Why are Concert Tickets so Jacked?? And why is Live Nation / Ticket Master a bad investment? Why are concert tickets so expensive? Competition between concert promoters was once a stabilizing force on ticket sales. When only one company owns all the large venues, they can dictate prices to everyone except the big acts which …
Not Buying the Facebook, Google Argument
(Originally Published in Radio INK, Nov 13 2018) (By Kevin McKinney) The notion that Facebook and Google are stealing ad revenue from radio is completely false. Radio is giving revenue to Google and Facebook. Nobody is stealing. So why do consolidators claim this? They use the Internet as an excuse to convince legislators to allow …
When Synergy is not Synergy
When consolidation first began, there was much talk about how the synergies would benefit everyone. The narrow ownership would create something greater. Small stations would suddenly have the resources of huge conglomerates. The sum would be greater than the individual parts. There are two problems with this argument. For synergy to occur, the parts have …
Bankruptcy ≠ Major Sell-Off
I think Forbes magazine is wrong. An opinion piece by Gene Ely wrongly predicts that bankrupt corporate radio is heading for a big sell-off. I WISH he was right. Bankruptcies for corporations are legally different than for individuals. For you or me, in bankruptcy we either lose everything or receive a payment plan. For corporations, …
Radio Insider Dick Taylor Review of Corporate FM
Radio INK magazine called him “One of radio’s best managers.” Click for Dick Taylor’s review of Corporate FM for the Amazon release. This is a particular honor for us because Taylor has the vantage of a long time professional. Thanks for the thoughtful review. KM
Economic Warrior interviews Filmmaker on Bankruptcy of Cumulus/ iHeartMedia INC.
Our hard look at what is causing the bankruptcy of IHeartMedia Inc. and Cumulus got us on this edition of the Economic Warrior. It was an economic card-trick that caused this whole mess in the first place.
Top 10 Reasons Why Radio is Going Bankrupt
The titans in corporate radio are finally going bankrupt (like we predicted). Here’s why. They failed to bring new relevant content. They pushed listeners to the internet in search of the new music that radio abandoned. If radio does play new music now, it’s from corporate playlists. They failed to feature their local communities. Corporate …
FCC’s latest gift to consolidators
As of last week broadcasters no longer have to maintain local studios thanks to a new ruling by the FCC. Chairman Ajit Pai, himself a former Verizon counsel, pushed to abolish the “Main Studio Rule” that was meant to maintain the local presence of radio. He countered that it would benefit minority broadcasters because they …
Radio Bankruptcies Spur Release on Amazon.
The corporate giants want to blame the downfall of radio on anything but themselves. We just can’t stand by and let that happen or they will keep ownership after bankruptcy. This is why we’re sending them (and you) a little gift. Corporate FM is now on Amazon and Amazon Prime. Help set the record straight on how radio was killed …
I Heart Excuses: Top 5 Alibis for Radio Bankruptcy
These excuses are important because owners have used them before to retain possession after bankruptcy like they did with Citadel Broadcasting. The excuses are also used by any owner who wants to avoid scrutiny for skimping on the staff. Prized Excuses: The internet made me do it. The notion that a service that people pay for (the internet) …
I Heart Excuses: Top 5 Alibis for Radio Bankruptcy Read More »
Tom Petty and The Last DJ
ClearChannel/”I Heart” banned this song when it first came out because they said it was “anti-radio”. You decide: The last DJWell you can’t turn him into a company man You can’t turn him into a whore And the boys upstairs just don’t understand a nymore Well the top brass don’t like him talking so much, …
Cumulus Artificially Inflates Stock Price, Here’s How.
Cumulus stock has been sooooo low that they are being threatened with delisting from the exchange. Enter the “reverse stock split” (10/12/16). Here Cumulus takes all their shares and converts each 8 shares into one. So lets say shares are worth 32¢ a share. ? Multiply that times 8 and they should get $2.56 per share which doesn’t …
Cumulus Artificially Inflates Stock Price, Here’s How. Read More »
Steve Bell, Reporter
Steve Bell passed away this week in the news room at KCUR, the very same place where we interviewed him for this clip from the film. He was known for his resonant voice, but he brought a far-reaching wisdom with his years. There were things that young reporters missed that he would bring to a …