Another Big Push For More Deregulation

Radio Ink ran a story today about a group of broadcaster leaders coming out in favor of deregulation.  The group includes:

Bob Proffitt

President & CEO

Alpha Media

Jeffrey D. Warshaw

Founder & CEO

Connoisseur Media

Jeffrey H. Smulyan

Chairman & CEO

Emmis Communications

Michael Wright

COO

Midwest Communications

Thomas A. Walker

President

Mid-West Family Stations

Beth Neuhoff

President & CEO

Neuhoff Communications

Mary Quass

President & CEO

NRG Media

Russell Perry

Chairman

Perry Publishing and Broadcasting

Dhruv A. Prasad and Bill Wilson

Co-CEOs

Townsquare Media

John Zimmer

President/Owner

Zimmer Radio of Mid Missouri, Inc.

The group makes a well-reasoned, thoughtful argument.  Access the story here:  https://radioink.com/2018/08/06/another-big-push-for-more-deregulation/

George

NAB Board Made the Right Call on Dereg

By Ed Levine, Paul Stone, and George Reed

Much has been written in the radio trades over the last week regarding the NAB Radio Board vote in favor of recommending to the FCC an update of its radio ownership rules. We’d like to give you our take.

Some in our business think the NAB board went too far in calling for significant relaxation of the rules; others think the board did not go far enough, arguing that for broadcasters to be competitive with our totally unregulated digital competitors, radio needs complete elimination of any ownership restrictions.

You can count us — as small- and medium-market radio station owners dedicated to localism and delivering great radio to our listeners — as strong supporters of the NAB Board recommendation. You can quibble over details of the specific board recommendation. But we say hats off to the NAB Board for facing down a tough issue, and for taking bold action that will allow radio operators the opportunity to achieve the scale needed to endure and thrive in the digital world of today.

The reality is this: radio ownership rules have remained unchanged for 22 years. Forget whether the consolidation ushered in by the 1996 Telecom Act was good or bad for listeners. What is undeniable is that the world has changed dramatically since 1996, and regulations on our business need to evolve with the times.

Radio faces challenges today that would have been unimaginable 22 years ago — or even five years ago. The competition for listeners — whether it’s from YouTube or Sirius/XM or Pandora or Spotify — is intense. And it’s growing. Moreover, we aren’t competing for advertising dollars just from radio stations across the street or even across state boundaries. Collectively, we’re losing ad business by the billions to digital companies like Google and Facebook. Case in point: BIA Kelsey analyzed the Syracuse market last year and found the following: Google, Facebook, and Bing combined exceeded the local advertising market of all the local Syracuse radio stations ($40.5 million to $32.5 million).

That’s not just an upstate New York problem; that’s a problem facing every radio station owner across America, and it’s only going to get worse. Digital platforms like Google and Facebook are unregulated business models hell-bent on eating local broadcasting’s ad-dollar lunch. And they could care less about FCC mandates of serving localism and the public’s “interest, convenience and necessity.”

As we see it, the NAB Radio Board faced two options: Option 1 was to bury its collective head in the sand and ignore a tsunami. Option 2 was to address the issue honestly, forthrightly, and directly, and present to Chairman Pai and his FCC colleagues some ideas that will keep free and local radio alive for our millions of listeners for decades to come. We think the NAB Radio Board chose the right option.

Ed Levine is President and CEO of Syracuse-based Galaxy Media, LLC, which owns 14 radio stations in Syracuse, Utica, and Rome, NY; Paul Stone is President of Southern Broadcasting Companies, which owns 33 radio stations in Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee; and George Reed is co-owner of Monticello Media, which owns six stations in Charlottesville, VA, and co-founder of Media Services Group, a brokerage firm.

NAB's Gordon Smith addresses Virginia broadcasters

NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith addressed a packed meeting room this morning at the Virginia Association of Broadcasters summer convention.  He delivered a well received message entitled, "Working in Unity to Lead Broadcasting to a Strong and Vibrant Future."

George
Media Services Group

Time to set appointments for the Radio Show in Washington

The Radio Show comes to Washington, DC, September 29 through October 1. This year's show is a joint undertaking between the NAB and RAB. Media Services Group will be located at the headquarters hotel, the Grand Hyatt Washington.

If you would like to set up an appointment to meet, please drop me a line at:

mailto:george@mediaservicesgroup.com

I hope to see you in DC!

George
Media Services Group

Here Lies NAB's David Rehr: RIP (Radio in Peril)

http://ericrhoads.blogs.com/ink_tank/

A Call to Action to the NAB and RAB

It has been reported that Clear Channel's most recent round of expense cuts includes Kimberly Cutchall's world-class training program. If true, this is a huge loss for the radio industry and an equally large opportunity for the NAB and RAB.

If there ever was a time for professional training and development in radio, it is now. The need is particularly dire in the sales departments, where qualified sales candidates are hard to find in all market sizes.

The NAB and RAB should seize this opportunity to capture a major industry resource: make a deal with Kimberly and her team, as well as Clear Channel, to take over and run the training business. And the industry should commit to supporting it by training personnel on an ongoing basis. Perhaps the state broadcasting associations can lend financial support as well.

We can't ignore radio's talent drain to new media and nine years of flat to declining revenue.

David and Jeff: What do you say?

George
Media Services Group

More from the NAB

The Broadcasters Foundation held their 15th annual awards breakfast this morning, the 2009 Ward L. Quall Pioneer Awards. This year's recipients are: James Gabbert, Walter Liss, Lowry Mays, The Taishoff Family, Cecil Walker, and Bud Walters. It is a great list of very deserving broadcasting pros.

I want to single out one winner, Bud Walters. I worked for him at his first radio station while I was in high school. He is a great broadcaster and a great guy. He gives a lot back to the industry. I am proud to be his friend, and pleased that he was selected as one of this year's honorees.

And while I'm extending kudos, let me add that the Broadcasters Foundation is a great organization. They support broadcasters in need. It is a great cause. Remember them in your giving. http://www.broadcastersfoundation.org/

George
Media Services Group

Step up for the NAB Political Action Committee

Our industry is under attack on multiple fronts. The NAB's political action committee (NABPAC) needs your support. Click here:

http://www.nab.org/xert/NABPAC/NABPAC_Contribution_Form_2008.pdf

George