Media Mentions

BIAfn is a trusted source of commentary and analysis for both the media, telecommunication and popular press.

Radio World - 5/30/2008
Which Big Radio Groups Are Not Yet Jumping on the HD-R Train?
Which of radio’s largest owners have embraced HD Radio? Which have chosen so far to wait on the sidelines? BIA Financial Network provided statistics for the Radio World HD Radio Scoreboard in our June 4 issue, showing the number and percentage of digital stations operated by the 50 largest U.S. commercial radio groups (ranked by revenue).

Radio World - 5/21/2008
Opportunities for Mobile Devices Abound
While moderating a panel at the NAB 2008, Ducey observed that new technology products must be given the chance to fail or succeed in the marketplace but then cited a different model. Apple has had tremendous success with its proprietary closed “eco-system” that is vertically integrated, including such innovations as iTunes, iTV and the iPhone.

Radio World - 4/21/2008
The Next Big Thing? NAB/BIA Contract Is Aimed at Creating a Radio Program Guide
American broadcasters using digital radio technology should soon be able to offer listeners an Electronic Program Guide. The NAB’s FASTROAD technology advocacy program has awarded a contract to BIA Financial Network. BIAfn will work with Broadcast Signal Lab to develop the business requirements, system architecture and specifications of an interactive on-screen guide to scheduled broadcast programming — suited to stations broadcasting in HD Radio.  

NY Times - 11/5/2007
A Folksy Guy, in Recovery, Is About to Land Millions
But Mark Fratrik, the senior radio analyst at the consulting firm BIA Financial Network, said the radio industry has suffered from a general malaise in recent years, partly brought about by increased competition for advertisers and the rise of alternative audio sources like the iPod and satellite radio.

TVWeek - 7/22/2007
Fox Business Net to Prime Cable's Ad Pump - New Entrant Means Bigger Revenue Pie
"In the business channel environment, you don't have to have very big numbers to be successful," said Mark Fratrik, VP of BIA Financial Network.

CNN Money - 6/25/2007
Politics: Off year, on the money
"Broadcasters are counting down the days until 2008, not only with the presidential race but also Senate races. But with the early primaries, some stations are already starting to see ad spending," reports BIA.

The Times-Tribune - 3/11/2007
Nexstar stock on rise
Eager investors have driven a huge spike in the stock value of Nexstar Broadcasting Group Inc., the company that owns or operates two network-affiliated television stations in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Adweek - 2/19/2007
Tucson: Growth Is as Easy as Moving Mountains
A hefty 34.8 percent, or 380000 people, of the DMA's 1.1 million residents are of Hispanic origin, according to BIA Financial Network figures.

RadioWorld - 1/17/2007
10 Years Later, Radio's Business as Usual
The discussion of consolidation's impact is in the headlines now that regulators are again considering whether to ease ownership strictures. Mark Fratrik of BIAfn says, "As radio faces more competition going forward, it still needs to be part of stronger corporations. I do not, however, expect to see any big groups beyond the 75 - 300 station range that so many of the major groups fall into. That seems to be large enough to enjoy the efficiencies of scale with providers of services (e.g., equipment manufacturers, Arbitron), but not too large to not keep effective control over the markets in which they operate."

PilotOnline - 1/05/2007
WTKR to be sold in deal announced Thursday
In calculating the revenue of the Times Co. in 2005, BIA's Media Access Pro Data listed WTKR annual revenues at $20.1 million, the fourth-highest among the Times' nine stations.

New York Post - 1/05/2007
Times Sells 9 TV Station For $575M
The Times wants to take resources and invest then in the Internet. They believe this is the future.

MediaWeek - 1/01/2007
Forecast 2007: TV Stations
"Retransmission consent goes right to the bottom line. So even if it's 3 to 5 percent of revenue, it's 10 to 15 percent of cash flow," notes Mark Fratrik of BIAfn.

MediaWeek - 1/01/2007
Forecast 2007: Radio
"The sale of CC stations is a monumental event in radio," says Mark Fratrik of BIAfn.

MediaWeek - 1/01/2007
Forecast 2007: Regulation
With the Dems in charge, the FCC "will be more hesitant to push the regulatory effort than they would have otherwise," says Mark Fratrik of BIAfn.

CNN Monday - 12/13/2006
CBS faces the music
BIA's Fratrik said it would not be a good idea for CBS to use its radio stations to get more exposure for the musicians on CBS Records. He said the radio business is now highly formulaic. So it would not be in CBS' best interest to feature relatively unknown artists while all of its competitors are playing "top 40" musicians.

MediaWeek - 12/15/2006
Report: Big Radio Is Fewer Formats, Smaller Audience
NAB was armed and ready for a new FMC report that determines that consolidation of radio is killing the medium. The NAB says BIA data finds the number of general programming formats provided by local radio stations has increased by 7.5% since 2001, and that "markets of all sizes saw substantial increases in the average number of specific programming formats provided, with an average 22.2% increase since 2001."

Delaware Online - 11/17/2006
Private group to buy out Clear Channel
BIA's Fratrik said he doesn't expect drastic changes at the Delaware stations, which will remain with Clear Channel. He does expect some shift in focus and a re-evaluation of the market.

Hispanic Business - 11/16/2006
Univision Competitors Join to Land Clear Channel
"We're seeing a lot of overall transactions in the marketplace, seeing a lot of radio station sales and larger groups are reasssesing all their assets," said Mark Fratrik of BIA.

MediaBuyer Planner - 11/15/2006
Local Radio Bouncing Back, Slowly
The BIA Financial Network has released a new study with good news for local radio.

Red Herring - 11/10/2006
Dead Air for Google
Analysts believe that Google could reach the really small local businesses that radio does not currently access, such as a two-person real estate office that uses yard signs and handouts to reach its market, the thinnest part of the so-called long tail.

Red Herring - 11/8/2006
Google Tests Radio Ad Market
Radio industry braces as the search king sound-checks its role and $20 billion is up for grabs.

Washington Post - 11/6/2006
Campaigns in Tune With an Old Medium
Politicians are using radio because it's a very focused, niche-programming medium," said Mark Fratrik of BIA.

Radio Ink - 10/26/2006
BIAfn Asks: Where Is The Radio Industry Going?
BIA has written a new report that looks at the first three quarters of 2006 and asks the question, "Where is the radio industry going?" The answers are interesting and conflicting.

Time - 10/01/2006
Still Tuned In
Corporate stations generated some $18 billion in revenue last year, vs. the independents' $394 million, reports BIA Financial Network Inc.

Radio World - 6/02/2006
Who Might Buy the CBS Spinoffs?
BIA Financial Network found that they generate noticeable revenues in most of those markets, and, often, are the first or second group in terms of revenue market share. Collectively, BIAfn estimates they generated $172.6 million in revenues last year.

Broadcasting & Cable - 5/24/2006
TV Stations Revs To Rise $1.5B, Says BIA
BIA Financial predicts 2006 TV market revues will be up more than 7% to a total $22.2 billion. That is versus a drop of more than 7% last year to $20.7 billion, again partly because of the drop in election ads form the presidential year of 2004.

The Philadelphia Inqurier - 5/20/2006
CW network sets its first fall lineup
No one expects the CW to capture all the money spent this year on both the WB and UPN, but many analysts echo Mark Fratrik, vice president with BIA Financial Network, a media and communications consulting firm. He told CNN's Paul R. La Monica, "The network should do better together than UPN and the WB did separately."

CBS Chicago - 5/17/2006
U.S. Cellular Says It Won't Disclose Call Records
David Gross, senior telecom analyst with BIA Financial Network Inc., added that the impact on consumer behavior was likely not to change due to fears of government spying. "The only solution would be to stop using all communication technologies, and unless you wanted to live out in the woods somewhere, most people are going to keep using the phone in the same way, he said."

Washington Post - 4/04/2006
Oldies a Thing Of the Past At WBIG-FM
Clear Channel's decision to move WBIG from its familiar format seems curious in light of the station's recent financial performance. Although the station's ratings have dipped -- it had 2.6 percent of the local audience last quarter, compared with 3.2 percent a year ago -- advertisers paid a relatively big premium to reach those listeners. WBIG ranked No. 10 among local stations in ad revenue last year, generating $16.8 million -- even though the station finished only in a tie for No. 16 among all listeners, according to BIA Financial Network, a media research firm in Chantilly.

CNN Money - 4/03/2006
Free TV: Stream it and they will come
"I don't think one will preclude the other. There isn't one business strategy that works," said Mark Fratrik, vice president with BIAfn, a financial and strategic consulting firm for the media and communications industries. "Some programs are so distinctive that people will want to download them and view them on an iPod."

MEDIAWEEK - 4/03/2006
Weak Feb. Revenue Portends Bad Year for Radio
Prospects for a rebounding market this year arent encouraging. Mark Fratrick, vp of BIA Financial Network on March 31 issued a forecast for the industry of only 2.2 percent growth in 2006, following an anemic 0.5 percent increase in 2005.

MediPost Publications - 4/03/2006
Analysts Warn Of Long-Term Radio Slump
"The Radio Industry has been struggling over the last couple years, and while it might be a little better this year, we're definitely not out of the woods yet--not even close," according to Tom Buono, CEO of BIA Financial Network.

Red Herring - 4/03/2006
Radio Seeks its Digital Voice
The radio industry is testing a number of different systems, but until they deploy them widely, the industry will be at a disadvantage, said Mark Fratrik of BIA Financial Network.

Billboard Radio Monitor - 3/31/2006
Radio Growth To Average +3%
Radio revenue growth will average around 3% per year between now and 2010, according to the latest estimates from BIA Financial Networks (BIAfn), with that growth starting slow this year, +2.2% , then climbing to +2.9% in 2007 and +3.5% in 2008.

Stockton Record - 3/25/2006
Pacific radio station pulled from market due to disappointing offers
"If you have a strong, local regional economy there, with a lot of business, there's potential," said Mark Fratrik, the vice president of BIA Financial Network, a consulting company for the media and communications industry.

Broadcast & Cable - 3/06/2006
Still on a Roll
Continued strong growth in revenues generated makes Hispanic media intriguing to financial backers and station groups, which should help Univision. The winner will likely be a well-funded company (or consortium of companies) that is currently not in the over-the-air television industry, because a majority of the most-logical buyers are already near or at the coverage-ownership limit set by the FCC. Whatever company gets in the door will likely have a rich future. There's a lot of room to grow. Fratrik is a VP of BIA Financial Network, a financial/strategic advisory firm serving the media industry.

CNN Money - 3/02/2006
Olympics didn't sweep away ABC and Fox
"NBC will suffer a little bit from not having as effective cross-promotion as they would have had if the Olympics had greater ratings," said Mark Fratrik, vice president with BIA Financial Network, a strategic consulting firm for the media and communications industries. "It will be challenging for them for the next few months."

Washington Post - 2/25/2006
Turner To Leave Time Warner
That business, however, is much trickier -- and faster moving -- than it was 25 years ago. Mark Fratrik, a media analyst at Chantilly-based BIA Financial Network Inc., said that if Turner wanted to start a media company, the venture would be fraught with risk -- even for a man of his stature.

Washington Post - 2/09/2006
Spanish Broadcaster Open for Bidding
Mark Fratrik, a media analyst at Chantilly-based BIA Financial Network Inc., said that given Univision's strong position in its market, it is a good time to capitalize on its assets. But, he added, "I'm a little wary about who can actually buy the company. It's possible to ask for waiver from the FCC, but that would be a tough battle."

Billboard Radio Monitor - 2/08/2006
Wall Street's Case For Univision Sale
Univision is the largest Spanish-language media company in the U.S. Its radio division includes 73 stations in 22 markets, which, according to BIAfn, brought in $351.6 million in 2004.

Hollywood Reporter - 1/25/2006
Two-for-one leaves affils in air
We're suddenly going to see something again that we haven't seen since (UPN and WB) arrived 10 years ago," said Steve Passwaiter, vp at TV investment research company BIA Financial Network. "There is no question that when it comes to selling advertising, most media buyers will not give those stations (top) rates for syndicated programs and movies. If your station does a 2.0 (household) rating with 'Gilmore Girls' and a 2.0 household rating with a movie, media buyers will pay an awful lot more for those same ratings in 'Gilmore Girls.' They will not pay primetime prices for syndicated movie packages. That's just the way it works."

Red Herring - 1/18/2006
Radio Responds in High Def
Beset by turf interlopers, traditional radio begins high-def counterattack.

Billboard Radio Monitor - 1/13/2006
Billboard Radio Monitor (Tony Sanders)
Station trading in the radio industry has been slowing down for a while now and last years dealmaking total reached its dollar total only because of the $1.2 billion Susquehanna sale to Cumulus Media Partners. In fact, according to data compiled by BIA Financial Network, that one deal represented 43% of last years revenue total of $2.8 billion.

Boston Globe Staff - 1/10/2006
NBC to sell its Providence outlet, three others

Washington Post - 1/5/2006
Z-104 Silenced; Post Radio To Debut in Station Shuffle
Radio broadcaster Bonneville International Corp. shook up Washington's airwaves yesterday by moving its all-news station WTOP and classical outlet WGMS-FM to new frequencies, eliminating pop music station Z-104 and announcing plans for a news-and-talk station it will program with The Washington Post.

B&C/MCN - 12/27/2005
High Times for Low-Power Broadcast Stations
In the race to capture as much market share in top Hispanic markets as possible, TV station groups are snapping up low-power stations in ever greater numbers. In 2006, the number of Spanish-language low-power stations will likely overtake their full-power counterparts in the Hispanic market, according to media-research firm BIA Financial Network. In June of this year, BIAfn calculated that nearly half of the 151 Spanish-language network affiliates nationwide were low power.

Broadcasting & Cable - 08/16/2005
BIA Buys Research Outfit
BIA Financial Network has acquired broadcasting data company Dataworld, which sells FCC-application monitoring services and other information products....

Broadcasting & Cable - 06/28/2005
Stations Face DTV Channel Deadline
According to station consulting firm BIA Financial Network, there are still 246 TV stations, 39 in the top 10 TV markets, that have not received a "post-transition" DTV channel assignment....

Broadcasting & Cable - 06/13/2005
Grande Totals
While there has been little good news for broadcast television over the past several years, Hispanic-network-affiliated TV stations are the notable exception. Univision, TeleFutura, Telemundo and Azteca America continue to expand, increasing the number of outlets in many areas and entering markets that previously had no such Spanish-language stations....