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An organization that wants to build a low-power FM radio station in Hazleton, Pa., has failed to convince the FCC to overturn the rejection of the application.

The FCC Media Bureau originally dismissed the application of Aire Broadcasting Foundation, filed during the 2023 LPFM window. Aire sought to broadcast on 94.5 FM but the commission said it would violate second-adjacent channel spacing requirements in respect to 94.1 WQKX, a Class B signal licensed to Sunbury.

The Local Community Radio Act authorizes the commission to waive second-adjacent spacing requirements if  an applicant specifically requests a waiver in its application and demonstrates that its facilities would not result in interference to any authorized radio service.

Aire did not submit a waiver at first. It attempted to amend its application on Jan. 9, saying its engineer had made a mistake, but this was during a filing freeze for amendments to LPFM applications. When the freeze ended Aire filed a petition to seek reinstatement of its application and a waiver of the second-adjacent requirement. Aire argued that the signal would not cause interference, citing a corrected engineering exhibit.

But the commission now has upheld its decision.

It said Aire had not shown justification for a waiver, and it pointed out that the procedure notice published in advance of the application window made clear that an application that failed to protect authorizations, applications and vacant FM allotments would be “dismissed with no opportunity to correct the deficiency.”

The commission also said errors by “technical assistants” are not an excuse for failure to adhere to the rules. And it said that permitting someone to file requests to waive separation requirements after the close of the window and dismissal of their application would be “unfair to the many applicants who fully complied with the rules and filing requirements, and is therefore, contrary to the public interest.”

Thus, Aire Broadcasting Foundation’s petition that the FCC reconsider its Hazleton LPFM application was denied. (Read the decision.)

According to its application, the organization wanted a station that would focus on environmental stewardship, health and wellness, community affairs, media literacy and other local interests.

[Related: FCC Rejects Proposed LPFM Coastal Weather Network]

The post Applicant Fails to Secure an LPFM in Hazleton, Pa. appeared first on Radio World.

Just days before the end of 2023, under a federal court order, the FCC approved on a 3-2 party-line vote its 2018 Quadrennial Order. While radio station ownership rules were largely untouched, the FCC’s prohibition on owning more than one top-four full-power network station in a DMA not only continued but now extends to digital multicast channels and low-power television stations.

The nation’s No. 1 owner of over-the-air television stations has now responded by suing the Commission.

 

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Three top cable television networks have won an exemption from the FCC’s audio description rules applicable to the top five national non-broadcast networks.

Why? It has everything to do with the lack of non-live programming in prime-time.

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David Gow has signed off on an Asset Purchase Agreement that will give his FM translator business ownership of two facilities serving one of Texas’ largest markets with ESPN Radio programming simulcast from a 100kw Class C FM serving the Beaumont-Port Arthur market.

 

 

One of the FM translators he seeks to acquire, pending FCC approval, is K223CW at 92.5 MHz in Houston, a miniscule 28-watt facility with a construction permit allowing it to serve an area stretching from downtown Houston to NRG Stadium. Now, SDK Franco LLC is agreeing to sell it along with K223DH, a co-channel FM translator with 50 watts that reaches communities such as Fresno, Tex., and nearby Sugar Land.

This secures their use as simulcast partners of KFNC-FM 97.5 in Mont Belvieu, Tex., the originating station for “ESPN Houston.”

Karen Guevara, who leads SDK Franco and purchased K223CW from Centro Cristiana in early 2020, stands to pocket $1.1 million from the deal. A $300,000 retainer paid allowing Gow to operate the FM translators is being applied to the total price.

The remaining $800,000 is to be honored by a promissory note, with payments of $30,000 made across 10 months followed by a wire transfer of the remaining $500,000.

Serving as the legal counsel for Gow Translators LLC is Barry Friedman of Thompson Hine LLP.

It’s a move designed to rapidly clear away one’s debts, and the pre-petition receiver of the radio stations formerly licensed to Ed Stolz‘s Royce International Broadcasting wants the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Nevada to make it.

Larry Patrick wants Stolz’s case converted from Chapter 13 to Chapter 7. It’s a request that comes in response to Stolz’s recent sale of property in Rancho Mirage, Calif., during the pendency of his bankruptcy case — bringing him more than $1 million in proceeds.

 

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Source: WCMU website/Mark Brown

A fire has destroyed a transmitter building serving WCMU Public Media, knocking off the air one of its FM signals and one of its TV stations. It may take months to get them back up.

Licensed to Central Michigan University, the organization serves the central and northern parts of the state. The fire Wednesday took down the signals of 92 kW FM station WCML on 91.7 and its TV station WCML Channel 6. The stations are licensed to Alpena and serve Atlanta, Mich.

“We anticipate it may take several months to restore full service to northeast Lower Michigan,” the organization posted on its website.

“WCMU’s commitment to northeast Michigan remains strong,” it wrote in the post. It said the cause of the fire was unknown.

“While we work to restore our broadcast services in the region over the coming weeks and months, we will continue to bring you news and information from the northeast Lower Peninsula and all of Michigan. WCMU will remain northeast Lower Michigan’s NPR and PBS station.”

Listeners in that area can hear the FM station on its website, on its app, on TuneIn and on smart speakers. The TV content is still available to cable and satellite viewers, and to online and app viewers.

In total WCMU Public Media has four television and eight radio stations. Fred Bennett is the acting director of engineering.

The fire also resulted in a loss of service to WCMW 103.9 in Harbor Springs, Mich., but that signal was returned to the air early Thursday morning.

The post WCMU Loses a Transmitter Building to Fire appeared first on Radio World.

“We remain focused on building out our TiVo OS footprint as well as accelerating the deployment of our TiVo Video-over-Broadband and DTS AutoStage solutions.”

That’s the pledge from Xperi Chief Executive Officer Jon Kirchner delivered as the parent of those TV and radio brands, in addition to HD Radio, discussed his company’s Q4 2023 and full-year results — its first as a standalone public company. “Our outlook for fiscal year 2024 indicates the progress we are making toward increased profitability, improved cash flow, and achieving our three-year targets for Xperi’s independent media platforms,” Kirchner said.

The bottom line: Xperi lowered its Q4 net loss significantly, with revenue up year-over-year.

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What’s it like to run radio stations in a marketplace where many on Madison Avenue may be wholly unfamiliar with the region, due to its small market size?

In this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, we chat with Chris Hayes, the Operations Manager for what is now called Zimmer Marketing — an agency and radio station owner — in Joplin, Mo., to learn how “Joplin Radio” has changed over his 33 years in the industry to best deliver on its primary focus: bringing results to its clients in this corner of Southwestern Missouri.

 

Dielectric will use the NAB Show to introduce a load solution that features closed-loop cooling. It says the purpose is to protect RF system components from failures that can cause harm to a transmission system and shelter. 

It calls Optiload environmentally friendly and says it will help reduce costs.

The system uses programmable logic controls (PLCs) to sense rising RF power and temperature levels, awakening the system to take action, according to the company. Its PLCs also monitor the health of the demand-driven circulator pumps and fans that are activated to address RF flow and temperature rises.

The design includes a Dielectric water column load used as a building block. The company adds a heat exchanger responsive to PLC activations. The water column load can run without coolant flow or fans activated with powers up to 5 kW. This ensures headroom when RF is detected and the coolant and fans start to operate prior to the load seeing 5 kW.

The SNMP-enabled system is centralized to a compact cabinet with wheels that can be located in the corner and moved to a new space in a facility as transmission systems are redesigned. SNMP functionality allows the transmitter to do a daily handshake; if it doesn’t occur the station will be notified to prevent failures.

NAB Show Booth: W3333

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

The post Dielectric Introduces OptiLoad appeared first on Radio World.

Peter Skiera

Former Como Audio GM and VP of Product Development Peter Skiera is continuing his effort to keep the internet radios made by the defunct manufacturer operational.

Como Audio shut down in March 2023, with its customers being left without product support. Skiera stepped in to try to fill the void, but to keep Como Audio internet radios fully functional he needs to negotiate a deal with Frontier Silicon, whose internet radio portal is used by the devices.

In an email to Como users who subscribe (free and paid) to Skiera’s Patreon page, he said, “Frontier has confirmed their annual fee is to continue providing internet radio service in general, not just My Favorites and the portal as we were originally led to believe. They’ve also confirmed they won’t accept any payments directly from end users (you), but only from the brands (the makers of internet radios),” he wrote.

“The fee for one year of service for Como Audio music systems is $4,000. This will maintain internet radio service, including My Favorites and the portal, for all Solos, Duettos, Musicas and Amicos for 12 months starting April 1, 2024.”

Here’s the problem: “Como doesn’t exist and therefore has no way to pay the $4k on behalf of its customers,” wrote Skiera.

“Thankfully, Frontier has reconsidered my offer to represent Como Audio and collect the collective fee from Como customers, providing their attorneys don’t object, since I’m not Como Audio. Frontier will send me a contract to sign when they’ve finished crafting it.”

But to keep Como Audio internet radios fully functional, Skiera said he has “to come up with $4,000 before April 1, which is when Frontier wants the full payment by.”

He currently has a total of 193 Elite and Super Elite members and asked for contributions. He said that if all contribute, it would average about $21 per person.

Skiera said Frontier told him that if he can cover the cost, all Como radios will continue as normal for the next year, but that if he cannot, the service will be terminated on April 1. “Like it or not, we’re all in this together,” he wrote.

The post Skiera Continues Effort to Save Como Internet Radios appeared first on Radio World.

With the failed merger acquisition by Standard General, with Apollo Global Management’s involvement, some 10 months in the past, capital return commitment and sustained shareholder returns are among the many investor benefits TEGNA CEO Dave Lougee is touting, as the broadcast TV station owner said it will again see a down quarter once the first three months of 2024 conclude.

 

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After one year as a Local Sales Manager for Hearst Television in Sacramento, a veteran broadcast media sales pro is returning to the lower San Joaquin Valley to serve as General Manager of American General Media‘s radio stations.

Taking the position is Billy Smith, who is exiting KCRA-3 and KQCA-58 in Sacramento, where he’s been since March 2023. Before that, he served as Director of Sales for News-Press & Gazette Co. in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Smith’s prior roles include serving as Sales Manager for Spectrum Reach, and as a Marketing Director for iHeartMedia predecessor Clear Channel Radio.

From September 2015 through the end of 2017, Smith was in Bakersfield, as LSM of KERO-23, the ABC affiliate.

While Smith is returning to the market, he’s also going back to his roots by rejoining AGM — he was an Account Executive for the company between October 2002 and August 2011.

Today, Smith report to AGM Regional Manager Rich Watson, who commented, “We were very lucky to have several excellent and well qualified candidates for this rare opening. Billy stood out among those candidates because of his passion for our business along with his experience both in Bakerfield and outside the market. This station group has a deep tradition of dominant audience share, offering highly creative marketing products to our clients, and a commitment to serving Bakersfield and all the communities of Kern County.”

AGM President Rogers Brandon added, “Billy got his start in broadcasting with our Bakersfield station group as an Account Executive 20 years ago. Since leaving our company, he has had several management positions and has evolved as a skilled manager and an innovative leader. It’s always gratifying when someone of Billy’s skillset rejoins the company; he knows our culture, our mission, and our vision for serving our community.”

 

The nation’s No. 1 audio content creation and distribution company early Thursday reported its financial results for the final quarter of last year. And, like other broadcast media companies, iHeartMedia saw its share of struggles.

The dip in revenue, along with a significant decline in year-over-year net income, led the company to register a $1.1 billion net loss for the full year of 2023, widening a full-year net loss seen in 2022.

Yet, it was a better-than-expected fourth quarter for iHeartMedia, and that’s the key takeaway when looking closely at its performance.

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The Chief Legal Officer and EVP of Legal and Regulatory Affairs at the NAB has made it clear that the FCC should reject a proposal that would require multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) to notify the Commission when a broadcast signal is “blacked out” for 24 hours or more due to a retransmission consent impasse.

In an ex parte filing, Rick Kaplan and his legal team at the association representing America’s broadcast television stations rejected the plan, which would see notifications made using a FCC-hosted database.

As the NAB sees it, the proposal “exceeds the FCC’s very limited authority relating to retransmission consent” under the Commission’s rules, while the proposed requirements “also do not fit within the FCC’s authority to regulate the customer service or public interest obligations of certain MVPDs.”

Moreover, Kaplan adds, “because the proposed requirements do not appear to serve any discernible purpose, they would violate the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.”

Lastly, the NAB contends that “given that much of the pay TV industry’s advocacy before
Congress and the Commission is entirely dependent upon highlighting (i.e., generating)
disputes with broadcasters, NAB anticipates that the creation of this database will, if anything, incentivize more retransmission consent impasses, rather than reducing them.”

More from the RBR+TVBR Archives:

Rosenworcel Seeks To Thrust FCC Into TV’s Retrans Battle

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FCC’s Media Bureau has established a comment and reply comment period for those wishing to chime in on a “Petition for Clarification,” submitted jointly by the NAB and HD Radio parent Xperi Inc., pertaining to a Notice for Proposed Rulemaking on FM digital power.

As RBR+TVBR reported on February 21, NAB and Xperi have “identified an important ambiguity that requires clarification regarding the maximum allowable operating power of a digital FM signal.” They note that the NPRM and the Commission’s past discussions of digital power levels have considered only the power level for the digital FM carriers of the primary HD Radio MP1 hybrid service mode of operation. In particular, the Commission has considered the total integrated power level for all digital carriers used to transmit MP1 standard hybrid service. NAB and Xperi note, however, that the HD Radio system is not limited to the MP1 mode, and the Commission has authorized extended hybrid modes of operation, which increase the number of digital subcarriers.

In the view of the NAB and Xperi, the optimal operation of the extended hybrid modes requires an increase in the total integrated power above that of the MP1 mode so that all the digital carriers individually operate at the intended power. Otherwise, individual carriers would have to operate with less than the intended power level to keep the total integrated power at the intended level, they argue.

The Bureau gave the green light for public input on their request, and with the Clarification PN appearing today in the Federal Register, comments must be submitted no later than April 1. Reply comments must be submitted no later than April 15.

 

Artificial intelligence tools are hosting air shifts, reporting the weather, creating outlines for sales presentations, writing spec spots, synthesizing listener voices, generating station videos, managing transmitter power consumption and so much more.

Where is it all taking us?

In this ebook, hear how business leaders like Carolyn Beasley, Jeff Sottolano, Fred Jacobs, Curtis LeGeyt, Buzz Knight and Sam Matheny answer that question.

Learn about the important legal considerations from broadcast attorneys Gregg Skall, Jeff Flick and David Oxenford.

Read Radio World’s case studies about the use of AI by broadcasters like NRG Media, Cox Tampa, Mid-West Family, Beasley Detroit, Antenne Deutschland, Rome Radio Partners, Lotus Broadcasting, Media Solutions and HIS Radio.

And find out how tech sponsors ENCO, Futuri, Radio.Cloud, RCS, Waymark and WorldCast Systems are approaching this fast-evolving area of business.

Read it here.

The post Artificial Intelligence in Radio – A New Ebook appeared first on Radio World.

In this document, based on a Petition for Rulemaking Addendum--Request for Clarification filed by the National Association of Broadcasters and Xperi, Inc., the Commission seeks additional public comment in the pending rulemaking proposing to change the methodology to determine whether an FM digital broadcast station can increase its digital power, and to allow asymmetric sideband operation.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved the information collection requirements under OMB Control Numbers 3060-1121, 3060-1320, 3060-0009, 3060-0386, 3060-0175, 3060-0178, 3060-0182, 3060-0190, 3060-0320, 3060- 0113, and 3060-1321 associated with the rules adopted in the Report and Order, FCC 23-72, adopting several rule updates for full power and Class A television stations that no longer have any practical effect given the completion of the transition from analog to digital-only operations and the post incentive auction transition to a smaller television band with fewer channels. This document is consistent with the Report and Order, which states that the Media Bureau will publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date for these revised rule sections and revising the rules accordingly.

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Media Bureau grants requests of Fox News, ESPN, and MSNBC for audio description exemption and issues related Public Notice