NJBA Weekly Newsletter Friday, March 6, 2009

Radio Legend Paul Harvey Will be Missed

Legendary Radio broadcaster Paul Harvey, whose career as a national broadcaster spanned six decades, died Saturday in Phoenix, Ariz., at the age of 90. Known for his conservatism and trademark pauses, Harvey was a fixture of the national airwaves. He reached an audience of about 24 million listeners at the height of his popularity, with his customary blend of news, human interest stories and ads he wrote and read himself. Mr. Harvey’s funeral will be held this Saturday in Chicago.  Harvey's wife, Lynne "Angel" Harvey, died in May of last year, and in lieu of flowers, memorials would be appreciated for the Lynne Cooper Harvey Foundation, 1035 Park Ave., River Forest, IL 60305.  

Julius Genachowski picked to head FCC

President Obama officially announced his choice of former Harvard Law classmate Genachowski to lead the FCC. The White House still must fill the Republican vacancy created by Deborah Taylor Tate’s departure. Genachowski, a onetime executive at IAC/InterActive and a former DC venture capitalist at LaunchBox Digital, served as Obama's chief technology adviser during the presidential campaign. He has an FCC background as well, having served as chief counsel for former Chairman Reed Hundt during the Clinton administration. The NAB feels that he could be in place within one month from now. 

PPM Methodology Still a Concern

RBR reported that Arbitron announced that several of the key methodology enhancements agreed to in its legal settlements with the Attorneys General of New York, New Jersey and Maryland are being extended to all Portable People Meter markets. Those include enhancements in cell phone-only sampling, address-based sampling, in-tab compliance rates and SPI (Sample Performance Indicator) response metrics. The Spanish Radio Association and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters say they're "disappointed" with Arbitron's pledge to upgrade PPM methodology. They say what Arbitron has done is only “a good first step,” but not nearly enough. SRA and NABOB said in a joint statement that they have made clear in recent meetings with Arbitron that the actions mandated by the state settlements are necessary but not sufficient if Arbitron is truly committed to transforming PPM into a reliable audience measurement service.  The groups say their actions won't fix what's caused PPM data to be "skewed and unreliable." 

Greater Media CEO Supports CPM Metric

Peter Smyth says a proposal floated by big ad agencies that all media be sold on a CPM (cost per thousand) metric to allow equal comparisons has promise. The Greater Media CEO thinks it could put radio in more integrated marketing plans. 

Local Radio Freedom Act Now Has 135 backers

The Local Radio Freedom Act, a House resolution which seeks to stop the approval of "any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge," has added nine more backers for a total of 135 supporters in the House. The House Judiciary Committee postponed a planned hearing on this matter until 3/12. 

Broadcasters Sue FCC Over White Spaces Decision

The NAB and AMST have filed a joint petition with the Federal Court of Appeals challenging the FCC’s decision to allow unlicensed devices like laptops and smart radios to share spectrum used by DTV stations. NAB and MSTV told the court that the commission's decision "to allow unlicensed access to television spectrum will have a direct, adverse impact on NAB's and MSTV's members because it will allow harmful interference with the reception of their broadcast signals." 

NJ’s Community Banks Part of Stimulus

A measure to spur lending to small businesses and individuals by investing state funds in community banks was approved this week by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. The bill S2552, sponsored by Sen. Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester), was an element of the economic stimulus package proposed in October by Gov. Jon Corzine. It would allow the state to invest some of its cash management and pension funds in certificates of deposit and fixed income securities with federal guarantees. It is intended to increase the liquidity of New Jersey community banks so they can make more and cheaper capital available to small businesses, local governments and individual borrowers. The bill was approved by a vote of 14-0 and now goes to the full Senate for consideration. 

Love Will be Lost in Assembly

Assemblywoman Sandra Love (D) announced Thursday that she will not seek re-election this year because health issues could keep her from handling what she expects to be a "rigorous" campaign. Love, 63, a former three term Mayor of Gloucester Township serving her first term in the Legislature, said she will continue to work "vigorously" for the people of the 4th District while she finishes out her term. The NJBA sends Assemblywomen Love our best wishes for good health and thanks her for her many years of dedicated service to the Garden State. 

State Broadcasters Review Convention Costs

The Georgia Association of Broadcasters announced that it will postpone its convention this year, joining New Jersey and New York in postponing their annual convention. Broadcasters in Indiana, Washington, and Nevada have suspended their conventions for some time now. In addition, the Canadian Broadcasters Association also plans to postpone their annual convention for one year.

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