Industry News

More and more consumers are choosing streaming video packages and are opting out of pay-TV video bundles.

The finding from S&P Global Ratings affirms the belief that “cord-cutting” hasn’t ceased, despite pandemic-fueled reports of a resurgence in MVPD subscriber rolls.

And, S&P Global Ratings views more cord-cutting and fewer pay-TV bundles as a negative for the entire television sector’s credit quality.

It’s a new view on the impact of MVPD abandonment among U.S. video content consumers, leaving a strong broadband internet connection as the lone reason they’d be a customer to Comcast, Charter Spectrum, Cox or any other entity some still view as the “cable company.”

The report, “How The Decline In The U.S. Television Ecosystem Could Squeeze Credit Ratings,” updates S&P Global Ratings’ U.S. pay-TV video subscriber forecast, which it based on a rollup of our individual company forecasts.

S&P last updated its forecast in January 2020.

“Even though cord-cutting trended downward in the second half of last year compared to the first half, we estimate the rate of legacy pay-TV subscription losses was modestly worse in 2020 at about 7.9% versus 7.3% in 2019,” S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Naveen Sarma said. “We’ve updated our pay-TV video subscriber forecast and, in this report, discuss how any changes could affect our ratings on companies in the pay-TV ecosystem.”

The report notes that the ratings impact of the decline of pay-TV on the cable sector will be muted due the strength of its broadband service. Media companies will feel the heat on their TV operations, but it’s difficult to say which companies could face negative rating actions because many have diversified businesses.

Importantly, S&P notes that this report does not constitute a rating action.

Nielsen Holdings plc has selected its newest member of the company’s board of directors. She took her seat on Wednesday (4/21), and will also serve on the board’s audit committee.

The news came as Nielsen revealed when it will share its first quarter 2021 financial results.

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Anyone who has installed and upgraded IP infrastructures in the broadcast plant knows that racking up and cabling equipment is the easy part of the job. The more tedious and time-consuming aspect is usually the administrative tasks that follow: initial setup and registration, device management and security. Proprietary and piecemeal tools exist, but locating end-to-end solutions can be elusive.

Lawo Home is new a cloud-based management platform for IP-based infrastructures. With it, according to the company, users can perform automatic plug-and-play discovery of IP audio and video devices. They are registered with their name, location, status and type. This applies not only to Lawo products but to third-party devices as well, using NMOS. Discovered devices are managed in a central inventory list, ready for access and configuration.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

Nothing changes but the changes in a media IP infrastructure, and the ability to save and recall multiple configurations is key to speeding up tasks. Home, according to Lawo, provides a centralized “mission control” for these processes, providing fast and unified access to device parameters for easy tweaking, irrespective of the end point being controlled.

The content flowing around the infrastructure is a media organization’s most valuable asset. Part of  any IP administration solution’s job is security, not only for those assets, but also for the infrastructure. And doing this job seamlessly in the background is key.

Lawo claims that Home makes a variety of strategies available. First and foremost is quarantining unknown devices when they come online. Only after being approved via an intuitive IEEE802.1X-based routine, can they begin exchanging signals with the Home network.

A second approach is an authentication strategy based on a centralized user management system, with dedicated user roles and groups. The LDAP-based service allows users to authenticate either locally — within HOME — or via their own corporate IT infrastructure, e.g. Microsoft Active Directory, according to Lawo.

Finally comes the arbitration of devices and individual streams based on pinpointed rights management. Home’s architecture, says Lawo, is prepared to manage services such as transport layer security, network segmentation and other IT security mechanisms such as Radius.

Info: https://lawo.com/

The post Lawo Home Facilitates Management of IP Broadcast Infrastructures appeared first on Radio World.

In a August 2017 webinar moderated by Radio INK editor-in-chief Ed Ryan, Veritone ‎Managing Director of Enterprise Radio Solutions Paul Cramer offered participants some eye-opening details on a new, “AI”-powered way to “aircheck” for an advertiser of an AM or FM station.

The webinar came on a day when Google’s Chrome browser was experimenting with a “mute” setting for autoplay video ads that start playing when one scrolls to the ad on a web page.

The timing was perhaps perfect, and still resonates today.

How many people do you know hit a “mute” button when a commercial comes on the radio station they are listening to?

The very idea is absurd, and gives the radio industry yet another weapon in its advertiser ammo box.Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

Concerns about higher capital gains taxes, courtesy of President Biden, fueled a sharp decrease in general indices on Wall Street.

Did the Thursday dips include media stocks?

Nope.

Audacy reversed a downtrend with a 2.6% improvement, bringing AUD to $4.75.

Also up: Cumulus Media, rising 4 cents to $9.63, and iHeartMedia, rising 17 cents to $19.62.

Among broadcast TV companies, Nexstar Media Group shares finished at $154.32, rising 31 cents. Sinclair Broadcast Group stock improved by 70 cents, to $32.36.

The day’s big gainer: Dish, which gained $1.01 to $41.95 on word that its Sling has an audience measurement accord in place with Comscore.

The FCC is diving into wireless multichannel audio systems (WMAS), an emerging wireless microphone technology designed to enable more microphones per megahertz of spectrum.

The commission has officially adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that is seeking public comment on whether WMAS technology should be granted a licensed basis in frequency bands where wireless mics are already authorized. This includes TV bands, the 600 MHz duplex gap and in portions of the 900 MHz, 1.4 GHz and 7 GHz bands. The NPRM also looks at using WMAS on an unlicensed basis.

WMAS allows microphones to operate using wider bandwidth channels than FCC rules currently allow by digitally combining multiple mic signals. It also uses a more efficient operating protocol, resulting in a larger number of wireless mics being able to operate in the available spectrum.

Europe has already permitted the use of WMAS technology under the European Telecommunications Standards Institute standards.

The proposals are designed to amend the FCC’s Part 74 licensed radio device rules — known as low-power auxiliary station (LPAS) devices — to support efficient use of spectrum and implement interference protection standards. The proposal also seeks comment on whether the commission should permit WMAS to operate on an unlicensed basis under the FCC’s Part 15 rule.

Any changes are not intended to impact incumbent spectrum operations, the FCC claims.

“These [WMAS] systems have the potential to significantly improve the efficiency of wireless microphone operations,” said FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “So much so, that under the rules we propose here, three times as many microphones may be able to operate while putting the same amount of power over the air as a single wireless microphone does under our rules today.”

The NPRM was approved unanimously by the FCC during its April Open Commission Meeting.

The post FCC Exploring New Wireless Mic Technology appeared first on Radio World.

When the Federal Communications Commission opens its filing window for new noncom educational stations in the lower part of the FM band later this year, it will limit the number of applications per party to 10.

The commission approved the limit on Thursday, as it was expected to do based on recent statements.

[Read: FM NCE Filing Window Coming in 2021]

 It said the general idea of a cap drew support in filed comments, though opinions varied on the number.

National Public Radio endorsed the 10-application cap. REC Networks and Common Frequency pushed for five. Educational Media Foundation thought parties should be able to file more than 10 applications if the additional ones were for areas outside the home counties of Nielsen Audio markets.

“We find a 10-application cap will best deter speculative filings, permit the expeditious processing of the applications filed in the window, and provide interested parties with a meaningful opportunity to file for and obtain new NCE FM station licenses,” the commission stated.

“We agree with NPR that the alternative REC and EMF proposals ‘fail to offer a demonstrably better balancing of the relevant objectives.’”

The commission wanted to cap the number of applications to avoid a repeat of the 2003 translator window in which it was swamped with 13,000 applications, many from speculative filers.

It expects a lot of interest in this window for several reasons: There’s no application filing fee; there are no ownership limits in the reserved band; there has not been a filing window for new NCE FM applications for over a decade; and the FCC recently simplified procedures including how it treats competing applications.

The post In NCE Window, FCC Will Cap Apps at 10 appeared first on Radio World.

PHILADELPHIA — Content protection services provider Friend MTS has agreed to an “expanded partnership” with Akamai, one that allows each company to offer content owners, broadcasters and operators a smart server-side A/B variant watermarking product based on the Friend MTS ASiD OTT Edge-switched technology and Akamai’s Access Revocation solution/technology.

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Canare USA, a supplier of cables and connectors, said it is experiencing “experiencing extremely unprecedented long lead times, due to a shortage of ocean containers globally.”

In an email to customers and business partners, the manufacturer wrote, “We were once able to absorb costs for special air shipments; however, the prices have soared beyond expectations and we are no longer in a position to absorb 100% of the cost.”

By way of explanation it pointed to online news stories about “chaos” in global shipping including a shortage of ocean containers.

“As we navigate through these delays, we ask that you would be both understanding and patient with us, as we use our best strategies to bring you your much needed supply of Canare products.”

It encouraged customers to raise awareness of the state of the shipping industry, ask about emergency air shipments and to consider blanket orders to help assure availability.

Canare Corporation of America is based in New Jersey. Its parent corporation was founded in 1970 in Japan, where it is headquartered. The company name comes from a river near the founder’s office.

The post Canare USA Reports Very Long Lead Times appeared first on Radio World.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FCC has adopted new sponsorship identification requirements to require broadcasters to disclose when foreign governments or their representatives lease time on their airwaves.

The Order, the Commission says, “increases transparency, ensuring audiences are aware when a foreign government, or its representatives, uses the airwaves to persuade the American public.”

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