Monday, June 27, 2022
Monday Memo: Inflation Hacks. Inflation is changing listeners, advertisers and
OUR lives, in almost every way. Consultant
Holland Cooke vows that, “Rather than joining the blame-game unison, I will be using this column for the entire month of July to offer solutions, dozens of ways you can share on-air, and use yourself.” He begins a week early, with “a renegotiation hit list.” Read it
here.
Pending Business: Roe v Wade. Radio sales pro Steve Lapa writes in today’s column that the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v
Wade could present opportunities for talk radio. He asks, “As the ruling to reverse
Roe v Wade works through societal and financial issues, could 50 years of history be reversed? Could the impact change the next 50 years of talk radio? He suggests three possible shifts. Read about them
here.
Legislation Gains Steam To Allow Cannabis Ads on Radio. Language on a House Appropriations committee bill advanced last Friday (6/24) would prevent the
FCC from taking administrative action against broadcasters accepting cannabis advertisements consistent with the law of the state or jurisdiction in which the station is licensed.
NAB spokesman
Alex Siciliano comments, “We are pleased to see this bipartisan language has advanced in the House. As the vast majority of states have legalized cannabis in some form, today marks a long overdue step toward finally allowing broadcasters to receive equal treatment regarding cannabis advertising that other forms of media have had for years. While we welcome [Friday’s] progress, local broadcasters will continue to work with all policymakers towards a broader resolution of this competitive disparity and in support of our unique service to local communities.”
New York State Broadcasters Association president
David Donovan adds, “We are grateful to House Appropriations Committee chair
Rosa DeLauro; subcommittee chair
Mike Quigley; and members of the committee for recognizing the unfairness of the present situation with respect to cannabis advertising. The provision in this appropriations bill is a major step forward for leveling the playing field for local broadcasters. We believe the law of the state in which a station is licensed should determine whether a station can accept cannabis advertising, if they so choose. We look forward to working with members of Congress and the administration to help restore parity between local broadcasters and other media outlets.” In states that have approved cannabis for medical and/or adult use, local radio and television stations have been unable to accept advertisements from legally-authorized cannabis distributors. Meanwhile, cable; satellite; internet; print; magazine; billboards; and social media platforms
are free to accept and transmit these ads.
Sigma Delta Chi Journalism Award Winners Announced. Honorees were cited by the Society of Professional Journalists in a
video presentation last Thursday (6/22). In
Sigma Delta Chi’s category of “Radio Breaking News Reporting, Market 1-100 or Network Syndication,”
CBS News Radio’s staff won for “Assault on the U.S. Capitol.” Other winners included:
Chicago Public Media-owned public radio news/talk WBEZ’s
Esther Yoon-Ji Kang,
Susie An, and
Alden Loury for “Fertile Soil For Abuse: A Reckoning at Covenant Fellowship Church” (“Radio Investigative Reporting, Large Market”) and
Virginia Tech public radio news/talk WVTF, Roanoke’s
Sandy Hausmang for “COVID-19 in Virginia Prisons” (“Radio Investigative Reporting, Small Market”).
NPR’s
Hansi Lo Wang won for “Immigration Hard-Liner Files Reveal 40-Year Bid Behind
Trump’s Census Obsession” (“Radio Feature Reporting, Large Market”), while
Wichita State University public radio news/talk KMUW’s
Suzanne Perez won for her piece on 3,000 Kansas kindergartners (“Radio Feature Reporting, Small Market”). Elsewhere,
University Radio Foundation public radio news/talk WFAE, Charlotte’s
David Boraks was victorious in the “Radio Documentaries, Large Market” category for “Asbestos Town.” Reports regarding healthcare mistreatment in Maine State Prisons by
Maine Public Radio’s
Susan Sharon and
Mark Simpson won in “Public Service in Radio Journalism.” The award for “Narrative Podcast” went to
NBC News’
Ayman Mohyeldin and
Preeti Varathan for “American Radical.”
TALKERS News Notes. Per a report in The Tennessean, a lawsuit filed last September by former Ramsey Solutions employee Julie Anne Stamps has been settled. Stamps, who came out as lesbian to her supervisor in May 2020, alleged she was pressured to resign because of her sexual orientation. When Stamps told her supervisor she’d be public about her sexuality, she was told to quit. The
company denied Stamps’ allegations in court; the settlement was for $76,900. Two other federal discrimination lawsuits against Ramsey Solutions remain pending. One alleges an employee was fired for becoming pregnant while not married, while the other is over the company’s COVID-19 position … Ramifications on the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade will be discussed tomorrow afternoon (Tuesday, 6/28) on Boston public radio news/talk WGBH’s “Community Conversation: The Roe v. Wade Ruling” (2:00 pm – 3:30 pm). WGBH general manager/news
Pam Johnston comments, “The Supreme Court’s opinion on Roe v. Wade will impact our lives in Massachusetts in ways we haven’t even begun to understand yet and opens up a host of questions for people across the Commonwealth. We invite people to gather at the ‘GBH Studio inside the
Boston Public Library to discuss and unpack these critical and far-reaching issues.” WGBH hosts
Callie Crossley,
Margery Eagan, and
Paris Alston will be joined by
Reproductive Equity Now executive director
Rebecca Hart Holder and
Suffolk University professor
Renee Landers … Taking effect this Friday (7/1) will be a ten-year extension between
Learfield and the
University of Oklahoma athletics department. Learfield executive vice president/university partnership group
Mike Hamilton notes, “We’re extremely proud to have the opportunity to continue representing the Sooner brand. We appreciate Oklahoma University Athletics’ longtime trust in us. The unprecedented agreement commencing in July speaks to the forward-thinking, strategic decisions necessary in today’s rapidly evolving college sports landscape.” Oklahoma University vice president/director of athletics
Joe Castiglione comments, “As with any challenge and change our industry experiences, we intentionally seek cutting-edge collaborations to move us forward in the marketplace. [Learfield’s] leadership continues to help our administration navigate through areas such as evolution in the content game and digital innovation.”
Sooner Sports Properties’ newly-named vice president/general manager
Kelly Collyar remarks, “We are genuinely excited about this extension and
how it will transform the way our brand partners integrate with our fans. Through the expansion of categories and assets, sponsorship will truly take on a new meaning at Oklahoma University.” Meanwhile, pending finalization of a deal first reported by
The Grand Forks Herald, radio rights to
University of North Dakota athletics broadcasts will be awarded to
iHeartMedia, which currently airs Fighting Hawks sports. According to the report,
Leighton Broadcasting also bid on the radio package.
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Category: Front Page News, Industry News