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Following a V-shaped recovery in 2021, growth rates are bound to slow down somewhat in 2022.

That said, MAGNA on Monday revealed that it still anticipates double-digit growth, bringing the market above the $300 billion mark for the first time.

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A veteran local media executive has been named President and GM of CBS News and Stations’ local businesses in Los Angeles.

It’s a role that puts the person presently in charge of Hearst Television‘s NBC affiliate in New Orleans in the top position at two of ViacomCBS’s biggest owned-and-operated stations.

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LOS ANGELES — Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has signed off on a definitive agreement to acquire one of the world’s biggest entertainment and sports agencies, putting the wheels in motion on a major merger designed to “drive broader and more inclusive representation as their clients, their work, and their brands shape culture.”

Upon closing, ICM Partners will be absorbed by CAA — effectively eliminating a competitor in the world of artist management.

The transaction is expected to close later this year, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals. Financial terms were not disclosed.

In a joint statement released Monday, CAA executives Bryan Lourd, Kevin Huvane, and Richard Lovett said the strategic combination of CAA and ICM “bolsters our collective resources, expertise, and relationships to deliver even more opportunities for our world-class clients to build their careers and their brands across multiple disciplines and platforms in an evolving marketplace.”

The trio also pointed to CAA’s “strong financial position,” which enables it to continue to expand and diversify our businesses, “with service and representation remaining central to what we do and who we are.”

They said, “We’re fortunate to have a partner in ICM who shares our commitment to the widest and most inclusive vision possible for what our clients and company can accomplish together.”

ICM’s Chris Silbermann will join CAA’s shareholder board. He said, “Together, we will build upon our accomplishments and entrepreneurial spirit, and continue to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to the best interests of our clients, as well as empowering new, diverse voices within the industry.”

ICM brings to CAA a global roster of artists in film, television, music, comedy, theater, games, politics, and podcasting. ICM’s books division “superbly complements” CAA’s content-driven motion pictures, television, and podcasting businesses, in addition to its speakers arm, and other divisions, CAA noted.

Further, ICM’s London-based ICM Stellar Sports, serves more than 800 clients around the globe and maintains offices in 10 countries, is seen as a key addition to CAA.

CAA is a leading entertainment, media, and sports enterprise, with global expertise in motion pictures, television, music, sports, theater, digital media, publishing, endorsements, media finance, consumer investing, fashion, podcasting, speaking, games, and philanthropy.

In fact, CAA was the first entertainment talent agency to build a sports business, create an investment bank, launch a venture fund, found technology start-up companies, and establish a business in China, among other industry innovations. A subsidiary of CAA, Entertainment Benefits Group (EBG) is a leader in corporate entertainment and travel, with more than 40,000 clients and 60 million users. Founded in 1975, CAA is headquartered in Los Angeles.

Originally founded in 1975 as International Creative Management, then rebranded as ICM Partners in 2012, ICM has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., and London.

Advisors Allen & Company LLC served as financial advisor for CAA, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz as legal advisor. Lazard served as financial advisor for ICM, with Sheppard Mullin and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP as legal advisors.

Fred Weinberg and friend in a photo from LinkedIn.

Broadcaster Fred Weinberg has died at age 69.

The CEO of USA Radio Networks passed away on Thursday, according to his obituary, which described him as one of the industry’s “more colorful” owners.

He or his company owned or operated stations in Oklahoma, Nevada, Texas, Arizona and Minnesota. He purchased USA Radio Networks in 2018; the company produces and syndicates radio programming.

Born in New Mexico, Weinberg grew up in Illinois, where he flew with the Civil Air Patrol and worked as a stringer for the Peoria Journal Star. According to the obituary he got involved with WCBU, the campus radio station at Bradley University, and became station manager.

His friend Janet Bro, COO of USA, wrote in an email that Weinberg’s father was dean of engineering at Bradley University and fired his son from the position of station manager, saying he should go buy his own station. “So he did and never looked back.”

According to his obituary, “He took a detour from broadcasting in 1975 for careers at the Penny Press Peoria Newspaper, EF Hutton and ownership of Three Worlds Disco. He tried his hand in the oil business and did a stint with ABC TV before deciding to get back into the business he loved: radio. Fred also published the Penny Press Nevada, a conservative weekly online newspaper, and worked with the Nevada Republican Party in his spare time.”

The obituary recalls that Weinberg “stood up for the rights of small station owners. One of his proudest moments was successfully defending a lawsuit from Arbitron.”

The post Fred Weinberg Dies, Was CEO of USA Radio appeared first on Radio World.

Sanford Williams

At the FCC, Sanford Williams will take a senior leadership position in the Office of Managing Director as its deputy managing director.

He most recently was director of the commission’s Office of Communications Business Opportunities.

Succeeding him in the latter role is Joy Ragsdale, who currently is field counsel in the Enforcement Bureau.

The announcement was made by FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. She said both have put in years of service at the commission.

Joy Ragsdale

As head of OCBO, Williams “spearheaded work to promote digital empowerment, inclusion, equity and diversity in the tech sector.”

At the Enforcement Bureau, Joy Ragsdale worked with field agents on various investigations including broadcast station operations, EAS regulation and pirate radio.

Williams will also continue as a special advisor to Rosenworcel.

The post Williams, Ragsdale Promoted at FCC appeared first on Radio World.

NEW YORK – Some 149 radio/audio spots and campaigns made it to the finals of the 30th anniversary Radio Mercury Awards.

This year marks the first time all categories were open to all languages. The submissions were created by advertising agencies, brands, production companies, radio stations and digital companies.

The 2021 finalists range from regional to large advertising agencies and radio stations, as well as national and local advertisers from categories including automotive, consumer packaged goods, entertainment, government services, healthcare, insurance, nonprofits, quick-serve restaurants, telecommunications, travel and hospitality. Entries were judged on their creativity, originality, execution and effective communication of a brand’s message.

“This year’s Radio Mercury Awards is celebrating the work that came through in 2021 and acknowledging the Awards’ 30-year history,” said BBDO Atlanta Chief Creative Officer Robin Fitzgerald and chief judge for the 2021 Radio Mercury Awards. “It was great to hear the amazing work, and I can’t wait to celebrate the winners in November.”

In addition to Chief Judge Fitzgerald, the final round judging panel included John Berman, executive creative director, R/GA NY; Nathalie Brown, executive creative director, VMLY&R NY, Bianca Guimaraes, partner and executive creative director, Mischief NY; Paul Johnson, freelance copywriter and creative director, NY; Derrick Ogilvie, vice president and creative director, BBDO Atlanta; Alejandro Ortiz, executive creative director, Campbell Ewald Detroit/NY and Sherman Winfield, executive creative director, VMLY&R Atlanta.

Event sponsors for this year’s awards include Audacy, iHeartMedia, Nielsen Audio, Sound and Fury and World Wide Wadio. Dedicated sponsors are Cherry Creek Media, Oink Ink Radio, Triton Digital, and Xperi along with general sponsors CBS News Radio, Forcht Broadcasting, Miller Kaplan and Neuhoff Media.

The Radio Mercury Awards winners will be presented at 6 p.m. ET on November 17 during a virtual ceremony. For more information about the event, log onto www.radiomercuryawards.com.

 

Creative Radio Campaign: Agency/Production Company/Advertiser/Radio Station or Group

How to Quit (Podcasts)
Tobacco Free Florida
Alma

NOT Like Lutefisk, Premium Cocktails, Discover Lunch
Norseman Brewing Company
Alpha Media

Barbershop Quartet
Progressive Insurance
Arnold Worldwide

Self Empowerment for Pets
Progressive Insurance
Arnold Worldwide

The Thing About
Progressive Insurance
Arnold Worldwide

Truckless Ads
Progressive Insurance
Arnold Worldwide

“For You:” Meemaw + Dog Years +Homebody
Motel 6
Barkley

DAYS OF OUR EYES
Urban Optics
Bryan Broadcasting

Finger Lakes Top 10 Campaign
Cayuga Radio Group/Finger Lakes Top 10
Cayuga Radio Group

Eat A Hotdog
Kayem Foods, Inc.
Connelly Partners

Ward and Mabel Series
Joey’s Auto Shop
Des Moines Radio Group

Deserve Radio
Dr. Pepper
Deutsch LA

Talkin’ Trees
Nebraska City Tourism and Commerce
Eagle Creative

Boston Lager/Wicked Hazy
Samuel Adams
Goodby Silverstein & Partners

Smith’s Liquor_Uncommonly Good Campaign-3 Spots 7-30-21
Smith’s Liquor Gallery
Haugo Broadcasting

When All You Can Food Is Think About
Postmates
Mother in LA

Apts.com Radio Renters Campaign
Apartments.com
RPA

DIY Dave
One Choice Mechanical
SummitMedia

Ask Your Neighbors: Look Around, Ice Breakers, Hints
GEICO
The Martin Agency

Obvious News: Babies, Clothes, Soft Talkers
GEICO
The Martin Agency

Home is Where the Bugs Aren’t
Orkin
The Richards Group

Motel 6 2020 Radio Campaign
Motel 6
The Richards Group

Speed Campaign
iHeartRadio
The Studio at iHeartMedia

Creative Radio Spot for a Cause: Agency/Production Company/Advertiser

Absurd Reality
Change the Ref
Alma

How to Quit (80s Music)
Tobacco Free Florida
Alma

How to Quit (Podcasts)
Tobacco Free Florida
Alma

How to Play Soccer
The Aspen Institute’s Project Play
Arnold Worldwide

How to Play Tennis
The Aspen Institute’s Project Play
Arnold Worldwide

Fireman
Commence Sense Media
Goodby Silverstein & Partners

SH*T
Colon Cancer Coalition
LERMA/

Tiger Bone Wine Truth
Big Cat Rescue
PPK

Worst Shark Attack Ever
Animal Welfare Institute (AWI)
PPK

Whatever Gets You Talking
Seize the Awkward
The Ad Council and Droga5

Curiosity
The Ad Council
Wordsworth+Booth

Creative Radio Spot: Agency/Production Company/Advertiser

Old McDonald
BOGS Footwear
AMBH

Daa Tadaa: Birthdaaa
Progressive Insurance
Arnold Worldwide

Dog Years
Motel 6
Barkley

Easy
GA Lottery
BBDO Atlanta

Snicker Satisfies: Autotune
Mars Chocolate North America
BBDO NY

Snicker Satisfies: Commercial Free
Mars Chocolate North America
BBDO NY

Rapid Reconsideration
Ways 2 Go – Denver Regional Council of Governments
Cactus

Meditations
PetSafe
Chemistry

Mindfulness
PetSafe
Chemistry

Sorry about 2020
PetSafe
Chemistry

Thanks But No Thanks
Kayem Foods, Inc.
Connelly Partners

Minimalist Home
Liberty Mutual Insurance
Copper Giants

BOAT :45
Dr. Pepper
Deutsch LA

Evenin’ With Steven
California Milk Processor Board
Gallegos United

Locked it In
Liberty Mutual
Goodby Silverstein & Partners

It’s Not Weird
Milton Sleep Company
Greatest Common Factory

Jeep Earth Odyssey
Stellantis
Highdive Advertising

Sewer Clog
Same Day
Love Communications

Car Dealership
Postmates
Mother in LA

Dating App
Postmates
Mother in LA

Home Improvement
Postmates
Mother in LA

Promo Radio Show
Postmates
Mother in LA

Competitive Couple
Jeopardy!
Oink Ink Radio

Pat’s Other Jobs
Wheel of Fortune
Oink Ink Radio

Game for Excitement – Nebraska
Minnesota Lottery
Periscope

Excited Mom
Witte Museum
Plot Twist Creativity

Finnish Lessons
NoDoz
Preston Spire

Super50X Big Squeeze
New Jersey Lottery
PureRED

Unusual Voice
Doody Calls
Push Button Creative Audio

Switch & Save Radio: Burgers
Farmers Insurance
RPA

Pop
North Texas Tollway Authority
The Integer Group

Ask Your Neighbors: Look Around
GEICO
The Martin Agency

Obvious News: Soft Talkers
GEICO
The Martin Agency

Family Table
Orkin
The Richards Group

Motel 6 Feet Apart
Motel 6
The Richards Group

Pets Welcome
Motel 6
The Richards Group

Creative Radio Spot: Insightful Voice

Dog Years
Motel 6
Barkley

Homebody
Motel 6
Barkley

Meemaw
Motel 6
Barkley

More Lines
Comcast NBCUniversal
Burrell Communications

Muleta
Covered California
Casanova//McCann

Car Dealership
Postmates
Mother in LA

Car Repair
Postmates
Mother in LA

Promo Radio Show
Postmates
Mother in LA

Creative Radio Spot: Radio Station or Group

Disco Colonoscopy
Kansas Medical Clinic
Alpha Media

Billionaires in Space
Cooper Systems
Audacy

Budweiser Select
Anheuser-Busch
Audacy

A Man & His Dog
Stark Brewery
Binnie Media

Dry Eyes
Urban Optics
Bryan Broadcasting

The Legend of Hidden River Cave
Hidden River Cave
Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation

Disc Replay
Disc Replay
CUMULUS MEDIA

BALLWASH.COM VALENTINE’S DAY 2020
Ballsy
CUMULUS MEDIA Atlanta

The B Word
Oxendine Law Firm
CUMULUS MEDIA Atlanta

Taste Buds
Chocolate Boutique
Forever Media, Inc.

Barn Dance
Dr. Anne Aesthetics
Hubbard Broadcasting-myTalk 107.1

Horror House Haunt
Party at Trav’s
Hubbard Radio Cincinnati

Throwback Caffeine Attack
Mr. Coffee Bean
Magic Broadcasting

POS
Golden Rule
Majestic Communications

Gluten Free
Primo’s Pizza
River Radio

Hearing Loss
Merit Hearing
SummitMedia

Avocado
Schweid & Sons
The Studio at iHeartMedia

Bones
iHeartRadio
The Studio at iHeartMedia

Chinchilla
Absolute Roofing
The Studio at iHeartMedia

The Chair
Absolute Roofing
The Studio at iHeartMedia

Creative Spot for a Cause: Radio Station or Group

Roofs for Vets
Lon Smith Roofing
Audacy

Adventures of Lifeguard
Jacksonville Radio
Jacksonville Radio

Live, Laugh, Love
Yellow Medicine County Human Services
Lakeland Broadcasting

Black Voices of Humboldt County #2
In-House PSA
Lost Coast Communications, Inc.

Awkward Silence
NAMI of Southwest Missouri
SummitMedia

Creative Use of Nonbroadcast Audio

Pedigree Doghouse
Pedigree
BBDO NY

Bedtime Stories
Walmart
FCB Chicago

Beyond 28
Golden State Warriors
Goodby Silverstein & Partners

Podfast
BNY Mellon
Havas New York

The Lady Bod Podcast
St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Hubbard Radio Cincinnati

Radio Recliner
Bridge Senior Living
Luckie

AHAttorneys at LAHAw
Coca-Cola
Preacher

Public RAHAdio
Coca-Cola
Preacher

Blanked Out
iHeartRadio
The Studio at iHeartMedia

Creative Use of Songs/Music (Original or Repurposed)

Le Period Weeks and Bladder Leaks
Poise
FCB Chicago

Red and Yellow Waltz
Poise
FCB Chicago

Sometimes
Pittsburgh Guitars
Garrison Hughes

Beyond 28
Golden State Warriors
Goodby Silverstein & Partners

Family Table
Orkin
The Richards Group

Chinchilla
Absolute Roofing
The Studio at iHeartMedia

Distracted
iHeartRadio
The Studio at iHeartMedia

Feels Like Home
Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
VMLY&R/Six Course, Inc.

Integrated Brand Campaign with Radio/Audio

Grand Introduction
Motel 6
Barkley

Pedigree Doghouse
Pedigree
BBDO NY

Don’t Go Viral Campaign
Medical University of South Carolina
Chernoff Newman

We’re Calling the Shots, We’re Bedmakers, It’s Not Weird.
Milton Sleep Company
Greatest Common Factory

When All You Can Food Is Think About
Postmates
Mother in LA

Can I Get An AHA
Coca-Cola
Preacher

Puppets Campaign
North Texas Tollway Authority
The Integer Group

Purpose-Driven Spot or Campaign: Agency/Production Company/Advertiser/Radio Station or Group

Black History Month on WVKL
United Negro College Fund
Audacy

Coping 19
CDC and The Ad Council
Audacy

More Lines
Comcast NBCUniversal
Burrell Communications

Better
CUMULUS MEDIA, iHeartMedia and Audacy Radio Stations
CUMULUS MEDIA

Freedom Day Fun Facts
WTKS FM
CUMULUS MEDIA

More Than That with Gia Peppers
GM, Kroger and P&G
dentsu

Extra Dedications
Extra Gum, Mars Inc.
Energy BBDO

Widen the Screen
P&G
Katz Media Group

Widen the Screen
P&G
Katz Media Group

OT Solid Waste – Toilet Paper
Otter Tail County Solid Waste
Leighton Broadcasting

#StopGunViolence
RL
LERMA/

Bingo Recovery
Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance
Preston Spire

Giving a Voice to American Small Businesses
American Express
Studio Resonate

P&G Widen The Screen
Procter & Gamble
Townsquare Media/WKXW-FM

Radio Station or Group Promotional Spot or Campaign

Bring a Player to School
MECU Credit Union
Audacy

Thank a Teacher Giveaway
Kaiser Permanente
Audacy

Michael Ray Up Close and Personal
KKBQ
Cox Media Group

Rolling Stones Tickets
KGLK
Cox Media Group

We Don’t Want To See Your Face
CUMULUS MEDIA/KQRS
CUMULUS MEDIA

We Will Rock You Sing Along
WDRV FM Radio
Hubbard Radio Chicago

Black Excellence
iHeartMedia
iHeartMedia

Vote
Fieldview Broadcasting
KWBG

What is the biggest takeaway from the latest Spot Ten Cable report from Media Monitors?

There is very little fluctuation from last week, based on the play count of paid advertisements tracked by the iHeartMedia-owned company. And, that’s a good sign for spot cable that long-term activity is alive and well.

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There aren’t much week-to-week changes among the top paid advertisers using spot radio to reach consumers. That’s a sign of media commitment to AMs and FMs. But, given the high number of iHeartRadio promotional spots seen, it also points to more opportunities for brands to take advantage of radio’s hyped “reach” factor.

As seen below, DuckDuckGo is a new — and active — user of Spot Radio.

Indeed has also been a brand that has embraced radio of late.

But, compared to the promotional spot plays for iHeartRadio, and a podcast at No. 10 on the report, advertisers have a way to go.

On the bright side, Lowe’s surpassed rival The Home Depot in outreach via radio for the week ending September 26, entering the Spot Ten with a No. 6 finish.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A couple of senior staff changes have been made in the FCC’s Office of Managing Director and the Office of Communications Business Opportunities (OCBO).

Now Deputy Managing Director in the Office of the Managing Director: the person that is presently Director of the Office of Communications Business Opportunities.

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Hybrid shopping, localized travel, a focus on health and wellness, the rise of challenger brands and an increase in e-commerce in areas of higher infection, are some of the buying behaviors in the U.S. that remain in a post-pandemic era.

Here’s what this may mean for your advertising trends in 2022, courtesy of Ascential-owned research firm WARC.

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BOCA RATON, FLA. — To Newsmax viewers, he’s known as the host of a weekend cable news show. For podcast listeners, his “Newsmax Daily” offering provides a “humorous and entertaining analysis” of current news, with distribution on such platforms as iHeartRadio.

Now, Rob Carson is leveraging his podcast skills by becoming the latest individual who seeks to be heir to the Conservative Talk Radio Throne left empty by the late Rush Limbaugh.

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It’s code-name is “Project Guesthouse,” as documents filed with the FCC late last week indicate.

And, it involves the sale — rather than the surrendering of licenses to the Commission — of AM radio stations Cumulus Media no longer desires.

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The above screen grab shows the status of Marketron services as of Monday morning Sept. 25. See current status by clicking the image.

Marketron says service has been restored to all of its traffic customers, following the ransomware attack that took its platforms down the weekend before last.

Those customers now have access to all of the data that was in the platform as of Saturday morning Sept. 18.

“Some business services, such as electronic invoicing and payments remain impacted; however, customers should be able to build to conduct their traffic operations. Our teams remain focused on fully restoring all services,” Vice President of Growth Marketing Bo Bandy wrote in an email on Sept. 25.

The image above shows the Marketron service status board as of Monday morning Sept. 25.

The company has posted a series of recommendations for clients whose service has been restored.

Bandy also said Marketron has hired forensic investigators and cybersecurity firms “to stand up an entirely new network environment, a gold standard in recovery from a security perspective. With the assistance of our third-party specialists, a state-of-the-art end point detection and response tool has been deployed to the environment, which is continuously monitored around the clock by security professionals.”

The post Marketron Traffic Services Are Back Up appeared first on Radio World.

Radio World presents a special webcast in which five technology vendors provide a fast-paced look at their newest offerings.

Representatives of RCS, Wheatstone, WorldCast Systems, Telos Alliance and Comrex talk with RW Editor in Chief Paul McLane about their new product introductions.

Paul will also update you on several stories that Radio World has been following including drones in radio, trends in shortwave, computational FM antenna pattern modeling and more.

Especially in light of the cancellation of several major trade shows, it’s important to stay on top of new products and technology.

The free webcast streams on Sept. 30 and is available on demand after that date.

Register for the webcast.

The post Radio Face-2-Face: A New RW Webcast appeared first on Radio World.

Royal V. Howard, left, was NAB’s director of engineering in 1947 when the BEC was born. He’s shown with Wesley Dumm, owner of Associated Broadcasters, in a 1942 photo. Courtesy John Schneider.

Among the many things disrupted by COVID-19 is the opportunity for the National Association of Broadcasters to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its Broadcast Engineering & IT Conference.

Radio and TV techies will have to wait another half-year to gather in person again now that the 2021 NAB Show has been cancelled. But knowing the interest that our readers have in this topic, here’s our  interview about the history of the engineering conference with NAB Senior Vice President, Technology Lynn Claudy.

Radio World: How did the BEITC get started?

Lynn Claudy: NAB consultant and former staffer Skip Pizzi wrote a NAB PILOT blog about this very subject in early August at nabpilot.org. Here’s an excerpt:

“The year: 1947. The place: Atlantic City, N.J. The event: The first NAB Broadcast Engineering Conference (BEC) — subsequently renamed the Broadcast Engineering and Information Technology (BEIT) Conference — held continuously on an annual basis thereafter, making the 2021 BEIT Conference the 75th such event.

“Prior to this conference, NAB’s Engineering department had collaborated with the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE), the University of Illinois and Ohio State University to produce a standalone broadcast engineering conference hosted by the universities, dating back to 1938. That event was curtailed after the 1942 program due to World War II, and NAB was involved again when it restarted in 1946.

FM pioneer Major Edwin Armstrong was among the speakers at the inaugural engineering conference. Courtesy John Schneider.

“But the following year NAB decided to launch its own engineering conference, to be held in conjunction with the 25th NAB Convention in Atlantic City, and the NAB BEC was born. Among the presentations there was a demonstration of ‘Unusually High Frequencies in FM Relays’ by Major Edwin Armstrong.

“The first BEC was a one-day event, held on Sept. 15, 1947, at the Atlantic City Convention Center, renowned for its many years as the site of the Miss America Pageant. The conference grew to two days at the 1948 NAB Convention in Los Angeles, expanded to three days the following year and settled on a four-day length at the 1950 show in Chicago. It later expanded to a fifth day when partner content was added, a length it currently maintains.

“That growth over the years indicates the conference’s popularity, and historically it has had the highest attendance — and the greatest longevity — of any NAB Show educational offerings.”

RW: Lynn, who conceived it and who were the early drivers of its success?

Claudy: Much of the thinking and strategy behind launching the Broadcast Engineering Conference may be lost to antiquity, but a lot of credit should go to then-NAB President Judge Justin Miller and NAB Director of Engineering Royal V. Howard.

Miller, a former associate judge of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, served as NAB president from 1945–1951. Howard, former VP of engineering at KSFO in San Francisco, was director of the engineering department at NAB from 1947 to 1950.

In those early days, questionnaires were sent out to the broadcast engineering community each year seeking guidance as to topics for technical papers for presentation at the NAB Convention. The NAB Conference Committee, which still exists today with a slight name change, supervised the final conference agenda to conform as much as possible to the survey results.

RW: An anecdote from the early days?

Claudy: According to the conference transcripts, the first conference was opened by Royal Howard with the following auspicious statement: “My name is Howard. Most people think that I am the director of engineering for NAB; actually I am the coordinator of confusion.”

Right before lunch, the group was addressed by NAB President Judge Justin Miller, who said:  “Mr. Chairman, I am very happy to be with you this morning. I have not been going to most of these clinics, but I felt a particular obligation to the engineers, especially because NAB may seem to have been neglecting you during the last couple of years preceding this one. As a matter of fact, I have always been inclined to regard you folks more or less as the gods of the machines. I confess that if there is anything I do not know about in broadcasting, it is engineering.”

RW: Can you give us sampling of radio technology topics that appeared on the agenda over the years?

Claudy: The BEC and the current BEITC have always, by design, centered on the important topics of the day for broadcast engineers. Because of how papers and presentations are sought out and selected, it has been high on the relevance scale for technologists and engineers attending the show, and a great educational adjunct activity to visiting the exhibits on the show floor.

It’s pretty hard to pick out the important topics at any given point in time. But a sampling of four presentations might be illustrative of the value and, in retrospect, the perspective that the conference has provided over the years:

1. Going back to the first NAB Engineering Conference again, one of the talks was on “FM Broadcast Station Construction” presented  by Paul A. DeMars, a consulting engineer with the Raymond Wilmotte organization. He ended his talk with the following, which tells you something about the times:

“We hear a lot about the coming atomic age.  There have been a lot of serious and semiserious statements made that because of the vital importance of broadcasting in our national life, broadcasting stations, at least a certain number of the large key ones, may have to be put underground in order to prevent a national panic in the event that our present facilities should be totally wiped out,” he said.

“Possibly the large number of FM stations that are technically feasible and that will in all probability be built scattered all over the U.S. within the next decade may furnish the national service, even in the event of atomic war, that will take the place of the almost impossible problem of putting the old standard facilities underground.”

2. A talk from the 1957 conference titled “The Radio Station of the Future” presented by John M. Haerle with the Collins Radio Company showed a perspective on how radio might be changing in the future. Here are a few of the ideas from that talk, both prescient and otherwise:

“Would it be beyond the realm of possibility to envision a transmitter built in open fashion on the walls of its own building? The entire transmitting plant could be shipped to the site, the walls bolted together in typical prefab fashion and the various circuits joined by terminal boards. Ridiculous? Today, possibly … not in the radio station of the future.” …

“Monitors could be heading for obsolescence. Transmitter crystals have been improved to the point where it is actually true that some modern transmitters are more stable than the companion frequency monitors.” …

“The radio station of the future will eventually use some form or some adaptation of automatic programming. Many point to the operator who is required to be on duty and to the possibility that a so-called ‘robot’ operation would result in programming devoid of personality. Perhaps a compromise will be the semi-automatic operation, in which the operator on duty can select or cue any desired record by pushing a button.”

3. The NAB Broadcast Engineering Conference has long sought reports from standards organization and other groups to report their progress at the annual convention. For radio, the National Radio Systems Committee has been a consistent presence at the conference since the early 1980s, whenever announcements were timely.

Formed in 1958, though, there was another NSRC, which stood for National Stereophonic Radio Committee. At the 1960 conference, C.G. Lloyd, former NSRC chairman, presented the progress of that committee’s quest to deliver stereophonic broadcasting and had just delivered a report to the FCC on the subject. The NSRC had received 14 proposals for FM systems, at least seven for AM and four for TV sound. Each of these broadcast platforms eventually followed different circuitous paths to stereo — 1961 for FM stereo, 1984 for television sound and 1993 for AM stereo — but the NAB Broadcast Engineering Conference helped engineers understand the process from the beginning.

4. Radio has endured many technical controversies, with digital radio being a particularly salient example. At the 1991 NAB Broadcast Engineering Conference, NAB sponsored a demonstration of the Eureka-147 DAB system with transmissions from the top of the H on the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel next to the convention center (now the Westgate) and a repeater installed on the roof of the Golden Nugget Hotel downtown. A 40-seat bus fitted with a receiver and headphones drove attendees around Las Vegas showing the consistently crystal-clear audio quality of the system.

At the Broadcast Engineering Conference, an entire afternoon was devoted to the different technical approaches to digital broadcasting, Eureka-147 included, but also a presentation from Paul Donahue from Gannett Broadcasting and Tony Masiello from CBS titled “Project Acorn: Compatible DAB.”

Those who have been around awhile or studied radio history will recognize that this was the original concept for the system that eventually became HD Radio. At the time, NAB had officially endorsed the Eureka-147 DAB system and was favoring an allocation for DAB in the L-band. This issue was hotly debated at the 1991 convention at various levels, and of course, in-band, on-channel technology eventually won the argument for NAB and for U.S. broadcasters.

It’s notable, though, that the Broadcast Engineering Conference program did attempt to present all sides of the proponent technologies and kept the politics to a minimum, as the advocates had a forum where they could plead their respective cases on a technical basis.

RW: How is the BEITC different today?

Claudy: The conference has moved with the times, such as adding “Information Technology” to the title of the Broadcast Engineering Conference, recognizing the importance of IT skills in the modern broadcast plant.

Other than that, NAB Technology still has a committee of broadcast engineers that meets several times a year, albeit virtually these days, to organize topics, review papers, assign session chairpersons and so forth, all the things that go into planning a top notch technical conference.

This year the chair of the BEITC Committee was Jim DeChant, vice president, technology at News-Press & Gazette Broadcasting.

We also work with partner organizations including the Society of Broadcast Engineers, the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) to provide program content that will be relevant to the BEITC audience.

RW: Describe how BEITC content is found and chosen today, and by whom.

Claudy: In a normal year, a call for papers is released in the fall, and the BEITC committee and NAB Technology staff review the submissions and accept papers that will be presented late in the year.

Papers that will be published in the proceedings must be submitted by mid or late January. We will typically get submissions that would occupy at least twice the space that we can accommodate, so it’s a pretty competitive process. If there ends up being gaps in the program, or important topics identified where there weren’t any submissions, NAB Technology staff may solicit additional speakers.

The post BEITC Serves “The Gods of the Machines” appeared first on Radio World.

Regarding Larry Langford’s commentary “Sweeten the Pot to Entice AM Digital”:

My initial concern is what a 100% digital signal will do to co-channel and first-adjacent stations who are operating in analog with listeners in the fringe. Should these analog AM stations be given compensation for the loss of coverage? Should they be given companion channels of operation to replace lost coverage?

I still recall a rather contentious debate in a broadcast list some decade or more ago. The CE of a Class 1B station was bragging about his IBOC, while some people were complaining about how it chewed up analog stations some 100 to 400 miles away at night. The fellow justified the use of power and propagation as being “necessary to cover the station’s market area, roughly 45 miles in radius.”

So to cover a 45-mile radius of market, we have to ruin a 400-mile radius of spectrum? Isn’t this like playing your 250-watt stereo at full volume in an apartment complex because you’re deaf and unconcerned that it’s bothering the neighbors?

I still think that in the scope of protecting what we have and need for public service, the FCC should revise the frequency tables, using the recent incentive auction as a model.

Move TV broadcasters out of Channels 5 and 6. Allot that spectrum to digital radio broadcasters with a caveat that after five years on the air, they surrender their analog service. Mandate that all new radios (especially mobile) be outfitted with the new DM band. And since most 1A/1B broadcasters see no financial value in long-distance transmission, cap all transmissions to provide a 45-mile radius.

Working the math, you could get all the wannabe digital stations into the new band, and over time analog would pass. However it won’t be killed off by those wanting digital more than the need of listeners wanting analog.

Radio World welcomes letters to the editor to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Letter: Rethink the Radio Bands appeared first on Radio World.

Utility mixers in Wheatstone’s I/O Blades are routable on the AoIP network, a step toward the app model discussed in the article.

We seem to be headed down two tracks on our way to the broadcast facility of the future.

Phil Owens

One is the appliance track, where we are migrating away from the model of apps running on a Windows PC and moving functions instead onto one dedicated appliance that isn’t subject to the finicky PC. 

These are generally specialized AoIP or automation appliances that are Linux-based and therefore do not require Windows drivers, updates or PCs. Good examples are streaming appliances like Streamblade or Wheatstream that replace multiple PCs by putting everything streaming related into one AoIP Linux appliance. 

The other is the app track, which takes us to the cloud and away from hardware in the rack room. 

Here, we are offloading functions to the cloud where they can be remotely reconfigured, maintained and provisioned on a case-by-case basis. At its most ideal, centralized cloud-based applications will give us the ability to dial up encoding, IFB, routing, mixing, playback and even the kind of console needed for a given show or operator skill level. 

Wheatstone, Xperi and other broadcast product makers are working on cloud-based apps using cloud technologies such as container platforms like Docker that will make it possible to transition from the entirely fixed-location studio to a more virtual operation.

Already, many of these apps exist. We know of broadcasters who are containing audio drivers in a virtual machine onsite in preparation of eventually offloading that part of their operation to the cloud and others who are putting multiple studio workflows from multiple locations in a one-stop virtual interface.

Moving it all to the cloud can downsize space requirements in the rack room and shift engineering management to an offsite provider. Eliminating any piece of gear in the air chain along with its connectors and potential points of failure is a good thing, and that goes for specialized appliances too, because these can replace more generic PC-based functions and also reduce space requirements and engineering management.

Coexistence

There are advantages and disadvantages of both the cloud-based app model and the appliance model. 

Offloading functions to Microsoft, Amazon or other cloud provider takes away the cost and upkeep of hardware in the rack room but leaves you subject to third-party vulnerabilities. On the other track, having an appliance onsite gives you some of the consolidation benefits of an all-in-one rack unit similar to the cloud model, although at the additional expense of on-premise infrastructure and upkeep.

It doesn’t have to be one way or another, fortunately. There are many different ways to divide and subdivide that signal chain between functions in the cloud and functions onsite in an appliance.

For example, it’s possible to have automation and mixing functions in the cloud but maintain control from a local virtual or hardware interface. If your playback is being done mostly off a cloud server, you might have a virtual control surface in the studio that is talking to a mix engine in the cloud. Similarly, you could also be receiving your mic audio from a codec that’s in the cloud.

More likely, the broadcast facility of the future will use a combination of both: appliances for consolidating functions into a single 1RU box that eliminates a bank of Windows PCs yet the use of cloud for shared mixing, routing or removes streaming and automation without the real estate, upkeep and of the Windows PC. 

We’ll likely arrive at the future broadcast facility from both tracks, and not entirely from one or the other.

 

The post Appliance? or Cloud-based App?  appeared first on Radio World.

TUDN Radio, the rebranded and retooled service formerly known as Univision Deportes Radio, is about to get a serious boost in one of America’s most important Hispanic media markets.

Univision Communications‘ Houston station group is flipping the switch on Monday to bring Houstonians “the market’s only Spanish-language sports radio station.”

With ESPN Deportes Radio now defunct, aside from a couple of podcasts; Fox Deportes Radio relatively quiet; and Unanimo Sports still seeking maximization of its offerings, sales could be a challenge for a Deportes-minded radio station.

For Univision, flipping KQBU-FM 93.3 to “TUDN 93.3 FM/1010 AM” is an opportunity for growth while maintaining the current programming in the market. As of today, KQBU is a simulcast partner of KAMA-FM 104.9, a Spanish Contemporary station branded as “Latino Mix.”

KAMA, a Class C2 FM licensed to Deer Park, Tex., will stay as “Latino Mix”; the station’s signal contour makes it a full Houston-market FM.

KQBU is really a Beaumont-Port Arthur station. Its 97kw Class C signal puts city-grade coverage over Houston’s east side. In the car, it’s audible across the metropolitan area.

As “TUDN,” KQBU will now simulcast Class B KLAT-AM 1010 in Houston. It’s already a TUDN-branded station. Hence, KQBU is switching simulcast partners.

For locals, programming will include Spanish-language coverage of the Astros (MLB), Houston Dynamo (MLS), Houston Rockets (NBA), and Texas A&M Aggie football. There are also simulcasts from TUDN Radio’s soccer portfolio.

Local programming includes a 10am-noon Central program hosted by Cesar Procel (pictured, top left), “Encanchados.”

KQBU-FM has been the home of “Latino Mix” since its December 2017 arrival in the market. Previously, it was “Qué Buena,” offering regional Mexican programming.

Getty Images

Jessica Rosenworcel wants members of a key advisory group to help the FCC “sort through some of the toughest security problems facing our country’s communications networks.”

The acting chairwoman recently reconstituted the Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council, seeking to “revitalize” it. And on Wednesday she spoke to the group to lay out her vision for its work.

She opened her remarks by citing a litany of recent notable cybersecurity events: a wireless carrier in the Netherlands whose traffic was susceptible to monitoring; a security breach of Exchange software that left bank, health and government servers vulnerable; the SolarWinds Breach that allowed hackers affiliated with the Russian government to access government and private networks undetected; the theft of data on millions of T-Mobile customers; and the ransomware attack on an Iowa farming co-op this month.

“This needs our attention because enough is enough,” Rosenworcel told the CSRIC members.

[Related: Rosenworcel Names Members to Revamped Advisory Group]

She said the FCC is pursuing a multipronged strategy to assure security as the use of 5G expands.

“In this environment, rechartering CSRIC was a no-brainer. This council is one of the nation’s most impactful cybersecurity partnerships. But we didn’t want to do it same-old, same-old. We wanted to make it better.”

She explained that for the first time the group will be co-chaired by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which leads a national effort to enhance the safety of the cybersecurity and communications infrastructure. “Earlier this year, CISA co-authored a leading report on potential threat vectors to 5G infrastructure. Their partnership here will help ensure a unity of effort between those responsible for protecting the country and those who own and operate the infrastructure that is so critical to that mission.”

She said the group also will reflect more participation from the public interest community. “The public and consumers also will have a voice on issues that ultimately affect their safety and security along with private sector stakeholders.”

The group is to prioritize 5G.

“That means we have a working group to explore the security and resiliency of Open RAN. We have a working group looking at more broadly leveraging virtualization technology to enhance network security. We have a working group looking at the technical issues involving the security of 5G signaling protocols. And building on CSRIC’s earlier work to remove untrusted hardware from our communications and infrastructure and building on lessons learned from the SolarWinds hack, we have a working group looking at the software side of supply chain security.”

Rosenworcel noted that Hurricane Ida knocked cell sites offline in Louisiana, so she wants the group also to make progress on the resiliency of communications networks. “We’ve got a working group to look at improving 911 — specifically 911 service over Wi-Fi. And we have yet another working group that will be looking at ways to improve Wireless Emergency Alerts.”

[Related: Marketron and Its Users Slammed by Cyber Event]

She called this “a to-do list of security challenges that we already know about,” and she asked the members of the group to be “on the lookout for threats that are just around the bend.”

Sectors represented on the group include local emergency officials, transportation, wireless and broadband companies, consumer electronics manufacturers, chip makers, public broadcasting and government agencies.

 

The post Rosenworcel Gives CSRIC Its New Charge appeared first on Radio World.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FCC on Friday confirmed that it will begin accepting applications from graduating law students and current judicial clerks for its Fall 2022 Attorney Honors Program.

The application window is now open, and it closes on November 1.

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