“iHeartMedia reflects our commitment to being the media company that provides the most entertainment to the most engaged audiences wherever they go, with more content and more events in more places on more devices,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc. “We have massive consumer reach and influence across our platforms because we know how to program the live content people want to hear, see and share right now, we are the largest mobile media company in existence — more than 60 percent of our broadcast usage is out of home, compared to just 30 percent for other mobile devices – and we deliver more live programming than any other media company today, built on the national and local on-air personalities who are the heart of our powerful broadcast radio franchises. Combined with Clear Channel Outdoor’s reach of over half a billion people worldwide across 30 countries and five continents, it’s clear that no other company can match our reach or broad spectrum of media platforms.”

Adding to the confusion, iHeartMedia is actually a holding company for iHeartCommunications. Outdoor will continue using the Clear Channel name, even though “clear channel” is originally a technical term in radio broadcasting.

As you may have heard, Cars.com has announced that it will be purchased by the Gannett Company, which currently owns a 27% stake in Cars.com and has been a media partner with the Miami Herald and our parent company, The McClatchy Company, for many years.

We are excited to announce that we will remain your key contact for Cars.com and continue our relationship with this award-winning online destination for car shoppers. The Miami Herald is committed to providing you excellent service and support to drive your success locally, using all of our print, digital and direct marketing solutions.

With 16.5 million new vehicle sales forecast for 2014, it is important to stay in front of potential customers and ahead of the competition. More than 80% of the Cars.com audience is currently in the market for a vehicle. The Miami Herald and Cars.com will drive shoppers to your dealership.
Cars.com offers a way for you to:

• Boost your brand. Differentiate yourself from the competition through your dealer profile.
• Drive more in-market sales. Use optimized search results to showcase your business.
• Keep you ahead of the curve. Our monthly Market Intelligence Reports help you make more informed business decisions.
• Grow your service business. Cars.com has seen a sevenfold increase in traffic to its service-related content, giving your service department powerful online visibility.
• Capture mobile shoppers. Cars.com was named the top-rated third-party mobile site last year by a JD Powers study and is committed to improving upon that user experience to grow your business.
• Reach a larger audience. Nearly half of all vehicles sold in the United States during a nine-month window were to shoppers who had visited Cars.com.

As your partner, we are committed to making your business even more successful. We will be reaching out to you in the coming weeks to answer any questions you may have, share with you our latest products and services and ensure that we are exceeding your expectations.

We look forward to continuing our relationship with you and Cars.com.
Best regards,
Sam Brown
VP Advertising
Miami Herald

Five years after the start of the Great Recession, the Miami media economy is finally making strides in its recovery, led by a surge in TV advertising from auto dealers and manufacturers.

Many categories have contributed to the improving TV market in Miami, but none more so than auto.

“We’re in September and it’s plain to see that this is the year automotive is back,” says Mike Poller, president at the Miami agency Poller & Jordan Advertising. “The TV stations are getting rates and holding rates like they haven’t in the past five years.”

Read more at MediaLife

Mike Poller, co-owner of Poller & Jordan Advertising Agency in Miami Fla., sees a positive for the two companies. Poller told me that: “The whole point of this is to create efficiencies. Efficiency means fewer people, offices, etc.”

“They will eventually consolidate operations,” he continued. “Unless they gain or lose clients, this should not affect the creative, production and media headcount too much.”

Read the entire article in the New York Business Journal

Paywalls are becoming increasingly prevalent at newspaper websites across the United States. Eleven of the country’s largest-selling 20 newspapers are either charging for access or have announced plans to do so.

So says this article (free) in The Guardian. The writer, Roy Greenslade, goes on to quote Washington Post CEO Don Graham:

“The reason we haven’t adopted [a paywall] yet is that we haven’t found one that actually adds to profits. But we are going to continue to study every model of paywall and think about that, as well as think about keeping it free.”

Graham, and other newspaper leaders are coming at this all wrong. They are blinded by long experience in an industry where profits flowed from printing a finished product each day. Well those days are gone, and that type of thinking needs to go too…

Newspapers in 2013 need to adopt a more flexible, iterative development model for their online operations. Don Graham and others should not be searching for the one “silver bullet” of paywalls, something to buy, set and forget. Instead, they need to dive in and understand that each day is now a science experiment with the results indicated in pageviews, subs and ad revenue. Newspapers need to move away from the manufacturing mindset and begin to understand that online operations are never “done,” they need to be under constant daily development.

The transaction is expected to close on or before December 31, 2012 upon satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Harte-Hanks anticipates the transaction will result in a one-time after-tax loss of approximately $1.0 million. Harte-Hanks intends to use the proceeds from the transaction for general corporate purposes.

• First, Tallahassee PR firm owner Ron Sachs has gone on a “facebook rant” about the City of Tallahassee awarding $23k web development contract to an Atlanta, Georgia firm. More here from StateImpactFlorida.

• Next, Deluxe Corp. of Minnesota just received a $60k contract to provide online advertising to the State of Florida.

The renowned South Florida-based Venture Boat Company is back and better than ever, with new additions to the lineup that close the gap between serious sport fishing and leisurely group excursions. Under the leadership and guidance of new owner, Lee Heaton, Venture Boat Company has undergone a complete modernization, adding a number of innovative improvements to their existing models, introducing new models and moving production to the world-famous American Custom Yachts (ACY) facility in Stuart, Florida. Distinguished for their unmatched craftsmanship and uncompromising attention to detail, ACY was the natural choice to help build the new Venture line, combining state-of-the art boat building technology with experience that is second to none.

Featuring new management, branding, an updated user-friendly website and enhanced customization options to meet each client’s unique boating needs, Venture Boat Company has updated every aspect of business to provide unmatched customer service and attention to detail. Dedicated to high-performance quality, Venture Boats is committed to using only the best materials, including biaxial fiberglass, Kevlar, Divinycell PVC foam core and vinylester resin, with all construction materials specifically chosen to improve performance and strengthen durability.

Gibbs Sports Amphibians Chairman Neil Jenkins said the company plans to build approximately 1,000 Quadskis through October of next year. They initially will be sold at major powersports dealerships throughout the Midwest and eastern United States, in addition to locations in the Great Lakes region and along the Gulf Coast.