RBR+TVBR InFOCUS Podcast

Tieline: The Codec Company is an entity many radio and television industry owners and executives are likely familiar with. But, they may not even know what a Codec is.

What’s the quick explanation as to how this Australia-based company’s products aid the production and technical side of a broadcast media property’s operations? We asked Jacob Daniluck, who is an Indianapolis-based Technical Sales Specialist for Tieline, serving the Americas alongside Doug Ferber.

In this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, Daniluck shares more about how Tieline works with audio content creation and distribution companies, how its new MPX Product received an NAB Product of the Year honor, and how native Livewire+ in high density Gateway codecs can streamline integration into a Livewire system in layman's terms.

While iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman is likely a more familiar name to broadcast media executives, Hal Pittman plays a highly important role for the United States Armed Forces. How so? He’s the Director of Defense Media Activity, and helps bring radio and television programming to Americans oversees in military and consular roles. Simply put, without you, AFN would be at a big loss.

This Mr. Pittman dials in to the latest InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM to share more with RBR+TVBR's audience about how our Armed Forces relies on commercial radio and TV.

The first half of 2023 is nearly done, and there have clearly been some interesting and intriguing transactions. What are the longterm trends, however? Should brokers be pitching potential overseas buyers on the U.S. broadcast media marketplace? Are the lone opportunities in television associated with low-power TV stations? Is the broker pool about to get shallower, because the deal-making marketplace simply can no longer support so many?

Bob Heymann, the Chicago-based broker with Media Services Group, answers these questions and more in this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, hosted by Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson.

The first half of 2023 is nearly done, and we’ve seen some interesting deals pop up — including the acquisition on Monday by Nexstar Media Group of KUSI-51 in San Diego and Hearst Television's recent purchase of Waterman Broadcasting’s WBBH in Fort Myers, the market’s NBC station.

Does this portend the return of some big deals, or are we seeing blips on the radar? That's just one question RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson asked veteran media broker Dick Kozacko in this fresh InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM.

In the podcast, Kozacko addresses the buyer landscape for Radio, inventory for those seeking TV stations, and the population of active brokers in the U.S. today.

With new integrations, TuneIn access is easier than ever. And, it could be a solution for those worried about AM radio’s erasure from in-dash audio entertainment systems. To learn more, we welcome TuneIn CEO Richard Stern to the InFocus Podcast, presented by dot.FM.

For iHeartMedia in the first quarter of 2023, the net loss widened. Yet, the company had a good quarter. How so? RBR+TVBR went beyond the press release by listening to the entire Q1 2023 earnings call held on Tuesday morning for analysts and investors.

On the call, CEO Bob Pittman shared some intriguing statistics about podcast consumption — and where the audience is coming from. Spoiler alert: It's not coming from broadcast radio.

Also on the call, COO/CFO Rich Bressler provided some guidance as to how the second quarter of 2023 is shaping up. While digital is up, the linear trends, ex-political, point to more downward movement — as anticipated — for ad revenue.

This InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, summarizes the call in less than 20 minutes, giving you all of the information you need to understand where the radio industry's biggest station owner — and all of Radio in the U.S. — could be heading in the weeks ahead.

In contrast to Beasley Media Group, Cumulus Media's challenges and "National headwinds" hurt the company in the first quarter of 2023. Local businesses were flat for the quarter, but fueled by local digital. Still, operating income shrunk to $1.04 million from $14.8 million.

What does this mean for Cumulus, and where is the second quarter heading? Some "greenshoots" in local are being seen amid the gloomy financial portrait at the company led by President/CEO Mary Berner. Meanwhile, CFO Frank López-Balboa detailed the top ad categories for Cumulus in Q1 and answered an analyst's question as to whether there were more non-essential assets Cumulus could sell.

Berner and López-Balboa detailed the state of Cumulus on the company's Q1 2023 earnings call, conducted bright and early Thursday. We've taken excerpts from their comments, and are pleased to present them in this latest InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.fm.

The 2023 NAB Show is now in the past. What were some of the key takeaways from the affair, which saw RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson meet with one top broadcast media CEO on Saturday ahead of exploring the expo floor, sitting in on intriguing panel discussions and sitting in on a press scrum with NAB President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt.

Radio Ink Online Editor Cameron Coats was also in attendance, and he heard a lot about AI, and AM. In this special edition of the InFOCUS Podcast, Adam and Cameron share their notes on the association's biggest affair since 2019 — an event that attracted "anyone who is anyone" in the broadcast media industry.

Some 75,000 individuals are en route to Las Vegas for the 2023 NAB Show. From AM radio to AI — artificial intelligence — to ATSC 3.0 and its promises, there will be lots of learning opportunities in between cocktails, conversation, and experiencing all across the West, North and Central Halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

In this special edition of the InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson chats with new Radio Ink Online Editor Cameron Coats to share their thoughts on what readers of each publication can look forward to, based on their respective observations and insight while in Las Vegas.

"For Hispanics, it is a really good way to build an emotional connection, which is what makes a difference in the sense of success for campaigns and the particular growth they are looking for."

That's what veteran multicultural marketing and advertising executive Luis Miguel Messianu shares about the power of audio advertising when seeking to lure, retain and grow with one of the biggest consumer groups in the U.S. — Latinos.

Ahead of the Hispanic Radio Conference, June 14-15 at the Intercontinental at Doral Miami, Messianu speaks with RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief and longtime Hispanic marketing and advertising industry journalist Adam R Jacobson in this fresh InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM.