NYC Metro Radio Ratings: August 2022

[davideduardo]

Those platforms are all privately owned, not licensed by the government.

And to grow, they take away listening or viewing time from government licensed radio and TV. So, gradually, the amount of total free OTA programming is reduced and those who can't or won't pay for paid services have less and less to chose from.

The broadcast spectrum is owned by the public, not the private companies. Thus its programming should be available for free. If the government would like to sell spectrum to broadcasters, that would change the discussion.

That is not the issue as much as the resultant division of "haves" and "have nots" is an issue. That moves economics into the realm of politics.

The second point is that subscription music services are digital, and the law requiring music royalties specifies that fact. Music played on broadcast stations is analog. That includes HD radio, which uses analog spectrum.

There is really no such thing as "analog spectrum". All spectrum can be used for analog and/or digital transmission. FM today allows an analog signal and a digital one on the +/- 75 kHz piece of spectrum each FM is allocated. In fact, we now have an experimental 100% digital station on the FM band, right up the road from DC.

 

[TheBigA]

There is really no such thing as "analog spectrum".

However HD Radio is not the same as digital radio, thus doesn't require digital royalties.

 

[Don CT]

However HD Radio is not the same as digital radio, thus doesn't require digital royalties.

What are digital royalties?

 

[TheBigA]

What are digital royalties?

Music royalties paid to SoundExchange as part of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

All streaming & satellite music must pay artists, labels, and musicians.

 

[Don CT]

Music royalties paid to SoundExchange as part of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

Doesn't the DMCA supersede all copyright law.

 

[TheBigA]

Doesn't the DMCA supersede all copyright law.

What do you mean? It specifically relates to digital transmission.

 

[davideduardo]

However HD Radio is not the same as digital radio, thus doesn't require digital royalties.

... only because it is part of an analog radio station. But HD Radio is true digital (the misinformation that "HD" means "Hybrid Digital" is incorrect). But HD is a digital stream, and can be broken up into 4 separate "pieces" or all the capacity given to the HD that is, by FCC rule, linked to the analog service.

 

[Don CT]

What do you mean? It specifically relates to digital transmission.

All music is recorded to a digital format.

 

[TheBigA]

All music is recorded to a digital format.

I'm talking about digital transmission. That means internet or satellite. Not broadcast.

 

[Don CT]

I'm talking about digital transmission. That means internet or satellite. Not broadcast.

How much analog broadcast is left? Not on the TV side. So the DMCA only leaves out radio?

 

[TheBigA]

How much analog broadcast is left? Not on the TV side. So the DMCA only leaves out radio?

Music licensing for broadcast radio is covered under the original copyright act that pays writers and publishers, administered by BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, and GMR. DCMA was written to cover digital only.

 

[101tm]

That was my whole point about all news, really - just like in LA with 97.1, it’s a dying format on AM or FM. FM will stop the bleeding for now, maybe, but the demos are going to continually become less desirable and the stations will continue to cost more to operate. Long term, it’s not going to be a viable format although it still bills well for now. Keep in mind a lot of that billing is countered by the high cost of running a 24 hour all news outlet in market #1.

Audacy blowing up 94.7 and/or 92.3 is trashing a format with much more potential, better demos, and lower overhead to try to maintain status quo for a dinosaur. We may see a day where WINS or WCBS moves to FM, but at that point I don’t think they’ll still be operating as they are now. It just doesn’t make sense.

 

[TheBigA]

That was my whole point about all news, really - just like in LA with 97.1, it’s a dying format on AM or FM. FM will stop the bleeding for now, maybe, but the demos are going to continually become less desirable and the stations will continue to cost more to operate.

This goes back to the concept of "evolving all-news into a format that remained attractive to younger listeners." You go where those younger listeners are, which is NOT traditional radio. Sorry, Mr. Marconi, but there are now new places for young people to go, and these radio companies are going where the listeners are. Here's an interview with iHeart's Bob Pittman, talking about hs company's involvement in social media:

iHeart's Pittman On Metaverse Plans: 'We Need To Be There.'

In the wake of iHeartMedia's announced launch of iHeartLand in online game platform Roblox, and its recent concert featuring Charlie Puth on gaming platform Fortnite, iHeart CEO Bob Pittman talked

www.insideradio.com

“Our strategy is to be where our listeners are, with the products and services they expect from us,” Pittman said. “The metaverse is very big these days, so we need to be there.” Addressing the importance of Roblox and Fortnite, he added, “We see these as important new platforms to interact with our consumers. [These platforms] love us because we reach 90% of Americans. Whereas [with] most things they do, they have to generate the traffic, when we come to Fortnite or Roblox, we bring our traffic with us – we promote it, we tell people about it the same way we build podcasting, the iHeartRadio app or our big events.”

Moving forward, they will use the mass audience at traditional media to drive younger listeners to newer more profitable platforms that aren't regulated and don't have ownership limits.

 

[101tm]

iHeart is the one company that seems to “get” it. Yes, they have a tremendous scale, but no other company was preparing for the future when they were with the iHR app and working on building out their multimedia offerings like the awards shows, concerts, accompanying contests for those, etc. I feel they’ve done a pretty good job so far of tying in on air with digital.

Who else even tried? CBS had the horrible Radio dot com app. Audacy is trying to play catch up with iHeart, I don’t rule them out but they’re still running off of a semi-buggy platform and are trying to do a lot very fast (can’t really blame them). I am curious to see if Audacy starts having any nationwide concerts, etc like iHeart has. I doubt they have the $$ for it.

Cumulus has tried several different digital initiatives but they seem to have resigned themselves to distributing their content on Audacy and iHeart, which isn’t great for their future. I do wonder about companies like Saga, Bonneville, and Hubbard who seem to be pretty much sticking with the traditional AM/FM/streaming model.

 

[TheBigA]

Cumulus has tried several different digital initiatives but they seem to have resigned themselves to distributing their content on Audacy and iHeart, which isn’t great for their future. I do wonder about companies like Saga, Bonneville, and Hubbard who seem to be pretty much sticking with the traditional AM/FM/streaming model.

Hubbard is doing very smart things with WTOP and a few other stations. But I think that leadership is coming from within those stations rather than the company as a whole. The problem with Cumulus now is they're stuck operating under the terms of the bankruptcy, and that will limit the amount of money they can spend on things that will ultimately save them.

The clock is ticking, and it's ticking very fast. I'm seeing data that is pretty scary about the young demos in some cities like Seattle and San Francisco.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

AM is in its very twilight era. There will be no replacement.

That's why we're talking about moving it to FM.

And low income families that can not @fford subscription-based services. With today’s extreme inflation, that could be as much as 25% of all households.

You state that broadcast radio is for low income people. I think you let that one slip but it's hard to argue with that assessment. You heard it here first, everyone!

With the averag car age of over 12 years now, we are talking over a decade.

You have been saying this for half a decade so now we're halfway there. Bluetooth has been available in new cars since 2002. Apple Carplay and Android Auto have been been around since 2015. I was renting cars in 2017 that already supported in-dash streaming connectivity and had they've been getting better every year. If ten years was five years ago, it's not still ten years away.

current systems are less than easy to use. As a sidebar issue, I suspect that legislation will step in to control how many apps a person can use while driving.

They have already been built into the dash for years now and they are as easy to use as a streaming device for TV shows. Most people don't seem to have too many problems with that any more.

At some point, legislators will note that all the paid services isolates perhaps a quarter of the population who are low income.

Half the legislators won't care, they serve the wealthy.

There are many uncertainties in the music and broadcast businesses that still to be created technologies will be part of.

But traditional formats like all news don’t account for varied interests of different people and families. One size does not fit all.

One size doesn't fit all regardless of the format. Why should all news be treated any worse than the others? In fact all news seems to be doing better than than some of the music formats that have been declining lately.

 

[davideduardo]

That's why we're talking about moving it to FM.

There are no AM formats except sports that would thrive on FM. Most are simply elderly formats for elderly people.

You state that broadcast radio is for low income people. I think you let that one slip but it's hard to argue with that assessment. You heard it here first, everyone!

No, I am saying that about 25% of Americans will not have a paid video service if the recession continues. But in radio, it depends on what the eventual costs of streaming and on demand music services are.

You have been saying this for half a decade so now we're halfway there. Bluetooth has been available in new cars since 2002. Apple Carplay and Android Auto have been been around since 2015. I was renting cars in 2017 that already supported in-dash streaming connectivity and had they've been getting better every year. If ten years was five years ago, it's not still ten years away.

Yet I have two 2016 BMWs that have none of the above. We are talking about at least 75% of all cars not having easy connectivity and some of the earlier ones not having the best execution of the concept. The average car is 12 years old. Half are even older.

They have already been built into the dash for years now and they are as easy to use as a streaming device for TV shows. Most people don't seem to have too many problems with that any more.

But most cars still don't have systems, and the new car market is very slow now.

Half the legislators won't care, they serve the wealthy.

Disagree. They do things that voters see as a benefit.

One size doesn't fit all regardless of the format. Why should all news be treated any worse than the others? In fact all news seems to be doing better than than some of the music formats that have been declining lately.

It is doing well in 55+ and even better in 65 and over. It is not doing well in under 55 except in DC where "everybody" either works for the gu'mint, sells to the government or sells stuff to both of those groups.

 

[101tm]

Hubbard is doing very smart things with WTOP and a few other stations. But I think that leadership is coming from within those stations rather than the company as a whole. The problem with Cumulus now is they're stuck operating under the terms of the bankruptcy, and that will limit the amount of money they can spend on things that will ultimately save them.

The clock is ticking, and it's ticking very fast. I'm seeing data that is pretty scary about the young demos in some cities like Seattle and San Francisco.

My personal observation is that Cumulus will eventually go back to their roots and be primarily a small/mid market operator with some larger market clusters that are successful such as Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco, Dallas, and Atlanta. Similar to Townsquare, but some bigger markets. Cumulus has some STRONG smaller market stations (and heck even in bigger markets, look at WWWQ, KPLX, etc). But I don’t think the large markets will be the focus.

 

[TheBigA]

That's why we're talking about moving it to FM.

Too late. That train left the building in the 1980s. That's a 20th century solution to a 21st century problem. The audience has already moved on to other things. If you really want to fix the bleeding, you need to be converting every minute of content into bite-size clips and put it on social media.

The ONLY advantage FM has to AM is fidelity. That's it. The only place where it's on semi level footing is in the car, and even there, it's in a dog fight. So if you're serious about reaching young people today, you need to go where they are.

One size doesn't fit all regardless of the format. Why should all news be treated any worse than the others? In fact all news seems to be doing better than than some of the music formats that have been declining lately.

I agree with that, and that's why you take the content and reuse it on every digital platform known to man. And that's just the beginning. Because when you go to those other platforms, you're competing for attention with every crazy wacko nut case in the world, and you have to establish yourself as a source for real credible news. And recognize that you probably won't win. But the game is all about getting those clicks.

 

[CTListener]

Disagree. They do things that voters see as a benefit.

But voters with two BMWs usually benefit more.