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Estrella Radio License of Dallas LLC enters into consent decree to resolve political file investigation

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Estrella Radio License of Houston LLC enters into consent decree to resolve political file investigation

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As required by the National Defense Authorization Act, the FCC Submitted its Seventh Semi-Annual Report to Congress on Submissions by U.S.-Based Foreign Media Outlets

With its Q3 2021 earnings set for distribution early Tuesday morning, Audacy has moved forward with the selection of a new SVP of Digital Business Operations.

Taking the post is Palak Forbes. She reports to Audacy’s Chief Digital Officer, J.D. Crowley, and will with the leaders of Audacy’s podcast studios and sales teams.

“Forbes will provide commercial and operational leadership for the company’s podcast business, while working across Audacy’s entire digital portfolio and with key strategic partners to enable continued strong growth in Audacy’s digital and podcast businesses,” the company said.

Speaking of her appointment, Crowley remarked, “As we make consistent strides to evolve and enhance our digital and podcast businesses, Palak is a perfect choice to lead our day-to-day efforts to provide a world-class experience for our customers, creators and consumers. Her deep experience launching and scaling innovative new businesses, and expertise managing strategic relationships with companies across the media and technology sectors will enable us to continue delivering robust growth.”

Forbes most recently Head of Business Development & Operations at The New York Times, where she oversaw the development the company’s audio business and spearheaded their foray into virtual reality with the NYT VR app.

Previously, Forbes was The New York Times’ VP Corporate Strategy & Development leading new ventures, off-platform relationships, and M&A; and programming the Board of Directors’ special committee on Technology & Innovation.

Prior to that, Forbes was Vice President of Strategy at Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational media company, where she advanced the company’s EdTech initiatives and led international expansion in India. She has also held digital advertising strategy and subscriber marketing roles at Viacom and HBO, respectively.

Should the FCC be required under Federal law to ‘modernize” reporting requirements related to political advertising aired by broadcasters by making reports machine-readable?

That’s the goal of the newly introduced Fair and Clear Campaign (FCC) Transparency Act.

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The company formerly known as Entercom on Tuesday morning will host a conference call to review its third quarter 2021 results.

What can investors and analysts expect to see from Audacy Inc.? Seeking Alpha offers its take on what could come from the audio content creator and distributor that in addition to radio stations owns big podcast producers Cadence13 and Pineapple Street.

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A 3-1/8-inch tunable stub, mounted at the transmitter output (and identifiable by the long slot at center top), diligently guards against damaging voltage spikes.

In addition to pumpkin pie, Halloween and Thanksgiving, this is the time of year to focus on budgets. Even if your station is one of the few that doesn’t use a budget process, it makes good sense to prepare a list of physical upgrades that may be needed in 2022.

As you review the equipment that may need to be upgraded, also consider acquisitions that can reduce your risk. A surge protector or UPS, for example, can save not only money but headaches, and you can’t beat the cost/benefit ratio.

[Read: Workbench: Time to Plan for Old Man Winter]

Another piece of protection equipment you may want to consider is a shorted quarter-wave stub. One can be placed on the output of an FM exciter, ahead of a tube transmitter, so that any tube arcing is shorted to ground and will not be fed into the exciter.

Our Radio World colleague Mark Persons has an interesting article on his website www.mwpersons.com describing its use. Select “Tech Tips” and look for “Stub Protector for FM Exciters and Transmitters” under the FM Tips column.

This concept can be used in higher-power applications, though you may not want to cut rigid line yourself.

Enter Fred Francis, an RF consultant, who manufactures tunable shorted stubs in both 1-5/8-inch and 3-1/8-inch rigid line under the company name Xenirad.

The quarter-wave shorted stub connects between your transmitter and your antenna system to short the center conductor to ground. This provides lightning protection for your transmitter. Should lightning strike your tower, the high-voltage pulse travels down your transmission line and meets the stub, where it is shorted to ground.

The stub is virtually invisible to your transmitter and offers 0 dB of insertion loss and an input VSWR better than 1.01. Return loss values are typically greater than –50 dB. Both fixed and frequency-agile models are available.

A real benefit is that the stub is maintenance-free, even after a discharge. There are no parts to replace.

The shorted stub acts as a broadband filter, and in sites where FM is collocated with AM, the latter signal is reduced by more than 30 dB.

An installed tunable stub is shown in the first image. It can be identified by the long slot, which provides fine-tuning across the FM band.

Models of the Curly-Q stub can be used on exciters and RPUs.

In addition to providing a DC short and broadband filtering, the stub recently was used at Black Diamond Broadcasting in Michigan by Del Reynolds, director of engineering, and his assistant Brian Brachel.

Brian was referred to Xenirad by Nautel’s Jeff Welton after Brian discovered a spur on their Continental 816R-4 transmitter. The spur was located on the GPS channel at 1.575 GHz. Installation of the shorted stub knocked out the spur. This particular stub was customized using two tunable stubs, one quarter-wave shorted and one quarter-wave open to remove the specific harmonic.

A miniature version of the rigid stub protects the STL.

Shorted stubs also can be used on STL RF links and RPUs. The Curly-Q stub in the second image lists for $250 and is available from Broadcasters General Store. A rigid version for your STL is shown in the third photo. All protect the equipment to which they are connected.

An Update He Didn’t Want
I wonder how many other readers have experienced this: Dan Slentz writes that Windows 10 shoved another unrequested update down the “throat” of WDNP(LP)’s on-air computer the other night. Unfortunately, he says, the Win10 non-pro version doesn’t give you good options to block updates.

Previously a Win10 update had forced the audio card and computer audio to 48 kHz instead of the standard 44.1 kHz. This is a major problem for some software that wasn’t designed or have settings to change to 48 kHz.

After fighting with his Simian automation and ASI soundcard for weeks, Dan did find where and how to force the system back to 44.1 kHz.

[Check Out More of Workbench Here]

But the most recent Microsoft update did something new. When it forced the update, it apparently decided that it didn’t like the licensing dongle or the approval of the software, so it “unlicensed” the station automation — which went into demo mode, timing out every hour. This update took the station off the air for two hours!

The experience takes Dan back to why and how Microsoft can (or should) be allowed to do this. What if we’re talking health care equipment instead of radio or TV, he asks. They should not have the right to force any updates without our choice to accept them.

Dan wonders if they realize they had interfered with a federally licensed broadcast facility by knocking it off the air.

John Bisset, CPBE, is in his 31st year of the Workbench column. 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.

Send your tips to johnpbisset@gmail.com.

 

The post Workbench: The Beauty of a Shorted Quarter-Wave Stub appeared first on Radio World.

The NAB has filed reply comments to the FCC in connection to the assessment and collection of regulatory fees for FY 2021 by stating that the Commission “must recognize that it is patently unfair to require broadcasters to absorb significant fee increases year after year to not only pay for the costs of regulating broadcasters but also for Commission activities that are primarily for the benefit of other entities in the telecommunications ecosystem.”

Those “other entities,” as the NAB sees it, are the ones that directly benefit from the Commission’s broadband activities.

SAY GOODBYE TO GORDON SMITH NEXT WEEK AT FORECAST 2022. As Gordon Smith exits his role at year’s end as NAB CEO and Curtis LeGeyt prepares to take the helm, what is the state of the broadcast industry from the Beltway view? Steve Newberry, who worked closely with both executives during his own tenure at the NAB, sits down with Smith and LeGeyt in an exclusive Forecast 2022 session covering legal, regulatory, and legislative initiatives under the former Oregon senator’s leadership that have impacted the broadcast industry. It could be your only chance to see Gordon Smith before he retires. There’s still a seat with your name on it! Reserve your spot now by visiting RadioInkForecast.com.

 

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Salem Media Group, which beat the street with positive growth in the third quarter of 2021, has confirmed that it will be one of a list of presenters at the event formerly known as the MicroCap Conference.

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The broadcast media company that among its holdings includes Bally-branded regional sports networks has just purchased and assumed the rights and obligations under an accounts receivable securitization facility of Diamond Sports Finance SPV.

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Audacy named Palak Forbes as senior vice president of digital business operations, a newly created position. She most recently held a business development and operations role at the New York Times.

The announcement states that she will “provide commercial and operational leadership for the company’s podcast business, while working across Audacy’s entire digital portfolio and with key strategic partners to enable continued strong growth in Audacy’s digital and podcast businesses.”

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

She will report to Chief Digital Officer J.D. Crowley.

Forbes was the head of business development and operations at the Times, where she oversaw the development its audio business and spearheaded its move into virtual reality. “Forbes also led strategic and commercial partnership teams to broaden and deepen reader experiences from Apple News to the digitization of millions of historic photos with Google Cloud,” Audacy wrote. “With her leadership, the sales team drove multi-million dollar deals and beat goals.” Before that she was the Times’ VP corporate strategy & development.

She also is a former vice president of strategy at Sesame Workshop and has held digital advertising strategy and subscriber marketing roles at Viacom and HBO, respectively.

Send People News announcements to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post Audacy Picks Former NYT Exec for Digital Business Hire appeared first on Radio World.

Nine months ago, a Bahamian company directed by one of the U.K.’s wealthiest individuals and behind Great Britain’s Global radio empire revealed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it had acquired enough iHeartMedia shares to give it a 8.7% voting interest in America’s biggest audio content creation and distribution company.

Global Media & Entertainment Investments Ltd (GMEI) wanted a bigger non-controlling stake in iHeart — one that could expand to 49.99%, if it chose to. But, iHeart didn’t want this, sparking a transcontinental tiff between the two radio industry giants.

On November 3, GMEI, through its U.S. legal counsel, abruptly ceased its fight for a bigger iHeart stake.

In a short, one-page “Letter of Support” for a pending Petition for Declaratory Ruling of iHeartMedia in what is officially known at the Commission as Media Bureau Docket No. 21-141, Matthew DelNero, the Covington legal counsel for GMEI, updated the record — in his words — on GMEI’s position in the matter.

“Specifically, GMEI expresses its support for iHeart’s Petition, including the proposal that
approval be granted for GMEI and the GMEI Reporting Persons to increase their investment in iHeart up to any non-controlling amount not to exceed 14.99 percent,” DelNero wrote in the letter addressed to FCC Secretary Marlene Dortch.

With that statement, GMEI formally withdrew its request that the Commission grant advance approval of 49.99% non-controlling interest in iHeart, a request that came in response to iHeart’s petition.

In addition to the letter to Dortch, DelNero verbally told Audio Division Chief Al Shuldiner of Global’s change of heart.

What prompted Global to make the change? RBR+TVBR reached out to DelNero on Monday morning. He was not immediately available for a response.

On April 9, the FCC established a formal pleading cycle that sought public comment on iHeartMedia‘s request to win Commission approval for greater foreign ownership and non-U.S. investment. Covington attorney DelNero, on behalf of GMEI, chimed in by calling the iHeart Petition for Declaratory Ruling at the center of the pleading cycle as a “poison pill.”

In early June, a pull-and-tug scenario was unfolding as to who could chime in on what level of advance approval a foreign entity may be granted. In iHeart’s view, it was the sole determination of the FCC to make such a determination. GMEI disagreed, also disputing iHeart’s claim that it was the only party that holds standing on the matter.

This put the companies at odds over just how much ownership GMEI could have in iHeart under “pre-permission” of the FCC. For iHeart, a 14.99% limit was put in play. GMEI wanted that 49.99% advanced OK.

Back in June, GMEI assailed that iHeart’s chosen number of 14.99%—just like its earlier chosen number of 9.99%— was ”arbitrary and commercially motivated.”

It appears that viewpoint has shifted within GMEI.

GMEI has over the years bankrolled Global Radio, the entity that controls U.K. broadcast and DAB brands including LBC, Heart, Capital FM, LBC, Radio X and Classic FM. It is led by Michael Tabor, one of the wealthiest individuals in Britain. His son, Ashley Tabor-King, is the founder of Global.

Sixteen radio station licenses in California will expire on Dec. 1 if the Federal Communications Commission doesn’t hear from the owners by then.

They include five full-power stations, seven low-power FMs and four translators.

On Aug. 2, stations in the Golden State were required to file applications for license renewal for terms expiring Dec. 1.

“The following stations failed to file license renewal applications and their licenses will expire as of Dec. 1, 2021, provided no renewal application is received by midnight on the date of expiration,” the commission announced last week.

Call sign Community of License Facility ID Licensee K288AR BLYTHE, CA 51357 PALO VERDE VALLEY TV CLUB, INC. K292AH BLYTHE, CA 51369 PALO VERDE VALLEY TV CLUB, INC. KMOB-LP CLEARLAKE, CA 124107 MINDS OF BUSINESS INC. K204BW DEATH VALLEY, ETC., CA 16262 DEATH VALLEY NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION KNCR FORTUNA, CA 39472 DEL ROSARIO TALPA, INC. KZKC KETTLEMAN CITY, CA 94214 INTERMOUNTAIN PUBLIC RADIO, INC. KSXS-LP LOS ANGELES, CA 196949 THE LOS ANGELES SOCIAL JUSTICE RADIO PROJECT KSMC MORAGA, CA 3024 ASSOCIATED STUDENTS OF ST. MARYS COLLEGE KSFH MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 62118 MOUNTAIN VIEW PUBLIC BROADCASTING K284CL RED BLUFF, CA 156223 THOMAS HUTH REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST KSHC-LP ST. HELENA, CA 124879 ST. HELENA GOOD NEWS BROADCASTING KBDG TURLOCK, CA 3051 ASSYRIAN AMERICAN CIVIC CLUB OF TURLOCK, INC. (NEW BOARD) KMEC-LP UKIAH, CA 124562 MENDOCINO ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER KPUV-LP VENTURA, CA 196611 PROJECT UNDERSTANDING KQWA-LP WALNUT CREEK, CA 196494 EAST BAY ORIENTAL RADIO, INC. KQPV-LP WEST COVINA, CA 197096 ORIENTAL CULTURE CENTER

 

The post These Calif. Stations Are at Risk of Losing Their Licenses appeared first on Radio World.

Historically, The Home Depot has been one of the most prolific users of audio advertising to connect with consumers. Of late, however, its biggest competitor had been the bigger user of spot radio, according to Media Monitors data.

That could soon change.

The Home Depot returns to the Spot Ten Radio report for the week ending November 7, thanks to some 35,115 spot plays as part of a new campaign.

Still, that’s just shy of the spot plays associated with Lowe’s, which dips from last week by total rank; RBR+TVBR does not use the rankings as they include iHeartRadio internal and promotional spots, which iHeartMedia-owned Media Monitors values in the same fashion as fully paid external commercial messages.

Overall, Indeed remains No. 1 (that’s a ranking that is undisputed).

Among auto insurance specialists, State Farm is the clear winner.

 

Yes, Veterans Day is Thursday. Yet, it already looks and sounds a lot like Christmas. With Hanukkah arriving on November 28, retailers are already in high gear on gift-giving ideas.

For two brick-and-mortar department store brands, the ad activity surged in a significant way.

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Will the FCC and/or Capitol Hill change the media?

What’s to come at the Federal Communications Commission under the formal leadership of Jessica Rosenworcel will undoubtedly impact both radio and television broadcasting companies.

Remember: Rosenworcel voted against the media ownership rule rewrite that the Supreme Court unanimously ruled was lawful, putting the wheels in motion on cross-ownership rule “modernization” formulated under the Pai Commission.

Will that be the end of any meaningful regulatory reform for broadcast media. If Gigi Sohn were to become a Commissioner — a big if, as of today — could more regulations for broadcasters come to fruition?

That’s just one of many things Inside the Beltway that could impact your bottom line in 2022 and beyond. From Capitol Hill to the Commission’s new offices near Union Station, Washington is abuzz with broadcast media bills and proposals.

Who better than Frank Montero, co-managing partner at Fletcher Heald and Hildreth, to lead a Forecast 2022 discussion on the myriad regulatory challenges and opportunities ahead for broadcasters.

Montero has assembled a group of seasoned broadcast professionals who understand the implications, challenges, and opportunities of these issues and how they might play out in the year ahead.

Appearing at this Forecast 2022 exclusive session are Dr. Mark Fratrik, SVP/Chief Economist at BIA Advisory Services; Bob Mc Allan, CEO of Press Communication LLC and PMCM TV LLC; Justin Nielson, Senior Research Analyst/Broadcast Media at S&P’s Kagan; and Colorado Broadcasters Association President/CEO Justin Sasso.

Understanding what happens Inside the Beltway and how it affects you, your stations, and your future business prospects is essential.

Make sure you are in the room for this blockbuster session at Forecast 2022. Register today!