Media: Imus – Fox Business blues

In media, like politics, the jokes write themselves.

Did you hear the latest about Don Imus?

Well, first things first.

Let me preface this with a fact.

Yes, Don Imus is still alive. No, those shows aren’t posthumous reruns that are on the few, mostly Citadel o & o's, radio stations that carry him.

Imus just does the same old show every day. He’s talk radio’s version of blah, blah, woof, woof.

Now no one’s saying they don’t know cheap – but if Citadel CEO Farid Suleman and his sidekick Judy Ellis could really squeeze a nickel until the buffalo choked, they’d have Imus voice-track one morning show and run it for an entire week. Scratch that. You could go for a whole month.

Believe me. His audience? No one will notice. No one will care. Is there one market where he’s even in the top ten? Who or what is his audience anyway? Does anyone know of someone who actually listens to Imus?

Imus’ radio show is also simulcast for television – and this is the news at hand.

The way-past-his-prime Don Imus is swapping one low-rated cable TV channel simulcast for another.

He’s leaving Rural Free Delivery TV (RFD-TV), which bills itself as “Rural America’s most important network” for the Fox Business Network (FBN), which will now video simulcast his radio show.

RFD-TV’s programming is targeted to the U.S. farmer and cattle raiser. It carries a mix of farm news and reports and classic country music programming, comparable to the old Nashville Network cable channel. They even carry a show that auctions cattle that look like Don Imus.

Its distribution is limited to the upper tier channel placement at Dish Network and DirecTV satellite systems, Mediacom, Charter Communications, NCTC cable cooperative, and a few independent rural cable companies.

According to Nielsen, RFD-TV averaged 49,000 viewers year-to-date. RFD is available to 40 million households.

Chances are you’ve heard of but never watched FBN. It’s is the “other business cable/satellite network,” launched by Rupert Murdoch in October 2007.

The ratings-challenged channel is available to almost 50 million homes nationwide, compared to over 90 million for rival CNBC.

With exception to Manhattan, FBN is in the optional upper digital tier of cable and satellite systems.

Upper tier channels cost subscribers of cable and satellite TV additional fees to receive.

According to June 2009 figures from Nielsen Media Research show that FBN was watched by an average of 21,000 people nationally from 5 AM to 9 PM. That’s 11 times smaller than that of CNBC’s audience in the same daypart.

Imus is not trading the farmhouse for the penthouse. Try under the bridge.

Bloomberg News, the original business channel, which is also available in real-time on line, is unrated by Nielsen.

At the time of its launch, in October 2007, Fox hyped FBN as a younger, sexier, edgier business channel – or CNBC with raging hormones – designed to capture the latter’s younger, more active end of the business channel viewing demo.

To give FBN some Wall Street cred – and at least one person that looked over 25 - Murdoch lured long-time CNBC "Red Fox" Liz Clayman to his den.

The only stipulation was that her skirts had to be even shorter than Fox News Channel's Fox & Friends’ Gretchen “the Flasher” Carlson’s.

Hoping for a cable channel cat fight, FBN pitted Liz opposite Money Honey Maria Bartiromo in the 2-5 PM afternoon drive slot. But CNBC viewers were more engrossed in their own in-house Betty/Veronica, Mary Ann/Ginger assessment of Maria and Erin Burnett.

Liz Claman – even calling in favors from blue-chip guests like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates – quickly became forgotten but not gone.

Now, it appears FBN has given up on being the MTV or G4 of business channels. It’s now going in the exact opposite direction by handing over morning drive to an ancient artifact whose appeal is strictly octogenarian-plus.

What Stonehenge is to the Druids, FBN is to has-beens.

“We have to teach people we exist, and then convince them to find us,” sayeth Kevin Magee, the executive vice president for FBN. “And then once they do those two things, they have to watch us.”

Whatever you say, Kevin. Unless you’re strictly looking for a blip in assisted living and nursing homes, your chance of Imus increasing FBN numbers is slim to none.

There must be an addendum on all Fox News and Business contracts that reads, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”

12 Rules of Advertising and Marketing

Ran across 12 Rules of Advertising from

97.7 KDLW Albuquerque Becomes CHR “OMG! Radio”

One month after sister station 106.3 KAGM flipped from Classic Country to Rhythmic CHR, American General Media has flipped Rhythmic CHR “Wild 97.7″ KDLW to Mainstream CHR as “97.7 OMG! Radio“.

Radio: CBS Radio’s thirty percent solution

Aw, come on. Stop your whining!

So you work for a major to medium size market newspaper. Your owners instituted optional buyouts, mandatory pay cuts – on average between 10 to 12 percent – and week-to-ten day unpaid furloughs to non-union employees.

It could be worse. You could be working for CBS Radio in Cleveland.

Maybe you’re in television, where buy outs are strongly suggested and the alternatives not very pleasing. There, you’re looking at pay cuts hovering around 4 to 8 percent, and unpaid week-to-two-week furloughs.

It could be worse. You could be working for CBS Radio in Cleveland.

And radio? The marrow’s already been sucked out of the bone in that industry. The pilots are automatic and voice-tracking’s the norm. There’s no need to endure the foul breath of those plebeians.

Say you’re that rare real live flesh and blood human still working in local radio and not playing a significant role in the top morning drive show in the market. You now know how an endangered species feels when learns that it’s endangered.

It could be worse. You could be working for CBS Radio in Cleveland.

Here's the CBS Radio backstory.

Akin to most publicly traded radio chains; it's had downsizing disasters, demotions in motion, and survivors doubling to quadrupling up on duties.

I’m not sure if this goes for other markets but in Cleveland CBS Radio recently imposed a 30 percent pay cut for selected employees in a take it or leave deal.

I never would've known about it if it weren't for some local agency people that tipped me off - and asked me for my take on it. This was a well kept secret. For a day or two. When will they learn? This is the Naked City. Secrets don't stay that way for long. I should've known something was up when one of their former account executives posted his resume on every media site around town, including mine.

You read that right. Thirty percent. That’s almost a third of one’s salary.

It’s bad enough when one must scale household budgets back five, ten, fifteen percent – but thirty? Making ends meet just got tougher for the selected servitude of CBS Radio Cleveland.

I wonder how many CBS Radio employees were able to convince their bank to discount their mortgage by 30 percent?

This is what we call deflation. And in its truest form it’s deadly.

This marks the first time since the Great Depression that companies are cutting jobs and existing wages simultaneously.

It’s supply and demand. If there’s no money left after paying off the essentials like food and shelter –goods stack up at retail, which force prices down.

I wonder how many CBS Radio employees were able to convince their local supermarket to give them a 30 percent discount on their food bill?

Thirty percent also means that anything left over will not be spent on anything less than an absolute necessity. Consumers that can afford to will save whatever they can for an uncertain future.

And the only certainty at CBS Radio is that it’s not going to change.

Though CBS Radio told the Wall Street Journal it’s projecting an uptick in revenue in the third and fourth quarters of this year, facts are facts. CBS Radio revenues were down 29 percent in the first quarter and 23 percent in the second. Maybe “Cash for Clunkers” brought a few auto dealers back to radio – but now that it’s over do you really believe they’re going to continue buying time at a clunker’s clip?

And consistency is not one of CBS Radio’s stronger points. 20 percent of its stations have changed format over the last two years.

Let’s read between the lines of their claim that their format flips in New York, L.A., and Chicago boosted revenue. The stations replaced their higher-priced full-time talent.

What’s the translation? Downsized positions at CBS Radio aren’t coming back. If you agreed to the 30 percent pay cut in Cleveland you’ve lived to see another day.

CBS Radio would certainly like to sell some of their stations, Cleveland included, but who’s got that kind of money and willing to risk it on radio?

Lenders aren’t lending. The only radio station buyers are those like Larry Wilson who have the liquidity to do so with their own dough.

Even a massive fire sale doesn’t do much good if no one has money to buy radio in these deflationary times.

The radio industry could learn something from Bill Veeck, the last owner to bring a World Series championship in 1948 to the Cleveland Indians. He said, it wasn’t the high cost of talent killing the game; it was the high cost of mediocrity.

The same could be said about the radio industry, post-1996.

CBS Radio, where one manager insisted that company policy was "Don't be creative!"

CBS. The acronym for Cut Budgets Severely.

True Oldies 105.9 Washington Becomes Classic Rock “105.9 The Edge”

Citadel Broadcasting flipped Classic Hits “True Oldies 105.9″ WJZW Woodbridge, VA/Washington, DC to Classic Rock as “105.9 The Edge” at 10:00am today. The new format, featuring rock acts from the 60’s through the 90’s is positioned between a pair of Clear Channel rockers, Classic Rock “Big 100.3” WBIG and Modern Rock “DC101” WWDC.

Wolf Howling Into Syracuse

Update 8/28 4:30pm: As predicted, 105.1 WVOA flipped to Country as “105.1 The Wolf” at 4:00pm today.

Original Entry: CNYRadio.com is reporting that Foxfur Communications 105.1 WVOA DeRuyter/Syracuse, NY is stunting in preparation of a format change. Since Foxfur acquired the station from Clear Channel the station has simulcasted the Religious programming of sister 103.9 WVOU and the Radio Disney of 1490 WOLF. Those WOLF calls look to be coming in handy as our Net Gnomes have uncovered a trio of domains registered last week: 1051FMTheWolf.com, TheWolf1051FM.com, and Country1051FM.com. The WOLF-FM calls currently belong to corporate cousin “Movin 100.3” in Syracuse.

More Country In Syracuse

Update 8/31/09: Clear Channel flipped 106.9 WPHR back to its Urban AC “Power 106.9” format this morning.

Instant Insight: What in the world was Clear Channel thinking? “Let’s blow off our core listeners on 106.9 just to get back at the group who wants to compete with our powerhouse?” So now in addition to WBBS being vulnerable to competition, Clear Channel has potentially lost some P1’s to 106.9. Just don’t understand that one.

Original Entry 8/28/09: Following the flip of crosstown WVOA to Country “105-1 The Wolf” earlier today, Clear Channel has responded by flipping Urban AC WPHR “Power 106.9″ to “Young Country 106.9“. Sister WBBS “B104.7” the longtime Country powerhouse in Syracuse had been without in-market competition until today. Flipping WPHR to Younger-skewing Country will enable WBBS to focus on its core 25-54 audience. For more information, visit CNYRadio.com.

98.3 Pittsburgh To Change Formats

Update 8/31/09: We guessed this one wrong. EMF Broadcasting has an LMA-to-buy in place for 98.3 and will flip the station to Contemporary Christian as part of the national “K-Love” network tomorrow.

Original Post 8/26/09: 98.3 WOGI Duquesne, PA, one of four suburban Pittsburgh stations surrounding the city with “Froggy” Country will drop the format on Tuesday, September 1. 98.3 is directing its listeners to 104.3 WOGF in Moon Township, PA which covers the Western half of the Pittsburgh market and will become the originating station for the remaining trimulcast as well as the WOGI calls. 94.9 WOGG Oliver covers the Southern portions of the market, while 103.5 WOGH Burgettstown targets the Wheeling, WV market.

Instant Insight: While 98.3 is a Class A with 3.5KW at 440 feet, it does have a city-grade signal over all of Pittsburgh itself. Though no format has been announced, 98.3 would be a perfect spot to take the Urban mantle from 106.7 WAMO should its planned sale to Catholic operators be completed.

TV’s N F Hell

Finally. Some good news for radio.

And it’s at the expense of local and network TV and the National Football League.

A much larger-than-expected number of markets - San Francisco, Oakland, Detroit, San Diego, Minneapolis-St. Paul, St. Louis, Jacksonville, Cleveland, and Cincinnati most likely will not sell out all of their home stadium tickets this season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are likely to have their entire home season blacked out.

The San Diego Chargers haven’t sold out any home games – and could also have most - if not all of its season off local TV.

You ask for the definition of desperation and I’ll give you the only reason the Vikes signed Brett Favre. They’re frantically taking a shot to goose up their anemic ticket sales.

It worked, almost. The Vikings moved 3,000 season tickets and 10,000 single-game tickets within 24 hours of the Favre signing announcement. They still have 7,000 unsold season tickets that’ll take some creative marketing to move.

Did anyone ever thinking of asking the Vikes why they had so many unsold tickets to begin with?
NFL rules call for a local market blackout of games that fail to sell out 72 hours before kickoff. No sell out, no TV, no exceptions.

Last season, 96 percent of home games were carried locally. The previous four seasons were at 95 percent. The all-time high was 97 percent in 2006, when everyone was still partyin’ like it was 1999.

It wasn’t always like this. Over 20 percent of home games were blacked out locally prior to that charmed decade when most were spending more money than they really had. You know, way back in 1999.

Now, the NFL’s getting a taste of the downward spiral.

Local CBS and FOX affiliate TV stations get an average 20+ rtg on a home team broadcast. Local spots go anywhere from $500 to $1000 per rating point. These stations stand to lose $10,000 to $20,000 per 30 second spot-depending on the market.

But don’t shed a tear for the NFL. They pulled off a deal with the nets that guarantee each team around $125 million a year. Heads they win, tails, you lose.

Unless you know someone who can pirate the games from a Slingbox or jerryrig the NFL on-line video feed or Direct Ticket, local radio will be the only place to get the play-by-play in real time in those problematic NFL markets.

There’s another problem. How many radio stations in to-be-blacked-out markets already filled most or all of their game inventory for the season making it too late to jack-up rates?

But at least it’s not TV.

Face it. TV is screwed, blewed, and tattooed on this one. Even if the local games are carried, TV’s been hit with a steep decline in auto and financial spot buys. Coincidentally, those two categories are among the NFL’s largest advertisers.

Yes, even the good days are bad.