Top TV Broadcasters Unite For ‘TIP’ Ad Initiative

Radio & Television Business Report

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 RBR-TVBR

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November 20, 2017

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A consortium of local television broadcasters led by Nexstar Media Group, TEGNA, Sinclair Broadcast Group and desired merger partner Tribune Media have rolled back the curtain on an industry work group dedicated “to developing standard-based interfaces to accelerate electronic advertising transactions for local TV broadcasters and their media agency partners.”

The launch of the TV Interface Practices, or “TIP Initiative,” comes as the broadcast TV industry, they say, “has struggled with the manual nature of the advertising buying and selling process for many years.”

They note, “While various solutions providers have sought to streamline the process to support the industry’s long-term competitiveness, progress has been slow due to a lack of universal modern standards-based interfaces.”

In early 2017, broadcast executives from Nexstar, Sinclair and Tribune came together to accelerate, coordinate, standardize and make open the technical framework necessary to streamline the local TV transaction process.

TEGNA joined the consortium earlier this month. With TEGNA’s participation, the consortium now represents the four largest station affiliate groups in the U.S.

The TIP Initiative consortium notes that it is being guided by the following principles:

• Local television is the most powerful brand-building medium, connecting marketers with consumers and advertisers, brands and broadcasters will benefit from the best automation
• While demand is high for local television ad inventory, transactional friction has created challenges for buyers

• System-to-system electronic processes can streamline the buying of local spot media. However, creating interoperability takes coordination across multiple broadcast companies
• Standards-based interfaces are the best way of encouraging the needed system-to-system interchange of transactional information
• Standard API interfaces set the stage for advanced local TV and ATSC 3.0 and will greatly enhance the efficiency of buying local media by U.S. advertising agencies.

The consortium contacted over a dozen systems providers involved in various aspects of local TV transactions to review existing electronic methods and specifications that support local spot buying.

From this research, a set of API’s are proposed to support the electronic transfer of “buy” transactional data. TVB, the trade association representing local broadcast television will provide a repository for the TIP Initiative’s work and open access for industry partners.

The consortium’s technical whitepaper, “Interface Automation Guidelines for Local TV Transactions,” is a consolidated description of potential best practices describing the local TV transaction workflow and recommended API framework.

The whitepaper and details of the TIP Initiative is available at www.tvb.org/TIP.

“The goal of the TIP initiative is to accelerate local TV interoperability by creating a coalition of system providers to work with buyers and sellers to develop and implement streamlined transaction workflows using standards-based open APIs,” said TVB Chairman and Nexstar President/CEO Perry Sook. “Local broadcast television remains unrivalled among all media as its reach, engagement and influence consistently delivers proven revenue-generating marketing solutions to advertisers and brands. To sustain local television’s advantages across all screens and devices, we must work together as an industry to create a more efficient marketplace for advertisers to access local TV inventory in a manner that is cost effective for the buyer, while maintaining the integrity of our product. By encouraging broadcasters, advertisers and others to join the TIP Initiative and participate in this important, ongoing collaborative effort we will improve our competitiveness with other media and deliver more brand safe solutions to advertisers and brands.”

“Many of our advertising agency partners have told us they are unable to leverage our valuable television ad inventory because outdated processes leave them with little or no margin to support a local spot buy,” said Chris Ripley, President/CEO of Sinclair Broadcast Group. “The TIP Initiative demonstrates the industry’s shared commitment to working together with technology providers and advertising partners to develop open standards-based solutions for efficient automated buying and selling of broadcast TV spot inventory. In addition, advertising and programming content monetization options will expand with Next-Gen TV, giving broadcasters the ability to deliver targeted campaigns to advertisers that reach local audiences at scale. For our industry to quickly and effectively optimize this opportunity, while ensuring transparency, it is important for us to collaborate on this effort ahead of the adoption of ATSC 3.0.”

Larry Wert, President/CEO of Tribune Media, added, “We believe the TIP Initiative is an important first step toward automating the buying and selling of broadcast television inventory in a manner that facilitates fairness and integrity of the marketplace. A lack of progress on the buy- and sell-side has prevented broadcasters from unlocking the full value of our local content offerings. Embracing innovation is critical to elevating the competitive position of the local broadcast television industry, while driving the continued growth of our respective businesses. By actively working together to implement standards-based open APIs and technologies, we will be able to extract efficiencies and create a platform for advertisers to more effectively access our multi-screen inventory and transact business.”

“There is strong demand for premium local advertising opportunities because live TV viewing remains the largest form of media consumption. Our inventory is finite, our platforms give marketers direct access to customers and our local content remains consumers’ first choice,” noted Dave Lougee, President/CEO of TEGNA. “We must be innovative and develop new ways to allow advertisers to connect with their targeted audiences more effectively. Automation removes the costs and complexity from the local broadcast TV ad buying and selling process, giving local stations and advertisers the opportunity to more efficiently allocate their respective resources. The TIP Initiative will serve as a foundation for marketplace fairness and the implementation of standards-based open APIs.”

As Expected, FCC ‘Modernizes’ Broadcast Ownership Rules

Radio & Television Business Report

By

 Adam Jacobson

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November 16, 2017

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The Weed whacker was put to action by a whipper snapper and two of his GOP colleagues at the Commission on Thursday, as the FCC voted 3-2 to eliminate its cross-ownership rules for newspaper and broadcast media and for radio and TV, respectively.

The “Eight-Voices Test” is also gone.

The FCC’s two Democratic Commissioners were vociferous in their opposition, but further action to stop the changes embraced by not only Chairman Ajit Pai but also the NAB, is now up to Congress or the Courts, as dissenting Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel suggests.

While there’s little that the radio industry can rejoice about today’s actions at The Portals, TV industry C-Suiters and Wall Street investors are likely pleased; activity on Wall Street was largely positive across Thursday’s trading session.

Until today (11/16), the FCC’s broadcast ownership rules limited a single entity’s ownership of television, radio, and newspaper properties within a local market — rules codified and finalized when “The Hustle” was America’s favorite dance and Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy was a best-selling LP for Elton John.

Per the Telecommunications Act of 1996, signed into law by President Clinton, the FCC is required to review its rules every four years to determine whether they remain “necessary in the public interest as the result of competition” and to “repeal or modify any regulation [the Commission] determines to be no longer in the public interest.”

In August 2016, the Wheeler Commission adopted by a 3-2 Democratic vote a Second Report and Order that left the rules enacted in 1975 largely unchanged.

The Wheeler Commission also reinstated the television Joint Sales Agreement (JSA)
attribution rule, and the revenue-based eligible entity standard for ownership diversity purposes. It also required the disclosure of shared services agreements (SSAs) for commercial television stations.

Then came the election of Donald Trump as U.S. President, and a shift in FCC control to a 3-2 GOP majority. With that shift came a promise to modernize and reduce Commission rules and regulations, under the belief that this would help broadcast media against fervent competition in the digital space—something that barely existed in 1996, let alone 1975.

With that, the Pai-led Commission moved forward with an Order on Reconsideration of an NAB petition and a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would finally achieve what a host of pro-broadcasting industry groups and leaders have sought.

Their long-desired wishes will come true 30 days after the Order appears in the Federal Register. 

How to Win an Argument

SmartBrief 

OCTOBER 29, 2017STEVE KEATING

Dale Carnegie said that the only way to get the best of an argument was to avoid it. He was a very smart man. I suppose the title of this post is a little misleading because the fact is you really can’t win an argument. 

 

You may be able to use your words to beat someone into submission, you may be able to force someone to comply with your wishes and you may be able to make someone feel stupid and defeated. But you didn’t actually “win” anything. 

 

Arguing with someone to prove your point simply proves you lacked the communication skills to help someone else see things your way…willingly.

 

There will always be disagreements in relationships, whether business or personal, because when more one than one person is involved you’ll at least occasionally have two opinions. Most disagreements are easily resolved. But occasionally relationships can be “fixed” only through serious and conscientious effort to find some kind of agreement.

     

These kinds of discussions are more likely to be successful if conducted in a non-adversarial environment. It’s more productive to think of the disagreements as a difference that can be balanced or accommodated. It should never be seen as a battle you have to win. 

 

A mindset of “must win” does nothing but ensure that someone most likely loses. If you care about the other person even a little then you should realize that when they lose, you lose too. 

Even people with differing viewpoints should be able to find solutions that work for everyone…providing that you truly want to try.

 

Here’s a few ideas for lessening the chance that a disagreement turns argumentative:

       

Listen carefully to what the other person is saying. When I say listen I mean really really listen. If the first word out of your mouth when the other person stops talking is “but” then I just just about guarantee that you were listening to respond instead of listening to understand. If you don’t understand what they said or meant then ask… nicely. “What the hell is that supposed to mean” is an escalation phrase and I’m hoping escalation isn’t your goal.

 

Explain your views clearly, you don’t like guessing what the other person is thinking so don’t make them guess either. Finding common ground isn’t a race so slow down, choose your words carefully, once said they can be forgiven but it’s really really hard for someone to forget them.

 

Stay on topic. Don’t introduce new differences and most certainly don’t try to rehash old ones. When you’re tempted to fight fire with fire it would serve you well to remember that firefighters most often don’t use fire to put out another fire.

 

Cheap shots are just that, cheap. If you value the relationship then perhaps you should not use something cheap when trying to save something valuable from permanent damage.

 

Don’t embarrass yourself by suggesting that the other person is unable to see the big picture or incapable of thinking through the situation. If you think you’re talking to an idiot then perhaps you should just stop talking because the other person may feel the same way and if the discussion gets too far off track it’s possible you could both be right.

 

If your differences just seem impossible to reconcile (I’m nearly certain they are not) consider seeking help from an impartial person. A coach, mentor, valued friend, Pastor or a trusted family member are the most likely possibilities.

 

When a discussion escalates into an argument then everybody loses something. Don’t lose by arguing and never fool yourself into thinking that you’ve won. 

The next time you’re tempted to argue consider giving the other person a piece of your heart instead of a piece of your mind. You will both be better off in the end, that much I can assure you.

 

National TV News Viewing Surpasses 2016

• by Wayne Friedman , Today

National TV news viewing remains strong year-to-date -- even more than last year, despite election-year results.
Pivotal Research Groups says all network TV news viewing through November 12 -- on broadcast and cable -- is up 6% versus the same time period a year ago.

Viewing among the three big cable networks -- MSNBC, CNN and Fox News Channel -- is 15% higher than a year ago, with the broadcast networks down 8%.

“During a year where most TV viewing is declining significantly, the genre represents a key area of growth for the industry,” writes Brian Wieser, senior media analyst for Pivotal.

Looking at the most recent week -- which held the presidential election a year ago -- national TV news programming was down 61%. But viewing is 27% higher versus the same week in 2013. Since then, MSNBC has grown 155% in total viewership, while CNN has added 100%. Fox News is flat.

Now, NBCUniversal and Fox each command a 30% share of total national TV viewing among all their respective networks/programming, analyzing year-to-date results. Time Warner is at 20%. CBS and ABC each have 9%.

Pivotal estimates national TV news programming in 2016 amounted to 44 billion person-hours of Nielsen live-plus-same day viewing across all dayparts and all viewers -- 12% of total national TV viewing hours and 374 billion person-hours, when looking at live-plus-seven days of time-shifted viewing.                                                   

Fake Leadership

November 13, 2017

by Steve Keating

There certainly seems to be a lot of news lately about fake stuff. There’s fake news, fake websites, and even fake, or at least disingenuous, people.

While much of the “fake stuff” is new and can be mostly attributed to the rise of the internet there is one fake thing that has seemingly always been around. That one fake thing is Fake Leadership.

Fake Leadership happens when someone gives the appearance of leadership without really leading. They may have a title or position that indicates they are a leader, they may make big decisions, say big things and even have great success in their careers. But they are missing one necessary characteristic of nearly all Authentic Leaders and absolutely all Authentic Servant Leaders.

They do not build people and they do not develop more leaders.

Fake Leaders may have tremendous business success but that only proves they were great managers. As I have written on numerous occasions there is a singular distinction between managing and leading….you manage stuff, buildings, inventories, budgets, and plans but you lead people. 

Leadership is about people and only people. Many people are blessed with both management and leadership skills but many, many more are not. Frequently when people possess only one of those skill sets the one they possess is management. 

A manager builds a successful organization mostly on their own efforts. They outwork and out-think most everyone around them. They are successful albeit a bit selfishly so. But here’s the thing, there’s really not all that much wrong with that, I’d rather be a very successful great manager than a not so successful mediocre leader. 

What is wrong with it is when that person claims the mantle of leadership. I don’t know if they are trying to fool themselves or the people they try to manage but either way, if they are not building people they are not a true leader.

While a manger builds a successful organization a leader builds people who then build the successful organization. In the case of an Authentic Leader they truly care about the people they build; in the case of an Authentic Servant Leader they may very well care more about the success of their people than they care about their own.

A strong manager’s organization will have success as long as the manager is present to ensure it. A leader’s organization will outlast their leadership so long as the leaders they built continue to build people who become leaders themselves. The success of an Authentic Leader can go on virtually forever, the success of an Authentic Servant Leader does go on forever.

If you want to know if someone is a leader don’t look at the leader, look at the people around them. If those people are not growing, if they aren’t involved in the decision making process, if they aren’t responsible for at least part of the success, then it’s safe to say that the person above them isn’t really leading. 

If a person isn’t leading, regardless of the title or position they hold then they are simply not a leader. If they say they are then you’ll know they are a fake.

Entercom Shareholders Approve Merger

Eric Rhoads - Chairman Deborah Parenti - Publisher

By

Radio Ink

November 15, 2017

As expected, Entercom shareholders have approved the company’s merger with CBS Radio. Philly.com reports that only four shareholders attended the special meeting to vote on the deal. 

The deal is expected to close tomorrow, putting all CBS Radio stations under the management and leadership of Entercom. Philly.com further reported that Entercom will have the right to use CBS Radio branding for up to a year after the merger closes.

Creative By Numbers: Putting Data At The Forefront Of Creative

 

COMMENTARY

• by Vann Graves , Darryl McNeil , 7 hours ago

Historically, the team to deliver an awe-inspiring creative vision was composed of copywriters, art directors, producers and directors, each concept born in the creative department and matured through production. 

Luckily for innovators outside of those departments, today’s winning creative concepts are grounded in data: tapping science, analytics, and technology to deliver an innovative output that transcends previous barriers of traditional campaigns where creative was driven by data and insights, not only look and feel. Analytics and technology, once seen as “added value” disciplines within the advertising industry, have proven to be pivotal to campaign success and inextricably linked to innovation. 

Data gives the audience what it wants. 

Even for non-traditional, non-ecommerce businesses—where financial currency is not involved—data is driving creative vision and helping surpass recruitment goals. 

Using first- and third-party data sources, multiple recruitment commands within the U.S. Armed Forces used past results and modeling history to help support large creative changes for 2017. These updates made for more generally diverse, combat-themed creative executions that led with insights and kept brand imagery top of mind. For one branch, data helped increase brand equity and recruitment performance by double digits.

The analytics and creative paradigms are shifting: data comes first. 

Data helps foster an integrated, solution-focused team with creative execution as the sum of all parts. From the recommendations and analysis that are presented at the project kickoff meeting to highlighting critical business-centric performance indicators in the creative brief, to establishing goals pre-launch, data ensures creatives know the path forward, even if this path is rapidly changing.

Data also alters the production process in a unique way. Production departments (both internal and external) now have a new capability to consult and factor into process. Producers and project managers alike are starting to understand the depth and foundation insights brought to the table. For example, they no longer set up meetings to document and explore the unique selling proposition. Now, PMs are implementing a new, integrated workflow to ensure all parties know the 360-degree view of the customer experience.

Clients agree great creative is not enough. 

Innovative technology can play a significant role in furthering a brand’s strategic vision. Leveraging tools like Chatbot and GooglePlay can fundamentally transform creative exploration and execution. 

This new way of “creating” is a major player in understanding real-time insights and business impact. This is changing the business world. For brands such as Walgreens (with its 3D-mapping technology) and Starbucks (implementation of Chatbot), using technology and data to feed the business is changing how marketers do business.

Now what?  

Beyond evoking emotion, influencing action and winning awards, creative must now act and impact clients in a direct, measurable way. We use a simple and quantifiable formula to do so: 

Analytics + Insights + Technology + Creative = Mind-blowing creative that helps fuel passion and increase business value.

At your next kickoff meeting, ask the team, “Do we all know exactly what makes this successful?” If not, it’s time to call in the analytics team.