Radio/Internet Revenue Update…

(Weekend Edition)

The radio vs. Internet revenue race is the tortoise against the hare.  No need to explain which is which.  A new report shows Internet advertising with a gain of 26% from 2006 to 2007.  A record high of $21.2 billion  was reported by the Internet Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers.  Their reports show online ads passing radio’s $19.8 billion in 2007 revenue.  Meanwhile the Radio Advertising Bureau reported that radio brought in $21.3 billion in 2007…

Online ad revenues were $5.9 billion in the fourth quarter of 2007, up 24% from the fourth quarter of ‘06.  Consumer advertisers were the top category online and the ads were in all configurations - banners, sponsorships, rich media and digital video ads.  Simply put, the Internet revenue business is diverse and more importantly, booming…

There could be a bit of good news on the radio revenue side in April if the CL King & Associates preliminary estimate is correct.  They report that April’s revenue decline will be 1 to 3% when the RAB releases its figures.  That would follow an 8% decline in March, much better than expected…

Such is the state of radio today when a smaller decrease than expected amounts to a victory…

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1888]  The first disc jockey:  Contrary to popular belief it wasn’t  Cousin Brucie.  Emile Berliner whose voice was heard on the first demo of a flat disc earns the distinction (5/16)…
2. 1897]  The Count begins:  Count Dracula  is born from the pen of Bram Stoker (5/18)…
3. 1929]  Winging it:  The first Academy Awards are presented with “Wings” starring Clara Bow and Gary Cooper winning the “Movie of The Year” Oscar.  Emil Jannings is “Best Actor” (5/16)…
4. 1934]  No kidding around:  Congress approves the “Lindbergh Act” making kidnapping a capital offense (5/18)…
5. 1939]  Not a public fancy:  Princeton beats Columbia 2-1 in 10 innings at Baker Field in the first televised baseball game on experimental W2XBS (5/17).  This was the New York Times review of the coverage:  “It is difficult to see how this sort of thing can catch the public fancy.”  Sixty-nine years later it’s easier to see how it might ‘catch the public fancy’…
6. 1957]  Basebrawl:  A brawl breaks out at the 29th birthday party for Billy Martin at the Copa (5/16).  Billy, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Johnny Kucks, Hank Bauer and assorted spouses take part in the melee.  Lots of fines are handed down and in four weeks Billy Martin wears a Kansas City uniform…
7. 1970]  Hammerin’ Hank:  Henry Aaron  singles and homers in a game against the Reds giving him 3,000 hits and 570 home runs (5/17).  Only two other players have done that (3,000 hits/500 or more home runs):  Willie Mays and Eddie Murray.  FYI:  Barry Bonds is 65 hits shy of 3,000 with 762 home runs but will he ever play again???
8. 1990]  ‘Happy Trails’:  Sammy Davis Jr. loses his battle with throat cancer at 64 (5/16)…1990]  ‘Muppets‘ creator Jim Henson dies less than 24 hours after being hospitalized with pneumonia (5/16).  Henson was 53…1992]  BandleaderLawrence Welk dies from pneumonia at 89 (5/17)…1995]  Elizabeth Montgomery, star of “Bewitched” passes away from colorectal cancer at 62 (5/18)…2002]  The remains of kidnapped Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, 38, are found (5/16) and will be returned to his wife…2004]  Tony Randall passes away at 84 from complications brought about by pneumonia (5/17)…
9. 1998]  Perfecto:  David Wells  pitches a perfect game at Yankee Stadium in a Yankee win over Minnesota (5/17).  It’s just the 13th perfecto in the modern era of baseball…2004]  Arizona’s Randy Johnson  becomes the oldest pitcher, at 40,  to pitch a perfect game, against Atlanta (5/18)…
10. 1998]  Curtains:  “Murphy Brown” starring Candice Bergen ends its 10-year run (5/18)…

Music Memories:

• 1959]  Number One on this date:  “Kansas City” - Wilbert Harrison (5/18)…1960]  “Cathy’s Clown” - Everly Brothers (5/18)…1963]  “If You Wanna Be Happy” - Jimmy Soul (5/18)…1969]  “Get Back” - Beatles (5/18)…1974]  “The Streak” - Ray Stevens (5/17)…1976]  “Silly Love Songs” - Paul McCartney (5/16)…
• 1968]  Released on this date:  “Tip Toe Through The Tulips” - Tiny Tim (5/18)…
• 1983] Moonwalking on this date:  Michael Jackson on “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever” (5/16)…

Commentary:

The Rutgers University radio station, WRSU (88.7 FM) commemorates its 60th anniversary tomorrow with their annual alumni broadcast.  WRSU signed on at 680 AM on April 26, 1948 on closed circuit.  Their signal can now be heard 15-20 miles in the area surrounding New Brunswick (NJ), the campus home of Rutgers.  Congratulations to Scarlet Knight alum everywhere…Tomorrow is “Flag Day” so if you’ve got one, fly it proudly.  If not, buy one…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday”:

This entry was posted on Friday, May, 16, 2008 at 08: 10:10 p05 and is filed under Today's Post. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.