Seven Things to Watch in Media in New England and Across the Country

1.

Post Buddy Cianci, WPRO Looking for a Solution

The death of Vincent “Buddy” Cianci was the end of a political era in Rhode Island, but it was also the end of strong drive time dominance for WPRO AM.  Cianci’s former side-kick and WPRO veteran Tara Granahan has filled in for the past few weeks and the results have been poor at best.

An endless stream of advertisers have packed up their live read dollars and headed for the door. Equally, the show has been inconsistent at best. It has seems rudderless without Cianci and his collection of experts ranging from Gary Sasse, to GoLocal’s Editor Kate Nagle or WPRI’s Dan McGowan.

How long WPRO can stick with Granahan is anyone’s guess. WJAR reported that 1980’s shock jock Carolyn Fox interviewed for the position.

2.

TV No Longer Dominating Politics 

Jeb Bush spent upwards of $5,100 per vote in the Iowa caucus - primarily on television ads.

In contrast, Donald Trump is dominating the GOP field by leveraging endless earned media, a constant outgoing stream of Facebook posts and Tweets and a massive digital presence.

Both candidates — Bush and Trump —  entered the Presidential primary with 100% name recognition, but one is now the presumptive GOP nomination and the other is a political after-thought.

3.

Cumulus and iHeart Radio Groups Continue to Fail Investors

The two largest radio companies in the United States - iHeart radio (formerly Clear Channel) and Cumulus radio - are both trading at fractions of their 52-week highs. 

As of close of the market on Wednesday, iHeart radio closed at $1.07 per share — down more than two-thirds from its dismal 52-week high. Cumulus stock was at $0.27 per share.

4.

Spotlight’s Academy Award is a Critical Reminder

At a time when local media is in the midst of dramatic cut backs, few newspapers or TV stations staff have any dedicated investigative resources. 

While some of the void is filled by new models of digital media, the days of hundreds of reporters in newsrooms is few and far between. Twenty-five years ago newspapers like the Providence Journal and the Hartford Courant had dedicated investigative teams, but today they have no visible presence.

The Spotlight Team at the Boston Globe deserves tremendous credit and all the accolades for uncovering and ending the institutional molestation of children. 

5.

Facebook May Be the Next News Delivery Platform

For many Americans, the news feed on Facebook is their primary source of news. 

While some criticize the seriousness of the medium, recent research from Pew unveils important learning about how Americans learn about the Presidential election. Cable News is the dominant source at 24%, and of the next three sources, two are digital — social media and digital news sources. Local newspapers are a non-factor at just 3%.

For 18 to 29 year olds, social media is the #1 source at 35% and digital new sites rank second at 18%.

Among 30 to 49 year olds, digital news sites rank second (19%)  just behind cable TV (21%) — local news papers is the primary source of news to just 5% of the demographic group.

6.

Hartford Courant to GateHouse?

Two things have taken place in the last couple of weeks that point to another big New England acquisition by GateHouse Media. Today, GateHouse owns the Worcester Telegram, the Providence Journal and 76 other daily newspapers and hundreds of weekly papers. 

First, GateHouse’s parent company has announced it will spend $180 million buying more newspapers, according to Boston Business Journal.

Second, the upheaval at Tribune makes a newspaper like the Hartford Courant a distraction at best and an anchor at worse. Tribune will be focused on revamping and driving profitability into assets like the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune. 

Shedding the Hartford Courant might be a blessing for Tribune.

7.

Staff Changes and More

Dan Kennedy reports: Hilary Sargent has left Boston.com...(she) was instrumental in the relaunch of the venerable site two years ago as a mobile-friendly viral alternative for younger readers who didn’t want to pay for the Globe; she was featured prominently in this New York Times story.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley's Comment on Spotlight:

Spotlight is an important film for all impacted by the tragedy of clergy sexual abuse.  By providing in-depth reporting on the history of the clergy sexual abuse crisis, the media led the Church to acknowledge the crimes and sins of its personnel and to begin to address its failings, the harm done to victims and their families and the needs of survivors. In a democracy such as ours, journalism is essential to our way of life.  The media's role in revealing the sexual abuse crisis opened a door through which the Church has walked in responding to the needs of survivors.