KBA WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

APRIL 6, 2023

NATIONAL AM RADIO SURVEY

DEADLINE IS APRIL 14TH

Recently the automotive industry has been trending towards eliminating AM radio receivers from electric vehicles (EVs). As the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations (NASBA) and state broadcasters associations work to stop and/or slow this trend, we ask AM stations around the country to help by providing information in the survey below.

With this information, NASBA hopes to be able to more accurately craft our message and develop actionable items to keep AM in the dash.

Responses provided on this survey will be reported in the aggregate and no information will be attributed to individual stations. Additionally, while we are asking for contact information, that information is chiefly for follow-up purposes and will not be included directly in any advocacy work we do without your permission.

Please fill out a survey for each AM station in your cluster by Friday April 14th. Thank you in advance for your participation.

TAKE THE SURVEY

SMALL MKT RADIO ROUNDTABLE

LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP!

The KBA is proud to partner with the Ohio Association of Broadcasters and the Indiana Broadcasters Association for a Small Market Radio Roundtable on Tuesday, April 25th in Cincinnati. Registration is now open, however due to space restrictions, registration is limited to 15 attendees per state association.

Registration includes the roundtable session, lunch, access to the Reds Hall of Fame & Museum and entrance to the Executive Super Suite to watch the Cincinnati Reds battle the Texas Rangers at 6:40pm.

A very small room block for the night of April 25th is available here, until April 7th, at a discounted rate of $200.00.

LEGAL HOTLINE

CAN WE ADVERTISE VAPING PRODUCTS?

One question that gets asked often on our legal hotline is in regards to advertising vaping products. To get to the bottom of this issue, we reached our to our legal team at Frost Brown Todd for some vaping advice. Their response is below:

In short, there are not many specific restrictions for broadcasters regarding vape products. Advertising vape products for retailers is permitted on Kentucky broadcast radio, however, please keep the guidance below in mind when creating or reviewing ads:

Avoid making health claims about vaping, including making claims that the vaping is healthier than smoking cigarettes or that it can help cigarette smokers stop smoking.
Avoid using terms like “low,” “light,” “mild,” “smokeless,” or similar terms when referring to tobacco- or nicotine- based products.
Include the following statement: “WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.”
Free samples are prohibited. Avoid conducting any on-air giveaways for tobacco products.
Avoid ads for vape products directed at youth/teens
Avoid running ads for vape products during programming that may be aimed at youth/teens. Ads should be not only kept out of programming directed to children, but also out of programming where there is a substantial audience under 18. Alcohol guidelines suggest that 70% of the audience should be above legal age – probably a good guideline to follow in vaping ads too.

We also recommend making sure that any ad buy/promotion agreement with the retailer is clear that the station(s) is not responsible for conducting legal review of any ad, that running the ad is not providing legal approval for the ad, and that the station will be indemnified by the advertiser in the event there is a claim, government investigation, fine, etc.

Additionally, note that there has been speculation over the past few years that advertising vape products on broadcast radio will be prohibited or subject to additional restrictions, but we have no indication that the current rules will change in the immediate future.

LBS WEBINAR

TUESDAY, APRIL 11TH @ 12PM ET

What is management looking for from salespeople in these tough times? Mike Costa provides us with a General Manager's perspective on the current broadcast world. Solid answers and leadership on behalf of your clients are absolute “musts” for a broadcast seller to achieve meaningful levels of success. There is no “quick fix.” Instead of searching for one, broadcasters must consistently get results for their clients and prospects – especially in today’s economy. Come prepared to supplement the professional efforts you are already implementing daily with philosophy and tools to help build a modern and more profitable book of business!

LBS webinars are provided complimentary to active KBA member stations.

PUBLIC FILE REMINDER

APRIL 10TH DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING

Quarterly Issues/Programs List Due

All full-power radio, full-power television, and Class A television stations must upload to their Public Inspection File by this date the Quarterly Issues/Programs List covering the period January 1, 2023 through March 31, 2023.

Class A Television Continuing Eligibility Certification

Class A television stations are required to maintain documentation in their Public Inspection File sufficient to demonstrate continuing compliance with the FCC's Class A eligibility requirements. We recommend that by this date Class A television stations generate such documentation for the period January 1, 2023 through March 31, 2023 and upload it to their Public Inspection File.

Quarterly Fundraising Reports

All noncommercial educational TV and radio stations that changed or suspended their regular on-air content to conduct third-party fundraising to benefit a non-profit organization must generate relevant documentation for the period January 1, 2023 through March 31, 2023 and upload it to their Public Inspection File by this date.

THIS WEEKS MEMBER PIC

FUNDRAISING

Congratulations Mike Savage and the entire team at WEKU on a successful spring pledge drive.

We want to promote YOU! Send us your staff additions, promotions and special events. Email Chris at chris@kba.org

ARE YOU AGILE OR FRAGILE?

As Allen Power, President, Broadcast Media - Salem Media Group reminded us, “How we feel about what’s coming is irrelevant, what are we going to do about it” is the important question. So today we’ll focus on the doing part and ask the other key question: Are you Agile or Fragile?

Agility is the ability to move quickly and easily. We can’t think of a better word to describe a sales trait that is required in today’s ever-changing world. Those who are agile anticipate, adapt, understand and find new ways of responding to new customer expectations, new platforms, and new media landscape changes. Those who are not agile become fragile and in danger of losing business or worse, careers.

In a blog by the Brooks Group , they share the results of a partnership with Tom O’Shea from Agility Consulting and Training. O’Shea shares the 10 attributes needed for sales agility. We’ll share five here, you can click on the links for the full article:

Rampant communications: Reach out to buyers early and often.
Virtual sales training: Find customizable, flexible training that reflects the new world.
Frequent strategy review sessions: Make sure your sales skills are still effective and your value proposition still resonates.
Embrace Change – future focus: Look out in front of the bus and not the rear-view mirror as the pace of innovation is coming quickly and resides in the road not yet traveled.
Read everything you can to help: Be a voracious consumer of news and information about your marketplace, industry trends, and competition.

If you’ve participated in any RAB training, you can understand why those are the 5 attributes we felt might resonate most. The common theme is staying on top of current and future trends, and regular and consistent communication with your clients.

In your next sales meeting, you might consider a discussion evaluating your team on those five attributes of agility and see where adjustments may be needed so you can continue to be agile instead of fragile.

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development at the Radio Advertising Bureau. You can also connect with him by email JSchmidt@rab.com or on Twitter and LinkedIn.