iHeart Media & Entertainment

Posted on October 16, 2016 by trlevy

by TALIA LEVY and VALERIE POWELL

[16] iHeartMedia Company Logo

iHeartMedia, Inc

200 East Base Road

San Antonio, Texas

HISTORY

iHeart Media was originally founded in San Antonio, Texas under the name Clear Channel Communications. The company was founded by Lowry Mays and B.J. McCombs in 1972. In 2008, the company became private by a leveraged buyout through Bain Capital, LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners.

iHeartMedia has the widest reach in America for any radio or television outlet with an audience of over a quarter of a billion listeners each month. The company currently covers 150 of the U.S. markets with 858 broadcast radio stations. iHeartMedia delivers a variety of content including music, talk shows, news, and sports through broadcast stations, satellite, online, via smartphones and via live shows. iHeartRadio currently has 92 million registered users with a year-over-year growth of 22% with an increase of 8% in total listening hours. As of September 30th, cumulative upgrades and downloads have reached a new record of 1.1 billion [4].

KEY EXECUTIVES

Bob Pittman [12] Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Wendy Goldberg [13] Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer

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William Eccleshare [15] Chairman and CEO, Clear Channel International

Richard J. Dressler [14] President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

FINIANCIAL

For the second quarter of 2016, iHeartMedia’s loss widened to $278.89 million due to billboard sales in Turkey that expanded the ongoing debt $56.6 million. The loss was more than five times the amount of 2015’s second quarter loss of $54.66 million [3]. Even though there was a large loss in the second quarter, the company is still generating revenue in the third quarter of 2016 for a total of $857.1 million. Due to a growth in network business and the Presidential Election, digital advertising and broadcast radio primarily drove the growth in revenue of $10.2 million (1.2%) from the previous year’s third quarter revenue [4].

The increase in revenue allows iHeart to stay on top of their current debt of $20.78 billion as of June 30th, 2016. The large debt is mainly due to a buyout in 2008 by two Boston private-equity firms, allowing them to gain 70% of the iHeartMedia Company. Debtwire senior credit analyst, Seth Crystall, explains that iHeart is a “powerful brand” and will continue to increase revenue to make up from their current losses by the transformation of their listeners to their mobile app [3].

[17] Singer Taylor Swift singing at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.

iHEART MUSIC FESTIVALS

The iHeart Music Festival Tour is iHeartRadio’s biggest live musical event, generating a large income for the company, with a portion of the ticket profits going towards the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. iHeartMedia’s President of National Programming Group, Tom Poleman, says, “Fans wait all year to hear who will be playing this tour and we’re thrilled to announce an impressive lineup” [11]. The concerts are held in major cities throughout the country by the iHeartRadio stations in those areas. The Jingle Ball Tour is iHeartRadio’s biggest musical event, generating a large income for the company. The tour is sponsored by Capital One, which allows card holders to gain early access to tickets before going to the general public [7].

[18] Bon Jovi Photographed performing at an iHeartRadio live concert.

The live iHeart Radio concerts are a mutually beneficially event for both the artists involved and iHeartMedia. For example, most recently the artist The Weekend celebrated the release of his new album Starboy in Toronto by headlining the iHeartRadio Canada Jingle Ball. Thirty minutes of his live set was broadcasted on the iHeartRadio App, along with 112 of iHeart Media’s radio stations including KISS in Los Angeles and Z100 in New York [1]. The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball in Toronto also included performances by major artists such as Niall Horan, The Chainsmokers, and Alessia Cara.

[23] iHeartRadio celebrated One Direction’s 2013 album Midnight Memories with a special release party.

iHEART GLOBALLY

Recently, iHeartRadio expanded into Canada with the collaboration of North America’s fastest growing digital audio service, Bell Media [2]. Canadians now have instant access to stations and to free streaming channels via iOS, Android apps, and at iHeartRadio.ca. iHeartRadio Canada uses content from Bell Media, which has over 105 licensed radio stations and 100 streaming channels [2]. With the expansion into Canada, iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball will now be present in Toronto.

[21] iHeartMedia’s Fiesta Latina is a part of the company’s Hispanic initiative.

This part quarter iHeart partnered with Hispanic radio legend Enrique Santos, to create a new Hispanic initiative to develop new programming content for iHeartMedia across their various platforms. This new initiative recognizes the increasing size of the the U.S. Hispanic community that are both English and Spanish speakers, as well as utilizes Santos’ popular reputation within the Latino community [8].

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[22] iHeart partnered with Telemundo to air the program.

Building off of this new initiative, just this past November iHeart celebrated the best in Latin Music at the iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina. They partnered with Telemundo to air the exclusive TV special and streamed the event live on Telemundo.com. Telemundo is an American-Spanish language television network owned by Comcast through NBCUniversal [10]. The event broadcasted live on iHeartMedia Spanish-Pop, Tropical, regional Mexican and Spanish Adult Hit radio stations all across the country [8].

THE FUTURE

This coming January, iHeartMedia will be launching a new On-Demand music streaming service, that will put them amongst competition of services like Spotify and Apple Music. The iHeartRadio All Access service will offer its subscribers unlimited on-demand listing to over 30 million songs. They will also offer a cheaper option, iHeartRadio Plus, which will gives its subscribers the ability to instantly replay songs they heard on iHeartRadio stations, through the app. According to iHeartRadio,the company has not yet decided how to price the two new services. However, $9.99 a month has become an industry standard for full on-demand subscriptions services. iHeartMedia earns most of its revenue through on-air advertisements, which they still will continue to air, despite the new revenue from the subscription service.

[19] iHeart will be unveiling 2 different On-Demand services. iHeartRadio Plus and iHeartRadio All Access.

iHeartMedia is not the only major radio based company making the switch, Pandora is creating its own on-demand based product estimated to cost $4.99 a month in the near future [6]. According to iHeart, iHeart All Access will “include a full on demand music collection experience – but one still tied directly to radio.” the company said. When listeners hear a song on the radio that they like, for the first time ever they will be able to replay that song or even save it directly to their playlist.

[20] iHeart Radio’s On-Demand service is expected to launch in January 2017.

Sources:

[1] Bliss, Karen. “The Weeknd’s Album Release Day Live Set Broadcast on IHeartRadio.”Billboard. Billboard Music, 26 Nov. 2016. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.

[2] Dupuis, Renee. “IHeartRadio Now Available in Canada: Free Streaming Service Brings Canadians Biggest and Best Music Experience.” Bell Media. Bell Media Canada, 6 Oct. 2016. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

[3] Hendricks, David. “IHeartMedia’s Second-quarter Loss Widens to $278.9 Million.” San Antonio Express-News. San Antonio Express-News, 4 Aug. 2016. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

[4] IHeartMedia, Inc. IHEARTMEDIA, INC. REPORTS RESULTS FOR THIRD QUARTER 2016. Rep. IHeartMedia, INC., 9 Nov. 2016. Web.

[5] Karp, Hannah. “IHeartMedia to Launch On-Demand Music Service.” The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, 23 Sept. 2016. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.

[6] Lovelace, Berkeley, Jr. “Pandora CEO on On-demand Services: We’re in the Perfect Position.” CNBC. CNBC, 14 Sept. 2016. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

[7] McAlone, Nathan. “The Biggest Radio Powerhouse in the US Just Took Aim at Apple and Spotify with a New Service.” Business Insider. Business Insider, 23 Sept. 2016. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

[8] Ross, Kevin. “IHeartMedia, Inc. Reports Financial Results for the Third Quarter Ended September 30, 2016.” Radio Facts. N.p., 10 Nov. 2016. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

[9] Stine, Randy. “IHeartMedia Shows Revenue Growth in Q3.” Radio World. Radio World, 10 Nov. 2016. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

[10] Telemundo. “IHeartRadio Fiesta Latina 2016.” Telemundo. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

[11] Vitucci, Danielle. “IHeartMedia Rings in the Holiday Season with the Return of Its Iconic 2016 National “iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour Presented by Capital One”.” IHeartMedia Rings in the Holiday Season with the Return of Its Iconic 2016 National “iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour Presented by Capital One” | Business Wire. BusinessWire, 11 Oct. 2016. Web. 29 Nov. 2016.

[12] Bob Pittman. iHeartMedia, Inc. Retrieved: November 28th 2016

[13] Wendy Goldberg. iHeartMedia, Inc. Retrieved: November 28th 2016

[14] Richard J. Dressler. iHeartMedia, Inc. Retrieved: November 28th 2016

[15] William Eccleshare. iHeartMedia, Inc. Retrieved: November 28th 2016

[16] iHeartMedia. RadioFacts. Retrieved: November 28th 2016

[17] iHeartMedia. Yahoo News. Retrieved: November 28th 2016

[18] iHeartMedia. VectorNetworks. Retrieved: November 28th 2016

[19] iHeartMedia. Hollywood.com. Retrieved: November 28th 2016

[20] iHeartMedia. Business Wire. Retrieved: November 28th 2016

[21] iHeartMedia. Aaarena.com. Retrieved: November 28th 2016

[22] iHeartMedia. iHeart.com. Retrieved: November 28th 2016

[23] One Direction Last First Kiss IHeartRadio Album Release Party. Perf. One Direction. Youtube, 3 Jan. 2014. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.

Sony Corporation

Posted on October 16, 2016 by crtraver

Charlotte Traver, Brendan Weaver, David Sorokanich

Sony Entertainment Logo [15]

Company

Located in New York, NY, Sony Corporation of America is the US headquarters of Sony Corporation, which is based in Tokyo, Japan. Sony is involved in multiple businesses including electronics and mobile, film and television, music, gaming, digital services, and others. Sony employs about 125, 300 people and recorded annual sales of $71.7 billion of the fiscal year ending in March 2016.

Background

Sony Electronics is a leading provider of audio/video electronics and products. Sony Mobile is also a leading company in providing video, game, audio and communications technology products. Sony Pictures Entertainment is a huge innovator in major motion picture production and produces major blockbusters regularly. Sony Music Entertainment is one of the most well-known global recorded music companies and features artists famous on both a local and international scale. Sony/ATV Music Publishing works alongside Sony Music Entertainment and is the world’s leading music publisher. Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC is known for the PlayStation, a popular gaming console owned by millions of Americans. Other businesses that may not be as well known include Sony DADC, Sony Biotechnology Inc., Micronics, Inc., and Sony Card/Sony Rewards. [7]

Sony Pictures Executives

CEO of Sony Entertainment where he oversees the Sony’s global enterprise including Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Michael Lynton: CEO of Sony Entertainment where he oversees the Sony’s global enterprise including Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing [18]

Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer for Sony Pictures Entertainment he oversees the company’s financial affairs and development

Philip Rowley: Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer for Sony Pictures Entertainment he oversees the company’s financial affairs and development [18]

Executive Vice President & Chief Communications Officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment responsible for the distribution and implementation of Sony Pictures Entertainment communications

Robert Lawson: Executive Vice President & Chief Communications Officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment responsible for the distribution and implementation of Sony Pictures Entertainment communications [18]

Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Pictures Group in which he oversees the production and distribution of all Sony films

Tom Rothman: Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Pictures Group in which he oversees the production and distribution of all Sony films [18]

Senior Executive Vice President & General Counsel for Sony Pictures Entertainment and is the highest ranking legal consultant for Sony and is head of its law department

Leah Weil: Senior Executive Vice President & General Counsel for Sony Pictures Entertainment and is the highest ranking legal consultant for Sony and is head of its law department [18]

Sony Entertainment Financials

Screenshot of MarketWatch Report on Sony Corp. Stocks on Nov. 29, 2016 [13]

Sony Entertainment’s 2016 Q2 Earnings, which were finalized on September 30, 2016, show a 10.8% decrease in Sales and Operating Revenue compared to 2015’s Q2. Q2 is also showing a 45.7% decrease in Operating Income, a 40.5% decrease in Income before Income Taxes, and a 4.8% decrease in Sony Entertainment net income attributed to stockholders. These are all in comparison to the success Sony Entertainment showed in Q2 of 2015. [12] Furthermore, as of November 29, 2016, Sony Entertainment stock prices are at $29.49 per share. This is much lower in comparison to the past three months in which shares were at a high of $34.17. [13]

Sony Launches China Writers Initiative

On November 1, 2016, Sony Pictures Entertainment launched a China Writers Initiative, which will allow emerging and well-known writers from China access to the studios. Writers will be able to work with Hollywood film and television executives and screenwriters to collaborate on ideas for both Hollywood and Hollywood Chinese productions. The program was developed with Sony Pictures China and is intended to be a mutually educational program for both countries involved. Sony Pictures will select four writers at a time to travel to Los Angeles and work at the Sony Pictures Studios. A finalist will then be selected and able to produce their chosen project. [6]

Sony Dives into Virtual Reality

Sony Interactive Entertainment of America has been on the forefront of virtual reality technology and has just recently made VR accessible for all. With the release of the PlayStation VR in October 2016, virtual reality is available for all gamers who wish to take gaming to a new level. Virtual reality takes players into an immersive atmosphere never experienced before, one in which players are in the game themselves and experience something entirely different from traditional gaming. The release of the PlayStation VR included 30 games, but Sony Interactive Entertainment predicts that the PlayStation VR will have 50 games by the end of the year. President Shawn Layden of Sony Interactive Entertainment commented that virtual reality brings a “new medium into the homes of PS4 fans”. Sony Interactive Entertainment hopes that virtual reality will soon enter the homes of many average Americans, as more and more interactive experiences independent of gaming are released. A variety of VR experiences such as Hulu, Allumette, Invasion! and others will soon offer their own interactive experiences. [9]

[11]

Sony’s PlayStation VR outsold other virtual reality headsets released in 2016, including the HTC Vive and Facebook’s Oculus Rift. The PlayStation VR is predicted to outsell both the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift by more than 295,000 headsets, which is largely due to price. The PlayStation VR is a simple add on to the PlayStation 4, so users find this headset to be a better choice since many already own the console. However, SuperData Research’s director of research Stephanie Llamas seems to think that without a push in marketing from Sony, they will forever remain behind their potential.

-Is 2016 The Year Virtual Reality Finally Goes Mainstream? by NPR [14]

New Chairman and CEO of Sony Music

Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Entertainment, announced that Doug Morris will transition from operational management of Sony Music Entertainment and assume the role of Chairman in April 2017, and Rob Stringer, who was formerly Chairman and CEO of Columbia Records, will become CEO of Sony Music. Over the last six years as CEO, Morris has increased Sony Music’s market share and profitability. This has helped Sony achieve its status as the second largest music company in the world. He has also helped Sony reach its impressive status by initiating partnerships with record labels, extending a joint venture deal with Syco Entertainment, and by supporting the growth and development of Vevo, which he founded with Eric Schmidt in 2009. [4]

Rob Stringer, new CEO of Sony Music [17]

New Bob Dylan releases from Sony Music

A massive 36CD box set of Bob Dylan’s 1966 concert tours of the US, UK, Europe, and Australia was released on November 11 by Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment. The box set, “The 1966 Live Recordings”, commemorates the 50th anniversary of the live performances. The recordings are drawn from three main sources: soundboards, CBS Records mobile recordings, and audience tapes. The majority of the recordings are previously unreleased in any format and are being made available for the first time ever. [10]

Sony Pictures Classics Acquires The Comedian

Sony Pictures Classics has announced that they’ve acquired North American rights to Taylor Hackford’s comedy, THE COMEDIAN, starring Robert De Niro and Danny DeVito. Written by Art Linson, the film centers around an aging comic whose attempts to reinvent himself fail to impress an audience that only wants to know him as a former television character he played. Warner Bros. International will be handling foreign distribution of the film, under its deal with Cinelou.[2]

Sony Pictures Acquires TEN Sports From ZEE

Sony Pictures have entered into agreements to acquire TEN Sports Network from Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited for 385 million dollars. The acquisition will add South Asia’s leading sports network to SPN’s portfolio of channels. Ten Sports holds broadcast rights to wrestling, cricket, football, golf, motorsports, and cycling events. SPN comprises Sony Entertainment Television, one of India’s leading Hindi general entertainment television channels.[5]

Sony has acquired TEN Sports Network from Zee Entertainment Enterprises [16]

Sony and Multi-Deal International

In its commitment to broaden its global presence and its support of local language productions, Sony Pictures International Productions has signed a multi-picture development deal with filmmakers Eduardo Cisneros and Jason Shuman. The deal will allow Mexico and LA-based Cisneros and Shuman to write and produce three new films. Cisneros is one of the most successful writers in the Latin American film industry, with successes such as Instructions Not Included and Familia P. Luche. In 2014, Cisneros and Shuman began collaborating, writing the FOX feature comedy “Upgrade.” [3]

Sony Recognized as a Leader in Combating Climate Change

For the second year, Sony has been recognized as one of the highest performing companies on the CDP Japan 500 Climate Change Report 2016. CDP surveyed over 5,500 companies globally to compile their list. Their inclusion in the list recognizes the company’s effort to reduce the energy consumption of its manufactured products, curb greenhouse gas emissions at its operating sites, and accelerate use of renewable energy. Sony is one of 193 companies worldwide to be ranked as an “A” company, a distinction it has achieved for 2 consecutive years. [1]

Actions Sony has taken to combat climate change [19]

Works Cited

Sony Recognized as a Leader in Combating Climate Change in the CDP Japan 500 Climate Change Report 2016 for 2nd Consecutive Year. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
SONY PICTURES CLASSICS ACQUIRES CINELOU’S THE COMEDIAN. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
SONY PICTURES INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTIONS SIGNS MULTI-PICTURE DEVELOPMENT DEAL WITH EDUARDO CISNEROS AND JASON SHUMAN. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
ROB STRINGER PROMOTED TO CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
Sony Pictures To Acquire TEN Sports From ZEE. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT MOTION PICTURE GROUP LAUNCHES CHINA WRITERS INITIATIVE. Sony Pictures. Retrieved: November 28, 2016.
Who We Are. Sony.com. Retrieved: November 29, 2016.
Company News. Sony.com. Retrieved: November 27, 2016.
Gilbert, Ben (November 29, 2016). PlayStation is on track to crush Facebook and HTC in the first year of VR sales. Business Insider. Retrieved: November 28, 2016.
Columbia/Legacy Set to Release Bob Dylan: The 1966 Live Recordings, A Monumental Box Set featuring Every Known Recording from the Artist’s Mythic and Controversial 1966 Tour of the US, UK, Europe and Australia. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
PlayStation VR – Games Preview Summer 2016 | PSVR. Youtube.com. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
Sony Corporation 2016 Q2 Report. Retrieved November 26, 2016. https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/library/fr/16q2_sony.pdf
MarketWatch Reports on Sony Corporation Stocks. Retrieved November 29, 2016. http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/sne/profile
NPR on Virtual Reality. Retrieved November 25, 2016. http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2015/12/30/461432244/is-2016-the-year-virtual-reality-finally-goes-mainstream
Sony Entertainment Logo. Retrieved November 27, 2016. https://www.sony.co.uk
Ten Sports Logo. Retrieved November 28, 2016. http://www.afaqs.com/news/story/44872_Ten-Sports-unveils-new-network-logo
Rob Stringer Photo. Retrieved November 29, 2016. https://www.sonymusic.com/executives/rob-stringer/
Sony Management Team. Retrieved November 29, 2019. http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/management.html
Sony CRS Reporting. Retrieved November 29, 2016. https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/csr_report/environment/

Spotify by Daniel Rakow

Posted on February 18, 2016 by smwarren

(5)

Executives

Daniel Elk Martin Lorenzton

History

Spotify was developed in 2006 in Stockholm, Sweden. It was founded by the former CTO of Stardoll, Daniel Elk and the co-founder of TradeDoubler, Martin Lorentzon. They officially launched the music streaming service in October of 2008 for paid subscribers and in 2009 they made their service available for free subscriptions. The free subscriptions opened up the service to a bigger audience while slightly hindering their income. In 2011 Spotify crossed over into the United States market and also introduced the Spotify App for devices. (1)

More About Spotify

Since 2011, Spotify has solidified its spot as one of the top music streaming services along with Apple Music and Tidal. Today, Spotify features curated playlists that are made by their employees for paid subscribers. They have radio stations that allow the user to discover new music based on artists that are similar to the ones the user listens to. Along with that, they have a huge library of music consisting of 30 million songs. Their premium service allows users to access all of their songs and provides weekly curated playlists called Discover Weekly. Currently, they have over 75 million users with 30 million of those users being paid subscribers. (2)

Potential Change of Location

(Swedish Flag)

As of recent, Spotify has been hinting at a change of location for its headquarters. Since they started the company, they have been based in Stockholm, Sweden. However, recent circumstances have lead them to reconsider their choice to remain in their hometown. As Elk wrote in an open letter that he posted online, “We love Sweden and believe that this is basically the best environment for us. But at the same time we cannot magically remove the political obstacles. Thousands of Spotify jobs could go to the U.S instead of Sweden.” Spotify is frustrated with the Swedish governments inability to let businesses in their country grow. To start, Spotify believes the housing situation needs to be revisited. It’s extremely difficult to rent apartments in Stockholm because such a large amount are controlled by housing associations. It could take over 10 years to get a rental apartment which makes it extremely difficult for Spotify to bring in foreign talent. Another area Spotify argues needs change is their education system. They argue that the country doesn’t focus at their schools enough on technology. This leads to a lack of programmers for them to hire. The lack of knowledge causes them to have to train more workers, which could be avoided. Lastly, Spotify hopes to change Sweden’s stock options. The country’s rules don’t allow Spotify to grant their employees stock options which would attract brighter employees. (6) (7)

Competition

In the last month Spotify has had to deal with more competition than ever. Not only have they been going head to head with Apple’s streaming service Apple Music, they have also seen a few new players enter the streaming world. To start, Apple has signed exclusive contracts with big artists. These artists’ new albums debut on Apple Music and take a few weeks before they are available on Spotify. Artists like Drake have Spotify users growing impatient when he drops new content. He has 24 million monthly listeners and is the 7th most played artist on Spotify. This could hurt them eventually if it doesn’t change. Jay-Z music streaming service Tidal is another competitor with Spotify. In early February Rihanna took to Tidal to release her new album Anti. While it is now available on Spotify, for months it had users converting to Jay-z’s service to access it. Similarly, Kanye West exclusively released his new album The Life of Pablo on Tidal. However, The Life Of Pablo was recently made available on Spotify as well. Soundcloud, in the last month, has also entered the subscription space. They created Soundcloud Go which will also directly compete with Spotify. Even with all these competing services, Spotify has a loyal user base of over 75 million people that will be hard to take away from them. (8)

Spotify x Billboard

(Billboard)

On April 21 Billboard announced it’s partnership with Spotify for 2016. This is a huge win for Spotify over Apple Music. Billboard will bring all of its users to Spotify instead of Apple Music. Billboard’s charts are turning to Spotify to make it easier for its users to access today’s hits by streaming songs directly from their weekly charts. Now, when viewing the Hot 100 or Billboard 200 the user is able to listen to the songs they are analyzing. There are 30 second previews directly next to the song on the chart that also give the option to stream the full version on Spotify. Billboard will also be publishing 3 new spotify driven charts on billboard.com. One will be a 30 song Velocity Chart which will include the 30 most trending songs on Spotify. The next will have a Viral 50 chart which will consist of the 50 most shared songs across social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Lastly there will be a Velocity Chart with 30 songs with 5 songs for each decade (1960-2000). To take a look at the Billboard Hot 100 with Spotify streaming click here. (9)

Money

Spotify recently has raised over 1 billion dollars in debt financing. This is a substantial amount especially for a company that is financially stable. It is no doubt that Spotify now has money to spend but the question is: what will Spotify decide to do with all this extra money? forbes.com went into detail with ways that Spotify is planning on improving. Firstly, they are expected to get into the video space. Apple and Tidal already both have video content on their service. Spotify, being their number one competitor, will definitely start exploring music videos, behind the scenes, artist episodes, tour videos, and live footage. One major area they will have to work on is their payment rates. Their current rate per stream is .004. This rate tends to anger artists because they believe they are not being compensated for their art. This has lead artists like Taylor Swift and Adele to not allow their catalog of music to be included on their streaming service. With the extra money Spotify is planning to start working in these areas. (10)

Sources

(1) Streatfield, Brooke. Rise of a Tech Giant: The History of Spotify. The Telegraph. Retrieved: April 25, 2016

(2) Person, Adam Pasick. The Magic That Makes Spotify’s Discover Weekly Playlists so Damn Good. Quartz. Retrieved: April 25, 2016

(3) Bertoni, Steven. Spotify’s Daniel Elk: The Most Important Man In Music. Forbes. Retrieved: April 24, 2016

(4) Sloan, Paul. The Future of Music. CNET. Retrieved: April 24, 2016

(5) Spotify. Vulcan Post. Retrieved: April 25, 2015

(6) McIntrye, Hugh. Spotify May Soon Leave Sweden. Forbes. Retrieved: April 23, 2016

(7) Swedish Flag. Eduniversal. Retrieved: April 23, 2016

(8) Apple Music’s Biggest Swipe at Spotify Yet. Music Business Worldwide. Retrieved: April 24, 2016

(9) Billboard Staff. Billboard Announces Spotify as Exclusive Playback Partner of The Charts. Billboard. Retrieved: April 24, 2015

(10) McIntrye, Hugh. What Can Spotify Do With The $1 Billion It Just Raised? Forbes. Retrieved: April 24, 2015

Singleton, Micah. Spotify Hits 30 million Subscribers. The Verge. Retrieved: April 25, 2016

Sirius XM Radio – Joshua Weisleder

Posted on February 18, 2016 by smwarren

1221 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

James E. Meyer | Chief Executive Officer, SiriusXM

Scott Greenstein | President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM

Dara Altman | Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, SiriusXM

About

SiriusXM delivers quality ad-free satellite radio programing to its subscribers ever since its early inception in Washington, DC in the early 90’s. The broadcasting company transmits satellite radio services like Sirius Satellite Radio, XM Satellite Radio and Sirius XM Radio anytime and and anywhere for its subscribers in North America. Users can access the service in their car, computer, and smartphone and tablet devices. Sirius also has constructed deals with every major automaker while also providing weather and traffic updates for automobiles, trucks, boats, RVs and aircrafts. In regards to content, Sirius offers musical stations from various genres and time periods, sporting entertainment from all major professional leagues and top notch talk show programming across its hundreds of channels. SiriusXM also allows users to individualize their content by using MYSXM which lets users listen to hours of on-demand programing so they will never miss a beat. In regards to revenue, SiriusXM is the biggest in the market and recently reached 30 million subscribers during its first quarter of 2016(1). The American based company also has a Canadian subsidiary called SiriusXM Canada, which has a user base of 2 million users.

New Programming

This past year, SiriusXM has added more quality programs to its already impressive collection of stations. Some of their new content includes SiriusXM NHL Network Radio, SiriusXM Comedy Greats, FOX News Headlines 24/7, Velvet (a vocalist curated station for the likes of John Legend and Adele), SiriusXM Fly (Hip/Hop and RnB from the 90’s and early 2000’s) and KIDZBOP Radio(2).

SiriusXM also schedules in limited time channels throughout the year to test out potential ratings or to celebrate particular events or musical artists. In anticipation for the acclaimed music festival, Sirius launched Coachella Radio on April 11 to feature music by artist that are scheduled to perform(3). Last January, recently after his death, Sirius added a commemorative David Bowie station on channel 30 to celebrate his legendary career(4). As well, with the recent passing of Prince, they created a station in his honor on channel 50(5).

This past march, SiriusXM provided all users access to every second of every game of the 2016 NCAA March Madness on their satellite radios and internet connected devices. They provided extensive coverage for both mens and women’s basketball with insight analysis from Mike Krzyzewski, Bobby Cremins, Tom Brennan, Steve Lappas and Mateen Cleaves(6). In addition, at the beginning of April, SiriusXM expanded its broadcasting coverage for Golfs biggest event, The Masters. There programing included commentary and hours of live play-by-play coverage from Augusta National(7). As well, Sirius will broadcast all the NBA and NHL playoff action this postseason while also providing MLB and NFL regular season and playoff games throughout the rest of 2016 and beyond.

Finances

Currently, Sirius XM Holdings Inc. has a share price of $3.96 on NASDAQ(8)

In 2015, the company recorded its highest revenue at $4.6 billion while having their Net Income reach $510 million(9). Their Net Subscriber base grew by 2.3 million in the previous year, which helped them propel to 30.1 total users in 2016. In addition, their EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization(10)) surged 13% to an all time high for the company by reaching $1.66 Billion at the end of 2015 which eclipsed its 2014 mark of $1.47 Billion. For 2016, the company projects a 1.4 million net subscriber increase, $4.9 Billion rise in revenue, an EDBITDA of roughly $1.78 Billion and a Free Cash flow of around $1.4 billion. In addition, highly regarded financial analysis and TV personality for Mad Money, Jim Cramer, publicly stated earlier in April that: “When you see a lot of cars being sold — and we have a remarkable number of cars being sold — you want to own Sirius(11).” With SiriusXM having market control of satellite radios with the main automobile manufactures, its safe to say that SiriusXM will continue to be profitable.

Howard Stern

The king of SiriusXM’s programing is unquestionably Howard Stern. He has two stations on the service, Howard 100 and Howard 101, attracts millions of listeners and has generated huge earning for the company. As the highest paid radio broadcaster in the country, there was speculation if Stern would leave SiriusXM to purse a new distribution medium like Apple Music or Netflix(12). However, he decided to renew his contract with SiriusXM last November to give him a 5 year $90 Million per year deal, which is an annual increase from his previous $80 million yearly salary. By locking him up, SiriusXM can ensure that there biggest star is happy and still an integral part of their growing business(13).

Broadcasting Partners

Despite having several fantastic musical stations, SiriusXM has established great partnerships with several sports, news and talk programming corporations. Some of their partners are BBC, Bloomberg Radio, CNBC, CNN, the Dave Ramsey Show, ESPN, NPR, Playboy, Radio Disney, and the Weather Network(14). By having a strong group of media corporations available for users within the Sirius ecosystem, it gives users tons of options to recieve quality news and talk.

Automobile Partnerships

With a major source of listenership generated from car owners, SiriusXM has partnered with almost every major car manufacture in the market. They have existing deals with Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Harley Davidson, Honda, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, Toyota, and many more manufacturers(15). By having SiriusXM accessible with both American and non-American automobiles and in both luxuries and more affordable cars, the company is allowing all drivers the opportunity to subscribe to their service and its setting themselves up to be the go to place for in car audio entertainment in North America.

Closing Statements

SiriusXM provides a service unmatched in the industry. Despite heavy competition in the streaming market, SiriusXM is the only provider of ad-free satellite radio with a multitude of stations to entertain any kind of listener. From your favorite pop songs on Hits 1 to breaking news on CNN, you have 100’s of channels to choose from. After following another successful fiscal year, locking up their biggest entertainment asset in Howard Stern and continuously locking down automobile partnerships, theres nothing slowing down the satellite radio giant.

Sources

Billboard – April 23rd, 2016
SiriusXM: Channel Update – April 23rd, 2016
SiriusXM: Investor Update – April 22nd, 2016
SiriusXM Blog: David Bowie – April 24th, 2016
SiriusXM Blog: Prince – April 24th, 2016
SiriusXM: Investor Update Golf – April 22nd, 2016
Marketwatch – April 23rd, 2016
SiriusXM Investor Update – April 22nd, 2016
SiriusXM 2015 Financial Report – April 15, 2016
Investopedia – April 24th, 2016
The Street – April 22nd, 2016
TechTimes – April 22nd, 2016
Today – April 23rd, 2016
SiriusXM Partners – April 24th, 2016
SiriusXM Automobile Partners – April 24th, 2016

iHeartMedia

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Clelia Ryan

iHeartMedia Logo -Source iheartmedia.com

Headquarters

iHeartMedia, Inc.
200 East Basse Road
San Antonio, Texas 78209-8328

Corporate Structure

Bob Pitman: Chairman and CEO [3]

Richard J. Bressler: President, CFO and COO [3]

Wendy Goldberg: Executive VP & Chief Communications Officer [3]

John Sykes: President of Entertainment Enterprises [3]

About

[source – Electro Area Youtube Channel]

iHeartMedia has become a major force in the mass media industry. It was founded under Clear Channel Communications when they purchased their first radio station in 1972. Today, iHeartMedia Inc. is the parent company of iHeartMedia Capital I, Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings (CCO) as well as iHeartMedia (IHRT) [14].

iHeartMedia has the largest impact of any media platform in America, reaching 245 million monthly listeners through radio. Their reach expands to 150 different markets and ownership of 850 stations. iHeartRadio is a digital platform to listen to all iHeartMedia stations [1]. The company proves to be very successful in the digital radio space. In 2014, Clear Channel Media formally changed its name to iHeartMedia. CEO Bob Pittman states, “The new name will reflect the company’s multi-platform presence and ability to embrace innovation and new technology” [9]. This name change allows the company to align itself with the iHeartRadio name that consumers are familiar with. iHeartRadio is responsible for many live music events throughout the year, such as the Jingle Ball national tour, iHeartRadio Music Festival and iHeartRadio Awards.

Radio

Radio is a still huge media outlet and continues to reach 91% of Americans ages 12+ each week [23]. As of January 2016, iHeartRadio has 80 million register users and total listening hours grew by 30% [18]. iHeartRadio has coined deals with some of the most well known on-air personalities such as Ryan Seacrest and Elvis Duran of New York’s Z100. Seacrest hosts of LA’s number one morning stations, 102.7 KISS-FM. He also hosts nationally syndicated programming with the broadcasts of On Air with Ryan Seacrest and American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest [16].

Ryan Seacrest [16]

The iHeartRadio website and app provides “Live Radio“, allowing listeners to listen live to over 858 stations. They also provide “For You“, a feature that suggests stations based on the users preferred selection of genres. Finally, “Artist Radio” is a custom made station with songs by an artist selected by the listener and related music [17].

Right Here, Right Now: Financial Woes

Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw Reports on iHeartMedia’s Debt [20]

Click here to view a Bloomberg video summarizing iHeartMedias debt crisis [20].

Recently, iHeartMedia has been making headlines for their massive debt reported at the end of 2015. The company is reported to have approximately $20.6 billion of debt [2]. In 2008 the company was bought by private equity firms Bain Capital Partners LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners for $28 billion in a leveraged buyout. The buyout came during the economic recession and it was expected that in the coming years iHeartRadio would profit greatly [10]. However since 2008, iHeartMedia has been battling to pay off debt.

In response to the news, it was announced on March 8th that iHeartMedia Inc. hired Moelis & Co. as a financial advisor [4].

Also on March 8th, many bondholders became displeased with iHeartMedia’s executive decision to move $500 million in assets to a subsidiary. As a result bondholders filed notices of default. These bondholders argue that in transferring their shares of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc. to Broader Media LLC, iHeartMedia violated debt agreements. This was done in an attempt to clear up some of their massive debt [5].

In a press release issued on March 8th, iHeartMedia announced they filed a lawsuit in State District Court in Bear County Texas to prove their transfer of shares was done legally [6]. On behalf of the company, Chief Communications Officer Wendy Goldberg states, “We believe our recent contribution of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc. stock to our subsidiary Broader Media LLC constituted a permitted investment under, and fully complied with, our financing agreements” [5].

On March 10th, iHeartMedia was granted a temporary restraining order which rescinds the default noticed filed against the company. Moving forward, iHeartMedia and the bondholders, who issued the default notices, will have a court hearing before a judge. This hearing may determine how iHeartMedia will move froward in paying off their $20.6 billion in debt [11].

The trial regarding this matter is set to take place in a Texas state court on May 16, 2106. The shares in question are valued at $1.2 billion [12] .

Click for updating stock prices [19]

On April 25, 2016. iHeartMedia Inc.’s stock (IHRT) closed at $1.18 per share. This is a major drop in price compared to June 2015, when it was selling for $7.50 per share. Subsidiary, Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings also saw a drop in stock price from a year ago. It closed at $4.88 as opposed to its price of $11.21 seen in April 2015 [19]. In their Fourth Quarter and Full Year Report iHeartMedia stated a 3% revenue increase to $1.8 billion [18].

iHeartMedia’s Place in Political Advertising

Brendon DelToro [22]

On February 16th, iHeartMedia announced Brendon DelToro has been appointed to Vice President For Political Strategy. DelToro will aid in managing iHeartMedia’s relations with candidates and other political organizations. This year the company plans to have an iHeartMedia Campaign 2016 Command Center to keep track of over 2,000 elections in 150 markets. Brendon’s role will be to merge the political sales teams across iHeartMedia’s broad market reach [7]. The goal of iHeartMedia’s engagement with the political campaign is to allow political and advocacy groups to have access to iHeart’s 80 million users.

iHeartMedia is also planning on capitalizing on the 2016 election by having advertisers pay to place ads via radio rather than the traditional TV route. Candidates strive to target specific demographics, which is getting more difficult to do through traditional TV. Digital radio platforms, specially iHeartMedia can provide campaigns with data that is relevant for targeting the key audiences [8].

Continuing Their Place in the Entertainment Industry

Despite their well known debt and pending court hearings, iHeartMedia continues to hold their place in the music and entertainment industry.

iHeartMedia celebrated their 3rd annual iHeartRadio Music Awards on April 3rd. This award show is primarily driven by fans and users of the iHeartRadio app to vote for nominees.

iHeartRadio Music Awards Promotional Ad [13]

On social media the iHeartRadio Awards generated 115 billion impressions. This number includes the promotional period of the show throughout the television broadcast. This massive number of engagements far exceeds that of other popular award shows such as the MTV Video Music Awards. Chris Williams, Chief Product Officer credits the shows success to the fan engagement and radio personalities involvement [13].

Photo from the 2015 iHeartRadio Pool Party [15]

This summer, iHeartRadio will also be hosting their iHeartRadio Summer Pool Party. Tickets to this exclusive event at Miami’s Fontainebleau will be given to listeners across the country through on-air contests. This years lineup will feature Kygo, Flo Rida, DNCE and Jason Derulo [15]. Seasonal concert events such as the iHeartRadio Pool Party and Jingle Ball Tours are proven to boost listenership across iHeartRadio stations nationwide.

Summary

iHeartMedia is a well respected entertainment company but struggles with being profitable, due to its burdensome debt servicing obligations. Looking ahead, iHeartMedia’s debt crisis and battle with bondholders will have an effect on the financial future of the company. Overall, iHeartMedia remains competitive in the digital radio industry against companies such as Spotify and Pandora providing similar services.

Works Cited

[1] iHeartMedia Corporate. iheartmedia.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[2] “The Largest U.S. Radio Operator Is Saddled With $20 Billion Debt”. bloomberg.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[3] iHeartMedia Our Team. iheartmedia.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[4] “iHeartMedia hires Moelis to tackle debt burden”. newsdaily.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[5] “iHeartMedia, Lenders in Fight Over Disputed Share Transfer”. bloomberg.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[6] “iHeartMedia, Inc. Responds to Lender Group Allegation”. Businesswire.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[7] “iHeartMedia Names Brandon DelToro Vice President for Political Strategy”. iheartmedia.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[8] “Inside iHeartMedia Strategy to Steal Presidential Ad Dollars From TV” adage.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[9] “Clear Channel Rebrands As iHeartMedia” adage.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[10] “Coming, the collapse of radio’s iHeartMedia”. Medialifemagazine.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[11] “Court Rescinds Default Notices Against iHeartMedia”. Insideradio.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[12] “iHeartMedia Default Fight Set to Go to Trial” wsj.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[13] “2016 iHeartRadio Music Awards Social Engagement Captures 115 Billion Impressions Across U.S.” broadwayworld.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[14] “iHeartMedia Loses A Director, Gets More Time To Resolve Its Massive Debt Problems” billboard.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[15] “iHeartRadio Is Throwing Miami’s Biggest Pool Party of the Year With Flo-Rida, Kygo and More” miaminewtimes.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[16] “Ryan Seacrest Inks New Mega Deal with iHeartMedia” hollywoodreporter.com, retrieved April 23, 2016

[17] iHeartRadio. iheartradio.com, retrieved April 23, 2016

[18] iHeartMedia Investors. iheartmedia.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[19] iHRT Stock Price. Google.com/ihrt+stock+price, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[20] “Has iHeartMedia Defaulted on Debt?” uk.finance.yahoo.com, Retrieved April 23, 2016

[21] iHeartMedia Sizzle Reel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6pQXJ0jHO8P9ih4rPRh8Kg, Retrieved April 24,2016

[22] Photo Brendon DelToro. allaccess.com, Retrieved April 24, 2016

[23] “Why Radio Fact Sheet”. rab.com, Retrieved April 24, 2016

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.

YouTube

Link

Emma Lux

Source: YouTube, YouTube logo [1]

HISTORY

YouTube is a video streaming company that was launched in May of 2005 [2]. The company is a website that allows people all around the world to watch and share videos. They have sports videos, music videos, gaming videos, live streaming, and so much more [3]. YouTube has been utilized by individuals and by large companies as a platform to distribute content. YouTube currently has more than 1 billion users and 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. Until recently, YouTube made a majority of its money through advertising before and during the videos on the site. In 2006, Google bought YouTube for 1.65 billion dollars [4]. Under the deal, YouTube was able to remain an independently operated entity and a separate brand. The original founders of YouTube were Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim who were all early employees of PayPal [2]. The current CEO of YouTube is Susan Wojcicki, but Chad Hurley, one of the original founders, still serves as an advisor [5]. YouTube has opened up channels of communication and allowed for an easier way to distribute media more directly to the public.

KEY EXECUTIVES

Source: Susan Wojcicki Twitter, Susan Wojcicki – CEO, YouTube [6]

Source: Robert Kyncl Twitter, Robert Kyncl – Chief Business Officer, YouTube [7]

Source: Politic365, Chad Hurley – Founder and Advisor, YouTube [8]

FINANCIALS

Source: Behance, Google Logo 2015 [11]

As a company, YouTube’s financials have been protected by their parent company, Google. There has been wide speculation about whether YouTube actually makes a profit. In 2014 an anonymous Wall Street Journal source reported YouTube’s revenue for the year at roughly $4 billion and profit at break even [9]. YouTube was a large investment for Google. It has been estimated that it won’t be long before YouTube makes up to 10% of Google’s total revenues [10]. During Google’s Q2 2015 conference call, the new CFO, Ruth Porat, was evasive regarding questions to clarify YouTube’s financials. Porat did not share YouTube’s financials because she felt it could put the company at a competitive disadvantage. Colin Gillis, an analyst for BGC Partners, believes that Google is now in the stages of refining and preparing YouTube’s financial performance so when they do finally reveal those numbers, Wall Street will be pleasantly surprised [9].

YOUTUBE RED

Source: The Wrap, YouTube Red Logo [13]

On October 28th, 2015 YouTube launched its long-discussed paid subscription service, YouTube Red. The service will cost $9.99 a month and have ad-free versions of YouTube videos. There has been speculation about a service like this coming for a long time because of the financial issues that YouTube is faced with. YouTube has all the factors for success, but reportedly only breaks even with their revenue. This new service will allow subscribers of YouTube Red to save YouTube videos for offline play, listen to videos in the background while browsing other mobile apps and watch all YouTube videos without ads. YouTube stars like PewDiePie, Lilly Singh and the Fine Brothers will be creating videos that are exclusive to this new program. Music is also a large component of YouTube Red.

Source: Connect Socialyte, Collage of YouTube’s Top Creators [14]

The service will be providing access to Google Play Music and a new app called YouTube Music, which offers a personalized playlist based on a starting song or artist, this style is very similar to Pandora. YouTube Red is charging prices very similar to potential competitors like Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video and Hulu [12]. YouTube also announced that they would be shutting down their Music Key beta, just a year after launching. Music Key was YouTube’s first attempt at a subscription service and offered users full album streams and offline listening for $7.99 a month. The service also included access to Google Play Music. Music Key was not successful, and never made its way out of beta. YouTube Red is the company’s second attempt to overcome the issues that were evident in Music Key’s model and break through any streaming service barriers [15].

Source: TechCrunch, ESPN Pulling Videos From YouTube due to Red [16]

YouTube Red contains a large amount of promise to fix YouTube’s financial woes, but there has been controversy over how YouTube has gotten creators to agree to be a part of the service. YouTube has stated that 99% of creators have signed on with the Red deal but has also been accused of giving creators no choice, either getting on board with the service or having their videos removed from the site. ESPN has had the most public battle with YouTube over the service. With rights issues surrounding their content, ESPN had to pull almost all of their videos from YouTube. Eleven of ESPN’s thirteen YouTube Channels were impacted and had their content pulled from the site [16].

YOUTUBE’S MOMENTUM & FUTURE

Even with the issues facing YouTube and the fallout coming from YouTube Red, the company’s future seems bright. YouTube now reaches more 18-49 year olds than any

Source: BN1 Magazine, Vevo Logo 2015 [18]

single U.S. cable network and the average YouTube mobile session is 40 minutes. The number of hours people spend watching videos is also up 60%, which the fastest growth YouTube has experienced in 2 years [17]. Ever since YouTube officially became “mainstream” in 2009 with Congress and The Vatican launching their respective YouTube channels, the momentum in pop culture has only increased. YouTube launched Vevo, a music video channel, then announced that movies could be rented from YouTube starting in January 2010. As YouTube gained notoriety projects were launched on the site such as the It Gets Better project and Kony 2012. YouTube has pushed the importance of

Source: It Gets Better Project, It Gets Better Project Logo [19]

original content and been revolutionary in the likes of live-streaming. YouTube was the first company to show a live-stream of the 2012 Olympics. YouTube has pushed the boundaries and the strides can only point to a successful future [2]. YouTube has big plans to stay ahead of everyone else in the field, and to turn their large audience numbers into real, tangible profit i.e. YouTube Red. One of YouTube’s other big projects for the future is to provide YouTube access to anyone, anywhere. No matter what kind of connection, they want YouTube and its content to be streamed everywhere. YouTube has worked very hard to improve their tech. To continue improving it, YouTube has built new codecs, participated in developing new versions of HTML, and

Source: Buzzfeed, YouTube Rainbow Logo Celebrating Marriage Equality [20]

worked narrowly and closely with internet providers to make sure people are getting the best picture possible. These upgrades will never stop for YouTube, because this is what it takes to stay ahead and that has always been one of their biggest priorities. One of YouTube’s other resolutions as it moves to the future is a greater focus on “creators” rather than the one hit viral wonders that helped give YouTube its notoriety. These creators have built large fan bases and are in large part to thank for the increased viewership and subscriptions which is what is making YouTube so successful. These creators are also crucial to make sure that YouTube Red is successful, exclusive content on the service from these creators will only draw more fans to pay for the service [21].

SOURCES

[1] YouTube Logo. YouTube. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[2] Dickey, Megan. (February 15th, 2013). The 22 Key Turning Points In The History Of YouTube. Business Insider. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[3] YouTube Channels. YouTube. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[4] La Monica, Paul. (October 9th 2006). Google to buy YouTube for $1.65 billion. CNN Money. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[5] Kioskea. (October 29th 2010). Hurley stepping down as YouTube chief executive. CCM. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[6] Susan Wojcicki. Twitter. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[7] Robert Kyncl. Twitter. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[8] Barnette, E.R. (2015). Chad Hurley. Politic365. Retrieved: November 29th 2015.

[9] Oreskovic, Alexei. (July 16th 2015). How much money does YouTube make? Don’t ask the new CFO. Business Insider. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[10] Brugger, Tim. (September 9th 2014). Alright Google, Inc, What’s YouTube Really Worth? The Motley Fool. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[11] Google Logo. Google. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[12] Luckerson, Victor. (October 21st 2015). You Can Now Pay to Watch YouTube Without Ads. Time. Retrieved: October 25th 2015.

[13] YouTube Red Logo. The Wrap. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[14] YouTube Creator Collage. Connect Socialyte. Retrieved: December 1st 2015.

[15] Connolly, Amanda. (October 24th 2015). YouTube’s Music Key beta will end next month, leaving non-US users in the lurch. The Next Web. Retrieved: October 25th 2015.

[16] Perez, Sarah. (October 23rd 2015). YouTube Red Deal Forces ESPN To Pull Its Videos From YouTube. TechCrunch. Retrieved: October 25th 2015.

[17] YouTube Statistics. YouTube. Retrieved: December 1st, 2015.

[18] Vevo Logo. BN1 Magazine. Retrieved: December 1st, 2015.

[19] It Gets Better Project Logo. It Gets Better. Retrieved: December 1st, 2015.

[20] YouTube Rainbow Logo. BuzzFeed. Retrieved: December 1st, 2015.

[21] Pierce, David. (May 12th 2015). YouTube’s Plans for 10 More Years of Video Domination. Wired. Retrieved: December 1st, 2015.

Spotify- Grant Nygaard

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Grant Nygaard

Grant Nygaard

Spotify Logo

Headquarters (1)

Research & Development

Spotify AB
Birger Jarlsgatan 61, 10tr
113 56 Stockholm
Sweden
556786-5729

Main Headquarters

Spotify Ltd.
4th Floor
25 Argyll Street
London W1F 7TU
United Kingdom

USA Headquarters

Spotify USA Inc
45 W. 18th Street
7th Floor
New York, NY 10011
USA

http://www.spotify.com/

Key Executives (2)

Barry McCarthy- Chief Financial Officer

Daniel Ek: CEO & Co-Founder

Martin Lorentzon- Co-Founder and Chairman of The Board

Steve Savoca-Head of Content

Gustav Söderström- Chief Product Officer

Overview (Clip courtesy of Vimeo)

Spotify is a commercial music streaming service based in Stockholm, Sweden that provides licensed, label-approved content to consumers using a “freemium” business model (4). Launched in October, 2008 by Swedish entrepreneurs Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon, the privately held company has amassed over 75 million users in just 7 years, 20 million of which subscribe to the premium service (3). Available on Mac, Windows, smartphones, tablets, and Smart TV’s, Spotify revolutionized how users could access the world’s music from any platform. By providing a cost-effective, accessible alternative to piracy, Spotify has changed the landscape of engaging with music content.

Financial Information and Revenue Model

Spotify is a privately held and funded company that has no plans of going public as of now, but they have CFO Barry McCarthy on the board, who helped make Netflix a public company, so that may change in the near future (5). Currently valued at more than 8 billion, Spotify is essentially worth more than the entire recording industry combined, which is around 7 billion (6). In terms of a revenue model, Spotify employs the “freemium” approach, which means that the basic service is free with

Royalties from Spotify Favor the Artist.

advertising interruptions, but users can pay $9.99 per month for an ad-free service that can be accessed offline (4). Also, there is an option for college students to access the premium service for $4.99 a month, making the service extremely

How Royalties are Calculated.

attractive to advertisers looking to target a younger demographic (4). When it comes to paying royalties back to label and music providers, Spotify pays rights holders 70% of all revenue generated. Royalty payment amounts are based on individual deals that factor in country, artist, and the amount of premium users (4).

Interface

An example of Spotify’s desktop interface. (Provided by Spotify)

An Example of Spotify’s Mobile Interface. (Provided by Spotify)

Streaming Wars: A Market Fragments

From its release in the U.S, Spotify had dominated the music streaming market with little to no resistance. However, several competitors have begun to pop up, making the market more fragmented than ever. The most notable of these competitors is the recently released Apple Music, which currently boasts close to 15 million subscribers, 6.5

A new competitor has popped up trying to establish market share. Apple Music Logo

of which are paid users of the premium service (6). While this remains a fraction of Spotify’s number, it still is notable due to the fact that the service is less than a year old, and offered a free 3 month premium trial to anyone who signed up. To compete against this, Spotify announced its own trial period, offering 3 months of premium access for just 99 cents (7) .

Another reason Apple was able to grab a share of the market so quickly was its focus on artist-generated content and live curated radio by popular DJs on their “Beats Radio 1” Platform. Boasting celebrity DJs such as Drake and Pharrell Williams to host live shows and create curated content, Apple has been able to get users excited by having exclusive mixes created by artists (8). In response to Beats 1, Spotify has created “In Residence,” a series of podcast playlists curated by the likes of former Sex Pistol Steve Jones and alternative rock band Jungle (9). Although they lack the live component of Beats 1, Spotify hopes to expand this feature to more artists aimed a younger demographic.

Personal Curation

Also in the realm of curated content to compete with Apple, Spotify has scored a hit with its new “Discover Weekly” feature. Launched this quarter, the new addition creates

Spotify has become the most popular streaming service worldwide. Courtesy of App Annie

customized 2-hour playlists for users each week based on listening history and habits. Having accumulated 1.7 billion streams since launch, Spotify’s head of product Matt Ogle said the feature has, “Exceeded our expectations.” (10) This suggestion/discovery model is another reason Spotify has usurped the throne of most popular streaming service from Pandora, the internet radio service, this quarter (11) .

Examples like these show how, even in an evolving market, Spotify has found ways to stay on top when it comes to music streaming through new ways for users to engage with music. This yields results, as they are now able to dominate globally.

Spotify and Artists: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

This past semester, Spotify has had both positive and questionable interactions with content creators. Here are some notable ones:

The Good: The “Year in Music” (12)

On November 30th, Spotify released its annual “Year in Music” figures to the public, showcasing how Spotify numbers have become a legitimate measurement for success in the industry, and how it can be extremely beneficial for exposing music to a large audience.

In 2015, Spotify users streamed over 20 Billion hours of music across all platforms. Within those 20 billion hours, rapper Drake was the most popular, with 1.6 billion streams and 46 million unique listeners, showing how Spotify has helped his music reach a massive audience. Also, Major Lazer’s track, “Lean On” was named the most streamed track ever, with 540 million plays overall worldwide. Justin Bieber also broke records with his new album “Purpose,” getting 36 million streams on November 13th, the day it was released (available for streaming via Spotify below). These numbers show the power streaming can give the artist, as getting 36 million plays the first day an album was released was virtually impossible in the days of solely physical releases.

The Bad: Adele and 25 Absent on Spotify (13)

Although numbers for streaming are higher than ever, the projected highest-selling album of the year, English songstress Adele’s “25”, was not put up for streaming on Spotify at

Adele isn’t Spotify’s biggest fan. Courtesy of XL Recordings

her request. Having sold over 4 million copies in the US alone, the album is breaking sales records in an era where album sales are at their lowest point in history. This album would have surely boosted streaming numbers for Spotify and boosted ad sales to target free users. When asked about the lack of streaming for “25”, Adele said, “It probably is the

future, but, eh,” showing her lack of enthusiasm towards the method. To make matters worse, Pandora has exclusive rights to the album, putting the potential revenue in a competitor’s hands.

The Ugly: Victory Records Controversy (14)

The catalog of indie rock label Victory was pulled off of Spotify after the company inquired with Spotify about inadequate royalty payments. This practice of taking catalogs off the service is ugly because it sets a dangerous precedent for indie labels in a streaming

Victory Records Logo. Courtesy of Victory

climate, who may not have as much leverage to negotiate with Spotify as a major label like UMG would. Marginalizing independent music on Spotify would hurt not only the artists, but create an environment where conglomerates make all decisions.

Hopefully Spotify could expand on positive artist relations while attempting to help others be more comfortable with streaming in the future.

Overview

Spotify has had a tumultuous but overall successful few months, as they navigated an evolving, fragmenting market successfully and have become the de facto music streaming service around the globe. It will be interesting to see how they can deal with a rising Apple Music and recent backlash over royalties and label agreements while still engaging users with curated and personalized content.

Sources

(1) Spotify About Us

(2) Bloomberg Business Company Overview of Spotify

(3) Time Magazine What is Spotify?

(4) Spotify Artists Spotify Explained

(5) Huffington Post Spotify Just Hired The Man Who Took Netflix Public

(6) Digital Music News Spotify now Worth More Than Entire Recording Industry

(6) Wall Street Journal Apple Music Now has 15 Million Users

(7) Spotify Premium for 99 Cents

(8) BBC Beats 1 Radio Hosts

(9) NME Spotify Introduces “In Residence”

(10) Time Here’s The Story Behind Spotify’s Coolest Feature

(11) Radio and Music Spotify Becomes World’s go-to Streaming Service

(12) Billboard Spotify’s Year in Music

(13) The Verge Adele Admits Streaming is Probably The Future, Still Doesn’t Care

(14) Rolling Stone Spotify Drops Victory Records Catalog Over Disputed Royalties

21st Century Fox (TV)

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Jason Mussman

Jason Mussman

21st Century Fox Corporate Logo [1] Source: 21st Century Fox

21^st Century Fox was formed on June 28, 2013 with the division of News Corp into two separate companies, 21^st Century Fox (The Entertainment Properties) and News Corp (The Publishing Properties) [2]. Founded by Rupert Murdoch, one of the most recognized names in the entertainment industry today, 21^st Century Fox was created to bring about the future of film and broadcasting industry [3]. Rupert Murdoch still remains Executive Chairman of the Board but on July 1^st 2015 Rupert Murdoch’s son, James Murdoch, took over as CEO [4]. 21^st Century Fox has a broad portfolio of global assets in the broadcast and film industry. 21^st Century Fox’s most prominent broadcast network are the FOX Networks.

Early in June 2015 21st Century Fox and News Corp. reached an agreement to move their world headquarters [5]. The new headquarters will be at the second World Trade Center site. The building being developed by Bjarke Ingels Group, will house studios, be completely state of the art and will put a new more meaningful location to 21st Century Fox [5]

21st Century Fox

Two World Trade Center

New York, NY 10006

…….

Executive Leadership

Rupert Murdoch [6]
Executive Chairman – 21st Century Fox. Source: Eva Rinaldi

Lachlan Murdoch [7] Executive Chairman – 21st Century Fox. Source: Deadline

James Murdoch [8]
CEO – 21st Century Fox. Source: Deadline

Background

21^st Century Fox reaches over 1.8 Billion customers daily through its portfolio of film, cable and broadcast networks [9]. 21^st Century Fox has assets in both the broadcast

Some assets owned by 21st Century Fox [11] Source: 21st Century Fox

and cable networks including, FOX, YES, FX, FXX, FOX News Channel, FOX Sports and the most recently acquired, National Geographic [9].

The FOX network currently has 16 shows in its fall lineup with hit show Empire, leading the ratings [10].

Financials

Fox Sports logo [13] Source: Fox Sports

21^st Century Fox continually innovates, standing behind its cable networks to drive revenue growth. The 21^st Century Fox brand is globally recognizable because of its strategy to acquire and keep viewers. Sports and News programming is the cornerstone of this strategy [12]. 21^st Century Fox continues to combat cord cutting by continuing to improve on its Sports and News content and programming [12]. These two types of content bring in a live audience and help keep 21^st Century Fox on top of the marketplace.

21st Century Fox Annual Revenue [15] Source: 21st Century Fox Investor Relations

In Fiscal 2015, 21^st Century Fox’ revenue dropped 9% from $31,867,000,000 to $28,987,000,000 [12]. The drop in revenue was due in large part to the sale of its direct broadcast networks [12]. During this same period, 21^st Century Fox held nearly 25% of the market share of all Cable Programming, second to only Disney [14]. While Television made up approximately 17% of 21^st Century Fox total revenue, it dropped 8%, or $401 Million from 2014 [12]. At the same time, advertising sales decreased by 14%. The main cause of the falling prices was due to lower ratings on the FOX networks entertainment shows [12].

Screenshot of market share for Cable Network Programming [14] Source: CSIMarket

21st Century Fox trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker FOXA. Today, December 1^st 2015, the share price for 21^st Century fox is $30.26 [16]. This is a 5.56% decline from fiscal 2014 where the stock sat at $35.79 [16]. As stated earlier, the decline in stock price was due to in large part to poor ratings from Fox’s entertainment shows [12].

FOXA Stock Price [27] Source: Google Finance

National Geographic Acquisition

National Geographic Cover – June 1985 [28] Source: National Geographic

With the goal of saving National Geographic and expanding on its efforts in science and innovation, National Geographic and 21^st Century Fox agreed on a Joint Venture. The deal took place on September 9^th creating the for-profit Joint Venture National Geographic Partners [17]. For $725 Million 21^st Century Fox will take control of 73% of National Geographic [18]. This merger will give 21^st Century Fox new assets on both the television and print front [19]. This merger will help both National Geographic and 21^st Century Fox, and will provide both companies with new assets in both content and financials. The National Geographic endowment will increase to $1 Billion, providing more finances for innovation and research throughout the world [18]. This move will help 21^st Century Fox reach a broader audience as well as give it more assets on the digital platform.

Empire

Promo for Empire [29] Source: Fox

January 7^th 2015, FOX Network, the leading cable network for 21^st Century Fox, premiered a new show that would significantly impact 21^st Century Fox as well as the world around it. Empire, a show that centers on African American artists and executives, are all seen fighting for control of a music empire [21]. Empire continually leads in ratings each week, bringing in massive revenue for 21^st Century Fox [20]. Currently, Empire is the second priciest show for advertisers, coming in just behind Sunday Night football. A typical ad spot for Empire, costs just around $500,000 [32]. While Empire brings in a diverse audience, it is one of the highest rated shows among African American viewers [22]. Empire is doing more than just helping Fox on screen. Because the show centers on the music industry, the show is also constantly creating new songs and new stars [22].

Presidential Debate

Tweet by Justin Haskins after 3rd Republican Primary Debate [30] Source: Justin Haskins, Twitter

Tweet by Mark Simone after 3rd Republican Primary Debate [31] Source: Mark Simone, Twitter

After rival network CNBC inappropriately handled the moderation of the third Republican Presidential primary debate, the RNC suspended its future debate scheduled with CNBC [23]. At this time FOX Business stepped up and requested to host the next debate.

The RNC agreed and stated that “Fox Business won’t become a character in the campaign soap opera”, something that CNBC was accused of doing in the prior debate [23]. CEO James Murdoch later stated that he was going to show America the way a real debate should be handled, giving time to the real issues of the economy and the future and not an entertainment show [23]. This move for FOX will not only help with ratings, it will also bring in significant cash. Because of its estimated 14 million viewer audience, it is estimated that each 30 second spot, will bring into Fox roughly $250,000 [23].

The Future

Assets of 21st Century Fox [26] Source: 21st Century Fox

21st Century Fox will continue to innovate and continue to bring in revenue for its shareholders. With its diverse and ever expanding portfolio, 21^st Century Fox will continue to be a a leader in the global entertainment industry. By continually investing and utilizing innovative methods to fight against cord cutting, 21^st Century Fox will continue to grow and produce strong earnings for its investors.

Breaking News!

The Primetime Emmy nominated show Bones is currently suing 20th Century Fox, a division of 21st Century Fox [24]. The lawsuit is being brought on by the actors and producers of the show. In the suit the plaintiffs claim that Fox made “sweetheart deals” that cheated them out of tens and millions of dollars [25]. Deschanel and Boreanaz, two of the stars of Bones, claim that they are contractually entitled to 3% of the shows profits. 21st Century Fox has not commented on the suit [24].

[1] “21st Century Fox.” Logopedia. Accessed December 02, 2015. http://logos.wikia.com/wiki/21st_Century_Fox.

[2] “21st Century Fox.” 21st Century Fox. Accessed December 01, 2015. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/21st-century-fox#/entity.

[3] “21st Century Fox Success Story.” 21st Century Fox Profile, History, Founder, Founded, Ceo. Accessed December 01, 2015. http://successstory.com/companies/21st-century-fox.

[4] Lieberman, David. “It’s Official: James Murdoch To Become Fox CEO Sharing Power With Lachlan.” Deadline. June 16, 2015. Accessed December 01, 2015. http://deadline.com/2015/06/fox-james-murdoch-become-ceo-1201445613/.

[5] News, Bloomberg. “News Corp. Will Move Headquarters to 2 World Trade Center.” Latest from Crains New York Business. June 02, 2015. Accessed December 02, 2015. http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20150602/REAL_ESTATE/150609962/news-corp-will-move-headquarters-to-2-world-trade-center.

[6] Rinaldi, Eva. “Rupert Murdoch.” Digital image. December 21, 2012. Accessed December 2, 2015. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Murdoch#/media/File:Rupert_Murdoch_-_Flickr_-_Eva_Rinaldi_Celebrity_and_Live_Music_Photographer.jpg.

[7] “Lachlan Murdoch Exits Ten.” TelevisionAU. Accessed December 02, 2015. http://televisionau.com/2014/03/lachlan-murdoch-exits-ten.html.

[8] “James Murdoch Faces Shareholder Resistance Over Board Re-Election.” Deadline. November 20, 2014. Accessed December 02, 2015. http://deadline.com/2014/11/james-murdoch-faces-shareholder-resistance-over-board-re-election-1201290216/.

[9] “Investor Relations .” Investor Relations. Accessed December 02, 2015. http://www.21cf.com/Investor_Relations/.

[10] “FOX 2015-16 Season Ratings (updated 12/1/15) – Canceled TV Shows – TV Series Finale.” Canceled TV Shows TV Series Finale. December 01, 2015. Accessed December 01, 2015. http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/fox-2015-16-season-ratings-38075/.

[11] “Index of /wp-content/uploads/2014/08.” Index of /wp-content/uploads/2014/08. Accessed December 02, 2015. http://marketbusinessnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/.

[12] “21st Century Fox Annual Report.” Accessed December 2, 2015. http://tcfeuspstrgektron.blob.core.windows.net/uploadedfiles/pages/investor_relations/21cf%202015ar%20web.pdf.

[13] Accessed December 2, 2015. http://a.fssta.com/content/dam/fsdigital/media/images/migration/press-releases/2014/05/06/121913-FSO-FOXSportsLogo-PI.vresize.1200.675.high.35.jpg.

[14] “FOXA’s Competition by Segment and Its Market Share.” Csimarket. Accessed December 1, 2015. http://csimarket.com/stocks/competitionSEG2.php?code=FOXA.

[15] “21st Century Fox Annual Report.” Accessed December 1, 2015. http://tcfeuspstrgektron.blob.core.windows.net/uploadedfiles/pages/investor_relations/21cf%202015ar%20web.pdf.

[16] “Twenty-First Century Fox Inc.” : NASDAQ:FOXA Quotes & News. Accessed December 02, 2015. https://www.google.com/finance?cid=25639.

[17] Laylin, Tafline. “National Geographic Contributors Embrace Fox Deal with Ample Cautio.” The Guardian. September 16, 2015. Accessed December 2, 2015. http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/sep/16/national-geographic-21st-century-fox-merger-rupert-murdoch.

[18] “National Geographic Society and 21st Century Fox Agree to Expand Partnership.” National Geographic Society Press Room. September 09, 2015. Accessed December 02, 2015. http://press.nationalgeographic.com/2015/09/09/national-geographic-society-21st-century-fox-agree-to-expand-partnership/.

[19] Farhi, Paul. “National Geographic Gives Fox Control of Media Assets in $725 Million Deal.” Washington Post. September 9, 2015. Accessed December 02, 2015. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/national-geographic-magazine-shifts-to-for-profit-status-with-fox-partnership/2015/09/09/7c9f034e-56f0-11e5-8bb1-b488d231bba2_story.html.

[20] Porter, Rick. “Rock Steady: The Most Consistently Rated Shows of Fall 2015.” TV By The Numbers by Zap2itcom. November 26, 2015. Accessed December 02, 2015. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/11/26/rock-steady-the-most-consistently-rated-shows-of-fall-2015/.

[21] “Empire.” IMDb. Accessed December 02, 2015. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3228904/.

[22] “A SPRAWLING EMPIRE: HOW FOX’S HIT TV SHOW AFFECTS MUSIC.” Nielsen. September 23, 2015. Accessed December 2, 2015. http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2015/a-sprawling-empire-how-foxs-hit-tv-show-affects-music.html.

[23] Gold, Hadas. “For Debate, Fox Business Aims to Be the Anti-CNBC.” POLITICO. November 9, 2015. Accessed December 02, 2015. http://www.politico.com/story/2015/11/fox-business-republican-debate-cavuto-bartiromo-215634.

[24] Patten, Dominic. “Fox “Cheated” ‘Bones’ Stars Out Of More Than $100M, New Profit-Participation Suit Claims.” Deadline. November 30, 2015. Accessed December 02, 2015. http://deadline.com/2015/11/bones-lawsuit-david-boreanaz-emily-deschanel-fox-barry-josephson-1201647064/.

[25] Balloni, Matthew. “‘Bones’ Producer Sues Fox for “Accounting Chicanery,” Claims Top Execs “Threatened” Him.” The Hollywood Reporter. November 25, 2015. Accessed December 02, 2015. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/bones-producer-sues-fox-accounting-843854.

[26] Mussman, Jason Taylor. 21st Century Fox Brands. Digital image. Accessed December 1, 2015.

[27] “Twenty-First Century Fox Inc.” : NASDAQ:FOXA Quotes & News. Accessed December 02, 2015. https://www.google.com/finance?cid=25639.

[28] “Thoughts on Afghan Girl’s Third Cover Appearance as National Geographic Looks Back, Forward – Reading The Pictures.” Reading The Pictures. October 02, 2013. Accessed December 02, 2015. http://www.readingthepictures.org/2013/10/thoughts-on-afghan-girls-third-cover-as-national-geographic-looks-back-forward/.

[29] “Empire Review – Where Does Your Loyalty Lay? – Screen Sirens TV.” Screen Sirens TV. October 02, 2015. Accessed December 02, 2015. http://screensirenstv.com/empire-review-where-does-your-loyalty-lay/.

[30 ]Haskins, Justin. “CNBC Has Totally Discredited Itself Tonight with This Travesty of a Debate. The Questions Have Been Atrocious and Biased. #GOPDebate.” Twitter. October 28, 2015. Accessed December 02, 2015. https://twitter.com/TheNewRevere/status/659551198098386944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw.

[31] Simone, Mark. “The Big Winner of This Debate – FOX Business Network. CNBC Looking Too Biased, a Little Sleazy and Untrustworthy #GOPDebate #CNBCGOPDebate.” Twitter. October 28, 2015. Accessed December 02, 2015. https://twitter.com/MarkSimoneNY/status/659548475764420608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw.

[31] Poggi, Jeanine. “TV Ad Pricing Chart: ‘Sunday Night Football,’ ‘Empire’ Are Broadcast’s Most Expensive Ad Buys.” Advertising Age Media RSS. September 24, 2015. Accessed December 02, 2015. http://adage.com/article/media/ad-pricing-chart-sunday-night-football-empire-broadcasts-most-expensive-ad-buys/300516/.

iHeart Media

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Stephanie Zolan

by STEPH ZOLAN

iHeartMedia Logo. [1]

iHeartMedia Headquarters
200 East Basse Road
San Antonio, Texas, 78209
(210) 822-2828

Executives:

Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia

Bob Pittman, Chairman & CEO [2]

Richard Bressler, President, CFO and CEO of iHeartMedia

Richard Bressler, President, CFO, & COO [2]

Wendy Goldberg, Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer

Wendy Goldberg, Executive Vice President & Chief Communications Officer [2]

Gayle Troberman, Executive Vice President and CMO [2]

John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises [2]

History:

iHeartMedia began with the purchase of a single FM radio station by Lowry Mays and Red McComb under the name Clear Channel Communications. As the company progressed, they acquired not only more broadcast and digital radio stations, but also Clear Channel Outdoor. In addition, iHeartRadio was launched as a website in 2008, and now acts as a digital aggregator for radio brands. In 2014 the company officially rebranded as iHeartMedia in order to create a more cohesive and connected brand. iHeartMedia is now the largest mass media company in America. [3]

Radio:

iHeartMedia currently owns and operates over 850 broadcast radio stations in more than 150 United States markets. They have over 245 million listeners each month, making iHeartMedia the largest multi media company in the country. In addition, the company’s digital music service, iHeartRadio, allows users to create custom music stations. In January, the service exceeded 60 million registered users. [4]

iHeartMedia also operates Premiere Networks, which produces, distributes, or represents over 90 syndicated radio programs and services for more than 5,500 radio stations affiliates. [5] Some of the radio company’s syndicated programs are produced in house, which cater mostly to local markets. In addition to syndicated programming, iHeartMedia also produces Programming for iHeartMedia radio stations greatly varies in order to reach audiences in many different markets. The different radio formats include Alternative, Urban, Smooth Jazz, News talk, Sports talk, Adult Contemporary, Contemporary Hits, Country, Oldies and Classic Hits, Rock, Spanish, and Religious. [6]

Another technique iHeartMedia uses to draw in listeners, is employing trusted radio personalities. For example, On Air With Ryan Seacrest is a syndicated program that is available on over 150 radio stations across the country, and has made Seacrest a household name. [7] His home station, KIIS-FM in Los Angeles produced the most revenue of any United States station in 2014 earning $65.9 million. iHeartMedia continues to increase the awareness of their radio personalities through events. [8]

[9] One of the most well known radio personalities in the country.

Events:

iHeartMedia is more than just the largest owner of radio stations in the United States. The company also specializes in digital media, outdoor advertising, and event production. The national events are used to promote their top notch radio personalities as well as the most popular music on the radio.

[10] 2015 iHeartRadio Music Awards logo, from NBC.

Most recently, they hosted the iHeartRadio Music Awards. Musicians were not the only ones who brought home awards that night. The event itself won the Nielsen TV social ratings and the top trending show on Twitter for both the night and the entire week. During the promotional period and the show, The iHeartRadio Music Awards generated 14 billion social media impressions, which is a huge increase in comparison to last year’s 8.5 billion. [11] Local radio station personalities were engaging with viewers through social media, helping draw in the audience. This included live Twitter Periscope broadcasts of behind the scenes footage, and an iHeartAwards Snapchat Story that featured audience members, nominated artists, and radio host Ryan Seacrest. [12]

Clear Channel Outdoor Logo. [13]

Clear Channel Outdoor:

In addition to owning and operating radio stations and producing events, iHeartMedia also specializes in outdoor advertising. Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings is a subsidiary of iHeart, and is one of the largest outdoor advertising companies worldwide. They have over 640,000 displays including billboards, street furniture, retail advertising, airport advertising, transit advertising, and posters. Clear Channel Outdoor operates across 40 different countries. [14]

iHeartMedia in the Industry:

As a radio focused company, the main competitors for iHeartMedia are Cumulus Media and CBS Radio in the broadcast radio marketplace. SiriusXM has also become a competitor, and iHeartMedia has purchased two satellite stations of their own in order to expand into the satellite market. Since the company has also increased their digital presence with iHeartRadio, they now compete with Pandora and Spotify as well. [15] iHeartMedia’s ability to stand out is largely attributed to their availability across so many different platforms and formats. The scale of the company allows them to reach a large and diverse audience, and their creativity and tools enable iHeartMedia to effectively target their content and advertisements. [16]

Another factor is brand awareness. In December of 2014, iHeartRadio reached 75% brand awareness, which is a huge accomplishment considering they were at 10% only 5 years ago. iHeartRadio has over 500 million app downloads and 80 million social media followers. [17]

Aside from simply reaching such a large audience, iHeartMedia is able to analyze and more effectively monetize from their radio stations. On April 8^th, 2015 the company announced a partnership with the cloud-based advertisement platform, Jelli. Together, they will work to use technology to target their advertisements programmatically. By automating ad sales, it allows advertisers to make informed advertisement purchases. The system will use psychographics to determine groups that are related to music genres, weather and traffic patterns, and consumer purchase behavior. Advertisements have been programmatically sold online for the past 10 years, and iHeartMedia is now adapting the technique to be used with radio. [18]

Finances:

The majority of iHeartMedia’s revenue is derived from selling advertising times or placements on their radio stations or websites. Between 2013 and 2014, the company’s consolidated revenue increased by $75.5 million, from $6,243,044 to $6,318,533, with $29.9 million attributed to political advertising, traffic and weather, broadcast radio and digital revenues. Unfortunately, their revenue from americas outdoor advertising decreased by $37.3 million, mostly due to lower national account revenues and the nonrenewable airport contracts. [19]

Future:

The next move for the company, is the establishment of iHeartMedia SoundBoard. This entertainment studio will be used to connect brands with iHeartMedia’s available talent and radio personalities to create original audio, video, and experiential content. The studio is primarily audio focused since iHeartMedia is mainly a radio company, but everything that is produced will be accessible across all of iHeartMedia’s platforms including broadcast and digital radio, mobile apps, and live events. The success of this program will be made possible by iHeartMedia’s extensive connections and experience in the entertainment industry as well as the company’s knowledge of both consumers and brands. This development will introduce a new method of creating and distributing content to the market, which may have a large impact on the storytelling industry. When the iHeartMedia SoundBoard studio will launch has yet to be confirmed. [20]

Sources:

[1] IHeartMedia. Digital image. Brradio. Published September 16 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

[2] iHeartMedia Corporate Team. iHeartMedia. Retrieved April 17, 2015

[3] Clear Channel Becomes IHeartMedia. iHeartMedia. Published September 16, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

[4] About iHeartMedia. iHeartMedia. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

[5] Hampp, Andrew. Clear Channel Changes Name to iHeartMedia. Billboard. Published September 16, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

[6] Station Search. iHeartMedia. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

[7] All Stations And Times. Tune In. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

[8] Overall U.S. Radio Industry Revenues Remain Steady at $14.9 Billion in 2014. BIAKelsey. Published April 1, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

[9] On Air With Ryan Seacrest Logo. The Drum. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

[10] iHeartRadio Awards Logo. NBC. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

[11] iHeartRadio Music Awards” Generates 14 billion Social Media Impressions. Digital Media Wire. Published April 1, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

[12] 2015 iHeartRadio Music Awards Generates More Than 14 Billion Social Impressions. Business Wire. Published April 6, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

[13] Clear Channel Outdoor Logo. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

[14] Company Overview. Clear Channel Outdoor. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

[15] iHeartRadio Grows Even More: How Will This Impact Sirius XM And Pandora? Seeking Alpha. Published June 27, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

[16] Sisario, Ben. Clear Channel Renames Itself iHeartMedia in Nod to Digital. The New York Times. Published September 16, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

[17] iHeart Media Surpasses 60 Million Registered Users Continuing to Demonstrate Accelerated Growth, Engagement and Strong Brand Awareness. Business Wire. Published January 23, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

[18] Marshall, Jack. iHeartMedia Will Sell Radio Ads Programmatically. Wall Street Journal. Published April 8, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

[19] iHeartMedia 2015 10-K. United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Published February 19, 2015. Accessed April 17, 2015.

[20] iHeartMedia Announces “iHeartMedia SoundBoard,” A New Multiplatform, Audio-Centric Branded Content Studio That Invites Brands, Talent and Fans To Join in Developing Original Productions. iHeartMedia. Published February 3, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2015.

Principles & Practices

Website by the students of TRF235

Tag Archives: Music Business

iHeart Media & Entertainment

iHeartMedia, Inc

200 East Base Road

San Antonio, Texas

HISTORY

iHeart Media was originally founded in San Antonio, Texas under the name Clear Channel Communications. The company was founded by Lowry Mays and B.J. McCombs in 1972. In 2008, the company became private by a leveraged buyout through Bain Capital, LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners.

FINIANCIAL

iHEART MUSIC FESTIVALS

[23] iHeartRadio celebrated One Direction’s 2013 album Midnight Memories with a special release party.

iHEART GLOBALLY

THE FUTURE

Sony Corporation

Spotify by Daniel Rakow

Sirius XM Radio – Joshua Weisleder

iHeartMedia

CBS Radio

YouTube

Link

HISTORY

KEY EXECUTIVES

FINANCIALS

YOUTUBE RED

YOUTUBE’S MOMENTUM & FUTURE

SOURCES

Spotify- Grant Nygaard

21st Century Fox (TV)

iHeart Media

History:

Radio:

Events:

Clear Channel Outdoor:

iHeartMedia in the Industry:

Finances:

Future:

Sources: