +48% attributed lift; 2) On average, the 17 AM/FM radio campaigns saw the highest percentage of impressions at the start of the week, peaking on Mondays and Tuesdays. Compared to the Nielsen impressions, the AM/FM radio campaigns outperformed on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Advertisers should increase their use of AM/FM radio on the weekends. AM/FM radio campaigns on weekends drive impact and results; and 3) On average, evenings have a greater share of attributed web sessions due to available devices and free time of consumers. Mornings historically underdeliver their share of impressions since consumers are busy getting ready for work and school. This expected pattern should not be a reason to move campaign weight out of morning drive. Morning drive exposure results in web sessions during later dayparts when consumers have the time and available devices to respond. Read the full blog post here.

Industry News

Nielsen Audio Releases Audio Today Report on the Black Audience

The most recent edition of Nielsen Audio’s Audio Today report focuses on Black consumers and concludes that of all audio services – both ad-free and ad-supported – AM/FM radio dominates in drawing Black listeners. For Blacks 18+, AM/FM reaches 89% of the population monthly, compared to itsim next best competitor – YouTube Music – at 31%. When it comes to Blacks 35-49, AM/FM reaches 90% of that demographic. The Nielsen report dips into Edison Research’s Share of Ear study and notes that when it comes to share of daily time spent listening to all audio sources (Black adults 18+) 44% of that time is spent with AM/FM radio compared to its next best competitor – streaming audio – with 14%. Not surprisingly, when it comes to the top radio formats listened to by Blacks 18+, rhythmic music stations rank at the top. However, out of the 20 radio formats Nielsen lists in its study, news/talk comes in as the 6th most-listened-to format with a monthly reach of almost 2.4 million. That comes out ahead of sports talk with a monthly reach of almost 1.98 million. See the study results here.

Industry News

WWO’s Audio Active Group Analyzes Edison’s Q3 Share of Ear

Today’s blog post from Westwood One’s Audio Active Group looks at the results of Edison Research’s Q3 2023 Share of Ear study of the reach and time spent with all forms of audio. Some of the takeawaysim from the study include: 1) the proportion of AM/FM radio in-car listening rose 9% year-over-year and is on par with pre-pandemic levels of listening; 2) spoken-word content listening is at an eight-year high with 39% of ad-supported listening (including AM/FM, streaming and podcasts) devoted to news/talk, talk, and sports; and 3) looking at Persons 25-54, the share of ad-supported audio time spent with personalities/talk shows has increased the most – from 11% of ad-supported listening in Q4 2016 to 19.4% in Q3 of 2023. See the blog post here.

Industry News

WWO: Studies Show AM/FM and Tax Prep Services a Good Match

The latest blog post from the Cumulus Media | Westwood One’s Audio Active Group contains data from five studies that indicate AM/FM radio is a good medium to advertise tax preparation services. Some of the findings include: 1) AM/FM radio is an ideal medium for the tax preparation category: Heavyim AM/FM radio listeners are 39% more likely to pay $301+ to have their taxes prepared and show greater familiarity, interest, consideration, and usage of tax category brands; 2) AM/FM radio ads drive site traffic for tax preparation brands: In the LeadsRx attribution study of a tax preparation service’s multi-wave campaign, AM/FM radio generated between a 43% to 47% increase in website traffic; 3) Branding early and often in tax preparation service ads drives more site traffic: LeadsRx found the top three creative executions that drove site traffic for a tax preparation service had the marketer’s brand name within the first five seconds of the ad; and 4) compared to other radio formats, a 2023 tax prep campaign on news/talk and sports stations realized a higher percentage share of interactions than the percentage share of their Nielsen ad impressions. See the blog post here.

Industry Views

Pending Business: We Are Growing

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

imSurvey says nearly half of all Americans over 13, nearly 135 million, listen to spoken word formats. The growth curve boasts an eye opening 52% jump in time spent listening at home.

Please keep in mind we are listening in 2023 via different platforms including AM/FM radio, smartphones, computer streaming, smart speakers, and smart TV. Podcasting is a major driver of this growth curve, almost tripling its share of total audio consumption. And the closer is traditional AM/FM radio is still the morning drive, in-car winner controlling 62% of listening, despite the auto industry’s attempt to shun the king of spoken word distribution – AM radio.

Audio marketers, please pound the drum a little louder when you pitch this growth story. I still haven’t seen this new validation pushed aggressively on X (formerly Twitter) among the Taylor Swift running to hug Travis Kelsey posts, have you? Anything on Instagram? Facebook? YouTube? Rumble? Are we reframing a modern version of that 1600s philosophical “if a tree falls in the forest…?”

All sellers need to take a minute to digest, discuss and integrate the findings in the Edison/NPR Spoken Word Audio report and start the drumbeat of growth, impact, engagement and influence. How else will we pushback on the taken-for-granted, same old-same old, spoken word presentation. Freshen up that media kit! Growth is an important sales point to make in any presentation and audio sellers need to keep pointing to that growth curve as competitors lean in on their own story lines.

Let’s get down to how best to answer W.I.F.A (what’s in it for advertisers) on your next presentation.

1) New. One of the most powerful words in sales and marketing. New information can drive new decisions. Let the numbers help make your point as you shape your presentation.

2) The Trend is Your Friend. Every business owner, entrepreneur, investor and CEO always want to be informed and in front of growth trends. You now have the opportunity in front of you.

3) Keep it Simple. Keep your information simple and easy to understand. Many influential newsletters use the simple technique of a bold number followed by a fast fact story line. If it works for the big boys, the technique should work for you.

4) Managers. Bring good news to your sales and marketing teams. Sellers, bring good news to your advertisers. The survey says we are growing, and positive growth is an important part of any business.

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.

Industry News

NPR and Edison Research Unveil Spoken Word Audio Report

The fifth edition of the The Spoken Word Audio Report from NPR and Edison Research was unveiled during a webinar presented yesterday (11/9). The 2023 edition concludes that spoken word audio listening time and audience size “attained record highs in the U.S.” This report places special focus on listening locations and explores spoken word audio consumption at home, at work, in-car, and other locations. Some of the key findings include: 1) Almost half (48%) — approximately 135 million people — of those in the U.S. age 13+ listen to some type of spoken word audio daily, up two percentage points (46%) from last year. Listeners in the U.S. age 13+ spend 31% of their daily audio time with spokenim word, which is a 55% increase over nine years ago (20%); 2) Spoken word listening at home has grown dramatically: 60% of the total daily audio time spent with spoken word audio is at home, 24% in the car, 13% at work, and 3% at some other location. The time spent listening to spoken word audio at home has grown to 41 daily minutes in 2023 from 27 daily minutes in 2014. Increases in at-home spoken word audio listening are seen across every hour in the listening day; 3) Spoken word listening in-car has shifted post-pandemic, but AM/FM radio remains on top: Of all the daily time spent listening to spoken word audio, time spent listening in the car has declined from 36% in 2014 to 24% in 2023. In the car, 62% of spoken word audio consumed by those in the U.S. age 13+ is to AM/FM radio content, including over the air and streams; 4) For the first time ever, the mobile device is the primary way people listen to spoken word: 39% of spoken word audio consumed daily by those age 13+ in the U.S. is on a mobile device, followed by 35% on an AM/FM radio receiver. At home, 41% of spoken word audio is consumed on a mobile device, and at work, 47% of spoken word is consumed on a mobile device. AM/FM radio receivers still dominate in-car, garnering 60% of the spoken word audio listening there; and 5) Podcasts represent a large and growing share of spoken word listening: Podcasts now represent over one-third (36%) of time spent with spoken word audio. Twenty-eight percent of time spent listening to podcasts goes to NPR/public radio. At home, 40% of spoken-word audio listening goes to podcasts. See more about the study here.

Features

How News/Talk Radio Should Adapt to Attract and Retain a Younger Audience

By Bill Bartholomew
Talk Host/Podcaster/Journalist/Musician

imFolks in the Gen Z and millennial demographics are heavily engaged in political issues, care about news in their communities and the world, and are constantly bombarded with content.  So why are they less likely to tune into and interact with news/talk radio than older demographics?

Talk radio has historically skewed older, and from an ad portfolio standpoint, is often targeted at the coveted 35-54 and 55+ demographics.  However, in a world where social media influencers and podcasters supply information to millions of young consumers, news/talk radio should be able to effectively compete for the ears of younger generations in a comparable, if not expanded way.

For all of the anecdotal and hard evidence that terrestrial radio may be trending in a downward direction, the format continues to have a vast reach.  It is convenient to engage with it in automobiles, and occasionally in home or office settings.  Yet, while younger generations listen to radio, news/talk is not the format that they turn to by and large.

Unlike many digital-first content producers, radio retains a unique quality: authority.  By virtue of editorial standards, FCC regulation and brand – things that social media and podcasts often lack – radio has the unique ability to deliver credible, vetted, nuanced and universally trustworthy content that can instantaneously adapt to meet the needs of the moment.  This is true in everything from natural disasters to rapidly evolving breaking news stories, providing a channel for immediate, reactionary insight and analysis.

There are several steps that news/talk radio should pursue in earnest to adapt to the current climate of content consumption, particularly by younger listeners, that can reach, and most importantly, retain broader, younger, more diverse and more engaged audiences.

  1. Introduce younger people into the conversation.

Too often, Gen Z and millennials are skewered by older hosts, mocked for their perceived naivety, unchecked optimism and me-first approach.  While some of these qualities can be accurate, that approach reflects a disconnect between older generations and the experience of younger ones.  Millennials and Gen Z have grown up in a post-9/11 world replete with “endless wars”, the fallout from the 2008 financial crisis, runaway student debt, a massive housing crisis, the mental health stressors of social media, Covid19’s impact on traditional youth experiences, climate change, a deeply bifurcated political environment and a constantly evolving quest for social justice.  Through these experiences, younger generations offer an important perspective that should be assigned the same news value as experts from older generations.

Are you discussing shifts towards electric vehicles?  Bring on someone from Gen Z to share their perspective on why steps towards carbon neutrality are important to them.  Engaging a conversation on the president’s approval rating?  Perhaps younger conservative and leftist voices should be included in the conversation.  Discussing immigration?  How about the perspective of a younger member of a Latino organization?

By giving younger generations and more diverse guests a platform, stations can simultaneously expand their content and reach.  With consistency, the station’s brand will become more familiar to younger potential listeners who may be inclined to tune in to hear someone who shares their identity and perspective on – here’s that word again – a platform of authority.  Let the guest do the work of establishing the credibility and importance of your station or talk show to younger audiences by posting about their appearance on social media, sharing audio clips and mentioning to their peers.  It will build familiarity and trust among those generations, who in turn, will begin to tune in on a more regular basis.

Stations should also consider bringing more younger, competent voices into on-air roles, whether that be through reporting, segments, fill-in hosts, weekend shows or full-time hosts.

  1. Meet the audience where they are: their phones. 

As mentioned above, the convenience of simply turning on AM/FM radio is highly appealing in automobiles, though as Apple Carplay continues to adapt and evolve, digital-first content is likely to become as simple and convenient in the near future.

Talk radio needs to make consuming their product on smartphones as simple and direct as turning on a traditional radio.  This means no clunky websites, no lengthy pre-roll spots, a reliable stream connection and a “one touch” means of turning on and off the station.  This should also mean expanding talk shows to high-quality video livestreams, following in the footsteps of the top YouTube and Twitch performers; developing unique content for TikTok and Instagram; building podcasts that are focused on specific issues, and; providing interaction via text and chat.

Radio has the ability to be the ultimate livestreamer, social media influencer and podcaster, but rarely harnesses these platforms in a meaningful way.

It is not enough to simply strive to “expand a digital presence”; stations and shows must engage in the hard work of building platform-specific content with their brands.

  1. Music, cultural references and themes for the modern age.

A few weeks ago on a seemingly benign episode of the TV show FOX NFL Sunday, panelists Jimmy Johnson and Terry Bradshaw offered an example of the type of cultural adaptation that sophisticated writers and producers provide their brands.  While describing a fight between two football players, Mr. Johnson said something to the effect of “when it comes to these two, what’s that Taylor Swift song?”, and then in synch with Mr. Bradshaw, “bad blood!”.  It is highly unlikely that these two 70+ men listen to Taylor Swift’s music with any regularity or would simultaneously pull the “Bad Blood” reference.  Yet, with excellent preparation that played into the greater cultural moment as well as the specific, current Taylor Swift/NFL overlap, in a six-second span, FOX NFL Sunday was able to give the illusion that their panelists are contemporary, hip and plugged into “what is going on”.  Is your station or show plugged into what’s going on?  Do you use contemporary music for bumps?  Are your images – including headshots and social content – modern, interesting and engaging or are they more akin to a miscellaneous real estate agent?  You are a performer in an entertainment business that, while certainly paying homage to the past and lineage of the industry, must be contemporary in aural and visual presentation.  This goes for everything from wardrobe on video and in photo to fonts on graphic design.

How often do you or your producer read Pitchfork to learn about new music that is breaking this week?  How often do you or your producer read Variety to understand major trends that are happening in the broader entertainment industry?  What live events are you broadcasting from, covering and building partnerships with?  You should strive to be cutting edge.

  1. We need a friend now more than ever.

This is something that goes for all audiences, but particularly for younger ones.  It’s OK, in fact, great to be yourself, present yourself from your generation and retain the authoritative stance that has built your brand.  Take a look at the success that sports talker Mike Francesa enjoyed by leaning into his persona – and in turn – developing legions of younger listeners that fell in love with his dad-like delivery and frequent meltdowns.

Few things are as uncomfortable to see as a 40+ person dressing or acting like a teenager.  Younger listeners want that senior, experienced, trusted friend to entertain them, inform them, and at times, tell them that everything is going to be OK.  You can help make sense of the world for younger audiences, something that is absolutely essential in the modern era.

Through attracting younger listeners by including them in the conversation, effectively delivering content on smartphones, presenting a cutting-edge entertainment product and continuing to serve as a trusted friend, news/talk radio can greatly expand its reach, relevance and revenue.

To that point, some younger listeners who discover a radio station or show via any of the above entry points will likely work backwards to the traditional AM/FM dial.  Like the resurgence of vinyl records, AM radio in particular has the opportunity to become a hip delivery format for discerning younger listeners.

The big question is: are radio companies, stations and hosts prepared to do the hard work of reimaging their product?

 

Bill Bartholomew is a talk radio and podcast host/producer, journalist and musician based in Providence, Rhode Island. Email him at: william.f.bartholomew@gmail.com. 
Industry News

WWO: Why AM/FM Radio is a Great Place to Promote Podcasts

This week’s Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group blog investigates the connection between AM/FM radio listening and podcast listening and concludes that “a majority of the podcast audience also listens to AM/FM radio and vice versa.” It reports that Edison Research’s Infinite Dial study reveals that of the weekly AM/FM radio audience 45% listen to podcasts weekly, 55% listen to podcastsim monthly, and 77% have ever listened to podcasts. “All of this podcast and AM/FM radio audience duplication means there are great cross-promotion opportunities.” Among the podcast audience, over half the ad-supported time spent goes to podcasts themselves at a 53% share. AM/FM radio follows with a 37% share. Distantly following are ad-supported SiriusXM (4%), ad-supported Spotify (3%), and ad-supported Pandora (3%). Additionally, MARU/Matchbox was commissioned to study Cumulus Media radio listeners who listened for at least an hour to stations in Dallas, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco and Atlanta and were exposed to promos for eight Cumulus Podcast Network podcast titles. Overall, 54% of the Cumulus radio audience were aware of the eight Cumulus Podcast Network podcasts. A much larger promotion of heavy AM/FM radio listeners (67%) were aware of the podcast titles, and a whopping 75% of the heavy AM/FM radio streaming audience were aware of the podcast titles. Read the blog here.

Industry News

New Research Reveals AM/FM Powerful Platform for Movie Releases

The latest blog post from the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group presents data from content testing research firm Screen Engine/ASI that indicates AM/FM radio is a powerful platform to launch theatrical releases. In the case of the coming film The Expendables 4, Screen Engine /ASI’s Audience Engine surveyed 2,389 people exposed to the trailer for the film and questioned them about their desire to see the movie. The result was that “heavy AM/FM radio listeners are +17% more likely to want to see The Expendables 4 in the theater than heavy TV viewers and +15% more likely that the general population.” See the blog post here.

Industry News

Westwood One: Marketers Underestimate Consumers Time Spent with Media

According to this week’s blog from the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group, marketers and agencies tend to dramatically underestimate the amount of time consumers spend with certain media, including AM/FM radio. Based on data from Nielsen’s Total Audience Report, “Marketers/agencies dramaticallyim underestimate time spent with AM/FM radio. While they believe Americans spend 9% of their media time with AM/FM radio, the reality is 15%.” Why is this? The report cites two reasons. First, longtime ad agency executive Bob Hoffman says, “How can professional people who work in an industry that is largely constructed on media behavior be so astoundingly misinformed? The answer is pretty simple… marketers always overestimate the attraction of new things and underestimate the power of traditional consumer behavior.” Second, marketing professor Mark Ritson adds, “There is increasing global evidence that marketers are basing their media choices on their own behavior or that stoked by the digitally obsessed marketing media, rather than actual audience data.” Read the blog post here.

Industry News

WWO Audio Active Group: The Power of AM/FM Radio in Cars

This week’s blog post by Cumulus Media | Westwood One’s Audio Active Group shows a brand-new comprehensive analysis of listening data from the Nielsen Fall 2022 Survey, MRI Simmons, Edison Research‘s “Share of Ear,” and Advertiser Perceptions “that reveal 82 million reasons to keep AM radio in vehicles, illustrating why AM/FM radio is still the queen of the road.” Citing the Nielsen Fall 2022 survey, the study concludes: 1) 82,346,800 Americans listen to AM radio monthly; 2) 57% of the AM radio audience listens to news/talk stations, the very outlets that Americans turn to in times of crisis and breaking local news; and 3)ban One out of three American AM/FM radio listeners are reached monthly by AM radio. From the Edison study: 1) AM/FM radio dominates listening in the car with an 88% share of ad-supported audio; 2) AM/FM radio’s near-90 share of in-car ad-supported audio has been steady as a rock for the last six years; 3) AM/FM radio’s ad-supported shares in the car are dominant across all demographics, even among 18-34s; and 4) ‘Perception’ vs. ‘reality’: Agencies and advertisers underestimate AM/FM radio shares and overestimate Pandora and Spotify audiences (‘Perception’ from Advertiser Perceptions data). MRI Simmons shows Ford owners represent 20% of all U.S. AM radio listeners and are more likely to listen to AM radio. Cumulus chief insights officer Pierre Bouvard comments, “AM stations serve very unique, targeted constituencies and represent many languages and voices. As automobile manufacturers consider eliminating AM radio, it’s important to underscore that the AM dial is one of the most diverse media platforms in the world. Why would we eliminate this variety from the car?” See the blog post here.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

— NPR promotes Michel Martin to new a role as co-host of “Morning Edition.” Martin, who has been the host of the weekend edition of “All Things Considered” since 2015, takes over for Rachel Martin who is exiting to pursue other media opportunities. She begins working alongside Steve Inskeep, A Martínez and Leila Fadel on March 27.

The Los Angeles TimesJames Rainey writes a profile piece this week about Tavis Smiley, former PBS personality and current owner of KBLA, Los Angeles – a talk station targeting the Black community. The piece addresses Smiley’s legal battles with PBS after he was accused of sexually harassing multiple women, the court case he lost and one he’s still involved in. It also looks at his efforts to reach the Black community via KBLA and its talk hosts. Read the LA Times story here.

— Edison Research is presenting a four-part series through its Edison’s Weekly Insights exploring the “power of traditional AM/FM radio in the U.S. This week’s edition reports, based on Edison’s Share of Ear study, “Listeners age 13+ in the U.S. spend 59% of their daily, ad-supported audio time with AM/FM radio, more time than with all other ad-supported audio sources combined, including YouTube, podcasts, and ad-supported streaming services. AM/FM radio is the top ad-supported audio source for all ages in the U.S., including Gen Z (age 13-24) who spend 33% of their daily ad-supported audio time with AM/FM radio, more than for any other ad-supported platform.” Read the story here.

Industry News

VoodooVision Consumer Study Findings Revealed

NuVoodoo Media Services announces that it is releasing the results of its VoodooVision nationwide consumer study in a series of free webinars this month. The study of more than 5,300 respondents between the ages of 14 and 54 is intended to “guide marketers through the myriad options available in the digital media and audio entertainment space.” NuVooDoo says, “The VoodooVision consumer study findings reveal that despite the steady increase of Internet-connected infotainment systems in vehicles, broadcast radio continues to hold its own. It remains competitive with podcasts and DSPs (Digital Streaming Providers, such as Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and others) when consumers are in vehicles or public transit during the early morning and late afternoon commutes, and on weekends.” Respondents were asked to select a top preference from a list of audio entertainment choices and their top choices were (for morning commuters), broadcast FM/AM radio with 19% of the sample, followed closely by podcasts, with streaming coming in at third. The study indicates the competition is closer during the late afternoon commute, where podcasts and streaming barely eclipse radio as the top choice among commuters at 15% vs. 14% of the sample, respectively. And radio remains competitive as an audio entertainment favorite among listeners on the go during the weekend, sharing the top spot with DSP’s and eking ahead of podcasts. You can register now for one of the two remaining webinars here.

Industry News

WWO: Your Audio Campaign Can Be Measured

This week’s blog post from the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group reveals data that was presented during a panel at the recent Association of National Advertisers Audio Summit. The analysis of a campaign for IT services company CDW by attribution measurement firm LeadsRx, it was determined that “while AM/FM radio represented only 16% of the media budgets, AM/FM radio generated 25% of site and search traffic.” Further, it discovered that “AM/FM radio delivered +58% greater site traffic than its share of spend. In contrast, TV delivered -11% less conversion lift than its share of the budget.” A Nielsen sales effect study of a campaign for a major retailer matched Portable People Meter panel data with credit card data to reveal how TV and AM/FM radio impacted sales. The AM/FM radio-only segment, those consumers only reached by the AM/FM radio campaign, had 3 times the sales lift of the consumers reached by the TV ads. Consumers only exposed to the TV ads generated a +4.6% sales increase. Those who saw both the TV ads and the AM/FM radio ads had a +4.8% sales lift. The segment only exposed to the AM/FM radio ads had an outsized +13.4% increase in sales. You can see the whole blog post here.

Industry News

Westwood One Audio Active Group: AM/FM Sells Cars

This week’s report from Cumulus Media | Westwood One’s Audio Active Group reveals the results of a study from data analysis agency Colourtext and UK commercial AM/FM radio industry group Radiocentre. Calling it the “largest and most comprehensive AM/FM radio ad effectiveness report in the world,” WWO says the study measured 59 tier-one auto campaigns for brands like Toyota, Honda, Land Rover, BMW, VW, Nissan, Volvo, Lexus, and Jaguar. The conclusion is that “AM/FM radio advertising generates significant increases in advertising awareness, brand relevance, brand trust, and brand consideration.” Other key findings include: 1) AM/FM radio increases the efficiency of automotive media plans: Colourtext and Radiocentre compared AM/FM radio’s average share of total media spend to the increase in advertising awareness, brand relevance, and brand trust generated by AM/FM radio campaigns. In each case, the auto brand lift is four to 11 times greater than AM/FM radio’s share of media spend; 2) the best performing auto campaigns place an emphasis on creative consistency; 3) AM/FM radio creates future demand for automotive brands; 4) Nielsen Scarborough: American auto intenders clock a lot of miles in their vehicles: A Nielsen Scarborough study of 199,118 Americans finds new car buying intentions in the next year increase as miles traveled grows; 5) among ad-supported audio, AM/FM radio has a dominating 89% share of in-car time spent; 6) Nielsen Scarborough: Heavy AM/FM radio and digital consumers are way above the norm for auto purchase intention; and 7) new vehicle purchasers are similar in profile to heavy AM/FM radio listeners, and heavy Internet users, and podcast listeners. See more about the study here.

Industry Views

Remaining Optimistic About Radio

By Walter Sabo
A.K.A. Walter Sterling
Radio Host

An article in the Los Angeles Times shows a picture of a radio DJ next to a control board boasting the headline, THE RESURGENCE OF RADIO. Dateline: 1982.  This headline appears in various forms every few months in articles and blogs throughout the country. Writers discover radio! The power of radio! The popularity of radio! Why is radio either dying or being rediscovered when neither is true?

Recent artifacts: Every single press release from Nielsen reveals that radio is doing fine thank you. After decades of promoting its television clients and bashing radio, now that Nielsen measures radio – son of a gun – radio is thriving, it’s alive, it’s growing, it’s a success. Nielsen’s tone is one of surprise that radio attracts large, loyal audiences.

Why is radio’s 100 years of success a revelation rather an assumption? First it is because radio is ubiquitous. Walk into a store, radio. Turn on the car, radio. Wake up, radio. The sound of radio has always been everywhere and continues to be everywhere. Maybe once a year I go to a gym and hear Spotify, but I have to ask an employee where that music is coming from and they are never sure! Television is not everywhere; it has to be turned on. Magazines, websites, books, direct mail have to be considered and then opened. Not ubiquitous. Radio’s ubiquity renders it invisible on the media landscape. Radio wins by losing.

Radio salespeople sell radio to negotiators, time buyers. The job of a negotiator is to criticize and devalue the product being pitched. That’s their job. A salesperson spends nine hours a day with negotiators telling them that their product is at death’s door. To a radio salesperson, every day is a bad day. They become immersed in the pessimism of radio’s future.

“Do you realize that most 19-year-olds discover new music from the Internet?” declares a time buyer to a radio salesperson. Oddly, the fact that 19-year-olds occasionally find new music on other audio media is a dark mark against proven radio. Until this moment, the location of new music discovery had never been a deal point for the Honda dealer time buyer. But, boy this “discovery” business is charts-and-graphs serious!

To perform as a programmer or talent in radio one must be an optimist about its future. A programmer or host is intimate with listener response to their work. Radio stars see the millions and millions, and millions of dollars raised for quality charities every single year by their words, their appeal — their credibility. TV stations and newspapers rarely conduct fund drives. Have you ever heard a local TV anchor ask for donations for – anything? No, probably because it wouldn’t work as well as a pitch from the morning host on your station. A powerful, yet unseen, spokesperson can be quite persuasive to a listener to donate their money to a charity.

SiriusXM satellite radio’s lead investors, Apollo and Blackstone jointly engaged me to consult the company on site for many years. During that time, I became well-acquainted with the initiatives of all-digital audio platforms: AudibleAmazonPandoraSpotifyGoogle and many others.

At digital media conferences spokespeople for those companies would sit on panels and bash the dinosaurs called AM and FM. However, those same companies insisted on branding themselves as… radio! Spotify RADIO. Pandora RADIO!

Walter Sabo is a long-time radio industry consultant and thought leader.  He hosts and produces a network radio show titled “Sterling on Sunday” 10:00 pm-1:00 am ET.  www.waltersterlingshow.com.   walter@sabomedia.com

Industry News

Westwood One Unveils NFL Postseason Audience Data

Cumulus Media | Westwood One’s Audio Active Group releases its comprehensive analysis of the NFL postseason audience using 2022 data from Nielsen Scarborough USA+ and MRI Simmons USA. WWO says, “The data revealed that the AM/FM radio audience is far more passionate about football compared to the more casual sports fan found in the TV audience.” Westwood One is the official network radio partner of the NFL, and this year’s Super Bowl coverage marks the 50th time that the network will broadcast the game. Some of the key takeaways from this study are: 1) NFL postseason AM/FM radio listeners are a desirable group of consumers: They are more likely to work full time and have higher disposable incomes compared to NFL postseason TV viewers; 2) The NFL postseason AM/FM radio audience is more engaged with sports: MRI Simmons finds NFL postseason AM/FM radio listeners attend more sporting events, seek out sports information on their phones more often, and play more fantasy sports than NFL postseason TV watchers. The higher levels of engagement translate into greater advertising effectiveness; and 3) NFL postseason AM/FM radio listeners are more likely to make purchases across key consumer categories: Compared to the NFL postseason TV audience, AM/FM radio delivers more consumers who are likely to buy a new or used vehicle, start a new business, or hire a financial advisor.  You can see the complete report here.

Industry Views

Local News Matters Most

By Holland Cooke
Consultant

Why? Done right, it makes you special. Because new-tech audio competitors don’t do local news, and with most broadcast radio hours now robotic.

“Why waste your time with AM/FM radio?”

Responding to that recent SiriusXM Marketing campaign, NAB president & CEO Curtis LeGeyt:

  • “Unlike our competitors, listeners do not need to fork over a monthly subscription fee, purchase a program or afford an expensive mobile data plan.”
  • “During times of emergency, Americans are not told to turn to SiriusXM for lifeline information. They are not going to get emergency alerts, hear up-to-the-minute reporting or find out where to get help on Pandora or Spotify. No other audio medium can replicate our service when lives are in danger.”
  • “Broadcast radio also provides an engine for economic activity. When local businesses want to get the word out about their goods and services, local radio stations provide an affordable way for them to advertise and reach the consumers who live in their area.”

These are not “normal” times

  • When Trump was on the front burner, his controversies alone changed daypart-to-daypart, even hour-to-hour. The talk part of the news/talk format remains largely static, no minds change. But our news content is dynamic.
  • In a monsoon in Las Vegas (NOT a misprint) someone drowned; and video of rain cascading through the ceiling onto blackjack tables at Planet Hollywood went-viral. We prayed as Kentucky drowned and Buffalo got snowed-under. After tumbleweeds piled-up around her Colorado home blocking windows and doors, Marlies Gross told AccuWeather: “We have so many fires here, and we have a drought and those tumbleweeds, they would just go up and explode into flames all over, and we probably would go with it.”
  • After 2+ years of arguing about vaccines, Polio is back and COVID is back again’ and RSV isn’t just a kid thing. Increasingly noticeable in my travels: Without being required to, people are re-masking.

It’s easier to add Occasions than Duration-per

Translation: There’s little we can do to keep someone sitting in a parked car with the key on Accessories. And AM/FM has never had more competition. So, to keep ‘em coming back, keep telling them something they can’t hear elsewhere, and make it sound different than last hour.

And TELL THEM that’s what you do:

  • “Are you on-the-road? Stay up-to-speed with us!”
  • “What happened since breakfast? We’ll tell you before dinner.”
  • “Stay close to the news.”

Be known for knowing. And tell them when and how you’ll tell them, on various devices.

Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “Multiply Your Podcast Subscribers, Without Buying Clicks,” available from Talkers books; and “Spot-On: Commercial Copy Points That Earned The Benjamins,” a FREE download; and the E-book and FREE on-air radio features Inflation Hacks: Save Those Benjamins.” Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke 

Front Page News Industry News

Monday, July 18, 2022

Pending Business: SiriusXM’s Chutzpah. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa says AM/FM radio needs a stronger response to attacks like the broadside leveled at it by SiriusXM last week in its “Why waste your time with AM/FM radio? campaign. “Timing is everything and as much as it hurts, the “Why waste your time?” ad was well played. AM/FM radio can’t afford to ignore a broadside attack. Playing the local, free and emergency cards is a solid first step. Every AM/FM radio listener and advertiser can use a reminder. Just like a utility, we take it for granted until it’s not there when you need it.” He offers three concepts for development that support radio’s value. Read it here.

Monday Memo: Dine with Seinfeld’s Parents. Consultant Holland Cooke continues his month-long series “Inflation Hacks, money-saving tactics for your listeners (and yourself).” In this week’s column, HC offers “escape from Ramen, and your dentist!” Read it here.

‘The Big Picture’ Panel Video from TALKERS 2020 Posted. Today (7/18), the video of the panel discussion titled, “The Big Picture,” from the recent TALKERS 2022 convention at Hofstra University is posted. The panel was moderated by TALKERS magazine publisher Michael Harrison (who was introduced by Dottie Herman, vice-chair, Douglas Elliman Real Estate and host of “Eye on Real Estate” heard on WNYM, New York “AM 970 The Answer”) Panelists included: Vince Benedetto, CEO, Bold Gold Media Group; Lee Habeeb, host/producer, “Our American Stories”; Kraig Kitchin, CEO, Sound Mind, LLC; Josh Leng, CEO, Talk Media Network; and Chris Oliviero, president/market manager, Audacy New York. See the video here.

Salem Rises to Prominence in Conservative Media. In a profile piece published in TALKERS magazine today (7/18), executive editor Kevin Casey chronicles some of the history of Salem Media Group and highlights the company’s steadily growing prominence in the conservative media universe. At the very heart of Salem Media Group is its philosophy and mission. Co-founder and executive chairman of the board Ed Atsinger says, “Salem’s leadership enthusiastically embraces the concept of American exceptionalism – that America is unique in human history as a place where no matter your social status, your ethnicity, your religion, or your country of origin the American dream is available for the taking. Today there are ideologies conspiring to tear us apart by promoting identity politics under such euphemisms as ‘critical race theory.’ Salem is committed to do all that we can to counteract the forces that would tear us apart, and we have created a company uniquely positioned to achieve that goal. Fortunately, there are enough Americans committed to religious faith and conservative values to help us achieve that goal.” Company SVP of spoken word format Phil Boyce states, “When I joined Salem’s team in early 2012, I had no idea the company was positioned to explode onto the conservative landscape like it did. My 14 year’s experience programming WABC in New York – the most-listened-to news/talk station in the nation – had prepared me well for the explosive times we were about to enter at Salem. We’ve been in a culture war for years in this country, and Salem is able to use its assets to further the cause, doing good, while informing and entertaining our audience.” Read the entire story here.

LiveOne to Spin Off PodcastOne into Separate Company. On Friday (7/15), LiveOne revealed its intention to spin off wholly owned subsidiary PodcastOne, as a separate public company to be listed on a national exchange and its plan to dividend a portion of PodcastOne’s common equity to LiveOne’s more than 15,000 stockholders as of a future record date. LiveOne says it hopes to complete the spin-off be year’s end. Related to the anticipated spin-off, PodcastOne closed a private placement financing of convertible notes and warrants totaling approximately $8.1 million prior to offering expenses, including $3 million invested by LiveOne, whereby the terms of the financing value PodcastOne at a pre-money valuation of $60 million. LiveOne CEO Robert Ellin states, “The goal of both our management team and board of directors is to maximize stockholder value. PodcastOne has been a tremendous addition to LiveOne since our acquisition in 2020, and we feel strongly that the market value of our stock dramatically undervalues the sum of our parts, which includes our PodcastOne subsidiary. Upon the successful completion of the spin out, we believe PodcastOne will be the only major pure play podcast company trading on a national exchange.” PodcastOne president, Kit Gray comments, “The podcasting business has exploded over the past five years and PodcastOne is one of the largest independent podcast companies in the world. The company is one of only two independent podcasting publishers in the top 10 of Podtrac’s list of Top Publishers. We believe that by trading as a separate public company, PodcastOne will have the opportunity to access the public capital markets as well as be better positioned to both acquire podcast platforms and attract significant podcast talent.”

Round Four of June PPMs Released. The fourth and final round of ratings data from Nielsen Audio’s June 2022 PPM survey has been released for 12 markets including Austin, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Providence, Norfolk, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Greensboro, Memphis, and Hartford. Nielsen’s June 2022 sweep covered May 26 – June 22. Today, TALKERS magazine managing editor Mike Kinosian presents his Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets. In Raleigh, iHeartMedia’s news/talk WTKK-FM adds eight-tenths to finish the survey with an 8.0 share (weekly, 6+ AQH share) that lifts it to the #3 rank, while Curtis Media Group’s crosstown news/talk WPTF is up two-tenths for a 1.7 share good for the #17 rank. Good Karma Brands’ news/talk WTMJ, Milwaukee solidifies its #1 finish after adding 1.1 shares for an 11.4 share finish, while iHeartMedia’s crosstown news/talk WISN sheds six-tenths for a 9.0 and falls back to the #3 rank. Cumulus Media’s news/talk WWTN-FM, Nashville adds a full share for a 6.9 share finish but remains in the #4 rank. Cox Media Group’s news/talk WOKV-FM, Jacksonville remains ranked #2 after dipping four-tenths for a 9.2 share finish. See Mike Kinosian’s complete Ratings Takeaways from this group of markets (as well as the first three rounds) here.

Up on the Roof.  Posing for promo shots on the roof of the Imperial Square Building (that housed the radio station) in Hempstead, Long Island during the Winter of 70-71 is the original airstaff of the legendary progressive rock station WLIR. Pictured (l-r): Richard Neer, Pete Larkin, Don K. Reed and Michael Harrison. All went on to colorful and groundbreaking careers in the media. Reed, who would serve for many years at WCBS-FM, New York, died over the weekend. His cause of death was not reported but it is believed he had been battling heart issues. You can see the memorial tribute video created by Art Vuolo here.

KXEL, Cedar Rapids Celebrates 80th Anniversary. Pictured above is Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signing the document declaring Thursday, July 14 “KXEL Radio 80th Anniversary Day” in the state. Standing next to her looking on is KXEL host and program director Jeff Stein. The NRG Media news/talk station was the first station in the U.S. to sign on with the maximum 50,000-watts on a clear channel signal. It first took to the air at 5:30 am on July 14, 1942, from studios in downtown Waterloo, Iowa. It was founded by Joe DuMond, a Waterloo native who came to national prominence portraying “Josh Higgins of Finchville” on NBC Radio in the 1930s and 1940s.

Biden in Middle East, Midterms/2024 Presidential Race, The Economy, Uvalde Report, January 6 Hearings, Russia-Ukraine War, COVID-19, European Heatwave/Wildfires Among Top News/Talk Stories Over the Weekend. President Joe Biden’s trip to the Middle East and his meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud; the November midterm elections and speculation about the nominees for president in 2024; the high inflation rate, unstable stock market, and fears of a recession; the release of the Uvalde School Shooting report; the ongoing January 6 hearings; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and its impact on the global economy; the climbing rate of subvariant BA.5 COVID cases in the U.S.; the intense heatwave gripping Europe and the Mediterranean wildfires were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio over the weekend, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.

Front Page News Industry News

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Political and Cultural Polarization Addressed at TALKERS 2022. At the recent TALKERS 2022 convention held on June 10 at Hofstra University on Long Island, five talk radio hosts representing various political perspectives participated in the panel discussion “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization.” The panel was moderated by WPHT, Philadelphia talk show host Dom Giordano (below), who was introduced by WINS, New York morning drive anchor Lee Harris.

 

WCHV, Charlottesville talk show host and program director Joe Thomas takes part in the “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization” panel.

 

KOA, Denver talk show host Mandy Connell speaks during her appearance on the “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization” panel.

 

WRVA, Richmond afternoon drive talk host Jeff Katz makes a point during his appearance on the “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization” panel.

 

GCN nationally syndicated talk show host Dr. Daliah Wachs during her appearance on the “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization” panel.

 

WICC, Bridgeport, Connecticut talk host and Connecticut probate judge Lisa Wexler speaks on the “Maintaining Integrity in Times of Political and Cultural Polarization” panel.

 

Complete TALKERS 2022 Session Videos Being Posted TALKERS magazine is posting complete videos of each session from the TALKERS 2022 convention held on Friday, June 10 at Hofstra University. The video of the “Morning Greetings” session has been posted. This session includes: TALKERS 2022 emcee and TALKERS VP/executive editor Kevin Casey; the National Anthem performed on saxophone by WOAI, San Antonio and Compass Media Networks nationally syndicated talk host Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo; the “Welcome to Long Island” speech by JVC Broadcasting president/CEO John Caracciolo; the “Morning Wakeup” from FOX News Radio host Jimmy Failla; “A Gathering of Friends and Colleagues” presentation from Premiere Networks and FOX News Channel star Sean Hannity; and “Talk Radio in the Post-Rush Era” from Premiere Networks talk host Buck Sexton. See the video here.

 

KOA, Denver Programmer Greg Foster Among Staffers Let Go by iHeartMedia. The staff reductions taking place at iHeartMedia hit the Denver cluster recently with program director Greg Foster among those getting their pink slips. In addition to Foster, Tim Spence – program director for KHOW, Denver and KCOL, Fort Collins – was also let go, as was talk host Mike Rosen and producer for Mandy Connell’s program, Dave Lauer. Foster tells TALKERS magazine, “As for me, I’m certainly grateful for my 22-years with iHeart/Clear Channel. It was a good run!”

 

Westwood One Blog Reveals Results of Online Sports Betting Study. The CUMULUS MEDIA | Westwood One Audio Active Group commissioned MARU/Matchbox to conduct a national brand awareness study of online sports betting brands and it surveyed 1,252 adults 21-plus in February. The study consisted of 483 respondents were from states that have legalized sports betting and 769 respondents were from states that have not. Some of the ley findings include: 1) The ideal target for online sports betting are adults 35-54 who are married, have kids, and work full time. Nearly half of those most interested in online sports betting are adults 35-54 (48%). Women are becoming more interested in online sports betting. The gender profile of those interested is more evenly distributed (men 54% vs. women 46%); 2) Based on media habits of online sports betting intenders, the optimal media allocation is 54% AM/FM radio and 48% TV. Compared to TV viewers, AM/FM radio listeners have far more experience with online sports betting, greater interest, greater awareness of, and greater engagement with online sports betting brands; 3) The audio sports betting media plan should contain a wide array of AM/FM radio programming formats and podcast genres. Those interested in online sports betting listen to a broad array of podcast genres and AM/FM radio programming formats beyond just Sports programming. Audio media plans that focus mostly on spoken word (news/talk and sports) will miss the majority of those who are engaged with online sports betting. Based on AM/FM radio programming format preferences among those interested in online sports betting, the ideal allocation is 20% of impressions to rock and then 10% each to the rest of the formats (classic rock, news/talk, sports, classic hits/oldies, country, Top 40, urban, and adult contemporary); and 4) Audio media plans should emphasize reach over frequency and increase weight to reach 60% of the market. Recent monthly AM/FM radio plans are only reaching 38% of the market. Brands should seek to reach at least 60% of the market each month.

 

AdLarge Names Brian Egan Director of Digital Content and Strategy. Joining AdLarge as director of digital content and strategy is Brian Egan, who most recently was creator and co-founder of Inlet TV, a digital multi-media live streaming platform focused on highly scalable HTTP live streaming technology. In his new role with AdLarge, Egan will “spearhead the expansion of strategic discovery methods to uncover new talent and content creators in order to develop authentic and re-imagined advertising opportunities for clients.” AdLarge co-CEO Cathy Csukas says, “Throughout his career, Brian has had the opportunity to work with some of the largest podcasters in the world and brings an impressive depth of experience and entrepreneurial vision to the company. With his leadership, we’re focused on finding new marketing and content opportunities and look forward to reaching new levels of success for our clients in 2022.” Egan comments, “I can’t express how excited I am to join this incredible team of industry-leading professionals. I’m looking forward to contributing to the inspired work they already do for their content partners, with an eye toward expanding their footprint in emerging markets and products. For anyone looking to connect on podcast content, technology, or to just make an introduction – my inbox is wide open!”

 

Townsquare Media Closes on Cherry Creek Acquisition. The deal for Townsquare Media to acquire 34 radio stations in nine markets from Cherry Creek has closed. Townsquare is paying $18.75 million for the stations in Butte, Great Falls, and Missoula, Montana; Montrose, Colorado; Sierra Vista, Arizona; St. George-Cedar City, Utah; Tri-Cities and Wenatchee, Washington; and Williston, North Dakota. Townsquare is divesting six radio stations in Missoula, Montana, to Anderson Broadcasting, Legacy Broadcasting (a non-profit organization), and Missoula Community Radio (also a non-profit organization), and is placing two radio stations in Tri-Cities, Washington in a divestiture trust. This transaction is being funded with cash on hand and Townsquare CFO Stuart Rosenstein states, “This acquisition represents a compelling use of capital that aligns with our priorities of investing in our local business through both organic investments and prudent acquisitions that support our revenue and profit growth. This acquisition is net leverage neutral and due to the strong cash generation of our business and the acquired assets, will not impact our ability to reach our goal of 4x net leverage by year end.” KALIL & CO., INC. was the exclusive broker for this transaction.

 

ESPN Cleveland Hosts Inaugural Block Party. To celebrate the beginning of summer and to show off their new studios, Good Karma Brands’ WKNR-AM “ESPN Cleveland” will host the inaugural Block Party, presented by MGM Northfield Park, tomorrow (6/23) from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. Fans can hear their favorite ESPN Cleveland hosts broadcast live, on stage, throughout the day. In addition to live show broadcasts, a second stage will host live music from a variety of local bands, vendors will sell local food and beverages, fans can participate in games with prizes, and even “dunk” their favorite ESPN Cleveland talent in the dunk tank. In addition, Cleveland’s pro sports teams are taking part in the event and all proceeds from it will benefit Muttley Crue Rescue – which rescues, cares for, and re-homes neglected, abused and/or homeless dogs. ESPN Cleveland host Tony Rizzo states, “The block party is going to be great opportunity for fans, partners, and teammates to get together after a long two years. I know the highlight of the day will be Aaron Goldhammer in the dunk tank!”

 

FABULOUS OFFER: Epoch Times Extraordinary Freebie to TALKERS 2022 Attendees Temporarily Extended to All TALKERS Subscribers.  One of the most popular perks of the recent TALKERS 2022 conference held on Long Island (6/10) was a free lifetime digital subscription presented to all of the event’s attendees by The Epoch Times. The 20-plus year old international newspaper based here in the United States is a favorite of news/talk media hosts.  The rapidly growing publication is known for its independent reporting and devotion to upholding the First Amendment and American democracy.  Readers of TALKERS interested in receiving a lifetime digital subscription – no strings attached – can do so by clicking here.

 

New C. Crane Emergency Radio a Big Hit at TALKERS 2022The first 200 registrants to arrive at the recent TALKERS 2022 convention on June 10 were surprised and delighted to find a real prize individually handed to them by iconic radio manufacturer/distributor C. Crane for their conference goodie bag. Each attendee received an amazing CCRadio Solar radio unit – valued at $99.99 retail – and the result was raves all around. The CCRadio Solar is a small digital portable radio that is successful as an emergency radio but the form and format function invite its owner to use it daily. Placed in a sunny window it’s perfect for the morning news. Audio is a surprise; it’s accurate, pleasing and has two modes. A miser mode to conserve battery power in a true emergency and a high-power mode for an even better audio experience. Reception is good for the size. The almost brick-size depth and unique UV resistant rubber perimeter is concave on the bottom which makes it inherently stable. The flashlight is above average in brightness and color because of the selected high-quality LED. The hand crank folded (that’s right, it can be cranked for power) and inlaid on in the back is the only visible clue that it’s an emergency radio. The included lithium-ion battery can be recharged by wind-up, solar panel, your USB port, or optional AC power adapter (not included). When the lithium-ion battery is fully charged, the radio will run more than 50 hours or charge your phone from the approximately 50% level to 100% level. It can also be powered by three “AA” alkaline batteries (not included) for approximately 50 hours in low power mode or 35 hours in high power mode. C. Crane founder Bob Crane tells TALKERS, “I brought the first CCRadio Solar home and my wife absconded with it until our designer/illustrator had to beg to get it back for documentation. To get it back from him was also overly arduous. I have never seen a radio so coveted. It is about hand size and it stays charged in a sunny window with an oversize solar panel which means it may not need a power assist for years.” To learn more about this fabulous device and enjoy a TALKERS discount on C.Crane purchases, please click here.

 

Broadcasters Foundation of America Announces Radio Giving Day. The Broadcasters Foundation of America announces its first annual Radio Giving Day taking place on Wednesday, June 29 and calls it “a day to come together as one community with one common goal – to support radio professionals in need of financial assistance due to a critical illness, accident, or disaster.” In addition, the campaign aims to raise awareness of the charitable mission of the Broadcasters Foundation so that a radio professional in acute need can apply for aid. BFoA co-president Tim McCarthy says, “We need to make sure everyone working in radio stations across America is aware of what we do. It’s a tragedy to think that one of our colleagues in need might qualify for aid but doesn’t know about us. We’re asking everyone in radio to spread the word, especially if they know someone who we might be able to help.” The Broadcasters Foundation is encouraging radio groups and stations to implement employee donation drives in support of Radio Giving Day. Several media companies and radio station groups have already committed to helping the Radio Giving Day initiative, including Alpha Media Group, Audacy, Beasley Media Group, Connoisseur Media, Educational Media Foundation, Good Karma Brands, iHeartMedia, Independent Broadcasters Association, Premiere Networks, Salem Media Group, Skyview Satellite Network, Spanish Broadcasting System, and Townsquare Media.

 

TALKERS News Notes. A new program is launching on SportsMap Radio Network on Saturday, July 2, from 11:00 am to 12:00 noon ET. “The Game Before the Money” pairs football author, podcast host, and oral historian Jackson Michael with author and former NFL executive Upton Bell. Michael and Bell reveal stories that few fans have access to or even know exist. The weekly, hour-long program merges narratives from the NFL’s past with today’s headlines and compares yesteryear’s All-Americans with current college stars. GOW Media CEO David Gow states, “This is a highly entertaining and informative program. Jackson and Upton are both amazing storytellers. This is a wonderful addition to our network.”…..SiriusXM is recognizing the 50th anniversary of the passing of Title IX with special programming on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio channel and on the SXM App that highlights the impact the law had on the future of women’s sports. On June 23, 1972, the federal civil rights law (Title IX) was passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972, prohibiting discrimination based on sex in any school or education program that receives funding from the federal government. The introduction of Title IX led to a considerable increase in the number of females participating in organized sports within American academic institutions and is considered to have been a significant step forward in the advancement of equality and equity for women and girls in sport. Tonight at 6:00 ET, SiriusXM’s Linda Cohn hosts “Title IX at 50,” which will examine the impact of Title IX on the world of sports, highlight significant moments that followed the passage of the law, and tell the stories of several groundbreaking women who have excelled in various sports.

 

The Economy, Primary Elections, Gun Legislation, SCOTUS Religious Education Ruling, January 6 Hearings, Russia-Ukraine War, Heatwave/Western Drought Among Top News/Talk Stories Yesterday (6/21). The high price of gas & food, President Joe Biden’s considering federal gas tax relief, the sinking financial markets, and concerns about a recession; Tuesday’s primary elections for November’s midterms and Donald Trump’s influence over the GOP; Senate negotiators reach a deal on bi-partisan gun legislation; the Supreme Court rules against Maine’s ban on taxpayer funding for religious schools; the continuing January 6 Committee’s hearings; Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and its impact on the global economy; and the intense heatwaves taking place in the U.S. and abroad and the drought affecting the Western U.S. were some of the most-talked-about stories on news/talk radio yesterday, according to ongoing research from TALKERS magazine.