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Content Culture – Cumulus, Connoisseur, and SiriusXM

“I’m not the only person noticing what the satellite broadcaster is up to these days.”

Andy Bloom

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In last week’s column, we considered if the consortium led by Jeff Warshaw (CEO of Connoisseur Media) to acquire Cumulus Media would be an improvement over the current management. We used the single metric of employee (past and present) reviews from the website Glassdoor to arrive at this decision.

The 32 people rating Connoisseur gave it an average score of 2.9 (out of five) compared with Cumulus, which averaged a 3.2 with over 800 reviews. As I wrote last week:

“These reviews have to be taken with a grain of salt as former employees may have an ax to grind, but this caveat holds equally true for all employers.”

Based solely on this one admittedly narrow and unscientific measurement, I wrote:

[The] “Glassdoor reviews suggest that a new Cumulus led by Warshaw wouldn’t be an improvement over the current management. “

Glassdoor reviews aren’t necessarily a fair barometer of Connoisseur or Cumulus Media management. Therefore, I invited people who work for or have worked for either company to contact me with comments.

Several people familiar with Connoisseur did reach out. They felt the company had the best intentions, but cuts inevitably came when the station or cluster didn’t make budget. So, no different than the other major groups. These employees were less afraid of Connoisseur’s management than they were of getting sold, which did happen in a couple of instances.

Among the other major radio broadcast groups reviewed on Glassdoor:

iHeart also scores a 3.2 (over 2,200 reviews).

Audacy receives a 3.5, based on 23 reviews. Entercom had 691 reviews and rates a 3.1.

SiriusXM appears to have the highest current score at 3.6.

It begs the question: What makes SiriusXM a better experience for the people who work there? Where do we look to find an answer to that question?

If you’ve never listened to a corporate earnings call, you should. Listening can offer insight into the soul of an enterprise.

Cumulus Media’s first-quarter 2022 earnings call was on May 4th. The Liberty SiriusXM Group’s Q1-22 earnings phone conference was two days later (May 6th). 

I did some analysis of the transcripts of each call. If these calls don’t demonstrate the companies’ values, they suggest what they are thinking about these days.

The transcription of the Cumulus Media earnings call clocks in at just over 4,000 words. Over about 32 minutes, President and CEO Mary Berner; and CFO Frank Lopez-Balboa mentioned “radio” three times. Talking about radio took two percent (2%) of the time.

Ms. Berner and Mr. Lopez-Balboa spoke about content four times. These exchanges occupied four percent (4%, 164 words) of the call. They referred to audience levels once, less than one percent (1%) of the total.

Since the Warshaw-led buyout offer of Cumulus started my curiosity on this topic, it’s worth noting that Berner made one reference to it. She called it an “unsolicited, nonbinding and highly conditional indication of interest…” She stated the offer “significantly undervalues the company and is not in the best interest of its shareholders.” Berner also announced a $50 million stock buyback program. She dispensed with the matter using 127 words, three percent (3%) of the call.

The Liberty SiriusXM Group earnings call was longer. At 47-plus minutes, the transcript is over 7,400 words. There were four participants from SiriusXM, including:

  • Hooper Stevens – Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Finance
  • Jennifer Witz – Chief Executive Officer
  • Sean Sullivan – Chief Financial Officer
  • Scott Greenstein – President and Chief Content Officer

Including its “President and Chief Content Officer” forbodes what transpired next.

Leadership brings up audience levels eight times. Discussing audience size takes two percent (2%) of the total call. They discussed content 19 times throughout the call. They use over 1.100 words, 15% of the time describing content. This earnings call suggests the importance SiriusXM leadership places on content.

I’m not the only person noticing what the satellite broadcaster is up to these days. Recently, Jacobs Media presented its TechSurvey 2022. During the webcast, Fred Jacobs said:

“The more I look at the data, the more I keep coming back to SiriusXM as the bigger threat…”

–Fred Jacobs, From TechSurvey 2022 Presentation

Although he was directing that quote more specifically at music stations, in the next breath, Fred adds:

“The only formats that are well above average (to have a SiriusXM subscription – either free or paid) are Sports and News/Talk Format Fans.”

–Fred Jacobs, From TechSurvey 2022 Presentation

<strong>From Jacobs Media Tech Survey 2022<strong>

There is much more data in Jacobs’ TechSurvey that illustrates why the need to create compelling, entertaining, and original content is more important now than ever.

We can’t know for certain if there is a correlation between the amount of discussion about content during the Liberty SiriusXM Group earnings conference call and the higher scores it receives on Glassdoor. However, it is a good bet that content is driving the progress the satellite broadcaster receives in Jacobs’ TechSurvey and its own metrics. The people running broadcast companies should take notice and perhaps the hint.

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News is the Only Thing Missing From Election Coverage

Coverage of the election is, as we’ve discussed, still very horse-race-centric, and there’s been, of course, coverage of the various Trump court cases, but where is the coverage of exactly what the candidates plan to do if elected?

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A photo featuring I voted stickers

The first thought I had when I heard NBC had hired Ronna McDaniel as a commentator for $300,000 a year was to wonder how many actual journalists they could have hired for that money. Then, I recalled that NBC had laid off dozens of news staffers just a few months ago. Then, I remembered that I had just recently written a column decrying news organizations throwing pretty much anybody on the air as a “pundit” and this….

This was worse. It’s one thing to grab some rando who happened to be a minor functionary for the Executive Branch. It’s another to hire someone whose job was to promote election denialism and pretend that her opinion is something valuable for viewers. And, yes, it’s just as ridiculous when news organizations hire former presidential press secretaries (that’s you, Jen Psaki and Sean Spicer), their very jobs were to spin everything in their bosses’ favor and now you’re going to pay them big salaries for, um, what? Because they “have a name” or you’re afraid someone else will snap them up? Why them?

The McDaniel deal lasted five days, one completely unilluminating interview, and one unexpected Chuck Todd spine-growing outburst, so it’ll all blow over soon enough. The problem is, though, the part about having fired several news staffers, and what it means in an election year on both the national and local levels. If you have the money to hire an alleged pundit – any alleged pundit – you have the money to hire reporters, and I don’t mean anchors or opinion show hosts.

Coverage of the election is, as we’ve discussed, still very horse-race-centric, and there’s been, of course, coverage of the various Trump court cases, but where is the coverage of exactly what the candidates plan to do if elected? Who’s probing Project 2025 and why isn’t it front-page, first-segment news? Who’s pressing the Biden administration on Gaza? Is anyone reporting on the candidates’ record on climate change?

Beyond prescription drug prices, is anyone digging into the broken healthcare system and demanding answers from the candidates about what they’ll do to fix it (and not letting Trump get away with “I’ll have a better plan, a beautiful plan” without a single specific detail, like they did in 2016)? Why didn’t anyone focus on, for example, the GOP candidate for governor of North Carolina and his incendiary past comments well before the primary?

Pundits are not going to do the legwork on the issues; they’ll just talk about swing states while John King and Steve Kornacki point at their touchscreen maps. We need reporting on the things that matter (and can affect that horse race, even if most people have made up their minds). It shouldn’t just be Pro Publica and scattered independent journalists doing the dirty work.

Honestly, I don’t want to hear the complaints about the quality of the candidates or how this is a rerun or any of that. (We’ll leave that to The New York Times.) We are a horribly underinformed electorate and we got the horse race we deserve. It might just be idealists like me who think that, just maybe, the news media can play a role in educating the public and bursting the bubbles and echo chambers. This country has survived and prospered for a few centuries with the press shining a light on injustice and corruption.

Now, when we need that most, they’re more concerned with what they think will bring them ratings and money (although someone will have to explain to me who thought having Ronna McDaniel as a paid commentator would draw a single viewer to NBC).

Here’s a thought: Don’t lay off reporters, especially in an election year.  Assign them to dig deep on issues that matter to the voters.

Let the pundits talk about that.

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8 Ways to Take Your Commercials From Drab to Fab

Our main source of income is derived from commercials. There are a lot of bad commercials.

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Another reason to read this column, I often add an Easter egg. We are in the advertising business. Our main source of income is derived from commercials. There are a lot of bad commercials. Frequently, clients write these ads. You can excuse it if the spots suck. But when the commercials are written by Account Executives or the production department at the station, it is kind of unforgivable.

I am going to share the most meaningless phrases in commercials.

Locally Owned and Operated

Customers do not care. If customers cared about a business being locally owned and operated, Walmart would not exist. People want service, selection, and value. They do not want to get soaked. When you purchase something, are you willing to pay 20% for a local company? If you say yes, you are wrong. People want a deal.

The Phone Number

Doing 70 down the 405, John slammed on the brakes to write down the phone number for an amazing HVAC Company. That is not how it works people. HVAC companies rarely have or should have regular customers.

Normally, your AC is out. You call the HVAC Company that you are familiar with. Radio advertising allows people to have “TOMA”: Top of Mind Awareness. There are stats that show when a company is advertising on your radio station, their website shows an increase in traffic. When you needed a service for your home, you hit Google and choose the company that you’ve heard of. It’s that simple. I actually heard a commercial asking listeners to add a businesses phone number to their contact list. That is a moronic use of advertising real estate.

Street Addresses

“Tequilaberry’s Prime Rib is located at 106 East Governors Drive in Peoria.” 

The people listening cannot process that detail. You could say “Tequilaberry’s Prime Rib is on Governors Drive just off 10th in Peoria.” That is almost digestible. That creates a picture of where it is.

Trust me, people interested in prime rib will Google you and load the address in their navigation system. Spend that precious spot time selling the experience of the restaurant.

Always Using the Company Owner/Founder in Commercials

Sometimes, it is amazing when business owners are their spokesperson. They have passion and are natural salespeople. Some business owners are terrible at speaking about their product.

When you have a business owner who is a natural promoter, they can drag listeners into their business. I once worked with a family who owned a couple of hardware stores. They spoke about the benefits of visiting their stores. It was heartfelt and real. They promised that their employees can help solve any problem in your home. If you went to that store and had a simple or complex problem, the employees helped you out.

I once worked with a man who owned a really nice flooring company.  For whatever reason, he thought that he was funny. He had spots written by him, his wife, or a kid. The ads were dreadful. They were not funny at all. Account Executives need to talk these clients out of doing commercials like this. Nothing says wacky hijinks like flooring.

Overuse of Numbers

“We have grapes at 99 cents a pound, Chuck steak at $1.99, two-for-one zucchini.”

Trust me, no one driving in city traffic can keep track of that. “The 2025 Chevy Chevette is back with 45-mpg efficiency and amazing 18-inch tires. Prices start at $19,999…  The New Chevy Silverado starts at $32,999.”

It gets really confusing fast.

WWW.

Yes, I hear commercials saying check us on the internet at “W-W-W dot business name here dot com.”

WWW is assumed and not needed anymore unless you are running a Commadore-64 with the latest floppy disc technology.

Yellow Pages Ad

“Check out our new ad in the Yellow Pages!”

OMG, no one reads those damn things anymore. Most people born after 1960 just toss those suckers in the trash. There was a time when the Yellow Pages were the largest revenue generator in advertising. Yes, a book of ads. Like Facebook, without your buddy’s political, vacation, or food posts. It was just ads. Zero content.

I had stuffed salmon tonight that I engineered myself. I would make Sydney Sweeney quite the trophy husband. Set us up. Hey, I am single. It was not that long ago that you would hear a radio ad that promoted a coupon in the Sunday paper.

Well, that copy should be deader than a doornail.

Amateur Theater

A husband and wife discussing their lawn and how she heard about Telly’s Lawn Service from her friend Stacy. 

Those commercials are obviously contrived and not interesting at all. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Open every commercial must have an attention-grabbing opener. “Totally Jammed…  The floor covered with the guest towels. Fearing the horrific consequences of another flush…  I did the right thing. I called ABC Plumbing. Quick service, a great price, and peace of mind.”

The next time that the plunger is failing to get the desired results, the listener of that commercial will identify with the very realist scenario.

We are in the advertising business. Use radio as it was meant.

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The Lost Art of Using Sound as a Springboard

Use sound it wherever you can. All you need is a loyal, capable and willing board operator, to go along with a conscientious host.

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A photo of Jon Stewart hosting The Daily Show
(Photo: Comedy Central)

Jon Stewart was the first guy to do it — take a politician’s words from the news of the day or week. Search his or her entire past and find a sound byte saying the exact opposite.

It became an art form – and a great way to keep people accountable.

Most radio operations don’t have the resources necessary to consistently do something like that, but truth be told, that kind of journalism isn’t really the point of this week’s column.

It’s an example of the simple power of sound. We need to use it more within our shows. Use sound it wherever you can. All you need is a loyal, capable, and willing board operator, to go along with a conscientious host.

Speaking from experience, not doing it is lazy.

Doing it takes minimal effort and helps conversations tremendously – especially when it’s in real-time. I know. I’ve been there – missing opportunity after opportunity because I didn’t think of it, ask for help or just do it myself.

Put simply, good sound is a better springboard to a question than just a question.

Just the other day, I realized how well it works and how little I’ve been doing it.

Here’s what happened.

We have one particularly heated congressional race in our state. The Republican candidate is running for a second time after narrowly losing in 2022 in an election where Connecticut’s gubernatorial candidate from the same party got smoked, and the Republican presidential candidate lost the state as well.

This time around, there’s a struggling Democratic President with real doubts about the economy and the country’s standing in the world.

Put simply, the Democratic congressional incumbent has a massive task ahead to get re-elected.

On my show, I try to be consistently independent and be a place for both parties to appear with the expectation that the conversations will be fair and honest.

The Republican candidate came on the show earlier this month, and we went through a number of issues. Connecticut is a relatively strong Democratic stronghold, where the party controls the legislature, the Governor’s Mansion, and the entire congressional delegation.

Having said that, the largest voting block is unaffiliated, so appealing to independents is crucial for either side to win. I asked the Republican candidate twice about whether he will support Donald Trump, and both times, he equivocated. I asked the follow-up, we were on the record, so I moved on.

The following week, his opponent, the Democratic incumbent, was scheduled to appear on the show. Before her arrival, I realized the Trump Q&A should probably be replayed for her. Duh.

My producer found it, clipped it, and had it at the ready. I felt that I should have realized it sooner and not put some added strain on my partner’s morning routine. He was fine, but it definitely added unnecessary work within the show.

Lesson learned.

The sound byte worked well. I played it. She responded. We moved the story forward, and it was compelling – as you might imagine, the topic of Trump vs. Biden is pretty compelling these days.

By no means did it create a “wow” moment. That would be a little much. But it did make the show better, using the opponent’s own voice as opposed to my paraphrasing something. That lends credibility, not only to the topic but also to the show. He gave this important answer on our show, and she gave her response … on our show.

My final thought on this is that we (I) need to look for more places to utilize sound as a springboard to conversations, as opposed to simply raising the topic and discussing it. Maybe you’re already good at it and do it all the time, but this past week, I realized I need to push myself to do it more.

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