Radio Industry

Radio One Inc., the nation's largest radio broadcaster serving black listeners, reported yesterday record first-quarter revenue but a wider loss after writing down the value of Federal Communications Commission licenses at four stations in one of its markets. The Lanham company said its net loss increased to $22 million, or 28 cents per share, from $15.1 million, or 23 cents per share, in last year's first quarter. Radio One took a $23.2 million charge in the quarter under a new accounting rule that requires U.S. companies to take charges related to good will and intangible assets all at once, rather than in increments for up to 40 years.

Now they want you to replace your radios. The consumer electronics and broadcasting industries - the same types pushing us to replace our trusty analog TVs with whizz-bang digital sets before all broadcasts go digital in 2009 - are busy deploying a new radio technology called "HD Digital." The cheapest new digital receiver will set you back at least a hundred bucks, and better ones go for $200 to $600. But they're more than worth it, advocates say. "As far as radio broadcasting goes, I think this is the most significant advance since [Edwin]

A year into his new gig at Sirius Satellite Radio, Howard Stern has a lot more money, a fiancee and what he says is far greater peace of mind. What he doesn't have, according to trade magazine Talkers, is his former stature as the most important talk radio host in America. Talkers' annual "Heavy Hundred" list drops Stern from the No. 1 spot last year to No. 12. "He's still doing very well," says Michael Harrison, editor of Talkers. "But this list is about what's hot - and you just don't hear about Stern the way you did before he went to satellite.

A year into his new gig at Sirius Satellite Radio, Howard Stern has a lot more money, a fiancee and what he says is far greater peace of mind. What he doesn't have, according to trade magazine Talkers, is his former stature as the most important talk radio host in America. Talkers' annual "Heavy Hundred" list drops Stern from the No. 1 spot last year to No. 12. "He's still doing very well," says Michael Harrison, editor of Talkers. "But this list is about what's hot - and you just don't hear about Stern the way you did before he went to satellite.

Radio One Inc. yesterday reported second-quarter net income of $13.2 million, or 13 cents a share, up from a loss of $14.6 million, or 16 cents a share, in last year's second quarter. The Lanham-based company benefited from an improving advertising climate at a time when it was seeing the early fruits from a recent expansion. Net broadcast revenue was $80.2 million, up 29 percent from a year earlier. Broadcast cash flow increased 28 percent to $43 million from $34 million. Both are key indicators of success in the radio industry.

Recently I was chosen to serve as a musical consultant to th radio industry.Actually, it wasn't the entire industry; it was a woman named Marcy, who called me up at random one morning."

Radio One Inc. said yesterday that it suffered a $15.4 million fourth-quarter loss, but analysts and company officials said other key indicators show that the nation's largest radio broadcaster serving black listeners is performing well. The loss, which amounted to 16 cents a diluted share, compares with a loss of $7.87 million, or 9 cents a diluted share, a year earlier. "The tragic events of [Sept. 11] brought business to a halt for a while, and advertising cancellations were numerous during the days and weeks following the attack," Radio One Chief Financial Officer Scott Royster told analysts in a conference call yesterday.

The biggest development in radio since the popularization of the FM band will begin next month, putting to the test a multibillion-dollar bet that millions of consumers will gladly spend $9.95 a month to hear what they want when they want to hear it without a barrage of commercials. After years of anticipation and long technical delays, satellite radio will make its debut. Its proponents hope to build an in-the-car radio business on the same sort of consumer demands and frustrations that have made cable television a potent competitor to broadcast TV. Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. of New York is beginning quality tests this month, broadcasting 100 channels of music, entertainment, sports and news, 50 of them commercial-free.

Radio giant Clear Channel Communications Inc. has partnered with a Columbia company to begin the transition of 1,000 of its stations to digital - or "high definition" - broadcasting, which has been described as the biggest development in radio since the advent of FM. The move could help speed the industry's adoption of the technology, which offers CD-quality sound and screen data displays such as song titles and weather alerts. The company hopes to stave off a decline in listeners lured away by competing satellite radio, a paid service.

Radio One Inc., the nation's largest radio broadcaster targeting black listeners, reported a second-quarter loss yesterday and lowered its third-quarter revenue expectations because of expansion costs and weakening advertising sales. The net loss for the Lanham-based company was $14.6 million, or 22 cents a share, for the quarter that ended June 30, compared with a profit of $5.6 million, or 7 cents a share, for the same period last year. The company also lowered its revenue expectations for the current quarter, which ends Sept.

Radio giant Clear Channel Communications Inc. has partnered with a Columbia company to begin the transition of 1,000 of its stations to digital - or "high definition" - broadcasting, which has been described as the biggest development in radio since the advent of FM. The move could help speed the industry's adoption of the technology, which offers CD-quality sound and screen data displays such as song titles and weather alerts. The company hopes to stave off a decline in listeners lured away by competing satellite radio, a paid service.

Lanham-based Radio One Inc., the nation's largest radio broadcaster serving black listeners, reported yesterday a profitable fourth quarter as the advertising market improved and the audience grew at many of its stations. Net income was $3 million or 3 cents a share, compared with a loss of $15 million, or 16 cents per share, for the corresponding period a year earlier. Two key indicators of a company's performance in the radio industry were positive for Radio One in the three months that ended Dec. 31: Net broadcast revenue was $76.9 million, up 14 percent from $67.4 million the year before, while broadcast cash flow climbed 19 percent, from $33 million to $39 million.

Radio One Inc. yesterday reported second-quarter net income of $13.2 million, or 13 cents a share, up from a loss of $14.6 million, or 16 cents a share, in last year's second quarter. The Lanham-based company benefited from an improving advertising climate at a time when it was seeing the early fruits from a recent expansion. Net broadcast revenue was $80.2 million, up 29 percent from a year earlier. Broadcast cash flow increased 28 percent to $43 million from $34 million. Both are key indicators of success in the radio industry.

Radio One Inc., the nation's largest radio broadcaster serving black listeners, reported yesterday record first-quarter revenue but a wider loss after writing down the value of Federal Communications Commission licenses at four stations in one of its markets. The Lanham company said its net loss increased to $22 million, or 28 cents per share, from $15.1 million, or 23 cents per share, in last year's first quarter. Radio One took a $23.2 million charge in the quarter under a new accounting rule that requires U.S. companies to take charges related to good will and intangible assets all at once, rather than in increments for up to 40 years.

Radio One Inc. said yesterday that it suffered a $15.4 million fourth-quarter loss, but analysts and company officials said other key indicators show that the nation's largest radio broadcaster serving black listeners is performing well. The loss, which amounted to 16 cents a diluted share, compares with a loss of $7.87 million, or 9 cents a diluted share, a year earlier. "The tragic events of [Sept. 11] brought business to a halt for a while, and advertising cancellations were numerous during the days and weeks following the attack," Radio One Chief Financial Officer Scott Royster told analysts in a conference call yesterday.

After a three-year buying frenzy, Radio One Inc. has more than met its goal of dominating the African-American radio market. Now the hard part begins, as the Lanham-based company must make its new stations profitable in an unfavorable economy. "The thing that people don't understand is that buying radio stations is pretty easy," said Scott Royster, the company's chief financial officer. "There's nothing to celebrate until you've created wealth for your radio stations. We have to make our investors happy."

Lanham-based Radio One Inc., the nation's largest radio broadcaster serving black listeners, reported yesterday a profitable fourth quarter as the advertising market improved and the audience grew at many of its stations. Net income was $3 million or 3 cents a share, compared with a loss of $15 million, or 16 cents per share, for the corresponding period a year earlier. Two key indicators of a company's performance in the radio industry were positive for Radio One in the three months that ended Dec. 31: Net broadcast revenue was $76.9 million, up 14 percent from $67.4 million the year before, while broadcast cash flow climbed 19 percent, from $33 million to $39 million.

After a three-year buying frenzy, Radio One Inc. has more than met its goal of dominating the African-American radio market. Now the hard part begins, as the Lanham-based company must make its new stations profitable in an unfavorable economy. "The thing that people don't understand is that buying radio stations is pretty easy," said Scott Royster, the company's chief financial officer. "There's nothing to celebrate until you've created wealth for your radio stations. We have to make our investors happy."

Radio One Inc., the nation's largest radio broadcaster targeting black listeners, reported a second-quarter loss yesterday and lowered its third-quarter revenue expectations because of expansion costs and weakening advertising sales. The net loss for the Lanham-based company was $14.6 million, or 22 cents a share, for the quarter that ended June 30, compared with a profit of $5.6 million, or 7 cents a share, for the same period last year. The company also lowered its revenue expectations for the current quarter, which ends Sept.

The biggest development in radio since the popularization of the FM band will begin next month, putting to the test a multibillion-dollar bet that millions of consumers will gladly spend $9.95 a month to hear what they want when they want to hear it without a barrage of commercials. After years of anticipation and long technical delays, satellite radio will make its debut. Its proponents hope to build an in-the-car radio business on the same sort of consumer demands and frustrations that have made cable television a potent competitor to broadcast TV. Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. of New York is beginning quality tests this month, broadcasting 100 channels of music, entertainment, sports and news, 50 of them commercial-free.