Industry News

Intended to take the manual work out of show prep

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The broadcast association honored Sampieri at its annual conference

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"They were looking out for not only their people, but every missing and endangered person across the nation"

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Trueblood, Morrill and Toven also are elected to officer positions

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Antenna companies are reacting to the FCC decision allowing computer modeling of directional FM antennas.

“May 19, 2022 is a monumental day for FM broadcasters,” wrote Dielectric in a statement. The manufacturer pressed for the change, along with Shively, RFS and Jampro, as well as broadcast group Educational Media Foundation.

“The FCC adopting new rules allowing the use of computer modeling will ease product-to-market timelines, helping broadcasters upgrade facilities quickly,” it wrote when contacted for comment by Radio World.

“In addition, the increased accuracy and the ability to run infinite patterns to maximize on FCC protections will allow broadcasters ease of mind knowing they are getting the best possible solution, all while not having to wait the traditional timelines for range testing/optimizing.

“At the end of the day,” the company concluded, “their listeners will benefit from this rule change. Dielectric sees this change as significant in the history of FM, and is fully prepared to help all broadcasters seek the best possible solution.”

Radio World also invited comment from Electronics Research Inc., which had opposed the rule change.

“ERI raised some concerns regarding eliminating the requirement to provide measured pattern data with the license filings for directional FM antennas,” wrote Bill Harland, vice president of marketing.

“These objections were based on our experience from decades of full-scale range measurements of directional and nondirectional FM antennas and our experience using computer models to generate pattern predictions for FM arrays.”

Harland said ERI has always had the capability to use computer modeling for directional FM antenna design.

“We will offer that service as an option for directional and nondirectional FM antenna systems. ERI will continue to offer directional FM antennas that include pattern development on our test range and measured results for customer approval and filing with the FCC license application.”

He said the company will also continue to offer full-scale range pattern studies and pattern optimization as optional services. “They are available for all single-channel and multi-channel FM antenna products.”

“We believe ERI’s 50-acre far-field antenna test range is the best facility of its kind and has been in use longer than the antenna measurement facilities used by our competitors. As we showed in our filings in this FCC proceeding, the accuracy of the range and the consistency of its measured results support that belief.”

The post Dielectric Thrilled With FM Modeling Decision appeared first on Radio World.

James Boyd in a photo from his LinkedIn page

Engineer James Boyd has died.

News of his passing Friday at age 76 was shared by Kent Randles, secretary of Chapter 124 of the Society of Broadcast Engineers.

Boyd was well known in the radio technical industry but especially in the northwestern U.S. He owned Boyd Broadcast Technical Services in Oregon, and according to his LinkedIn page he had extensive experience in all aspects of AM and FM engineering.

Earlier in his career he was a chief engineer, operations manager and group chief for Capps Broadcast Group from the late 1960s to the early 1990s; he also had worked for WTD Industries.

An amateur radio enthusiast (K7MKN), he also was a lead inspector for the Alternate Broadcast Inspection Program for the Oregon Association of Broadcasters and the Idaho Broadcasters Association.

Boyd had experience with AM directional antenna systems, including Moment Method proofing as well as AM and FM IBOC system installation and adjustment, and maintained a large fleet of test equipment for all  aspects of AM and FM broadcast systems.

He told author Scott Fybush in a 2008 article for Radio Guide magazine that he “began messing around with electronics when I was eight or nine years old.” Boyd was a member of that publication’s Hall of Achievement. According to that article his first job was at KBND(AM), before he served in Vietnam as a broadcast specialist in the U.S. Army. He founded his company in October 1991, and clients included Entercom, CBS Radio, smaller stations, Harris Corp. and consulting firms Hatfield and Dawson and DuTreil, Lundin & Rackley. He also served on the Oregon Association of Broadcasters board.

According to a Radio World article in 2016, Boyd also was involved in the effort to create a “first informer” credential for Oregon broadcast engineers.

Randles said Sunday that Boyd’s volunteer firefighting work evolved into volunteering for the Tigard, Ore., Community Emergency Response Team, to which he is donating all of his ham radio equipment.

Randles said information on services was pending.

 

The post Engineer James Boyd Dies at Age 76 appeared first on Radio World.

Colorado-based radio station KRFC has just installed a new radio tower and RF facility, effectively boosting its signal more than 16 times to reach nearly 1 million Front Range residents.

Effective last Thursday, May 12, the station launched a 50 kW facility to replace its 3 kW signal. This switch more than doubled the station’s broadcast footprint to include new communities as far south as North Denver and further east of Greeley, Colo., according to KRFC. Extensive public and private donations helped finance the project.

KRFC 88.9 FM has been a part of the Fort Collins community in Colorado since 2013. As a non-for-profit radio station, its music programming is entirely “volunteer-powered” by 90 DJs, repping 64 shows and producing 61 of them in-house each week. Until now, KRFC did not own its own tower, having leased antenna space at its old site.

“It is rare for an independent station to own and operate its own broadcast tower of this size, a development that will allow KRFC 88.9 FM to lease bandwidth to other regional broadcasters and commercial organizations needing a tower for their signal,” said KRFC in a press release.

“KRFC is open to discuss leasing opportunities of HD-2, -3 and -4 as well as physical tower space,” station officials told Radio World.

KRFC’s new radio tower outside Fort Collins, Co.

To learn more about the new site, project costs and the installation process, Radio World spoke with Jen Parker, KRFC’s executive director.

Radio World: Why did KRFC want to build a new tower? Why was this project important to the station and surrounding community?

Jen Parker: For the 19 years the station has been on the air, the signal has been very spotty due to the terrain and our 3 kW signal just wasn’t powerful enough. It has been a dream for years to improve the signal and broaden the reach to be the true voice of northern Colorado. The new boosted signal gives a more pleasurable listening experience and exposes many more Coloradans to this wonderfully eclectic station that entertains, educates and informs our community members in a positive, nonpolitical and uplifting way.

KRFC’s reach prior to the tower install and after. (Click to expand)

RW: What was the timetable for the build (was 2022 the expected year for completion)?

Parker: The capital campaign launched in 2018 and we had hoped to complete the project last year, but due to the issues related to COVID, supply chain and increased costs, we completed the tower earlier this year and went live with our new signal on May 12, 2022.

RW: What was the budget and what were fundraising efforts like?

Parker: The initial budget was just under $300,000 and, again through delays related to COVID and supply chain issues, the project ended up being just under $500,000. The capital campaign was epic with initial lead gifts from Paul and Amy Hach, Ginger and Jack Graham from Ginger and Baker, and New Belgium Brewing who produced a limited edition beer called “Power The Tower Pale Ale” with proceeds going towards the campaign.

Other incredible individuals stepped in and made considerable donations, and then we held Power The Tower donation drives throughout the past few years. The entire project was funded by donations and we didn’t have to take out any loans to complete the project.

RW: Describe KRFC’s physical airchain path. 

Parker: The studios are located in the heart of the Music District in beautiful downtown Fort Collins. The station uses 950 MHz analog STL to get audio to both the new and, previously, the old site because they are near each other; we have ceased operation at the old site now.

The new facility has completely  new equipment and is located about 9 miles east of Fort Collins, Co. After path challenges prevented use of a new unlicensed 6 GHz IP link, KRFC ordered a set of GatesAir Intraplex IP codecs and an Intraplex HD Link. We purchased an ERI LP antenna and a GatesAir FAX High Power transmitter.

RW: Who were the major vendors/contractors for the project?

Parker: We utilized Sabre Towers, the tower manufacturer; Broadcast Connection as broadcast supply vendor; GatesAir for transmitter and STL equipment; Cell Site Solutions, a used equipment shelter dealer, and Galvanized Endeavors for broadcast and tower construction.

RW: What were the critical equipment and facility decisions that had to be made ahead of the installation?

Parker: Obtaining land in a populated area in Colorado to build a tower is challenging in itself. Keeping the tower less than 200 feet high had some advantages. Transmitter TPO versus size of the antenna was one of the more critical decisions to make. A full-wave-spaced ERI LP antenna was utilized, which allowed for a low TPO near 7 kW. Although we could have located further south for more population coverage, KRFC wanted to be absolutely sure of a very strong signal throughout the entire city of Fort Collins.

Check out the gallery below for pictures of the installation process. (Click to toggle between photos)

RW: What was your role in this process? Besides yourself, who was on the team? 

Parker: I managed the entire launch of the campaign, the majority of the private donation relationships and handled all the marketing and PR along the way with my incredible team. Our engineer Matt Schilz was the project manager along with several key volunteers with engineering backgrounds. Charles Anderson of Anderson Communications created the pattern and provided the necessary support for application and [FCC] filing.

The internal team helped with the entire process along with Sean Lamborne, our program and volunteer director, and David Vacek, our music director.

The KRFC team at the tower’s groundbreaking event

RW: Who kept the process rolling and how were crises (if any) managed? 

Parker: As a team, we knew that this project was a true necessity for the station to serve a greater population in powerful and impactful ways through supporting nonprofits, the arts, schools and colleges and small and large businesses; and that we needed to improve the signal and expand the reach.

At no time did we lose sight of that goal and, when challenged with delays or other issues, we stuck together and kept the belief and mission alive. It was a total team effort from our remarkable staff, board of directors and volunteers.

A commemorative ribbon cutting announcing the new tower’s operations May 12.

Click here to watch a video of the tower installation.

You can find KRFC on your FM dial in northern Colorado, online or in the App Store at “KRFC 88.9FM Radio.”

The post KRFC Boosts Signal 16 Times Over From New Tower appeared first on Radio World.

Photo courtesy Cris Alexander

The FCC has released the details of its order allowing FM broadcasters to use computer modeling to verify directional antennas.

It also explained why it didn’t adopt several proposals that were in the original notice of proposed rulemaking.

The most common reason to use a directional antenna by a commercial full-power FM is to allow it to “short-space” to another FM station while maintaining contour protection to that station.

The new rules allow applicants for directional FM facilities an option to verify the directional antenna patterns by submitting results from computer models depicting the antenna’s performance. The results must be generated by the antenna’s manufacturer.

The manufacturers are deemed to be in the best position to perform computer modeling of their products because they have the historic data to know how a specific radiator performs in a particular environment.

The FCC disagreed with manufacturer Electronics Research Inc. (ERI), which had opposed the rule change. ERI expressed “serious concerns” that the change would lead to protracted and contentious interference disputes, and that computer models should be verified through measurement at full or fractional scale.

The FCC noted that under current rules, when applicants submit their showings, they almost always rely on tabulations from the antenna manufacturer of the measured relative field pattern, performed on a full-scale test range or with a scale model.

The commission said manufacturers are in the best position to ensure the validity of the computer model and the accuracy of the results, and that manufacturers have an incentive to represent their products’ performance accurately, “both to protect their own reputations and to avoid negative consequences for their customers who face interference complaints and regulatory action if their antenna patterns do not match what is authorized in their license.”

The commission acknowledged NAB’s concern that manufacturer data should not be automatically accepted without a demonstration that the modeler has a background in physics or electromagnetic theory. But given the varying backgrounds of broadcast engineers, it said, “we do not wish to codify what constitutes qualifications to perform computer modeling.”

It said that if a challenge arises to a computer model, for example through interference complaints, “we can and would seek further information regarding that model, including the qualifications of those preparing and performing the modeling.”

The FCC also declined “at this time” to expand the range of entities authorized to perform computer modeling. “Although there is no such limitation on those who can perform computer modeling for AM and DTV directional antennas, we find a more cautious approach is required for FM, given the greater number of FM stations versus DTV stations using directional antennas, and given that AM directional patterns are subject to continual verification through sampling that is not possible with FM directional antennas.”

However it left open the possibility of rethinking that decision as the industry gains experience with FM modeling.

The agency also decided not to prescribe any particular modeling software for antenna manufacturers to use, leaving this to their discretion and allowing them to use commercially available products or their own proprietary software.

When a license application includes a proof of FM directional antenna performance obtained through computer modeling, the FCC will require that it include a statement with the names and qualifications of the engineers who designed the antenna, did the modeling and prepared the manufacturer’s instructions for installing the antenna. The submission must include a statement from the engineers describing the software tools used in the model and procedures used in running them. As suggested by NAB, the FCC will require a certification that the software executed normally, without generating any error messages or warnings indicating something was wrong with the inputs.

The computer modeling must analyze the antenna mounted on a tower or tower section; and the tower or tower section model must include “transmission lines, appurtenances, ladders, conduits, other antennas, and any other installations that could affect the computer modeled directional pattern.”

The commission will require one-time verification of the accuracy of a pattern generated using a particular modeling software for each directional antenna model number or standardized series of elements. In other words, once a particular antenna model or series of elements has been verified by any one applicant using given modeling software, the FCC will permit all subsequent applicants using the same combination to submit the computer model for the subsequent antenna installation.

The FCC decided not to change its policies regarding interference complaints or disputes. Most of the comments it got back indicated that interference would not be a problem, and no one asked for changes to the interference rules and procedures.

It acknowledged that ERI thinks the change will increase FM interference due to modeled directional patterns that do not accurately reflect actual directional signals; ERI thinks this will increase inter-station interference disputes, because full-service FM stations, unlike secondary services such as FM translators, don’t have to cease operations when they receive interference complaints. But the FCC said that, by requiring initial computer models of antennas and components using a particular modeling software to be verified by measurements, it addressed ERI’s concerns.

Finally, the commission reminded the industry that computer modeling is optional; applicants can still submit measured relative field patterns if they want to.

Read the full order.

The post FCC Explains Its Reasoning on FM Directional Modeling appeared first on Radio World.

Its shares, like most on Wall Street, started slumping on May 6. On Friday, they rocked forward by 4.8%, putting American Tower Corp. at $244.53 and back on track toward its 1-year target price of $291.

What propelled AMT on an otherwise dismal day for U.S. financial markets? A hefty dividend is in the works.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — TEGNA shareholders have voted in favor of the plan. Now, regulatory approval is the only obstacle to an effort that Soohyung Kim and his Standard General LP have waged for some two years — gaining control of the broadcast TV station and Premion owner.

That’s not so easy, it turns out. Common Cause, The NewsGuild-CWA, and Public Knowledge wish to stop the transaction, which sees Cox Media Group’s majority shareholder, Apollo Global Management, take a non-voting equity stake in TEGNA.

And, they’ve convinced the FCC to allow more time for providing the Media Bureau with information they believe is needed to fully assuage the situation.

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