Post by musicradio77 on Sept 28, 2005 18:03:19 GMT -5
By DAVID HINCKLEY
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Infinity Radio CEO Joel Hollander told the advertising community yesterday afternoon that there are more opportunities than challenges for radio in the rapidly changing world of information and entertainment technology.
Hollander helped kick off Advertising Week 2005 by sitting with Bill O'Reilly of Fox News and WOR (710 AM) for an hour-long interview/talk at the Museum of Television and Radio in front of ad-industry people.
As a general mission, Hollander said, radio must stay current with technology and offer compelling, exclusive content.
He also tackled specific issues.
* He said WXRK (92.3 FM) morning host Howard Stern, who is now on 27 stations and leaves for Sirius Satellite Radio in January, will be replaced by "five or six" different hosts in various markets.
He said those hosts, who "include some surprises" and will be named "very shortly," will be rolled out and evaluated "over 18-24 months" to see how they do.
* He said Stern brings in "about 5%" of Infinity's revenue, "and there's no question we'll take a short-term hit."
But he liked the long-term picture. "With Stern, you have a lot of 'no-buy' dictates," he said, meaning certain advertisers won't be associated with him.
"When he leaves, those go away," said Hollander. "We can approach some blue-chip buyers that have been closed to us."
* While he praised Stern's achievements, he took a soft jab at Stern's frequent assertion that he jumped to satellite radio only because fear of FCC sanctions made it impossible for him to do "my real show" on traditional radio.
"Howard left for two reasons: the FCC and money," said Hollander. "Not necessarily in that order."
* He acknowledged the Jack format that replaced oldies on WCBS-FM (101.1) in June "is off to a slow start."
But "it will get there," he said. "In the meantime, you take some shots."
He said Jack is working in "eight of the nine markets" where Infinity rolled it out.
He said Infinity is committed to outfitting its stations for high definition (HD), a technology that enables one station to send out multiple separate signals.
* It will take four to seven years to outfit all the stations, he said, and when it comes to New York, "One of the first formats we'd put on an HD signal is country. That's a no-brainer."
* He hinted, as he has before, that Infinity may be less enthusiastic in the future about buying play-by-play rights to sports teams. In New York, it has the Mets, Giants, Nets and Devils.
"The cost is becoming exorbitant," he said, "and it's not as exclusive as it was" - an allusion to the fact that satellite now also carries almost all pro sports.
* He said satellite "isn't a factor" for Infinity now. "There's a business there," he said, but suggested it's a modest one.
O'Reilly added analysis, too, saying radio and other media are now in "a transition period" where "we have way too many machines in our lives and don't know what to do with them."
Soon, he said, this will correct itself, "and people will control machines instead of machines controlling them."
O'Reilly also found an opportunity to predict to the advertising people that the progressive radio network Air America, never his favorite, "is about to fold ... because Americans don't want to hear that their country sucks 24 hours a day."
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Infinity Radio CEO Joel Hollander told the advertising community yesterday afternoon that there are more opportunities than challenges for radio in the rapidly changing world of information and entertainment technology.
Hollander helped kick off Advertising Week 2005 by sitting with Bill O'Reilly of Fox News and WOR (710 AM) for an hour-long interview/talk at the Museum of Television and Radio in front of ad-industry people.
As a general mission, Hollander said, radio must stay current with technology and offer compelling, exclusive content.
He also tackled specific issues.
* He said WXRK (92.3 FM) morning host Howard Stern, who is now on 27 stations and leaves for Sirius Satellite Radio in January, will be replaced by "five or six" different hosts in various markets.
He said those hosts, who "include some surprises" and will be named "very shortly," will be rolled out and evaluated "over 18-24 months" to see how they do.
* He said Stern brings in "about 5%" of Infinity's revenue, "and there's no question we'll take a short-term hit."
But he liked the long-term picture. "With Stern, you have a lot of 'no-buy' dictates," he said, meaning certain advertisers won't be associated with him.
"When he leaves, those go away," said Hollander. "We can approach some blue-chip buyers that have been closed to us."
* While he praised Stern's achievements, he took a soft jab at Stern's frequent assertion that he jumped to satellite radio only because fear of FCC sanctions made it impossible for him to do "my real show" on traditional radio.
"Howard left for two reasons: the FCC and money," said Hollander. "Not necessarily in that order."
* He acknowledged the Jack format that replaced oldies on WCBS-FM (101.1) in June "is off to a slow start."
But "it will get there," he said. "In the meantime, you take some shots."
He said Jack is working in "eight of the nine markets" where Infinity rolled it out.
He said Infinity is committed to outfitting its stations for high definition (HD), a technology that enables one station to send out multiple separate signals.
* It will take four to seven years to outfit all the stations, he said, and when it comes to New York, "One of the first formats we'd put on an HD signal is country. That's a no-brainer."
* He hinted, as he has before, that Infinity may be less enthusiastic in the future about buying play-by-play rights to sports teams. In New York, it has the Mets, Giants, Nets and Devils.
"The cost is becoming exorbitant," he said, "and it's not as exclusive as it was" - an allusion to the fact that satellite now also carries almost all pro sports.
* He said satellite "isn't a factor" for Infinity now. "There's a business there," he said, but suggested it's a modest one.
O'Reilly added analysis, too, saying radio and other media are now in "a transition period" where "we have way too many machines in our lives and don't know what to do with them."
Soon, he said, this will correct itself, "and people will control machines instead of machines controlling them."
O'Reilly also found an opportunity to predict to the advertising people that the progressive radio network Air America, never his favorite, "is about to fold ... because Americans don't want to hear that their country sucks 24 hours a day."