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MARK RAMSEY MEDIA

Audio is a Feature, Not an Industry

Mar 16, 2016

Audio is a Feature, Not an Industry

So what does it mean when the radio industry headlines lead with debt-burdened iHeartMedia and this: iHeartMedia Battles Angry Creditors as Bankruptcy Looms. What does it mean when the next headline is about Cumulus, and this quotation: “Q4 and 2015 results dismal as radio’s decline shows no signs of stabilization.” What does it mean when CBS announces their plan to spin all of their radio assets while at the same time vowing to boost revenue $3.75 Billion by 2020 based on ev

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Radio Revenue: You Get What You Ask For

Jan 29, 2015

Radio Revenue: You Get What You Ask For

You get what you ask for. Last week Townsquare Media reported that about 30% of its revenue derived from non-spot sources in 2014 – 42% if you exclude recent acquisitions. And Townsquare isn’t alone. Check out how CBS (the entire company, not just radio) is shedding its dependence on advertising: CBS, which in addition to the CBS Television Network, owns Showtime, CBS Television Stations, CBS Radio, CBS Television Studios and Simon & Schuster, has the most exposure to adverti

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Is Streaming Momentum Stuck? Really?

Jan 27, 2015

Is Streaming Momentum Stuck? Really?

There’s been lots of attention in the radio industry trades lately about the lack of audience momentum for many broadcasters in the streaming space, even as so-called pure-plays like Pandora and Spotify grow by leaps and bounds. Tom Taylor writes: iHeart’s not the only terrestrial operator with flat or negative growth over the period from February 2013 to October 2014. #3-ranked CBS is down from about 69,000 average domestic streams (6am-8pm weekdays) to a little less than 60

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Look Out: Big TV is Eating the Internet – Media Unplugged Ep 6

Oct 28, 2014

Look Out: Big TV is Eating the Internet – Media Unplugged Ep 6

We have about two thousand listens to the new twice-monthly podcast I produce with branding strategist Tom Asacker. It’s called Media Unplugged. Have you listened yet? This week Tom and I ask whether the Internet is disrupting the TV industry or – after decisions by HBO and CBS to provide streaming-only subscription services – is Big Media eating the Internet? We think so! Then, is Pinterest the coming ad colossus that could dwarf Twitter and Facebook? There are lots of good

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Who Says Radio Talent Can’t Compete with Hollywood?

Oct 6, 2014

Who Says Radio Talent Can’t Compete with Hollywood?

I’ve watched with some bemusement a debate in broadcasting circles: Does it makes sense for broadcasters to embrace an abundance of digital tools – including video – to tell their stories and reach their audiences across platforms? Or should radio folks simply do better radio? After all, can you really compete with Hollywood? With ABC and NBC and CBS? Well of course you can. Indeed, people are doing it every day. And they’re doing it without the benefit of the magnificent sta

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Lessons for Radio from Time Warner Cable

Nov 5, 2013

Lessons for Radio from Time Warner Cable

Earlier this year, CBS was blacked out on Time Warner Cable in several major markets due to a dispute over content rights fees. CBS wanted more and Time Warner didn’t want to pay it. More than 3 million Time Warner Cable customers lost access to CBS-owned stations, Showtime, and three other cable nets for a month until the standoff was resolved. So what happened? The monthlong CBS blackout for Time Warner Cable customers in major markets was a key factor leading to the cable

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Dan Mason – “What Differentiates Radio is what Personalities Bring to the Table”

Mar 28, 2012

Dan Mason – “What Differentiates Radio is what Personalities Bring to the Table”

So is radio’s future something that happens “between the songs” or across a variety of traditional and digital platforms? Dan Mason thinks the answer is “both,” and of course, he’s right. Dan is the president and CEO of CBS Radio and has great advice for any broadcaster trying to strike the balance between their on-air tradition and their digital future. What follows is an abbreviated transcript of our chat. For the full conversation tune in to the video or the audio. Watch:

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CBS Sports Radio gets Interactive (and so should you)

Feb 14, 2012

CBS Sports Radio gets Interactive (and so should you)

From Inside Radio: Aiming to bring talk radio fans closer to the studio, CBS Radio is beta testing a new iPhone app that enables faster, more spontaneous ways for listeners to get involved with its shows. Sports “The Fan” WFAN, New York (660) afternoon host Mike Francesa is the guinea pig for AudioRoadShow, which went live yesterday afternoon. CBS Local Digital Media president Ezra Kucharz called the new app “game-changing for sports radio” for its ability to let hosts quic

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Radio Must be an “Entertainment Experience”

Jun 15, 2011

Radio Must be an “Entertainment Experience”

MarketWatch and also the first president of CBS Digital. We talked at length about the challenges media in general – and radio in particular – face amidst a torrent of change. Watch this video and see Larry’s answers for Radio. Prefer audio? Try this: Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. (You can subscribe to all the MRM video and a

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The Future of Local Radio Revenue

Nov 17, 2010

The Future of Local Radio Revenue

Oddly enough, the future of local radio revenue is outlined in an Ad Age piece about the future of local TV revenue. Writes Ad Age: Owners of local-TV outlets have discovered that in this digital age, “they are local media companies, as opposed to TV stations,” said Mark Fratrik, a vice president at consultant BIA/Kelsey. Ad Age outlines the way CBS, for example, is integrating their TV and radio assets into a one-two local media punch: At CBS Corp. an effort is afoot to crea

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