CBS Radio

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Rachel Lipsitz

By: Rachel Lipsitz

CBS Radio logo [1]

Contact Information [2]

1271 Avenue of the Americas FL 44

New York, NY 10020

212.649.9600

Cbsradio.com

Key Executives [3]

Andre Fernandez, President

Scott Herman, Chief Operating Officer

Ezra Kucharz, President, Local Digital Media

Chris Oliviero, Executive Vice President, Programming

Jo Ann Haller, Senior Vice President and General Counsel

Bob Phillips, Senior Vice President and Director of Sales

Overview

CBS Radio is the nation’s number 2 radio group, including 117 stations, 26 of which are in the largest radio markets in the country. In 2015 alone, CBS radio estimated generating around $1.3 billion in revenue[4]. CBS Radio’s geographically dispersed stations serve to target many different demographics through a broad range of formats, including: rock, classic, adult contemporary, top 40, sports and country [5].

History

CBS Radio was created as a radio network in 1927. From 22 stations that started to air in 1928, the company grew to 114 stations in just a single decade and by 1932 was earning an annual profit of $3 million [6]. In the late 1940s, CBS Radio was able come out on top due to its development of long-playing records by its Columbia Records division. In 1995, Westinghouse Electric Corporation acquired CBS for $5.4 billion. In 1997, Westinghouse changed the name of his new company to CBS Corporation and moved its headquarters from Pittsburgh to New York City [7]. In 1999, entertainment conglomerate Viacom announced that it was taking over CBS in a deal worth $37 billion, but only lasted until 2005 when CBS split into two, where CBS Radio became a part of CBS Corporation under its broadcasting division [8].

Competitors

iHeartMedia logo [29]

Emmis Communications logo [30]

Entercom Communications logo [31]

CBS Radio has four direct competitors: Emmis Communications, Entercom Communications, iHeartMedia and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio competes within their respective markets for audience, advertising revenues and programming with other radio stations [9]. These company’s radio stations, which also include their online internet streaming services, compete with services like Spotify and Pandora.

Financials

CBS Interactive Stock Chart from Yahoo Finance updated April 23, 2016 at 3:30 pm [10]

CBS Corporation is a publicly traded company and on April 23, 2016, was traded at $56.59 per share, which is is down from last years price, which was $60.63 per share. Right now, the company’s stock value lies between the 52 week low of $38.51 per share and the 52 week high of $63.95 per share [11].

The majority of CBS Radio’s revenues are generated from the sales of local and national advertising [12]. In 2015, CBS Radio’s radio revenue decreased by 6% and took a $484 million write-down on the value of its FCC radio licenses [13].

Financials CBS Radio of Local Broadcasting [14]

Due to the fact that CBS Radio is a subsidiary of CBS Corporation, the financials for the radio division are combined with the financials for the local broadcasting television division.The Local Broadcasting revenues for the fourth quarter of 2015 were $719 million. CBS Radio revenues were down 5%, which reflected the continued decrease in the radio advertising marketplace [15].

CBS Sports Radio

CBS Sports Radio Logo [34]

CBS Sports Radio was launched in January 2013 and offers 24/7 national sports coverage and programming to over 330 stations, including stations in all of the top 10 markets. CBS Sports has many different programs across across multiple weekdays and weekend time periods that feature expert sports commentary by very experienced broadcasters [16].

98.5 The Sports Hub [33]

Most recently, CBS Radio’s 98.5 The Sports Hub finished first overall during the three-month winter Nielsen Audio Ratings period as sports talk continued to dominate the Boston radio market [17]. The Sports Hub earned an 11.8 share overall from the period of December 31 to March 23, which is a higher than the station got last winter, when the New England Patriots were in the SuperBowl [18].

CBS Corporation Potentially Getting Rid of Radio Division

Leslie Moonves, Chairman and CEO of CBS Corporation [35]

CBS Chairman and CEO, Leslie Moonves, recently made a public announcement about exploring other options for CBS Radio due to the fact that it is no longer the crown jewel of the company. Some of the options that Moonves is referring to is either spinning off the radio divisions as a separate company or selling the stations as a whole [19].

“We have 117 radio stations and we think that will be a great standalone company. As a standalone high-cash, relatively low-growth business, it will do really really well and it’ll do better as a standalone than part of the other divisions of CBS” [20].

-Leslie Moonves

On March 30, 2016, Andre Fernandez sent a memo to the CBS Radio staff informing them what was discussed in a meeting with Leslie Moonves, regarding the future of the company. In the memo, Fernandez tells the staff that the primary course of action by CBS Corporation is to split CBS Radio off via an IPO [21]. By making CBS Radio an IPO, the goal would be to become their own publicly traded company, which would allow the radio division to define their own operating strategy. The memo also stated that there are other options that are being explored for how the company should handle the situation: there is the possibility that CBS Radio will become part of another company [22].

Due to the fact that CBS Radio has acquired many assets throughout the decades, the company should have major tax consequences depending on how the sale of the division is structured [23].

Some Restructuring Within the Company

Karen Mateo, SVP/Communications, who has played an integral part at CBS Radio’s management division for 13 years, announced that she will be leaving the company.

Todd Cavanah was recently named the new vice president of programming for CBS Radio Chicago. Cavanah will be in charge of program oversight for the six Chicago radio outlets and will be in charge of identifying opportunities to improve ratings, which are directly connected to each station’s ability to generate ad revenue [24].

Chad Fitzsimmons was promoted to VP of Music Initiatives at CBS Radio. His new position will put him in charge of creation and execution of CBS Radio’s concert series, which includes We Can Survive and The Night Before [25].

“The exponential growth and critical acclaim that our national events have experienced over the last few years is a direct result of Chad’s vision and passion for the unique and powerful marriage of radio and the music industry” [26].

-Chris Oliviero

2016 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards

Edward R. Murrow Awards logo [36]

At the 2016 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, The Radio Television Digital News Association announced the winners, where 11 respected CBS Radio stations received a total of 25 awards. Stations in San Francisco and Philadelphia were honored with the Overall Excellence award for Large Market Radio stations [27].

“It brings me great pride to see our stations recognized for their continued excellence in journalism. Telling the stories that mean something to the local communities we serve has been the hallmark of CBS Radio for decades, and that long standing commitment to our audience is the foundation upon everything we do as broadcasters” [28].

-Leslie Moonves

Future

Considering the recent announcement that CBS Radio is thinking about becoming an IPO, the future of the company can be going in a few different directions. Throughout the coming weeks and months, people will be keeping a close eye on what Leslie Moonves and Andre Fernandez decide to do with the company, and how much of their decision they decide to share with the public and with their investors. The fact that CBS Radio is making new management changes gives hope to many that the structure of the company should not change much if they decide to become an IPO, but watching what happens in the future with CBS Radio and CBS Corporation will be interesting.

Sources

CBS Radio: Houston @ Dave Farra. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
CBS Radio Contant Information. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
CBS Radio Executives. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Fitch Expects CBS Radio To Remain Sound. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
CBS Corporation, Investor Relations, SEC Filings. Page 10. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Erickson, Harold. January 26, 2016. CBS Corporation. Britannica. April 24, 2016.
Columbia Broadcasting System. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Columbia Broadcasting System. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
CBS Corporation, Investor Relations, SEC Filings. Page 11. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
CBS Interactive Stock Chart. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
CBS Historical Stock Quotes. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
CBS Corporation, Investor Relations, SEC Filings. Page 11. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Kelps, Kevin. April 10, 2016. Radio Dials Up Doubt For Stations. Crain’s Cleveland Business. April 24, 2016.
CBS Corporation, Investor Relations, SEC Filings. Page 20. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
CBS Corporation, Investor Relations, SEC Filings. Page 20. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
CBS Sports Radio, About Us. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Finn, Chad. April 13, 2016. Sports Hub Dominates Latest Boston Radio Ratings. Boston Globe. April 24, 2016.
Finn, Chad. April 13, 2016. Sports Hub Dominates Latest Boston Radio Ratings. Boston Globe. April 24, 2016.
Wagoner, Richard. March 25, 2016. Is CBS Getting Rid of its Entire Radio Division? Daily News. April 24, 2016.
Moonves: CBS Radio Will Do Better On Its Own. Retrieved April 24, 2106.
Andre Fernandez Addresses the Future of CBS Radio in an Email to Staffers. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Andre Fernandez Addresses the Future of CBS Radio in an Email to Staffers. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Morgan, Richard. March 31, 2016. CBS Plans to Spin Off Radio Business With an IPO. NY Post. April 24, 2016.
Lazare, Lewis. April 21, 2016. CBS Radio Adds New Management Layer to Chicago Programming Ranks. Chicago Business Journal. April 24, 2016.
CBS Radio Promotes Fitzsimmons. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Chad Fitzsimmons Elevated to VP/Music Initiatives at CBS Radio. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
Ross, Kevin. April 19, 2016. CBS Radio Stations Honored with 25 2016 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards. Radio Facts. April 24, 2016.
CBS Radio, Press Room. Retrieved April 24, 2016.
iHeartMedia Logo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
Emmis Communications Logo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
Entercom Communications Logo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
Cumulus Media Logo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
98.5 The Sports Hub Logo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
CBS Sports Radio Logo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
Leslie Moonves Executive Picture. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
Edward R. Murrow Awards Logo. Retrieved April 25, 2016.

Disney/ABC

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Leni Weisberg

Disney|ABC Logo -Source: thewaltdisneycompany.com

Headquarters (8)

500 South Buena Vista Street Burbank, CA 91521-4581

Executives (8)

Ben Sherwood; Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks President, Disney|ABC Television Group Photo from thewaltdisneycompany.com

Ben Sherwood; Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks President, Disney|ABC Television Group
Source: thewaltdisneycompany.com

Robert Iger- Chairman and CEO of Walt Disney source: thewaltdisneycompany.com

Walt Disney – Founder of Walt Disney Company source: thewaltdisneycompany.com

In 1923, Walt Disney and his brother, Roy founded the Walt Disney Company. The company is divided into corporate divisions: Parks and Resorts, Studio Entertainment, Disney Consumer Products, Disney Interactive, and Media Networks. Today, Disney is one of the largest companies in the world providing entertainment for children, adults, and families.

The Walt Disney Company Logo Source: thewaltdisneycompany.com

In 1996, Disney merged with Capital Cities/ABC and created the Disney|ABC Media Network division. It is comprised of 8 owned and operated stations, over 240 national affiliates, 20 cable channels, and equity shares with digital over the top platforms (1).

Finances

Disney Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange Company. Their shares have been high for the past three months with their most recent share price at $114.05 (2). Their average earnings per share at the end of the 2015 fiscal year was $4.90 (4) .

DIS Stock Prices from September 1, 2015 to December 1, 2015. Picture from Market Watch.

DIS Stock Prices from September 1, 2015 to December 1, 2015.
Source: Market Watch.

Disney’s Media Network’s total revenue, year-end, was $23.264 billion and the total income was $7.793 billion (1).

Broadcast

The American Broadcast Company (ABC) is a branch of Disney Media Networks and was founded in 1943 (3). The Disney|ABC Television group is comprised of several businesses including ABC Entertainment Group (ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios), ABC Television Network, ABC News, ABC Family, ABC Owned Television Stations Groups, Disney|ABC Digital Media, and Disney|ABC Domestic Television (a network that airs syndicated programming) (1).

ABC logo. -Source abc.go.com

ABC’s Primetime Fall season has been doing relatively well with high ratings (5). They have primetime programming Sunday to Friday nights and on Saturday, they air football.

ABC 2015 schedule Photo from http://abc.go.com/schedule

ABC 2015 schedule- Source: abc.go.com/schedule

ABC has ten new shows for the 2015-2016 year. Five of the ten shows including Quantico, Blood & Oil, Wicked City, Dr. Ken, and The Muppets have already been premiered. Returning shows include Modern Family, Scandal, Nashville, Shark Tank, Fresh Off The Boat, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Once Upon a Time, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and more.

While new shows Quantico, Dr. Ken, and The Muppets are doing quite well and are expected to be renewed for another season (6), Blood & Oil is not doing as well and very close to being canceled and Wicked City’s ratings plummeted quickly at a record low of 1.7 million viewers in their third week, and after their third episode, it was the first show of the season to be canceled.(12).

ABC’s 10:00 pm shows Monday through Wednesday are all doing poorly (9). Castle and Nashville are shows with poor ratings and are said to be in their last seasons are both in the 10:00 pm spot and Wicked City was in that spot as well (10).

Thursday Nights primetime 8:00-10:00 pm continue to have high ratings. Thursday is “Thank God It’s Thursday Shonda Night” with popular ShondaLand shows, Greys Anatomy, Scandal, and How To Get Away With Murder. ShonaLand’s fall season is doing very well with a large following and excitement around the three shows (5).

ABC’s total revenue for the 2015 fiscal year was $6.683 billion coming from renewal of affiliate deals and advertising sales. ABC’s primetime are top spots for ad sales due to their high ratings, especially on Thursdays 8:00-10:00 pm (10). Monday through Wednesday 10:00 pm spots are not as popular, but they still sell enough ad spots (3). ABC is earning more advertising revenue during the holiday season with specials and family favorites (14).

Cable

Disney’s Media Network owns and operates 7 cable networks and has shares in 13. Owning 100% of both Disney Channels and ABC Family, 80% share in ESPN, and 50% in A&E, Disney|ABC runs 20 networks with 1,832 million subscribers total. In the 2015 fiscal year end, Disney|ABC’s cable networks had $16.581 billion in revenues from subscribers and ad sales (1).

ABC Family logo Source: abcfamily.go.com

ABC Family recently released their winter premiere dates and have begun creating buzz around the return of popular shows Pretty Little Liars, The Fosters, Baby Daddy, Young & Hungry, along with the series premiere of Shadowhunters and Recovery Road. For the month of December, ABC Family filled their schedule with holiday programming, specials and movies (11).

Disney Channel Logos Source: disneyabcpress.co

Disney Channels include The Disney Channel, Disney Junior, programming for infants and toddlers, DisneyXD, Hungama, in India, and Radio Disney. have kid-friendly programming 24/7 with holiday programming in the month of December with holiday episodes, specials, and family movies (15).

DISNEY|ABC owns 80% of ESPN, a cable network with 7 channels and over 540 million subscribers (1). ESPN is one of the top networks for sports programming available through television, over the top streaming services, and radio broadcasts (16). ESPN has high ratings and does bring in ad revenue (19).

ESPN logo Source: espn.go.com

While ESPN provides Disney with 50% of their profit, over the past two years, ESPN has lost 7 million subscribers, which will effect the company (17). As such, ESPN has spent more money on operating and program expenses with hopes to bring in more subscribers and make the experience better for their current customers (18).

Disney|ABC will continue to work on gaining more cable subscribers through advertisements and programming (18). ABC is promoting their new shows for the winter season premiering in January including The Bachelor, The Catch, The Family, and Of Kings and Profits. Disney Channel recently became available in Canada and will continue to spread into other countries (20). In addition, they are working on future projects for ABC, including a Marvel comedy, Damage Control. Disney predicts their Media Network revenue to grow from their creative original content. (1)

Hopefully ABC will produce a successful show for the 10:00 pm spot and their cable networks gain more subscribers.

Sources

(1) Disney Annual Report. Retrieved December 2, 2015.https://www.thewaltdisneycompany.com/sites/default/files/reports/fy15-form-10k.pdf

(2) Disney Stock Information. Retrieved December 2, 2015. https://www.thewaltdisneycompany.com/investors/disney-stock

(3) Media Networks. Retrieved December 2, 2015 www.thewaltdisneycompany.com/disney-companies/media-networks

(4) Walt Disney Co. Retrieved December 2, 2015. https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/dis/charts?symb=DIS&countrycode=US&time=6&startdate=1%2F4%2F1999&enddate=12%2F1%2F2015&freq=1&compidx=none&compind=none&comptemptext=Enter+Symbol%28s%29&comp=none&uf=7168&ma=1&maval=50&lf=1&lf2=4&lf3=0&type=2&size=2&style=1013

(5) ABC Renew/Cancel standings, week 10: ‘Quantico’ remains safe for now. Retrieved December 2, 2015. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/12/01/abc-renewcancel-standings-week-10-quantico-remains-safe-for-now/

(6) ABC Renew/Cancel standings, week 10: ‘Quantico’ remains safe for now. Retrieved December 2, 2015. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/12/01/abc-renewcancel-standings-week-10-quantico-remains-safe-for-now/

(7) No TV Shows Canceled? Retrieved December 2, 2015. ttp://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-no-canceled-tv-shows-20151105-story.html

(8) Company Overview. Retreived December 2, 2015. http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=13728276

(9) Wicked City Cancellation. Retrieved December 2, 2015. http://www.ibtimes.com/abcs-cursed-tuesday-night-time-slot-wicked-city-cancellation-continues-three-year-2188192

(10) Fox, ABC Dramas Boast Biggest Lifts in C7 as Extended Commercial Ratings Favor the Strong. Retrieved December 2, 2015. http://adage.com/article/media/fox-abc-dramas-boast-biggest-lifts-c7/301137/

(11) ABC Family. Retrieved December 2, 2015. http://abcfamily.go.com

(12) ABC’s ‘Wicked City’ Ratings Are Historically Bad — How Low Can They Go? Retrieved December 2, 2015. https://www.thewrap.com/wicked-city-abc-tv-ratings-nielsen-drama-people-meter-disney-tax-credit/

(13) ABC Renewals. Retrieved December 2, 2015. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/11/17/abc-renewcancel-standings-week-8-wicked-city-and-the-10-oclock-problem/

(14) Weekly Ratings. Retrieved December 2, 2015. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/12/01/tv-ratings-monday-nov-30-2015/

(15) What’s On Disney Channel? Retrieved December 2, 2015. http://affiliate.zap2it.com/tvlistings/ZCSGrid.do?fromTimeInMillis=1449475200000&stnNum=12510&channel=&sgt=grid&aid=disn

(16) ESPN. Retrieved December 2, 2015. http://espn.go.com/

(17) ESPN Subscribers Fall. Retrieved December 2, 2015. http://www.cnbc.com/2015/11/27/disneys-espn-subscribers-fall.html

(18) Disney Feels Pain of Lost Subscribers. Retrieved December 2 2015. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2015-11-30/disney-feels-pain-of-seven-million-lost-espn-subscribers?cmpid=yhoo.headline

(19) Disney Posts Strong Ad Revenue. Retrieved December 2, 2015. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/262014/disney-posts-strong-ad-revenues-for-espn-abc.html

(20) Disney Channel in Canada. Retrieved December 2, 2015. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/corus-gains-canadian-rights-to-disney-channel-content/article23983642/

CBS Radio

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Wyatt Dillon

by WYATT DILLON

CBS Radio Logo – Courtesy of Billboard.com [a]

Contact Information: [1]

1271 Avenue of the Americas FL 44

New York, NY 10020

(212) 649 – 9600

www.cbsradio.com

Key Executives:

Dan Mason – President and CEO

Anton Guitano – Chief Operating Officer

Scott Herman – Executive VP, Operations

Michael Weiss – President, Sales

Additional Executive Biographies

Top Competitors:

CBS Radio’s largest competitors are iHeart Media, Inc. and Radio One in addition to digital players such as Pandora.

Brief History:

A division of Columbia Broadcasting System Corporation, CBS Radio was founded in late 1927 by Arthur Judson. In 1999, Viacom acquired CBS Corporation for $37 billion from Westinghouse Broadcasting [2]. Starting in 1996, CBS Corporation’s Radio division was called Infinity Broacasting until it reverted back the historical CBS Radio in 2005.

In 2006, CBS Corp. and Viacom split into two publicly traded companies and are traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Current Events:

Going Digital-

In early January of 2015, CBS Radio invested in the digital radio platform and developed the new podcasting network, Play.it [3]. Available online and via mobile apps, Play.it combines hundreds of original podcasts with content from leading media brands ranging from sports to 48 Hours and 60 Minutes. With content available to stream or download, CBS Radio hopes to compete in the growing digital radio market.

By further extending the CBS Radio brand to the digital market, CBS Corp. plans to see a growth in annual radio profits. CBS Corporation CEO and President Leslie Moonves explained in a recent interview:

“Radio also continues to be profitable, … and we continue to build new audiences in radio, by extending our big-market content into the digital world.” [4]

– Leslie Moonves

Financials:

CBS Corporation Stock Index as of 12:50pm on April 17, 2015 [5] courtesy of Yahoo Finance [b]

CBS Corporation is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange and on April 17, 2015, was traded at $60.63 per share. Due to a strong fourth quarter by CBS Corp., the company’s stock value lies between the 52 week low of $48.83 and the 52 week high of $65.24 [6].

CBS Corporation reported a strong fourth quarter on December 31, 2014. Although total revenue for 2014 was down 9.67% from 2013, reporting $13.81 billion, the fourth quarter numbers saw a spike compared to the previous year’s final quarter. Due to Thursday Night Football and the Midterm Elections, the total advertising revenue for CBS Corp. rose 4.1% to $2.14 billion, and CBS Radio revenues increased by 2% in the fourth quarter of 2014 [7].

The 2015 first quarter earnings report for CBS Corporation is scheduled to be announced on May 7, 2015 [8].

Stronghold in Sports-

Thus far in 2015, sports has been at the epicenter of conserving CBS Radio’s dominance in many major markets. In early January, CBS Radio announced its new deal with the Chicago Cubs to stream all games at live performances at Wrigley Field [9]. Purchasing the rights for seven years, CBS Radio’s deal with the Chicago Cubs dismisses a 90 year relationship between the Chicago baseball team and WGN-AM 720.

Also in January, CBS Radio announced it will become the exclusive program provider of the Baltimore Orioles on 105.7 WJZ-FM. After being out-bid in 2010, CBS Radio regains the rights to broadcast Orioles games [10].

These two tremendous deals improve the amount of sports programming CBS Radio controls, adding more content to the already impressive 330 AM and FM stations, including some in each of the top 10 markets [11].

In addition, CBS Radio announced in late March a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles and SportsRadio 94WIP for a multi-year broadcast partnership. This deal furthers CBS Radio’s control in major market sports play-by-play. The deal includes a new HD Radio station devoted to yearly around the clock Eagles coverage.

In addition to the Philadelphia Eagles, CBS Radio provides play-by-play broadcasting to NFL Franchises including the New York Giants, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears and many more.

New Leadership:

Arguably the largest story of 2015 for CBS Radio is the sudden retirement of CBS Radio President and Chief Executive Officer, Dan Mason [12].

After 17 years total with the company and 15 years as President and CEO, Dan Mason finds a successor in Andre Fernandez, previously President and COO of Journal Communications. Dan Mason leaves CBS with a legacy of launching dozens of new stations, refurbishing failing stations in major markets, moving CBS to the digital game with Play.it, and incorporating HD stations to the arsenal of CBS Radio.

As for his successor, Fernandez has a long history of success in the broadcasting industry, working in key financial roles at the General Electric Company and Telemundo [13]. In CBS Radio’s press release on the matter, CBS Corp. President and CEO, Leslie Moonves said:

“Andre is a terrific executive who brings a wealth of experience to this role – operations, financial management, programming and digital distribution, among many other attributes [14]”

-Leslie Moonves

Broadcast Stations:

In addition to housing top-rated play-by-play sports stations in over a dozen major markets in the United States, CBS Radio owns and operates all 10 top rated stations rated by Nielson Audio. CBS Radio claims to reach over 72 million consumer weekly, owning 117 total radio stations in 26 markets [15].

Recently, CBS Radio has been reformatting stations to obtain higher ratings. In early December 2014, CBS Radio traded 14 stations in Tampa, Philadelphia and Charlotte for 5 stations in Miami and Philadelphia [16]. One station, WRDW-FM 96.5, struggled with a consistently low share of the market, constantly being outperformed by iHeartRadio’s WIOQ 102.1. 96.5 Amp is currently ranked 19 in the Philadelphia market with a share of 2.3, and iHeartMedia, Inc.’s WIOQ hold a share of 4.7, currently ranked 8 in the market [17]. On April 10, 2015, CBS Radio announced its Philadelphia station 96.5 FM will reformat from Rhythmic CHR to a pop mainstream contemporary hit format [18].

The Altitude Group:

Leading the advertising department of CBS Radio is the Altitude Group. Directed with connecting consumers with companies, the Altitude Group’s client list includes Walgreens, Allstate, MasterCard, Mercedes, and much more.

On March 9, CBS Radio named Tony Mennuto as Vice President, Branded Content Solutions of the Altitude Group. His position is essential to promoting the CBS Radio brand through original content as well as through live-venues and performances. CBS Radio hopes Mennuto will bring fresh advertising content to be distributed throughout all stations and assets, from television to digital media [19].

Community Outreach:

On June, 16, CBS Radio’s 830 WCCO-AM in Minnesota is receiving the Service to America Award from the National Association of Broadcaster’s Education Foundation. The award honors outstanding community service by local television and radio broadcasters [20].

Due to the WCCO-AM’s Public Service Announcements, events, and fundraisers for the Minnesota community [21], the station assisted the hungry through a year-long campaign, collecting 1.73 million pounds of food [22].

CBS Radio Operations:

While revenues for CBS Corporation have slowed in growth in past years, the company continues to stand behind its radio business, CBS Radio. Despite a hedge fund lobbying the corporation to merge with Cumulus Media, CBS Corp. understands the value of CBS Radio’s assets in the digital market [23].

Because CBS Radio possesses a highly diverse presence in a large number of markets, advertisers see a value in the ability to select a station that fits their target audience. This proves to be valuable to the revenue of CBS Corporation, and with a growing audience in all 10 of the top markets, the value of CBS Radio can not be understated [24].

Although advertising spending on radio has fallen in recent years from 6% in 2013 to 4% in 2014, these numbers do not include digital radio, in which CBS is beginning innovate and create products and platforms to break into the digital industry [25].

play.it logo. Courtesy of play.it [c]

Text Sources:

[1] CBS Radio Contact Retrieved April 15, 2015

[2] CBS Merges with Viacom Retrieved April 16, 2015

[3] CBS Radio Develops Play.it Retrieved April 16, 2015

[4] CBS Radio Rises with Good 4th Quarter Retrieved April 16, 2015

[5] CBS Corporation Stock Retrieved April 16, 2015

[6] CBS Corp. Annual Income Reports Retrieved April 15, 2015

[7] 2015 CBS Corporations 4th Quarter Finances Retrieved April 15, 2015

[8] CBS Corp. to Report 2015 First Quarter Earnings on 05/07 Retrieved April 15, 2015

[9] CBS Radio announces WBBM-AM as Chicago Cubs Radio Stationc Retrieved April 16, 2015

[10] Orioles Return to CBS Radio after 5 Years Retrieved April 16, 2015

[11] CBS Sports Radio Retrieved April 16, 2015

[12] Andre Fernandez Named Mason Replacement in Press Release Retrieved April 15, 2015

[13] Andre Fernandez Replaces Mason Retrieved April 16, 2015

[14] CBS Radio Press Release, Andre Fernandez Replaces Dan Mason as President Retrieved April 16, 2015

[15] CBS Radio Profile Broadcasting Retrieved April 16, 2015

[16] CBS Radio trades with Beasley Broadcast Group Retrieved April 17, 2015

[17] Philadelphia Market Share Retrieved April 17, 2015

[18] CBS Radio Reformats New Philadelphia Station Retrieved April 17, 2015

[19] Tony Mennuto Named VP Branded Content in Press Release Retrieved April 17, 2015

[20] Service to America Awards Recipients Retrieved April 17, 2015

[21] CBS Press Release 830 WCCO-AM to Win National Community Service Award Retrieved April 17, 2015

[22] CBS Radio Local Station leads state’s largest food drive Retrieved April 17, 2015

[23] Forbes Ad Spending on Digital Changes CBS Radio’s Value Retrieve April 17, 2015

[24] Hedge Fund Pressures CBS to Merge Radio with Cumulus Retrieved April 17, 2015

[25] Marketing Charts Advertising Trends Retrieved April 17, 2015

Comcast – NBCU – (broadcast)

Posted on October 14, 2014 by lnwolfso

by Lindsay Wolfson

Photo Courtesy of http://thegeoteam.wikia.com/wiki/File:NBC_Universal_Television_Studio_logo.jpg

NBC Universal Television

30 Rockefeller Plaza

New York, New York 10112

Key Executives:

Stephen B. Burke: Chief Executive Officer

Matt Bond: Executive Vice President of Content Distribution

Cesar Conde: Executive Vice President

Robert Greenblatt: Chairman, NBC Entertainment

Patricia Fili-Krushel: Chairman: NBC Universal News Group, NBC Universal

Ted Harbert: Chairman for NBC Broadcasting

History:

Photo Courtesy of http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/nbc/images/528091/title/nbc-logo-old-school-photo

The National Broadcast Company (NBC) was founded in 1926 with an original focus on National Radio Broadcasting, but then made the transformation into Television Broadcasting. [1]. Universal Studios began in 1906 when an immigrant bought a movie theater and then rapidly expanded his business, which inevitably led to the first enclosed space specifically designed for moviemaking. [2]. NBC and Universal became one unified company in May of 2004. These companies came together and created a unique product of television distribution and part of the film industry. On the broadcast side, there were two main networks, NBC and Telemundo, and along with the broadcast channels were countless cable networks. Of the NBC-U broadcast stations there are over 200 affiliates nationwide in major cities such as New York and Philadelphia. [3] Originally, General Electric and Vivendi owned this new founded conglomerate, but now the majority owner is the Comcast Corporation, which owns 51%. [4]. This change of hands occurred back in January of 2011. Since NBC original formation, this company has developed into a nationally recognized source for news, entertainment in sports in the television industry.

Financials:

Photo Courtesy of http://www.cmcsa.com/stocklookup.cfm

Fiscally, Comcast Corporation is a very successful corporation that is publically traded and its individual branches such as NBC-U share in that success. This past quarter, which ended in late October, demonstrated a thriving fiscal period. On the broadcast side, revenue increased 7.7% to $1.8 billion compared to the $1.6 billion achieved in the same quarter in 2013. According to the fiscal report, due to the NBC-U Broadcast’s reliable success this monetary growth in revenue is caused by the increase from advertising revenue. There are also increases in content licensing profits and retransmission consent fees. Operating cash flow increased as well for NBC-U Broadcasting. Comparatively, to the NBC-U cable networks, there was a significantly greater amount of growth. NBC-U’s cable networks only had 0.7% grown while its broadcast has 7.7% growth. Last year’s extensive fiscal success was caused in part by the promotion from the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. [5]. Comcast’s stock has been pretty stable over the past year ranging from $57.49 to $47.74. Since 2009, there has been a steady increase in the price of stock for Comcast indicating its growing success within the industry. In terms of total revenue for the Comcast Corporation, the company had a 6.2% increase from 2012 to 2013. As the year closes, it will be interesting to see if the 2014 fiscal year will bring about the same impressive results as did 2013 for the Comcast Corporation and NBC-U. [6].

This chart indicates the increased value of a stock of Comcast. Photo Courtesy of http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=CMCSA+Basic+Chart#%7B%22range%22%3A%2210y%22%2C%22lineType%22%3A%22combo%22%2C%22scale%22%3A%22linear%22%7D.

Fall Season:

A to Z is new romantic comedy starring Ben Feldman and Cristin Milioti.

Back in early June, NBC U released which shows were going to premiere in the Fall 2014 Season. [7]. The major staple show for the fall season was expected to be The Voice and it was utilized as a fulcrum for generating viewership on both Monday and Tuesday evenings in general for the network. NBC programmers were hopeful that the large viewership from The Voice would help the ratings for the shows that directly followed. Interestingly, although NBC-U generates extensive amounts of original content, the big draw for viewership is Sunday Night Football. This strong viewership pushed NBC-U into the top spot for broadcast this past year. Sunday Night Football even challenged the World Series this past October in questioning which would receive more viewership. [8]. There were many programs tested for this past Fall Season.

The new comedy pilots for the Fall 2014 season included Bad Judge, Marry Me, and A to Z and the new drama pilots included Constantine, State of Affairs and The Mysteries of Laura.

MV5BMjA1NjUyNDk0OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNDM1ODM3MjE@._V1_SY317_CR1,0,214,317_AL_

The Mysteries of Laura is a new drama starring Debra Messing. Courtesy of imdb.com

MV5BMzA2MjIyNzg2OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwOTgyMTcxMzE@._V1_SY317_CR1,0,214,317_AL_

State of Affairs is a new drama starring Katherine Heigl. Courtesy of imdb.com

Fall Ratings & Critical Reception:

Out of those new pilots that were slated for Fall 2014 Season, many were not picked up to continue. Comedies such as A to Z and Bad Judge will not continue further after this initial trial run, but these shows will both finish production and air the remaining product. [9]. Both shows had started decently in terms of ratings, but then they both started to collapse. For NBC’s newest dramas such as State of Affairs and Mysteries of Laura, they have had a decent start amongst the Broadcast lineup and have not been cancelled as of yet.

Information Courtesy of http://www.nbc.com

“Mysteries of Laura” has surprisingly kept its presence along with other dramas with a 1.8 rating amongst 18-49 years olds. [10]. In terms of ratings, Sunday Night Football drives up the ratings for NBC. For instance, the week ending with November 23^rd, #1 Saturday Night Football generated a rating of 8.1 for 18-49 years which was far greater than the #2 Big Bang Theory which received a 4.1 for the same age demographic. This shows that across multiple genres, NBC exhibits success in primetime Broadcast Television.

Late Night Television Powerhouse:

After the record-breaking spring launch of NBC’s new Late Night lineup, the success of the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and The Late Show with Seth Meyers has continued its success into the Fall 2014 Season. The Tonight Show has been pretty strong against its competitors such as Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Late Show with David Letterman. The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon has received 1.18/6 rating for the 18-49 demographic which surpasses his direct timeslot competitors in the 2014 3^rd Quarter. Many were fearful that Jimmy Fallon’s success was only temporary, but now after continuing on this fall season that appears not be the case. [16].

Photo Courtesy of http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/new_name_and_logo_for_the_tonight_show_by_pentagram.php

Photo Courtesy of http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/LATE-NIGHT-WITH-SETH-MEYERS-Monologue-Highlights-1120-20141121

Also, this past fall has marked the 40^th season for Saturday Night Live, which remains under the direction of Lorne Michaels. Overall, this season has been pretty weak in terms of ratings, but peaked when Chris Rock hosted with musical guest Prince. [11]. This show’s best rating so far received only a 2.2/10 for the key 18-49 demographic, which is not very strong at all.

Opening Sequence for Saturday Night Live’s 40th Season. http://vimeo.com/107482286

(Photo Courtesy of http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/04/25/saturday-night-live-clips-coming-to-yahoo/ )

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Ratings:

Every year, one of the major staples for NBC Broadcast is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, even though it is not during primetime hours. This past Thanksgiving, the parade received its 3^nd largest rating in the past 13 years. The program received a 6.2/10 rating in adults 18-49 and 22.6 million viewers total. Last year’s parade though, had the 2^nd largest viewership with a rating of 6.6/10 since 2004. [12].

Every year, one of the major fall staples for NBC Broadcast is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. Photo Courtesy of http://social.macys.com/parade/?cm_mmc=VanityUrl-_-parade-_-n-_-n

Looking Forward:

After receiving over 18 million viewers and 4 Emmy Nominations for the Sound of Music Live, NBC decided to proceed and create another live performance. [13] [17]. This new performance of Peter Pan will be starring Allison Williams as Peter Pan and Christopher Walken as Captain Hook.

141017_2820050_Peter_Pan_Live__December_4_on_NBC

Peter Pan Live will be airing December 4th at 8pm starring Allison Williams as Peter Pan and Christopher Walken as Captain Hook. [15].

This live performance will be taking place in a former aircraft warehouse on Long Island, New York. There is an estimated budget of $10 Million to put together this one-night only performance. [14]. The expectations of this performance are extremely high due to the viewership success of the Sound of Music Live.

Works Cited:

1. Announcing the National Broadcasting Company, Inc. (1926). (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://earlyradiohistory.us/1926nbc.htm

2. NBCUniversal History. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://www.nbcuni.com/corporate/about-us/history

3. NBCUniversal. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2014, from http://corporate.comcast.com/our-company/businesses/nbcuniversal#accordion-1

4. Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2014, from http://www.cjr.org/resources/?c=comcast

5. Comcast. (2014, October 23). Retrieved November 6, 2014, from http://www.cmcsa.com/earnings.cfm

6. Comcast Corporation. (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2014, from http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=CMCSA

7. Kissell, R. (2014, June 2). NBC Announces Fall Premiere Dates for New, Returning Series. Retrieved December 1, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/nbc-announces-fall-premiere-dates-for-new-returning-series-1201207308/

8. Kissell, R. (2014, October 27). Ratings: NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Football’ Dominates World Series on Fox. Retrieved November 22, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/data/ratings/ratings-nbcs-sunday-night-football-dominates-world-series-on-fox-1201340093/

9. Hibberd, J. (2014, October 31). NBC to cancel ‘Bad Judge,’ ‘A to Z’ with zombie twist | EW.com. Retrieved November 22, 2014, from http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/10/31/bad-judge-a-to-z/

10. Predum, L. (2014, October 28). NBC Gives ‘Mysteries of Laura’ Full Season Pickup. Retrieved November 22, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/mysteries-of-laura-full-season-pickup-nbc-1201341098/

11. Kissell, R. (2014, November 2). NBC’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ Hits Season Highs With Chris Rock, Prince. Retrieved November 22, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/nbcs-saturday-night-live-hits-season-highs-with-chris-rock-prince-1201345402/

12. Bibel, S. (2014, November 28). ‘Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade’ Garners 22.6 Million Viewers, Ranking as The Second Most-Watched Parade in 13 Years. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2014/11/28/macys-thanksgiving-parade-garners-22-6-million-viewers-ranking-as-the-second-most-watched-parade-in-13-years/333311/

13. About. (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2014, from http://www.nbc.com/peter-pan-live/about

14. Littleton, C. (2014, November 26). NBC Hopes ‘Peter Pan Live’ Can Fly to New Heights. Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/tv/features/peter-pan-live-nbc-new-heights-1201364850/

15. Watch Peter Pan Live! December 4 on NBC from Peter Pan LIVE! on NBC.com. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2014, from http://www.nbc.com/peter-pan-live/video/peter-pan-live-december-4-on-nbc/2820050

16. Kissell, R. (2014, September 25). Variety. Retrieved November 29, 2014, from http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/latenight-ratings-nbcs-fallon-meyers-easy-winners-for-q3-abcs-kimmel-nightline-up-1201313970/

17. The Sound Of Music Live! (n.d.). Retrieved November 22, 2014, from http://www.nbc.com/the-sound-of-music-live

Sirius XM Radio

Posted on October 5, 2014 by areeves

by Allie Reeves

[1] SiriusXM Logo

The Sirius Story:

Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is a satellite radio service that offers commercial-free streaming on over 175 channels in the United States and Canada. These channels are comprised of every type of radio – music, news, sports, talk, and more [2]. It is currently the largest radio broadcaster and caters to about 26.7 million subscribers [3].

[30] SiriusXM Programming

Currently, the most popular way for subscribers to enjoy SiriusXM Radio is in the comfort of their cars. SiriusXM has arrangements with over forty automakers for installation of their services directly into the vehicle [3]. However, as of recent, SiriusXM has become available to stream directly online in your home or office, as well as an app that can be accessed on Smartphones and Tablets.

SiriusXM currently offers three different packages: Sirius Select, Sirius All Access, and Sirius Mostly Music. The packages can be bought on a monthly or annual basis and range in price from $9.99 to $199 [4].

[4] Most Popular Packages for SiriusXM Customers

The Sirius Team:

[6] Scott Greenstein, President & Chief Content Officer

[5] James E. Meyer, CEO

[7] Patrick L. Donnelly, Executive Vice President and General Counsel

Finances:

[31] SiriusXM finances as of December 1, 2014

SiriusXM recently released their 2014 Third Quarter Results, which revealed a 10% increase in revenue since this time last year, putting the company at a record high of $1.1 billion. This is higher than analysts originally anticipated for the company, as they put the company’s assumed revenue at $1.04 billion. The company also increased its subscriber count by 1.2 million [8].

Interest in shares of SiriusXM increased rapidly during the month of November. As of November 14^th, there has been an increase of 2.8% since October 31^st up to 247, 283,696. The company is now up to a $3.75 price on their stock [32].

Competitors:

[11] Apple Inc. Logo

SiriusXM’s current competitors are Apple and iHeartMedia, as well as regular terrestrial radio. Pandora and Spotify have also been named as competitors, but in a recent interview with James Meyer, CEO of SiriusXM, the two services were ruled out.

[12] iHeartMedia Logo

Meyer explained these companies are streaming services, which he doesn’t view as competition, but as its own distinct technology. Meyer also stated that out of them all, terrestrial radio is their primary competition, with 220 million people that use it everyday [9].

However, with Apple’s new CarPlay, that might not be the case for much longer. CarPlay gives drivers access to all of their music, podcasts, and audiobooks with the touch of a button, and major auto companies like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and Ferrari are already on board. The venture is still in its early stages, but since SiriusXM is primarily used by vehicle subscribers, CarPlay could end up being a serious competitor [10].

[13] Apple CarPlay

The Sirius Edge:

What sets SiriusXM apart from its competitors at Apple, and iHeartMedia is the company’s original content that can only be accessed through subscriptions to SiriusXM.

[15] The Howard Stern Show, one of the most popular talk shows on SiriusXM

Some of the most popular original content shows include The Howard Stern Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and NFL Radio, although many more are available [3]. This original content helps keep subscribers tuning in, and keeps SiriusXM’s churn rate at an impressive 1.9%. It also helps the company keep their acquisition costs low, which has recently become problematic for companies like Pandora [14].

[17] SiriusXM Town Hall Event in the Fishbowl

SiriusXM is also known for their “Town Hall” Series. These intimate gatherings take place in the SiriusXM fishbowl, a private listening studio, where entertainers sit down with a live studio audience comprised of about 30 SiriusXM subscribers who have won an invitation to the event [16].

[19] Taylor Swift at a Town Hall Event for SiriusXM

Recently, SiriusXM was able to snag Taylor Swift for a Town Hall Event. Subscribers had the chance to ask her questions and listen to songs off of her newest album, 1989. This event comes after Swift’s recent decision to pull her music off of Spotify, giving even more leverage to SiriusXM [18].

The Today Show for SiriusXM:

This past year, SiriusXM announced a major deal with NBC, in which simulcasts of the hit NBC show, The Today Show, would be broadcasted on the satellite radio service. The format of bringing a morning show to radio has been done before, unsuccessfully. However, what makes this different is that SiriusXM will not be airing segments of the popular morning show, they will be airing the program identically as it airs on television [20].

[24] The Today Show

This move was a strategic boost for both companies. The show airs during popular morning drive time, when radio listening is at its highest. The deal will allow NBC to access SiriusXM’s 26 million listeners, and SiriusXM hopes to draw in more subscribers that are already fans of the show.

[21]

Suing Sirius:

SiriusXM has come under fire in the past year over use of music recorded before 1972. More recently, individual bands have started going after the company, claiming that they deserve compensation. Although songs recorded before February 15^th, 1972 are not covered by federal copyright law, some artists and labels have been seeking protection under individual state laws – and the courts have been agreeing. As of November 17^th, the 1960s rock band, The Turtles, has had two victories against the satellite radio company [22].

[25] Rock Band The Turtles in the 1960s

The court ruled that music recorded before 1972 still has a public performance right and that digital services cannot use it without permission or compensation. SiriusXM has requested to dismiss the lawsuit, but it has been rejected. The judge ruled that SiriusXM has until December 5^th to show any factual issues that would be cause for a trial. If none are found, she will rule in favor of the band, and “assess damages” [23].

What’s Next:

[28] Joel Osteen

SiriusXM recently announced that Golf Hall of Fame member Sir Nick Faldo will receive his own show, where he will talk golf and get to know golf enthusiasts, while they get a chance to know him [26]. SiriusXM also launched a new pop channel, Venus, as well as adding some of their popular internet only channels like Y2Kountry and Utopia to their satellite lineup. Joel Osteen Radio will also be coming to SiriusXM, a station rooted in the power of “positive thinking with messages of inspiration” [27].

[33] Holiday music channels at SiriusXM

SiriusXM is currently celebrating the sounds of the holiday season with the addition of two new Holiday Music channels, Holly and Holiday Traditions. They plan to release more within the upcoming month [33].

Also effective January 2015, there will be an increase of 1.4 percentage points in the U.S. Music Royalty Fee applied to most SiriusXM audio packages, in order to fund royalty payments to the music industry [29].

Sources

1. SiriusXM’s Logo 2014, Fbnstatic.com, RT: 11/20/2014

2. What is SiriusXM?, Siriusxm.com, RT: 11/20/2014

3. Corporate Overview, Siriusxm.com, RT: 11/20/2014

4. Our Most Popular Packages, Siriusxm.com, RT: 11/20/2014

5. Chief Executive Officer, SiriusXM, Siriusxm.com, RT: 11/20/2014

6. President & Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM, Siriusxm.com, RT: 11/20/2014

7. Executive Vice President and General Counsel, SiriusXM, Siriusxm.com, RT: 11/20/2014

8. “SiriusXM Reports Third Quarter 2014 Results”, Investor.siriusxm.com, RT: 11/20/2014

9. “Sirius XM CEO: I Don’t See Spotify As A Direct Competitor”, Benzinga.com, RT: 11/22/2014

10. “Is Apple’s New Toy a Sirius XM or Pandora Killer?”, Fool.com, RT: 11/22/2014

11. Apple Inc. Logo, Worldofdtcmarketing.com, RT: 11/22/2014

12. iHeartMedia Logo, Billboard, RT: 11/24/2014

13. Apple Car Play, Uncrate.com, RT: 11/24/2014

14. “Sirius XM’s Main Edge Over Competitors”, Fool.com, RT: 11/28/2014

15. The Howard Stern Show, Tuaw.com, RT: 11/22/2014

16. SiriusXM Town Hall, Siriusxm.com, RT: 11/20/2014

17. SiriusXM Fishbowl Event, Howstuffworks.com, RT: 11/28/2014

18. “Taylor Swift’s Exclusive 1989 “Town Hall” to Air Live on SiriusXM”, Investor.siriusxm.com, RT: 11/24/2014

19. Taylor Swift for SiriusXM, SiriusXM Blog, RT: 11/22/2014

20. “Starting in June, ‘Today’ Will Simulcast on SiriusXM”, New York Times, RT: 11/28/2014

21. Today Show Radio on SiriusXM, YouTube, RT: 11/28/2014

22. “Rock band wins again in copyright battle against Sirius XM”, The Times of India, RT: 11/28/2014

23. “New York Court Delivers Third Strike Against Sirius XM on Pre-1972 Sound Recordings”, Sound Exchange, RT: 11/28/2014

24. Today Show Logo, Momsdemandaction.org, RT: 11/28/2014

25. The Turtles, Allmusic.com, RT: 11/28/2014

26. “Sir Nick Faldo to Host SiriusXM Show”, Techsonian.com, RT: 11/28/2014

27. New Channels and Lineup Changes, Siriusxm.com, RT: 11/20/2014

28. Joel Osteen, Lightsource.com, RT: 11/28/2014

29. “U.S. Music Royalty Fee Effective January 5, 2015”, Siriusxm.com, RT: 11/28/2014

30. SiriusXM Programming, Siriusxm.com, RT: 11/20/2014

31. SiriusXM Financials, Google, RT: 12/1/2014

32. SiriusXM Stock Information, Watchlistnews.com, RT: 12/1/2014

33. Holiday Music at SiriusXM, Siriusxm.com, RT: 12/1/2014

CBS Radio

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Drew Brown Brown

CBS Radio- Courtesy of www.cbsradio.com[1]

By: Drew Brown

1271 Avenue of the Americas FL 44 New York, NY 10020 (212) 649-9600 www.cbsradio.com

CBS Corporation

CBS, Columbia Broadcasting System, Corporation is a mass media company that creates and distributes industry leading content across a variety of platforms to audiences around the world. The Company has businesses with origins that date back to the dawn of the broadcasting age as well as new ventures that operate on the leading edge of media.[2]

History

CBS Radio is one of the oldest units within CBS Corporation, and has been around since 1928, founded by William Paley.

With 126 radio stations in 27 markets, including all of the Top 10, and an extensive array of digital assets, CBS RADIO interacts with more than 65 million consumers nationwide each week with the latest in news, sports and entertainment. CBS RADIO distributes its programming via AM, FM and HD Radio stations, Radio.com, and CBS Local Digital Media apps, making engaging with audiences easier than ever before.[3] CBS prides itself on hiring the best on-air personalities, to creating a more personal listening experience for the people. Having frequent promotions and prizes for daily listeners, this is one of the many reasons CBS is a powerhouse in entertainment and broadcasting industry.

Executives [4][5][6][7][8]

: Dan Mason, President & CEO [4]

: Scott Herman, EVP Operations [5]

: Chris Oliviero, EVP Programming[6]

: Jo Ann Haller, Sr. Vice President & General Counsel [7]

: Micheal Weiss, President, Sales [8]

Company Dominance

CBS Radio stations thrive in all 27 different major markets. Made available in the CBS Corporation 3rd Quarter 2013 investors newsletter, CBS Radio stations continue to dominate in generating revenue. The list below shows CBS Radio stations revenue standings in the top 10 markets.[9]

[9]

CBS Radio stations set the bar high and continue to excel over both music and talk formated stations. This year, CBS Radio stations won five NAB Marconi Radio Awards, which is considered to be a top honor in radio. [10]

WBBM-AM/FM (Chicago): The Legendary Station Award
WBZ-AM (Boston): News and Talk station of the Year
WZLX-FM (Boston): Rock station of the Year
KLOL-FM (Houston): Spanish station of the Year
WVEE-FM (Atlanta): Urban station of the Year

Financials- Third Quarter 2013 Results

CBS company has received its best numbers to date for the 3rd quarter. The company has seen an increase in revenue, operating income before depreciation and amortization, operating income, and diluted earnings per share.

[11]

Sumner Redstone, CBS Executive Chairmen, had this to say about the company, “CBS’s third quarter proves once again why content is king.”[12] CBS prides itself on producing content for the viewer/listener. “Our programming is becoming more valuable all the time as we continue to take advantage of the ever-expanding multiplatform world, I know that CBS is poised for continued success for many years to come.”[13] At the close of the New York Stock Exchange on November 19th, 2013 CBS Corporation was trading at $59.60 a share. [14]

CBS Corp. Stock – Courtesy of www.marketwatch.com [14]

Recent Activity

CBS Radio company have been pioneers in the entertainment industry, always creating new ways to produce and distribute content to reach as listeners as possible. CBS radio has collaborated with with sports teams, audio companies, and has created online platforms to reach their millions of listeners.

September 2013

Launch of Fierro

Fierro Logo – Courtesy of www.radiosyndicationtalk.com [14.5]

This past September, CBS Radio teamed up with WestwoodOne to launch a new 24/7 program of regional Mexican music available to radio stations nationwide called Fierro. Jimmy Gonzalez, Vice President, Spanish Programming, for CBS RADIO stated, “Fierro’s strength lies in teaming the hottest Regional Mexican hits with some of the very best radio talent in any format” [15] This partnership with CBS Radio and WestwoodOne will benefit both companies as they continue to help promote the Spanish-language radio space. CBS Radio hope to reach more spanish speaking listeners and create niche for those listeners.

CBS & Brooklyn

Barclays Center – Courtesy of www.netsdaily.com [15.5]

CBS Radio has joined forces with the Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center to not only gain Nets’ radio rights, but will also carry any other event that goes on in the Barclays center. This deal is valuable for both companies, more people will gain knowledge about what is happening in the Barclays Center when basketball games are not going on. Dan Mason stated, “We’re a marketing machine for them to put on more events, and we both share the success of that.” [16]

October 2013

Audio AdCenter

Audio AdCenter Logo – Courtesy of www.audioadcenter.com [16.5]

This past October CBS announced the launch of Audio AdCenter, a new means for companies to buy online audio advertisement. This deal makes it easier than ever for local companies to advertise over CBS Radio’s 125 online streams from stations in top markets. [17]

Shown below are the steps taken to create audio ad:

[18]

November 2013

Amy Stevens

Amy Stevens – Courtesy of www.allaccess.com [18.5]

CBS Radio created a new position for Amy Stevens, Senior Vice President of Strategic events and Partnerships. As a leader in local broadcasting Stevens will report to Dan Mason with ideas of new concerts and live experiences that appeal to new audiences and advertisers. Stevens has much experience in this industry as she use to work Madison Square Garden entertainment running their marketing concerts and media integration.[19] Dan Mason had this to say about Stevens and how her role will help the company flourish, “Her combination of expertise in radio promotion and close ties to the record labels and artist management will bolster our endeavors as we establish additional opportunities locally and nationally to engage with marketers and our audiences.”[20]

Building the Perfect Company

CBS Radio has and will continue to break new ground in the entertainment and Broadcasting industry. CBS Radio has shown that they are not afraid to cross media boundaries if it will overall benefit the listeners experience and also gain new listeners. CBS not only is a major force in radio but is a leader in Television. Be on the look out for what CBS Radio and Corporation has planned next, the company never fails when it comes to groundbreaking mass media ventures.

Resources:

[1]:www.cbsradio.com

[2]:http://www.cbscorporation.com/ourcompany.php?id=11

[3]: http://www.cbsradio.com/profile

[4]:http://www.cbsradio.com/executives?bio=dan-mason

[5]:http://www.cbsradio.com/executives?bio=scott-herman

[6]:http://www.cbsradio.com/executives?bio=chris-oliviero

[7]:http://www.cbsradio.com/executives?bio=jo-ann-haller

[8]:http://www.cbsradio.com/executives?bio=michael-weiss

[9]:http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9MjA5OTM5fENoaWxkSUQ9LTF8VHlwZT0z&t=1

[10]:http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9MjA5OTM5fENoaWxkSUQ9LTF8VHlwZT0z&t=1

[11]:http://finance.yahoo.com/news/cbs-corporation-reports-third-quarter-210100716.html

[12]:http://finance.yahoo.com/news/cbs-corporation-reports-third-quarter-210100716.html

[13]:http://finance.yahoo.com/news/cbs-corporation-reports-third-quarter-210100716.html

[14]:http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/cbs/financials

[14.5]: www.radiosyndicationtalk.com

[15]:http://www.westwoodone.com/index.php/main-menu/press-releases/426-cbs-radio-and-westwoodone-launch-fierro

[15.5]: www.netsdaily.com

[16]:http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2013/09/23/Media/CBS-Radio-Nets.aspx

[16.5]: www.audioadcenter.com

[17]:http://www.cbsradio.com/single-press/2265?filter=2013

[18]:http://www.cbsradio.com/single-press/2265?filter=2013

[18.5]: http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/124234/cbs-radio-names-amy-stevens-svp-strategic-events-a?ref=search

[19]:http://www.cbsradio.com/single-press/2303?filter=2013

[20]:http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/124234/cbs-radio-names-amy-stevens-svp-strategic-events-a

Sinclair Broadcast Group

Gallery

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Zachary Phillips

This gallery contains 16 photos.

By Zack Phillips Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. 10706 Beaver Dam Road Hunt Valley, Maryland 21030 (410) 568-1500 http://www.sbgi.net ABOUT THE COMPANY [2]: Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (SBG), founded in 1986, currently owns, operates, programs, or provides sales services to 163 … Continue reading →

Univision

Posted on April 9, 2013 by jgalvare

by Juan Alvarez

(Photo courtesy of Univision Corporate website) [4]

605 3rd Ave.
New York, NY, 10158 United States
(212) 455-5200

http://corporate.univision.com

http://www.univision.com/

Key Figures

(Picture Courtesy of Univision Corporate Website) [1]

Randy Falco

Joined Univision Communications in June 2011 as President and Chief Executive Officer. Before joining the company he was Chairman and CEO of AOL. Since his arrival, Univision has added three new cable networks and steadily increased its net revenue. [1]

Cesar Conde
(Picture Courtesy of Univision Corporate Website)[1]

Cesar Conde

Mr. Conde is president of the Univision Networks and is responsible for every television network including Univision Network, Unimas and Univision Cable Network. He is also responsible for the Univision Studios which were established in 2009. He previously served as Executive Vice President of Univision Communications. [1]

Andrew W. Hobson
(Picture Courtesy of Univision Corporate Website)[1]

Andrew W. Hobson

Joined Univision Communications in 1993 as Executive Vice President of Univision Network. In 2007 he became Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Univision Communications playing a vital role in the company’s recent financial growth. [1]

Profile

Univision Communications is the leading spanish broadcaster in America with a pedigree of television, radio and interactive media operations. The company’s primary audience are Latin American families in the United States. Univision Communications runs the top-rated Univision Network, as well as sister networks UniMas and Galavision. In addition, the company owns and operates about 60 local TV stations and 70 radio stations all across the nation and an online division which owns and distributes a network of online and mobile products like Univision.com. Some major competitors include TV Azteca, S.A. de C.V, Liberman Broadcasting, Inc. and NBCUniversal Media, LLC. [2] Some of the most successful current programs are Sabado Gigante, which has been on the air since 1997, and Primer Impacto since 1994.

The following video summarizes what Univision’s vision consists on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsf76kXaiKw

Television: The television segment owns a large number of TV stations and networks of which the most successful is Univision Network, the driving force behind the company. Univision Network has the largest spanish speaking television audience in the world and has reached parity with the 5 major english television networks outranking The CW several times. The television department also owns UniMas a spanish language broadcast television network, as well as Galavision a cable network in the U.S. In addition to the three major networks the company recently added three single format 24-hour cable networks: Univision Deportes Network, ForoTV and Univision Telenovelas. In 2009 the company founded Univision Studios, their own production division. Last year the company announced the creation of Fusion, an english language joint venture with ABC targeted at hispanic americans. [3]

Univision and ABC joint venture (photo courtesy of mediabistro.com) [10]

Radio: The radio segment owns and operates 69 radio stations in the United States. In 2003 Univision completed the acquisition of the Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation to form Univision Radio, the largest spanish language radio broadcasting company in the United States. In addition, the company founded Univision America this past summer, which is a spanish talk radio network that operates in major states like California, Texas and Florida. [3]

Univision America (photo courtesy of mediamoves.com) [11]

Interactive Media: This segment is responsible for operating a network of online products of which Univision.com is the most important. Univision interactive media was launched in 2009 to house Univision Movil and Univision.com, an online publisher that features entertainment, news and information. The interactive media segment also includes UVideos, a bilingual digital network and Univision Partner Group, a publishing network. [3]

Univision.com Homepage
(photo courtesy of Univision.com) [12]

History

In 1955 KWEX-TV, the first full time Spanish language station in America was founded. The station changed owners several times until in 1968 the new owners decided to name it Spanish International Network after buying channels in New Jersey and LA. By the mid 1970s the company had grown into a national network in the United States. In 1986 a Partnership of Televisa (a major media production company) and Hallmark cards bought the network formally naming it UNIVISION. Univision online was launched in 2000. [4]

In the past decade Univision Communications has grown in many fronts of the industry launching UniMas, formerly known as Telefutura (2002), Univision Radio (2003), Univision Studios (2009) and Univision Interactive media (2009). [4]

Financials

During 2012 Univision Communications Inc. reported a steady rise in their financials. Both their OIBDA and their total net revenue increased in comparison to the previous numbers of 2011. For the full year, net revenue increased 7.4 percent to $2,442.0 million from $2,273.5 million in 2011 and OIBDA increased 7.4 percent to $1,003.2 million from $933.9 million in 2011. Moreover the increase took place in each of the three media production areas of the company (Television, Radio and Digital). [5]

(photo courtesy of Univision Corporate financial statement 2012) [5]

In the News

January [6]:

The new revamped UniMas was launched coast to coast on January 7th premiering two prime time series that same night: Made In Cartagena and Quien eres tu.

(photo courtesy of underconsideration.com)

“Quinceañera” the groundbreaking production that catapulted Thalia and Adela Noriega is being rebroadcasted by Univision Telenovelas on January 7th.
Univision Communications announced a partnership with Samsung to carry their digital video network UVideos, in all 2013 Samsung smart TVs and connected devices.
Univision Network launches new talent competition show “Lo que mas quieres” on January 27th.

Lo que Mas Quieres ad campaign (photo courtesy of latinospost.com) [13]

February [7]:

Univision’s “Despierta America” established itself as the fastest growing morning show in the current season regardless of language registering its seven month of consecutive growth among adults 18-49 and 25-54.

Despierta America (photo courtesy of tucuentas. com) [14]

Univision’s “Premios Lo Nuestro“, which is Television’s longest running Latin music award show, aired on Feb 21 reaching 11.6 million viewers and making Univision No. 2 network for the night among adults 18-34 for fourth consecutive year.
WXTV Univision 41 New York received 22 Emmy Award nominations. According to Nielsen, Univision 41 was also the #1 newscast in the 6pm slot during the month of January.
On February 11 ABC and Univision announced their joint venture news and lifestyle network for Hispanics is being named Fusion and is set to launch during the second half of 2013.
Univision set milestone as the No 4. network in February sweeps ahead of NBC. Univision out performed NBC establishing a 26% margin among adults 18-49 and a 47% among adults 18-14.

The following video demonstrates the recent rating success of Univision.

UNIVISION COMMUNICATIONS INC from Univision Insights on Vimeo.

March [8]:

Premiere of new romantic comedy telenovela “Porque el amor manda” on Univision Network set for March 11.
“Nuestra Belleza Latina” a beauty competition show is set to launch its seventh season March 10 on Univision Network. The show includes sponsors like AT&T and Subway.

Seventh season of Nuestra Belleza Latina (photo courtesy of lagranciudad.net) [15]

The season finale of “Por ella soy Eva” made Univision stations #1 among adults 18-49 and adults 18-34 in several cities like Los Angeles and Houston and Chicago.
On March 11 Univision Radio and TuneIn announced an alliance to extend the reach of 50 terrestrial stations via TuneIn.
Univision Studios announced the premiere of “Arranque de Pasion, La historia de Ela“, an original webnovela produced exclusively for Univision Online and mobile properties set to begin April 1.

Arranque de Pasion webseries (photo courtesy of univision.com) [16]

Univision signs a major contract with DirecTV enabling the satellite provider to carry all of Univision’s own and operated broadcast stations, as well as the network feeds for Univision, UniMas, and Galavision.

Future of Univision

ABC News and Univision News merge to create Fusion in 2013
(photo courtesy of Univision Corporate Website) [4]

When it comes to its future Univision Communications seems stronger than ever. If the current trends continue the network could become a recurrent top four in the United States Television market because of the constant increase of the Latino population. Furthermore, Univision is on the verge of launching a great number of new series including “Los Heroes del Norte” (NotiMas) and “Que Bonito Amor“ (Univision), which are two long awaited primetime series set to premiere this April. Last but not least, Univision News is focusing greatly on the creation of the new joint venture with ABC news called Fusion (to be launched sometime this year). The new network will be carried by 5 cable operators and will serve 50 millions Hispanics; a number expected to double by 2050 [9]. This measures are expected to further enhance the company’s presence in the multimedia market during the next decades.

Sources

1. Key Executives http://corporate.univision.com/corporate/executive-leadership/#axzz2PxOlER2b

2. Univision Company Information Hoovers http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/company-profile.Univision_Communications_Inc.a9ff6a528ba4bf61.html

3. Company Overview Bloomberg http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=352350

4. The Univision Story http://corporate.univision.com/corporate/#axzz2PxRZSjvT

5. Financial Statement 2012 http://corporate.univision.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/FINAL-Press-Release-Q2-2012-1.pdf

6. January Press Releases http://corporate.univision.com/corporate/press/press-releases/?date=2013-1#axzz2PxUQXB7G

7. February Press Releases http://corporate.univision.com/corporate/press/press-releases/?date=2013-2#.UWPlYqvwIx4

8. March Press Releases http://corporate.univision.com/corporate/press/press-releases/?date=2013-3#.UWPldavwIx4

9. April Press Releases http://corporate.univision.com/corporate/press/press-releases/?date=2013-4#.UWPlnKvwIx4

10. ABC / Univision picture http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/files/2012/08/abc-news-univision-logo.jpg

11. Univision America logo http://www.mediamoves.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/UNIVISION_America-logo-e1338509306117.jpg

12. Univision.com www.univision.com

13. Lo Que Mas Quieres ad campaign http://images.latinospost.com/data/images/full/11264/lo-que-mas-quieres.jpg?w=600

14. Despierta America promo https://www.tucuentas.com/images/product/pic_1315599492.jpg

15. Nuestra Belleza Latina picture http://lagranciudad.net/home/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Nuestra-belleza-latina.jpg

16. Arranque de Pasion promo http://univisionnetworks.com/assets/uploads/homepages/ArranqueDePasion1.jpg

Cox Media Group/Cox Enterprises

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Autumn Boatner

Autumn Boatner

http://www.coxmediagroup.com/

Headquarters Contact Info: 6205 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30328
(678) 645-0000

Overview [1]

Cox Media Group is an integrated broadcasting, publication, direct marketing, and digital media company which is a part of Cox Enterprises that includes Cox Target Media. Cox Target Media operates two leading American companies which are Valpak (direct marketing), and savings.com (online savings). The company’s operations currently include 19 broadcast TV stations, one local cable station, 87 radio stations, eight daily newspapers and more than 100 digital services. CMG’s reach includes more than 30 media markets and 52 million Americans weekly, which includes 18 million radio listeners, 32 million TV viewers, and more than four million print and online newspaper readers.

2012 Key Metrics [2]

Revenue: 1.9 Billion
TV Stations: 19
Local Cable Channels: 1
Television Markets: 11
TV Viewer Reach: 30+ million
AM Radio Stations: 15
FM Radio Stations: 72
Radio Markets: 20
Combined Weekly Radio Listeners: 18 million

The Business of Communications

A duopoly is a specific type of oligopoly where only two producers exist in one market. In context, Cox Media Group is a duopoly due to the fact that it is one of two firms with dominant control over the communications market. Cox Media Group is in the process of changing its structure as part of a new business strategy to sell off their stations in smaller markets. The broadcast realignment was announced in July 2012 by CMG President Doug Franklin following the purchase of duopolies in larger markets — Jacksonville, Fla., and Tulsa, Okla. — from Newport Television . [3] CMG’s strategy is focused on larger markets, cross-media collaboration, and heightened reach in fewer markets. “This simplified structure will enable CMG to capitalize on continued growth and synergies, while retaining its size financially,” said Franklin.

Simultaneously, CMG is realigning leadership structure to fit the new broadcast portfolio. Leadership changes in 2013 are as followed:

January 11th – Romeo Solomon Named General Sales Manager at KICU-TV
January 14th – Cox Media Group Appoints Matt Dalton as National Sales Manager of Long Island’s 106.1 WBLI-FM and 102.3 WBAB-FM
January 30th – CMG Orlando Tammie McGrath promoted to Director of Sales for six stations [4]
February 7th – CMG Tulsa Radio Promotes Matt Ledbetter to Director of Sales for Its Five Station Cluster [5]
March 1st – Tom Calococci Joins CMG Miami as New Program Director East Coast
March 8th – Cox Media Group Atlanta Names Adam Wolfson New General Sales Manager
March 11th – Greg Bilte named general manager, Suzanne Nadell named News Director for CMG Tulsa
March 13th – CMG Jacksonville Named Eric Lauer GSM, CMG San Antonio Names Jeff Garrison as New Program Director of Y100 [6]
April 1st – Lee Rothenthal named News Director at KUTV in Indianapolis [7]

Consolidation

On February 12th, Cox Media Group announced the sale of radio stations in six markets to SummitMedia – a Birmingham, Ala.-based ownership group which includes David DuBose, Cox Media’s Birmingham Vice President and market manager.

Source: http://www.freepress.net/

Cox Media Group also sold three Southern Connecticut radio stations and contract rights for an additional station to Connoisseur Media based in Conn. Four stations were sold to Connoisseur and 21 stations were sold to Summit. In southern Connecticut, Cox sold WPLR-FM, WEZN-FM, WFOX-FM, and contract rights for WYBC-FM to Connoisseur Media for $40 million. SummitMedia paid $66.25 million for a number of stations in Birmingham, AL, Greenville, SC, Louisville, KY, Richmond, VA, and Hawaii, according to documents filed with the FCC. [8] As part of the broadcast realignment, Cox recently added four TV stations to its broadcast portfolio: WAWS-TV (fox) and WTEV-TV (CBS) in Jacksonville, Fl, and KOKI-TV (fox) and KMYT-TV (MyNetwork) in Tulsa, OK. [9]

Source: www.sbgi.net/

Sinclair Broadcast Group had the opposite strategy, and acquired four COX small television stations for $99 million on February 25^th, 2013; the purchase was part of a string of over thirty acquisitions over the past year and a half. [10] They also purchased 18 stations from Barrington Broadcasting Group for 370 million. [11] Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. is a Hunt Valley, Maryland-based diversified television broadcast company. The four stations Sinclair purchased from Cox were:

KFOX (Fox) El Paso, Texas DMA 91

WJAC (NBC) Johnstown-Altoona, Pa. DMA 102

KRXI (Fox) Reno, Nev. DMA 108

WTOV (NBC) Wheeling, W.Va.-Steubenville, Ohio DMA 158

FCC rules prohibit ownership of two stations in markets as small as Reno, Nev., therefore Sinclair plans on getting past this loophole by operating MNT affiliate KAME Reno under contract with a third-party licensee, Deerfield Media. [12] Sinclair said it expects to finance the deal through a bank loan, the deal will close in the second quarter and is pending FCC approval. Sinclair is arguably taking this strategy because there are less medium-sized stations for sale, but small stations provide large profits through local advertisements. [13] “Over the past 18 months, we have led the industry’s consolidation efforts in the mid-sized markets, purchasing 30 TV stations and creating over $400 million of equity value,” said David Smith, Sinclair President and CEO.

On March 4th, 2013, Broadcast stock analyst Marci Ryvicker and Wells Fargo Securities approved the Sinclair buy. “We like SBGI’s scale, leverage and opportunistic approach to M&A and anticipate there is more to come,” stated in an investor’s note. According to the note, Sinclair is paying a reasonable 4.6 times cash flow for Cox and 5.2 times for Barrington while maintaining a healthy debt profile of 5.1 times projected for the end of 2013. [14]

Other news concerning COX

Source: RadioInk.com

On January 18th, Cox Media Group made radio history with Tampa 97X by giving local listeners total control of the music by utilizing social media. Listeners chose songs they wanted to hear by selecting from over 1,800 songs listed on 97X app and website. The app gave listeners the ability to interact with an ‘Open Mic’ feature which enabled them to record and upload themselves introducing songs. [15]

On March 6th, Cox Media Group was accepted into the Google AdWords (TM) Premier SMB partner program. This partnership allows CMG to be a leading provider in digital marketing solutions for local and regional advertising clients. Premiere SMB partners meet Google’s highest criteria for qualification, transparency and customer service, which include completing extensive Google product and account management training to provide businesses with the most effective AdWords advertising solutions. In addition to in-depth AdWords knowledge, PSP partners provide campaign management, detailed reporting, one-on-one customer support, and broad marketing guidance to help advertisers make the most of their advertising campaigns. [16]

Sources

1 & 2. http://www.coxmediagroup.com/about/
3. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-02-26/business/bs-bz-sinclair-acquires-cox-stations-20130226_1_sinclair-plans-station-owner-stations-in-mid-sized-market
4. http://www.coxmediagroup.com/news/2013/jan/
5. http://www.coxmediagroup.com/news/2013/feb/
6. http://www.coxmediagroup.com/news/2013/apr/
7. http://www.coxmediagroup.com/news/2013/may/
8 & 9. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/193537/cox-sells-25-radio-stations.html#axzz2PoUSjKxl
10. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-02-26/business/bs-bz-sinclair-acquires-cox-stations-20130226_1_sinclair-plans-station-owner-stations-in-mid-sized-markets
11. http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/print-edition/2013/03/08/sinclair-broadcast-group-tuning-into.html?page=all
12.http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/65729/sinclair-buys-four-cox-tvs-for-nearly-100m
13. http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/print-edition/2013/03/08/sinclair-broadcast-group-tuning-into.html?page=all
14. http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/65893/ryvicker-gives-thumbs-up-to-sinclair-buys
15. http://www.coxmediagroup.com/news/cmg-press-releases/tampa-bays-97x-does-it-again/nTzz2/
16. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cox-media-group-selected-as-google-adwords-premier-smb-partner-2013-03-06

Sinclair Broadcast Group

Posted on April 2, 2013 by vapane

by Victoria Pane

[14]

Sinclair Broadcasting Group Inc. is one of the largest broadcast companies to date. SBG owns and operates programs or provides sales services to 112 TV stations that span 61 markets nationwide. Sinclair Broadcasting Group reaches about 29.8% of U.S. TV households. Station affiliates include FOX, ABC, MyTV, CW, CBS, NBC, MTN and Azteca.

Headquarters Address: 10706 Beaver Dam Road, Hunt Valley, Maryland 21030

Telephone– (410)-568-1500

Social Media- Facebook LinkedIn

[15]

Executives

David Smith– Chief Executive Officer

David Amy-Chief Financial Officer

Steven Marks– Chief Operating Officer

Barry Faber-Executive Vice President

David Bochenek-Chief Accounting Officer

History

Located in Hunts Valley, Maryland, the Chesapeake Television Corporation was founded by Julian Sinclair Smith in 1971. Station ownership started in Baltimore (WBFF), Pittsburgh (WPTT/WPMY) and Columbus (WTTE). The last of the remaining stocks were bought by Smith’s four son is 1985 and since then the company has been named Sinclair Broadcasting Group. David B. Smith has served as

url President and CEO since 1988, while the other three brothers hold various executive positions. With the help of the brothers the company has done nothing but grow in audience size and content range. The year 1995 changed it all when the company became publicly traded. Sinclair owns the majority of its stations, but they do operate some affiliates for the networks using local marketing agreements.

Picture above[16]

Screen shot 2013-04-01 at 9.09.23 PM

See all stations under Sinclair’s control here

Picture Right [17]

Recent News

Since the beginning of the New Year SBG has been placing new General Managers in many of its markets across the country. On January 2, 2013. Noreen Parker was named GM of WTTA-TV (MY TV Tampa Bay) in Tampa, Florida. On January 3^rd Sinclair announced that Jim Lapiana would be the new GM of WPGH-TV (Fox 53) and WPMY-TV (MNT 22) in Pittsburgh. Also on January 3^rd Ronna Corrente was named GM of WDKY-TV (Fox 31) in Lexington, Kentucky. And lastly on March 7^th, Terry Gaughan was named GM of WCGV-TV (My 24) and WVTV-TV (CW 18) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Another major piece of employee news is Steve Pruett joined senior management team as Chief Operating Officer of Chesapeake TV. Pruett has meny years of experience in the media, up until recently he was the CEO of Communication Corporations of America (CCA). Along with being the COO of Sinclair Television Group in the mid-sized market, Marks will also oversee the Company’s most recent strategy for small markets.

During February, Sinclair Broadcasting Group made a deal hoping to create initiative for small market television. The company signed an agreement to purchase stock and broadcasting assets of four television stations owned by COX Media Group. The deal was set for $99 million. These stations operate four different markets and reach about 0.9% of U.S. TV households. David Smith, President and CEO of Sinclair was quoted: “Over the past 18 months, we have led the industry’s consolidation efforts in the mid-sized markets, purchasing 30 TV stations and creating over $400 million of equity value. We believe our platform size and leadership position allow us to bring meaningful purchasing power and negotiating leverage to these stations. Including synergies, we believe the CMG stations can generate approximately $20 million of cash flow, on average.”

[6]

Also in February of this year, Sinclair reached an agreement with DirecTV regarding the retransmission consent agreement. They have entered a short-term extension to the existing contract so that both parties will be able to enter into a formal agreement. In conclusion, DirecTV will continue to carry all of Sinclair’s stations.

On February 28^th SBG announced an agreement to purchase 18 television stations owned by Barrington Broadcast Group, LLC for $370 million. It also entered agreements to operate or provide sales services for another six stations. These 24 stations are located in 15 different markets and reach 3.4% of U.S TV households. David Smith commented: “This week, we launched our small market television group when we announced we would be acquiring certain of the COX Media television stations. The Barrington stations are an important part of that strategy, providing meaningful scale to the group. Including synergies, we believe the Barrington stations can generate approximately $71 million of cash flow, on average.”

Screen shot 2013-04-01 at 11.38.43 AM [8]

Conflicts with FCC ownership rules have forced Sinclair to sell its station WSYT (Fox) in Syracuse, NY and assign its local marketing agreement and purchasing option on WNYS (MNT) in Syracuse. The Company also sold its station WYZZ (Fox) in Peoria, IL. The license assets of four stations will be bought by Cunningham Broadcasting Corporation and Howard Stirk Holdings (newly formed and controlled by Armstrong Williams who is the founder and CEO of Graham Williams Group).

On April 2nd, SBG announced its full support of MobileDTV. Over the next six months, the Company will being to broadcast 10 mobile-cable signals in nine different markets. This is in partnership with Cunningham Broadcasting Company that broadcasts two stations in Columbus, Ohio (WSYX-TV and WTTE-TV). Consumers in these markets will be able to use MobileDTV on their smartphones or tablets to enjoy local over-the-air broadcasting for free simply by installing a plug-in adaptor. Sinclair has long been a mobile tv advocate has committed to offer some FOX affiliates on this developing platform. MobileDTV is expected to help with targeted advertising and the TV anywhere anytime for consumers.

Find a list of available stations and markets here.

SBGI Financial Reports

[13]

Sinclair announced its first quarter of 2013 estimates of a net broadcast revenue of about $251.9 millon to $254.9 millon. Also an EBITDA of approximately $90.3 million to $93.3 million. The Board of Directors declared a $0.15 dividend to all Class A and B stock holders as of close on March 1st, 2013. The dividend became payable on March 15th.

Listen to the First Quarter Earnings Webcast and Conference call here

Financial Events Calendar

May 1, 2013- First Quarter 2013 Earnings Report

June 6, 2013- Annual Shareholders Meeting

August 7, 2013- Second Quarter Earnings Report

November 6, 2013- Third Quarter 2013 Earnings Report

Industry Conferences

March 4-6 dbAccess Media, Internet and Telecom Conference Palm Beach, FL.

April 8-9 Wells Fargo Investor Forum at NAB Las Vegas, NV.

May 7-9 Jefferies 2013 Global Technology, Media and Telecom Conference The Westin, NYC

May 20-22 Barclay’s High Yield and Syndicated Loan Conference Chicago, IL.

May 30^th– The Benchmark One on One Investor Conference Milwaukee, WI.