Industry News

LATHAM, N.Y. — Since March 2015, he’d been the VP/GM of TEGNA‘s FOX and The CW Network affiliates serving the Constitution State.

Now, he is joining Hubbard Broadcasting to take the top role at the NBC affiliate serving New York’s Capital District.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

There’s very little in common between CBS and iHeartMedia these days. They’re no longer competitors in the radio industry, and that’s perhaps one reason why a pair of up-and-coming air personalities in the nation’s biggest market have been given the all-clear to be one group of contestants on the upcoming season of one of the CBS Television Network’s top reality competition series.

WKTU-FM 103.5 in New York nighttime pair Lulu y Lala  — a.k.a. twin sisters Marissa & Marianela Gonzalez — are taking their talents on the road, if you will, by seeking to win “The Amazing Race.”

The Latina air personalities are 10-year veterans of radio and TV, and first found fame at Univision as correspondents on the network entertainment show “El Gordo y La Flaca,” following a stint alongside Luis Jimenez in mornings at WXNY-FM “X96.3” in New York. They then worked as co-hosts on the “Ty Loves NY” morning show on what is today WNYL-FM in New York; at the time, CBS Radio owned it and competed against iHeartRadio’s WKTU and Z100 with a Top 40 format.

In November 2014, the Cuban-Salvadoran pair moved to Miami, where they took afternoon hosting duties at Cox Media Group’s WFLC “Hits 97.3” in Miami. Lulu y Lala returned to New York for the WKTU job exactly five years ago.

Viewers to “The Amazing Race” can catch episodes featuring the women starting January 5, 2022. The competition show features pairs of contestants engaging in a series of challenges, both mental and physical, across the globe. The first group to arrive at the final destination will win “The Amazing Race” and the $1 million prize.

The 33rd season will kick off with a special two-hour premiere on January 5, from 8pm-10pm ET/PT. From January 12, it will take the 9pm ET/PT Wednesday time slot. “The Amazing Race” is available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.

“I am beyond excited to be part of Season 33 of ‘The Amazing Race’,” said Lala. “I promise you will see a whole new side of Lulu & Lala! It’s a special season for sure!” “She’s right! With Lala’s lack of sense of direction and my OCD on wanting to control everything, this season is one you don’t want to miss,” said Lulu. “We hope we make our family and listeners proud!”

The 33rd iteration of The Amazing Race began production on February 22, 2020. Leg 1 was in London, with social media photos showing contestants at John F. Kennedy International Airport and at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Destinations include Scotland, France, Switzerland and Portugal. After three legs, production was shut down. It resumed in fall 2021, and recently wrapped up production, TVLine reports.

“We implemented many new safety features that made this historic season possible, including having the cast and crew fly by private chartered plane,” co-creator and executive producer Elise Doganieri told TVLine in a statement.

Joining Lulu y Lala are married teachers from New Jersey, a married couple from Charlotte, male childhood friends from Sacramento, best friends from mid-Missouri, a father and daughter from Michigan, a Twentysomething long-distance-dating pair, a pair of female flight attendants, “internet personalities” Kim and Penn Holderness, “YouTube” stars Taylor and Isaiah Green-Jones, and singing police officers from Buffalo.

In three weeks, New Year’s Eve will be here, ushering in the end of 2021.

If your TV station is planning their on-air, online and social coverage of New Year’s Eve, perhaps this year’s official Times Square New Year’s Eve content, courtesy of Countdown Entertainment and the Times Square Alliance, is of interest.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

A talk show stunt that aired EAS tones on a Las Vegas radio station may cost Beasley Media Group $20,000.

The rules of the Federal Communications are strict: No transmission of false or deceptive emergency alert system tones or EAS simulations are allowed.

But in September 2020, the commission said, Beasley station KDWN(AM) apparently aired them during “The Doug Basham Radio Show,” a paid programming block, in the absence of an emergency, authorized test or qualified PSA.

The tones were also carried on the HD2 signal of KKLZ(FM) and on an FM translator.

[See Our Business and Law Page]

According to the FCC, Beasley acknowledged the incident, said the station hadn’t previewed the clip and that “immediately after” transmission, KDWN’s board operator “confronted Basham and informed him that the broadcast was impermissible.” The board op also notified KDWN’s program director.

The commission now has issued a notice of apparent liability. “The prohibition on such transmissions has been in place for many years, and the commission has repeatedly made its requirements clear,” it wrote.

The base forfeiture in such cases is $8,000, but the FCC more than doubled the proposed amount, citing “the number of transmissions at issue, the amount of time over which the transmissions took place, the stations’ sizeable audience reach, and the serious public safety implications of the apparent violations” as well as other factors.

Beasley has 30 days to pay or to respond explaining why it thinks the penalty shouldn’t stand.

The post EAS Tone Misuse Draws Penalty for Beasley appeared first on Radio World.

The fate of Gigi Sohn, the White House’s nominee for the fifth seat on the Commission, appears to be a bit cloudier. An Executive Session of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will not consider nomination during a December 15 executive session.

What does this mean for the liberal Democrat assailed by key Senate Republicans for President Trump-era Tweets lambasting Fox News as “state-sponsored propaganda”?

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

AEQ said it has incorporated talkback in its line of NetBox routers.

NetBox 32AD MX is an audio matrix with 64 analog, digital and IP inputs and outputs. NetBox DSP has between 64 and 160 inputs and outputs, all of them IP.

“These units respond to the concept of ‘mixed routing,’ in which audio over IP is used, over the AES67 or Dante protocol to simplify wiring and facilitate transport to a router that has, among other things, IP inputs and outputs, and is equipped with features for high-level audio routing and processing,” AEQ wrote.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

Those features include logical line grouping, salvos, macros, agenda, silence detection, time scheduling, level meters, signal generator, audio mixing and processing, IP transport of GPIOs and multiplex group management.

These are managed through a multi-post and multi-user application, based on customized views to control one or more local or remote audio matrices for various uses in radio, television and sound systems.

“For its use in radio, giving way to several correspondents, and in television, operating remote intercom, the Talkback or MPX function has been developed,” AEQ said.

“A ‘Talkback’ group is a combination of input and output lines that allows to automatically execute an N-1 routing between these lines,” it said.

“But to facilitate the work, an additional keypad has been created to the XY screen of the matrix. The coordinator listens to correspondents at will using the PFL buttons. He integrates each correspondent to the program, and at the same time joins him to the talkback group, by means of the Mute OFF buttons (Active in yellow).”

The coordinator speaks to each or all correspondents, using the Talk buttons, during which time the reception of the N-1 from the other correspondents is eliminated or attenuated by 20 dB each.

When a Talkback is created, the inputs, outputs and crossover points involved are cleared or cleared. The gains of all Talkback related crossover points are set to 0 dB.

Send your new equipment news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post AEQ Incorporates Talkback in NetBox Routers appeared first on Radio World.

He’s been VP/GM of TV stations in Palm Springs, Calif.; and GM of News-Press & Gazette Co. stations serving Columbia, Mo.

He’s also been associated with such stations as WTTG-5 in Washington, D.C.; WBFS-33 and WCIX-6 in Miami; and KPHO-5 in Phoenix over a career that spans 41 years. Now, he’s working for Brian and Pat Lane.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

The “Great Resignation” has defined 2021. Many employees are rethinking what work means to them, how they are valued, and how they spend their time. As workers hit the reset button, sales organizations have a great responsibility to reevaluate the way they attract and retain talent.

Those are the opening words to the 15-page Media Sales Report 2021 from the Center for Sales Strategy, which notes that, according to expert prognosticators, “we are facing a significant war on talent.” In fact, 53% of sales managers already admit recruitment is the
hardest part of their jobs today.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

The regional Great Lakes Media Show is planning to welcome back attendees in person at its annual event in March.

The two-day show — sponsored by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB) on March 2 and 3 at the Lansing Center in Lansing, Mich. — gathers Michigan broadcast and media industry leaders for an event that includes a series of technical and educational sessions, a career fair and a roster of speakers.

Events for smaller, specific groups are being held on March 2, including an engineering seminar, a session for public media news directors and several exhibitor events. On March 3, the exhibit hall will open followed by a economics management panel; a session on ransomware for engineers and managers, a media career fair; and a series of sales, management and marketing sessions.

As a regional event, the Great Lakes Show will give attendees time to delve into issues such as recruitment, enhancing employee engagement through inclusive leadership, sales strategy tips and how best to cover breaking news when you have limited staff on hand.

[Check Out More Events on Radio World’s Calendar]

“Our goal is to not only provide our members — more than 320 TV and radio stations — with continuing education opportunities and recognition through our awards program, but also the chance to engage with one another and share ideas,” said Sam Klemet, president elect of the MAB.

“We host sessions for our engineers, managers, on-air staff, programmers and sales staff and these sessions help these individuals stay ahead of what’s coming in broadcasting and to learn some of the technical skills needed to keep their stations strong.”

Klemet said the MAB also devotes time at the conference to recognize outstanding achievements by students starting their careers in broadcasting, as well as to honor annual scholarship recipients. Each year, the MAB Foundation awards more than $25,000 to students to support their broadcast education.

The event wraps up on Monday night with a Broadcast Excellence Awards reception and ceremony. In addition to broadcasters and media groups, registration for the event is open students, parents and educators.

MAB says it will follow CDC guidelines for COVID-19 prevention and health safety at the time of the show. Details will be posted on its website closer to the event.

Submit news about your event to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Great Lakes Show Preps to Welcome Back Attendees appeared first on Radio World.

Public speaking is a vital skill to have if you want to make a difference in the world, says “Zoom” expert and veteran public relations executive Rosemary Ravinal. “It is known as the foundation of leadership,” she writes in a new column. “We do it to establish authority, persuade people to our point of view, educate, inspire, and advance our careers and businesses.” But what about private speaking—the kind we do with family, friends, and neighbors? “This is the kind of speaking you need to be a better parent, to have great relationships, to be a real friend or simply be someone who makes people stop and listen,” she says. It could very much help you in professional situations, too.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)