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The new formats are now becoming public as broadcasters begin to divvy up their new multicast stations.  A few observations… First, radio operators are moving quickly on this initiative – perhaps a little too quickly.  We have spoken with broadcasters who have been forced to rush into making decisions about their new stations, with little […]

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While the radio business continues to struggle under the attack of new media, something very interesting occurred this week – Google bought a radio company, dMarc Broadcasting.  Google spokespeople indicate that this is an effort by the Internet company to expand its advertising reach into other media.  But radio?  Old media?  Bricks and mortar?  Towers […]

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Actually, I’m simply telling you about a free cup of Starbucks, which I found out about when I clicked a simple banner ad for the company on a newspaper web site.  It’s so simple, "purple" ("hey, free coffee, and I don’t have to do anything"), simple (a cup of coffee), and buzzworthy (I’m telling you, […]

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Guilty. Of not listening to my kids.  They keep hearing new bands on TV shows, causing them to find them and buy them on iTunes.  It took a New York Times article to detail the pervasiveness of this trend, as a "Cold Case" episode is using/licensing nine Springsteen songs (from the ’80s) as the soundtrack.  […]

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The synergy of commercial-free, Jack-FM, and a hit television show came together last weekend.  It surrounded the debut of "24," Fox-TV’s addictive episodic drama, and its protagonist Jack Bauer. On Sunday, when the show debuted, five Jack stations went commercial-free for 24 hours – a buzzworthy event that Fox gladly sponsored.  And remember – this […]

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Jacobs Media’s Ralph Cipolla chimes in with a guest blog today: Howard’s move has been talked and analyzed to death over the last 16 months.  But now it’s here, and the present inevitably sharpens perspective, even in the absence of more data.  In the coming year, we’ll see new satellite subscription figures, PUR percentages, and […]

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I’ve done a number of calls with programmers and managers over the past several weeks as they grapple with the issue of how to strategically select new HD side channels.  Some groups are thinking of formats that would complement their "motherships" (like the Greater Media cluster here in Detroit).  Others are thinking about playing defense […]

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We’ve been talking about this for at least a a year, and now Apple truly has an FM solution.  The FM Radio Remote allows iPod owners (Nanos and the iPods with video) to plug in and tune in.  Once this new Radio Remote ($49.95) is plugged into a compatible iPod, users can tune in FM […]

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In yet another development that could impact terrestrial radio’s place in the entertainment hierarchy, Motorola is about to go live with iRadio.  It’s a new subscription music service designed to compete with satellite radio (they’re looking at $7-10 a month), set to provide more than 400 channels of programming over cell phones.  And they’re already […]

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In a recent Wall Street Journal article, columnist Carol Hymowitz contrasted two mega-successful companies – Wal-Mart and Starbucks.  While both are investor-magnets, and unquestionably leaders in their respective categories, Wal-Mart is beset by bad ink, out-of-control growth, lawsuits, and the ongoing accusation that it has wrecked small town America. Starbucks, on the other hand, could […]

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One of the findings from the focus groups we did for Arbitron in the fall is that our 18-34 year-old respondents often referred to radio as keeping them company.  While there are many aspects of FM radio that are falling short – the inability to program their favorite music, commercials, etc. – this interpersonal aspect […]

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To add to the pile of evidence that there’s money in aging Boomers, consider the 2005 official list of highest grossing concerts.  Pollstar reports that the Top 10 includes the Stones (at #1), U2, Paul McCartney, the Eagles, Elton John, and Jimmy Buffett.  This is obviously a great year for Classic Rock concerts, and it […]

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We started last year urging broadcasters to stream their audio online, and we kick off the new year with an encouraging research project that reinforces its importance.  A MediaSpan study of nearly 35,000 site visitors confirms that streaming is the real deal.  Half stream their favorite station at least monthly, and better than one in […]

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Since we trademarked The Edge in the late ’80s, it’s been fascinating to watch how many like-named products that have surfaced.  (Yes, it true – the shaving cream preceded our Alternative stations.) Now, it’s the Ford Edge, a new hybrid vehicle that the troubled automaker hopes will be the beginning of a recovery.  The car […]

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We’ve talked about MySpace.com in this space before.  Steve Goldstein points out a recent cover story in Business Week, "The MySpace Generation," that does a nice job of defining the good and bad of these social networking web sites that have truly become a big part of teens’ lives.  If you have a teen in […]

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We’ve talked about MySpace.com in this space before.  Steve Goldstein points out a recent cover story in Business Week, "The MySpace Generation," that does a nice job of defining the good and bad of these social networking web sites that have truly become a big part of teens’ lives.  If you have a teen in […]

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As the year winds down, I was asked by one of the trades about our assessment of new rock projects/bands from the past year.  I gave a very dour view of 2005, and the reporter was somewhat taken aback.  While not an across-the-board truth, most Active Rock stations have struggled to field even a mediocre […]

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In a recent Rolling Stone, Asylum Records President Todd Moscowitz notes that "Ring tones are the new singles."  In many recent focus and L.A.B. groups, radio listeners continue to tell us that they do lots more on their cell phones than just talk.  In fact, ring tones are playing a big role in their activity.  […]

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Sometimes, it takes a note from a listener to remind us of our mission in the media world.  I don’t usually print these missives from audience members, but in this case, I thought you’d find it interesting to get inside the head of a listener.  This note came from a listener to The Bay, Shamrock’s […]

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It is indeed wonderful to read that Time has named Bono (along with Bill and Melinda Gates) one of its "Persons of the Year."  It was just a few days ago in this space that we saluted Bono and U2 for their "brand/band management."  This honor now elevates the group to new levels, even above […]

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