One is a Class C AM with 1 tower, emitting 630 watts of power. The other is a Class C2 FM with a Country format.
Both stations serve Palestine — the small city in Texas due southwest of Tyler, that is.
And, they’ve just traded hands in a transaction brokered by Media Services Group.
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“How worried should we be about the impact of supply chain disruptions on advertising?”
Michael Nathanson of MoffettNathanson, the respected Wall Street financial analyst house, offered some conflicting answers about the negative impact supply chain issues have ad on advertising demand in an investor note distributed Friday.
It seems he has more to say about the matter, and Nathanson has now shifted his concerns to the radio business and TV industry.
Will broadcast media revenue, led by broadcast advertising, see new and continuing challenges in 2022? A Forecast 2022 panel of experts are ready to engage in a provocative discussion about who is going to “show us the money” in the year to come.
This is one of a full day of insightful and exclusive panel discussions and keynote speeches scheduled for Forecast 2022. Don’t miss out! Save your seat by clicking here.
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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.
In January 2022, the leadership of the nation’s leading voice for broadcast media on Capitol Hill and at the FCC will change. NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith will formally turn over the reins at the trade association to Curtis LeGeyt. Smith and LeGeyt have worked closely together for almost a decade; the transition promises to be smooth and cohesive.
As Smith readies to say goodbye to Inside the Beltway politics and LeGeyt picks up the mantle, where are we now and where are we going? An exclusive Forecast 2022 question-and-answer session is poised to present many answers — and insight — into the path ahead for the NAB under LeGeyt. You have to be there to hear what they have to say.
FORECAST 2022: LIVE AND IN PERSON A Conversation with Gordon Smith and Curtis LeGeytWhat are the front burning issues the incoming NAB CEO expects to tackle first when the New Year rolls around? How will new FCC leadership affect regulatory issues? And what parting words of advice does the former senator have to offer his successor?
Moderator Steve Newberry, formerly of the NAB, will be armed and ready with the key questions you want to have the answers to.
REGISTER NOW TO SAVE YOUR SEAT AT FORECAST 2022.
MIAMI BEACH — In late January 2020, the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) successfully staged its NATPE Miami conference. Even as concerns over the COVID-19 virus grew across Asia, there was little worry that a pandemic would sweep across North America.
Now, two years later, NATPE Miami is back. And, it will very much be an in-person event.
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It may be six months away, but the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is busily putting together what will be a 2022 NAB Show that EVP/Managing Director of Global Connections and Events Chris Brown believes will “more closely mirror today’s media, entertainment and technology ecosystem.”
And, this “reimagining” will be done in a way “that is intuitive and makes it easier for attendees to navigate the event.”
A trio of distinct conference center sections will be created, with a focus on “three main pillars associated with the content lifecycle.”
Thus, the event scheduled for April 23-27, 2022, will see North Hall, Central Hall and new West Hall exposition areas of the Las Vegas Convention Center house what Brown calls “new curated experience zones designed to spotlight innovation, stimulate meaningful networking, inspire new ways of thinking and provide premium education, insights and a focus on real-world implementation.”
How will attendees now navigate the NAB Show?
The Central and North Halls will focus on content creation from pre-production to post, including the latest tools and advanced workflow options to elevate storytelling, in the “Create” area.
The West Hall will be a destination to explore content distribution and delivery, from cloud computing to new media infrastructure, in an area dubbed “Create.”
The North Hall, the traditional home for broadcast media technology companies of interest to Radio, will be home to the “Capitalize” area. It will feature content monetization solutions and “next-generation technologies creating new revenue streams and fueling the content economy.”
Within the three pillars, “specially tailored exhibits, networking and education programming will comprise experience zones designed to drive innovation, provide inspiration and spur implementation,” the NAB says.
A fourth NAB Show content pillar in development will focus on critical components impacting all aspects of content creation and delivery, the association adds.
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.
He’s gained a national reputation as an outspoken African American broadcast TV station owner, with stations in Indiana including WISH-8 and WNDY-TV in Indianapolis.
Now, DuJuan McCoy is offering a three-year commitment to provide more than $1 million in platform distribution and media resources to produce and broadcast a program dedicated to economic opportunity and “business equity.”
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A multimedia company known for content superserving African American audiences has looked toward Deon Levingston and his success with Hispanic programming in Indianapolis by shifting a FM translator serving Southern Ohio’s largest metropolitan area to a regional Mexican-intensive Hispanic format.
It was the biggest and best event yet, say attendees. The Hispanic Radio Conference returns to Miami June 21-22, and you can make sure you don’t miss this amazing opportunity to learn what Urban One has about the power of the Hispanic audio content consumer and its powerful customer base.Learn more now! Just CLICK HERE!
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There’s a new leader on the Spot Ten TV report from Media Monitors.
And, just in time for the holiday shopping season, it is the biggest retailer in the U.S. that is strutting its stuff.
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The Home Depot is undisputedly one of the top advertisers using audio media today. Yet, for the week ending October 31, the home improvement retailer was absent from the Media Monitors Spot Ten Radio report.
Instead, its primary competitor on a national level was strutting its stuff at AM and FM radio — showing its brand prowess in a big way.
Lowe’s was the No. 4 advertiser by play count last week, with some 50,175 spot plays as detected by iHeartMedia-owned Media Monitors.
The overall leader: job seeker and hiring site Indeed, which is actively using radio to help attract those looking for employment.
The auto insurance specialist using Spot Radio the most last week? It is State Farm
Meanwhile, new activity from Vicks and Capital One puts each brand into the Spot Ten.
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.
It’s both a USB microphone and a mobile recorder with multiple polar patterns.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.
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