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Industry News

Poland Opens Tender for National DAB+ Programs

Radio World
3 years 4 months ago

As 2021 came to a close, KRRiT, the Polish broadcasting regulator, announced plans to tender licenses for a nationwide DAB+ multiplex. The multiplex would support a dozen channels.

According to the KRRiT’s announcement, three of the channels will be reserved for public service broadcaster Polskie Radio’s national channels; three will be for nationwide extension of existing program services; and the remaining six will be for new or extended “broadcasting licenses of a universal or specialized nature.” The announcement was made in Polish on Dec. 29.

[Read More of Our Coverage of Radio Around the World]

According to wirtualnemedia.pl, the licenses for three existing services are expected to go to private broadcasters RMF FM and Radio Zet, as well as to the religious station Radio Maryja. All three stations currently are heard nationwide on FM. The six other slots could go to other regional or local broadcasters, or to new players in the industry.

Polskie Radio currently operates DAB+ multiplexes reaching about 67 percent of the nation’s population, although it aims to expand this to 80 percent of the population in early 2022. The three slots on the new national multiplex could expand the reach of existing Polskie Radio programs or could be used for new services, according to wirtualnemedia.pl.

The post Poland Opens Tender for National DAB+ Programs appeared first on Radio World.

T. Carter Ross

Mediacom OKs Paducah Carriage Deal

Radio+Television Business Report
3 years 4 months ago

It’s the No. 5 MVPD by size in the U.S. It also sells advertising and production services under the OnMedia brand.

Now, this cable television service provider has a freshly inked carriage agreement in place with the owner of the NBC affiliate serving an area of Kentucky recently battered by fierce twisters.

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Adam Jacobson

Borneman Puts A Shamrock Back in His Work Life

Radio+Television Business Report
3 years 4 months ago

From 1989 through 2012, he was widely known for his sales roles and leadership of the AM and FM radio stations once owned by ABC Radio serving the New York Tri-State Area. He’d later join WOR-AM in New York as Station Manager before taking a post with Times-Shamrock Communications in the Poconos.

Now, there’s a Shamrock back in Steve Borneman‘s professional life.

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Adam Jacobson

A New, Bigger LPTV Grab for Gray Television

Radio+Television Business Report
3 years 4 months ago

Thirteen days ago, RBR+TVBR was first to share the news that Gray Television had agreed to purchase a low-power TV construction permit and five fully built LPTVs from the licensee led by Jeff Winemiller.

It is now known that this transaction was just a taste of bigger trading to come between the Gray and Winemiller’s Lowcountry 34 Media.

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Adam Jacobson

Telos Releases V2.0 Software for Infinity

Radio World
3 years 4 months ago

“This update offers a free, updated version of Infinity’s Dashboard software, enhanced compatibility options, and includes firmware for Infinity panels, desktop stations and beltpacks,” the company announced.

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

VP of Business Development and Infinity Product Director Martin Dyster was quoted: “Infinity has always been plug-and-play due to the design principles inherited from its Livewire+ AES67 heritage, but these v2.0 integration enhancements open up new possibilities for users and make it easier to control Infinity using the broadcaster’s preferred method.”

The update makes Infinity Dashboard Software free for all Infinity users, eliminating a licensing scheme and giving users access to Dashboard’s full feature set.

It also makes Infinity hardware systems compatible wi5th the new Telos Infinity VIP Virtual Intercom Platform. “By adding seamless integration of Infinity VIP with the hardware-based Infinity IP Intercom system, users have a wide range of deployment options for diverse applications; whether on-prem, site-to-site, in the cloud or as a hybrid of these.”

Telos said Axia users also will find the update useful because it contains enhanced integration with the new Axia Quasar AoIP Mixing Consoles. And integration with Elgato Stream Deck is included, making it easier to control the intercom system with that third-party device.

The free download is available via the Infinity portal.

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

The post Telos Releases V2.0 Software for Infinity appeared first on Radio World.

RW Staff

Kansas Broadcaster Enters Consent Decree

Radio World
3 years 4 months ago

A Kansas broadcaster has agreed to a consent decree with the Federal Communications Commission that will allow the licensee to renew several of its stations’ licenses and to reassign one FM station to a different entity.

But the consent decree also includes a $7,000 civil penalty that the broadcaster must file before Jan. 1, 2022.

In a Memorandum Opinion and Order issued by the Audio Division of the Media Bureau, the bureau reminded Rocking M Media that FCC rules require broadcast stations to adhere to minimum operating requirements. And in cases where limited or discontinued operation has taken place, the licensee must request special temporary authorization to be permitted to be quiet longer than 30 days.

In addition, any station that is silent for 12 consecutive months will automatically forfeit its license, unless the commission is involved with extending or reinstating the station’s license.

[See Our Business and Law Page]

Rocking M Media filed six renewal applications, as required, before the stations’ licenses were set to expire on June 1, 2021. At the time, Rocking M revealed that each station had been off the air for substantial periods without an STA, although none of the stations had been silent for 12 consecutive months, the broadcaster said.

In 2020, Audio Division Chief Albert Shuldiner sent an inquiry letter after learning that some of the Rocking M stations might be silent without authority. Soon after, Rocking M filed a request for and was granted STAs for a six-month period.

The licensee also acknowledged periods of silence without authority, which it attributed to eviction from the stations’ shared studio location, a failed multistation sale, financial difficulties, and inadvertence by its manager and a contract engineer.

As part of its research, the bureau compiled a chart listing the dates and percent of time the stations were off the air — including the amount of time the station was off the air without an STA. According to the Media Bureau, time spent off the air during the discussed time period ranged from a low of 8 percent to a high of 38 percent. When it came to operating without an STA, one station was off the air 25 percent during that time period, adding up to a total of 329 days.

As part of the order, the bureau and the licensee adopted a consent decree that resolves issues related to the station’s failure to receive an STA. The bureau also agreed to a reassignment application that would grant the KKGQ(FM) renewal application to Pinnacle Media LLC.

The bureau also found that for those stations with a significant record of silence during its past license term — which included KKLE(AM), KIBB(FM), KLEY(AM), KVWF(FM), KWME (FM) and translator K262CQ — the FCC would only agree to renew the license for a one-year term due to a “record of failing to serve the public during [the stations’] substantial periods of silence,” the bureau said.

The bureau, however, concluded that the licensee still possesses the basic qualifications to be a commission licensee. As a result, Rocking M agreed to pay a civil penalty of $7,000 to finalize the consent decree.

The post Kansas Broadcaster Enters Consent Decree appeared first on Radio World.

Susan Ashworth

Late Renewal Could Cost Arizona Station $3,000

Radio World
3 years 4 months ago

An AM station in Arizona is experiencing first-hand what happens when a licensee fails to file a license renewal application on time.

Sonora Broadcasting was required to file a license renewal application for KAPR(AM) in Douglas, Ariz., on June 1, 2021, which was a full four months before the license was to expire. According to the FCC Media Bureau, the application was not filed until five days before the license was set to expire on Oct 1, 2021. According to the bureau, Sonora did not give a reason for the late filing.

[See Our Business and Law Page]

The commission’s Forfeiture Policy Statement establishes a base forfeiture of $3,000 for failing to file a required form, although the bureau may adjust that amount depending on the facts of the case.

While Sonora failed to file its application on time, the bureau said the broadcaster has not committed any other serious violations of FCC rules and did (albeit without explanation, according to the bureau) file the application before the Oct. 1 deadline.

As a result, the bureau notified Sonora it is now liable for a $3,000 forfeiture and must pay the full amount within 30 days. Within that same time period, the broadcaster also has the right to request in writing a reduction or cancellation of the proposed forfeiture.

The post Late Renewal Could Cost Arizona Station $3,000 appeared first on Radio World.

Susan Ashworth

Arkansas Licensee Faces $17,500 Forfeiture

Radio World
3 years 4 months ago

A station licensee faces a $17,500 monetary forfeiture after discontinuing operation of its station and translator without permission and for failing to upload items to its online public inspection file on time.

In January 2020, Southfield, Mich.-based Birach Broadcasting Corp. filed a license renewal application for KTUV(AM) in Little Rock, Ark., and its FM translator, K260DT. At the time, Birach certified that there had been no violations during the license term and that the stations had not been silent for any period longer than 30 days. The licensee also said the stations were currently on the air.

On March 6, 2020, due to what it called “catastrophic failure of its transmitter,” KTUV and K260DT went silent. FCC rules require radio stations to notify the commission within 10 days of temporarily discontinuing operations and must obtain commission authorization to stay silent longer than 30 days.

But an objection filed by an individual on May 20, 2020, revealed the stations were apparently still off the air. Birach balked at the objection, saying that although K260DT was silent, “requests for silent authority are on file.” And while Birach filed requests for a special temporary authority for its stations, those STAs were filed after the initial objection was filed.

The FCC Media Bureau reiterated in its Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture that Birach did not have the authority to remain silent between April 6 (a month after the transmitter failure) and May 22 when it filed the STA. KTUV resumed operations on July 29, 2020, and K260DT on Sept. 25, 2020.

[See Our Business and Law Page]

Among the missteps here: Birach should have notified the FCC of the discontinued operations by March 17, 2020, and it should have filed STAs for each station by April 5. As a result, the bureau found that Birach willfully and repeatedly violated FCC rules.

In a separate incident, the bureau also found KTUV failed to properly maintain its online public inspection file — specifically by failing to upload on time its issues/programs list for 2018, as well as lists for the first and fourth quarters of 2019. In addition, the bureau found several issues/programs lists were missing, including the third quarter of 2020 as well as the first, second and third quarters of 2021.

The bureau also noted that Birach failed to provide accurate and complete information to its pending application. FCC rules state that within 30 days, an applicant must update a pending application if information is no longer accurate. In this case, the application was filed on Jan. 29, 2020, and remains pending. As a result, Birach should have amended its application — and it did not do so.

The bureau moved to propose a monetary forfeiture for each of the licensee’s apparent violations of allowing two stations to remain silent for two-and-a-half months without authorization, failing to update its pending application and failing to upload on time its issues/program lists for KTUV.

As a result, the bureau proposed a total forfeiture of $17,500. At the same time, the bureau did not find the violations serious enough to warrant an evidentiary hearing that could potentially impact approval of Birach’s application renewals. Given the importance of keeping a radio station’s online public files updated, however, the bureau said the application grant is conditioned on Birach submitting a report regarding KTUV’s compliance with public file requirements.

Birach has 30 days to pay the full amount or file a written statement seeking reduction or cancellation.

The post Arkansas Licensee Faces $17,500 Forfeiture appeared first on Radio World.

Susan Ashworth

‘El Patrón’ Returns To Atlanta Airwaves

Radio+Television Business Report
3 years 4 months ago

When it comes to serving Spanish-speaking audiences in Atlanta, iHeartMedia has worked hard to attract them against such local competitors as Davis Broadcasting Inc. Over the years, this has seen signal swaps, and format changes — including the May 2020 decision to simulcast Latin Pop WBZY-FM 105.7 “Z105.7,” following that station’s April 2020 move from 105.3 MHz.

Now, iHeart is re-entering a direct format battle with Davis by taking WBZY’s simulcast partner and returning to regional Mexican after a little more than three years.

As of Saturday (1/1/2022), WRDG-FM 96.7 in Union City, Ga., is now “El Patrón 96.7.”

The format? Banda, Norteño and Rancheras, putting its mix of music from such artists as Grupo Firme, La Adictiva Banda San Jose de Mesillas, Calibre 50, Los Dos Carnales, Banda MS and Christian Nodal against DBI’s genre-leading WLKQ-FM “La Raza.”

Serving as Program Director for El Patrón is Z105.7 PD Orlando Rosa. He says, “With the rapidly growing Hispanic population in Atlanta, as well as emerging musical tastes, this move puts us in a position to super-serve all of our Hispanic listeners, advertisers and the community.”

The lineup features Adrian Martinez in overnights, Rico Hernandez from 6am-Noon, Gina Ulmos from Noon-6pm and Luis Treviño from 6pm to midnight.

For iHeart, memories of the original “El Patrón” could benefit the company in luring listeners to the reincarnated offering. On Nov. 26, 2006, WBZY-FM 105.3 took on the branding and regional Mexican format. Twelve years later, iHeart scrapped “El Patrón,” bringing the “Z” brand to the market.

With the shift of “Z” to a different frequency and continued shifts in the market dynamics, regional Mexican listeners now a new choice — one iHeart hopes opens up more marketing and advertising opportunities in 2022.

Adam Jacobson

National EAS Test Showed Improvement, FCC Says

Radio World
3 years 4 months ago

The nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System last August showed improvement over the previous test in 2019, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

“Receipt and retransmission rates increased, while reported monitored source complications markedly decreased,” it stated in a new report.

But the commission said technical glitches that did occur highlight the importance of those EAS stations that are monitored by many others.

“It is critically important that those EAS participants that are widely monitored use testing to ensure their EAS equipment is in reliable working order.”

Some key data points from the report:

The national test message reached 89.3% of EAS participants, up from 82.5% two years ago. Its overall retransmission success rate was 87.1%, up from 79.8%. Seven Primary Entry Point stations experienced technical complications, fewer than last time. And test participants reported roughly half as many complications with receipt and retransmission this time around.

The FCC concluded: “As observed in 2019, the system would largely perform as designed, and it would reach the vast majority of the public, if activated without the availability of the internet.”

That last phrase is important because this particular test — performed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in coordination with the FCC — used only the broadcast-based distribution system, the so-called “EAS daisy chain,” and did not involve the internet-based IPAWS system. The goal was to check the system’s capability to deliver messages in event that the internet path was not available.

DIGGING INTO DETAILS

The FCC said the large majority of EAS participants reported successful receipt and retransmission. There are more than 25,000 EAS participants, including radio and TV stations, cable TV systems, direct broadcast satellite, SiriusXM, digital audio broadcasting systems and wireline video systems.

Where problems did arise, they involved equipment configuration, performance issues, audio quality, alerting source issues and clock errors. Audio quality issues were the most frequently reported on receipt. The test “shed light on challenges that impeded the ability of some EAS participants to receive and/or retransmit the test alert.”

There are 76 Primary Entry Point stations in the country; seven reported technical complications this time compared to 12 in 2019.

“We believe it is reasonable to infer that these improvements in PEP stations’ performance significantly contributed to the marked increases in receipt and retransmission rates,” the FCC concluded. “Additionally … many 2021 PEP complications resulted in low audio rather than total failure to transmit the nationwide test.”

The PEP stations with problems were in North Carolina, Michigan, Kentucky, Florida, Virginia and American Samoa. Premiere Networks, a satellite-based PEP station that is monitored in several states, also transmitted no audio.

Of those seven PEPs, three relayed low audio; two relayed no audio. One PEP was hit by lightning immediately prior to the test, and another had a communications issue and did not receive the test.

FEMA told the FCC it is taking measures to improve PEP performance. “In particular, FEMA is continuing its work with SECCs in several states to conduct state-level tests on a monthly basis and station-level tests on a weekly basis through the PEP stations.”

Among non-PEP stations, the number of reported problems “significantly declined.”

SECC representatives in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Kansas and Washington did report some local broadcast distribution chain issues.

In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the issues were specific to one widely monitored source in each state that experienced equipment configuration issues on test day. “Each station engineer reports to have fixed the issue.”

In Georgia, the southern portion of the state relies on intermediary sources like local primaries and state relays to receive the test message. On test day, the FCC said, a state relay experienced a technical issue that disrupted transmission of the alert to parts of southern Georgia. The SECC reports that the issue has been fixed.

In Kansas, one widely monitored EAS participant received the alert from Premiere Networks and as a result retransmitted an alert that lacked audio. This participant was monitored by 41 others, of which 32 reported also retransmitting an alert that lacked audio.

In Washington, the SECC reported that several stations in the eastern part of the state received and retransmitted an alert message with low, and at times, no audio.

Some other findings:

-The overall participation rate of 75.3% was down from 78.6% in 2019. Radio broadcasters had a participation rate of 79.9%, down from 82%.

-The number of stations that apparently don’t know what participant type they are has increased. (Participant types include national primary, state primary, state relay and local primaries 1 and 2.) “Test participants need to better understand their role in the EAS and there is still room for improvement in this regard,” the FCC found.

-There were 2,550 test participants on receipt and 1,506 on retransmission that said their stations did not receive the alert due to audio quality complications. “Many test participants reported background noise, only tones and no message, and/or unintelligible audio.”

-There were 389 test participants that reported equipment performance issues on receipt and 565 on retransmission involving non-working equipment that required returning equipment to the manufacturer. “Participants cited that the equipment simply was out for repair, failed during the test, was missing or malfunctioned.”

-Participation by low-power broadcasters is an area of concern. Low-power stations are required to broadcast the alert, though not required to have equipment capable of generating the EAS codes and Attention Signal.  The commission had made an effort to improve low-power radio and TV participation, reaching out to offer targeted resources including a webinar just for them. Yet LPFM participation in the test was 49.5%, much lower than that of radio overall and down from 2019’s LPFM participation rate of 55.9%. Similarly, LPTV participation (47.4%) was lower than that of TV broadcasters overall and lower than 2019’s participation rate. Of the 3,700 or so radio broadcasters that were expected to file but failed to do so, more than 28% were LPFMs; and of the 1,500 or so television broadcasters that were expected to file but didn’t, almost 70% were LPTVs.

NEXT STEPS

For more details, see the full EAS report.

The commission reminded EAS participants that they can reduce complications by redundant monitoring. “We continue to emphasize the importance of multiple monitoring sources as required by our rules. We also recommend that stations located far from PEP stations consider the viability, technically and otherwise, of satellite sources of the broadcast alert, such as NPR Squawk Channel, Premiere Networks and SiriusXM.”

The FCC also  noted that it has launched a proceeding to improve the accessibility of visual content for alerts that are distributed via the EAS protocol and to explore other possible changes in the EAS system. “We encourage parties with an interest in these issues to submit comments in this proceeding in PS Docket 15-94.”

It also said it will continue to tweak the online forms that stations and others must fill out after a national test. It will explore how to use state EAS plan data to streamline and improve the accuracy of those ETRS filings “such as by educating EAS participants of their EAS designations and better ensuring that they monitor their assigned alerting sources.”

It said it will work with state emergency communications committees to help ensure that state EAS plans, which must be updated by July 5, 2022, assign monitoring sources to participants that ensure redundancy and coverage for areas that have difficulty receiving broadcast signals.

And “EAS participants can address some deficiencies with more education, continued training and improved communication with other broadcasters and their SECC to better understand their role and obligations as a participant in the EAS,” the FCC wrote.

“We encourage EAS participants to use this process to ensure their EAS equipment is in reliable working order, confirm that they are monitoring appropriate sources, and verify that the audio level of the alert is correct. Specifically, it is critically important that those EAS participants that are widely monitored use testing to ensure their EAS equipment is in reliable working order.”

It said participants that fail to receive an alert or note any issues during a scheduled test “should work swiftly and closely with their SECC to identify why and take all necessary steps for corrective action.”

The bureau separately released a report on the nationwide test of Wireless Emergency Alerts that was conducted the same day. It said the WEA test “demonstrates that, on the whole, WEA generally is performing reliably but there is room for improvement.” Many mobile devices erroneously received a duplicate nationwide WEA test message, it wrote, “and there may be opportunities to improve WEA’s reliability.” (Read the full WEA report.)

The post National EAS Test Showed Improvement, FCC Says appeared first on Radio World.

Paul McLane

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