This Week in
Small Market Radio
LEGISLATORS
OPPOSE MERGER, WANT CONDITIONS. Five Democrat
members of the U.S. House—Reps. Betty McCollum,
James Oberstar, Collin Peterson, Keith Ellison and
Timothy Walz—have gone on record, in a letter to FCC
Chairman Kevin Martin, as being opposed to the
XM-Sirius merger, but if it must take place, then
the FCC should set aside 25% of the total satellite
spectrum for noncommercial, minority and emergency
services.
 NAB
CHIEF AT CONCLAVE: “IMMENSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR
RADIO.” David Rehr delivered the opening keynote
at the 2008 Conclave Learning Conference in
Minneapolis—the first time an NAB head has ever
attended the Conclave.
COMMISSION
TARGETS SPONSOR ID. The FCC has issued a notice
of inquiry and notice of proposed rulemaking on
sponsorship identification and embedded advertising.
PERFORMANCE RIGHTS ACT PASSES OUT OF COMMITTEE.
The measure to impose a performance tax on local
broadcasting was passed by the House Judiciary
Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and
Intellectual Property (“House IP”).
THE
WIRELESS FUTURE INCHES CLOSER. Chrysler has
announced “UConnect Web,” an in-car wireless
Internet system which “transforms the vehicle into a
hot spot for instant access to websites, email,
personalized music, online gaming, photo albums and
more.”
PETITION TO QUASH FAIRNESS DOCTRINE ISSUED.
Prompted by reports that Speaker of the House Nancy
Pelosi (D-CA) isn’t allowing the Mike
Pence-sponsored Broadcaster Freedom Act—blocking the
return of the Fairness Doctrine—to come to the House
floor this year, the Media Research Council is
circulating an online petition in support of Pence’s
bill.
 RUSH
INKS LONGISH-TERM CONTRACT. Rush Limbaugh has
signed a new deal with Premiere that will run “many
years into the future.”
CONSUMER
INDECENCY COMPLAINTS DOWN. The FCC’s report on
consumer inquiries and complaints for the third
quarter of 2007 indicates a slight dip—3%—in radio
and TV indecency complaints from the previous year.
MURROW WINNERS REVEALED. The Radio-Television
News Directors Association (RTNDA) announced the
winners of the 2008 Edward R. Murrow Awards for
excellence in electronic journalism.
TRITON STILL BUYING. Triton Media Group,
which last week announced its acquisition of Jones
Media, says now it’s buying Radio Companion,
offering web-based sales modules for radio-station
websites.
FCC NICKS
NEW ENGLAND PIRATE. A Boston man has been fined
$10,000 for “willfully and repeatedly violating” the
Communications Act by running an unlicensed radio
transmitter on 101.3 FM.
ARBITRON FOCUSES ON SMALL MARKETS. Last
Wednesday, Arbitron held a diary service update for
members of the ad-hoc committee of small- and
medium-market broadcasters—and your editor—that
serves as a sounding-board for the company’s efforts
to improve service to its diary customers. |
What's
Inside
Our Website
|
= Subscribers Area