Category Archives: Radio Biz

The End for Rdio

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Fred Stiening

One of the last major decisions of the Dickey brothers at Cumulus was an agreement to switch their online streaming to Rdio. The announcement came out of nowhere and the sudden conversion of the Cumulus websites went poorly – the … Continue reading →

Posted in Collapse of America, Cumulus Media, Mobile Streaming | 5 Comments

Bob leaves Tom at the Altar

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Fred Stiening

Bob of the Bob & Tom show has turned in his notice. No more waking up at 3 AM to get ready to yuck it up. Bob & Tom are distributed by Westwood One. Maybe being paid in Cumulus stock … Continue reading →

Posted in Westwood One | 1 Comment

Cumulus writes off $542 million…

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Fred Stiening

Well, Mary Berner had her day in the sun Thursday. The company wrote off $542.2 million in worthless investments – RDIO and Westwood One. The company’s total market capitalization is down to about $50 million. Turnover is 48%. Sales are … Continue reading →

Posted in Cumulus Media | 2 Comments

Can you HEAR me yet?

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Fred Stiening

This could be a really big deal http://www.radiomagonline.com/streaming/0023/aes-publishes-recommendations-on-audio-loudness-standards-for-streaming-media/37116 This is a problem as old as Radio – and the FCC has tried a couple times to rein this in. We have all experienced this – you are listening to some … Continue reading →

Posted in Radio Biz | 4 Comments

Fred Thompson Dead at 73

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Fred Stiening

Former Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee has died from lymphoma. Some may remember that when Bill O’Reilly ended his radio show, Westwood One chose Fred Thompson as his replacement in December 2008. The show didn’t begin until March 2009 because … Continue reading →

Posted in Westwood One | 6 Comments

New Radio Format – Gay Pride

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Fred Stiening

The new format is listed under the category “Oppressed Voices”, although there is little evidence LGBT people face discrimination in the culture of the United States. LGBT folks have substantially higher incomes than the US average, as they are mostly … Continue reading →

Posted in About the Guide, American Politics, IHeart Media, Music Radio | 7 Comments

Thursday is Cumulus Drop Dead Day

Posted on October 31, 2015 by Fred Stiening

Thursday will be the first official earnings call by new Cumulus CEO Mary Berner. While she has no responsibility for those numbers, it is publicly laying out the playing field. The listeners on that call will be people with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Cumulus Media | Leave a comment

K-Love hits #2 in Denver

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Fred Stiening

For those who don’t know, K-love is a Contemporary Christian music (CCM) service of the non-commercial Educational Media Foundation (EMF). It is targeted primarily at mothers. EMF has another Christian Rock format called Air1, designed to attract angst filled teenagers. … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian, Contemporary Christian Music, Music Radio | 6 Comments

Michael Savage headed to the Supreme Court!

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Fred Stiening

Michael “Savage” Weiner has said on the air that he never expects to see a penny from Talk Radio Network. A few weeks ago, his lawyers got a “writ of execution” for $866k for a judgement already won ordering TRN … Continue reading →

Posted in Michael "Savage" Weiner, Talk Radio Network | Leave a comment

Desktop streaming is dead

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Fred Stiening

Maybe the FCC has saved AM radio, but nothing will save desktop computers. The just released metrics from Nielsen’s Triton digital is that 73.8% of all streaming is now done from mobile devices, mostly iDevices and Android.

Posted in About the Guide, Mobile Streaming, Player Metrics, Radio Biz, Saving AM radio, Streaming Royalties, Zombie Watch | 2 Comments