Streaking In Opposite Directions…

Tuesday, December, 23, 2008 by Mel Phillips.

There are two streaks featuring the number 19 - one is a winning streak - the other, a losing streak.  The losing streak belongs to radio.  For 19 straight months, radio revenue has declined, the 19th month - November, not only declined, it tanked.  The overall revenue loss was 20% compared to November, 2007.  The winning streak belongs to the Boston Celtics who will reach 19 consecutive wins with a win over Philadelphia tonight.  The Celts have already tied a franchise record for wins.  The NBA record for consecutive wins is 33, set by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1971-72.  The Celtics could break that record on January 21, 2009 should they keep their streak alive.  The radio losing streak is unprecedented.  While there’s no official stat documenting radio losing streaks, this one will set an unofficial record that may never be equalled…

The radio revenue numbers for November were appalling.  Local was down 21%, national was down 24% and even off-air revenue, which had increases as high as 18% in March, was up barely at 1%.  Local and national revenue was based on about 100 markets reporting by the accounting firm of Miller Kaplan Arase & Company…

November’s loss was double that of October and looking ahead, Q4 will be down as a result.  BIA Advisory Services forecast radio revenue would hit a 5-year low in 2008 with a negative 7% growth rate and 2009 is expected to be down 10%.  The next gain?  Try 2010 with a modest 1.5%.  The losing streak could break the Lakers streak of 33 in a row…

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1823] Debuted on this date: The poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas” (‘Twas the night before Christmas’) by Clement C. Moore is published in the Troy (NY) Sentinel…1942] Bob Hope does his first Christmas show to entertain U.S. airmen in Alaska. A Christmas tradition is born…
2. 1834] TAXiiiiiiiii: English architect Joseph Hansom patents his “safety cab” a.k.a. the horse-drawn ‘Hansom Cab’, still clippety, cloppin’ in Central Park for the price of a king’s ransom…
3. 1888] Can you ear me now?: Following a quarrel with Paul Gauguin, Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh cuts off part of his own earlobe. My question is a simple one: Why didn’t he cut off Gauguin’s ear???
4. 1959] Busted: Chuck Berry is arrested for “transporting a minor across a state line for an immoral purpose”…
5. 1968] Released on this date: 82 crew members of the U.S. intelligence gathering ship, Pueblo, are released by North Korea after being captured 11 months earlier…
6. 1969] Wedding Bells: Elton John and Bernie Taupin begin their songwriting marriage…1997] Woody Allen, 62, marries the adopted daughter of wife Mia Farrow, 27-year old Soon-Yi Previn. This is still distasteful 11 years later…
7. 1972] Immaculate reception: That’s what they called the catch made by the Steelers Franco Harris on a last-second play that won a playoff game for Pittsburgh over Oakland, 13-7.  The legendary late John Facenda voices this clip…
8. 1997] Guilty as charged: A jury in Denver convicts Terry Nichols for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing. Nichols is serving a lifetime term without parole…2004] Former Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland pleads guilty to a corruption charge. He later serves a year and a day…
9. 2003] I beg your pardon: New York Governor George Pataki pardons the late comedian Lenny Bruce for his 1964 obscenity conviction…
10. 2003] Holy Cow: The U.S. government announces the first suspected case of mad cow disease in the U.S. It is later confirmed…

Music Memories:

• 1942] Number One on this date: “White Christmas” - Bing Crosby (it will also be #1 in 1945 and 1947 and will be inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 1974)…1959] “Why” - Frankie Avalon (the shortest titled #1 ever)…1964] “I Feel Fine” - Beatles (the 30th song by the group to reach the charts in 1964, the most songs in one year by any group)…1977] “How Deep Is Your Love” - Bee Gees (the first song from the “Saturday Night Fever” LP to become a single. The LP is #1 for 24 weeks)…
• 1959] Recorded on this date: “This Magic Moment” - Drifters…
• 1978] Released on this date: “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” - Rod Stewart…

Commentary:

Rich Totoian reports the death of longtime artist manager Bud Prager.  Bud is survived by his wife Gloria and son Evan.  For more information on Bud’s passing, call Jeb Stewart Bullock at ESP Management: 212.765.8450.  Emails can be sent to espmgt@aol.com  Condolence cards may be sent to: ESP Mgmt., Box 505, Millwood, NY 10546.  Prager was involved with many name acts, including Bad Company, Cream and Foreigner…  

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday”:

Eddie Vedder (44), Les Moonves (60), Susan Lucci (62), Wesley Clark (64), Harry Shearer (65), Jerry Koosman (66) and Paul Hornung (73)…

Timeline Countdown: Happy Hanukah, 2 shopping days until Christmas, 8 nights until New Year’s Eve and 11 days until the NFL Wild Card round of playoffs…

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