Radio
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The All Access Audio Summit 2023 began Wednesday, April 26, and ran through Friday, April 28. Bringing together leaders in radio, podcasting, production and more, the virtual convention sparked conversation aimed at optimizing the impact of audio in multiple commercial forms.
Here’s a rundown of highlights from the gathering’s third day, when panels were introduced by YEA Networks’ syndicated host Tino Cochino, who aptly summarized the event as “a whole lot of learning, and catching vibes.”
‘We’re for the Masses’
All Access president and publisher Joel Denver opened the day with a conversation with Dave Milner, Cumulus Media president of operations.
“There’s no silver bullet” to successful radio, Milner mused. “It comes down to great local content, and making sure that content is available in multiple platforms. We have to be available any which way people listen to audio. If you put out good content, they will find it and consume it.
“Individuals are spending more time with audio – the pandemic stretched that,” Milner said. “Whether podcast, streaming or broadcast, people want audio.”
Milner also discussed one of the summit’s recurring topics: artificial intelligence. “There’s going to be a place for it,” he said. “It provides opportunities, from writing copy to traffic reports … weather reports … promotions. I have a hard time thinking it will replace any prime-time, personality-based radio.”
Milner cited a recent episode of SiriusXM’s Friday Night Freak-Out With Drew Carey that surreptitiously used AI. “I violated a rule from Radio 101,” Carey subsequently confessed, adding, “The reason treasured radio stations still make money is because people like the personality of the DJs.”
“You can’t replace that human touch, that soul, that connection with the audience,” Milner said.
Milner additionally touched upon another of the summit’s most prominent angles: finding and nurturing future talent. “The biggest thing we can control is how we mentor,” he said. “We’ve had a couple models where we’ve been able to take the third, fourth, fifth people on a morning show and given them an opportunity to have a more singular voice,” as hosts of their own shifts in different dayparts. “It’s helped them grow, and helped the station cross-pollinate and create a more contiguous audience across the station.”
As for fostering hits, “Radio is not the new music discovery place it used to be,” noted Denver, as streaming services have sliced into that share. “They can go deeper than we do,” Milner conceded of DSPs. “We’re more of a mainstream box store – we’re for the masses. It’s harder for us to take chances on a music level. We’ve got to deliver for all people. But on a day-to-day basis, we have the ability to out-local them all day long. Personalities live in communities – that is something the DSPs will never be able to do in an effective way. They’re trying … they know that’s our advantage.”
Atlanta ‘Radio United’
“You have to be in the daily conversation with your audience,” said Jimmy Steal, vp of branding and content for Hubbard Broadcasting’s WMTX and WSHE Chicago, in the day’s second session.
The discussion led to a rare, but rewarding, occurrence in radio: competing stations working together for a common cause, specifically one spearheaded by panelist Terri Avery, director of branding and programming for Cox Media Group’s WALR Atlanta. In late 2022, Avery helmed Black Radio United for the Vote, encouraging listeners to vote in the then-pending run-off election between U.S. Senator Raphael Wornock (the eventual winner) and challenger Herschel Walker. The initiative – among 11 Atlanta area radio stations – helped prospective voters check their voting status, be informed about requirements for in-person voting, get acquainted with a sample ballot and more.
That Avery could create harmony among so many stations in the same market prompted the session’s panel to agree that she herself “should run for Congress.”
Trolling the Trolls
An All Access Audio Summit panel about social media, led by moderator Lori Lewis, president of marketing firm Lori Lewis Media, had fun taking on trolls.
“They’re just looking for attention,” said Jamien “Melz on the Mic” Green, brand manager and afternoon host at Townsquare Media’s KISX Tyler, Texas. “They’re looking to feel something.” His playful strategy: “I’m gonna give you a rise back!”
His favorite online agitators? Those who take the time to craft an intricate post explaining … that they don’t care about your show. “You’ve helped my algorithm with your comment,” he noted.
Ultimately, he believes in the benefits of social media for radio. “You can lure in one listener at a time,” he said. “It’s free promo.”
Podcasting & Talk Radio (& Cheez-Its)
All Access vp of news, talk, sports and podcasting Perry Michael Simon chatted with Steven Goldstein, CEO of Amplifi Media. “We’re at a third of Americans listening to podcasts weekly – just under 90 million people,” Goldstein said. “I think that’s a giant success.”
Meanwhile, Todd Hollst, evening host on Cox Media Group’s talk station WHIO Dayton, Ohio, feels that the format doesn’t always need to be political-leaning. “There’s nonsense, serious moments … it’s not real-life, but it has that feel,” he said of his show, recapping a passion project of his combining fun and localism, and one not likely to stir a deep divide among listeners, depending on their stance on snacks: as Cheez-Its originated in Dayton in 1921, Hollst started a petition to build a statue in their honor. (No wonder he refers to himself as a wisecracker.)
VO & AI
Kelly “K3” Doherty, president and founder of Imaging House, posed one of the All Access Audio Summit’s most pointed questions, to voice-over and production specialists: Would you take a job recording AI, knowing it could ultimately result in a loss of further work?
“That’s a tough question,” pondered Scott Chambers, president of Scott Chambers VO. “Maybe, if my attorneys looked over the contract really well and I got residuals. The contract would have to be really good and lucrative.”
“I would probably prefer not to,” answered Donovan Corneetz, president of DonCo Productions. “I would not want to contribute to a tool to put me out of work. It wouldn’t serve the industry as a whole very well.”
Said Yinka Ladeinde, president of Yinka’s Voice, “I would like to say I would never do it. I would probably hold out until absolutely necessary.”
Doherty expressed caution that any recorded words could be stitched together to create audio considered offensive, or even incriminating, echoing the need for an airtight contract. Still, she noted that AI would be helpful when realizing a mistake had been made and the voice-over talent wasn’t subsequently available, or when copy is revised. “There are positives and negatives,” she said.
The panel also mused about its side of the business overall, and how sometimes factors are out of a talent’s control, regardless of how well a job is performed. Corneetz recalled once losing out on a gig because, he was later told about a client, “you sound just like her ex-husband … whom she hates.”
‘Our Superpower Is Human Connection’
In the summit’s final session, participants looked to the future of audio, and radio specifically, with another focus on AI.
Thea Mitchem, executive vp of programming for iHeartMedia, stressed the need not to dismiss AI, remembering that, around Y2K, certain executives for whom she then worked didn’t seem concerned enough about the rise of digital audio; even at the time, she thought that they should’ve been. “Technology has always moved things,” she said. “I think all industries have to embrace technology.” Still, she said about radio, repeating a common theme over the convention’s three days, “I think our superpower is human connection. There’s a trust level there.”
Said Kurt Johnson, Townsquare Media senior vp of content, “The concern with AI is no one knows where it’s going, and it’s going really fast. Copyright is a big issue. Like everyone else, were learning very quicky. We’re very big at generating local content. AI could contribute to that, but our people are what make our content.”
Added Keith Hastings, brand content director of Hubbard Broadcasting’s WDRV Chicago, of AI, “With rights come responsibilities. With opportunities comes responsibility. We have to study it and be careful with it.”
Agreed Jeff Sottolano, Audacy executive vp of programming, “All of us have a responsibility to experiment with it. I think there’s a lot of upside. Ask ChatGPT to write a 30-second script and I think you’ll be impressed – it might get you 80% of the way there.”
Johnson summed up his optimism about radio going forward (pointing out that the company’s name reflects how air talents in every market “are the town square”). “What radio provides hasn’t changed,” he said. “When you combine multi-platform – digital, radio, live events – you’re going to find people of all age groups. We have powerful tools to do it – that’s the exciting thing.”
SiriusXM CEO Jennifer Witz‘s predictions last year that the first two quarters of 2023 would be “softer” proved right, as the audio entertainment company reported that revenues and subscribers edged lower in Q1.
SiriusXM reported revenues of $2.14 billion for the quarter ending March 31, marking a 2% drop, as revenue from subscribers and advertisers both fell between 1% and 2% compared with a year ago.
Still, those modest moves downward were better than the company had predicted for the start of the year, and executives raised their full-year guidance for adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, debt and appreciation (EBITDA) to $2.75 billion from $2.7 billion. They also raised their free cash flow guidance to $1.1 billion from $1.05 billion for the year.
“We outperformed our initial financial expectations, putting us in a strong position to increase our full-year guidance,” Witz said on a call discussing earnings. “We intend to make prudent decisions to remain a very profitable business that continues to serve as a primary audio subscription service to certain audio segments while being complimentary to others.”
The company’s cost-cutting campaign — which has impacted its real estate footprint, workforce and marketing spend — helped allow for continued investment in tech improvements Witz says will improve future growth. Costs related to the new product launches, expected later this year, reached $68 million in the quarter, up 15% from a year ago.
However, the 17% reduction in sales and marketing spend, combined with lower numbers of customers starting trial subscriptions late last year, contributed to 347,000 fewer SiriusXM self-pay subscribers for the quarter. The company ended the quarter with 7.2 million trial users, compared to 6.9 million a year ago.
Self-pay subscribers of Pandora Plus and Premium tiers increased by 7,000 from the previous quarter, but the total number of subscribers edged 2% lower, to 6.2 million in the first quarter from a year ago.
“We are still expecting modestly negative [subscriber growth] for the year,” Witz said. “I would expect the second half to be positive, and that nets us out to the modestly negative.”
The company is in the process of updating the back-end technology and its SiriusXM app, tools Witz says will make it easier to find specific genres, make purchases in the car and elsewhere, and further personalize the experience. The hope is that this will enable the company to introduce new products to the app faster, a key part of its growth strategy.
“We are really focused on investing in this new platform and making sure that positions us for growth going forward,” Witz said on the earnings call.
Key SiriusXM Financial Highlights:
Overall
The company forecast it will generate approximately $9 billion in total revenue for 2023, along with $2.75 billion in adjusted EBITDA and $1.1 billion in free cash flow.
The company reported $2.14 billion in revenue, down 2% from the prior year.
Adjusted EBITDA was down 9% from the year-ago quarter at $625 million.
SiriusXM Segment
SiriusXM reported segment revenues of $1.7 billion, down 2% from the prior-year period, due to lower ad revenue and vehicle paid promotional revenue.
Average revenue per user (ARPU) fell $0.24 to $15.29.
Self-pay subscribers decreased by 347,000.
SiriusXM’s total cost of services rose 2% to $664 million in the quarter on higher programming and royalty costs.
SiriusXM’s gross margin of 61% slipped one percentage point from the prior year.
Pandora and Off-Platform Segment
The Pandora and off-platform segment generated $462 million in revenue, down a slight 1% from the year-ago quarter’s $467 million.
Advertising revenue in the segment held roughly flat from a year ago.
The segment’s gross margin was 24%, down 5 percentage points from the prior-year period.
The All Access Audio Summit 2023 began Wednesday (April 26), and is set to run through Friday (April 28). Bringing together leaders in radio, podcasting and more, the virtual convention is sparking conversation aimed at optimizing the impact of audio in multiple commercial forms.
Here’s a rundown of highlights from the gathering’s first day (as panels were introduced by Premiere Networks host Angela Yee).
‘What in This Day and Age is Free?’
In the day’s first session, All Access president and publisher Joel Denver chatted with Ginny Morris, Hubbard Broadcasting chairman and CEO, who highlighted a radio air talent’s value as an “entertainer, informer and connector,” with “the ability to move an audience.”
Mused Morris, “Localism and local autonomy are key tenets of what we do. We’re adding local talent in every market we’re in. Without our talent, we’re just another ubiquitous commodity. Those [broadcasting companies] that are committed to talent seem to outlast those that aren’t. And we know we’re not alone, thankfully.”
Morris also touched on AM radio, amid news that the band will not be available in certain vehicles going forward, prompting U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to weigh in on AM’s “important role.”
“I think we’re a long way from it disappearing from cars,” Morris said. “I’m involved with the NAB to see to it that all of America has access to all the ways that we’ll provide service in case of an emergency: foreign-language programming… a local baseball or hockey game… or news.”
Denver and Morris also discussed the amount of commercials on radio – a challenge, obviously, that streaming services don’t face with paid subscribers. Per Denver, “We’ve been running radio the same way the last 50, 60, 70 years.” Morris conceded, “We have to make payroll and keep the lights on,” while pointing out that Hubbard stations limit hourly commercials to 12.
“I personally love commercials,” she said, citing financial benefits for both radio and advertisers. “I wish they were more entertaining. We’ve tried to work on our creative and commercial content – it works better for clients, and their business grows.”
Morris reinforced the century-plus history of radio’s “no-trial, no credit-card” model: “What [else] in this day and age is free?”
As for maintaining the medium’s overall place in audio, “Super-serve your local community,” she offered. “We’re making sure we’re earning our place in the lives of our listeners.”
‘Art and Science’
After Jacobs Media president Fred Jacobs presented the results of the company’s Techsurvey 2023, the newest edition of the spotlight on core radio listeners’ media consumption habits, a panel discussed streaming metrics and radio’s traditional reliance on callout research – and where the two meet.
Sean Ross, Ross on Radio editor, advised radio programmers to “listen to music” and “don’t let TikTok have it all,” when it comes to exposing rising songs. “Top 40 is too narrow” in its variety of sounds, he said. “I just don’t think TikTok should be the decider for everybody. It’s one great source, but I don’t think it should be everything.”
Mark Adams, iHeartMedia vp of CHR and program director of KIOI and KYLD San Francisco, echoed Morris’ view that radio, with its air talent, boasts an advantage over streaming. “Listeners are bombarded with choice,” he said. “We have the ability to curate a better experience. It’s about the content, stupid. Are we providing a companion-based music experience?”
The panel also featured Louie Diaz, Cumulus vp of top 40 and rhythmic formats; Alissa Pollack, iHeartMedia executive vp of global music marketing; and Amie Vaughan, 300/Elektra executive vp of promotion and streaming.
“Art and science,” Vaughan marveled. “What a great business we have.”
AI: ‘We Have To Be Careful How We Use It’
Tim Clarke, Audacy senior vp of audio content, led a panel that covered multiple topics, including mulling uncertainties “as we go through the forest with a machete” regarding artificial intelligence.
“The cons are pretty frightening,” admitted Jon Zellner, iHeartMedia president of programming operations, digital music, citing that AI could, among other downsides, lead to higher unemployment. He feels that AI’s most important risk to radio is that it jeopardizes “discovery, surprise, trust and companionship. There are ways we can use it, but it should never be at the expense of a human voice.”
Smith-Richards Collective partner Tim Richards believes that AI can be helpful during a public emergency if air talent is unavailable, by creating familiar-sounding and comforting audio from prior recordings, à la voice-tracking. Still, he cautioned, “We have to be careful how we use it.”
All Access urban/R&B format editor likened the current stages of AI to “the wild, wild west.” He praised that radio programming and sales departments can use it to find out more about audiences, while engineering departments can employ it for technological advances. “The good thing about AI is we can pull the data a little quicker,” he said. Still, “That human factor will always be a part of everything we do.”
The group also discussed radio’s place in breaking new music.
“You just have to be paying attention all the time. There are so many places hit music can come from,” said Rich Davis, iHeartMedia director of CHR and KDWB Minneapolis PD.
Zellner noted research revealing that over 50% of people say that they discover music from radio – a higher share than that of streaming. While he found that stat “surprising,” he feels that listeners like hearing a DJ tell the story of a new song, as “there’s a trust factor.”
Instead of waiting for streaming to introduce hits, “Sometimes you can try to create the story, as well,” said Richards.
Again referencing radio’s role as more than a music service, Zellner directed to air talent that one break in an entire shift might be the only one that a listener hears that day, so make it count. “Make sure everything you’re doing sounds entertaining,” he said. He also advised that a morning show promo that runs throughout that day is essentially a “power song” and should be treated as importantly, by being specific and representative of members’ appeal. “More people will hear the promo than your actual show,” he said. “So make the promo kick-ass.”
“You’ve got to work harder than you ever have before,” offered Richards about radio’s current challenges among so many listener options. “The human attention span is more fractured today than it has been in the history of mankind.”
‘Great Programmers Always Find a Way’
A session on audio production continued the All Access Audio Summit’s first day (with Kelly “K3” Doherty, president and founder of Imaging House, sharing a tip that if anyone looking to record audio can’t get to a studio, solid soundproofing can be found … in a car), followed by a closing segment focused on radio programming.
Moderator James Howard, iHeartMedia regional senior vp in Chicago, declared, “Today is the good old days” for radio, and that programmers should consider “not a wish list, but a ‘can’ list.”
Greg Strassell, Hubbard Radio executive vp of programming, said, “I always quote Steve Rivers, one of my mentors: ‘Great programmers always find a way.’ ”
On recruiting the next generation of air talent, Chris Eagan, Cox Media Group vp of audience and operations, said, “It’s everywhere. We’re a lot more open to letting someone on a radio station than we were 20 years ago. We’re a lot more flexible. If someone shows the talent, or ability, there’s a lot less, ‘Bring me a tape.’ The relationship has sort of flipped.”
The panel, which also included Reggie Rouse, Audacy vp of urban programming and WVEE Atlanta PD, and Tony Gray, president and founder of Gray Communications, cited eager board ops and personalities on TikTok and Instagram, among other social media, as potential on-air voices. Howard suggested bartenders, as they can multi-task and “are great storytellers.”
As for finding hit songs, Eagan cited the importance of simply loving music, as how could one be a chef without liking food? “Be a scholar of music,” he asserted.
Replied Howard, “People love music and animals. If you don’t, you’re a serial killer.”
Meanwhile, as talk turned back to streaming’s place among programmers’ menu of song options, fellow panelist Beata Murphy, PD of iHeartMedia’s KIIS Los Angeles, recalled how the station helped make Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” an unlikely radio hit last year.
“I like to look at streaming, Shazam, other stations,” she said. “But then there’ll be a song every once in while … [“Bruno”] was the No. 1 streaming record, by four times, in Los Angeles. LA is the home of Disney, and it’s a Hispanic-leaning song. We tried it, the jocks set it up properly, it started a conversation, we played the record and then it started testing. That’s something I grabbed from streaming. We set it up properly so it didn’t sound crazy. It worked.”
Murphy further noted, with pride, listener response about “two favorite brands” – Disney and KIIS – “colliding.”
Summed up Strassell about radio in 2023, “Especially coming out of the pandemic, create that awareness. Hopefully your products are great and people will find you. Let’s remind people how great we are.”
The Academy of Country Music enlisted a raft of country artists, including Lainey Wilson, Breland and Jelly Roll, to help reveal the winners of the 2023 ACM Radio Awards. The artists tossed a radio from one to another in a clever two-minute video in which the winners’ names were flashed on the screen. The video was posted on the Academy’s official social media pages on Tuesday (April 25). Other artists who participated included Priscilla Block, Russell Dickerson, Parker McCollum, Frank Lay, Lily Rose, Brooke Eden and LoCash.
Winners announced include two first-time on-air personality honorees, Elaina Smith of With Elaina for national weekly on-air personality of the year, and Julie and DJ of Julie and DJ in the Morning for medium market on-air personality of the year.
WIVK-FM in Knoxville, Tenn. and WYCT-FM in Pensacola, Fla. both take home their fifth total ACM Awards for medium market radio station of the year and small market radio station of the year, respectively.
Additional winners include George, Mo, and Erik of The Morning Bullpen with George, Mo, and Erik on KILT-FM in Houston and Big Dave, Stattman, and Ashley of The Big Dave Show on WUBE-FM in Cincinnati for major market and large market on-air personality of the year, respectively.
“The Academy congratulates all of our ACM Awards radio winners for championing the artists that make up the soundtrack of country fans’ lives,” Damon Whiteside, ACM CEO said in a statement. “Country radio has always been and continues to be one of the most important ways for today’s favorite artists to connect with fans, and for fans to find up-and-coming acts to fall in love with.”
The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards is set to take place on Thursday, May 11 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, TX. Country legends Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks are set to host the show, which bills itself as “country music’s party of the year.” The two-hour show will stream live without commercial interruption on Prime Video worldwide for the second year in a row.
The show will stream at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. A limited number of tickets are available for purchase on SeatGeek.
The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards is produced by Dick Clark Productions, with Raj Kapoor, Barry Adelman and Fonda Anita serving as executive producers. Damon Whiteside is executive producer for the ACM. Patrick Menton is co-executive producer.
Below is a complete list of the radio award winners for the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards:
On-air personality of the year winners:
National daily – Big D, Bubba, Patrick Thomas, Carsen | The Big D and Bubba Show
National weekly – Elaina Smith | With Elaina
Major market – George, Mo and Erik | The Morning Bullpen with George, Mo, and Erik – KILT – Houston
Large market – Big Dave, Stattman & Ashley | The Big Dave Show – WUBE – Cincinnati, Ohio
Medium market – Julie Kansy and Dale Sellers | Julie and DJ in the Morning – WPCV – Lakeland, Fla.
Small market – Steve Waters and Tiffany Kay | Steve & Tiffany in the Morning – WFLS – Fredericksburg, Va.
Radio station of the year winners:
Major market – KKBQ – Houston
Large market – WSIX – Nashville
Medium market – WIVK – Knoxville, Tenn.
Small market – WYCT – Pensacola, Fla.
Both country labels and broadcasters want to speed the advance of singles on the Country Airplay chart, though figuring out how to do that is a slow process.
A volunteer panel, spurred by a 2022 Country Radio Seminar session, reported on its progress during an April 20 CRS 360 webinar, concluding that stations need to generate 150 spins on most singles to gain reliable research about the song’s connectivity. Stations that limit a new single to overnights and play it only six times a week require 25 weeks to hit that plateau, one of several factors that slow the hit-development process.
Songs ranked No. 11-20 on the chart have the toughest time advancing, according to the panel’s research, in part because of the plethora of approaches by programmers. Reporting stations that commit early to a new single are sometimes ready to move on from particular titles just as slower-evolving stations are beginning to boost rotations.
One partial suggestion, sure to meet pushback, was to use a smaller playlist, expose new singles more quickly in daytime rotations and make a decision at that 150-spin mark.
The issue is more intense in country than any other format, in part because artists and their representatives have a stronger personal relationship with broadcasters and are more invested in succeeding on that platform — and in controlling the outcome.
“It’s the only format I’ve ever been in,” said McVay Media president Mike McVay, “where people call and yell at me for playing a song or beg me not to drop a song.”
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Spotify is targeting radio broadcasters with its latest product update that will make it easier to convert radio shows into on-demand podcasts and offer a new source of ad revenue on existing content.
Beginning Thursday, Spotify’s “broadcast-to-podcast” technology will be fully integrated into Megaphone, the podcast ad tech and hosting platform that Spotify acquired in late 2020. The radio-to-podcast conversion technology itself comes from the Australian podcasting platform Whooshkaa, which was purchased by Spotify in 2021.
Using Megaphone, publishers will be able to input the URL to a live stream of their broadcasted content and automatically have a podcast created from that programming, according to Emma Vaughn, Spotify’s global head of advertising business development and partnerships. The “broadcast-to-podcast” tech will identify ad marker locations, giving publishers the opportunity to remove the ads that were originally aired on the live version of the program and dynamically insert new ad spots in their place, resulting in more revenue.
Companies using “broadcast to podcast” can continue to sell their own ad inventory or, in the near future, do so through the Spotify Audience Network, the audio giant’s ad marketplace.
“These publishers obviously have a ton of content that they create. The libraries are massive, [but] they don’t always have a full podcast operation that’s set up, [so] creating podcast-only content might not make sense for them,” Vaughn told The Hollywood Reporter. “That’s where ‘broadcast to podcast’ comes in because it’s seamless and allows them to join the ecosystem.”
As part of the initial rollout, publishers like Fox Corp. — which has an existing advertising and distribution deal with Megaphone for its Fox Audio Network — will use the conversion technology to create on-demand podcast versions of the broadcaster’s radio programming, though Vaughn said the goal is to attract publishers and broadcasters around the globe that “previously weren’t able to access Megaphone and access the podcast ecosystem.”
The executive also noted that converting radio programming into podcasts could give radio broadcasters a better chance at expanding their reach to Gen-Z listeners.
“More and more people are listening to content via these digital channels,” Vaughn said, “so it’s going to be able to bring some of this broadcast content that was maybe more isolated to a certain type of demographic to the Spotify demographic and to these young audiences that they haven’t been able to capture before.”
This story was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.
Satellite radio company SiriusXM Holdings said on Tuesday (April 4) that Thomas Barry will take over as chief financial officer later this month, according to a company statement.
Barry succeeds Sean Sullivan, who is leaving Sirius on April 28 for an opportunity at another publicly traded company “outside the industry,” according to the statement.
Barry, a 14-year veteran of SiriusXM, takes on the job of head of finances amid a company-wide reorganization that involved eliminating 475 jobs in March, as SiriusXM shifts resources into technology initiatives.
Barry has experience in “organizational transformation,” the company said, having played a key role in the integration of Sirius and XM after its 2008 merger, including as it relates to Pandora and the connected vehicle business. Barry previously served as senior vice president and controller and as chief accounting officer at the company.
“Tom is an experienced leader who has played a key role on SiriusXM’s finance team for the last fourteen years and … (who) has deep insight into our business and SiriusXM’s strategic, operating and financial priorities,” Jennifer Witz, SiriusXM’s chief executive officer said in the statement.
SiriusXM will report its first quarter 20203 financial results on April 27.
BET has joined forces with iHeartMedia to bring over the award-winning radio show The Breakfast Club to its 2023 programming lineup. The famous show from New York’s Power 105.1 FM with personalities DJ Envy and Charlemagne Tha God will air a special televised edition for an hour beginning April 17 at 9 AM EST on BET and VH1, with episodes running Monday through Friday after that. Episodes from the week will be available to stream every Sunday on BET+.
“We’re thrilled to partner with iHeartMedia to bring The Breakfast Club and their unique brand of entertainment and cultural commentary to our audiences,” said BET CEO and president Scott Mills in a statement. “We recognize the show’s influence and popularity, and we are confident that the partnership will be meaningful to our viewers and to our partners. Hosts Charlamagne and DJ Envy are long time members of the BET and Paramount family, so we couldn’t be more excited to welcome The Breakfast Club home to BET.”
Adds iHeartMedia’s president of Entertainment Enterprises, John Sykes: “What began as a daily morning radio show over a decade ago in New York City has now become a cultural beacon across America. This new partnership with BET will expand the radio show’s reach to millions more watching on this iconic television network.
Since Angela Yee departed from the show last December, The Breakfast Club has enlisted celebrity guest co-hosts to occupy her spot, including Ray J, Jason Lee, Nene Leakes, and more. This also marks the BET’s first daily program since 2014 with 106 & Park.
Latto will be taking some lucky listeners on a ride of a lifetime with her new Apple Music 1 show 777 Radio, which will be landing on Apple Music’s global live-streaming radio station Thursday, March 30.
Apple Music announced the “Lottery” MC’s new show on Monday (March 27), who was dressed in the flyest flight attendant outfit and addressing the rest of the passengers (herself) from 30,000 feet in the air. “Welcome aboard 777 Air. I’m Big Latto, and I’ll be your flight attendant today,” she announced over the intercom. “Please make sure to put the BS on airplane mode and leave all your baggage at home. ‘Cause we goin’ outside, baby. Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.”
Latto
Courtesy Photo
Her “For the Night” collaborator Chloe Bailey will be 777 Radio‘s first guest on Thursday at 11 a.m. PST, when they’ll discuss relationships, body image, comparisons with her sister (and the other half of Chloe x Halle) Halle and more.
“I’m going to keep it very personal and play what I actually listen to,” Latto said in an Apple Music press release. “I’m going to highlight new artists that I feel like the world needs to hear, artists that I think deserve more spotlight. I listen to a lot of female rap, so definitely supporting the girls, and definitely a lot of Southern music.”
The radio show’s title comes from Latto’s sophomore album 777, which she released a year ago on March 25, 2022. The album — which spawned hits like the Billboard Hot 100 No. 3, multi-platinum smash “Big Energy” — peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and No. 8 on Billboard‘s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
See the trailer for Latto’s 777 Radio Apple Music 1 show below.
Universal Music Group, the country’s biggest record label, has recently taken steps to rein in the costs of radio campaigns, multiple sources tell Billboard. The move comes at a time when there is debate around the music industry about the most effective methods of spending marketing dollars and promoting a record, and traditional outlets — airplay, late-night television appearances, and even prominent playlisting on streaming services — don’t always drive engagement.
As many radio formats focused on new music are struggling, more label executives say it’s an open question whether paying big money for airplay is worth it. “The math is just not working,” according to one major label promotions executive outside of the UMG system.
Record companies have long supplemented their in-house radio departments with help from contractors, known as independent promoters. Working multiple songs in multiple formats across hundreds of stations around the country requires a lot of staff and local relationships. Indie promoters often cultivate those relationships with specific stations by region or format. Some operate on a retainer basis, charging a set amount for the duration of a promotional campaign. Others charge for each add they obtain for a song on station playlists, with costs ranging from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.
When it comes to the latter model, the world’s leading record company wants to limit the cost of adds, according to four veteran promotions executives. A rep for UMG declined to comment.
“It’s common knowledge Universal has drawn back” from spending as much on radio promotion, says Joey Carvello, a veteran who previously worked in-house for major labels and as an independent. “It’s a hot topic,” adds Daniel Glass, founder of Glassnote Records, who notes that Universal’s new approach was “being spoken about everywhere” at an industry event earlier this year in Los Angeles.
Major labels have attempted to limit the cost of radio campaigns multiple times over the years. More than four decades ago, Billboard’s Nov. 8, 1980 issue reported that labels in the Warner Music Group system were looking to “realize as much as $3 [million] to $6 million a year in savings by dropping their outside promotion help.” Today, a label aiming to get to the top of the mainstream R&B/hip-hop airplay chart is going to need to budget more than $100,000, executives say; in some cases, a pop campaign can cost over $300,000.
Past efforts by the majors to curb promotion costs were often undone by the necessity of radio exposure. The key difference nowadays is streaming’s ability to mint major artists with little or no radio play. Take 23-year-old rapper Youngboy Never Broke Again: Only Drake and Taylor Swift earned more streams in 2022, according to Luminate, but Youngboy has only ever cracked Billboard‘s all-genre Radio Songs chart once — as a featured act.
Streaming now accounts for 84% of U.S. music industry revenues, according to the RIAA’s 2022 year-end report. And it’s not always clear, even to the people in radio, that airplay drives more streams.
A 2021 report by the market research company MusicWatch found that streaming and listening on social media accounted for 46% of survey respondents’ weekly listening, while AM/FM radio accounted for 16%. A survey by MIDiA Research last year found that YouTube was the leading source of music discovery. And for the all-important Gen Z, TikTok was in second place.
MusicWatch’s study also indicated that streaming dominated lean-in listening — YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music accounted for 56% of this activity, as compared to 13% for broadcast radio. That’s important because lean-in listeners are likely to be more active fans, who might be inclined to buy tickets or vinyl or sweatshirts from an artist they love.
In this environment, a major-label radio promotion executive complained last year that the cost of airplay may not make economic sense. He recalls needing to spend $3,000 to get a song into rotation in a small city. That airplay would need to drive around a million streams in that area alone “to justify that expense,” he said. The city’s population was less than 150,000 people.
Of course, not everyone in the music industry feels the same. “At the end of the day, radio makes pop stars,” Carvello says. And Midia’s survey found that, outside of Gen Z, radio was the number two source of music discovery after YouTube.
Glassnote — the independent label home to Phoenix and Mumford & Sons — has no plans to change its radio strategy, according to Glass: “Independent promotion has been very important to the growth of Glassnote over the years. We’re not going to change our loyalty.”