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He’s been described as an innovative radio station owner and as a well-known philanthropist. Daniel Lerner, who gained notice for developing what is today the Adult Contemporary music format at an FM in Boston, has died.

Lerner, who co-owned that station and later owned an FM in Philadelphia, was 91 years of age. He died on February 21, the Booth Bay Register reports.

His career in broadcasting dates to 1961, when he became an account executive for an AM radio station in Newport, Rhode Island. One year later, he took a sales job at a big Top 40 station for its time: WFIL-AM in Philadelphia. Then, in 1963, Daniel Lerner and his brother, Arnold, decided to purchase an AM/FM combo in Boston. With the AM retaining the WLLH call letters, the FM became WSSH-FM, branded as “Wish.”

This is not to be confused with the WSSH that debuted in Philadelphia in 1970 under United Artists’ ownership. However, with “Wish” a strong performer in Boston, the branding and call letters ended up in the City of Brotherly Love for a Beautiful Music station that lasted across the 1970s. The “Wish” in Boston is today the home of Classical WCRB-FM 99.5.

While Arnold Lerner ran the Boston operation, Daniel Lerner in 1967 returned to Philadelphia. He took a TV job, at what was WIFI-6, and in 1972 went back to radio by becoming GM of pioneering FM Top 40 station WIFI, today WXTU-FM 92.5.

Lerner then made his mark in Philadelphia by petitioning the FCC to create a new radio station at 100.3 MHz, working with Judith Golson in launching WKSZ “Kiss 100” in fall 1982. With “no hard rock, no sleepy elevator music,” Kiss was a top performer in a marketplace where the station that had obtained the WWSH call letters became an also-ran. It also maintained a strong audience as “98! CAU-FM” attracted the Top 40 listener and Jerry Lee’s crosstown WEAZ-FM (today WBEB-FM) was a key competitor.

In 1993, WKSZ adopted the WPLY call letters and, after a brief run as Top 40 “Z100,” became Alternative “Y-100.” Lerner sold WPLY, today WRNB-FM, to Urban One for $80 million at the end of 1999. Peter Handy of Star Media Group was the broker on that transaction.

After leaving the radio industry, Lerner worked for the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, served on the board of directors of Rocky Run YMCA in Media, Pa.; and was a founding board member of FoundCare, which provides health care services for underserved people in Palm Beach County, Fla. He has also been a longtime benefactor of Garrett Williamson, a nonprofit childcare and learning center serving Newtown Square, Pa.

The Boothbay Register reports that a Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, June 2 at 3pm at the Levering Mill Tribute House in Bala Cynwyd, Pa. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made to Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Garrett Williamson or a nonprofit organization of the donor’s choice.

As ad insights firm MediaRadar sees it, optimism abounds for 2024 … so long as “nimble media companies” are actively working to capture the marketer budgets that have been cemented for this year.

Yes, ad budgets tightened recently. However, MediaRadar predicts, accelerated ad spend is coming. That’s why “media leaders should focus on openings, not hurdles.”

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It’s a rebranding process that began in January 2023, which included hiring local artist and composer Wendel Patrick to create a sonic identity. Now, under the branding of “Community Amplified,” the back offices of WYPR and WTMD have united to create Baltimore Public Media.

WYPR-FM 88.1 is the Baltimore market’s home for NPR programming, while WTMD-FM 89.7 has emerged in recent years as the Adult Alternative music home for the marketplace, in particular following the sale of WRNR-FM 103.1 in Annapolis by Steve Kingston.

“Our new parent company brand symbolizes the union of WYPR and WTMD, connecting their shared commitment to community, diverse storytelling, and their profound roots in radio,” said Kristin Laporte, Director of Marketing & Strategy for Baltimore Public Media. “Baltimore Public Media also embodies our dedication to extending beyond traditional radio, ensuring accessibility, and enriching the lives of our community – meeting them wherever they are — across Baltimore City and County, throughout Maryland, and beyond, online, on-demand, on mobile, through events and in ways not yet imagined.”

The journey to Baltimore Public Media began in November 2021 when WYPR acquired
WTMD from Towson University for $3 million. Greg Guy served as the seller’s broker, representing Towson University. Serving as Towson’s legal counsel was Sally Buckmanof Lerman Senter.

The Kagan team within S&P Global Market Intelligence took a close look at the transactions involving broadcast radio and TV stations in the U.S. since January 2020, and have come up with their top-line findings.

For the broadcast television sector, just two of the top 10 deals were seen last year. And, they failed to make the Top 5 by deal volume. In fact, the biggest TV station deal over the last four years came just as the nation was emerging from the worst effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

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A new 2024 analysis from S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Kagan unit finds that the U.S. broadcast station industry is expected to reach $36.68 billion in total advertising revenue in 2024. This represents an 8.4% increase from $33.84 billion in 2023. Yet, the Automotive category will remain soft.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Westwood Smithers Jr., the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s Chief Legal Officer since 2005, is retiring after a long and distinguished career.

This means that, starting March 11, CPB will have a new SVP/General Counsel, charged with promoting and defending CPB’s legal interests while monitoring compliance with federal and District of Columbia law.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Government Affairs office for the nation’s No. 1 owner of broadcast radio stations has elevated two women to the respective roles of Exec. VP and VP. At the same time, there’s a new Senior Director/Policy Counsel as the team welcomes a new Manager of Government Affairs.

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Evan Slavitt

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting named Evan Slavitt as senior vice president and general counsel.

He replaces Westwood Smithers Jr., who has been the organization’s chief legal officer since 2005, who is retiring. Slavitt starts March 11.

CPB President/CEO Patricia Harrison called Slavitt “an accomplished attorney with decades of experience who will be of great value to CPB as we steward the federal appropriation for public media.”

Slavitt began his legal career in the Department of Justice Antitrust Division, and later worked for DOJ as an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts.

He was in private practice starting in 1987, working for three Massachusetts law firms. He was a founding member of Bodoff and Slavitt LLP.

He is former vice president for business and legal affairs and then senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary for Kyocera AVX Corp. Most recently he was chief legal officer of Paper Excellence, a pulp and paper product manufacturer.

Slavitt is a graduate of Yale University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics and of the Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.]

[Read more People News.]

The post CPB Names Slavitt as Chief Legal Officer appeared first on Radio World.

LOS ANGELES —  A new digital video recorder specification is now available to licensees of the A3SA content protection technology being deployed throughout the country concurrent with the launch of NEXTGEN TV broadcast channels.

The new specification provides a blueprint for a variety of new ATSC 3.0 recording devices that can bring new product development for home networks, and keeping access to broadcast TV programs easy and unencumbered.

Ron Wheeler, Managing Director of A3SA, comments, “For the past year, we’ve been working in consultation with several electronics companies who are developing devices designed to add new features for NEXTGEN TV viewers, from simple DVRs to more advanced home networking systems. After considering the various home scenarios, A3SA is pleased to release detailed specifications that will guide companies and soon provide consumers with a wealth of new options for digital video recording and more.”

A3SA approved the new specifications and rules for secure DVRs, home gateways, and other accessory devices, as well as a newly added alternative method to let viewers securely stream ATSC 3.0 content from such devices throughout their home network.  Developed in consultation with manufacturers and with extensive subsystem prototyping to prove feasibility, the new DVR specifications support multiple product architectures from single components to systems that have devices distributed across a home network.

The DVR specification is designed to work in concert with A3SA’s earlier established Broadcaster Encoding Rules, which govern how broadcasters can use the A3SA security technology with ATSC 3.0 content that is simulcast with corresponding ATSC 1.0 content, allowing viewers to decode and record broadcasts, make unlimited copies without expiration dates, and use common features like pause, rewind and fast-forward.  The A3SA Encoding Rules also prevent downgrading of picture quality when connecting to legacy television sets.

The new A3SA DVR specification supports in-home streaming to applications hosted on common media consumption platforms such as Android, Fire, Roku, WebOS, and Tizen, with iOS support in process.  The spec supports dynamic memory provisioning for media playback (an advantage for consumer devices) and enables developers of new NEXTGEN TV platforms to bring to market innovative new options.

— With reporting by Dave Arland

On October 1, 2021, Randall “Randy” Lynn Davis died at the age of 74. Davis was known in Rome, Ga., for his ownership and operation of WLAQ-AM 1410 and FM translator W245DG at 96.9 MHz. Davis’ will has been probated, and upon the grant by the FCC of an application, his heirs will receive a portion of stock in the licensee of WLAQ, making them the station’s owners.

 

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In June 2023, RBR+TVBR readers first became familiar with Roger Bouldin, the Corporate General Manager for Bristol Broadcasting Company and the founder of his own Bouldin Radio, thanks to his purchase of an AM/FM combo in Virginia’s Appalachia region.

Now, Bouldin has agreed to sell a Class B AM with an FM translator in this portion of Southwestern Virginia.

 

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Dave Crooks, the President of DLC Media, Inc., has decided to retire and is selling his six stations to two local Indiana and Illinois radio operators.

Deal terms were not immediately disclosed ahead of the FCC filings for each transaction.

“I am ready to slow down and knock more items off my bucket list,” Crooks said. “It’s been a great ride. I am confident I am leaving the stations, staff, and the communities they serve in good hands.”

Three of the stations, WAXI-FM 104.9 in Rockville, Ind., and both WAKO-FM 103.1 and WAKO-AM 910 along with FM Translator W257DW 99.3 in Lawrenceville, Ill., are being acquired by 3 Towers Broadcasting. Operated by Scott Huber and Johnny McCrory, this company already has a portfolio that includes radio stations and digital newspapers across several Indiana locations.

Crooks is selling his remaining three stations, WVIG 105.5 in West Terre Haute, and the Brazil, Ind., stations WFNB 92.7 and WAMB-AM 1130, including FM Translators W295CQ 106.9 & W258BA 99.5, to JKO Media, Inc., owned by Joey & Kelsey O’Rourke. JKO Media, which currently owns 105.9 WMMC in Marshall, Ill.

Crooks, who started his radio career at 16 in 1980, served as the 2016 President of the Board of Directors for the Indiana Broadcasters Association and served as an Indiana State Representative from 1996-2008.

Crooks anticipates closing by May 1.

— Reporting by Cameron Coats

The senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission is unhappy about its decision to resume requiring employment reports from broadcasters about the composition of their workforces. Brendan Carr said the vote means “the FCC will now post a race and gender scorecard for each and every TV and radio broadcast station in the country.”

He wrote an unusually long dissent to explain his no vote in the 3–2 party-line outcome.

Carr says he would have gone along with reinstating the requirement that broadcasters annually file EEO Form 395-B, which lists the race and gender of their employees, and he would have been OK with releasing the data on an aggregated or anonymous basis.

But he says the commission’s plan to publish the data on a station-by-station basis violates both the First and Fifth Amendments.

“For at least the third time now, the FCC once again seeks to pressure broadcasters into making hiring decisions on the basis of race and gender,” he wrote. He rejected arguments that the information would not lead to undue public pressure.

“The FCC caves to the demands of activist groups that have worked for years and across different industries to persuade the federal government to obtain — and most importantly publish — this type of data about individual businesses. This is no benign disclosure regime. The record makes clear that the FCC is choosing to publish these scorecards for one and only one reason: to ensure that individual businesses are targeted and pressured into making decisions based on race and gender.” (Read Carr’s statement.)

Collection of the form had been suspended in 2001. The National Association of Broadcasters and state broadcast associations had argued against the return of the requirement, but the FCC rejected their legal positions as well as any notion that the policy is unconstitutional.

“With today’s action,” the order states, “we restore the process of giving broadcasters, Congress and ourselves the data needed to better understand the workforce composition in the broadcast sector. We find further that continuing to collect this information in a transparent manner is consistent with a broader shift towards greater openness regarding diversity, equity and inclusion across both corporate America and government.”

Commissioner Geoffrey Starks is the Democratic commissioner who led the initiative with the backing of Rep. Yvette Clarke and Sen. Chris Van Hollen.

“Some might pretend that what we do today is a radical break outside of this agency’s authority,” Starks wrote in a statement Thursday. “It is not. Quite simply, today we reinstate a longstanding, statutorily-mandated requirement to collect workforce diversity data from broadcasters.

“As always with good government, we start with data,” Starks continued. “And data is most effective when it is available to everyone.

“The rules we reinstate today require broadcasters to file their workforce composition data publicly. This data will enable the commission to monitor employment trends in the industry — as we know, a dynamic and fast-changing one — and report to Congress on its learnings. It will give researchers new workforce composition information to explore. And it will grant members of the public transparency — a window into their local broadcast station, not just as a programmer, but as an employer.” (Read Starks’ statement.)

(Read the report and order.)

The post FCC Revives Annual Station Employment Reports appeared first on Radio World.

Audio Division dismisses Weather Alert Radio Network LPFM applications based on LPFM eligibility rules.

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Christian education organization Vanguard Association of Sunbelt Colleges Corp has won a construction permit for a new noncom educational FM station in Rosendale, Wis., despite an informal objection and a petition to deny from two other applicants.

VASC had been chosen by the FCC Media Bureau as the tentative winner of a mutually exclusive group of eight applications in the 2021 NCE filing window. The MX group also included Call Communications Group and WRVM, Inc.

According to the FCC, Call Comm then filed an informal objection, questioning whether VASC had the “reasonable site assurance” for its selected Fond du Lac County tower site.

Call Comm also alleged that VASC might have “attributable interests” with the Elijah Radio noncom broadcast network, an eerily familiar argument against the Christian organization. This is the second time this month where VASC was granted a CP despite objections. Earlier in February, VASC’s application won in neighboring Iowa.

VASC President David Biehl and Elijah Radio Vice President Thomas Beihl are siblings. Call Comm argued that because Elijah Radio had reached the 10-application cap for the filing window VASC’s application by association should be dismissed.

Additionally, WRVM filed a petition to deny the application, questioning whether the Rosendale application was part of strategy by Elijah Radio President Luke Rogers, VASC’s technical consultant, to circumvent the application cap. WRVM also alleged that VASC was ineligible to hold a noncom license in Wisconsin due to it not being registered as a nonprofit in the state, nor as a section 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity under the Internal Revenue Code.

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But VASC denied any attempt to circumvent the cap in its opposition to the petition. VASC also stated that it is a registered nonprofit in the state of Arizona. And in a letter of intent response to the commission, VASC included email correspondence between its desired tower owner’s agent.

In response, Call Com questioned whether Elijah Radio or Beihl’s father, Gary, has expressed de facto control over the application. VASC had included in its application a loan commitment in excess of $500,000 from Gary Beihl among its financial qualifications.

In its decision upholding the choice, the Media Bureau deemed VASC as having reasonable site assurance through its email correspondence. The bureau also rejected the argument that the familial and business relationships between the Beihls and Rogers’ were sufficient to demonstrate common control of applications.

The bureau also noted that it does not require applicants to be incorporated as nonprofit entities in the state of the proposed station, nor do they need to be qualified as a section 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity.

Outcome: a CP for Vanguard Association of Sunbelt Colleges in Rosendale. The proposed Class C3 signal on 88.3 would serve Fond du Lac and points west, including Ripon.

[Read the decision.]

The post Christian Organization Wins Another NCE Construction Permit appeared first on Radio World.

The Michigan Association of Broadcasters has announced the 2024 recipients of its Carl E. Lee Broadcast Engineering Excellence Awards. The awards are named for Carl E. Lee, a prominent Michigan broadcast engineer and station owner who was known for his innovation and recognition of opportunity, according to MAB.

Two awards are given to represent both radio and TV engineers.

Dave Grant

This year, the Carl E. Lee Award for Radio Engineering Excellence award was given to Dave Grant, the director of engineering for Cumulus Media in Grand Rapids, Mich.

In his nomination, Grant was said to be “a great mentor to all as he is always sharing his years of knowledge and explaining to staff how equipment works.”

According to the nomination, his radio career began in 1977 as a board operator at WKBZ in Muskegon running Detroit Tigers baseball games and eventually moved up to a phone screener position.

In 1979 Dave began working in Whitehall at 1490 WLRQ as an on‐air personality and started getting into engineering by repairing equipment around the facility while working with their engineer.

After a series of other chief engineering roles, in 2012 Grant became chief engineer for Cumulus Media Grand Rapids. He maintains six AM/FM radio broadcast facilities and assists with four additional stations in Muskegon.

“Dave is more than just a broadcast engineer as he also has found himself doing maintenance on generators that should have been retired years ago,” read the nomination. “He is one that can think creatively and always produces a solution.”

David Madison

On the other side of the broadcast coin, the 2024 Carl E. Lee Award for TV Engineering Excellence was given to David Madison, the former, longtime IT/maintenance engineer for WGVU Public Media in Grand Rapids, Mich. Now retired after 35 years with the company, his nomination reads: “[Madison’s] legacy of keeping WGVU on the air for so long needs to be honored. He will be greatly missed in retirement and his engineering talents can’t be replaced.”

Grant and Madison will be honored at the Michigan Broadcast Engineering Conference Mar. 12-13 in Lansing, Mich.

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The post MAB Announces 2024 Broadcast Engineering Award Recipients appeared first on Radio World.

With the court-ordered sale of their remaining stations on track, as Kansas Bankruptcy Court Judge Dale Somers has dismissed an attempt from creditor Belate LLC to negate the Tideline Partners LLC-administered process of finding winning bidders, the owners of Rocking M Media have a new headache to contend with.

This one comes courtesy of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau and centers on Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) rule violations.

 

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