Liberty Media, majority owner of Sirius XM and minority owner of Pandora, has offered a term sheet that would grant it ownership of a 40% stake in iHeartMedia for $1.159 billion. This move is an eleventh-hour deal in reaction to iHeartMedia’s difficult financial situation. It also isn’t the first time Liberty has broached a last-minute audio investment. Continue Reading
Podtrac has released its January 2018 ranking of the top 10 podcast publishers, a list of the highest performers among companies that use its measurement tools. iHeartMedia has returned to the chart, acknowledged by an explanatory footnote. Continue Reading
Billboard has released its Power 100 list for 2018, a ranking of the most influential leaders in the music business. The list includes several executives from streaming services alongside the stalwarts from major labels, talent management, and concert promotion. Continue Reading
Podcast measurement firm Podtrac has revised two of its Podcast Industry Ranking charts for November audience size, citing IAB podcast measurement guidelines. The action removed iHeartMedia from the Top 10 Podcast Publishers chart, and the Top 10 Snackable Podcasts chart (formerly Top 15 Snackable Podcasts). Continue Reading
iHeartMedia has hired Dr. Michele Madansky for the role of Executive Vice President of Insights, Research and Data Analytics. Madansky is filling a role that had been held by Radha Subramanyam, who departed iHeartMedia to work at CBS. Subramanyam is now the EVP, Chief Research and Analytics Officer for CBS Television Network. Continue Reading
Brief news items and worthy reads from around the web: First reactions to Sonos One. iHeartMedia gets a dose of reality (TV). What’s the deal with iPhones and FM chips? Continue Reading
iHeartMedia introduced the new lineup of original iHeartRadio podcasts during the IAB Upfront in New York this week. The media company is adding four original shows to its podcast platform, which has more than 8,500 shows available. Continue Reading
iHeartMedia Networks Group President Darren Davis has agreed to a four-year contract extension, a month before his 25th anniversary with the company. He began his iHeart (and radio) career as an intern at WASH-FM in Washington, D.C. Continue Reading
In the Q2 iHeartMedia earnings call yesterday, President, COO, and CFO Rich Bressler held forth on company vision. Not unpredictably, he evangelized iHeart’s dominant reach as the largest U.S. radio company, with particular comparisons to the Entercom/CBS Radio merger. He also made an interesting comparison. Continue Reading
iHeartMedia has entered a partnership with Fox Networks Group to create Smart A/V Audiences, a suite of data-driven advertising products across both audio and video segments. Smart A/V Audiences will allow the creation of customized audiences by targeting for specific interests, then delivering video and audio ads to those individuals. The project builds on iHeartMedia’s SmartAudio programmatic ad tool. Continue Reading
Cumulus Media-owned Westwood One has partnered with iHeartMedia-owned Katz Expressway, a programmatic advertising exchange powered by tech company Jelli. The immediate result is that radio stations in major Cumulus market have some commercial inventory in Expressway, available for automated buying. Continue Reading
iHeartMedia is partnering with Insomniac for the launch of a dance music station tied to the Electric Daisy Carnival event, happening June 16-18 in Las Vegas. The EDC Radio station, debuting April 28, will be exclusive to iHeartRadio. It will feature 24/7 programming focused on the dance genre alongside original content. Continue Reading