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Spotify to Allow Political Ads After Two-Year Hiatus

The streaming giant initially paused political ads in 2020, and the decision only impacted the United States, the only country Spotify sold the ads. 

Eduardo Razo

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Following a two-year break, Spotify is relaunching political ads on its platform. The streaming giant initially paused political ads in 2020, and the decision only impacted the United States, the only country Spotify sold the ads. 

When Spotify mentioned a lack of resources needed to confirm and examine the ads, the company ceased advertising. However, two years later, as the midterm elections ramp up, the platform has done a 180.

“Following our pause of political ads in early 2020, we have spent the past two years strengthening and enhancing our processes, systems, and tools to responsibly validate and review this content,” a Spotify spokesperson said to Protocol

The report adds that the political ads will only be featured in podcasts and won’t yet be added to the ad-streaming music feature. Spotify promises political advertisers the capability to target niche audiences and tap into AI-driven “contextual targeting,” allowing advertisers to place ads in podcasts when debating issues appropriate to their target audiences.

Furthermore, the story didn’t include information regarding how podcast hosts will feel having political ads play during their program. 

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Media Business

iHeartMedia Tulsa and Oklahoma City Senior VP of Programming Don Cristi Exits

“I literally loved every minute of overseeing our stations in Tulsa and four years ago adding the awesome group in Oklahoma City.”

Barrett News Media

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After 20 years leading brands at iHeartMedia in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Senior Vice President of Programming Don Cristi has announced his departure from the company.

In his role, Cristi oversaw news/talk station 1300 The Patriot in Tulsa. He also had oversight of Newsradio 1000 KTOK in Oklahoma City.

“I literally loved every minute of overseeing our stations in Tulsa and four years ago adding the awesome group in Oklahoma City,” Cristi wrote in a social media post announcing the move.

He added that programming 97.5 KMOD — the classic rock station in Tulsa — was the highlight of his tenure.

“That I got the privilege of programming 20 of KMOD’s 50 years is something I’ll treasure forever.”

Cristi exits in conjunction with a round of cuts at iHeartMedia last week. Another pair of Senior Vice Presidents of Programming at local markets — L.J. Smith in Columbia, SC and Erich West in Huntsville, Alabama — also departed the company.

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Media Business

Elon Musk Wants ‘Prominent Names’ From Both Political Sides for Shows on X

“We want to make sure that there are a wide variety of viewpoints. We always have.”

Barrett News Media

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(Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for The New York Times)

In a highly anticipated interview with Don Lemon that led to the cancellation his the former CNN anchor’s contract with the platform, X owner Elon Musk shared his opinion that the platform is a hub for everyone on the political spectrum.

One of the first topics tackled between Don Lemon and Elon Musk in the one-hour interview was the role X would play in the future of news media and journalism.

Lemon questioned Musk on his intentions after former Fox News host Tucker Carlson — who was ousted on the same day as Don Lemon in 2023 — launched his digital video show on the X platform.

The billionaire said there is enough room on X for someone of Carlson’s ilk and for someone like Don Lemon or Rachel Maddow on the other side of the political aisle to share their opinions as well.

“We want to make sure that there are a wide variety of viewpoints,” Musk said. “We always have. For example, Tucker Carlson, who most people will view as being on the right. That’s quite a prominent name on the right. We want to have prominent names to the left as well, to provide different points of view, as well as centrist. Just, basically, a wide range of viewpoints on the platform, so users can hear different opinions.

“They can hear what’s your point of view, what’s his point of view, and people can make their own decision about what they want to believe.”

Musk comments to Lemon came before he decided to cancel the platform’s contract with the content creator. In response, Lemon claimed “I’ve interviewed many world leaders, presidents to convicts, and no one has been more sensitive or touchy than Elon Musk.”

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Media Business

Townsquare Media Reports 1.9% Revenue Drop in 2023

“Despite the lack of tailwinds at our back in 2023, I am very pleased with how the Townsquare team navigated the progressively challenging economic landscape.”

Barrett News Media

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Townsquare Media has released its financial results for the 2023 fiscal year, and the company saw a slight drop in total revenue for the year.

In total, the company had its second-highest revenue year ever, bringing in $454.2 million in total revenue. However, that figure represents a 1.9% decrease in year-over-year results. That number drops to less than 1% when political advertising is excluded.

Like many other radio companies, Townsquare saw growth in its digital revenue in 2023, with a 7% increase reported.

“Despite the lack of tailwinds at our back in 2023, I am very pleased with how the Townsquare team navigated the progressively challenging economic landscape. We outperformed competitors and gained market share due to our local focus and our digital platform,” said CEO Bill Wilson.

“I believe that our performance over the past several years has demonstrated the efficacy of our Digital First Local Media strategy, and validated our focus on local markets outside of the Top 50 U.S. cities, reinvigorating my confidence in our business model and our path moving forward.”

Additionally, the company announced that its Board of Directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.1975 per share.

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