Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Local Radio Sales Trail National Business...

When it comes to radio sales, local is playing catch-up. The national spot radio market is coming back a lot quicker than local, according to Katz Media Group President/CEO Stu Olds. National spot revenue is pacing up 37% in the fourth quarter and next year looks just as good. Spurring the growth of national business is political, thanks to the mid-term election, automotive, entertainment, professional services and retail. With political dropping out, automotive - up 67.6% in Q4 is up 121.1% in Q1 (2011). Entertainment is pacing up 38.3% in Q4 and 82.2% in Q1. Professional services is pacing up 47.8% in Q4 and 33.3% in Q1, while retail is pacing up 23.5% in Q4 and 47.5% in Q1...

Olds claims the recovery "has swept the country" with New York (+30.5%), Boston (+13.8), San Francisco (+33.1%), Houston (+25.2%), Philadelphia (+29%), Detroit (+25.4%) and Oklahoma City (+32.7%) leading the way. Radio Ink says "Political advertising is helping push prices up, with more than 90% of markets showing higher prices, according to recent tracking data." Katz reports that average minute rates rose 1.8% in August, 6.8% in September, and 15.9% in October. Looking at pacings to date for Q1 2011, average minute rates are up 2.6%...

Several radio groups, among them - Salem and Saga, while reporting gains in revenue, say that local advertisers are slow to return but national gains will help them stay positive into 2011...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1872] Beantown's ablaze: The Great Boston Fire kills 20, causing millions of dollars in damage...
2.1888] The Ripper rests: Jack the Ripper kills Mary Jane Kelly, his last known victim...
3.1913] Great Lakes storm: More than 250 die in the most destructive natural disaster ever to hit the Great Lakes -- 19 ships are destroyed...
4.1938] Kristallnacht: Nazi troops and sympathizers destroy and loot Jewish businesses, burn synagogues and kill 91 Jews. They also round up 25,000 in an event known as 'Kristallnacht' or 'Night of Broken Glass'...
5.1953] Supes Rule: Somehow the Supreme Court upholds a 1922 ruling that major league baseball does not come within the scope of federal antitrust laws. Were there 9 justices named Ito???
6.1965] Lights out: The great northeast blackout turns the lights out in 9 states and two provinces of Canada. It affects 25 million people for more than 13 hours...
7.1967] On the cover of Rolling Stone: The first issue of Rolling Stone Magazine is published with John Lennon gracing the cover...
8.1979] False alarm: NORAD computers and a military command center in Maryland detect a massive Soviet nuclear missile attack. After reviewing the raw data, guess what? No attack. Oops...
9.1989] Wall? What wall?: Happy Germans dance on top of the Berlin Wall as Communist East Germany opens its borders, allowing citizens to travel freely to the west...
10.2005] Suicide kills: Three suicide bombers carry out nearly simultaneous attacks on three U.S. based hotels in Amman, Jordan, killing 60 and wounding hundreds...

Music Memories:

Commentary:
Ron Jacobs has written an ultimate chronicle of what it feels like to program a radio station. Ron takes you from his first day at KHJ, to the glory days of one of the most famous radio stations of all-time. I especially loved the staff memos he includes in the book. For additional information on the book and accompanying CDs - click here ...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Nikki Blonsky (22), Nick Lachey (37), Lou Ferrigno (59), Bob Gibson (75) and Whitey (the White Rat) Herzog (79)...

Timeline Countdown: 16 days until Thanksgiving, 22 days until Hanukah, 42 days until winter and 45 days until Christmas...

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