The Federal Communications Commission may be getting closer to opening an application window for new low-power FM stations.
Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel previewed the commission’s June meeting and said certain LPFM matters will be on the agenda.
“Last year, the commission modified the low-power FM engineering rules to improve LPFM reception and options for station relocation while maintaining core LPFM goals of simplicity, diversity and localism,” she wrote.
“This June, we will address two petitions seeking reconsideration of those rule changes, which will provide clarity and finality to these rules, bringing us one step closer to opening an application window for new LPFM stations.”
Rosenworcel also said the agenda will include a vote on several rule changes we’ve been telling you about in recent months.
These would expand FEMA’s ability to send Wireless Emergency Alerts during national emergencies, improve emergency communications organization at the state level, and enable new reporting for false alerts.
And she said the FCC will vote on rules to expand opportunities to “import, market and conditionally sell radiofrequency equipment, including mobile devices, prior to the equipment completing the equipment authorization process.”
She said this change would allow manufacturers to assess consumer interest for products and take advantage of new mechanisms for marketing devices like crowdfunding, “while still ensuring that the important goals of the equipment authorization system and security are not undermined.”
The post FCC June Agenda Includes LPFM, Alerting appeared first on Radio World.
Fred Jacobs says radio managers need to pay attention to TikTok Radio.
The longtime consultant and president of Jacobs Media Strategies dedicated a blog post to the topic Wednesday.
He writes that TikTok Radio “has the ability to impact every music radio station in the country – whether you play Country, Top 40, Classic Rock, or Hip-Hop.”
The music channel is a collaboration of TikTok, SiriusXM and Pandora that will launch this summer. It was announced Monday.
The companies say “the channel will feel like a radio version of the platform’s ‘For You’ page” and feature “a diverse group of TikTok creators showcasing trending music and stories behind the songs throughout each day, as well as a weekly music countdown dedicated to TikTok’s top trending tracks.”
Jacobs writes that when SiriusXM debuts a feature or product, “it should be on our radar screens. But sadly, most radio execs give SXM precious little thought.”
He thinks the launch is important because of its music discovery aspects, its emphasis on teen consumers and the fact that once again, SiriusXM is embracing the word “radio” even as so many broadcast companies seem to be running away from it.
The post TikTok Radio Draws Some Attention appeared first on Radio World.
The audio media company led by President/CEO Mary Berner on Wednesday (5/26) initiated actions designed to pay down $175 million of debt.
And, it is doing so by using cash on hand.
First, on May 17, Cumulus completed a $60 million repayment of its ABL Revolver due 2025, which represented the entirety of the amount outstanding under the facility.
Following the paydown, the ABL Revolver due 2025 is undrawn and available as liquidity for general corporate purposes.
Importantly, Cumulus was required by the terms of its debt agreements to make mandatory debt prepayments from the proceeds of its 2020 land sale in Bethesda, Md., once home to the broadcast towers of the old WMAL-AM 630, now an ESPN Radio affiliate under different call letters.
Then, on Tuesday (5/25), Cumulus moved forward with paying down approximately $89 million of its Term Loan Credit Facility due 2026 related to what Cumulus is calling a mandatory prepayment obligation.
Approximately $65 million of the prepayment is related to the Land Sale, and approximately $23 million of the prepayment is related to the Tower Sale.
Additionally, pursuant to the terms of its 6.75% Senior Secured First Lien Notes due 2026, Cumulus launched a tender offer for the Notes at par for approximately $26 million, which represents the pro rata amount required to be offered from the proceeds of the tower sale.
Following the expiration of the tender offer, any amounts that remain untendered will be directed toward an additional prepayment of the Term Loan.
In a statement, Berner noted that the continuing improvement in economic and public health conditions has created a backdrop where Cumulus can accelerate debt repayments, which will more rapidly de-lever the balance sheet and reduce interest expense, further increasing Cumulus’ cash flow.
She added that since Cumulus’ 2018 emergence from voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, the company has reduced its net debt by nearly $600 million.
“Looking ahead, our better leverage profile and more than $200 million of available liquidity will provide us meaningful financial flexibility as we continue along our strong rebound trajectory,” Berner said.
The author is project director of RadioDNS.
Radio World recently (24th May 2021) published a commentary titled “Is the Car Dashboard Radio’s Next Battlefield?” by Ruxandra Obreja, chair of Digital Radio Mondiale.
I was really pleased to read her comments on how hybrid radio can improve the experience of listening to broadcast radio. She mentioned some concerns, and I thought it would be useful to explain how we’ve addressed those.
RadioDNS is a standards organization, so we can’t force anyone to do anything. Stations can choose themselves the extent to which they publish metadata and content using our standards. We certainly don’t (and can’t) require stations to support switching to streaming, nor publishing their metadata completely openly.
Recent updates to our SPI standard include the capability for stations to “geo-fence” use of their streams, and for stations to provide their metadata only to trusted third parties.
RadioDNS fully and emphatically supports broadcast radio of all technologies. As well as working with FM, HD Radio and DAB+, our standards have worked with DRM since their inception. I’m pleased to say that there are broadcasters who are using our standards to enhance their DRM transmissions.
The best standards are constructed collaboratively. Many of the leading organizations who collaborated to create DRM are also collaborating at RadioDNS to design the best standards for hybrid radio.
Comment on this or any article. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.
The post Letter: RadioDNS Supports Collaboration appeared first on Radio World.
Radio and Television license applications are due Tuesday (6/1) for stations located in several states.
What are the other highly important deadlines you should take note of between now and the end of August? Fletcher Heald & Hildreth put together a handy checklist that’s worth sharing with your leadership team.
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When it comes to broadcast media companies, political advertising revenue is a huge boost to the bottom line.
That said, the FCC has a bottom line when it comes to the purchase of radio broadcast time made by a legally qualified candidate for office, or by a Political Action Committee.
Section 315(e)(3) of the Commission’s Rules says that a radio station must maintain a file, publicly accessible upon request, and upload any and all information about these requests to view a political file, “as soon as possible.”
The Commission considers this act critical. But, a Colorado radio station owner didn’t abide by these rules. To settle the matter, a Consent Decree has been reached between the licensee and the FCC.
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A pair of low-powered digital television stations in the Sunshine State — one due east of Panama City and the other to the northwest of this one-time Spring Break capital — have each been warned by the FCC that they could face a financial penalty for failing to file their license renewal applications in a timely manner.
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Greg Alexander has been promoted to the position of market president of iHeartMedia Minneapolis.
The cluster includes KDWB(FM), KEEY(FM), KFXN(AM/FM), KTCZ(FM), KTLK(AM) and KQQL(FM).
Alexander succeeds Jeff Tyler, who now leads the Madison and Milwaukee markets for iHeartMedia.
[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]
He will report to Division President Scott Hopeck.
Though his degree was in broadcast journalism, his work experience is in sales. He started with Interep National Radio Sales, then took a leadership role with Spanish Broadcasting System in Miami/Fort Lauderdale. He became director of national sales and later general sales manager for iHeartMedia Miami.
Then he moved to Minneapolis in 2012 as SVP of sales for iHeartMedia in that market, and in 2016 his role expanded to oversee advertising for the Western Great Lakes Region .
Send items for People News, particularly engineering and executive management, to radioworld@futurenet.com.
The post Alexander Will Lead iHeartMedia Minneapolis appeared first on Radio World.
Nexstar Media Group has selected a woman who is now charged with leading the company’s efforts to expand diversity in hiring, promotion, and retention.
It’s an individual who presently serves as VP of Human Resources at the nation’s No. 1 owner of broadcast TV stations.
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There’s a new Market President for the iHeartMedia stations serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul market.
Taking the post is Greg Alexander, who is being promoted.
Alexander has served as SVP/Sales for the Western Great Lakes Region, after being appointed SVP/Sales for the iHeart Twin Cities stations in 2012. In his most recent role, he directed sales efforts at iHeartRadio stations in Minneapolis-St. Paul and Rochester, Minn.; and Milwaukee, Madison and Eau Claire, Wisc.
As Market President, Alexander will be responsible for overseeing programming, advertising and operations across iHeartMedia/Minneapolis stations. He reports to Scott Hopeck, Division President for iHeartMedia.
“Greg’s extensive experience qualified him for this role, but more importantly his team lifted him into it, which is a testament to his leadership,” Hopeck said. “I’m confident that Greg and his team will lead our Minneapolis operation to new heights.”
Alexander began his career with Interep National Radio Sales, and then moved into a leadership role in South Florida at Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS). He joined iHeart in its Miami-Fort Lauderdale station group, rising from Director of National Sales to GSM before relocating to Minneapolis.
“This is an incredible opportunity to work with some of the country’s best brands and the
industry’s brightest minds,” Alexander said. “I look forward to collaborating with the
programming, advertising, and operations teams while helping elevate the Minneapolis market.”
Gregory Mercier is director of product marketing and pre/post-sales support for WorldCast Systems and co-designer of its new sound processor line. Radio World spoke to him as part of our recent ebook about trends in audio processing.
Radio World: What’s notable in processing from your viewpoint right now?
Gregory Mercier: WorldCast Systems’ new five-band sound processor (Version 2) for FM broadcasting, with an integration into our Ecreso FM transmitter lines. It provides powerful processing algorithms, presets, adjustment capabilities, high loudness for those looking for it, and an unrivalled signal clarity.
RW: How do you view differences in processing needs for various OTA and non-broadcast platforms?
Mercier: The audio needs to be adapted to each broadcasting format and to the reception conditions. Each format has its own specificities.
Here are a few examples. Digital broadcasting usually implies lossy audio compression, which will unlikely sound good with heavy clipping. In FM however, there is a 15 kHz filtering and pre-emphasis and the loudness may change the reception quality.
Only with these basic examples can we clearly understand the need for specific final processing to ensure the station’s sonic signature through all the formats.
RW: What is the impact of the cloud, virtualization and SaaS?
Mercier: In the context of the pandemic crisis, we have observed with our customers the growing importance of reducing their operating costs, or more precisely, it has now become a priority.
Reducing op-ex is not a new topic at all for broadcasters; however, the market was traditionally conservative and tended to refrain from software innovations. With the crisis, we have seen a shift in customer mindset with, for example, an increasing demand for solutions based on software licenses.
Based on this new service model, our five-band sound processor is being met with a lot of success. Other WorldCast examples I could mention: SmartFM is a software license for FM transmitters to reduce energy consumption by up to 40%. APTmpX is a software license for APT codecs enabling high-quality MPX/composite transport over IP while saving bandwidth (under 900 kbps) and removing the need for on-site processors. KYBIO Media, offered as an SaaS license, is for centralized and scalable system remote monitoring and control.
RW: What recently introduced features or capabilities in processors are notable?
Mercier: A major innovation is the way we integrated the processing in the broadcasting chain. With the five-band sound processor, the algorithms run inside the transmitter’s FM direct-to-channel digital modulator. There is no additional board inside the device and no cabling, and the result is a huge simplification of the traditional chain. From audio input to RF output, our robust DSP/FPGA platform provides unprecedented control of the signal and its purity while reducing hardware, consumption and maintenance costs, which is more than ever the challenge for radios.
Recently, we also launched SmartFM, our “green” innovation capable of predicting the listeners’ perceived quality in the field and reducing transmitter energy consumption by up to 40%. Program content characteristics, including its processing, obviously plays a role in SmartFM. Our customers’ feedback is that they are improving their audio while considerably reducing operating costs.
The post WorldCast Products Reflect New Service Models appeared first on Radio World.
Salem Media Group Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Evan Masyr sat down with Noble Capital Markets Senior Research Analyst Michael Kupinski for an in-depth chat about the trajectory of the broadcast media company — and the discussion is now available for all to hear.
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Sinclair Broadcast Group has confirmed the planned retirement of Barry Faber, President of Distribution and Network Relations, effective June 25.
During his 25 years at Sinclair, Faber helped Sinclair grow into one of the largest and most diversified broadcasters in the country.
During his years as General Counsel, Mr. Faber guided the company through a multitude of acquisitions, including more than 150 broadcast stations and Tennis Channel. He has served as Sinclair’s President of Distribution and Network Relations since April 2019.
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The author is director of product management, Nielsen Audio.
In today’s modern landscape, there is no company or industry that has not considered moving some portion of its operation to the cloud.
The modern vernacular for data operations is cloud-based, and most things now operate from the cloud, including shopping, email, banking and many other conveniences in our modern lives.
The release of the Nielsen Audio Software Encoder will now bring your station’s PPM encoding to the cloud.
If you are well-versed with PPM encoding, you are likely familiar with the dedicated rack unit, industrial-grade hardware encoder that is offered today. You probably have a rack full of these in your facility, with each one playing a critical role in ensuring your station’s audience is properly counted.
The Nielsen Audio Software Encoder was born out of the simple idea to give you, the radio broadcasters, more options when it comes to your station’s PPM encoding and to be ready to meet you in the cloud when your station(s) are ready to make that transition.
Simple ideaThe concept behind the Nielsen Audio Software Encoder is simple.
We took the PPM encoding algorithm (Enhanced CBET) out of the hardware that it lives in today and made it available in the form of a software development kit (SDK). This SDK is then made available to industry participants enabling them to integrate PPM encoding into their products.
Once an integration is complete, Nielsen works with the manufacturer of that product to perform a rigorous certification process. This certification process ensures that the PPM encoding generated by the manufacturer’s product meets all of Nielsen’s encoding quality standards.
Today, the broadcast radio industry primarily utilizes an on-premise broadcast audio chain, and the initial Nielsen Audio Software Encoders have been largely with products created for that world. Additionally, Nielsen has been working with top audio processor manufacturers to integrate the Nielsen Audio Software Encoder into their products.
To date, we have certified integrations across a variety of Orban, Omnia and Wheatstone audio processors, with many more in the pipeline.
Three-phase rolloutIn the near term, the Nielsen Audio Software Encoder will enable you to perform your station’s PPM encoding in products from leading audio processor manufacturers that you have trusted with your station’s sound for decades, while also providing the opportunity to reduce the footprint (rack space) consumed by each of your stations.
As we continue to evolve our industry and station playouts move away from single-purpose dedicated hardware in favor of either channel-in-a-box architectures or straight to cloud based approaches, the Nielsen Audio Software Encoder will be ready to power your station’s PPM encoding.
Nielsen will release this capability in three waves: first AM, followed by FM and then streams. Each of these releases will be preceded by successful completion of a field evaluation using certified integrations on that platform.
We released this capability for AM stations at the end of 2020. We anticipate the release for FM to be in mid-2021, with streams to follow in the back half of the year.
As you continue to think about how your station’s facility may evolve, I’d urge you to stay connected with your Nielsen client engineer via phone at (866) 767-7212 or email to encoding@nielsen.com, or through the Nielsen engineering portal https://engineeringportal.nielsen.com, to ensure that you are up-to-date on the latest Nielsen certified software encoder integrations.
Whether the future of your broadcast playout remains on-premise or moves to the cloud, Nielsen, together with the industry, has innovative PPM encoding solutions that are ready for the next generation of radio broadcast facilities.
The post Nielsen PPM Is Ready for the Cloud appeared first on Radio World.
June is microphone month at Radio World, and we get a head start on it with a big special feature in which we ask a bunch of radio folks to tell us about their favorite mics.
Also, is time running out at last for FM6 stations, aka “Franken FMs”?
Nick Mannion of Nielsen Audio describes the rollout of the Nielsen Audio Software Encoder.
And John Bisset helps you build an LED fixture dimmer circuit.
The post Inside the May 26 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.
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