Industry News

The pro-MVPD American Television Alliance (ATVA) on Friday filed brief reply comments in response to the FCC’s quadrennial review.

To perhaps little surprise, the group, which counts ACA Connects as a member, blasted broadcasters for having “largely repeated” old arguments in support of their desire to relax or eliminate the duopoly prohibition.

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The latest quarterly broadcast station totals have been released from the FCC.

And, when one compares the numbers to the end of the second quarter of 2021, one big takeaway is obvious: There are more than 150 fewer radio and TV stations licensed in the U.S. than on June 30.

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The company getting notice for its technology that empowers “dynamic visuals” to radio broadcasts has just signed up Cox Media Group as its latest clients.

Already, the company’s radio stations are using the Steve Newberry-led company’s patented web-based software to publish synched messages on vehicle dashboards.

The capabilities provided to such stations as Hot Talk WHPT “102.5 The Bone” in Sarasota/Tampa is courtesy of Quu Inc.

It uses “Visual Quus” to bring artist information, local promotions and, importantly, ads to the in-dash audio entertainment system. “Radio stations with Visual Quus offer a better user experience in the car and generate immediate incremental revenue by adding text, logos, and images to on-air advertisements,” Quu claims.

Quu CEO Newberry says, ”The opportunity for radio to use Visual Quus as a sales and marketing tool is huge — 80% of the cars on the road today can display text on the dash. We’re delighted that the innovative team at Cox Media Group has signed on as a long-term partner and look forward to evolving the future of our industry together.”

The year 2020 was a year like no other. A pandemic of global proportions coupled with a summer of activism brought on by social unrest and renewed questioning of the “status quo” resulted in a call to action as never before seen, at least not in our lifetime.

Brands are paying attention. Consumers are watching and listening to see how brands are reacting. Creative directors and media buyers are shifting greater focus and budget to better reach a more diverse audience and engage the same in marketing partnerships.

That’s why Forecast 2022 is poised to present 2021’s most provocative in-person conversation on the course of advertising — and what broadcast media leaders need to know.

Deborah Wahl, Global Chief Marketing Officer of General Motors, sits down with American Urban Radio Networks CEO Chesley Maddox-Dorsey for an exclusive conversation on GM marketing — how broadcast fits into its strategy, and what the major automotive company looks for in marketing partnerships. Wahl and Maddox-Dorsey also plan to discuss GM’s commitment to increasing minority media expenditures over the next few years.

They will be joined by Doug Ray, Chief Product Officer for Global Media at dentsu Americas.

Ray has been instrumental in the creation and launch of Project Booker, an initiative focused on African American- developed and -owned content that is being distributed on African American-owned radio and is leading the way in how the global media agency community is doing business with that minority-owned media. Ray will offer his agency perspective on a topic that has all of Madison Avenue rethinking and recasting their role in marketing to American consumers — and who those consumers are today.

Register now for Forecast 2022 and take advantage of early bird pricing. Registration includes admittance to the Broadcast Leadership Reception honoring the 2021 Top Radio and Television Leaders.

Always a great networking event, this year’s is even more important!

The Radio and Television Industry’s Financial Summit: Forecast brings together the best and brightest talent in broadcasting and advertising to forecast the coming year, and to discuss the trends and momentums that will affect ratings and revenue. From Washington to Wall Street, Forecast focuses on what’s ahead in the broadcast community’s future and how to prepare for its opportunities and challenges. Join today’s industry leaders and be part of the discussions and debates about what’s ahead for radio in 2022 and beyond.

Register today for Forecast 2022. The venue is small – demand is higher than usual – don’t be left out due to a sellout!

NOTE: The Harvard Club adheres to City of New York rules and regulations pertaining to COVID-19 vaccination. Please make your plans accordingly.

The number of FM translators and boosters in the United States continues to surge.

The latest quarterly raw numbers of the various types of broadcast licenses have been released by the Federal Communications Commission. There are now 8,771 translators and boosters, 5% more than just a year ago and 43% up from 10 years ago.

[Related: “NAB Lays Out Precarious Financial Position of Radio”]

Translators rebroadcast an FM or AM station signal on a different FM frequency. Boosters operate on the same FM frequency as the main station. The commission does not report the two individually, but the ongoing growth is certainly almost entirely in translators, not boosters, as various FCC policies over that period have tended to promote the expanded use of that type of signal.

The list below is as of Sept. 30, 2021, and compares the number of stations to the same time last year.

AM Stations — 4,519 (down 41 stations from a year ago)
FM Commercial — 6,682 (down 22)
FM Educational — 4,211 (up 15)
Total — 15,412 (down 48)

Other:
FM Translators and Boosters — 8,771 (up 432 from a year ago)
Low-Power FM Stations — 2,081 (down 62)

 

The post Surge in FM Translators Continues appeared first on Radio World.

National Radio of the Amazon plans to use DRM shortwave transmissions to serve indigenous populations in the northern Amazon region, according to the Digital Radio Mondiale Consortium.

Public broadcaster Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) ordered a 100 kW BT transmitter to broadcast in DRM at 11,780 kHz in the 25-meter band, a shortwave channel used by Rádio Nacional da Amazônia.

The purchase, valued at about $650,000 USD, was the result of an auction held a year ago for purchase of equipment for EBC public radio broadcasts.

This is believed to be the first domestic DRM installation on a locally produced transmitter in Latin America.

“At the end of last year, Nacional da Amazônia carried out tests with the DRM technology using a transmitter of 2.5 kW with the digital power of just 1 kW,” the consortium stated in a press brief.

“EBC demonstrated then, for the first time in the country, the use of multi-programming and the transmission of interactive multimedia applications. Despite this low power of the transmitter supplied by BT Transmitters, recordings were reported from different regions of the country and even from North America and Europe.”

 

The post DRM Shortwave Will Serve Amazon Region appeared first on Radio World.

An individual who has served as an in-house marketing expert for NBCUniversal Local‘s local business initiatives has been promoted to VP of Marketing for the NBCUniversal division.

She’ll be in charge of leading the creative marketing efforts for OTT spaces as NBC and Telemundo Owned Stations continue to expand originally produced programming across multiple platforms.

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Benjamin L. Homel has moved forward with the sale of another FM radio station serving a far northern portion of New York’s Adirondack Region.

For the majority of radio industry professionals, Mr. Homel is better known as one of the most colorful leaders of the last 25 years: Randy Michaels.

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Quu Inc. announced that Cox Media Group will use its web-based software to publish messages on vehicle dashboards from its 54 radio stations in 10 cities.

“These messages, called Visual Quus, are paired with station and client on-air content like artist information, local promotions and ads,” the software company said in its announcement.

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

“Radio stations with Visual Quus offer a better user experience in the car and generate immediate incremental revenue by adding text, logos, and images to on-air advertisements.”

[Related: “Bonneville Signs on With Quu”]

The announcement was made by Quu CEO Steve Newberry and Cox Media Group Digital Audience Development Manager Zac Morgan. Newberry noted that 80% of the cars on the road now can display text on the dash.

Quu says CMG signed a multiyear agreement.

Beasley Media Group is among Quu’s investors. Watch a Quu promo video.

Send news for Who’s Buying What to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post Cox Will Use Visual Quus appeared first on Radio World.

Tom Troland has gained attention in recent years for his partnership with Michael Mallace and for his role as the head of RedRock Media Group, the entity that wished to spin an Oldies FM in Grand Junction, Colo., to the owner of a local daily newspaper.

Today, Troland is in the news for his decision to shed an FM translator serving the popular outdoor enthusiast hub of Moab, Utah.

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