clear channel becomes iheartmedia

RadioInsight ^ | 9/16/14 | Lance Venta

[raccoonradio]

Originally known as merely a classification for 50kW AM signals with wide nighttime coverage, the Clear Channel name is joining much of the AM band in irrelevance.

Effective immediately Clear Channel is rebranding itself as IHeartMedia as the company places additional focus towards its IHeartRadio.com streaming platform. The company itself will be known as IHeartMedia, Inc, while the broadcast holdings formerly known as Clear Channel Media + Entertainment will be simply IHeartMedia.

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"Clear Channel announced today that it has become iHeartMedia, reflecting the company’s success in becoming a one-of-a-kind multi-platform media company with unparalleled reach and impact. The newly named company includes a wide range of advertising-supported, consumer-focused media businesses, including 840 radio stations in 150 markets, with more than 245 million listeners a month — the largest reach of any radio or television outlet in America; the iHeartRadio Network with its more than 90 million digital monthly uniques; Premiere Networks, which syndicates 90 radio programs and services to more than 5,500 radio affiliates; the Total Traffic and Weather Network, reaching almost all U.S. commuters; 20,000 live music events, all of which generate massive consumer engagement on social media platforms and the largest of which are even televised; its related companies, including Katz Media Group; as well as Clear Channel Outdoor, one of the world’s largest outdoor advertising companies."

[raccoonradio]

Clear Channel’s Premiere division syndicates shows like Rush, Beck, Hannity, and Coast to Coast. It has talk stations across the country, mostly if not all conservative (they tried and failed with Air America in some places) but lately they have moved shows to weaker frequencies and in some cases to stations owned by others (in Pittsburgh they changed WPGB to country and have someone else’s AM station run Rush, etc.; some Cumulus stations in places like San Fran have picked up conservative talk, etc)

Talk in general is suffering...btw in some or many cases
their stations are available on iHeart only for streaming...

[Alex Murphy]

"Clear Channel announced today that it has become iHeartMedia, reflecting the company’s success in becoming a one-of-a-kind multi-platform media company with unparalleled reach and impact. The newly named company includes a wide range of advertising-supported, consumer-focused media businesses, including 840 radio stations in 150 markets, with more than 245 million listeners a month — the largest reach of any radio or television outlet in America...."

PFL

[GeronL]

I definitely do not heart the media

[fatnotlazy]

Used to listen to Quinn & on IheartRadio till CC canned them. So frankly I don't care what they call themselves. I have a few names I'd like to call then though.

[bmwcyle]

The liberals had to kill clear channel. They did.

[Fiji Hill]

Iheartmedia? What a stupid name!

[raccoonradio]

Well it aligns with their streaming, etc as iHeartRadio...people used to call them Cheap Channel.
Now they can call them iHateMedia or iHateRadio :)

Lately they have been changing formats to country (often as “The Bull” but “Big” in Pittsburgh) and telling people to tune to them on iHeart.

Wiki:
>>iHeartRadio is an Internet radio platform owned by Clear Channel Broadcasting, Inc.[now iHeartMedia] Founded in April 2008 as the website iheartmusic.com, iHeartRadio now functions as both a music recommender system and a radio network that aggregates audio content from over 800 local Clear Channel radio stations across the United States, as well as hundreds of other stations and various other media. iHeartRadio is available online, via mobile devices, and on select video game consoles. In 2014, iHeartRadio started an awards show titled iHeartRadio Music Awards.

[logitech]

Conference call ping

H/T raccoonradio

[Eccl 10:2]

“Talk in general is suffering...”

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Conservative talk radio needs an infusion of new blood. The shows you mention are like dinosaur rock bands - nice memories and all, they were great in their day, don’t blame them for hanging around. But you get a nagging feeling listening to these guys that one day they are really going to embarrass themselves (Beck? Hannity to a degree? Even Rush a bit (meow)), and you need some fresh acts to listen to.

[raccoonradio]

tweet by @RadioInsight:

>>Name change is about changing image to investors. The debt is piling up and radio is not a hip industry to be involved in, unlike streaming

[raccoonradio]

True—there isn’t a bench/farm system of hot new talkers/new blood to choose from.
They have long term contracts but eventually CC, I mean iHM
will drop them, you’d think.

[Eccl 10:2]

“...there isn’t a bench/farm system of hot new talkers/new blood to choose from.”

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Mmmm - not sure I agree with that. There are some very good regional/semi-national guys out there. For example, I happen to like Jason Lewis - not saying he should go national (he’s a pure Libertarian), but I’m sure there are several others who may deserve a “promotion”. I’d like to hear more Mark Levin and less Glenn Beck. Or can some political stars turn to radio - Allen West perhaps? Ben Carson? Not Sarah Palin - her voice is too grating.

[raccoonradio]

Yes—Jason Lewis actually was national for awhile...he was on several Clear Channel stations etc though I think he quit a couple months ago to devote more time to his site, galt.io

Levin is syndicated by Cumulus and prob has quite a few
affiliates.

[WXRGina]

Yeah, as soon as I opened my work e-mail, the “glad news” was there. I like the name Clear Channel much better, have always liked that name.

[a fool in paradise]

Which is why I don’t understand why hosts on competing “Salem Network” were boasting of having their shows on the “IHeartRadio” app. Drives down local ratings, local advertiser revenue, etc and benefits the Clear Channel competitor (which has 2 talk stations in the same market in addition to another independently owned talk station).

[OrangeHoof]

Not to be confused with IHateMedia.

[W.]

Considering what Clear Channel did to FM radio, they’re gonna have a go at buggering up internet radio, too? Feh upon them, if I wanted to listen to endless commercials on my computer I’d just turn on the radio. Which is why I don’t! There’s plenty of free internet radio with no commercials out here for the listening...

[W.]

Forgit to mention I used to dig iHeart—back when they first got started, but then kept sneaking in more paid commercial content until they were just another cheesy copy of FM radio. Le barf...

[moovova]

Does anybody really buy stuff advertised on radio?

I don’t. I can’t remember anything I ever bought (on a local ad basis) because of a radio commercial. Anymore, a radio commercial is just an opportunity to change the channel.

A national ad, like a State Farm Insurance commercial, wouldn’t affect me either. I’m not going to base a purchasing decision like that on a radio commercial.

How do they make money?