Radio World

When the NAB Show returns to Las Vegas in the spring, three years since the most recent one, it will feature some new themes. It also will use part of the new West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, which was under construction when broadcasters last visited.

Early registration is open for the 2022 convention, though right now you can only sign up for access to the floor and certain content. Registration for full paid conferences and workshops is to follow.

In the next five months, assuming current plans hold, at least three major trade shows of interest to radio will return to conducting events in-person: IBC 2021 in early December, CES 2022 in early January and the NAB Show in late April.

We can expect that all three will be watched closely for indications of how their underlying industries are bouncing back from the pandemic. What will major trade shows look like now? Will they draw the many thousands of people that they did in the past? Will attendees be sufficiently comfortable with health and safety precautions to turn out in force? Will international travel rebound?

For its part, the National Association of Broadcasters says its signature event is being “reimagined” and that it will feature “distinct destinations focused on three main pillars associated with the content lifecycle.” The pillars will be called Create, Connect and Capitalize.

Chris Brown, NAB executive vice president and managing director, global connections and events, was quoted in the announcement saying the goal is “to more closely mirror today’s media, entertainment and technology ecosystem in a way that is intuitive and makes it easier for attendees to navigate the event.” He said the show will include “curated experience zones” that support innovation, networking, education and “new ways of thinking.”

Specifics are sparse so far, but you can read more about what the organization hopes to offer on this page of the show website.

The Central and North Halls will focus on the “create” part of the equation, “from pre-production to post, including the latest tools and advanced workflow options to elevate storytelling.”

The new West Hall is where companies that support content distribution and delivery can be found, “from cloud computing to new media infrastructure.”

The North Hall will also feature “content monetization solutions.”

A fourth pillar is under development; it will focus on “critical components impacting all aspects of content creation and delivery.”

The convention will not use the South Hall facilities in 2021.

Will there be a specific radio area of the show floor?

“Generally speaking, exhibits of interest to radio broadcasters will be spread among the halls,” NAB Senior VP of Communications Ann Marie Cumming told us.

“For instance, radio programmers and talent are focused on creating compelling content. While engineers may be more focused on the ‘connect’ area associated with technologies that enable delivery. Capitalization means finding new revenue streams as radio companies increasingly become multimedia companies — something of interest to the sales and management side of the business. There are also plans in the works to make sure radio broadcasters enjoy a specially curated experience with content relevant to them.”

Before the pandemic, the IBC Show in Amsterdam was reporting around 56,000 people attending each year. CES said attendance in 2020 in Las Vegas was about 170,000. NAB reported about 91,000 at its most recent Vegas show in 2019.

The post NAB Promises a “Reimagined” Event appeared first on Radio World.

Ad sales pioneer Ralph Guild has passed away at 93.

Guild is created with laying the groundwork for the modern ad rep sales industry with the founding of Interep in 1981. He spun that into a larger group that eventually included Group W Radio Sales (later CBS Radio Sales) and ABC Radio Sales.

Guild adapted to changing times with tweaks and permutations of the company, later moving into early digital and online ad sales.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

He began his radio representation career in 1957 at McGavren Radio — a San Francisco-based firm devoted to representing radio advertising, according to a notice. McGavren sent him to New York to open their first East Coast office. Due to his work, McGavren Radio was renamed McGavren Guild in 1967. Eventually Guild became the company’s president and chief operating officer, and later its chairman.

Not surprisingly, Guild collected a number of broadcast industry awards over the years including the Broadcasters Foundation Golden Mike, UJA-Radio Federation’s Radio Group Award, International Radio and Television Society Gold Medal. He has also been inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and the Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

Send news of engineering and executive personnel changes to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Ad Rep Pioneer Ralph Guild Passes Away appeared first on Radio World.

Winners have been announced in the Best in Market Awards program for fall of 2021.

The recipients named by Radio World are:

Angry Audio Headphone Disconnector

Inovonics 551 HD Radio Modulation Monitor

Telos Alliance Axia Quasar SR AoIP Mixing Console

Tieline Gateway 4 IP Audio Codec

Wheatstone Blade 4 WheatNet-IP I/O unit 

The program was open to manufacturers of professional radio, TV and AV products and solutions, regardless of exhibitor status at major events.

Readers might be forgiven for feeling there is a rush of award programs right now. But this program normally would have run in the spring; it was conducted in place of the “Best of Show” Awards that would have been held during the spring NAB Show, which was postponed to the fall and then cancelled for this year. A separate awards program currently is open for nominations for IBC convention season.

The Best in Market awards are judged and presented by Future brands Radio World, TV Technology, TVBEurope, Next, Mix, Broadcasting & Cable and Sound & Video Contractor.

A Program Guide with details about all the nominees including a list of winners will be published soon and distributed to readers of these publications.

The awards are intended to honor and help companies promote outstanding products launched or launching in 2021.

The post Winners Announced for Best in Market for Fall 2021 appeared first on Radio World.

A pair of readers react to Michael Saffran’s commentary “Radio, Stick to Your Knitting,” Radio World, Aug. 29.

Regarding Michael Saffran’s commentary “Radio, Stick to Your Knitting” in the Aug. 29 Opinion section:

Well said! Fads come and go, often overnight. If you thought format changes were a nightmare, being tied to a faded fad is worse.

Ideological advocacy can cost you as many listeners as it keeps, and is very unlikely to win you any more.

Gary Fisher
Rosewood Associates

* * *

Michael Saffran is correct. Businesses can shoot themselves in the foot when they go woke.

Why should I give my money to a company that is using it to promote political causes that I oppose? Or give my listening time to a radio station that uses it to lift its revenue? I have plenty of options.

Joseph Palenchar
Oakland, N.J.

Radio World invites industry-oriented commentaries and responses. Send to Radio World.

The post Letter: Sticking to our knitting appeared first on Radio World.

The FCC Media Bureau has issued a reminder that its previously announced window to apply for new noncommercial educational FM new station construction permits will be open from tonight — Tuesday Nov. 2 at 12:01 a.m. EDT — until next Tuesday, Nov. 9, at 6 p.m. EST.

The window is only for proposals in the FM reserved band, channels 201 to 220, which is 87.9 to 91.9 MHz.

Applications must be filed electronically on FCC Form 2100, Schedule 340 in the Bureau’s Licensing and Management System. The commission will accept no more than 10 applications from one applicant.

“This means that a party to an application filed in the window may hold attributable interests in no more than a total of 10 applications filed in the window.”

[Read: Procedures Are Published for NCE FM Window]

The number of FM educational stations has almost doubled in two decades, from 2,140 in the year 2000 to around 4,200 at the most recent count.

A 2007 NCE window yielded approximately 3,600 applications, of which about 2,700 were mutually exclusive, meaning applications involved geographic or spectral overlap. The FCC in that round eventually granted approximately 1,330 CPs for new NCE service, according to commission data.

But in 2021, because of the number of signals across the FM band, observers have told Radio World that it is unlikely that applicants in this window will be able to identify full-power NCE opportunities except in relatively rural areas with smaller populations.

The post NCE FM Filing Window Opens appeared first on Radio World.

Syndicator Key Networks is offering a weather reporting system for radio stations that uses text-to-speech synthesis and requires no additional barter.

ATMOS Weather Reporting was developed by Summit Technology Group and uses artificial intelligence to generate a script and text-to-speech that Summit says is indistinguishable from a human voice. It describes the customizable content as “seamless, accurate and as personable as a real meteorologist.”

All advertising is contained within the weather forecasts so stations can sell local sponsorships.

The announcement was made by Key Networks CRO Dennis Green and Summit President Paul Stewart.

Green said, “Stations will get precise and accurate weather forecasts without having to give up additional inventory outside the content.”

A sample is available at the Key Networks site.

The post Key Networks Adds ATMOS Weather Reporting appeared first on Radio World.

A South Dakota licensee is liable for a forfeiture of several thousands of dollars after allegedly failing to file a license renewal application on time.

The Media Bureau at the Federal Communication Commission found that Seventh Generation Media Services — licensee of station KLND(FM) of Little Eagle, S.D. — is liable for a monetary forfeiture of $3,000. FCC Rules require that applications for broadcast station license renewals must be filed by the first day of the fourth calendar month prior to the license’s expiration date. In Seventh Generation’s case, that filing deadline was Dec. 1, 2020.

But the Media Bureau discovered that the application was not filed on time — not until March 22, 2021. When Seventh Generation was asked about the delay, the licensee said that its previous manager — who apparently would have been responsible for overseeing the renewal — quit her position and the current manager was unaware of certain passwords and policies.

[Read: Call Sign Deleted, Permit Revoked After LPFM Construction Snafu]

In its ruling on this case, however, the bureau said this was not a viable reason. As FCC rules state, the licensee is ultimately responsible for ensuring it complies with the FCC’s rules by filing a timely renewal application. Seventh Generation’s explanation that the current station manager did not have the password to access the FCC’s filing database and that the manager was not familiar with the commission’s filing requirement is not a valid excuse.

“The commission has been clear that ignorance of the law is not an excuse for failure to comply with commission rules and regulations, and we have held that loss of a database password does not excuse an untimely filing,” the bureau said in its order.

Taking all the factors into consideration, the bureau proposed a forfeiture of $3,000. The commission has the opportunity to raise or lower that forfeiture based on the individual circumstances. In this case, the bureau found that the station had been serving the public interest, has not seriously violated other areas of the Communications Act or the FCC rules and has found no other violations that could constitute a pattern of abuse. The bureau also noted that the licensee did file the application prior to the expiration of the station’s license, which would have been April 1, 2021.

The bureau has thus ordered Seventh Generation to either pay the $3,000 forfeiture within 30 days or file a written statement seeking reduction or cancellation.

The post Seventh Generation Asked to Pay $3,000 Forfeiture for Late License Renewal appeared first on Radio World.

Addressing COVID-19 misinformation has been a priority for public radio, and two Dallas stations are continuing that role with a new campaign called “Bring The Music Back,” as part of Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s larger misinformation initiative.

Over a series of several weeks, radio station KKXT(FM) and TV station KERA in Dallas will be running the “Bring the Music Back” campaign by sharing facts about vaccinations, COVID-19 and how audiences can best remain safe when they return to live music events.

[Read: After the Masks Come Off]

The campaign will feature first-person conversations in 20– to 30–second radio spots with local and national musicians who are discussing how the pandemic has affected their industry, the importance of wearing masks and good safety practices.

Spots available for stations to use, which can be found here, include social media videos, an explainer video, marketing materials and clean broadcast spots. The stations are operated by KERA, a nonprofit organization that operates one of the few noncommercial radio stations in North Texas, with the bulk of the radio station’s lineup produced and programmed locally.

The post New Public Campaign Aims to Bring Music Back Safely appeared first on Radio World.

IABM named Callum Jones as its head of digital. He succeeds Ben Dales in that post.

It said Jones is charged with enhancing the Knowledge Hub on the association’s website and continuing development of IABM TV and its digital platform BaM Zone.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

Most recently Jones was head of digital for the Rugby Football League. He also has worked for betting and gaming company William Hill, the Football Pools, Merseyrail and Your Housing Group.

IABM is a trade association for broadcast and media technology and is headquartered in the United Kingdom. The announcement was made by CEO Peter White.

Send announcements for our People News coverage to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post IABM Names New Head of Digital appeared first on Radio World.

I can’t resist following up on K.M. Richards’ amusing tale of ingeniously “bending the rules” by incorporating his station’s legal ID into a top o’ the hour temperature check (Readers Forum, Aug. 4).

As a Washington lawyer representing AM and FM stations around the country, I was often presented with clever promotional and marketing ideas, to assure they would not run afoul of any FCC rule or policy.

Back in the Reagan era and the days of the old Emergency Broadcast System, when the weekly EBS test was locally originated and announced, a radio client of mine had a voice impressionist record the script of the announcement in the president’s voice. The usual formal and somber intonation, “This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System,” was heard instead in Reagan’s informal, tale-telling, aw-shucks style. As the station’s attorney, I was asked whether this was permissible under the FCC rules.

The tickler was that the announcement ended with the “president” saying, “This concludes this test of the Emergency Broadcast System. (Pause.) Now, if you’ll all pass your papers to the left, we’ll see how you did.”

It was a simpler time. I gave the message a thumbs-up.

John King
Jacksonville, Fla.

Radio World invites industry-oriented commentaries and responses. Send to Radio World.

The post Letter: Bending some more rules appeared first on Radio World.

This is regarding the letter “AM Digital — What Is the End Game?,” which was a response to an earlier commentary by Michelle Bradley.

The author wrote: “Michi made the point that, ‘The automotive and radio receiver industry needs to make HD Radio, standard equipment, not a ‘luxury option’ like with some manufacturers.’ So, when is the FCC going to step in and mandate HD Radio in all cars? It’s the only way this will happen.”

Well, I have to call BS. Why do you think every vehicle comes with SiriusXM? Because they did what they had to do to get them there. I’m sure there were financial inducements.

Money talks. But as far as I can tell, there was never a broadcaster initiative to get the radios in the cars. I don’t know what discussions iBiquity had with the auto manufacturers, but it was spectacularly ineffective. Relying on big ol’ Uncle Sam to mandate HD Radios in all cars seems like such a copout.

John Terhar 
Largo, Fla.

Radio World invites industry-oriented commentaries and responses. Send to Radio World.

The post Letter: No place for mandates appeared first on Radio World.

As children, we are told to not judge a book by its cover. So as adults, when something arrives in the mail packaged in a cool little box with a trendy logo, we are conditioned to pass it off as nothing more than a slick marketing technique.

There are a few occasions, however, when a cool little box with a trendy logo contains an awfully nifty item.

The item in this case is the Tula Mic, from Tula Microphones, a combination microphone and handheld digital recorder.

It fortunately arrived when mobile/remote voice recording hit an all-time peak recently. Radio professionals and podcasters alike find themselves in places nobody ever assumed would become recording studios.

[Read: Movin’ on Up With the Movo UM700]

The Tula Mic boasts a throwback design that is, simply, fun to look at and use.

“Tula” is Sanskrit for “balance,” which speaks to the technological advances that are shrouded in its nostalgic design. Specifically, Tula uses Burr-Brown op-amp circuitry and noise reduction technology from Swedish software designer Klevgrand.

Klevgrand’s “Brusfri” noise reduction plug-in is built into Tula for learning and eliminating environmental noise characteristics.

From a basic design interest, Tula’s lithium ion battery charges via USB. The internal battery charge lasts about 12 hours.

A classy, foldable desk stand allows Tula to sit comfortably on a desk. The desk stand removes easily, and a mic stand adapter can be snapped on for more detailed and critical mic placement.

Tula is equipped with cardioid and omnidirectional capsules. The two polar patterns accommodate a single voice session or use with several voices in a group or interview setting.

Via its USB-C cable, Tula can be used as a USB mic for real-time miking and will work properly with any DAW running on Mac or Windows.

Familiar transport, control and volume buttons are situated on the sides of the mic along with a 3.5 mm TRRS jack that doubles as a headphone output or input for another source, such as a lapel mic.

Inside
Functionally, Tula is hardly a complicated tool, but it packs a punch under the hood.

Pressing record does what you’d expect. Plug in headphones and adjust the volume to monitor real-time recording or file playback.

Two LEDs on the front indicate input gain levels and record mode. Use the USB connection to move Tula’s files to a computer or use Tula as an audio I/O device. Pretty simple!

The ultimate Tula “cool” factor is found in its noise reduction function.

When in NC (noise cancellation) mode, Tula records two simultaneous versions of the audio file. One version is raw, with no noise reduction. The other version is recorded with the Klevgrand Brusfri noise reduction plug-in applied.

Brusfri reduces constant noises like HVAC system noise and functions quite well. I found the room noise had completely disappeared and the voice content was kept pristine with no additional artifacts or degradation. The Brusfri noise reduction even eliminated the drone of an airplane that was audible in the studio.

The NC feature works in real time when Tula is used as an I/O device as well.

Tula’s Art-Deco-ish form factor is fashionable and unique, and it travels well. Given that it serves as a portable recorder and a USB microphone, Tula should feel at home with anyone who is on the go and needs to grab audio on the fly or is in the studio and needs to record a quick VO. It records standard 16-bit/48 kHz WAV files.

There was some noticeable handling noise sensitivities, and I detected some “not-quite-large-diaphragm” coloration on vocal reproduction. But Tula offers a clean and bright overall vocal response.

A windscreen or “dead cat” might be needed, as Tula is sensitive to plosives and wind. Tula explains that windscreens that fit a Blue Yeti will also fit the square Tula.

The steel construction is robust and prepared for the bustle and abuse of field reporting or comfortable studio work. Eight GB of internal memory and the lithium ion battery guarantee 12 hours of continuous recording.

Tula is a stylish little device that until you use it for yourself, you didn’t know you wanted.

The author is the owner of production firm Audio Concepts and a Radio World contributor.

Product Capsule

Tula Mic

Thumbs Up: Cool design; built-in digital recorder; built-in noise reduction processing; interfaces with computer DAWs; solid construction

Thumbs Down: Susceptible to handling noise; not compatible with standard microphone windscreens

Price: $229

Info: Tula Microphones at www.tulamics.com.

The post Tula Mic: Old School and New School appeared first on Radio World.

Mark Persons is a frequent contributor to Radio World.

Paul, excellent editorial about 9/11 (radioworld.com, “Memories of 9/11 Haunt Me Still”). Thanks for telling your story of that fateful day when 2,996 innocent people died.

We all remember where we were that morning. I heard a news bulletin come over one of our local radio stations. Then to a television to see the horrific event unfold.

It shook me to the core thinking of how our country could be attacked. It is a sad commentary that others would try to gain by destroying so many lives.

This kind of treachery cannot stand. My thanks to our nation’s all-volunteer military for taking up the challenge of avenging 9/11. Many service members died in the process. Ceremonies are held each year in my hometown honoring all Americans involved. It is a sobering reminder that the War on Terror is not over.

Mark Persons 
Brainerd, Minn.
www.brainerdvfw.org

Radio World invites industry-oriented commentaries and responses. Send to Radio World.

The post Letter: Sept. 11, 20 years ago appeared first on Radio World.

FM antenna manufacturers and users may soon be able to use computer modeling to verify the patterns of directional antennas.

The Federal Communications Commission meeting agenda for November includes consideration of a proposal to do just that. As we reported earlier, antenna maker Dielectric has urged the FCC to take this action.

[Read: Dielectric Expects FCC to OK FM Pattern Modeling]

Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel describes the idea as regulatory relief for FM broadcasters.

“When seeking a license, FM radio stations using directional antennas are required to provide physical measurements to verify their directional pattern,” she wrote in a summary of the Nov. 18 meeting agenda.

“To do this, stations must either build a full-size mockup of the antenna or build a scale model. We will consider a proposal that would allow broadcasters to verify patterns using computer modeling rather than real-world testing. This will decrease regulatory costs and achieve regulatory parity between FM and other broadcasters.”

The Media Bureau has also opened MB Docket 21-422, “Updating FM Broadcast Radio Service—Directional Antenna Performance Verification.”

Read the Dielectric filing (PDF).

Dielectric has said that this would be the first directional FM pattern verification rule change in 58 years. Its petition was written with consultant Merrill Weiss. The company notes that TV stations have been able to do this for the past four years.

Dielectric VP of Engineering John Schadler says simulated antenna modeling will be more accurate, save time, reduce the impact of human error and facilitate the accuracy of designs.

The post Dielectric’s Proposal Is on FCC Agenda appeared first on Radio World.

The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council recently sent wrote to the acting chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission with “seven compelling initiatives” that it said the FCC could take to advance diversity and inclusion in mass media.

It noted that the FCC was the first federal agency to require its licensees to practice employment nondiscrimination, but continued: “At no time since 1968 has it been more important that the FCC immediately affirm that it cares about issues of racial justice … The FCC’s long and malodorous history of minority exclusion should both haunt and motivate all of us. … It is not uncommon for the agency to take 10 or 20 years, or more, to act on a proposal to advance opportunities for multicultural communities and consumers.”

This text is excerpted.

1. Access to more competitive technical facilities. Broadcasting has been the heritage technology for minority media entrepreneurs, and minority broadcasters have been the voices and conscience of their communities. Yet minority broadcasters generally must compete while using inferior technical facilities, such as AM daytimers, lower-powered outlets and stations unable to cover the full market due to the transmitter’s location in a distant suburb or exurb.

Within the administration’s first year, the commission should act on a host of pending proposals that would advance minority broadcast ownership, including granting an FM booster rule change that would authorize FM radio geo-targeting; creating a new station class (“C4”) that would double the power of hundreds of small FM stations; and repealing the “Rural Radio Policy” that needlessly deprives small broadcasters of the opportunity to improve their signal coverage.

1. Correct the Deficiency in the Radio Incubator Program. In June 2021, the commission established the Radio Incubator program. However, the program has one deficiency: Incubation of a station in a geographically vast but sparsely populated market with 45 stations would entitle the incubating company to a local ownership cap or subcap waiver in very large markets.

The commission should [allow] … incubation waivers only in similar-sized markets.

1. Ubiquitous Equal Procurement Opportunity. In 1992, Congress directed the FCC to create the Cable Procurement Rule to ensure that businesses owned by women and minorities would have a fair chance at winning major contracts. The regulation yielded solid results and drew no opposition. …

The commission should issue an NPRM in a fast-track new general docket, encompassing the industries regulated by the Wireline, Wireless and Media bureaus, and propose equal procurement opportunity across all FCC-regulated industries that is modeled after the Cable Procurement Rule.

1. Tax Certificate and Tax Credit. There is widespread recognition that the 1978–1995 Tax Certificate Policy was by far the most effective vehicle for advancing minority broadcast ownership. In its 17 years of operation, the policy quintupled minority broadcast ownership. Another desirable tax initiative, tailored for small businesses, would provide that a company donating a station to a training institution (e.g., an HBCU or HSI) would receive a tax credit equal to the station’s value.

The commission should request that Congress restore and improve the Tax Certificate Policy and create a tax credit for donating a station to a training institution.

1. Include Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Impact Statements in all rulemakings of general applicability. …

What gets measured gets done. The commission should seek comment looking toward adoption of a universal policy where every rulemaking of general applicability will contain a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Impact Statement.

1. Ubiquitous Equal Employment Opportunity. In the first decade of FCC EEO jurisprudence, and under the leadership of Chairman Richard E. Wiley and Commissioner Benjamin L. Hooks, 14 cases were designated for Section 309(e) evidentiary hearings over evidence of employment discrimination. Yet despite the continuing prevalence of low minority representation in influential broadcasting jobs, the commission has not brought a single discrimination prosecution since 1994.

The commission should conclude its 23-year-old broadcast EEO proceeding and start to prosecute licensees that recruit new employees primarily by word of mouth to the friends and family members of their homogeneous staffs … Further, the commission should consider several additional broadcast EEO regulatory reforms that are fully pled and endorsed by 44 national organizations, and ready for adoption. …

1. Universal Access to Multilingual Emergency Information. Since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, MMTC and the League of United Latin American Citizens … have repeatedly asked the commission to ensure that basic, lifesaving information in widely spoken languages such as Spanish will be available in the wake of a Category 4 or 5 hurricane that could take down the electric and wireless grids. … It is simply unconscionable that a person’s lack of English fluency can become a matter of life or death in an emergency situation. …

Read the full letter in PDF form at https://tinyurl.com/rw-mmtc-now.

The post Seven Initiatives for Racial Justice in Media appeared first on Radio World.

What will radio infrastructure and workflows will look like when the pandemic is done?

It’s safe to assume that the landscape of radio will never be quite the same than it was before the pandemic. Remote and hybrid approaches will be much more common.

But what does that mean for radio workflow and infrastructure?

We asked a range of engineers to talk about which changes are permanent; how their own organizations have been affected; whether they have projects planned where the pandemic has caused them to change course; whether they are applying cloud solutions or other types of virtualization; and what constitutes a typical “hybrid” radio operation now.

Find out what technical leaders at Audacy, Salem Media Group, Alpha Media, VPM, Cogeco Media, Educational Media Foundation, Second Opinion Communications, Burk, Shively and MaxxKonnect Group told us.

Read it here.

The post After the Masks Come Off appeared first on Radio World.

There is power in impressions, particularly for the radio industry, according to a new Nielsen study.

The study, commissioned by the Southern California Broadcasters Association, found that ad agencies are increasingly relying on impressions to evaluate media. According to the study, impressions provide a brand-safe environment for advertisers looking for premium impressions at the local level.

[Read: Local Radio Ad Revenue to “Rebound Somewhat”]

And the interest in impression-based buying is on the rise. The study found that the shift to buying on impressions is accelerating: more than 50% of agency professionals are buying media this way.

The study looked at the benefits of impression-based buying and found that this purchasing style offers more granular, detailed information to those who are trying to evaluate radio advertising and digital buys using a common metric. In addition, the study found that impression-led buying also adds value to more dayparts and offers easier comparison across different markets.

“The importance of combining radio and digital advertising effectively cannot be overstated, and impressions are clearly where the industry is headed,” said Miles Sexton, president of the Southern California Broadcasters Association. “As radio continues to evolve within the digital ecosystem, the building blocks of a successful cross-platform campaign will include impressions.”

According to the study, impressions allow radio to add scale in a cross-platform environment. Impression-based selection also can be used to recommended best practices for converting to cost per thousand impressions (CPM) for radio buyers and sellers. The study also found that buying on impressions not only works regardless of market size but gives buyers and sellers an easier means of comparing one market to another.

More information on the study can be found here.

The post Study Looks at the Power of Impressions for AM/FM Ad Buys appeared first on Radio World.

For the majority of our readers, winter is approaching.

I was privileged recently to deliver a Society of Broadcast Engineers webinar. I heard from a number of engineers afterwards who shared some great tips and comments.

One came from longtime Workbench contributor and New England contract engineer Stephanie Donnell.

She noted my suggestion about posting pictures from your transmitter site adventures in the staff break room. She usually shared them via an all staff mailing list; these days you could do so on Slack or the station’s private social media group.

[Read: Workbench: Readers React to Frank Hertel’s “Outtaphaser”]

It’s both amusing and sad that so many station colleagues don’t have any idea what transmitter sites look like, how we keep them running or what it might take just to get there at all.

(Do you have photos of your own transmitter sites that would serve as good examples of images suitable for educating your co-workers? Pix that show what it’s like at the site, and why it can be challenging or fun? Share them with us!)

Keeping an Eye on Things
As the cost of IP-based security cameras have dropped dramatically, Stephanie offered thoughts about the usefulness of these cameras at sites.

First, consider spending the money for cameras that have remote control of pan/tilt/zoom. These features provide a much wider range of viewing. If the model has a built-in a microphone, that’s even better.

One incredibly useful application is monitoring the weekly generator tests. In the office, Stephanie would bring up the camera on the PC and be able to not only see but also hear the generator as it did its initial cranking to start and while it ran.

You may want to rethink being alerted for motion detection, depending on the amount of wildlife around your site. Instead, Stephanie set the camera to store captured images. It has captured lots of deer, a bear and many hikers and hunters. The point is, you’ll have the images if a problem occurs but you’re not getting pinged every time an animal walks by.

On the subject of cameras, Stephanie encourages engineers to purchase a dashboard camera for the company vehicle. This can be a great personal protection tool as you drive to remote sites.

Winter Tips
My SBE presentations have included preparing an RF site for winter as well as how to keep a generator in good health. These topics overlap.

Besides conducting annual preventive generator maintenance before the cold arrives, Stephanie added a simple but important tip: Be sure to top off your fuel.

Depending on where you are located, getting refills after a certain point in the fall may not be an option; and in certain parts of the country, spring fuel delivery may not be possible until the mud dries up.

You’ll also want to keep a quart or more of extra oil around, in case that needs to be topped off following an extended power outage.

I’ve mentioned using Bonide’s “Mouse Magic” packages, which emit a peppermint odor that mice detest; mothballs are also an inexpensive way to keep mice away from generators and transmitter buildings.

If you use a C-Band dish as an STL, be sure to check the dish heater. Use an AC current clamp to make sure all legs of the heater are drawing adequate current.

One of the strangest things that Stephanie saw to cause a heater to fail wasn’t a mouse, it was tiny black ants. They like to keep warm and dry, just like mice and bees.

Inside the heater control box she found an ant colony. Some of the ants had been crushed on the contacts of the heavy duty relay that supplied power to the heaters. Enough dead ants had built up on the relay contacts so that it wouldn’t fully engage to power the heater.

In another instance, a heater controller showed a GFI fault, most likely from a nearby lightning strike during the summer. Stephanie reset the fault and the heater functioned as needed. But if it had not been checked, it would not have activated when it started to snow.

Also routinely check the dish for signs of cracks, both on the front and rear.

Stephanie once found what appeared to be a .22 bullet hole in a dish. Fall is hunting season, so wear orange when you’re at a site. LL Bean sells a warm orange fleece vest.

It can also come in handy if you break down on the side of the road. But you can avoid those breakdowns by ensuring your vehicle has been serviced before winter arrives.

To find webinars from the Society of Broadcast Engineers visit http://sbe.org/education/webinars-by-sbe. Also check out info about its valuable Technical Professional Training Program at http://sbe.org/tpt.

John Bisset, CPBE, has more than five decades in broadcasting and is in his 31st year of Workbench. He handles western U.S. radio sales for the Telos Alliance and is a past recipient of the SBE’s Educator of the Year Award.

Helping others makes you feel good, so why not send your tips to johnpbisset@gmail.com.

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NATE, the tower association, has passed along a warning from 3M, a major manufacturer of safety equipment for the tower industry.

Select runs of the company’s DBI-SALA Nano-Lok self-retracting lifeline with anchor hook are under suspicion. First clue, they were manufactured between Sept. 1, 2020 and Aug. 31, 2021, part/model numbers: 3101218, 3101219, 3101241, 3101198, 3101223, 3101224 and 3101249.

The concern is an improperly formed rivet for the top swivel eye that could work loose and fail. 3M has provided instructions on how to inspect the device. If the rivet is formed correctly and secure the unit is safe and can be used.

Check out the warning issued for specific details and what actions need to be taken.

No accidents have yet been reported.

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GatesAir announced that 10-band audio processing software from ATC Labs is now part of its Intraplex IP Link 100c hardware codec and Intraplex Ascent cloud transport platform.

“The embedded software innovation … can save Intraplex IP Link customers thousands of dollars in auxiliary equipment,” the manufacturer said.

“Broadcasters who activate this accurate high-resolution audio processing functionality within either product will eliminate the costs and rack space of an external audio processor, while achieving exceptionally bright and open sound.”

[Read: GatesAir Adds Native Livewire Support to Intraplex Ascent]

The announcement was made by Deepen Sinha, CEO of ATC Labs, and Keyur Parikh, vice president of engineering, GatesAir, which will demonstrate the integrated solutions at IBC2021.

Sinha was quoted in the announcement: “Higher-resolution audio processing brings far better control to broadcasters as the technology affects only the specific and targeted audio characteristics. In Perceptual SoundMax, high-resolution audio processing technology is combined with psychoacoustic principles and wide-band perceptual models, which ensures the greatest possible accuracy in tuning the sound quality for each application.”

He said this improves audio quality with consistent loudness and minimizes listener fatigue.

“This processing also inherently reduces the perception of artifacts introduced due to digital compression codecs, which are integral to audio transport solutions.”

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