Sirius XM Radio

Posted on November 3, 2013 by Stephanie Bronfein

By Stephanie Bronfein

The official SiriusXM logo, courtesy of siriusxm.com [1]

SiriusXM Satellite Radio

1221 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020

www.siriusxm.com

Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube

History [2]:

SiriusXM Radio is one of the largest radio broadcast and subscription media companies in the United States that provides original content to 25.6 million subscribers. Their commercial-free programming covers a diverse range of music, sports, talk, entertainment, traffic and weather shows, with celebrity personalities such as Howard Stern, Oprah Winfrey, The Grateful Dead, Pearl Jam and Tiesto. While the most popular way that consumers experience SiriusXM Radio is through satellite radio in their cars, it is also available for the home or office and can be streamed through SiriusXM Radio’s website or through Apple and Android mobile applications.

Key Executives [3]:

James E. Meyer – CEO

Scott Greenstein – President & CCO

Dara Altman – Executive VP & CAO

David J. Frear – Executive VP & CFO

All photos courtesy of SiriusXM Radio. For more information on the company’s executives click here.

Financial Standing:

SiriusXM Stock Change from 11/12 to 11/13, courtesy of siriusxm.com [4].

With 36 million shares to its name, SiriusXM Radio’s stock value sits at $3.68, with a 52-week high of $4.18 and a 52-week low of $2.67 [4]. Since the third quarter of 2012, the recorded revenue has increased 11% to $962 million. The adjusted EBIDTA increased 21% to a new record of $296 million and free cash flow increased 26% to $245 million [5].

Liberty Media Takeover:

Liberty Media Logo, courtesy of forbes.com [9].

SiriusXM Radio shareholders finally spoke up this August about Liberty Media Corporation gaining control of over 50% of the company, which resulted in former Chief Executive Officer Mel Karmazin leaving the company, along with a string of other directors. In 2009, when SiriusXM Radio was considering filing for bankruptcy, John Malone of Liberty Media offered a $530 million investment to get the subscription satellite radio company back on its feet. This deal allotted 40% control over the company to Malone and included a three-year grace period where Malone could not acquire a controlling interest in SiriusXM Radio’s shares [6].

In light of this period’s expiration at the end of last year, SiriusXM Radio shareholders failed to find a loophole in the investment-agreement terms to prevent Malone from buying out the company, so he did just that. What’s more, Malone didn’t allow other shareholders to vote on the deal. This is the main contention that SiriusXM Radio shareholders have against Liberty Media. Shareholders even went as far as suing the SiriusXM Radio board of directors in Aug. 2012 for not creating a strong enough defense against the Liberty Media takeover in the original investment-agreement [7].

As of the end of August, SiriusXM Radio share value has increased more than 2,160% at $3.62 since the Liberty Media investment was made, where shares were valued at as low as $0.16 [7].

Liberty Media also holds controlling shares of the Atlanta Braves, Leisure Arts, Inc., MacNeil/Lehrer Productions and TruePosition, Inc [8].

SoundExchange Sues SiriusXM:

SoundExchange Logo, courtesy of forbes.com [10].

On Aug. 16th, SoundExchange filed a lawsuit against SiriusXM Radio for $50 to $100 million in damages, claiming that the radio provider underpaid artist royalties from 2007 to 2011 [12].

SoundExchange is an independent nonprofit organization that has been designated by the Copyright Royalty Board to collect digital performance royalties from statutory license users—such as SiriusXM Radio—for the purpose of distributing those royalties to the rightful copyright owners and artists. As the only Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service in the country, it has been decided by the Copyright Royalty Board that SiriusXM Radio should pay a federal statutory royalty rate to avoid penalty of copyright infringement for the public performance of sound recordings that they do not own (via transmitting them to their subscribers). This rate is applied to the gross revenue as defined by the Copyright Royalty Board, which was settled between 6-8% for the years of 2007 to 2012 [11].

At the root of the lawsuit, which is compromised of four different counts against SiriusXM Radio, is a claim that the gross revenue has been reduced without proper authorization from the Copyright Royalty Board, causing a multi-million dollar underpayment to SoundExchange [11]. Essentially, SiriusXM Radio has been cornered for their bad accounting.

From their reported gross revenue, SiriusXM Radio excluded revenue collected from pre-1972 sound recordings, incremental revenue on SiriusXM Radio’s premier subscription package and two additional subscription packages that include both music and talk programming [12]. On top of these three counts against SiriusXM Radio is a claim that they did not pay late fees to SoundExchange on time—in part due to the fact that they didn’t know that they apparently owed SoundExchange millions of dollars—and SoundExchange expects to collect interest on these late fees [13].

While copyright law does not protect pre-1972 sound recordings, the Copyright Royalty Board requires that those who publicly perform them must separately recognize the attributed revenue generated—if SiriusXM Radio chooses to exclude this revenue from the reported gross revenue to SoundExchange, the deduction must be precise and the methodology transparent. Since SiriusXM Radio does not distinguish the revenue made from different kinds of music programming, the percentage that they attribute to the pre-1972 sound recording revenue can only be defined as an assumption, and is therefore unlawful [11].

SiriusXM Radio excluded incremental revenue that was garnered from the pricing difference between its standard package and its premier package. While the subscription satellite radio service is allowed to exclude channels that don’t include music programming—and the premier package only gives consumers additional talk/news programming—the additional channels offered in the premiere package aren’t offered for a separate charge [12]. In plain, the premier package also includes all of the programming from the standard package, meaning that it unlawfully excludes publicly performed sound recordings from its reported gross revenues [11].

In the same vein, SiriusXM Radio excluded revenue from the Family Friendly and Mostly Music packages, which were originally offered from XM Radio before the merger and contain both music and talk programming. The publicly performed sound recordings in these packages are supposed to be covered by a statutory license. Once again, SiriusXM Radio did not spell out the method by which they separately recognize revenue garnered from music and talk channels in these packages, therefore making the reduction from gross revenue unauthorized by the Copyright Royalty Board [11]. Of all the exclusions, this one makes the least sense.

At the time that this post was published (Nov. 20th, 2013), SiriusXM Radio has declined to comment on the lawsuit and no progress has been made to the public in regards to securing a jury trial date.

New Programming:

David Bowie, photo courtesy of billboard.com [14].

David Bowie’s Limited-Run Station [14]:

From October 30th through November 12th, SiriusXM Radio ran a limited-time station revolving around David Bowie’s latest album, “The Next Day,” which premiered on November 5th. As a promotional effort for the album, the station revealed five songs from an expanded version of the album. Other programming included rare demos, covers and live performances of Bowie’s.

Danny Howard, photo courtesy of billboard.com [15].

UK DJ Danny Howard Brings EDM radio show to BPM [15]:

Premiering December 5th on the BPM station, Danny Howard will join an elite group of European DJ’s to showcase what’s hot in the UK and European electronic dance music scene. With this weekly show, he hopes to break DJs and producers from his side of the pond that might not have gotten stateside exposure. Prior to accepting this stateside residency with SiriusXM Radio, Howard hosted a show on BBC Radio 1 titled, “Dance Anthems with Danny Howard.”

21st Century FOX logo, photo courtesy of 21cf.com [17].

FOX Business returns to SiriusXM Radio [16]:

Originally dropped in 2008 after Sirius Satellite Radio merged with XM Satellite Radio, FOX Business reclaims its spot next to FOX News as another 21st Century Fox radio station. With their nationally regarded collection of personalities, the stations are sure to attract a wide audience with their discussion of news, politics and current affairs. The deal is set to last through 2019.

Sources:

1. SirusXM Logo

2. SiriusXM Corporate Overview

3. SiriusXM Key Executive Bios

4. SiriusXM Stock Quote

5. SiriusXM Third Quarter Financial Results

6. Bloomberg Article on SiriusXM Investor’s Being Shortchanged by the Liberty Media Takeover

7. Billboard Article on SiriusXM Shareholder’s Position on Liberty Media Takeover

8. Liberty Media Asset List

9. Liberty Media Logo

10. SoundExchange Logo

11. SoundExchange Sues SiriusXM Radio – Filed Complaint

12. Billboard Article – SoundExchange Sues SiriusXM Radio Over Royalty Calculations

13. Billboard Article – SoundExchange Seeks Up to $100 million from SiriusXM for Underpaying Artist Royalties

14. David Bowie’s Limited-Run Station

15. Danny Howard’s UK EDM Show

16. FOX Business Returns to SiriusXM Radio

17. 21st Century Fox Logo

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.

Sept 30-Oct 2 Deutsche Bank’s 21^st Annual Leveraged Finance Conference Scottsdale AZ.

Sources

1.http://www.sbgi.net/about/history.shtml

2.http://www.sbgi.net/about/profile.shtml

3.http://www.sbgi.net/site_mgr/temp/Parker%20Tampa_kv9j79fq.shtml

4.http://www.sbgi.net/site_mgr/temp/Lapiana%20Pittsburgh_nf4w27hf.shtml

5.http://www.sbgi.net/site_mgr/temp/Corrente%20Lexington_y574z5b9.shtml

6.http://www.sbgi.net/site_mgr/temp/_q81qytdm.shtml

7.http://www.sbgi.net/site_mgr/temp/_8tv8hrf9.shtml

8.http://www.sbgi.net/site_mgr/temp/_7xfvjv6f.shtml

9.http://www.sbgi.net/site_mgr/temp/_vhm639mg.shtml

10.http://broadcastengineering.com/company-news/sinclair-broadcast-group-buys-18-barrington-tv-stations

11.http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-03-01/news/bs-bz-sinclair-acquisition-20130301_1_sinclair-s-ceo-stations-directv-customers

12.http://www.sbgi.net/site_mgr/temp/MobileDTV13_t7j41d11.shtml

13.http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=SBGI.O

14/15.http://www.sbgi.net/

16.http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-david-smith-2010-photo,0,4271489.photo

17. http://www.sbgi.net/business/television.shtml

Cox Radio

Posted on December 5, 2012 by ksphilli

by Kadisha S. Phillips

Courtesy of coxmediagroup.com

6205 Peachtree Dunwoody Road Atlanta, Georgia 30328.
Phone: 678.645.0000 | Fax: 678/645.5002

Overview

Formerly known as Cox Radio, the radio division of Cox Media Group is ranked the 5th among all radio media companies in the United States. Spanning over 20 markets, boasting 86 radio stations; 15 AM and 71 FM CMG’s portfolio provides listeners with a variety of that ranges from Hawaiian to Classic Rock to Country.

The combined weekly listenership of all of CMG’s 86 radio stations is more than 18 million. [1]

Financials

In 2011, Cox Media Group’s radio division reported a revenue of $350 million. Below is a break down of CMG’s radio station properties and their total revenues for 2011:

Courtesy of adage.com

With all other divisions included, CMG’s total revenue for 2011 was $1.7 billion.

The Parent company of Cox Media Group, Cox Enterprises is ranked 8th among all U.S media companies with a 2011 reported revenue of $11.99 billion; a 1.5% increase from 2010. [2]

Key Executives

President of Cox Media Group, Doug Franklin has been an employee of Cox since1977. He joined as “a door-to-door circulation solicitor for Dayton Newspapers, Inc.” In January 1996, he became the chief operating officer of Cox Ohio Publishing; president and chief executive officer in 2004 and president of Cox Media Group in March 2011. Under Franklin’s leadership CMG is looking to focus on larger markets in order to create a heightened impact by using cross-media collaboration. [3] [4]

Michael J. Joseph is an Executive Vice President at Cox Media Group. Joseph is responsible for all Cox Media Group radio and television stations in Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky. The radio stations that Joseph oversee include WQNU-FM, WRKA-FM, WSFR-FM and WVEZ-FM of Louisville, Kentucky and WHIO-AM/FM, WHKO-FM and WZLR-FM of Dayton, Ohio. [3]

In July 2012 Kim Guthrie became the Senior Vice President of Radio for Cox Media Group. Under the group’s strategic new leadership plan, Guthrie now oversees all radio markets. In 2012 Guthrie was honored in Radio Ink Magazine’s as one of the “Most influential Women in Radio,” for the second year in a row. Under her leadership, many stations and personalities have been nominated for and won awards for their programming excellence and more. [5]

*Note: images courtesy of coxmediagroup.com

WSB AM/FM Atlanta, Georgia (@WSBradio)

Courtesy of captainherb.net

WSB 750 AM/95.5FM was the very first radio station to broadcast in Atlanta, Georgia. Purchased by Cox Enterprises founder Governor James M. Cox of Ohio, WSB is Cox Media Group’s flagship radio station. With both frequencies garnishing top rankings in revenue among all CMG radio stations, WSB 750 AM especially carries some of the most popular News/Talk shows in the country. [6]

In 2011, WSB AM reported a revenue increase of 12.5% at $27 million. WSB FM made a slight decrease in earnings at $15.7 million. [2]

Shows:

The Clark Howard Show

Courtesy of clarkhoward.com

A 2007 Georgia Radio Hall of Fame inductee, Clark Howard is a financial guru. For decades he has aimed to help Americans save money and has done so through his nationally syndicated radio show– The Clark Howard Show. The show originally broadcasts from WSB AM 750 and can be heard on 200 different radio stations every day or online as a podcast. [7]

On the 29^th of November, 2012 Clark Howard and WSB Radio, a COX Media Group Radio Station, kicked off their 22^nd annual Christmas Kids season. Christmas Kids is a partnership with the Georgia Dept. of Family & Child Services that helps fulfill the Christmas wish-list of every foster child in Georgia. Running from Thursday November 29^th to Sunday December 9^th, on six different days The Clark Howard broadcast team will set up for 5 hours at a Wal-Mart and encourage customers to purchase presents that foster children have requested. In 2011, 4500 donations were made. [8][9]

The Neal Boortz Show

Courtesy of www.liberty910.com

Hosted by The Talkmaster Neal Boortz, The Neal Boortz Show has been broadcasting on NewsTalk 750 WSB for the past 19 years. Boasting nearly 6 million weekly listeners on 230 radio stations, Boortz’s claims that his show is “your daily dose of insensitivity training.” Each day from 8:30 AM – 1 PM Boortz discusses topics mainly on politics. This year Boortz was a finalist for the 2012 National Association of Broadcasters Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year Award. [10]

In 2012, Boortz announced that he will be retiring in January 2013. After he retires, Boortz will hand over the torch to Republican Presidential frontrunner Hermain Cain. In an interview: “He may be “The Talk-Master,” but Neal’s listeners know I’m the ‘The Dean of the University of Common Sense,” said Cain in an interview. [11] [12]

The Rush Limbaugh Show (@RushLimbaugh)

Courtesy of hohumproductions.com

Syndicated by Premiere Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Program garnishes 20 million listeners per week on nearly 600 radio stations. Additionally, it is the top-rated radio show on air and moved to Cox Media Group’s WSB 750 AM in October of 2012. In this acquisition, The Clark Howard Show was bumped from the daily lineup as its biggest audience is online. Currently The Rush Limbaugh Program can be heard daily from 12 Noon to 3 PM EST. [13] [14]

The News/Talk WSB 750 AM line-up:

Courtesy of wsb.radio.com

Recent Events

September 2012

Courtesy of 123people.com

In September 2012 Cox Media Group announced that in January 2013, Belinda’s Atlanta Lifestyles will debut on 750 WSB AM. Somewhat similar to the “Pinterest, Martha Stewart or the Oprah brand,” Belinda’s Atlanta Lifestyles will be a show about every-day things such as picking a summer camp or where to go to dinner for your anniversary.

Skelton is currently the Executive Producer of The Neal Boortz Show and has been working for WSB Radio for almost two decades. Her show comes just as Boortz plans to retire and although it will not replace The Neal Boortz Show, Belinda’s Atlanta Lifestyles brings an exciting twist to WSB Radio’s current lineup.Skelton notes that Boortz may even make a guest appearance or two on the show.

Belinda’s Atlanta Lifestyles will broadcast on Saturdays from 1 PM to 3 PM following Boortz’s retirement in mid/late January. [15]

November 2012

Courtesy of epltalk.com

In mid-November, Cox Media Group brought America’s No. 1 sports-radio network to Orlando, Florida on WBDO 580 AM. On November 12th, ESPN Radio (@ESPNRadio) began to broadcast on this station, moving WDBO’s News/Talk programming to WDBO FM 96.5. Not only did Mike and Mike in the Morning (6 AM to 10 AM EST), The Herd with Colin Cowherd (10 AM – 1 PM) and SVP & Russillo (1 PM -4 PM) debut on 580 AM but the most up to date local news coverage will be available on the station and www.ESPNOrlando.com.

Coverage of special sports events will become a part of programming in a partnership between ESPN 580-AM and ESPN Wide World of Sports including “the BCS (with a full slate of regular season college football); the USGA’s U.S. Open; the 2014 FIFA World Cup; and the Open Championship.” [16] [17] [18]

November 2012

Courtesy of abcnews.go.com

In a combined donation of $75,000 Cox Media Group radio stations in Long Island and Connecticut along with Cox Reps in New York, gave aid to those who suffered from SuperStorm Sandy. Star 99.9 and WPLR FM in Connecticut partnered with Fairfield County’s Child and Family Services to support a relief fund to help the agency regain all losses due to to the storm. In Long Island, Island Harvest received aid from 102.3 WBAB and 106.1 WBLI for their programs that help feed those who are in need.

Cox Enterprises and the James M. Cox Foundation also gave to those in need by donating $100,000 cash to the American Red Cross. [19]

Sources

About Cox Media Group, http://www.coxmediagroup.com/about/
AdAge Top Media Companies Publication, http://adage.com/datacenter/mediatrees2012.php#41
About Cox Media Group Leadership, http://www.coxmediagroup.com/about/ourleadership/
Cox Media Selling 25 Radio Stations, http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/legal-and-management/cox-media-selling-25-radio-stations-as-part-1007633152.story
Cox Media Group Purchases News Stations in Jacksonville, Tulsa http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cox-media-group-purchases-new-tv-stations-in-jacksonville-tulsa-realigns-its-broadcast-media-portfolio-163190416.html
WSB Radio History Website, www.wsbhistory.com
Clark Howard Website, www.clarkhoward.com
Clark Howard and WSB Radio Kick Off Christmas Kids Today http://www.examiner.com/article/clark-howard-and-wsb-radio-kick-off-christmas-kids-today-for-the-2012-season,
Clark Howard Christmas Kids Website www.clarkhoward.com/christmaskids
Neal Boortz Website, http://www.boortz.com/
WGST Expected to Dump News/Talk http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/morning_call/2012/09/wgst-expected-to-dump-newstalk.html
Neal Boortz to Retire, http://www.examiner.com/article/radio-talk-show-host-neal-boortz-to-retire-herman-cain-chosen-to-take-over
Rush Limbaugh Website, www.rushlimbaugh.com
Rush Limbaugh Moving to WSB, http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/110738/rush-limbaugh-moving-in-atlanta-from-wgst-to-wsb
Neal Boortz Producer Gets Her Own WSB Weekend Radio Show http://blogs.ajc.com/radio-tv-talk/2012/10/05/belinda-skelton-neal-boortzs-producer-gets-her-own-wsb-weekend-radio-show/?cxntfid=blogs_radio_tv_talk
ESPN Radio Returns to Orlando, http://www.coxmediagroup.com/news/cmg-press-releases/espn-radio-returns-orlando-debuts-nov-12/nSYbh/
ESPN Radio Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESPN_Radio
WDBO Launches ESPN Radio in Orlando, http://rbr.com/wdbo-launches-espn-radio-in-orlando/
Cox Media Donates to 75k Sandy Relief, http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/63542/cox-media-donates-75k-to-sandy-relief

Cox Radio, Inc

Posted on September 19, 2012 by iherrera

by [Isabel Herrera]

6205 Peachtree | Dunwoody Road | Atlanta, GA 30328| Phone: 678-645-0000| Website: www.coxmediagroup.com

Major Market Competitors:

▪ Clear Channel Communications, Inc

▪ Cumulus Media, Inc

▪ CBS Radio, Inc

History:

Cox Radio, Inc is a radio company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1934 by James M. Cox, Cox Radio, Inc continues to deliver quality radio content, reaching 18 million radio listeners across the country. Cox Radio prides itself in establishing the first FM station in the south during 1964. [1]

Company Overview:

They operate as a division of Cox Media Group, Inc, a subsidiary of conglomerate Cox Enterprises. In 1996, Cox Radio became a publicly traded company. However in 2009, Cox Radio, Inc made the transition from a public company to a private corporation. [2] Over the years, Cox Media Group has expanded its television, newspaper and broadcasting services; however, radio remains a relevant component to the company’s overall successful $1.8 billion revenue. Cox Radio, Inc along with Cox Enterprises is considered to be one of the few successful family-own businesses currently functioning in the entertainment market. [3]

Cox Radio is 62 percent-owned by Cox Enterprises, Inc, and is responsible for a total of 86 radio stations (15 AM radio stations, 71 FM radio stations) in locations such as Atlanta, Stamford/ Norwalk, New Haven, Bridgeport Connecticut; Dayton, Ohio, Greenville, South Carolina; Honolulu, Hawaii; San Antonio and Houston Texas; Tampa, Orlando, Miami, and Jacksonville, Florida; Long Island, New York, Louisville, Kentucky, Richmond, Virginia; and Tulsa, Oklahoma. [4]

In Cox Radio Syndication, the company is able to produce and distribute expansive radio programming to approximately 200 affiliate stations through a partnership with Jones Radio Network. [5]

In 2009, Cox Media Group, Inc announced a new model that “reorganized its media businesses by maximizing the expertise and talents of its media across its portfolio or radio, television and newspaper businesses.” Adapting this progressive agenda enabled for the radio division to bring together advertising services and their firms in a costly-efficient manner. [6]

Notable Key Executives:

Courtesy of Google Images

James C. Kennedy is the grandson of the legendary founder is currently the Chairman of the conglomerate Cox Enterprises, Inc. Prior to his position as Chairman, he was CEO from 1988 to 2008. James Kennedy also serves as Chairman of the Board for Cox Radio. [9]

Courtesy of Cox Media Group

Robert Neil as Executive Vice President of Cox Media Group supervises several radio, television, newspaper, and digital research operations within the company. He joined Cox in 1986 as Station Manager of WSB- AM/FM and by 1988 was named VP and General Manager WWRM-FM. Eight years later, he was named President and Chief Executive Officer of radio when Cox Radio became a public company (1996). [7]

Courtesy of Cox Media Group

Charles L Odom serves as Chief Financial Officer & Principal Accounting Officer has served Cox Radio since January 2009. Charles joined Cox Radio in 1996 as Manager of Financial Reporting, and served as Director of Financial Reporting and Analysis from 2001- 2008. [8]

Courtesy of Cox Media Group

Neil Johnston currently serves as the Executive Vice President, Strategy and Digital Innovation. He oversees Strategic Development, and the digital expansion of Cox Media Group. Neil was also Cox Radio’s Chief Financial Officer for the past nine years, and he has currently stepped down from the position. [9] [10]

Finances/Market Revenue:

After announcing their transition from public to private in 2009, it was reported that Cox’s revenues increased from $1.8 billion to $15 billion. Nonetheless, in 2011, Cox’s annual earned profits was $14.6 billion, falling -0.7 percent short from the previous $15 billion revenue. [11]

Specifically, over the past year Cox Radio’s revenue has increased 1% compared to radio’s overall revenue, which fell by 2%. Similar to other radio companies, Cox Radio, Inc is currently threatened by the ipod effect and the general struggle to maintain profitable radio advertising results in the market. [12] [13]

Popular Radio Shows:

Alan Cox Show Flyer. Courtesy of www.wmms.com

Kono 101.1 flyer. Courtesy of www Kono 1011.com

News:

Cox Radio reportedly experienced a $404 million loss due to weak advertising revenue. This equates to a $4.08 per share relative to the net income of $1.8 million and earnings back in 2007. Particularly, the general economy and the advertising market contributed to the 7.2 percent decrease in local revenue, while national revenue decreased at an astonishing 11.7 percent. [14]

October

Interestedly enough, Cox Radio, Inc acquired Valpak of Jacksonville in order to best cross-promote their radio services along with advertising incentives to radio listeners. Valpak mails over 20 billion coupons and targets about 100 markets in 48 states and four Canadian areas. They also integrate digital advertising into their promotions through Smartphone apps, QR codes, and phone messaging interaction. This opportunity will provide a unique outlet for local Cox Radio stations to market their shows and upcoming events. [15]

Cox Radio is set to expand their radio news service throughout their Atlanta-based locations. The news stations will provide regional weather coverage, sports information, and regional weather coverage that w. They decided on this news alternative after seeing an opening where Clear Channel declared closure for their Georgia News Network by the end of this year. [16]

November

Once again, Cox Radio stations experienced budget cut expenses. Cox Radio has released two of the most charming radio personalities: the amiable Steve O. Sellers and the laid-back Katrina Curtis. The cuts were not done on personal ends, but simply because it was a “business decision.” Loyal radio listeners were a bit gloomy, considering there no indication of a goodbye announced through the radio on behalf of the Disc jockeys themselves. An interesting comparison was made recalling how in the 70s and 80s Disc Jockeys dominated stations, and the ratings correlated with the sales of ads, respectively. Nowadays, large companies are far more concern with cutting costs even if it means getting rid of the most important element in radio shows: the talent. [17]

Cox Radio supports The Internet Fairness Act , which will help end the discrimination against online radio. Their decision to stand in favor of this act demonstrates the acceptable shift between traditional radio and modern radio alternatives. This is certainly a pivotal step towards the merging direction our radio culture is intended to encounter. [18] [19]

References:

[1] http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/cox-enterprises-inc-history/ (Cox Enterprises, Inc. History)

[2] http://www.adweek.com/news/television/cox-radio-goes-private-112341 (Cox Radio goes Private)

[3]http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=350722

[4] http://streamingradioguide.com/radio-parent-list.php?parentid=6 (List of 86 radio stations)

[5]http://www.hoovers.com/companyinformation/cs/competition.Cox_Radio_Inc.1f936d45ef30fa21.html (Affiliate Partnerships of Cox Radio, Inc)

[6] http://www.coxmediagroup.com/news/cmg-press-releases/cox-media-group-announces-new-integrated-media-org/nCq/ (Cox Media Group Announces New Integrated Media Organization)

[7] http://www.coxmediagroup.com/about/ourleadership/bob_neil/

[8] http://www.coxmediagroup.com/about/ourleadership/bob_neil/ (Bob Neil)

[9] http://people.equilar.com/bio/charles-odom-cox-radio/salary/348497#.UMHqJY48gbU (Charles L Odom)

[10] http://www.forbes.com/profile/jim-kennedy/ (Jim Kennedy)

[11]http://www.coxmediagroup.com/about/ourleadership/neil_johnston/ (Neil Johnston)

[12] http://www.forbes.com/lists/2011/21/private-companies-11_Cox-Enterprises_H166.html

[13] http://www.forbes.com/lists/2011/21/private-companies-11_Cox-Enterprises_H166.html (Forbes Financial Update)

[14] http://www.wikinvest.com/wiki/IPod_Effect (ipod Effect)

[15]http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Cox_Radio_(CXR) (Cox Radio Finances)

[16]http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2009/03/02/daily25.html?ana=yfcpc(Revenue loss)

[17]http://www.kxxv.com/story/19882720/cox-radio-acquires-valpak-of-jacksonville-franchise (Valpak)

[18]http://www.ajc.com/news/business/cox-media-group-to-launch-radio-news-service/nSTHY/ ( Launching news station)

[19]http://blog.mysanantonio.com/jakle06/2012/11/major-cost-cuts-at-cox-radio-popular-djs-axed/ (TV Personalities)

[20] The Internet Fairness Act (Internet Fairness Act)

[21] http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/112490/count-cox-media-group-in-as-supporting-the-interne

Cox Media Group

Posted on September 19, 2012 by wtlimper

by Tyler Limpert

Cox Media Group is a company within Cox Enterprises which also owns and operates the national advertising firm Cox Rep. and the national marketing company Valpak. Cox Enterprises was founded in 1898 in Dayton, Ohio by the founder, James Middleton Cox when he purchased Dayton Evening News. Cox was so successful with the newspaper that he eventually became Ohio’s first three-term Governer and the presidential nominee in 1920. The Cox Media Group was founded over a century later in December of 2008 when Cox Enterprises combined Cox Radio, Cox Newspaper and Cox Television. Out of the 15 stations Cox Media Group owns and operates, only two were started by the group,WHIO-TV in Dayton, Ohio and WSB-TV in Atlanta, Georgia. [1],[2]

2011 Metrics

Revenue = $1.7 Billion
Television Stations = 15
Television Viewer Reach = 30+ Million
Local Cable Channels = 1
Television Markets = 11
Local Cable Channels = 1
Page Views for Television Website = 996 million
Employees = 9,000 [3]

Mission Statement

Building on the foundation and talents of our core, we are transforming CMG into a digital media company by creating scalable content and advertising services businesses. And we will accomplish this with speed, passion and courage. [4]

Top Competitors

Recent News

With the rise in audience approval of homegrown developed entertainment in the past few years and it’s expected hike in fall of 2012, Cox Media Group made sure they wouldn’t miss out on the new trend by taking up a one-third stake in RightThisMinute (along with Scripps and Raycom). The show airs during primetime on the local news channels owned by Cox Media Group all over the nation and includes viral videos with commentary from the cast. The show has a quirky 60 minutes vibe and has a log line of “Videos First, Before They Go Viral”. The show’s website also offers an option where viral videos can be sent to you by email (finally we don’t have to keep responding to that annoying coworkers emails to find the coolest viral videos!). The show which premiered in 2011 has been a success ever since and was a great investment by Cox Media Group. The show’s video content is available online at RightThisMinute.com, but to get the full episodes you need to be subscribed to a Cox, Scripps or Raycom Broadcasting network. Below is a promotional video for the show and is a good representation of the kind of informative entertainment Cox Media Group likes to provide it’s customers. [6],[7]

OCTOBER

October 3rd, 2012 Cox Media Group announces its plans to start a state-wide news operation in Georgia. The Georgia News Station powered by Cox Media Group will be replacing the the current Statewide News Network which will be filling out it’s duties until it retires at the end of the year. Cox Media Group has a long history in Georgia news and already owns WSB radio, WSB TV and the Atlanta Constitution. The headquarters for The Georgia News Station will be within the WSB radio facilities in Atlanta, GA. This integration of Cox Media Group resources combines more than 150 daily news reporters knowledge and sends it to the entire state of georgia in an easily digestible format.[8]

NOVEMBER

Dayton,Ohio
On November, 13th Cox Media Group Ohio, located in Dayton announced it will be accepting an award for it’s philanthropic contributions to the surrounding community. The award will be presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Greater Dayton Region Chapter. It is a huge honor for WHIO-TV, WHIO radio and the Dayton Daily News especially since the entire Cox name grew out of Dayton, Ohio. The Cox Media Group Ohio Market Vice President Julia Wallace is accepting the award.[9]

Cox Media Group Ohio is very proud of it’s roots as the start of Cox Enterprises. In this promotional video you can see CMGO’s involvement with the surrounding community and how important Dayton’s success is to the group.

Hurricane Sandy
After Hurricane Sandy devastated the East Coast in early November, Cox Enterprises decided to put on their philanthropy boots. On November 12th in partnership with the John M. Cox Foundation , Cox Enterprises made a cash donation to the American Red Cross of $100,000 to be put towards the Hurricane Sandy Relief efforts. Cox Communications also helped out the American Red Cross by running ads and public service announcements online about the relief effort. Cox Media Group followed up this donation with a $75,000 donation towards Sandy relief efforts. [10]

DECEMBER

On December, 4th 2012 Cox Media Group closed it’s deal with Newport Television Stations in Jacksonville, Florida and Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Cox Media Group President Doug Franklin recently commented on the deal closing in a statement release “Countless hours of hard work have taken place over the last few months to prepare for today, and I want to thank everyone at CMG and these stations involved who made today a reality”. Through the deal Cox Media Group acquired WAWS (FOX Affiliate) and WTEV-TV (CBS Affiliate) in Jacksonville, Florida and KOKI (FOX Affiliate) and KMYT-TV (MyNetworkTV Affiliate) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Jim Zerwekh the Vice President and General Manager of WAWS and WTEV-TV only had good things to say about the deal too “The Action News Team is thrilled to be joining the Cox Media Group Family with their proven 100-plus year record of producing journalism excellence and commitment to the local community…This opportunity is a big win for our team, our city and our customers.” Even Holly Allen the Vice President and General manager at KOKI and KMYT had positive things to say, stating that her team in Tulsa is “thrilled to be joining a company that not only has deep historic roots in the news business, but also is continually looking toward the future.” The positive feedback from both sides of the deal shows how good the Cox reputation really is and how important this deal can be for Jacksonville and Tulsa. [11]

Conclusion

In conclusion Cox Media Group has had a very busy quarter and has invested time and money into bettering the local communities that they service throughout the nation. There philanthropic nature has existed long before these past few months and in return Cox Media Group Ohio, the birthplace of Cox Enterprises, was awarded a very prestige’s award. Cox Media Groups philanthropy goes beyond Dayton, Ohio which could easily be seen by their contribution to the Red Cross after the devastation that Hurricane Sandy brought the east coast. You can also see how important the local communities are to Cox Media Group in Atlanta. When the State of Georgia realized they were losing their Statewide News Network by the end of 2012 they looked to Cox Media Group to fill the gap and Cox Media Group answered that call. Cox Media Group is a great example of a company that understands how important it can be in contributing to the growth of the United States one community at a time. With revenue in the billions you wouldn’t think a company would be so giving, especially in a world where high-profiting companies are seen as the bad guy. Cox Media Group gives a good name to big business.

References

Cox Media Group Logo Image taken from-http://www.coxmediagroup.com/about/
Cox Media Group Video taken from-http://www.youtube.com/user/CoxMediaGroup?feature=watch
Cox Media Group Ohio Promo-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkYn90plYUU
RightThisMinute Promo- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpSNYp-SHgY
1.http://www.coxmediagroup.com/about/
2.http://www.cmgohio.com/?q=direction
3.http://www.coxmediagroup.com/about/
4.http://www.coxmediagroup.com/about/
5.http://www.hoovers.com/company-information/cs/competition.Cox_Media_Group_Inc.43d9201c0129306b.html
6.http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/489055-Station_Groups_Spin_Wheel_on_Homespun_Shows.php
7.http://www.rightthisminute.com/about
8.http://www.coxmediagroup.com/news/cmg-press-releases/cox-media-group-create-georgia-news-service/nSTQd/
9. http://www.whiotv.com/news/news/local/cox-media-group-ohio-honored-for-philanthropy/nS5Qy/
10.http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cox-enterprises-donates-100000-to-american-red-cross-for-hurricane-sandy-victims-2012-11-12
11. http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/cox-media-group-closes-on-purchase-of-newport-stations_b71843

Cox Media Group

Posted on September 18, 2012 by gllevin

by Geri Levin

[14]

Cox Media Group (CMG) is a media company that specializes in uniting broadcasting, publishing, direct marketing, and digital media. CMG is one of the five companies that make up a national top ten company, Cox Enterprises. CMG owns and operates one of North America’s leading direct marketing companies, Valpak, and additionally is responsible for the national advertising rep firms of Cox Reps. [1]

History:

James M. Cox founded Cox Enterprises in 1898 with the purchase of the Dayton Evening News (now called the Dayton Daily News). [2]

Portrait of James M. Cox. Image courtesy of authentichistory [15]

After Cox took control of The Atlanta Journal newspaper and WSD in 1939, he then established South’s first television station in Atlanta, WSB-TV, in 1948. [2]

As the years passed, Cox Enterprises became one of the first company in the cable television industry. [2]

The enterprise expanded by assembling four different branches. The four companies that make up Cox enterprises is Cox Communications, Manheim, Cox Media Group and Cox Digital Solutions. [2]

About:

Cox Media Group controls 15 broadcast television stations including one local cable channel. They also own 86 radio stations, 8 daily newspapers, more than a dozen other publications that are not daily and more than 100 digital services. Operating in more than 30 media markets the company reaches up to 52 million Americans. [1]

Reaching 29 cities in 17 States across the United States of America [3], Cox Media Group delivers numerous media outlets to different markets insuring that people get the latest and updated information. The companies that are affiliated with CMG include ABC, Fox, Independent, MyNetworkTV, CBS and NBC. [4]

Leadership:

Doug Franklin, President. Image courtesy of Cox Media Group [16]

Bill Hoffman, Executive VP. Image courtesy of Cox Media Group [17]

Neil Johnston, Executive Vice President, Strategy & Digital Innovation. Image courtesy of Cox Media Group [18]

Broadcast Television:

One of the major branches that brings in a lot Cox Media Group’s annual revenue is the television stations that the company owns and operates. With up to 15 stations as well as one local cable channel, CMG broadcasts in 11 markets. The companies that are affiliated with CMG include ABC, Fox,, MyNetworkTV, CBS, NBC and some are independently owned. [4]

Each market has either one or two stations in that area:

The Oakland, San Franciso and San Jose market has the station KTVU which is affiliated with Fox and KICU-TV, an Independent station. [6]
The stations that are located in Jacksonville, Florida are WAWS, affiliated with Fox and WTEV-TV, (the most watched television station [5]) a CBS company. [6]
Broadcasting in Orlando and Daytona Beach, Florida, are both an ABC affiliated station, WFTV and an independently owned station, WRDQ. [6]
In Atlanta, there is only one major broadcasting station is WSB-TV, associated with ABC. [6]
Reno, Nevada’s stations are KRXI-TV, which is a fox station, and KAME-TV, a MyNetworkTV station. [6]
In Charlotte, NC the stations include WSOC-TV, affiliated with ABC, and the station WAXN-TV, which is an independent station. [6]
Dayton, Ohio’s main station is a CBS station, WHIO-TV [6]
Both Stuebenville, OH and Wheeling, W.V. have the same broadcast station which is WTOV-TV. Operated by NBC. [6]
The broadcasting stations in Tulsa, OK are KOKI-TV and KMYT-TV. KOKI-TV is associated with Fox and KMYT-TV is associated with MyNetworkTV. [6]
The one major station in Johnstown and Altoona, PA is WJAC-TV, which is affiliated with NBC. [6]
WPXI is the station that broadcasts to Pittsburgh, PA. This station is operated by NBC. [6]
The station in El Paso, TX is KFOX-TV, operated by Fox [6]
Lastly, the station KIRO-TV in Seattle and Tacoma, WA is operated by CBS. [6]

Current Cox- Owned Television stations. Image courtesy of Cox Media Group – Wikipedia. [19]

Financials:

The broadcast stations that Cox Media Group owns in each market brings a significant amount of revenue for the company. In 2010 the gross revenue that the stations brought in all together was 535.9 million dollars. [4]

The broadcast station that brought the highest amount of gross annual revenue in 2010 was the station in Atlanta, GA with 137.6 million, WSB. The least amount of revenue generated was WJAC in Johnstowns and Altoona, PA with 9.9 million. [4]

Unfortunately, in 2011 the gross revenue dropped to a lower rate of was 482.1 million. That means that the company went down 53.8 million dollars in just a year. [4] Although the broadcast television stations lost revenue in 2011, they still stayed on top as the branch in CMG that produced the most amount of revenue that year. [4]

When it comes to the specific stations that Cox Media Group owns, the station that made the most money in 2011 was WSB in Atlanta, Georgia with 131.5 million dollars. The lowest amount of money that a station made was 8.9 million, again at the WJAC station. [4]

Cox media Group comes out with their annual revenue at the end of each year and due to this, they have not settled upon a yearly revenue for 2012 as of right now. One can assume that due to the election all throughout the fall of 2012, CMG’S annual gross revenue assumably shot up from 2011’s annual revenue.

News:

CMG Purchasing Two Major Television Stations

In July of 2012, CMG was offered to purchase two of Providence Equity Partners, the parent company of Newport Television, television stations. The stations that they offered were WAWS-WTEV in Jacksonville, Florida and KOKI-KMYT Tulsa, Oklahoma. [7]

Logo for WAWS-WTEV in Jacksonville, FL. Image courtesy of Fox 30 WAWS website [20]

Logo for KOKI- KMYT in Tulsa, OK. Image courtesy of Fox 23 KOKI website [21]

The Federal Communications Commission was forcing Newport to sell on of the two Jacksonville stations. This was because it was stated as a condition to the agency’s approval of Providence Equity’s buy of the twenty stations in 2008. [12]

But this ended up being a beneifical prospect for CMG. Buying WAWS-TV would be a major deal for CMG due to the fact that this Jacksonville station is a top rated Fox affiliates in the United States. [8]

On December 3rd, 2012, Newport announced that the deal had been closed and that CMG officially owned these two stations. [9]

According to Cox Media Group, the reason for why they decided to purchase these two T.V. stations was to focus on larger markets to ensure more of a cross media collaboration as well as improve the impact in lesser markets. [10]

To make this work to the best of its ability, CMG decided to sell radio locations in Birmingham, Greenville, Hawaii, Louisville, Richmond, and southern Connecticut, as well as T.V. stations in four markets: El Paso, Johnstown, Reno and Steubenville. What this will do is help the company collaborate with other businesses while keeping its financial numbers the same. [10]

According to Holly Allen, Vice President and General Manager of KOKI-TV and KMYT-TV, she said, “Our team in Tulsa is thrilled to be joining a company that not only has deep historic roots in the news business, but also is continually looking toward the future and making valuable contributions in communities around the nation.” [11]

With the purchase of these new radio station, CMG is able to switch up their traditional business plans. Most of the stations that they operate are broadcast stations in smaller markets but the purchase of these two new stations from Newport Television, LLC will change this. They will be focused on the idea of changing up their portfolio and focusing on the larger markets that they now own.

Awards:

There have been CMG properties that have received the Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards. This honor is rewarded to those who illustrate the spirit and excellent enthusiasm that broadcaster Edward R. Murrow demonstrated for the the broadcast profession. The winners include: [13]