Thursday, September 16, 2010

Digital Leads The Way in Radio's Growth...

"Almost all the (radio) growth is coming in the digital sector." Media economist Jack Myers made that evaluation at yesterday's Media Financial Management Association (MFM) Outlook 2011 conference here in New York. Myers projected traditional media advertising will be up just 0.3% to $163 billion this year or roughly where it was a decade ago. "Traditional media have been unchanged since 2000" says Myers. He also says traditional companies like radio have no choice but to quickly embrace the online world. Myers projects terrestrial radio to grow 4.4% this year but that's dwarfed by the 55% increase in online video dollars and 28% jump in mobile advertising that many stations are now seeking. "Until the traditional media companies begin moving resources from their traditional businesses, we're going to see a steadily declining percentage of revenues going into traditional media." Myers is not alone in his opinion...

Borrell Associates EVP Peter Conti believes traditional media companies can't simply put their assets onto new distribution channels and win. Conti adds that "they're (media companies) combining the traditional media, the internet and mobile and building campaigns that make use of the strengths within each of those." Myers agrees, saying broadcasters should instead look at content as the starting point. He believes the real problem is with the traditional pricing models - "The next 50 years we're going to have more supply than demand, so pricing is going to decline." Standard & Poor's senior economist Beth Ann Bovino says a "very slow and uneven" recovery will continue into 2011." S&P saw a bump in local spending as a result of the government stimulus. Even so, Bovino says "We're expecting to see continued weakness in 2011." ...

Looking ahead, the only constant there is for radio is change and whether it's more internet, mobile or social network choices, there's more on the way. Radio will never win the technology race but it can take advantage of what people are turning to, define its product, sell that product and be consistent in providing that product. It will have to offer more than providing a free and local service...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1630] What's Your Name?: The original Native American name of Shawmut is changed to Boston...
2.1949] Premiered on this date: The "Road Runner" "beep-beeps" for the 1st time in the WB cartoon "Fast and Furry-ous" (Mel Blanc does the sfx)...1972] "The Bob Newhart Show" debuts with Bob playing a shrink. It runs until 1978...1984] "Miami Vice" changes the way men dress and runs for 5 seasons...
3.1968] Curtains: One of the best comedy series of all-time, "The Andy Griffith Show" bows out after 8 seasons (but will continue in reruns forever)...
4.1968] Sock it to me: Richard Nixon makes his famous "sock it to me" walk-on appearance on "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In"...
5.1973] Record-breaking: Buffalo running back O.J. Simpson becomes the first NFL player to gain 250 yards in a game with his slashing ground game against the Patriots. Simpson picks up his 2,000th yard in this clip...
6.1974] A grant from the Prez: President Gerald Ford grants a conditional amnesty program for draft evaders and deserters during the Vietnam War. In this clip he testifies about pardoning Richard Nixon...
7.1981] Sweet as sugar: Sugar Ray Leonard rallies to beat Thomas "Hitman" Hearns, winning by a TKO to win the welterweight title. It's Hearns first professional loss...
8.1988] Perfecto: Tom Browning of the Cincinnati Reds pitches a perfect game in a 1-0 shutout of the Dodgers...
9.2004] Ivan the terrible: Hurricane Ivan plows into the Gulf Coast with 130 mph winds and is blamed for at least 115 deaths, 43 in the U.S...
10.2009] Death silences a trio: Mary Travers of Peter, Paul & Mary passes away from complications of chemotherapy treatment. In 2005 Mary was diagnosed with leukemia. She was 72 years old at the time of her death...

Music Memories:

Commentary: He was rumpled and grumpy but he was a stickler for the usage of proper English. Edwin Newman the longtime NBC newsman, died at the age of 91. Although he died from pneumonia on August 13, the announcement was delayed until yesterday so the family could spend the time grieving privately. Hired at NBC in 1952, Newman spent 32 years at the network before retiring in 1984. He and his wife had moved to England in 2007 where he died in Oxford...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Amy Poehler (39), Marc Anthony (42), David Copperfield (54), Mickey Rourke (58), Henry Louis Gates (60), Ed Begley Jr. (61), Peter Falk (83), B.B. King (85) and Lauren Bacall (86)...

Timeline Countdown: 1 night until Yom Kippur, 7 days until autumn arrives, 20 days until the MLB playoffs, 42 days until the first game of the World Series & 45 nights until Halloween...



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