iHeart streams nationally (from an HD2 in Dayton, OH) a station that repeats 24/7 Casey Kasem AT40 shows from the 70s and 80s. Their stream appears to not have any commercials except promoting other iHeart streams and podcasts. How does iHeart make any money from this stream if there are no commercials, especially since I am assuming they have to pay some royalties to songwriters for music played.
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How does iHeart make $ from AT40?
- Thread starter Larry
- Start date
They probably don’t make money from it, and it’s not intended to. It’s just more incentive for some folks to download the iHeart app. Know what a WMMX and date is actually streaming the programming. It’s carried on the HD2 to have a terrestrial presence for royalty purposes.
Are you listening to the stream or to the HD2? Because there may be commercials in the HD2 that you're not hearing in the stream.
The answer to your question is complicated. Yes there are royalty costs related to streams. But there may be other things that offset those costs, if they're bundled together. So this station may be a loss leader when combined with other content or the streaming platform itself. However, if we're only looking at the HD2 in a market the size of Dayton, there is only the single revenue stream of commercials.
Im listening to the stream. The only way I know it’s from the HD-2 is because of the station ID on the stream. I’ve assumed iHeart is broadcasting this on a HD-2 and not just streaming is they don’t have to pay the additional streaming only royalties.
No one in Dayton is programming that channel. When Orince died, no one hauled a computer to Kallispell, Montana (or wherever) for a random HD2 to carry the Prince tribute channel? The AT40 channel was originally on a station in Austin until IHeart needed that HD2 for a translator. I have been in Dayton with an HD receiver and listened on the WMMX HD2, there were no commercials or other programming.
The barter for the show may run outside the show. A lot of weekend barter shows require time on weekdays, as clients don't like weekends much any more.
Nope. If they're streaming, they pay full rate at SoundExchange. The only discount exists with BMI/ASCAP/SESAC if you stream a broadcast station.
There is a discount on royalties for over-the-air stations that stream as opposed to pure play streams. That’s why Pandora bought a station in North Dakota at one time. It’s not more complicated than that. So no, don’t complain to WMMX management about the repetition of the AT40 countdowns
Not planning on complaining about programming. Was just curious how they made money, if they are making any money on this broadcast/stream.
They sell the show to stations as barter. The stream that originates from the HD2 signal in Dayton just replays old shows that have already been released as part of the weekend syndication package. Since iHeart/Premiere already has the ownership to the AT40 library, it is no different than if they were playing commercial free 70s and 80s hits on an HD2 that then streamed as one of their national channels. Which is also something they do.
Any money they make on AT40 reruns comes from the barter on the weekend airings from affiliate stations.
Any money they make on AT40 reruns comes from the barter on the weekend airings from affiliate stations.
Again, the stream doesn’t originate from WMMX facilities. It’s just played there with a “WMMX HD2” ID. During the days when Dan Allen still programmed it, the IHeart Real Oldies Channel “originated” on WRIT HD2, Milwaukee, but was mostly programmed from Cincinnati. No one cares if a few random people are driving around Dayton listening to Casey on WMMX’s HD2. Getting people to the app is what’s important
Just to add since the subject has come up again: SiriusXM runs American Top 40 reruns (usually a different episode than the terrestrial stations run that weekend). A live Twitter chat developed for the Saturday afternoon airings, originally with a political columnist and his followers. More and more people found and participated in the chat, music and radio consultant and writer Sean Ross found it, and now it includes a lot of people, even radio program directors. Someone posts the YouTube link to all the songs as they play. No doubt this has driven some subscriptions. About a month ago, SXM 70s on 7 decided to drop an airing, dropping both the 6am and noon airings for a 9am airing on Saturdays. Howls of protest were heard loud and clear at SXM, and we had enough clout that the decision was reversed the following week.
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