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Survival Tools for Broadcasters Navigating Trauma and Grief in Media

Radio World - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 15:03

Radio World’s “Guest Commentaries” section provides a platform for industry thought leaders and other readers to share their perspective on radio news, technological trends and more. If you’d like to contribute a commentary, or reply to an already published piece, send a submission to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The author is CEO of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, which has been serving the nation’s community radio stations since 1978. NFCB commentaries are featured regularly at Radio World.

Rima Dael

The national and international news cycle continues to spin fast and, with Super Tuesday behind us, the election spin cycle is on hyper drive.

Staying on top of news and current events is one thing but, for many of us working in media, we find ourselves living in and out of a state of trauma — whether it is experienced directly (a mass shooting locally or the closing of the primary economic driver in your town) or indirectly (reporting on the impact of a mass shooting in another state or the impact of current international legislation to basic human rights).

You also may be dealing with the anxiety and dread of what misinformation or disinformation may lie ahead as we move toward election day in November.

But first, how is everyone doing? (I am taking a page from Elmo’s playbook when he broke the internet, but clearly we all needed someone to check in!)

I hope you are doing okay, and I hope this article provides you with tools to use to make sure you remain okay or get to being okay.

As the new CEO for the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB), not in my wildest dreams would I have thought that barely two months on the job, on the 6th anniversary of the Parkland school shooting, would there be a shooting at a community event that would hit close to home.  

The news of the shooting at the Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City scrolled across the TV behind my laptop in the middle of a Zoom meeting. I shared the news with my colleagues in the meeting. We all shared a moment and shook our heads around the news of another mass shooting. Then shortly after, came the news that a DJ at KKFI, Lisa Lopez-Galvan, died because of her gunshot wounds. KKFI is a long-time member of NFCB.

This happened to one of our own, a community radio station DJ. 

Different from other public media stations, the membership of NFCB is composed of more than 200 community radio stations, where 65% are rural stations, 69% have budget of under $100,000 and the delivery of broadcasted or on-demand music, news and storytelling primarily come from volunteers. Training and volunteer management have always been incredibly important at community radio stations since a volunteer may only come in once a month or once a week for an on-air shift.

With this recent traumatic event hitting so close to home, volunteer training around public safety took a very different turn and tone in some of our member stations right away, with some wanting to offer resources for dealing with trauma and grief. 

Here is toolkit we provided the NFCB members, centering around the expertise compiled from the DART Center for Journalism & Trauma (below), as well as other organizations like the American Press Institute and Journalists of Color. These resources and tips work well across all departments.

Beyond the resources above, conversations within our membership also turned to the upcoming Pledge Drive season — on-air fundraising was just around the corner. Localism remains the sweet spot in community media, and language is one of the most efficient ways to leverage and celebrate it. Community radio at its best works for, and from within, the communities they serve.

The question we were being asked next was “how does fundraising play out while dealing with a local tragedy?” So I reached out to a colleague and friend, Jay Clayton, individual giving advisor from Greater Public, to advise us on how to frame giving (during an on-air pledge drive or how to talk to donors) in the wake of tragedy. This conversation was inspired by, and especially for, stations close to the incident in Kansas City.

This is what Jay shared:

“For guidance on messaging, and when and how to use it and not use it, I suggest this:

It’s important for anything that’s said about [the shooting] to come off as genuine and not forced or opportunistic. For news stations, I think that means talking about it only around stories about related events. It’s tougher for music stations because [the event] isn’t likely to just come up in conversation. I don’t think stations beyond KKFI should feel compelled to talk about this or should. I understand people may want to, but I don’t think that’s a reason to bring it up.

“I would say the litmus test is that if it feels forced it probably is, and therefore let it go and don’t talk about it,” said Clayton.

When someone does talk about it, I think it makes sense to talk about it in the context of larger events [or trends] in the world, and how this one is hitting us very close to home. Example: ‘Lisa Lopez-Galvan, host of Taste of Tejano on Kansas City’s KKFI, lost her life in the shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade. We hold Lisa, her family and colleagues and community in our hearts.'”

If you want more information about how to frame talking about mass shooting events and what to consider, check out this episode from the podcast “Still Newton.” The 8th episode on this Peabody Award-nominated podcast was produced by WSHU Public Radio honoring the 10th anniversary of Sandy Hook. This episode talks about how to report on mass shooting situations like Sandy Hook and Robb Elementary. The episode features Bruce Shapiro from the DART Center. 

The resources shared here can be used for any difficult situation. Grief and trauma affect all staff and volunteers at our stations. It is best to be prepared before a crisis hits. 

Finally, remember the importance of stepping away from work. Right after the events in Kansas City, I was fortunate to have tickets to attend to attend a local concert of a folk-pop duo, The Oshima Brothers (often heard on Maine’s community radio station WERU) with my dear friend Pat. Their song, Love is Tall hit my heart with these lyrics: 

“Life is short love is tall

Hands and heart

Learn how to hold it all”

Thank goodness for the healing benefits of friendship and live music! As we learn how to hold it all together at our stations with our volunteers and staff, make space to use these resources to keep us all safe. Create time to have conversations about training and public safety. Take care and be well. 

[Read More Guest Commentaries Here]

The post Survival Tools for Broadcasters Navigating Trauma and Grief in Media appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

Super Hi-Fi Unveils Hyper-Targeted Streaming With Audacy Debut

Radio+Television Business Report - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 14:54

Song skipping and hyper-personalized content delivery are coming to Audacy’s live broadcast streams, courtesy of Super Hi-Fi. The AI-centric radio management company has announced the launch of a new streaming technology tailored specifically for the radio industry, HLS+.

As the inaugural launch partner, Audacy’s portfolio of more than 700 exclusive stations will be equipped with HLS+ technology by the end of March. This platform merges live, linear radio broadcasting with elements of interactivity and personalization within a single audio stream.

HLS+ also maintains compatibility with existing HLS-supporting devices, ensuring a wide-reaching adoption without the need for new hardware.

Outside of Audacy, early industry partners on the project include Telos Alliance, Barix, Orban, Xperi, and StreamGuys.

HLS+ is compatible with an array of devices including Amazon Alexa, iPhone, Android, and various in-car entertainment systems with advanced metadata capabilities. The platform also accepts programmatic advertising.

Super Hi-Fi CEO Zack Zalon said, “HLS+ is not just a technology breakthrough; it’s a real shift for the radio industry. We’ve taken the essence of live radio and elevated it with capabilities that have just never been available before. This is our vision for the next chapter of radio, and we believe it will resonate deeply with both broadcasters and listeners.”

John Pacino, Executive Vice President of Product at Audacy, highlighted the technology’s role in elevating their premium audio content through seamless interactivity.

Telos Alliance EVP of Sales, Marketing and Strategy Marty Sacks added, “Telos Alliance has been on the forefront of audio streaming since 1997 with the first real-time MP3 encoder specifically designed for this application. We’ve participated in many of the advancements made possible by the combination of more advanced streaming technology and a more robust internet. What Super Hi Fi has created with HLS+ has the potential to raise the bar in a big way, and we’re extremely excited to be partnering with them.”

Categories: Industry News

FCC Lends Leniency To A CBS-Owned Station In The Bay Area

Radio+Television Business Report - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 14:41

The weight is off San Francisco’s KPYX-TV, formerly known as KBCW, which had been facing a small monetary forfeiture from the FCC’s Media Bureau. The CBS News & Stations channel, which is available over-the-air in the Bay Area on Channel 44 and on Cable Channel 12, faced a proposed fine of $3,000 for delayed uploads of its issues/programs lists to the FCC’s online public inspection file.

Initially, KBCW was cited for not uploading six quarterly issues/programs lists to its public file on time, but after a reexamination of the station’s online public inspection file, the Media Bureau has resolved that case.

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Categories: Industry News

Local Radio Freedom Act Gains Majority Support In US House

Radio+Television Business Report - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 14:21

As Congress pushes toward the finish line on the AM For Every Vehicle Act, legislators are showing increased support for radio’s financial protection as well. The Local Radio Freedom Act has seen a boost in significant bipartisan support within the US House of Representatives, growing to 225 cosponsors.

The LRFA would block the imposition of any new performance royalties on AM/FM stations, and boasts an additional 24 supporters in the Senate.

The House bill is primarily sponsored by Reps. Steve Womack (AR-3) and Kathy Castor (FL-14), while in the Senate, Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and John Barrasso (R-WY) lead the companion resolution.

The news comes as support for the American Music Fairness Act, which has taken great strides to codify extra performance fees like those imposed on music streaming sites for AM/FM broadcasters, has all but died out.

The LRFA was part of a broader agenda discussed during a gathering of more than 550 national, state, and local broadcasters in Washington, D.C. last week, where they met with lawmakers to talk about core broadcasting policy issues, including artificial intelligence in journalism and AM radio in the automobile dashboard.

NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt praised the majority swing, saying, “This milestone demonstrates policymakers’ recognition of the vital service that free, local radio provides to their constituents: a lifeline in times of crisis and a connection to the community that cannot be replicated. We thank these 225 members of the House for their unwavering support, helping to safeguard the future of local broadcasting and our commitment to serving the public.”

Categories: Industry News

Exhibitor Preview: Veritone at the NAB Show

Radio World - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 14:01

Planning for the 2024 NAB Show is ramping up, and Radio World is asking exhibitors about their plans and expectations. Paul Cramer is the managing director of media and broadcast solutions at Veritone.

Paul Cramer

Radio World: What is the most important technology issue or trend for radio engineers and facility managers in 2024?

Paul Cramer: Certainly, one of the biggest trends is doing more with less. Budgets are tight and long gone are the days when the engineer was merely concerned with getting the program feed from the studio to the transmitter.

Today, the modern workflow of radio broadcasting involves the multi-modal distribution of audio: live/linear broadcasting, streaming, podcasting, on-demand audio and much more. The workflow and lifecycle of audio have now evolved. No longer does 100% of listening happen live. A majority of the listening happens over IP, on-demand and through multiple channels. The engineers find themselves at the nexus of managing this audio distribution for multiple listening audiences and numerous internal stakeholders.

These may include salespeople who need to recap campaigns and need airchecks, programmers who need to review show audio for talent coaching, production teams who need to create podcasts and social media teams who need to post segments to the stations’ social networks. Despite these evolutions, most engineers are still using their “grandfathers’ loggers”: time-stamped recordings of the on-air product.

A trend I see is more and more groups moving to “smart logging.” We help station groups do this by capturing the live broadcast in the cloud and then running AI models on the content so it’s immediately searchable and quantifiable. This democratizes the logged audio so every team that needs access can quickly log in through a web browser, use a keyword search, find the audio they need and then edit, download or repurpose it as their role allows.

RW: In what way(s) will AI-based tools change radio broadcasting workflows most substantially?

Cramer: AI is poised to help radio organizations get the most value from their content quickly and seamlessly. The two biggest changes we see happening in radio are the use of AI around advertising intelligence and content intelligence. AI is helping radio sales professionals generate proof-of-performance approaching the same levels that digital has: counting every ad impression inclusive of added value and earned media.

AI automates the recapping of campaigns and makes it possible to create a transactional business around non-spot advertising by tracking the impact of presenting sponsorships, billboards, endorsements and promos. AI is measuring and attributing the web lift that radio drives for advertisers, providing newfound metrics of success. On the content side, it’s creating better listening experiences by making it easy for on-air talent and producers to more quickly find sound bytes and audio segments to repurpose on-air, whether from their station’s archived audio or their sister station’s.  

RW: What news will your company feature at the convention — any new products or services? 

Cramer: At NAB, Veritone is making announcements around several innovations, one of which will greatly help our radio clients utilize our Attribute platform, which demonstrates the increases in web traffic and new visitors advertisers receive when they buy radio advertising. We’ll be launching a new feature called “Industry Insights” that will allow radio salespeople to see benchmarks across numerous advertising categories to discern how radio has helped other advertisers in those categories.

For instance, if an AE sells a car dealership a campaign, they will be able to see what the average lift delivered has been for other dealership campaigns. Similarly, it will be a powerful prospecting tool and a valid business reason for salespeople to get a meeting with target advertisers. Suppose a seller is looking to woo a home improvement contractor to advertise on the radio. In that case, he/she will now have industry benchmarks to show how radio helped other similar businesses in that category.

Veritone is also formally announcing its new “Custom AI Solutions” practice. While we have many turnkey applications that support the common business needs of the radio industry, the Custom AI Solutions practice allows us to scope, design, build and deploy custom and bespoke AI workflows, applications and analytics to meet the evolving needs of the industry.

RW: Are there any other important technology trends that you’d like to comment on?

Cramer: Certainly, you can’t read the news without seeing a headline about generative AI. It stands to be one of the greatest innovations in recent human history, but it’s still evolving. In the earliest days, AI was strictly being deployed for workflow automation: to automate mundane tasks so humans could focus on a higher and better use of their resources. In media, this has often been the automation and indexing of what’s said and seen in the broadcast. Generative AI will shift that paradigm from understanding to decisioning.

We have some clients we’ve been working with for nearly a decade. During that time, they’ve been using AI to index all of their content. Now, with Generative AI, we can start to use that large corpus of data to better understand what content drove the most ratings/engagement.

It can recommend what content to use in a story and even curate recommended clips. It can compare advertising engagement to content engagement. We’re really just at the bleeding edge and I expect to see more companies and applications tapping into GenAI in the future. It’s a new era of “big data.” That said, we believe the best use of Generative AI will be to amplify human effectiveness, not circumnavigate or replace humans. 

RW: What else will you be watching for at the convention?

Cramer: Many are concerned about their future with AI, especially in the media and entertainment space, as we saw with the 2023 writer’s strike. AI can do many great things but never replace human creativity.  We have always believed in the power of AI, but not at the expense of harming creators’ job security, cloning voices without permission or replacing humans.

In our view, AI is not replacing humans but supercharging them to do more than before. It is critical that as AI adoption increases, the technology is ethically and responsibly used. I’m pleased to share that Veritone is committed to the ethical use of AI technology through its “AI for Good” program, which is built on the guiding principles of security, compliance, trust, transparency and empowerment.  

[Read more preview coverage of the NAB Show.]

The post Exhibitor Preview: Veritone at the NAB Show appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

AM and AI Are High on LeGeyt’s Priority List

Radio World - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 14:00

NAB President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt has spent the 12 months since the last NAB Show navigating policy matters, such as the sense of crisis for AM radio in cars and the potential impact of generative AI on broadcast media.

He is assessing the implications of this year’s election cycle and preparing to defend the broadcast industry from the threat of additional music royalty costs. He also is preparing for a court challenge to the FCC’s refusal to ease ownership subcaps.

Radio World Editor in Chief Paul McLane and contributor Randy Stine interviewed him.  

Radio World: What do you see as the key policy issue for radio right now? 

Curtis LeGeyt: Preserving AM radio’s place in the automobile. Over the last year, I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the engagement from AM radio listeners across the country reaching out to their lawmakers to ensure they’re aware of the importance of AM radio in the automobile. More than 400,000 listeners have reached out to their members of Congress to tell them how important AM radio is. As a result legislation has been introduced in both the Senate and the House, purely bipartisan. 

Between the two bodies, more than 240 senators and members of Congress are co-sponsors of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. And they span the political spectrum from Bernie Sanders to Ted Cruz. We feel we are very, very well positioned on this legislation. But the hard work is in front of us, ensuring that we can get it to a bill that ultimately is taken up on the floor of both chambers. 

Curtis LeGeyt. Radio World photo by Paul McLane.

RW: Has there been communication directly between NAB and car companies?

LeGeyt: We have had ongoing conversations with individual automakers but most significantly with our counterpart trade organizations, reaffirming the importance of this issue, not just for broadcasters but for consumers. 

You’ve got 82 million listeners every month who continue to tune into the AM dial. While it is easy to be focused on the bright, shiny object of streaming services and ensuring that you’ve got a full range of entertainment options in the automobile, the ongoing relevance of AM radio makes it a must-have in the auto — for consumer appeal but also as a matter of public safety. We have had our doors open for continued conversations with the automakers.

RW: How do you reply to senators who have said it’s not the government’s place to do this?

LeGeyt: The federal government has a long history of imposing public safety requirements on the automobile, from seatbelts to airbags. This is such a matter of public safety, especially given AM’s role as an entry point for the emergency alerting system. This is exactly the place where Congress has acted and should act when it comes to enabling public safety in the automobile.

[Read more stories about the future of AM radio in cars]

RW: The FCC seems ready to give geo-targeting a green light. The chairwoman has put forward a proposal, and at least two other commissioners favor the idea. If the vote is yes and they say go ahead with this three minutes an hour, what’s the outcome?

LeGeyt: Over the course of the last two years, I have talked to radio broadcasters, my members of all sizes and all different market types. I don’t feel there is an overwhelming interest in this technology, and we have conveyed as much to the FCC. 

We certainly appreciate the fact that the FCC slowed down this proceeding to look at the technical issues and understand the impact of this technology on radio. 

The order that they have on circulation is only an interim step, and there’s going to be a further notice, more process. But I don’t think there is much interest in this technology as judged by the reaction of my membership.

Further, what we have said to the commission, and what I would remind our membership, is that our competitive advantage is in the range of our signal. A technology that would undermine our ability to reach the masses cuts radio off at the knees. 

RW: It doesn’t sound like you accept the argument proponents have put forward that geo-targeting would benefit minority and smaller broadcasters in particular.

LeGeyt: It just doesn’t match what I have heard from my members whose businesses are focused on serving minority audiences.

RW: You’ve protested about the FCC dragging its feet on its quadrennial review of ownership rules, and they finally did finish the 2018 under a court order. But they declined to ease the radio sub-caps. Is there any reason to think that the FCC under a Democratic administration is going to change those?

LeGeyt: This is why the courts are so important, now that the FCC 2018 order was just published in the Federal Register [in February]. We feel that the record is overwhelming in support of modernizing these ownership restrictions, especially as it relates to the sub-caps. 

We believe that, Democrat or Republican, there is overwhelming concern for the state of local broadcast in this country and for our ability to compete in an environment that has been completely upended by the large tech platforms. So we are looking forward to making our case in court as to why the FCC may need clarity in how these facts ought to be applied to the current law. The record speaks for itself that media ownership modernization is long past due. 

RW: That means you’re going to appeal this 2018 ruling?

LeGeyt: We are continuing to examine all of our legal options, but I absolutely expect to appeal this ruling. 

RW: The comments filed by various broadcast groups show that there is not unanimity about the sub-caps. iHeart’s filings and yours have not been in total sync. Aren’t there reasonable arguments that it might not be good for local radio to change those sub-caps on the FM dial?

LeGeyt: NAB represents a broad tent of broadcasters. But an overwhelming number of our members are in strong support of modernizing these media ownership rules. That’s why NAB has taken the position that we have. And we think the record is clear that elimination of these sub-caps is long past due.

RW: Update us on your efforts to fend off the annual proposals in Washington like the American Music Fairness Act that would require broadcasters to pay royalties to performers.

LeGeyt: We continue to be pleased with the degree of congressional opposition to any new performance fee on local radio stations. In this Congress again, more than 200 members of the House of Representatives have co-sponsored our local Radio Freedom Act, which opposes any new performance royalty — another two dozen in the Senate are co-sponsors of that resolution. 

We’ve made clear to the recording industry as well as to the supporters of the American Music Fairness Act that our door is open for conversations around this issue, especially if there is a solution that will better enable broadcasters to economically compete as audiences are moving over to streaming, but we are adamantly opposed to a standalone terrestrial performance fee. As is a critical mass of members of Congress.

RW: You’ve spoken on the Hill about the possibilities and threats of artificial intelligence. Specifically for radio, what do you think would be the best outcome of AI and generative AI technology? 

LeGeyt: Every radio station in the country is making very hard choices right now as to how to best deploy their human capital to serve their communities. And that means trusted local voices who are boots on the ground in the community. That can be news, it can mean events that bring communities together, or it can mean localized entertainment that can only be done by humans. 

To the degree that we can utilize generative AI technologies to take some of the burdens off administrative tasks at a station — scriptwriting or having a presence during those dayparts where it might not otherwise be economically viable to have a live voice — I think there’s real opportunities there. 

But I view it through the lens of how AI best enables us to deploy the people in our stations, for those areas of community service that only they can do. There’s opportunity; but we need to proceed with absolute caution, because if we are not competing and excelling in the area local radio does best, that community commitment, we’re just another audio medium.

[Read More Radio World Stories About Artificial Intelligence]

RW: The NAB has put out very good resources on issues like best practices to support how radio looks in car dashboards. Is there a place for best practices for AI and radio from the NAB? 

LeGeyt: There is. We’re working closely with our members to best focus our resources and how we can be most helpful to our membership. You’re going to see a lot of programming focused on those issues at the NAB Show in April, and dozens of programs around generative AI — use cases, the policy concerns around licensing and attribution as well as protection of your trusted local personalities. But I think this is exactly where NAB needs to lead. 

RW: We asked about the best outcome; what’s the biggest risk? Would it be to the intellectual property and unique voices of broadcasters, with people copying and abusing them? 

LeGeyt: The biggest risk is that this technology uses our content as well as our formats to train models that will ultimately compete with us. And they will do it without compensating us for it.

It’s the story that we are telling in Congress every day. We’re all for innovation, but we have to ensure that it doesn’t happen at the expense of local broadcasting.

RW: Can you identify the challenges of dealing with a congressional body that some people describe as chaotic and can’t get big stuff done? 

LeGeyt: I think that in spite of the hyperpolarized environment we’re operating in, NAB has been very successful in getting our message across. I’m confident we are going to have a seat at the table and be in those conversations on what these chambers can actually get enacted into law. 

As you know, Washington tends to do a lot of things all at once. We’re confident that we’re going to be well positioned when those moments happen. 

No doubt the inability of Washington to deal with larger legislative issues outside the purview of broadcasters, whether it relates to appropriations or foreign policy, is jamming everything up in a way that does impact even our smaller issues on a relative scale.

RW: If you had to identify one, what would you consider your most important radio success since you’ve taken the NAB leadership role? 

LeGeyt: I think it’s the tremendous traction that we’ve gotten the AM Radio For Every Vehicle Act. In such short order, to have identified the threat and to have mobilized broadcast stations all across the country, all markets, all ownership groups, and their listeners to engage with Washington, and to have such a strong bipartisan bill that has already passed the Senate Commerce Committee — we’re very proud of that.

RW: You’ve also had something of a win with broadcast fees with the FCC. Was that a substantial savings for members? 

LeGeyt: We’re very pleased with the FCC’s willingness to accept the arguments that we’ve been making over several years and make a modification to their regulatory fee methodology, especially for our midsize and smaller stations. That savings of $7 million really goes to the bottom line, industry wide. 

RW:  Are there other policy issues to mention? 

LeGeyt: I do want to revisit one, which is how the constraints on ownership are really problematic for the viability of radio. We are absolutely going to continue to be on offense, taking our case to the court, ensuring that members of Congress hear this story. 

We have strong bipartisan support at the Capitol from those who believe in the value of their local radio station and want to see us thrive. They understand the impact that large tech companies have had on the advertising marketplace. We’re competing with one arm tied behind our backs, so there’s a real sense of urgency there. I hear it from my members of all sizes, and that’s a tremendous focus for NAB.

RW: We do hear an awful lot from small- and medium-market broadcasters who are desperate to find good people to hire, specifically in engineering. Is there more the association can be doing? 

LeGeyt: We’ve just launched a set of new initiatives around industry recruitment. There’s now a more robust and modernized industry-wide database for job postings that serves as a destination for job seekers, as well as a set of assets including advertising radio advertisements, and digital tools for stations to customize and use in their recruitment efforts. 

This can be used whether you’re talking about talent behind the microphone, production side, sales, engineering. It will help our stations who are dealing with all kinds of competitive pressures and give them some tools to boost their recruitment.

RW: Assess the outlook for major trade shows now after COVID era. What does recent attendance at IBC and CES foretell for NAB? 

LeGeyt: I expect we are going to see another significant attendance boost this year. I’m very bullish on where this trade show is. If you put out a high-quality, in-person experience, for an attendance base who can’t get it anywhere else, it will succeed. 

Our exhibitor square footage is going to outpace what we had last year. Exhibitors are looking for opportunities to get in front of their customers. 

The NAB Show has expanded its bandwidth far outside the core broadcast audience, to a much broader set of content creators and distributors. There’s so much changing about this business that you can’t keep up if you’re trying to do it virtually. We are a central stop for anyone in content creation and at any stage of the distribution chain.  

RW: Karen Chupka is in place now as head of NAB’s conventions arm to succeed Chris Brown, who will step down after the show. 

LeGeyt: We brought in Karen to write this next chapter for us. She is a person with a long history of building new initiatives that appeal to new segments of a marketplace. I’m confident our show assets will grow. Karen is going to carry on Chris’s legacy of building a tremendous platform for those tech companies that exhibit to the media audience.

The future for the NAB Show is content creation, distribution and monetization, and in a range of industries far outside of traditional radio and television. This show needs to capture that from a B2B perspective. There’s a tremendous demand for it.

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

The post AM and AI Are High on LeGeyt’s Priority List appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

Activo Broadcasting Deploys MaxxCasting

Radio World - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 12:56

From Radio World’s Who’s Buying What page: Activo Broadcasting will deploy a MaxxCasting system from GeoBroadcast Solutions at two stations in the Las Vegas Valley.

It will use the technology at FM stations KADD and KXLI, both of which air Spanish-language content.

GBS said in a press release that its prediction model indicates that Activo will experience “a remarkable increase in mobile coverage, reaching an additional 362,881 listeners.” It cited better signal coverage from the main antenna and three additional strategically placed nodes to expand coverage in the St. George, Utah area.

MaxxCasting enhances FM signals through the deployment of a cluster of low, directionalized synchronized booster sites. GBS said the installation will produce “noticeable reductions in areas with weaker signals and expanded coverage areas, especially towards the southeast and northeast regions of Las Vegas.”

Eric Palacios is owner of Activo Broadcasting. He told GBS his company is particularly interested in the potential to enhance coverage over high-density minority population areas. 

KADD broadcasts on 93.5 and is licensed to Logandale, Nev., while KXLI broadcasts on 94.5 and is licensed to Moapa. Both are Class C FM stations with 93 kW ERP and they share a combined antenna system.

GBS redesigned an existing KADD booster, changing its antenna pattern and azimuth. The two FM stations will have a new MaxxCasting node at that site, multiplexing two boosters with call signs KADD-FM1 and KXLI-FM1. (An existing KXLI booster is not used in the new configuration.)

In addition, GBS will add two more nodes. Both stations will multiplex on those as well; their call signs will be KADD-FM2 and -FM3, and KXLI-FM2 and -FM3.

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

The post Activo Broadcasting Deploys MaxxCasting appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

Jameela Jamil Joins NAB Show 2024 For Main Stage Content Chat

Radio+Television Business Report - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 12:35

She may be best known for her role as Tahani on NBC’s The Good Place or as the host of TBS’ The Misery Index, but in April, Jameela Jamil will be settled in on the 2024 NAB Main Show stage at the LAs Vegas Convention Center.

Jamil will deliver a content creation keynote on the essence of authenticity, moderated by celebrity interviewer and therapist Kara Mayer Robinson. Mayer Robinson hosts the podcast Really Famous, which has featured intimate talks with stars like Meredith Vieira, Tim Gunn, and Skip Bayless.

Jamil will discuss the importance of maintaining one’s identity in the face of challenges posed by various media platforms, including lessons learned during her activism with the I Weigh movement.

The session is scheduled for Tuesday, April 16, from 3 – 4 p.m.

NAB EVP of Events Chris Brown said, “Jameela is an inspiration, using her voice and platform to promote positivity and empowerment. Her unique perspective and proven success make her uniquely qualified to stir the imagination of our attendees as they chart their own journeys within the world of content creation.”

Additionally, the Main Stage will host discussions on the future of filmmaking with Decentralized Pictures and a panel including Roman Coppola and Mena Suvari. YouTube influencer Casey Neistat will also speak, urging creators to surpass their limitations and embrace innovation.

The NAB Show will also feature an impressive lineup of honorees, including Jennifer Hudson, who will receive the Television Chairman’s Award, and Donnie Simpson, who will be inducted into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame for his 55-year radio career.

Categories: Industry News

X Targets TV Expansion As Yaccarino Explores New Revenue

Radio+Television Business Report - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 12:18

In January, Elon Musk’s X declared its intention to shift towards being a “video-first platform,” showcasing features that mimic TikTok’s viewing experience. Now the company formerly known as Twitter is venturing into the television streaming space with with a new TV app set to launch on Amazon and Samsung smart TVs.

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Categories: Industry News

Tieline to Unveil Bridge-IT II Codecs

Radio World - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 12:16

At the NAB Show, Tieline will unveil its Bridge-IT II and Bridge-IT Xtra II IP audio codecs.

These latest Bridge-ITs deliver high-quality transport for applications such as home studios and simple remote broadcasts, STLs, studio-to-studio links, and multi-unicasting and multicasting.

They offer native support for AES67, ST2110-30, ST2022-7, Livewire, Ravenna and AMWA NMOS IS-04 and IS-05. The codecs provide two full-duplex mono connections, or full duplex stereo. Features include multiple Ethernet and AoIP ports; failover to another connection, HTTP stream, or audio file playback; and support for wireless cellular modems.

Carrying over from the first generation of Bridge-IT are the front-panel screen for menu navigation; XLR analog and digital AES inputs; a range of encoding options; and support for multi-unicast and multicast connections. 

“The codecs support automated failover and SNMP for STL links,” Tieline says. “SmartStream Plus redundant streaming and Fuse-IP data aggregation are also included as standard.”

The ToolBox HTML5 web-GUI and optional Cloud Codec Controller software provide real-time monitoring and remote management of connections. 

NAB Show Booth: C2811

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

The post Tieline to Unveil Bridge-IT II Codecs appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

Audacy Turns In Licenses For Two Silent Las Vegas AMs

Radio+Television Business Report - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 11:58

Audacy has filed for the cancellation of the FCC license for KDWN-AM, known at the end of its life as “The Talk of Las Vegas.” The longtime talk station is better known as the original signal where Art Bell started West Coast AM, which would become Coast to Coast AM.

The station originally signed on on April 7, 1975.

Starting as an overnight shift in 1983, Art Bell’s discussion of the paranormal and conspiracy theories alongside politics boosted the show’s popularity, leading to its national syndication in 1993. Initially broadcast from KDWN’s studios at the Plaza Hotel, the show later moved to Bell’s home studio and found a new home on Las Vegas’ KXNT-AM.

KDWN also played a pivotal role in Rush Limbaugh’s early syndication growth, becoming one of his first affiliates in 1988.

In 2006, Beasley Media Group acquired KDWN. The station introduced new shows and carried Raiders games until 2019. Beasley traded KDWN to Audacy in October 2022, who sold its transmitter site five months later for $40 million. KDWN signed off on March 1, 2023, with programming continuing on KMXB-HD3 and an FM translator.

Audacy applied to cancel KDWN’s license on March 11 after a year of silence. With the AM’s shuttering, KXNT – also owned by Audacy – is now Southern Nevada’s Primary Entry Point station for the Emergency Alert System.

Alongside the end of KDWN, comes the cancellation of Audacy’s KXST-AM license as well. The sports station came with the Entercom/CBS Radio merger, and shared the tower site with KDWN.

Categories: Industry News

Broadcasters Foundation To Honor RAB’s Farber In Vegas

Radio+Television Business Report - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 11:55

The Broadcasters Foundation of America has revealed its 2024 Lowry Mays Excellence in Broadcasting Award winner, as well as this year’s recipients of its esteemed Leadership Awards.

The Lowry Mays Excellence in Broadcasting Award, which annually celebrates a broadcaster whose work stands out for innovation, community service, advocacy, and entrepreneurship, will honor Erica Farber, the outgoing President & CEO of the Radio Advertising Bureau.

After leading the organization for twelve years, Farber will step down from her position on April 1. She will remain involved in RAB’s Rising Through the Ranks leadership development training and the National Radio Talent System.

The Leadership Awards are presented yearly to distinguish individuals for their significant contributions to the broadcasting industry and their community involvement. Among the award winners from radio are former CBS and ABC Radio exec Don Bouloukos, ABC Radio Network and ESPN Radio’s Traug Keller, and McVay Media President Mike McVay.

Television side winners include NBCU Local CRO and President of Commercial Operations Frank Comerford and Disney Platform Distribution EVP of ABC Affiliate Relations John Rouse. Wiley Partner Kathleen Kirby is also to be awarded.

These accolades will be bestowed during the NAB Show in Las Vegas at the Broadcasters Foundation’s Annual Breakfast on Wednesday, April 17. The complementary event will be hosted in the Brahms Room of the Encore Resort. The foundation encourages all members of the broadcasting community to attend this complimentary breakfast event, highlighting the achievements of their peers.

Prior registration is required for those planning to attend.

Categories: Industry News

WorldCast Introduces APT IP Silver MPX Products

Radio World - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 11:18

WorldCast Systems will introduce the APT IP Silver MPX Encoder and Decoder at the NAB Show.

“This new addition to the APT IP Streamer range is designed to revolutionize the transmission of FM-MPX signals, offering an unparalleled blend of cost efficiency and quality,” the company said.

The APT IP Silver MPX can transmit analog composite/MPX signals in pristine quality, including the APTmpX compressed format.

“This format represents a significant change, offering unrivaled signal transparency, minimal encoding delay, and exceptional IP transmission stability while significantly reducing the required bandwidth,” WorldCast said in its announcement.

The APT IP Silver MPX Encoder and Decoder include networking features such as VLAN tagging, NAT traversal and the SureStream Technology to ensure IP redundancy without compromise.

The devices are suitable for individual MPX-FM feeds and multi-frequency transmission and support various MPX bandwidths and formats

NTP-based Time Alignment allows precise adjustment of the target latency for each stream, and guarantees seamless program switching between transmitter frequencies. Intelligent ScriptEasy software allows broadcasters to control and monitor the devices and automate various actions remotely.

NAB Show Booth: W3449

[Read more preview coverage of the NAB Show.]

The post WorldCast Introduces APT IP Silver MPX Products appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

Super Hi-Fi Introduces HLS+

Radio World - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 07:00

HLS+ is a new streaming technology from Super Hi-Fi, and Audacy’s 700+ online stations are in the process of integrating it.

According to Super Hi-Fi, HLS+ combines live, linear radio with interactivity and personalization, in the same audio stream, while ensuring compatibility with billions of existing devices.

HLS+ was developed on top of HLS, the HTTP live streaming video streaming protocol. It supports a range of metadata capabilities and is compatible with most playout and broadcast systems for FM, HD, DAB+ and online platforms.

“HLS+ ensures backward compatibility with countless existing devices worldwide that support HLS, including Amazon Alexa, iPhone, Android and many in-car entertainment systems,” Super Hi-Fi said. “HLS+ is advertising-ready, supporting numerous programmatic ad services and integrating seamlessly with traditional radio traffic systems.

It said that with HLS+, radio stations still sound and feel like traditional live linear radio streams, including full production and voice tracks.

“But the addition of new features will up-level the listening experience significantly,” Super Hi-Fi said. “Songs can now start right at the beginning. No more dropping into a random spot on the stream.”

The technology supports skipping on live radio streams, allowing consumers to move forward or backward to the head of a song, “with no remnant production creating a messy listening experience. Content can now be fully personalized.” As examples it listed weather reports delivered to each listener’s unique location, and sports breaks in which one listener hears about the Lakers while another hears about the Mets, from within the same linear stream.

Also, linear radio broadcasts can be delivered over the air with advertisements, while the same broadcast is delivered online with ads removed. “Both experiences will be perfect and seamless,” the company said.

HLS+ launched today with support from Telos Alliance, Barix, Orban, StreamGuys and Xperi, including its AIM app platform.

The announcement quoted Audacy EVP of Product John Pacino highlighting “the seamless blend of HLS+ interactivity.” Audacy’s own online stations will support HLS+ by the end of March, with most being available on March 12, according to the release.

The company also released a promotional video, see below.

 

The post Super Hi-Fi Introduces HLS+ appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

Sencore Ready For A Meaningful NAB Show

Radio+Television Business Report - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 05:59

It’s a broadcast technology company focused on video, and it is eagerly anticipating the NAB Show, scheduled for April 14-17 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

What can attendees look forward to from Sencore?

For one, the company is preparing an exhibit with a “comprehensive display” of Sencore’s expertise in managed content and distribution, monitoring, contribution encoding, and the latest in ATSC 3.0 technology.

“This year’s exhibition is a unique opportunity for industry professionals to explore the latest advancements and witness firsthand how Sencore continues to redefine the possibilities in video systems,” the company shares.

Aaron Doughten, Director of Technology and Marketing at Sencore, added, “NAB is a pivotal platform for us to engage with industry leaders and showcase our latest projects. Our products are designed to meet the evolving needs of the broadcast, distribution and commercial AV markets.”

At the Sencore booth, visitors can delve into the world of video transport and monitoring of modern AV over IP systems, witnessing how Sencore empowers networks and operations teams globally. In addition to the core offerings, Sencore is excited to present advancements in managed content and distribution, monitoring solutions, contribution encoding capabilities, and ATSC 3.0 technology.

Sencore will be at booth W2401 during NAB 2024. To schedule a meeting in advance, visit
www.sencore.com or reach out directly to salesonline@sencore.com for more information.

Categories: Industry News

Generative AI To ‘Revolutionize’ Content Production at NAB Show

Radio+Television Business Report - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 05:58

Captivating narratives, stunning visuals and life-like character interaction: artificial intelligence (AI) is disrupting traditional content creation and delivery.

This explains why a leading AI and computer-vision researcher will dive into the cutting-edge world of generative AI during a keynote presentation at the opening session of the 2024 NAB Broadcast Engineering and IT (BEIT) Conference.

The event held during the NAB Show, from April 13-16 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, will see the presence of Pinscreen co-founder and CEO Dr. Hao Li.

“Dr. Li’s insights into how AI is shaping the future of content delivery will be invaluable to conference attendees,” said NAB Emerging Technology SVP John Clark, who also serves as the Executive Director of the NAB’s PILOT program. “This high-energy conference kickoff lays the groundwork for over 70 presentations and panels that will explore the rapidly changing media technology landscape.”

Pinscreen is a Los Angeles-based startup that builds the world’s most advanced AI-driven virtual avatars. In his presentation, Dr. Li will peel back the layers of generative AI for production – including the latest advancements in AI lip sync technology, face swap and deaging, as well as the future potential of AI technology.

Dr. Li will present “Generative AI for Content Production: From Storytelling to Visual Effects, AI Lip Sync, and Beyond” on Saturday, April 13 at 10 a.m. at the NAB BEIT Conference Opening Session.

 

The NAB BEIT Conference will focus on the future of content delivery, next-generation systems and the opportunities and challenges at hand throughout its 70+ sessions. The conference’s focus is designed for broadcast engineers and technicians, media technology managers, broadcast equipment manufacturers and R&D engineers.

The NAB BEIT Conference is part of the Core Education Collection.

Categories: Industry News

Vizrt Selects Its Latest European Distributor

Radio+Television Business Report - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 05:35

Norwegian real-time graphics and live production specialist Vizrt has added a German AV and IT-focused distributor to its roster of European channel partners — ComLine.

ComLine provides market leading technology, expertise, and support to resellers, enterprises and entrepreneurs looking to stay relevant, future-proof their workflows, and grow in the ever-evolving digital world.

Managing Director Richard Gäbel comments, “For ComLine, the professional live production solutions from market leader Vizrt are fantastic additions to the existing product portfolio. From the TriCaster Mini Go to produce smaller live events to the TriCaster 2 Elite and Viz 3Play for broadcasting, Vizrt offers integrated, production-proven and hybrid cloud solutions in all expansion stages.”

He adds that in the production of live events, the Vizrt product line is beneficial thanks to parallel processing of all production steps in teamwork. “Added to this is the great flexibility of I/O signals from classic SDI to NDI and other IP formats,” Gabel says. “We are looking forward to working with Vizrt and supporting our new partner in larger projects with our technical expertise and are always available as a backbone.”

Vizrt has hundreds of certified partners worldwide that work directly with Vizrt technology users.

— With reporting from RBR+TVBR in Kaiserslautern, Germany

Categories: Industry News

A Dual-Channel, Direct-To-Phone Wireless Lavalier Microphone Arrives

Radio+Television Business Report - Tue, 03/12/2024 - 05:33

RBR+TVBR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

A new line of Shure wireless clip-on microphones, the MoveMic Microphone System, has attracted attention for its ability to deliver broadcast-quality audio in an ultra-lightweight design — an advancement that’s particularly ideal for broadcast media content creators and journalists, as well as videographers.

It’s compact, and is a dual-channel direct-to-phone wireless lavalier product developed with a custom acoustic design and proprietary wireless software.

“Shure’s discreet and durable MoveMic series connects directly to phones in both single—MoveMic One—and dual channel—MoveMic Two—configurations for use with our MOTIV and MOTIV Video apps on iOS and Android,” the company notes.

For those seeking universal compatibility, the standalone MoveMic Receiver and bundled MoveMic Two Receiver Kit integrate with devices like cameras, computers, and third-party smartphone apps.

“On-the-go interviews have become the primary way journalists, content creators, and TikTokers gather the thoughts, opinions, and experiences of people around the world,” said Eduardo Valdes, Associate Vice President of Global Marketing and Product Management at Shure. “The rise in this style of content has created an ideal opportunity to introduce an incredibly discreet, extraordinary-sounding wireless lavalier microphone system like MoveMic. We’ve applied our expertise as the leaders in professional wireless tools for performance, broadcast, and recording to create this super portable device. Creators will love that they can simultaneously send two channels of audio directly to their phone while keeping mics covert on camera.”

Each MoveMic wireless clip-on microphone features up to eight hours of battery life. Users can achieve two additional eight-hour charges within the charging case, giving creators an entire day of recording for every full charge. USB-C connectivity makes MoveMic universally chargeable with any USB-C capable charging platform.

After pairing MoveMic One and Two with a user’s preferred device, the microphones will automatically reconnect to the last-paired device when removed from the charging case and powered on. By eliminating setup time between shots, creators, journalists, and videographers can be ready to record in an instant.

Designed to be paired with the free MOTIV Audio and Video apps, creators leveraging MoveMic One and Two can configure audio settings like gain, limiter, compression, noise reduction, and EQ. Additionally, users can record and livestream content to Facebook directly from the MOTIV Video mobile app, with YouTube livestream integration coming in spring 2024.

Pricing and Availability:

The MoveMic system and components are available now at Shure.com and select retailers.

Product What’s In the Box Price MoveMic One
  • 1x MoveMic Wireless Lavalier Microphone
  • Charging Case
  • USB-C to USB-C Charging Cable
$249 (US) MoveMic Two
  • 2x MoveMic Wireless Lavalier Microphones
  • Charging Case
  • USB-C to USB-C Charging Cable
$349 (US) MoveMic Two Receiver Kit
  • 2x MoveMic Wireless Lavalier Microphones
  • Charging Case
  • MoveMic Receiver
  • 2x USB-C to USB-C Cable
  • 3.5mm – 3.5mm Cable
  • Roll Bag/Protective Carrying Case
$499 (US) MoveMic Receiver
  • MoveMic Receiver
  • USB-C to USB-C Cable
$199 (US)

The latest MoveMic series of products is now available for purchase at Shure.com or at authorized Shure retailers.

Categories: Industry News

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FCC Media Bureau News Items - Mon, 03/11/2024 - 21:00
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Unity Media and Radio, New LPFM, Athens, Tennessee

FCC Media Bureau News Items - Mon, 03/11/2024 - 21:00
The Media Bureau affirms the dismissal of the application of Unity Media and Radio for a new LPFM station at Athens, Tennessee

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