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Bohn Broadcast Services made several business announcements, most notably a name change.

The technical services company founded by Josh Bohn has rebranded as The MaxxKonnect Group (TMG).

“TMG will continue to focus on providing MaxxKonnect Wireless connectivity solutions, as well as expanding broadcast technical integration services across the U.S.,” it stated in an announcement.

MaxxKonnect is also the name of its high-speed internet service designed for transmitter sites and remote broadcasts.

“TMG will also expand our equipment sales and turnkey service offerings.”

Joe Myers joined the company as sales manager. He has worked in broadcast sales at Broadcast Electronics, Northeast Broadcast, ENCO and DJB.

Also, the company hired Emily Hager as office manager. Her background is in education and retail; she will handle inventory and logistics operations, sales support and customer interaction.

And support engineer Micah Dempsey was promoted to operations manager of TMG; Josh Bohn called him “my right hand on daily operations.”

The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Pelham, Ala. It provides technical and turnkey services, connectivity solutions and broadcast equipment sales. Its repair arm is based in Dallas.

The post Bohn Broadcast Is Now The MaxxKonnect Group appeared first on Radio World.

Spencer Bynes will take the reins for iHeartMedia’s Texas operations.

He was named area president to oversee the Beaumont, Bryan, Corpus Christi, McAllen and Waco markets, which include 29 radio stations. Bynes reports to Division President Nick Gnau.

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

This is his second stint with IHM; he was director of talent management and talent acquisition for five years before starting a consulting business.

Gnau complimented Bynes’ “contagious” energy “and his ability to develop teams and talent.”

Bynes was VP of business development for Lee Hecht Harrison’s southern region; prior he was managing partner and co-founder of Accendo International Consulting.

“He has more than 25 years of demonstrated business acumen and proven strategic and tactical success in a diverse group of industries,” the company said in the announcement.

Send news of radio engineering and executive management positions to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Bynes Will Lead iHeart’s Texas Stations appeared first on Radio World.

One hundred and fifty-eight initial applications to participate in Auction 109 have been received by the Federal Communications Commission.

That auction of 136 FM and four AM construction permits is scheduled for July 27.

The FCC says 107 of the applications arrived complete, 50 more require additional information, and one was rejected.

Applicants whose information was incomplete or deficient (here’s the list) will get a letter instructing them to resubmit by June 16.

Applicants accepted for filing must make an upfront payment by the same date; if the applicant later becomes a winning bidder, it will have to fill out a longer-form application showing its qualifications to hold a CP or license and its eligibility for any bidding credit.

Many applications named only one permit, but some are pursuing numerous permits. Those include 3D Built, ColdTrain Media, Estrella Broadcasting, Mainstreet Broadcasting Co., Mekeddesh Group, Michael Radio Co. and Tracy K. Wood (here’s the list of completed initial applications).

One application, from 2820 Communications, was rejected because the FCC isn’t accepting any in this auction for a noncom educational station that is mutually exclusive with any application for a commercial station.

If multiple short-form applications pursue the same permit, the CP will be decided by competitive bidding.

The FCC expects to release the final list of applicants that are qualified to bid in early July, along with schedules for a mock auction and the first day of actual bidding.

Details are on the FCC’s info page for Auction 109.

The post FCC Receives 158 Applications for CP Auction appeared first on Radio World.

Its stock price hasn’t been this high since March 2015. With a 1-year price target of $18.67 in place, Townsquare Media has successfully weathered the COVID-19 pandemic storm by already offering comps to 2019.

This led the Wall Street whizzes at Zacks Equity Research to conduct an assessment on Townsquare’s stock. They conclude that TSQ, while enjoying swift share growth, is a good investment to consider today.

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Lotus Communications, which is agreeing to purchase Sinclair Broadcast Group‘s lone radio properties, has decided to part ways with a TV property of its own as it doubles-down on serving the Western U.S. as an audio-centric company.

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TORONTO — One of Canada’s biggest media companies, which includes 39 radio stations and 15 broadcast television stations among its holdings, has completed an agreement to amend and restate its existing syndicated senior secured credit facilities with its bank group, led by RBC Capital Markets and TD Securities.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The afternoon news program of NPR is the latest inductee into the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

The honor will be bestowed upon All Things Considered at the 2021 NAB Show. Executive producer Cara Tallo and host Ailsa Chang will accept the award at the NAB Show Welcome event on Monday, October 11, at 9am Pacific in Las Vegas.

ATC made its debut broadcast oon May 3, 1971, airing on 90 public radio stations. Today, it airs for two hours each weekday and for an hour each Sunday.

In addition to Chang, ATC hosts include Audie Cornish, Mary Louise Kelly and Ari Shapiro. On weekends, the program is hosted by Michel Martin.

“For a half a century, ‘All Things Considered’ has engaged, educated and entertained countless listeners about the news and culture affecting our lives, while serving as a showcase for the importance of public radio,” NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith said. “It is a fitting tribute that we induct this landmark program of radio history into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame as it celebrates its 50th year on the air.”

The NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame recognizes radio and television personalities or programs that have earned a place in broadcasting history. Explore the complete list of past inductees here.

“All Things Considered” will be inducted into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

The announcement was made by National Association of Broadcasters President/CEO Gordon Smith.

The iconic public radio program will be honored at the NAB Show in Las Vegas in October. Executive Producer Cara Tallo and host Ailsa Chang will accept the award.

“ATC made its debut broadcast 50 years ago on May 3, 1971, airing on 90 public radio stations,” NAB stated in the announcement. “Now broadcasting live every weekday for two hours and for one hour every Saturday and Sunday, ATC is the most listened-to, afternoon drive-time news radio program in the country.”

“Hosted by Chang, Audie Cornish, Mary Louise Kelly and Ari Shapiro and on weekends by Michel Martin, ATC airs coverage of the most important news of the day, reports from NPR correspondents in the U.S. and around the world, thoughtful commentaries, interviews with newsmakers and features on arts, music and entertainment.”

NAB noted that ATC has been honored with the George Foster Peabody Award, the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award and the Overseas Press Club Award.

Recent radio inductees include Cathy Hughes, Elvis Duran, Delilah and Mike & Mike.

[Read our profile of John Records Landecker, the 2020 radio recipient.]

Iconic radio people inducted earlier include the likes of Walter Winchell, Wolfman Jack, Ronald Reagan and Kate Smith. The Hall of Fame began in 1977.

The post NAB Will Honor “All Things Considered” appeared first on Radio World.

Alfred “Pat” Robertson III is the licensee of a Class A FM radio station licensed to Elaine, Ark.

He’s agreed to transfer control of this station, and it will soon be under the ownership of a Michigan-based operator of Contemporary Christian Music stations.

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From 2011-2016, he served as the Director of Talent Management and Talent Acquisition for iHeartMedia markets in the Lone Star State.

Now, after operating his own consulting business and working at a talent development and transition company, he’s back in a top leadership role putting him in charge of five iHeartMedia markets in Texas.

Spencer Bynes has been named Area President for the Texas area.

This will see Byrnes oversee the Beaumont, McAllen-Brownsville-Weslaco, Waco, Corpus Christi and Bryan-College Station markets for the nation’s largest licensee of radio stations.

Bynes reports to Nick Gnau, Division President for iHeartMedia.

“Spencer has been a proven leader throughout his career, his energy is contagious and his ability to develop teams and talent are unmatched,” Gnau said. “I am extremely excited for Spencer to lead these markets and expand our community efforts as well as our revenue and rating footprint in the great state of Texas.”

Bynes has most recently served as VP of Business Development in the Southern Region for Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH). Prior to joining LHH, he was Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Accendo International Consulting.

“I am excited about my return to iHeartMedia,” Bynes said. “The growth and transformation of this organization have been phenomenal. I am looking forward to working with my team to build sustainable, long-term growth for our clients and shareholders.”

For radio industry veterans, the name Clear Channel conjures up images of AMs and FMs, and perhaps of Lowry Mays and Red McCombs. Today, that legacy lives on in Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc., a global out-of-home advertising giant.

Within that company is Clear Channel Airports. That entity has just partnered with a provider of music, TV, and digital signage services for businesses across North America in filling the void left by the closure of the CNN Airport TV Network.

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It’s unfathomable in the radio broadcasting space, given the dearth of deals and low valuations assigned to some of the more recent transactions involving AMs and FMs.

Meredith Corporation received an unsolicited proposal to acquire its Local Media Group, following the May 3 announcement that it had agreed to sell its broadcast TV assets to Gray Television for $2.7 billion in total enterprise value.

What did Gray do? It responded with an increased offer for Meredith Local Media.

Meredith Corporation said yes to the amended transaction.

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He was honored by the readers of the Radio + Television Business Report as one of Broadcast Television’s Best Leaders. As he looks back on the last year, what’s the biggest sense of pride Mike Meara, President of NPG Broadcasting, has across the company’s TV stations?

Meara joins RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson in this new InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, to discuss the continued rollout of NextGen TV and the big advantages that come with ATSC 3.0.

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: Mike Meara” on Spreaker.

Jeff Keith is senior audio processing product development engineer for Wheatstone Corp. This is one in a series of interviews from the ebook “Trends in Audio Processing for Radio.”

Radio World: Jeff, what would you say the most important development in processors?

Jeff Keith: The radio broadcast medium is in the process of reinventing itself. While over-the-air radio is still important, especially with the ability of HD to simultaneously carry multiple program types, technology now makes the delivery of other information not just a fad but the soon-to-be norm.

I can see a time where those huge broadcast towers we’ve seen for many decades are all but gone, and replaced by high-speed internet or cellular technology — technology that will allow listeners to carry their favorite programs and stations not just out of the local market, but to anywhere in the world.

RW: What should readers know about the differences in processing needs for various platforms?

Keith: Each transmission medium requires different audio processing treatment in order to deliver the best quality audio to the listener.

I’ve seen many stations that are still using retired on-air processing for their internet stream, or worse yet, feeding the internet stream encoder from the output of a radio or modulation monitor. I can’t think of a better way to make a nasty sounding internet stream!

Purpose-built streaming processing will always sonically outperform any other form of processing not specifically designed for streaming codecs.

RW: How will the concepts of the cloud, virtualization and software as a service affect the processing marketplace? 

Keith: There is no question that it is possible to run anything software-based, including audio processing, on cloud servers. It’ll be awhile before we see the end of this movie, though — how broadcasters will handle redundancy, encryption and failover to an alternate when the main goes offline.

Software as a service will be the norm, and I can see a time when radio stations will no longer “own” their audio processing, at least in the form of today’s hardware box. Audio processing will be a chunk of software running on a cloud server somewhere and licensed by instance, probably annually, on a recurring schedule.

The whole game will be different.

RW: With audio originating from so many locations, what role do loudness and loudness range play?

Keith: It is my personal wish that the United States would adopt some form of over-the-air loudness regulation.

Listen to stations in countries where they need to adhere to ITU BS.412, for instance. Those stations are much more pleasant to listen to because the processing hasn’t been tuned to the singular goal of “louder than everyone else on the planet.”

I think many stations have forgotten that it isn’t loudness, it’s program content. Every radio made in the last 100 years has had a volume control …

RW: What recently introduced new features or capabilities in processors are most notable?

Keith: Nielsen’s PPM audio software encoder embedded in processing is significant because it’s a step closer to cloud and virtualization, and we’ve been working with their development team to make that happen. Our X5 FM/HD processor now has the PPM encoder inside.

It’s worth noting that broadcasters are looking for much more quality out of their processors, and this is why we recently came out with our MP-532 multipurpose audio processor that can be used for FM, AM, FM HD, or AM HD. It’s a very practical processor that has all our latest distortion canceling algorithms and lookahead limiters and I don’t mind saying it sounds amazing. I didn’t mean for this to turn into a shameless plug, but you did ask!

RW: In 2014 we wrote that processors were so powerful that it was hard to imagine further dramatic improvements. How do you answer today?

Keith: We’ve made tremendous strides since 2014 (and in the past 20 or so years), and I think algorithms will continue to improve. Over time developers have learned more about what people prefer to hear and how subtle differences can make or break the perception of what is “good” processing.

We’ve also learned more about masking distortion from the ear and what we can get away with as far as different forms of distortion. Evolution will continue, processing will continue to get smarter, and the availability of wickedly powerful hardware will enable us to do things that were only imagined five years ago.

Oops, did I say hardware? Remember … what you have “running in the cloud” is actually running on somebody’s hardware.

RW: One expert says, “My perspective is that radio processing already attained a condition of ‘hypercompression’ years ago and there has been little further change in how loud one can make over-the-air audio.” Do you accept that, and how do we break out of that plateau in the loudness wars?

Keith: My goal, and I suspect that of most audio processor designers, has been to deliver to broadcasters a new processor that can be as loud on the air as their previous processor was, but be much cleaner while generating that same loudness.

Unfortunately, what most stations do is crank the new processor up until the distortion is back to about where it was before … and now they’re 2 dB louder than before.

Don’t be a wimpy station on the air but there’s no need to blast listeners out of their car, either.

RW: We understand AES loudness metrics are moving to a lower target level for content, streams, podcasts and on-demand file transfer, like metrics already established for online and over-the-top video. If radio stays with the current environment of modulation limiting, reception noise and lingering loudness wars, could radio see loss of audience due to listening fatigue?

Keith: Loudness wars only seem to serve the egos of the individual stations, and I’m not aware of any research showing that louder wins even when the program content is poor.

I do agree, however, that a loud signal helps overcome noise. And I’ll also agree that we should carefully manage the audio so that listeners aren’t lunging for the volume control every time a new song comes along.

Listeners should get a smooth and comfortable ride with our station’s audio; and the better and more pleasant that ride is — accompanied by something worth listening to, of course — the longer they are going to listen.

As professional people who have dedicated ourselves to this industry to perform our art, we intuitively know what can turn listeners off; and yet sometimes we still do it. Puzzling.

RW: We read about how processing can mitigate FM stereo multipath distortion and reduce clipping distortion in source content. How can equipment buyers evaluate such claims, and could there be some kind of third-party scientific testing?

Keith: The problem with evaluating anything that’s not actually running in the field is that it’s not actually running in the field, i.e., lab tests can only show what things do under lab conditions.

Stereo multipath mitigation is a good example, and one must understand that it is receiver behavior that needs to be modified.

The technique that Wheatstone uses is something that I designed back in the ’90s for solving a different problem; mono loudness when airing ping-pong stereo recordings (oldies). It cured that problem very nicely but it also had a greater-than-expected effect on multipath on most stereo radios. Customers have reported similar findings in the field and while it doesn’t help everyone, it appears to help most.

RW: What’s your take on the demo from Nautel and Telos to eliminate alignment issues by locking the FM and HD1 outputs from the processor through the HD air chain to the transmitter?

Keith: Great idea, and extremely similar in function to the SyncLink product Wheatstone demonstrated at NAB 2017. A guaranteed way to preserve FM/HD synchronization over an IP STL is to ensure that the two audio signals always look like one signal to the link. That way, even if packets are dropped the two signals can never get out of sync.

We also recognized that not every station can afford shiny new state-of-the-art transmitters so we designed SyncLink to be compatible with every single FM transmitter and exciter ever made.

The post Listeners Deserve a Smooth, Comfortable Ride appeared first on Radio World.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The nation’s chief lobbying voice Inside the Beltway for radio and television broadcasters has slammed the FCC for suggested regulatory fees for fiscal year 2021 it calls “unsustainable.”

Why? The Commission has decided to make broadcasters pay for a significant portion of the $33 million in additional funding that was appropriated by Congress to implement the Broadband DATA Act, the NAB assails.

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Jeff Winemiller‘s Lowcountry 34 Media has decided to part ways with a low-power TV quartet in the Keystone State.

He’s earning a handsome sum from the divestment.

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