Industry News

HOUSTON — A facility exchange agreement is in the works that sets the stage for a move of a Tropical-formatted Spanish-language operation branded as “La Calle.”

It involves Daij Media, and two religious broadcasting licensees.

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On the evening of November 15, 2020, outdoors enthusiast turned radio station owner Jamie McKibbin died in a boating accident near Tippecanoe, Ohio.

Now, the properties associated with his McKibbin Media Group are being transferred from his estate to his widow.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has selected an individual to serve in the newly created SVP/Innovation and System Strategies, effective Sept. 13.

He will be responsible for the development and implementation of a multi-faceted strategy to advance innovation and sustainability of public media through accelerating public media’s digital transformation.

Taking the role is Stacey Decker.

“Stacey is a strategic and creative thinker with more than two decades of innovative leadership in public media,” said Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of CPB. “He is a technology leader whose experience with broadcast technology, navigation, and communications systems was enhanced through five years of service in the U.S. Coast Guard. He will help CPB develop and create strategies and services to assist the public media industry in many areas, including implementing and leveraging the new Next Gen TV broadcast standard.”

For the last two years, Decker has served as president of Public Media Management, a media management and content distribution service, and chief technology officer at Signal Infrastructure Group, which builds and operates the physical and digital infrastructure to enable all broadcasters – commercial and public – to leverage the full power and revenue opportunities of ATSC 3.0.

From 2013 to 2019, Decker served as chief technology officer for WGBH in Boston, playing a key role in evolving the organization’s strategic planning, production, audience development, and technology direction. For 11 years before that, Decker held technology leadership roles for Nebraska Educational Telecommunication and South Dakota Public Broadcasting. He also served on the PBS Technical Advisory Committee from 2010 to 2016.

Between Clarksville and Jackson, Tenn. is the town of Camden, perhaps best-known as the closest municipality to the Patsy Cline plane crash memorial.

Camden is also home to an AM/FM combo and FM translator owned by an individual who recently passed away. Now, his stations are moving into a trust.

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Logitek Electronic Systems has moved its console manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas, to a new location a few blocks away.

The company had been in its previous location for about 20 years.

In its announcement, President Tag Borland said the prior plant was “analog only.”

“With our more efficient manufacturing methods and space-saving console designs that take up less room on the floor, combined with the fact that we haven’t been making VU meters for quite some time, we found that we could work just as well in a more streamlined space,” he said.

The company’s networkable AoIP products include the mixIT and Helix touchscreen-controlled consoles and the virtual console Helix Studio.

Its new address is 5403 Bissonnet Street, Suite B, Houston TX 77081. Phone numbers remain the same.

The post Logitek Moves to New Location appeared first on Radio World.

The National Association of Broadcasters has announced that #GALSNGEAR, in partnership with the NAB, will host the Emerging Leaders Women’s Career Accelerator program at the 2021 NAB Show in Las Vegas. The one-day program will take place Tuesday, Oct. 12 and include multiple networking opportunities and two leadership workshops.

#GALSNGEAR works to ensure women in media tech gain visibility at industry events, access to the latest technology, and high-level networking and educational opportunities.

[For More News on the NAB Show See Our NAB Show News Page]

“We’re excited to partner with NAB to bring our Women’s Career Accelerator to NAB Show, empowering emerging leaders ready to advance their careers in screen media,” said director/producer and #GALSNGEAR founder Amy DeLouise.

The first leadership workshop, titled “Elevate Your Leadership Effectiveness,” will use a personalized leadership assessment and breakout sessions to help participants identify their natural leadership style, strengths, challenges and priorities. A second workshop, “Propel Your Leadership Brand,” will explore how to engage and align a personal leadership brand in-person and across digital channels.

Check out the current schedule of events.

“#GALSNGEAR educational and networking events at NAB Show have consistently supported and amplified women in media, entertainment and technology,” said April Carty-Sipp, executive vice president, Industry Affairs at NAB. “The #GALSNGEAR Career Accelerator brings together a new generation of leaders gaining valuable professional skills to advance in their chosen careers. I’m even more thrilled to participate in the program this year and do my part to help empower and encourage women in this business.”

For more information visit 2021 NAB Show.

The post #GALSNGEAR Announces Program for 2021 NAB Show appeared first on Radio World.

In Central Florida, Mike McClain has gained national recognition as the SVP/GM of FOX O&O’s WOFL-35 and WRBW-65 in Orlando and WOGX-51 in Gainesville-Ocala.

Now, the FOX operation along the I-4 corridor is getting attention for its choice of a video software provider that will support its rollout of ATSC 3.0-based broadcast TV signals in the market.

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Shure says its latest podium mic, the Microflex MX415Dual, is aiming to be a standout with two condenser cartridges for “delivering reliable, high-quality audio for high-stake moments.” The dual elements allow for more than one feed, for instance, a house feed and a multbox or broadcast feed. Or if one fails or is damaged there is another to carry on.

The MX415 is mounted on a 15-inch gooseneck. It has a cardioid pattern though the cartridges are swappable with other Microflex cartridges of different patterns.

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

It outputs to twin 5-foot (1.5 meter) cables exiting from the bottom of mic, terminating in two TQG 4-pin female connectors that can connect to included in-line mic preamps with XLR connectors.

There is an integrated shockmount to minimize podium noise, foam windscreen and mesh ball grille along with communications RF shielding to go after mobile phone interference. It ships with mounting accessories.

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

Info: www.shure.com

The post Shure Intros Broadcast-Quality Podium Mic appeared first on Radio World.

LOS ANGELES — Earlier this month, the SXM-8 satellite completed in-orbit testing and was handed over to SiriusXM. 

It’s the ninth high-powered, digital, audio radio satellite built by Maxar Technologies for SiriusXM.

A 11th one is on the way.

Westminister, Colo.-based Maxar late Tuesday (8/24) announced it received an order to build another geostationary communications satellite for longtime customer SiriusXM.

And, it follows the SXM-9 satellite order that was announced earlier this month.

SXM-10 will be built on Maxar’s 1300-class platform at the company’s manufacturing facility in Palo Alto, Calif.

Maxar has been building satellites for SiriusXM for more than two decades, including the first-generation Sirius satellites launched in 2000, the second-generation Sirius satellites launched in 2009 and 2013, and the company’s third-generation satellites, the last one of which was launched earlier this year.

“We’re proud to continue this relationship for both SXM-9 and SXM-10,” said Chris Johnson, Maxar’s Senior Vice President of Space Programs Delivery.

— Adam R Jacobson

Nexstar Media Group is partnering up with the company behind a streaming video network that provides extensive coverage of sports betting by way of a just-signed multi-year agreement that will see the launch of what’s being billed as the nation’s first-ever diginet devoted to sports wagering and fantasy sports.

Beginning September 1, SportsGrid Network from SportsGrid Inc. will be distributed across nine digital subchannels licensed to Nexstar in nine major U.S. markets: San Francisco; Washington, D.C.; Tampa-St. Petersburg; Portland, Ore.; Nashville; Norfolk; Grand Rapids; Knoxville; and Des Moines.

SportsGrid considers itself to be the nation’s “first and only 24-hour sports wagering and fantasy sports program service.”

That said, it is in many ways a competitor to such established brands as DraftKings, BetQL and VSiN, bringing Nexstar into a highly active and burgeoning non-traditional revenue stream for both television and radio in the broadcast media space.

At present, SportsGrid’s content is distributed across over-the-air broadcast and cable television, connected Smart TVs, a variety of streaming platforms, mobile devices and on the internet. The new network is being added to recently vacated digital sub-channels licensed to Nexstar.

At its launch, SportsGrid Network will feature 18 hours of exclusive live original programming hosted by a team of on-air personalities, sports and gambling experts, and guest contributors, as well as a variety of pre-produced programming and encore presentations of the network’s most popular shows.

The network’s mission: to provide real-time sports news, data, analytics, and statistics to engage sports audiences whenever and wherever they choose. SportsGrid’s reporting and analytic platform includes daily odds, lines, matchups, injury reports, statistics, news, and more across the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, college sports, golf, tennis, and soccer.

SportsGrid’s live programming originates from television production facilities adjacent to Madison Square Garden in New York and at the SG Studios & Production Hub, across the Hudson River in the state of New Jersey.

SportsGrid was founded by President Louis Maione. He said, “Nexstar’s national reach across 199 owned or operated television stations in 116 markets throughout the U.S. is a great platform for distributing our content to fantasy sports fans and gamblers everywhere. This agreement provides both companies the opportunity to share content and to strategically expand the network to additional Nexstar markets.”

Sean Compton, the former radio industry executive who today is President of Nexstar’s Networks Division, commented, “Our nation is sports obsessed and we are delighted to deliver SportsGrid’s programming to address the rapidly growing interest in sports betting and fantasy sports. Distributing SportsGrid’s programming across digital subchannels in nine of our markets will enable us to connect with new audiences and continue expanding a new and fast growing revenue stream.”