Industry News

WASHINGTON, D.C. — America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) today has revealed its updated slate of board leaders and board members.

Andrew Russell, President/CEO of PBS SoCal and KCET in Los Angeles, has been re-elected Chair.

At the same time, Susi Elkins, Director of Broadcasting and General Manager of WKAR Public Media at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich. has been re-elected Professional Vice Chair. David Steward II, Immediate Past Board Chair of Nine PBS in St. Louis, has been re-elected Lay Vice Chair.

The newly-elected trustees are:

• Annette Herrington, Commissioner of Arkansas PBS in Conway, Arkansas, as a lay trustee.
• John D. Zeglis, Retired Chairman and CEO of AT&T Wireless Services, former President of AT&T, and a member of the board of WNIT Public TV of South Bend, Ind., as an at-large trustee.

Re-elected to the APTS Board of Trustees are:

• Carolyn Edwards, Lay Trustee of Vegas PBS in Las Vegas
• Susi Elkins, Director of Broadcasting and General Manager, of WKAR Public Media/MI State University in East Lansing, Mich.
• Franz Joachim, General Manager and CEO of New Mexico PBS in Albuquerque
• Garrett King, Board Member, Friends of OETA in Oklahoma City
• Vickie Lawson, President and CEO of East Tennessee PBS in Knoxville, Tenn.
• David Steward II, Immediate Past Board Chair, Nine Network of Public Media in St. Louis

Zeglis began his board term on January 5. The officers and other trustees will begin their terms on February 28.

If you thought the COVID-19 pandemic would halt, or reverse, cord-cutting trends for MVPDs, think again.

While 40% of Americans still pay for cable services, a shift in viewing habits and streaming services is leading more consumers to say no to cable TV.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — A multimedia initiative that enables Members of Congress in cities where Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned stations have a local news department to speak directly to their constituents on a regular basis has returned.

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NEW YORK — Comcast-owned FreeWheel has officially launched a new Certified Partner Program.

Its purpose is to certify and organize buyers, sellers, data partners and technology partners within FreeWheel’s platform to create a more efficient and effective media supply chain for the TV ecosystem.

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Focal recently expanded its Alpha Evo studio monitor line with the new Alpha 80 Evo and Alpha Twin Evo powered monitors, joined by the additional debut of its Sub One subwoofer, designed for the Evo and Shape monitor lines.

Like the original Alpha 50 Evo and Alpha 65 Evo, released last year, the Alpha 80 Evo and Alpha Twin Evo are based around a Slatefiber cone, made by Focal in France from recycled carbon-fiber. Alpha 80 Evo and Alpha Twin Evo offer a new 1/4-inch (6.35 mm) TRS jack input, a user-disengageable automatic standby power mode and, on the Alpha 80 Evo, inserts for wall and ceiling mounting. The fully analog monitors are equipped with two class D amplifiers whose high-current capacity reportedly allows full control of signal dynamics.

The new monitors feature a 5/8-inch thick (15 mm) MDF cabinet and incorporate internal braces. The bass-reflex design, with a new larger cabinet vent, has been designed aiming to ensure acoustic integration in a variety of studio spaces. Offering integrated mounting points, the new Alpha Evo line can potentially be incorporated into an immersive mixing system.

The Alpha Twin Evo sports dual 6.5-inch Slatefiber woofers and a 1-inch Aluminum inverted dome Tweeter, while the Alpha 80 Evo has a 8-inch Slatefiber woofer and 1-inch Aluminum inverted dome Tweeter.

Meanwhile, the Sub One, with its 200 watts (RMS) amp, is intended for partnering with any of the monitor models from both the Alpha Evo and Shape powered monitor lines for a 2.1 system, as well as multi-monitor immersive sound setups. For the Sub One’s speaker drivers, Focal engineers have chosen double-skinned Slatefiber cones.

Currently shipping in North America, the three models have SRPs of Alpha 80 Evo $549 each ($1,098 a pair), Alpha Twin Evo $659 each ($1,318 a pair), and Sub One $999 each.

The post Focal Augments Alpha Evo Studio Monitor Line appeared first on Radio World.

What do the longtime Miami-based singer known for “Conga” and “Coming out of the Dark” and a longtime Inside the Beltway figure who once worked on antitrust litigation and merger reviews as an associate with Howrey LLP have in common?

Both have thoughts worthy enough for sharing at a House Judiciary Committee hearing conducted virtually on Wednesday morning. The subject: the American Music Freedom Act, which would implement a royalty payment scheme on top of what broadcast radio already pays for the right to play recorded music on its AM and FM stations.

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Of the witnesses that appeared in a virtual House Judiciary Committee hearing held Wednesday morning to debate the “American Music Freedom Act,” NAB Chairman/CEO Curtis Legeyt perhaps provided the most objective commentary as to why the proposed legislation is unjust and would impose financial burdens on radio stations of all sizes across the U.S.

In particular, Legeyt slammed the world’s recording industry goliaths for failing to come to the table after four years of opportunities to work with the NAB and broadcast radio in the U.S. on a “win-win” royalty scheme.

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The leader of CNN Worldwide has abruptly tendered his resignation, a decision largely tied to his revelation that he developed an improper relationship with his “closest colleague” — an individual he had worked with for more than two decades.

Jeff Zucker, the president of the entity that oversees CNN and CNN International, is out, effective immediately.

In an employee memo shared by CNN.com, Zucker said, “As part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo‘s tenure at CNN, I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I have worked with for more than 20 years. I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn’t. I was wrong. As a result, I am resigning today.”

While Zucker did not reveal the name of that longtime colleague, CNN reports that it is with Chief Marketing Officer Allison Gollust, who is remaining at CNN.

Gollust issued a memo of her own. She said, “Jeff and I have been close friends and professional partners for over 20 years. Recently, our relationship changed during COVID. I regret that we didn’t disclose it at the right time. I’m incredibly proud of my time at CNN and look forward to continuing the great work we do everyday.”

The memo was dispatched shortly after 11am Eastern, taking employees by surprise.

Shortly thereafter, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar sent an internal email to all at CNN stating that an interim leadership plan will be revealed shortly. “Both of these organizations are at the top of their respective games and are well prepared for their next chapters,” he said.

Zucker has been associated with CNN since 2013. He is widely known for his tenure at NBC, where he rose from a TODAY producer to network president.

Workbench explores how an Octopus can help you check components.

The FCC continues its recent explorations of how to improve EAS while, separately, a campaign is underway to encourage more countries to use Common Alerting Protocol.

Fred Baumgartner says ATSC 3.0 could be a radio content provider’s Holy Grail.

Thresa and Michael Gay offer a growing line of problem-solvers. And Dan Houg samples the joys of semi-retirement.

Read it here.

The post Inside the Feb. 2, 2022 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

It’s known for “Michigan’s Positive Hits,” with 21 radio signals across the Mitten State offering Worship Music to fans of the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) genre.

Now, it is agreeing to purchase the property and license associated with a Class A FM licensed to the city of West Branch.

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