NAB: It's Your Party

Something big is supposed to happen at the end of the month - The National Association of Broadcasters convention.

You’re David Rehr and it’s your party.

You see, before you left beer for broadcasting, the NAB was a wild, big ticket event.

It was the kingpin media con-vention where major chains revealed their newest acquisitions.

Now, it’s all about shortfalls.

You’re David Rehr and it’s your party.

No one will argue that the single most important mission in the history of the NAB was deregulation and – glory, hallelujah - it got done.

But the NAB was so focused on radio deregulation in the 1996 Telecommunications Bill that it missed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which was signed into law two years later.

You’re David Rehr and it’s your party.

Hope you were clued in on that AFTRA problem that temporarily crippled terrestrial radio streams.

While VC’s were shoveling money at anyone who wanted buy radio and the NAB was popping cases of Dom, AFTRA pulled off a deal to bonus talent in commercial radio and TV spots that were also simulcast on an Internet stream.

The rules went into effect in October, 2000 but the NAB missed it because it was engaged in political in-fighting that rivaled Eastern Europe after the wall came down.

Stations were unknowingly charged for simulcasting spots on their stream. Talent on those spots had to be paid $220 for the creation of the spot, and an additional $660 for Internet rights for one year.

Clients insisted the liability was radio’s since it was their stream.

Those six dreaded words: That was not in the budget!

(TV was another headache starting with $1,500 bonus to talent for spots shown on their Internet streams for one year.)

You’re David Rehr and it’s your party.

And wouldn’t you know it. History repeated itself.

While you’ve been focused on funding lobbyists to outwork Mel and stop the XM-Sirius merger, the RIAA’s gotten a whole lot closer to collecting royalties for airplay of songs on terrestrial radio.

Let me rephrase that. The RIAA wants to tax your music. What started out as a non-issue has become a very real threat. And it shouldn’t have gone that far.

They claim radio no longer breaks new music.

The RIAA has their choice of quotes from the heads of Clear Channel, CBS, and so forth – all saying they’re not in the business to sell music.

It’s equal opportunity thrashing. Tit for tat. Rat for rat.

You’re David Rehr and it’s your party.

You have to wonder if the RIAA will exempt Grey’s Anatomy from royalty payments. It’s broken more hits than radio this year.

We used to joke that if the records weren’t free we’d be all news.

Now, it’s no joke.

You’re David Rehr and it’s your party.

Your members are crying out for leadership in the radio industry.

Some believe that we haven’t had a leader since Randy “Ben Homel” Michaels.

I don’t disagree. If it weren’t for Randy, a whole lot of real broadcasters wouldn’t have been able to sell their stations at highly inflated prices.

And now some of those sellers will get to buy them back for a fraction of the price they sold them for.

The greater fool theory lives. Just ask Clear Channel.

$500 million’s a lot to drop if that deal with BainCapital and Tommy Lee unspools.

Once the quarterback; now the tackling dummy.

You’re David Rehr and it’s your party.

It’s still a great convention. Small market owners get to ride elevators, stuff like that.

You’re David Rehr and it’s your party.

It was a lot easier when you were beer lobbying and Heinekin was the enemy.

Now, who is it?

The iPod?

Satellite radio?

Or did Steve Jobs just put satellite radio out of business with his new iPod?

And did Steve Jobs cross Internet radio into the mainstream?

And is that good or bad for terrestrial stations that stream?

(Hint, hint: Content, content!)

Were you really awestruck when Jobs didn’t add an HD radio to his new iPod?

I hope not.

You’re David Rehr and it’s your party.

You’re running an industry that keeps making the same mistakes over and over and over.

Think of all the meetings and seminars over the past decade on how to do radio right.

So why is radio still using those slogans and sweeps from ten years ago?

And still using the same consultants?

(We’ll save that one for another time.)

Your David Rehr and it’s your party.

Did you hear about the radio account executive who died and went to Hell? He became an HD Radio salesperson.

One more? Did you hear that Radio & Records is changing its name to Streaming & Downloads?

Don’t laugh too loudly. That may not be a joke.

You’re David Rehr and it’s your party.

There’s the session where that coot will claim inside information on how kids use media in their bedrooms.

He even gave it a creepy name – The Bedroom Project.

I wonder if Chris Hansen will be in the audience?

Hate to clue the coot in. If you don’t already know how your kids are using media – anywhere, anyplace, and at anytime - you’re too late. Five years too late.

Let me predict the future. The coot will come up with excuses; there’s more “things” competing for their time; blah, blah, woof, woof.

Your David Rehr and it’s your party.

You have quite a cast of characters lined up.

There’s Steve Sinicropi. We can’t wait to see his act.

It’ll help if he stands on his tip toes and a half dozen phone books.

We wondered what became of him when his buddy Jeff McClusky shuttered his indie promo company’s doors.

He was like Oates without Hall, Messina without Loggins, Sonny without Cher.

Now, he has new reason to live. Comic relief.

First, he resurfaced as VP/GM of Cox Radio’s FM two stations in the bustling metropolis of Greenville, S.C., market rank #89.

He wasn’t comfortable in large markets.

Then he became the Chairman of Arbitron’s Radio Advisory Council. His job is to yell, “Down here, down here,” and throw temper tantrums at Arbitron for any perceived shortcomings of its new Portable People Meter.

I know people who want to go to the NAB just to see the little guy rant and rave about the Arbitron PPM. He makes a lot of noise for a tiny person.

They say he loves his new role.

He promises to keep his head firmly to the ground – as opposed to the grind - because he’s closer to it than most.

How about that quote Sinicropi gave Arbitron CEO Steve Morris about Arbitron providing a deduction in their monthly bill if the company falls below the minimum threshold of it’s 6+ metro sample size target for the panel?

“This is step one in a marathon, Sinicropi said. “It’s a big long step, but there’s a lot of work to be done before it’s all finished.”

There’s a joke in there somewhere. Maybe a dozen.

You’re David Rehr and it’s your party and you can cry if you want to.