NJBA Weekly Newsletter Friday, January 5, 2007

Happy New Year!

Full Agenda For NJBA For 2007

The NJBA Board of Directors has planned a very full year of important programs for New Jersey Broadcasters. Top of the list, stronger Co and adjacent channel protection for all FM’s in New Jersey. NJBA has been working behind the scenes with Senator Frank Lautenberg’s staff to get a piece of legislation that would permit this protection only for New Jersey stations.  Cooperating with Senator Lautenberg’s staff is the staff of Senator Menendez. Senator Lautenberg is a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, which has oversight over Broadcasting.

The other major item for 2007 is a survey being performed by Edison Research, commissioned by NJBA.  When completed, we will inform our members about our listeners -- what we’re doing right for them and what more we need to do. This survey is being financed by PEP income. Finally, the first Monday and Tuesday in June, we will celebrate the NJBA Mid-Atlantic States Conference, in collaboration with the Broadcasters in Maryland, DC and Delaware, at Caesars in Atlantic City. 

Jeff Friedman Leaves NJN

After almost 26 years on the job, Jeff Friedman has resigned from NJN (New Jersey Network) to accept a position as the head of Dumont Studios at Montclair University. Jeff was on the senior staff at NJN, and headed the Newark Studios of NJN. He was also the producer of the Legal program on NJN. The Dumont Center is a working TV studio and trains students to produce TV shows giving them hands on experience. Jeff was a professor at Montclair on a part time basis for many years.  

New Competitor For Ad Dollars

AT&T has announced that its new TV venture, competing with Cable TV will be advertising based. AT&T expects to do several billion dollars worth of advertising, within 5 years as it signs up subscribers to its fiber delivered TV network. Just as cable dollars today compete with local radio for ad dollars, so will Telco delivered cable programming. Expect Verizon to announce that its cable offerings Fios in New Jersey will be advertising based.

In addition, Google and other Internet time sellers are discounting radio spots using the Internet to gather last minute inventory on radio stations. Recently, Google has hired former high-powered Radio Time Salespersons to sell Google ads to agencies in the major markets. These radio professionals know where the advertising dollars are and have experience in getting them spent. 

Mid-Atlantic Conference To Spotlight Localism

We have it and nobody else does. Localism that is! This year the Mid-
Atlantic States Conference will highlight and spotlight Localism. Localism is what makes radio a success. Only radio features local in community happenings on a regular basis that causes our listeners to come back and use every day. The conference will spotlight and feature localism, starting with Dr. David K. Rehr, NAB President and CEO who will keynote the conference.  

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