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Here they come. And, many are happening on the very same day, making life a potential juggling act for media industry analysts and investors.

Second quarter 2021 financial results for nearly every publicly traded radio and TV company are on the way, starting the first week of August.

Here’s what to expect with respect to when each earnings call and Q2 2021 report release occurs — along with a time change for Gray Television‘s earnings call.

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On April 14, 2021, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Sinclair Eugene Licensee, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KVAL-TV, channel 13 (CBS), Eugene, Oregon, requesting the substitution of channel 28 for channel 13 at Eugene in the DTV Table of Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to substitute channel 28 for channel 13 at Eugene.

On April 21, 2021, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Sinclair Media, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KECI-TV, channel 13 (NBC), Missoula, Montana, requesting the substitution of channel 20 for channel 13 at Missoula in the DTV Table of Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to substitute channel 20 for channel 13 at Missoula.

On May 17, 2021, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by WGEM License, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of WGEM-TV, channel 10 (NBC), Quincy, Illinois, requesting the substitution of channel 19 for channel 10 at Quincy in the DTV Table of Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to substitute channel 19 for channel 10 at Quincy.

On April 21, 2021, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Sinclair Media Licensee, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KRCR-TV, channel 7 (ABC), Redding, California, requesting the substitution of channel 15 for channel 7 at Redding in the DTV Table of Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to substitute channel 15 for channel 7 at Redding.

On April 26, 2021, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Sinclair Media Licensee, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KTVM-TV (NBC), channel 6, Butte, Montana, requesting the substitution of channel 20 for channel 6 at Butte in the DTV Table of Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to substitute channel 20 for channel 6 at Butte.

A Logitek mixIT console at Frontier Media’s Texarkana facility.

The author is group engineering and IT manager, Frontier Media.

Frontier Media operates radio centers in Alaska and Texas, and we’ve had quite a bit of experience with Logitek equipment over the years.

Our move into AoIP operation began when our Texarkana radio center had a lightning strike that took out basically everything in that studio and we needed brand new everything. With that rebuild, we selected Logitek JetStream Minis and Pilot consoles.

After seeing the advantages and possibilities of what that system can do, it had always been in the back of our minds to transition our Juneau stations to a similar setup one day.

[Read more Radio World articles about audio consoles and mixers]

That “day” arrived in late 2020 when we bought our first Jet67 and mixIT-12 for a new studio we were building out for a brand-new station in the Juneau center.

We completed that installation in January 2021. A couple months later we began working on a renovation of our Juneau newsroom.

Since we’d already gotten one Jet67-mixIT combination, we figured we’d keep building out our AoIP system and get another set for the newsroom. This was also the first studio I’d personally built out from the ground up. The installation of the mixIT and Jet67 in that studio was completed over one weekend in April 2021.

One Cable
Both installations in Juneau went smoothly, with everything working as I had anticipated. I have experience with the JetStream Server programs, which are also used to configure the Jet67 and mixIT, so I had no major hiccups or obstacles.

Cable management is minimal in these installations because you only have to run one single Ethernet cable to the mixIT, which means you’ve only got one cable coming out of the table and connecting to your console, whereas with traditional consoles you might have dozens of cables coming out of your console that can be a hassle to tie all together and make it not look like a rat’s nest.

With a little planning I was able to mount the Jet67 right next to the punchdown block with all its audio sources.

The mixIT packs a punch for its size. We’ve got mixers that are about the same size that don’t do half as much as the mixIT. We’ve also got mixers that can rival what the mixIT can do but they’re a lot bigger, and I imagine cost a good deal more.

Getting up to 16 total analog/mic inputs, up to 16 analog outputs, plus two digital ins and outs, and four total output busses (Program/A1/A2/A3), for the price you’re paying is impressive. Even if you’re not yet tapping into the AoIP networking potential, for the number of inputs and output busses you’re getting solid value for what you’re paying.

On the control surface, all the fader sources are clearly labeled so users know what is where, and it’s easy to switch sources with a couple taps on the touch screen display. Which to me is another advantage of the mixIT; for all the possibilities it offers and how complex you can make it, you can also set it up to be simple from a usability standpoint.

Radio World User Reports are testimonial articles intended to help readers understand why a colleague chose a particular product to solve a technical situation.

Info: John Davis at Logitek Electronic Systems in Texas at 1-713-664-4470 or visit https://logitekaudio.com.

 

The post User Report: Logitek Brings Compact AoIP to Alaska Broadcaster appeared first on Radio World.

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Its Class B signal covers all of the Phoenix market during daylight hours, and even at night it reaches most of the Valley of the Sun.

In recent years, it has served the Spanish-speaking community largely concentrated in central Phoenix and the west side of the valley.

Now, this AM is trading hands, and is being sold by Amigo Multimedia.

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An AM/FM combo, along with another FM, in New Mexico are being spun.

So is an unbuilt FM translator.

The buyer is a Texas-based LLC that’s a bit of, um, an “exciter.”

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In a world where radio industry consolidation has created local, regional and national groups, a stand-alone FM is a rarity. In market No. 143, there’s a radio station that thrives. And, it’s owned by a person who balances ownership, which he loves, with a real estate business, a restaurant and hotel, a daily mid-morning Talk show, and the continued expansion of the American Blues Network.

To share a little bit about “JZ 94.5,” CEO Rip Daniels sits in with Adam R Jacobson on the latest InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM. Among the things Rip discusses: the minority tax certificate and what it could bring — or not — to Radio ownership diversity.

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: Rip Daniels” on Spreaker.

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Leadership Foundation is accepting applications through August 2 for the 2022 Broadcast Leadership Training (BLT) program. The BLT program is designed to prepare senior-level broadcasters to advance into ownership or executive positions. Women and people of color are especially encouraged to apply.

Now in its 22nd edition, the executive MBA-style program is the foremost executive training program for the broadcast industry. The program teaches senior-level broadcast professionals who aspire to advance as group executives or station owners the fundamentals of purchasing, owning and operating radio and television stations over ten months.

The 2022 Broadcast Leadership Training program will return to weekend sessions held in-person at the NAB Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The starting session will be held September 17-19, 2021.

“After a year and a half of a hybrid classroom, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome our next cohort back in-person,” said Michelle Duke, NAB Leadership Foundation president. “The Broadcast Leadership Training program is imperative to our goal of fostering growth and promoting diversity in the industry, and we are excited to immerse the 2022 class in the networking and relationship-building opportunities that uniquely thrive in a live environment.”

Broadcast professionals from all areas of the industry, including general managers, experienced sales managers and seasoned department heads, as well as regional and corporate executives, are encouraged to apply. Fellowship opportunities are available for women and people of color.

For sponsorship and speaking opportunities, please contact Tim Dotson, senior director of development, NAB Leadership Foundation, at tdotson@nab.org.

Marketron, the provider of enterprise revenue management and digital software solutions, is welcoming a 25-year sales and service leader to a role that makes him the company’s SVP of Client Success.

His chief task: the Marketron SaaS and digital client success teams.

Earning the role is Christian Kligora. He served as VP of Client Success for Gannett and the USA Today national brands and executive accounts team. He has partnered with companies including James Hardie Industries, Centura Health, Leprino Foods and hundreds of SMBs to help them better understand consumer buying journeys and simplify the fragmented advertising space, Marketron said.

“I’m excited to be working with the fantastic team at Marketron to create a client experience that’s a win for everyone — for us, for our clients and for their customers,”  Kligora said. “While I have years of experience on the client success side, I also know what it’s like to be a salesperson trying to sell digital products. So, I appreciate both the Marketron SaaS platform, which makes it easy for radio and TV stations to play in the digital space, and the company’s dedication to investing in strong, long-term client relationships that drive success all around. I believe that together we can build something truly amazing for Marketron clients.”

After nearly 12 years at the ABC affiliate serving New York’s Capital Region, a role that included oversight of a JSA with the market’s FOX affiliate, he became a member of the Nexstar Media Group family. With his transition from Media General, he’d move to Charlotte, where he’s served as the VP/GM of its two TV stations in the Queen City.

Now, this broadcast TV industry veteran as of July 26 will be heading to the corporate office to take on a regional leadership post.

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The “sage of South Central” is now on the way to possibly becoming the wise leader of the Golden State.

Larry Elder, the veteran conservative Talk radio host who has been associated with Salem Media Group since 2016, announced late Wednesday (7/21) that he has won his lawsuit against the State of California and Office of the Secretary of State, Shirley Weber — an action Elder made Monday after being left off of the preliminary list of candidates in the September 14 gubernatorial recall election.

As a result, Elder is on the ballot as a Republican candidate to unseat Democrat Gavin Newsom, the former San Francisco Mayor.

“This is a huge victory for voting rights, our republic, our campaign, you and for California,” he declared on Twitter in announcing the court win. “Now let’s go save our state!”

At issue was the submission of what Elder said was more than 300 pages of tax returns required to become a candidate. Weber’s office said Elder filed incomplete information on those returns connected to redaction issues.

The judge considering Elder’s lawsuit agreed with him, finding that he indeed abided by ballot requirements and that California should have refrained from its demands of having candidates submit five years’ worth of tax returns.

With Sacramento Superior Court Judge Laurie Earl making the ruling just hours before Weber was set to certify the final list of candidates, Elder is now one of 43 total recall candidates.

Elder on July 13 stepped away from his daily talk show, which airs on such stations as KRLA-AM 870 in Los Angeles, in order to run for Governor of California. Filling in for him through the election is Carl Jackson, who hosts a Saturday evening Talk program based at WORC-AM in Orlando. Jackson has been a regular fill-in host for veteran Salem Talk host Dennis Prager.

Because of the FCC’s Equal Time rules, Elder must step away from the show while the race for governor of California is on. Should he lose, he will return to the program. Should he win, Salem has a decision to make while Elder packs his bags and heads to Sacramento.

 

iHeartRadio introduced a voice-enabled “Request a Song” feature for Alexa.

Highlighting a partnership with Amazon, it says the feature lets listeners “communicate with their favorite DJs by requesting and dedicating songs live on the radio.”

On an Alexa-enabled device, the listener can speak to request and dedicate songs; Alexa will send the request to the station, where radio DJs can act on it.

[Read: For Radio, Audio Is the “New Now”]

The company says the feature is enabled by updates to Alexa’s voice AI. It says it is working on more interactive features including Q&As with DJs and show hosts, voice-driven polls and contests.

The feature was introduced first on stations in South Carolina, Arizona, Texas and Florida, with more planned.



The company posted a video with Chief Product Officer Chris Williams explaining the new skill, see it above. He calls the feature “a direct line to allow our audience to talk back, to share their thoughts and help influence what you hear on the radio.”

 

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