Media Beat: December 11, 2017

By David Farrell

‘The Bobcat' renews with Prime Time Sports

Bob McCown has signed a new multi-year deal with Sportsnet 590 The FAN to remain host of Prime Time Sports, Rogers Media announced today. A pioneer of Canadian all-sports radio, McCown was the original host of Prime Time Sports when the show first launched in 1989 and he remains, to this day, the most listened-to sports radio personality in the country.

Since 2004, this radio talk show has also been simulcast on television on Rogers Sportsnet. Since 2009, the show's live stream has been available online in Canada on the FAN590 website.

“Bob has helped shape the all-sports radio landscape in Canada and very few, if any, can make that claim,” Scott Moore, President of Sportsnet & NHL Properties, said in a press release.

When asked to comment on his contract extension, McCown deadpanned: “I would have quit but my wife won’t stop spending.”

McCown’s salary is rumoured to be in the $1M-plus range, making him one of a select few Canadian broadcast personalities with a contract generating a seven-figure income.

Apple set to buy Shazam

Reports today indicate that Apple is in the final stages of a deal with music discovery platform Shazam.

According to initial reports from TechCrunch, the deal could be announced as soon as today (Monday). If the sale happens, the price being floated is around US$400M, a number Recodelater confirmed. This would mark a significant discount for the British song-identifier company valued at around $1B in its last funding round. Shazam has, since its 2002 launch, raised at least $140M.

Its mobile apps have been downloaded more than 1B times, and users have performed more than 30B "Shazams" since launch in 1999.

YouTube joining fee-based music streaming fray

YouTube plans to introduce a paid music service in March, according to people familiar with the matter, a third attempt by parent company Alphabet Inc. to catch up with rivals Spotify and Apple Inc.

The new service could help appease record-industry executives who have pushed for more revenue from YouTube. Warner Music Group, one of the world’s three major record labels, has already signed on, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private talks. YouTube is also in discussions with the two others, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group, and Merlin, a consortium of independent labels, the people said.

Spotify, Tencent tango together

Spotify and Chinese tech titan Tencent are investing in each other’s music-streaming services as part of what Tencent president Martin Lau calls a “strategic collaboration.”

The reciprocal agreement between Spotify, Tencent, and the latter’s subsidiary Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME) seeks to boost the companies’ respective prospects for growth in key markets around the world.

China remains notably absent from Spotify’s international roster, and as the Swedish company prepares to go public in 2018, this deal could open doors that were previously closed.

Apple Music launched in China back in 2015, Tencent is thought to control more than 75 percent of the Chinese digital music market, with services from local players such as Baidu, Alibaba, and Netease also proving popular.

Numeris: 5 market PPM ratings snapshot

It is time to see whose number is up (or down)… with the release of the latest radio ratings. The new PPM release from Numeris completes the thirteen week period covering August 28^th to November 26th, 2017. Let’s take a look the five PPM markets.

Toronto: Bragging rights at the top of the ratings heap go to CHFI-FM once again with a 12.4% share of hours tuned for A12+ (up from 11.3% last time out). CHFI-FM takes the #1 spot with the ladies 25-54 delivering a 15.6% share (up from 13.3%) followed by CHUM-FM with a 13.4% share (down from 17.0%).  In a strange twist, CHFI-FM holds the #1 spot for males 25-54, posting a 12.0% share (up from 11.2 % in the last 13-week book) followed by BOOM-FM at 8.9% and Q107 with 8.5%. In an even more unusual twist, CHFI-FM leads the way for M18-34 with a 17.1% share (up from 14.8%). For F18-34, CHFI-FM tops the list posting an 18.5%.

Vancouver: CBC Radio One grabs the #1 spot for A12+ with a 15.1% share of hours tuned (up from 13.6% ). Taking the top spot for F25-54 was QM-FM, posting a 15.4% share (up from 14.6% last time out). FOX grabs the lead for M25-54 listeners, delivering an 11.1% share (up from 10.1%) followed by the Rock101 at 10.1% (up from 9.5%)  The FOX is out in front for M18-34 with a 15.0% share of hrs. tuned (up from 14.6%). When it comes to Females 18-34, Z95.3 takes the top spot with 17.1 % share.

Edmonton:102.3 NOW Radio rules the roost for A12+ posting a 9.7% share of hours tuned (down from 10.9%). NOW! Radio takes the top spot for F25-54, delivering a 14.1% share (down from 16.9%). NOW also tops the list for M25-54 with an 11.9% share (down from 13.0%). For M18-34, Sonic leads the way posting an 18.3% (up from 15.3%). For F18-34 Sonic delivered a 16.8%.

Calgary:Country 105 leads the way for A12+ with an 8.5% (down from 10.6%).  Country105 is popular with the ladies, taking #1 spot for F25-54 delivering a 10.4% share (down from 12.0%).  For M25-54, CJAY92 is #1 with a 10.0% (up from 8.5%). CJAY92 takes top spot for M18-34 delivering a 17.5% (up from 14.8%). Country105 is #1 for F18-34 posting a 15.8% share (up from 14.8%)

Montreal (Total): CHMP 98.5FM is #1 for A12+ with a 15.9% share (up from 13.5%).  CFGL-FM is tops with the ladies, taking #1 spot for F25-54 delivering a 16.4% share (up from 13.1%). For M25-54, CHMP 98.5FM is on top at 15.7% share (up from 14.3%) followed closely by CHOM-FM at 14.4%.  Virgin Radio is #1 for M18-34 with a 14.8%. The Beat 92.5 is #1 for F18-34 with a 15.1% (down from 18.9%).

See summary charts below:A brief overview of share figures from the latest PPM 2017 Numeris release courtesy of David Bray...

Toronto % Share of Hours-Tuned (Mon.-Sun, 5a-1a)

Vancouver % Share of Hours Tuned (Mon.-Sun, 5a-1a)

Edmonton % Share of Hours Tuned (Mon.-Sun, 5a-1a)

Calgary % Share of Hours Tuned (Mon.-Sun, 5a-1a)

Montreal (Total) % Share of Hours Tuned (Mon.-Sun, 5a-1a)