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The recently formed Radio Vendor Alliance (RVA) has added another member to its
organization by stepping into artificial intelligence-powered services.

Radio Content Pro is now associated with the RVA, joining RadioFX, Envisionwise, Big Deals Media, Cool Radio Streaming, Rumple, Silverback Advertising, Radio Consulting Services, Navaquest and Frank Gerard Voiceovers.

“The RVA is all about preparing radio stations for the future and nothing says future
more than AI,” said Tom Dobrez, owner of Cool Radio Streaming and a founding member of the RVA. “With Radio Content Pro joining our growing organization, we are ever more positioned to help broadcasters be prepared.”

Tracy Johnson Media Group’s Tracy Johnson added, “Our product leverages artificial Intelligence to inspire creativity at the local station level. As we introduce our unique offering, the RVA will help us leverage their relationships to small and medium size markets around the country.”

Each vendor has submitted to a review process and their inclusion in the RVA has been
based on their proven track record of delivering fair market value services backed by
inclusive support. As a result, RVA offers a network of trusted partners that radio
operators can rely on to help them grow and succeed.

“The addition of Radio Content Pro compliments our current relationships with on air
products like Frank Gerard’s Voiceovers and Jon Holiday’s Radio Consulting Services
music programming and consulting services,” Dobrez said.

The RVA is a sponsor of the Small and Medium Market Radio Forum at the 2024 NAB Show in Las Vegas on April 13. 

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Media Bureau announces comment (April 29, 2024) and reply comment (May 13, 2024) deadlines for on the reinstatement of the Form 395-A data collection.

Media Bureau denies the Petition for Reconsideration of One Ministries, Inc. for Modification of the Television Market of KQSL, Fort Bragg, California

Now that the FCC has given its approval for FM radio stations in the United States to originate programming on boosters for a limited amount of time every hour, it must create final rules for processing, licensing and service.

In a further notice of proposed rulemaking opened by the commission this week, the FCC says many questions remain about the implementation of new rules to allow broadcasters to air targeted content different from the primary station’s signal. During this process, the FCC says it will allow licensees to convert an existing booster and use it to originate programming under a one-year renewable experimental authorization, which allows the commission to “closely monitor the rollout of the technology.” 

Notably, the FCC says it is imperative for it to adopt a notification requirement for program originating boosters. “This will enable the Media Bureau to keep track of which stations are using boosters to originate content and to respond to any complaints that may arise,” the FCC says in the NPRM.

[Related: “The FCC Will Allow FM Geotargeting“]

The FCC says it is not proposing to subject broadcasters to filing windows specifically for program originating booster stations. Instead, it proposes to continue processing booster applications — whether now with program origination under experimental authority or in the future, pursuant to adopted rules, on a first come/first served basis using existing application procedures.

Other issues are yet to be decided, including whether full-service FM primary stations should be limited to 25 program originating booster stations. The FCC also seeks comment on whether GeoBroadcast Solutions, which offers a system called ZoneCasting, should make its technology an open standard. The FCC writes in the Report and Order that the commission does not endorse a particular technical approach.

It also seeks comment on whether the FCC should adopt a requirement that broadcasters synchronize their primary station and booster signals to reduce and eliminate self-interference. “GBS’s engineering consultant emphasized in the comments that synchronization is critical to successful booster implementation,” the FNPRM states. 

In addition, the commission raises non-technical matters, and whether it should take steps to limit the potential for redlining by advertisers or licensees. “We seek comment on whether a safeguard in the form of a reporting condition might generally be useful to address non-technical concerns.”

The FCC also asks about what political advertising reporting requirements should be placed on boosters.

Interested parties will be able to comment on the FCC FNPRM once it is published in the Federal Register, and the NAB is expected to be among them. The trade association has vehemently opposed geotargeting, challenging it on both technical and business grounds. 

[Read more of Radio World’s extensive geo-targeting coverage here]

The post The FCC’s Final Rules for Geotargeting Are Still Pending appeared first on Radio World.

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.

This year at CES, Xperi announced the development of a prototype feature we’ve been working on for our DTS AutoStage entertainment platform: in-vehicle gaming.

This is a completely natural progression for the platform, as connectivity, interactivity, voice interaction and personalization continue to converge in the vehicle cabin, setting the stage for a new and better entertainment user experience incorporating music, video and, now, gaming. 

Author Joe D’Angelo, senior vice president of broadcast radio and digital audio at Xperi

In-vehicle gaming and car radio are inextricably intertwined in this progression, which is why we see gaming as an essential opportunity for radio broadcasters.

There really is nothing new about games in the car, the innovation is in the execution. After all, playing games on long (and short) car trips has been around as long as the car (and the car radio), keeping driver and passengers alert and entertained, well before innovations such as the Walkman, CD players, iPods, iPhones or today’s in-cabin media platforms offered entertainment on-the-go. 

Most of us have probably played word and observation games such as “I Spy” or “Spot the License Plate” in the car to pass the time, or enjoyed games served up on car radios such as “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me,” “Say You” or local and sports trivia and “name that tune” games on local stations. 

Games are, in fact, part of the DNA of radio. 

Radio’s heritage

If you go back to the origins of radio programming in the 1920s, ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, much of the content consisted of quiz game shows that tickled the mind, starting in 1923 with radio’s first quiz show, “Brooklyn Eagle Quiz on Current Events,” and the 1930s’ “Information Please” and “Dr. IQ.” 

Today, gaming of every kind is ubiquitous across media channels and on the upswing. According to IDC, Gen Z spends 14.9 hours a week with digital gaming on average, while consumers overall spend an average of 9.4 hours, with the hours spent on gaming by younger millennials, older millennials and Gen X expected to rise in the next year. 

Meanwhile, rapid innovation in the in-dash entertainment landscape means that, although radio continues to be the most listened-to media in the vehicle, new digital alternatives loom, enabled by the explosion in cellular IP networks and capacity, putting radio’s dominance in jeopardy. In-cabin innovation is reflecting this, with gaming already launched in Tesla, Mercedes and BMW.

So it is increasingly critical that broadcasters stay several steps ahead of this curve and, given the success that radio historically has had with games, the category presents a major opportunity to engage audiences. 

With this in mind, Xperi and DTS are developing a new gaming capability designed to keep broadcasters involved, and radio front, center and relevant, to the in-cabin experience. 

Of the three categories of gaming emerging for integration in new cars — Driving Games, Passenger/Rear Seat Entertainment Games and Console Games — we are initially focused on audio driving games, those designed around content using an audio interface that is safe for drivers to play and that, in many ways, reflects the success of the earliest games played in-vehicle, but with all the benefits of DTS AutoStage’s global platform.

Big opportunity

We believe this will translate well into our in-cabin platform, providing major opportunities for broadcasters to create new game content relevant to their particular music genre, or their specific information focus, that can run alongside broadcast radio shows — just as enriched metadata is already enhancing, reinforcing and making broadcast content more immersive. 

For example, a “Name That Tune,” or “Guess That Lyric” game could run alongside musical programming or a series of games that incorporate local, regional and national trivia and sports quizzes can be generated, all of which can help stations extend their brand and increase stickiness. And, because of the personalization of the DTS AutoStage platform, entering a contest or game could be hands free and automatic, making it deeply user-friendly.

As we develop our new gaming functionality, we are looking at multiple use cases, from a way to kill time while an EV vehicle is stopped and charging, to waiting in line to pick up kids from school or, like those old school in-vehicle games of “I Spy” or “Spot the License Plate,” a way to keep the driver’s mind alert and stimulated, and bored passengers engaged. Of course, as vehicle automation and ADAS systems advance, the technological sophistication of these games has the potential to advance. 

But, in the end, a game is a game, simple or complex, and the human instinct to play, to test the brain, to know the answer to a piece of trivia, to name a tune, or to fill in a missing letter in a word is a core form of entertainment, one that is poised to provide exciting and almost limitless possibilities for the future in-cabin entertainment — a future in which radio will, and must, play a central role.

[Read More Guest Commentaries Here]

The post In-Vehicle Gaming Is an Essential Opportunity appeared first on Radio World.

So much for all of that cordial bipartisanship seen just days ago with the 5-0 decision to push “ZoneCasting” forward with program origination on an FM booster for up to three minutes per hour.

The Wednesday morning announcement that Jessica Rosenworcel wishes to undo Ajit Pai‘s decision to erase a Tom Wheeler-era FCC decision to place Title II classification on broadband — “net neutrality,” in everyday parlance — was slammed by the senior Republican on the FCC.

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FastHub by MuxIP, a technology platform specializing in enhancing digital experiences, has forged a strategic partnership with media firm Krantz Media Group. It’s a partnership that “aims to revolutionize the radio, podcast, music, and live events industries.”

How so, Krantz says this can be achieved  through the integration of FastHub’s FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) channel technology. He adds that MuxIP’s FASTHub platform, combined with KMG’s media strategy, content creation, and audience engagement experience, can empower clients to extend and elevate their digital presence to video, streamline operations, and “capitalize on revenue opportunities like never before.”

FastHub’s platform offers a range of features designed to optimize content delivery and monetization across various channels. This include dynamic ad insertion, advanced analytics and audience targeting capabilities.

“This partnership with FastHub by MuxIP represents an exciting opportunity to pioneer digital transformation with FAST Channels in the radio, podcast, music, and live events industries,” said KMG Chief Executive Officer Gary Krantz. “Together, we will leverage the power of technology to help our clients thrive in today’s dynamic media landscape.”

Two years after a historic combination of resources, the parent organization of WBEZ-FM, the NPR Member station serving Chicago, and the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper is moving forward with a reduction-in-force initiative across both its daily print and digital operation and its audio content creation and distribution service.

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It’s been a difficult 12 months for One Ministries, the licensee of a digital full-power television station licensed to a coastal Mendocino County, Calif., community. In April 2023, the Senior Deputy Chief of the FCC Media Bureau’s Policy Division sided with Comcast in a dispute over “must carry” status in the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose DMA community of Santa Rosa. One month later, it submitted a Petition for Reconsideration.

Comcast filed opposition. One Ministries responded. Now, the Media Bureau’s Chief has spoken, and it is standing by the Policy Division decision.

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Following the FCC’s recent decision to authorize very low power (VLP) devices in the 6 GHz spectrum band, the Society of Broadcast Engineers has issued a regulatory alert to members and stations telling them to be aware of potential 6 GHz interference.

The 6 Ghz spectrum band plays a critical role in ENG and local newsgathering, and the FCC’s efforts to open up parts of that spectrum to unlicensed devices has prompted considerable opposition from broadcasters and the NAB in recent years.

On March 8, FCC rules authorizing unlicensed very low power (VLP) devices in the 6 GHz spectrum band 5.925-7.125 GHz took effect.

“The SBE, the NAB, and others have expressed concern that the FCC’s proposals to increase unlicensed use of the 6 GHz Band could introduce harmful interference to broadcasters’ licensed electronic newsgathering (ENG) activities in the band,” the SBE said.

“Interference and reduced margin in fixed BAS links (STLs, etc.) may also be a problem as Wi-Fi-6E devices become common. Consequently, we urge you to fully document the performance of any 6 GHz fixed links that your station may have (signal levels, margin to failure, error rates, etc.). We are also interested in hearing from anyone who has experienced interference in the 6 GHz Band that could be attributable to unlicensed devices.”

The SBE noted that the issue is also important because “The FCC is also actively considering proposals to allow even greater VLP and LPI (low-power indoor) use in the Band” and urged anyone who has “experienced interference to your ENG operations in the 6 GHz band over the past several months, please notify the SBE at BASinterference@sbe.org no later than April 17.”

The SBE reminds members that “any interference should be reported via the FCC Interference Reporting portal.”

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The post SBE Issues Regulatory Alert on Potential 6 GHz Interference appeared first on Radio World.

Cumulus Media has announced an additional extension to the company’s debt exchange plan in a capital restructuring. The “Further Extended Expiration Time” takes the previous April 2 deadline and pushes it through April 9. The original deadline was March 26.

The first extension on the deal came at the end of the initial March 11 early tender deadline. That was extended to March 18, as reported by RBR+TVBR.

The initiative invites holders of Cumulus’s 6.750% Senior Secured First-Lien Notes due 2026 to exchange them for 8.750% Senior Secured First-Lien Notes due 2029. Debuted alongside its Q4 2023 earnings, the capital restructuring would prolong the maturity of its existing debt by three years while raising interest by two percent.

Under the terms of the extension, note holders who opt to exchange their holdings by the new April deadline will receive $770 in new notes for every $1,000 of the old notes, with the early tender premium now excluded.

The extension is seen as a strategic move by Cumulus, especially after $15 million of the old notes had already been tendered and not withdrawn at the April 2 deadline. This could indicate hesitancy among some debtholders regarding the swap’s terms.

Participants in the exchange must submit an eligibility letter through D.F. King & Co., demonstrating compliance with specific investment criteria. The new notes, which are not registered under the Securities Act, must meet certain eligibility requirements to meet regulatory standards.

For more than two decades, he had been an operator of radio stations serving one of the most bucolic viticultural regions of the Golden State — the wine-producing Santa Ynez Valley of northern Santa Barbara County. On June 15, 2022, the future of those facilities came into question as the owner, Shawn Knight, died following a paragliding accident.

On March 8, one of the Knight Broadcasting properties was sold to Stefan Carpenter and Erron Vela’s Santa Ynez Valley Media. Now, a new licensee has come forward for Knight’s “Mix 96.7,” and all signs point to a noncommercial conversion of this Class A FM.

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The Board of Directors of ATSC, the broadcast standards association behind the voluntary transition to the new broadcast TV standard powering NEXTGEN TV, has named a Samsung Electronics executive as Chair of the ATSC technology group that oversees the ATSC 3.0 suite of standards.

Effective May 15, Dr. Paul Hearty will succeed Sony’s Luke Fay, who has been ATSC Technology Group 3 Chair since 2019.

ATSC Technology Group 3 (TG3) develops and maintains Standards and Recommended Practices for ATSC 3.0 and beyond.  It works on advanced technologies for broadcast, the Internet and other transport systems.  Technologies considered may be improvements to current systems or entirely new systems.

“ATSC is fortunate to have many brilliant minds contributing to the growth of our standards activities, and Paul’s vast experience and technical expertise will advance our collective efforts that make certain ATSC standards remain the world’s most flexible and adaptable to changing needs of broadcasters,” says Madeleine Noland, President of ATSC. “We are indebted to Sony and to Luke for driving TG3 forward for five years, leading standards updates and capably steering the group through the initial launch of ATSC 3.0.  Building on Luke’s contributions, Paul’s leadership will help us keep pace with the changing technologies all around us.”

Hearty commented, “The next few years will be an interesting time for ATSC as we expand deployment, not just in terms of transmitters and markets, but also new features and service concepts, achieving the potential of NEXTGEN TV.  As we explore new service offerings, we will discover new needs and opportunities, leading to the next generation of ATSC technologies.”

Involved in the development and standardization of advanced television systems since the early 1980s, Hearty has worked with the International Telecommunications Union, in the FCC Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service (ACATS), and with various standards development organizations including ATSC, CTA, SCTE and SMPTE.

Currently Chief Standards Strategist in Samsung Research America’s Video Solutions division, Hearty leads the company’s standardization activities in ATSC and in other standards development organizations. Hearty also founded the Advanced Television Evaluation Laboratory, which carried out tests on behalf of ACATS that led to the development of the ATSC 1.0 digital television standard. Later, as a Vice President at General Instrument/Motorola, he led in the deployment of commercial and direct-to-home satellite broadcast technologies, as well as digital compression technology for satellite and cable.

Hearty is the fifth chair of TG3, following in the footsteps of James Kutzner (2011-15), who retired from PBS, Dr. Richard Chernock (2015-18), who retired from Triveni Digital, Madeleine Noland (2018-19), who was then with LG Electronics, and Luke Fay (2019-2024) of Sony Electronics.

Connected home and TV company VIZIO has widened its partnership with ad intelligence company AdImpact through the licensing of its proprietary ad catalog ahead of the upcoming political season.

This, says VIZIO, builds on AdImpact’s multi-year agreement to leverage VIZIO Inscape’s  ACR data and nationally representative panel (NRP).

AdImpact’s ad catalog and Inscape’s viewership data, from upward of 23 million opt-in devices, can now provide VIZIO Ads’ political buyers with a wider view of local and national TV advertising across linear and streaming.

The partnership also gives a boost to VIZIO’s analytics suite, giving political buyers better ways to plan, target, and measure campaigns across VIZIO’s Connected TV inventory.

“For political buyers, this will provide the ability to target under and over-exposed audiences, optimize reach and frequency across households, and extend CTV-first campaigns on VIZIO to additional devices,” VIZIO says. “Additionally, this will provide granular insight into ad exposure at the zip code and congressional district level, and provide a better understanding of the incremental reach of CTV vs Linear.”

— With reporting from RBR+TVBR in New York.

A church in Columbus, Ind., has been granted a construction permit for a new LPFM station to broadcast on 98.9 FM in the city.

The FCC has denied an objection that attempted to link one of the parties on the church’s application with an unlicensed signal operated in Columbus a decade ago.

La Iglesia de Dios Pentecostes, or the Pentecostal Church of God, filed its application during the 2023 LPFM window.

But Columbus Community Radio Corp. which operates 98.5 WHUM(LP), also in Columbus, submitted an informal objection in January. It cited a 2014 Notice of Unlicensed Operation issued by the FCC’s Chicago field office against Rafael Gonzalez, a party on the church’s LPFM application.

[Read more coverage of LPFM and other FCC rulings.]

The NOUO concerned an unlicensed signal on 93.5 FM originating from a location on U.S. Route 31 in Columbus. FCC rules require that any party to an application certifies that they have never engaged in unlicensed operation of any station beyond the very low power levels allowed in Part 15 of the rules.

In response to the objection, Gonzalez, the church’s pastor, acknowledged the 2014 incident. He said the transmitter was operated by his friend Sergio Ramos, who was visiting from Mexico. Gonzalez described himself as having been “gullible and naïve.” He recounted an FCC agent visiting his church to which he showed them the transmitter and complied with the agent’s instructions to turn it off. Gonzalez added that he “was not guilty of radio piracy.”

The commission sided with Gonzalez. Simply put, because all Columbus Community Radio could provide as evidence was the original NOUO, the commission said the objection did not conclusively establish that Gonzalez, rather than Ramos, had operated the unlicensed station.

The church’s LPFM construction permit has been granted. It seeks to serve the Spanish-speaking community of Columbus with Christian programming from an antenna at its property on U.S. Route 31.

(Read the decision.)

 

 

The post Church Is Granted an LPFM Station in Columbus, Ind. appeared first on Radio World.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It has been expected for months, now that Anna Gómez is a Democratic Commissioner on the FCC.

On April 3, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel launched the process to bring back the most divisive regulatory policy seen in the last decade — a return of Title II broadband classification, which restores “net neutrality.”

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Wheatstone has updated its SystemLink FM MPX over IP transporter. It now includes Reliable Internet Stream Transport, or RIST, connectivity. 

The company, which will exhibit in the West Hall at the NAB Show, says SystemLink provides robust, secure and reliable transport over any IP link. 

“With this, SystemLink can transport FM MPX+HD/DAB reliably and at low latency across IP links of any capacity, whether as uncompressed or via optional μMPX codec,” the manufacturer said.

“RIST adds real-time error correction among other benefits as a relatively new protocol widely adopted by the broadcast industry for transmitting video and audio over the public internet.”

SystemLink is available for Wheatstone audio processors, including its Layers FM audio processor software hosted on a local server or running on cloud data centers. 

This FM MPX over IP transporter is compatible with existing STLs and audio processors; it supports μMPX, analog MPX, and MPX over AES.

SystemLink is accessible through an HTML5 browser interface. It comes as a software encoder with a hardware decoder at the transmitter or as a hardware encoder/decoder option. Configured as a software encoder with a SystemLink decoder at the transmitter, SystemLink transports FM MPX + HD/DAB out of the Layers FM audio processor from the cloud data center to the transmitter.

It is a WheatNet IP appliance with SNMP alerting and control. SystemLink passes the MPX and all subcarriers as well as stereo HD or DAB audio aligned with stereo FM.

NAB Show Booth: W1731

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

The post Wheatstone Systemlink MPX Transporter Adds RIST appeared first on Radio World.