Demand for premium music subscriptions can support multiple modes of delivery, platforms and formats, Macquarie Capital's Amy Yong wrote investors. The firm's survey found 75 percent of consumers stream audio monthly, and 40 percent use two or more services monthly. Fifty-three percent pay for streaming music services, which the analyst views as room for growth. Forty-nine percent used Spotify, and 61 percent of those didn't use Apple or Amazon in the previous two months, Yong said Wednesday, “question[ing] Apple/Amazon’s appeal as alternatives to Spotify.” Though 45 percent of respondents use AM/FM most often in vehicles, other 30 percent of respondents listen to other services and 21 percent to SiriusXM. Seventy-five percent of respondents listened to a podcast in the past six months and a third said they listen at least monthly. Spotify has bought podcast producer Gimlet and publisher/analytics firm Anchor (see 1902060010), and it sees nonmusic content reaching 20 percent of total listening. Pandora launched podcasts in Q4.

The Parents Television Council is concerned its opposition to the FCC kidvid proposal could negatively influence commission handling of the proceeding on TV ratings, PTC President Tim Winter told Chairman Ajit Pai Chief of Staff Matthew Berry and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel in meetings March 4, it filed in docket 19-41. “Both expressed confidence that any of PTC’s previous statements or policy positions on Kid Vid would not influence the Commission’s review or its findings in this matter." The FCC’s congressionally ordered examination of TV ratings is seen as stemming from PTC’s advocacy against the current TV ratings system (see 1903010046). The group said it will produce new research data for the FCC report. Winter also met Commissioner Brendan Carr.

FCC commissioners unanimously approved an order streamlining the reauthorization process for satellite TV stations, an item that was on Friday’s FCC meeting agenda (see 1803220027). “Ultimately, this item will save significant resources for both affected broadcasters and the Commission,” said Commissioner Mike O’Rielly. Satellite TV stations are full-power broadcast TV stations that largely retransmit the content of a parent station, usually another full-power station owned by the same licensee. The order (here and here) allows applicants transferring a satellite TV station to do so without making extensive showings that the station should retain its satellite status, as long as they can certify there has been no other material change to the station’s situation. Under the previous rule, reauthorization was required, even though the requests were always approved, and the process was widely seen as a “rubber stamp,” attorneys told us. The media modernization item wasn't deemed controversial, and the streamlining provisions drew no opposition in the lead-up to the order. When the NPRM on the proposed order was voted, then-Commissioner Mignon Clyburn expressed concern that a satellite station changing parent stations should be considered a material change, but the final order doesn’t restrict the definition of a material change to specific situations. The “circumstances of each case” should guide the determination of whether a material change in the circumstances led to the original grant of satellite status, the order said.

The FCC shouldn’t prioritize payment of FY 2019 reimbursement funds to full-power, Class As and MVPDs over FM stations, said NPR in meetings last week with aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, it filed, posted Monday in docket 18-119. A “better approach” would be to prioritize primary services such as full-power TV and FM over secondary services such as low-power TV and translators, NPR said. Alternatively, wait for more information about incurred costs, NPR said. The public radio programmer opposes requiring a set number of listener affidavits for complaints about translator interference, and opposes a proposed 54 dBu contour limit on protections from such interference. Many NPR-affiliated stations have listeners outside that contour, it said: Cutting off stations from their listeners “is especially concerning to public radio stations because they rely on listener donations.”

The FCC should allow broadcasters to use brief on-air announcements and websites to replace currently required newspaper advertisements in providing notice to the public, said NAB in a meeting with Media Bureau Chief Michelle Carey, according to an ex parte filing posted Friday in docket 17-264. “Now, based on additional information, NAB is concerned” that a rule change mandating the on-air/online notice as the only option would cause “new burdens” for some broadcasters, the filing said. “Such a revised rule could adversely affect the small minority of broadcast stations that do not have their own websites or that pay others to maintain their site,” NAB said. The agency should allow broadcasters to make the on-air announcement as an option, not a requirement, NAB said. The rule change should also allow the announcements to be very brief to avoid imposing additional burdens, the filing said.

The draft reimbursement order doesn't fulfill the intent of Congress because its language excludes three low-power TV stations, said station owners Fifth Street Enterprises, WMTM and the Videohouse in meetings with Incentive Auction Task Force Chief Jean Kiddoo, Media Bureau Video Division Chief Barbara Kreisman, and aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and to Commissioners Brendan Carr, Mike O'Rielly and Geoffrey Starks, said a filing Wednesday in docket 18-214. The broadcasters' Class A stations missed the cutoff to participate in the incentive auction but aren't eligible to be reimbursed under the additional funds for LPTV, according to the draft order. The FCC has authority to reimburse their stations for displacement costs, the broadcasters said.

The FCC Media Bureau granted Ion’s request to change the DTV table of allotments to alter the community of license for its WNPX-TV Cookeville, Tennessee, to Franklin (see 1812050043), said an order Wednesday. The change will give Franklin its first local full-power TV station, the order said. Cookeville won’t be deprived of its sole local service, the order said.

The FCC should make it clear in the draft reimbursement order that low-power TV stations that received repacking reimbursement from third parties (see 1903010060) are eligible to receive reimbursement from the agency for expenses not covered by the third-party payout, said T-Mobile in meetings with aides to Commissioners Brendan Carr and Mike O’Rielly, said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-214. T-Mobile is concerned about language in the draft that appears to question the carrier's motives,.

Apollo Global Management’s application to buy some Cox stations (see 1902150051) would pair them with TV stations from Northwest Broadcasting under control of newly created Apollo subsidiary Terrier Media, said filings in FCC consolidated database system. Terrier is buying Northwest's stations through a stock deal, and would pay $3.1 billion for the Cox stations. Terrier would end up owning 25 TV stations. The combination would create no new overlaps and reach 12.9 percent of U.S. households without the UHF discount, the filings said. “The proposed transactions have been structured to ensure there are no potential concerns about competition, localism, or diversity.” The combo would include some existing duopolies, and one existing top-four combination in the California Yuma-El Centro DMA designated market area.

The FCC should increase flexibility of kidvid rules, move quickly to let stations transmit ATSC 3.0, discard AM radio subcaps and grant needed extensions in the repacking, said California Broadcasters Association representatives in meetings Feb. 27 with Commissioner Mike O’Rielly and aides to Chairman Ajit Pai and Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks, said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 18-349. “Although the repack appears to be moving forward smoothly in California, so far, broadcasters remain very concerned as the transition ‘crunch’ approaches." Attendees were from Univision San Jose and other TV stations and Diane Sutter of Shooting Star Productions, and they “lauded” the agency for actions on pirate radio.