| November 5, 2009 | News for broadcast and electronic media leaders |
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- LRFA sponsors want seats at the table
U.S. Reps. Gene Green, D-Texas, and Mike Conaway, R-Texas, lead sponsors of the anti-performance-fee Local Radio Freedom Act, have asked to be included in a discussion session over the fee with Senate and House leaders, the music industry and the NAB, according to a letter sent to House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich. "We are hopeful that you will consider further opening the meeting to other members of Congress, including ourselves, so that all sides in this congressional debate may be represented," they write. Radio Ink
(11/4)
, Inside Radio (free content)
(11/5)
    
| Business & Industry Report | | |
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- NPR, iBiquity come to terms on signal strength
National Public Radio and iBiquity Digital have reached a compromise on a 6 dB power boost for FM IBOC transmission, designed to improve indoor and portable reception of HD radio units. The parties are reportedly presenting their recommendations today to the FCC Media Bureau. Bob Struble, president and CEO of iBiquity, said, "We are delighted that the radio industry is now poised to push this technology ahead together." Radio World
(11/5)
, Inside Radio (free content)
(11/5)
- TV broadcasters to FCC: Ownership rules are bad for business, viewers
Broadcast TV, in order to keep up with traditional and new-media rivals, would benefit greatly from more leeway on ownership regulations, station group executives said at an FCC workshop on the issue. Hearst Television's David Barrett called for the FCC to set a 30% cap as a threshold for determining whether the company could operate two TV stations in a market, while Media General's George Mahoney said small markets would benefit from the removal of a ban on cross-ownership of TV outlets and newspapers. Radio Business Report
(11/4)
, Broadcasting & Cable
(11/4)
- News Corp. calls retransmission fee a "building block" for broadcasters
News Corp., as part of its carriage negotiations with Time Warner Cable for its Fox broadcast network, reportedly is seeking a retransmission fee of $1 per household. According to News Corp. Chief Operating Officer Chase Carey, retransmission fees are a "building block" toward rethinking the broadcast business model. "It's not a one-note song. We need to attack the cost of content, change the value of reruns, look at digital distribution of content," he said. Broadcasting & Cable
(11/4)
| Technology | | |
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- ABC.com gets social with instant-comment feature
ABC Social: Episode Commentary is the name of a new tool on ABC.com that can be used by online viewers to log comments on programs while they are watching them. The tool, which was to be launched in conjunction with the debut of the science fiction series "V," includes an option for users to circulate their comments via Facebook. Mediaweek
(11/4)
| Broadcast Programming | | |
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- Matching tone of ads with content makes sense
Ads for family brands that run against more wholesome, family-oriented programming are up to 30% more effective than ads for such brands running on racier, more violent shows, according to research from the ANA Alliance for Family Entertainment. However, as one chief marketing officer notes, sometimes the edgiest shows grab the highest ratings, and national brands risk losing reach if they don't advertise on such programming. Advertising Age
(11/4)
| Advertising | | |
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- AT&T sues Verizon over "map" ads
AT&T is suing Verizon Wireless over a series of ads that show a map of the U.S., purporting to compare 3G network coverage areas of the two mobile providers. AT&T's complaint is focused on the appearance of the map, which uses white space to depict areas of the country in which it says AT&T is weaker than Verizon in 3G. AT&T is arguing that the ad implies that it offers no coverage in the white areas of the map. Brandweek
(11/4)
| Related Industry News | | |
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- Scripps signs deal for control of Travel Channel
Scripps Networks -- which already controls cable networks such as Food Network, DIY Network and HGTV -- has announced a deal to become the majority owner of the Travel Channel. As part of its deal with Cox Communications, Scripps will offer up a cash payment of $181 million to acquire 65% of the Travel Channel, which is valued at $975 million. Bloomberg
(11/5)
, Reuters
(11/5)
| People & Personalities | | |
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 | Exclusive Advertising Opportunity!
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| NAB News | | |
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Crystal Award Entry Information Now Available
Entry information for the prestigious NAB Crystal Radio Award for year-round commitment to community service is available online here. Find all of the information on entry rules and guidelines that you need, as well as tips on putting together a solid entry.
| Legislative & Regulatory | | |
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- Religious broadcasters object to possible spectrum grab by feds
The possibility that the federal government could claim additional broadcast spectrum for wireless broadband would amount to "an unholy sacrifice to satisfy new mobile-device spectrum needs," according to a statement from the National Religious Broadcasters. "Now, less than 150 days since the June 12, 2009, switch to digital, after encouraging people to buy converter boxes, buy new HD TV sets, and purchase in many cases a new antenna, there are people that want to take away [our stations'] ability to provide a local and diverse voice in our region," the NRB said. Broadcasting & Cable
(11/4)
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