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Karl’s Soldering Tips for Beginners

Radio World - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 18:19

There is one skill that everyone should know: How to solder! 

First we should offer this advice: Every job is so much easier when using the proper tools. 

Over the years I have created a short list of basic hand tools that I carry that fulfill nearly every need in electronic work and repair: 

  • Cable TV F-connector removal tool
  • Medium-sized Philips screwdriver
  • Medium-sized straight screwdriver
  • small tongue-and-groove plier for removing stripped-out screws (Channellock 426)
  • Slip-joint “gas” plier (Diamond P27)
  • Adjustable wrench (Crescent AC16C)
  • Small combination screwdriver and nut driver (Xcelite 600)
  • Medium-sized wire cutter
  • Adjustable wire stripper
  • Three Xcelite miniature adjustment screwdrivers: R3322 “greenie.” P12S “bluey,” R181 “reddie”
  • Miniature nut wrench for tightening computer posts (Xcelite P6 3/16)
  • Needle-nose plier
  • Two fine wire cutters
  • Pencil, pen and computer memory stick 

A set of tools like this can literally last a lifetime. They fit into a convenient pouch like a Klein Tools 5139. You can conquer the world with this kit!

Everybody has individual tools that they like to have and use, and certain tasks will dictate your list. Can anyone survive without a Dremel tool and a set of metric and standard ratchet nut wrenches? 

Useful hand tools for electronic work Credit: N2KZ photo The Big Melt

The main tool you need for soldering is a soldering iron. Today’s electronics usually require a 25- or 40-watt iron with a needle or small spade tip. Make sure your iron has an adjustable thermostat to hold it at the hot temperature; otherwise your joints will not be consistent. Runaway heat can eat up your soldering tips and end their life prematurely.

A proper soldering station is a lifetime investment. Buy once and use forever! For decades, Weller has been the standard for professional and hobby soldering. A Weller WE1010NA is a very good choice. On a budget, the basic Weller WLC100 will serve you well. 

A few accessories are in order. I recommend three small plastic squirt bottles. 

To aid in difficult soldering, keep a needle-nose bottle containing rosin flux; this will allow the solder to flow with ease when you need extra help. 

Soldering iron with needle tip.

A similar bottle should be at hand with water to keep your station sponge moist. Wipe the tip of your soldering iron along the sponge after each action for a clean start every time. 

The third bottle should contain 99% alcohol. Moisten a cotton swab with it and scrub your work lightly to remove brown and sticky left-over flux from completed joints. 

Finally, purchase a set of 2CYX5 hole cleaner tools to clean PC board component holes. These are long and thin miniature files that will prepare the holes before inserting a replacement part. 

Here is the cardinal rule: When soldering components or wires to a PC board or chassis, cut the lead before you solder the joint! If you cut it after you solder, the snip action will shatter the joint. Dissimilar metals (the solder and the wire) will be exposed to oxidation. It will not be a sealed joint.

The correct method is to position the component, bend the leads that come through the board in the direction of the PC board “pads” and “lands” and snip both before soldering. This makes a good physical connection before you seal your work with solder. 

Place the hot iron tip at the hole for a second or two to heat the joint. With your other hand, touch the solder to the tip and turn the tip very slightly as the solder melts over the joint. Use just enough solder to fill the PC board hole without making a bead of solder apparent. 

Paladin heat gun. (Credit: N2KZ photo)

Similarly, when you are working on a chassis, wrap the wire once around the terminal strip or post to make a solid physical connection and snip it to fit. Then seal the exposed wire to the post with just enough solder to make a good joint. Cut first, then solder!

If you are making connections with stranded wire, strip its insulation to bare enough wire to make the connection with a wire stripper. Twist the wire gently in your fingers until the wrap is tight, then seal the wire threads by melting a small amount of solder along the wire to “tin” them in place. 

This approach makes the ends of your stranded wires just like a solid conductor. It also aids eventual soldering to the PC board or terminal connection. 

The term “tin” comes from the composition of the solder itself. Most electronic solders are a combined alloy of 60% tin and 40% lead, or 63% tin and 37% lead. Examine a piece of solder cut with a wire cutter and you may see an amazing part of its formulation. Most solders have built-in “multicores” of rosin flux made from pine sap. Brown or golden in color, the rosin aids the solder to melt and adhere to metal joints known as “wetting.” Having the flux built into the solder saves you from applying the flux separately and will save you a lot of time as you build your project. 

How do you know you have made a good solder connection? A fine solder joint should look shiny and smooth without creating a bead from too much applied solder. 

If you remove your solder tip too slowly, you may create an unsightly “icicle.” If you move your component or wire before the joint has cooled it will look porous, cracked or dull gray. These “cold” solder joints make a miserable connection and will just cause trouble. Remember: Shiny and smooth = good! 

The Weller WE1010NA comes with a one-channel soldering station, a WEP 70 electric soldering iron and a PH 70 safety rest. Tips for a professional look

When you build a circuit board or chassis, position all of your components in the same direction. Resistor color codes should run up to down with the tolerance band towards the bottom of the chassis, or consecutive left to right. Similarly, capacitor positive side bands should be at the top or at the left with all the numbers (100uf 25VDC or whatever) all facing the same way and easily readable. 

When positioning components vertically, make a squared-off bend at the top. This makes for a professional look and provides a nice place to grasp the lead with a meter or test probe if necessary. Quick rounded-off ends are never the same twice and don’t look like they were made formally. In all cases, try to position components uniformly across your project in a neat and thoughtful manner. 

Should there ever be a point where component leads come too close to each other and may possibly touch, a piece of plastic tubing can provide insulation that may save you from catastrophe. If you don’t have factory-made tubing available, a leftover piece of wire insulation may suffice. A piece of tubing can also cover points where wires have been spliced or otherwise repaired. 

Also available is “heat shrink” tubing, the deluxe material for insulating wires and splices. Heat shrink has a rubbery plastic feel and will conform to the shape of whatever is inside it. Cut an appropriate length to cover your wires or repair, then apply heat using a heat gun — like a hair dryer but higher in air temperature — and watch the tubing shrink a wrap itself tightly around your work. 

Construction hints

Repairing circuit boards requires more advanced skills. If you need to remove and replace a component — maybe a burnt resistor or a shorted capacitor — you’ll need to remove the solder from the solder joint as part of your “rework.”

Scrap telecom wire is suitable for small projects.
Credit:
N2KZ photo

There are three ways to skin this cat. 

Some people prefer to use a weaved braid of fine wire called solderwick. When a solder joint is reheated, you can place a piece of solderwick on the joint and hope the molten solder will migrate to the wick, pulling it away from the joint. This is troublesome because the wick adds a lot of surface area and the solder will require a great deal of heat to become molten. The PC board and the etched wiring lands and pads can also become overheated and come off the board. This isn’t fun and it’s difficult to do.

You can also use a “solder sucker” such as the Edsyn Soldapullt. This is a long cylindrical pumped suction device. You press a plunger down into the cylinder. Heat the joint with your soldering iron until it becomes molten.

Place the Soldapullt’s point over the solder joint, then quickly press the round button in the middle of the tool and you will create a powerful momentary suction that instantly removes the molten solder with grace and style. I prefer this method. 

An expensive version of this concept is seen in professional rework stations. A hand-held metal nozzle heats to solder-melting temperature. Place the nozzle over your joint and press down on a foot pedal switch. The nozzle will apply suction and discreetly clean the joint. You have to keep the nozzle clean to continue having good suction. 

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Conspire to wire

While I am at it, let me please include some wiring tips. 

I have seen all sorts of ways, simple and complex, of holding wiring in place as you attempt to solder wires to a connector or whatever. People use desk vises, vises with alligator clip attachments, expensive pivoting frames and lots of other things.

Having spent a long time on the road, I developed simple methods of getting repairs and wiring done with simplicity. 

One trick I like is to make a needle-nose or other plier into a locking plier by wrapping a rubber band around the handles. It will hold anything with a gentle touch so you can solder it without effort.

I have developed a similar technique by resting heavier tools like my large wire cutter over a wire or cable to hold it in place. It works like a charm! When you get the hang of this, wiring can become quite rapid and easy. I use this for soldering all sorts of things especially audio XLR connectors or multi-pin “mult” cables for connecting multiple audio circuits with one large cable.

Speaking of soldering cables that require multiple connections: Always slide the collar or shell of the connector onto the cable before you do all your painstaking soldering. Nothing is sadder than a beautifully built connector without its cover. The agony! 

Prepare the multi-wire end by stripping and tinning the ends before soldering. Remember the wires that go to the outside pins need to be slightly shorter than the inside pins. Start by soldering the inside pins first and work your way out to the outside to finalize your job. It is much easier to do when your work is in the clear instead of trying to solder around wires you have already completed!

Learn to use just the right amount of solder to make a good connection. Don’t overload a “cup” with too much solder so it beads up and expands over the connection point. 

Also, get to know the place to adjust your iron for the correct temperature. Too hot melts plastic and ruins connectors. Too cold makes for crystalized cold solder joints, lousy connections and peril! 

Be very careful with PC boards that have connections inside the board layers. Multi-layer boards are best repaired at the factory and not at your bench. Professional PC boards are often made by a process called wave soldering, where all the components are placed perfectly by automation before soldering. The boards then go precisely through a carefully heated and prepared bath of solder for pristine results. Similarly, surface-mount technology boards are fragile and require great care. Sophisticated expensive workstations and advanced skills are needed to enter the land of SMTs! High-tech boards are hard to repair in the field. Beware!

Also useful: Consider using the single-conductor wire found in either Cat-5 and Cat-6 cable and/or wiring used for old-fashioned telephone “telco” connections. These are fine-gauge single-conductor solid wires with a variety of color codes. Grab this kind of wire whenever you can. It makes excellent wiring for your projects or PC board land and pad repairs. Very useful and usually free. Scraps can be gifts!

Finally, keep in mind that my experiences are my own and not to be thought of as universal. We all have developed habits and procedures for soldering and construction that are comfortable for us. I would love to hear your hints. 

Comment to radioworld@futurenet.com. This article was published in PCARA Update, the journal of the Peekskill Cortlandt Amateur Radio Association and is reused with permission. 

The post Karl’s Soldering Tips for Beginners appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

Pirate Letters Go to South Carolina, New Jersey

Radio World - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 17:28

Two more property owners have received the FCC’s “pirate radio” letter.

The commission has informed Charles Wyatt that agents from its Atlanta office, acting on a complaint, traced a signal on 87.9 MHz to his property in Greenville, S.C. 

That happened in March of 2022. The letter didn’t explain why it took two years for the notice to be issued.

Separately the commission has notified Somerset Maplewood LLC that a signal on 91.7 was traced to its property in Maplewood, N.J. That was in August of 2023.

Both letters inform the owners that third parties who help or enable pirate broadcasts are liable to federal penalties of up to $2.4 million under the PIRATE Act.

The commission recently told Congress that to help fight pirate radio, it had hired four full-time people in fiscal 2023 and was in the process of hiring more.

[Related: “Pirate Radio Is Not Just a Big-City Problem”]

The post Pirate Letters Go to South Carolina, New Jersey appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

Pro-vMVPD Group Calls Out NAB For Pushing Expanded Retrans

Radio+Television Business Report - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 16:30

It calls itself “an advocacy coalition dedicated to protecting consumer choice and innovation in the streaming video marketplace.” That’s D.C. parlance for a lobbying group that believes “healthy competition” doesn’t involve in any way the expansion of retransmission consent legislation enacted some three decades ago to virtual MVPDs such as YouTube TV and Hulu — members of this coalition.

Now, the Preserve Viewer Choice Coalition is calling out the voice of broadcast media  in Washington for its efforts to help get carriage fees from these digitally distributed platforms.

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Categories: Industry News

Behind the Scenes of “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!”

Radio World - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 16:27

The witty news quiz show “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!” from NPR and WBEZ was first broadcast from Chicago on Jan. 3, 1998. It originally was assembled with content from NPR studios in Chicago, Washington and other locations as needed, until settling in for many years at Chicago’s Chase Auditorium.

“Wait Wait” continued undaunted during the pandemic, when productions from Chase were replaced by Zoom meetings from the homes of host Peter Sagal, the show’s panelists and audience participants. 

Today, “Wait Wait” is back before a live audience at Chicago’s Studebaker Theater and in venues across America. 

In December 2023, the New York Section of the Audio Engineering Society hosted an event at Mercy University, providing a look behind the scenes of the show. AES Fellow David Bialik hosted “Wait Wait” Technical Director Lorna White and Production Manager Robert Neuhaus. 

The “Wait Wait” website states that White “began working at NPR in 1984 as a child” and that she was assigned to the show “when she was old enough to tell fart jokes.” And it says that Neuhaus “has spent a lifetime creating funny noises and helping other people hear them” and that for NPR “he has recorded everything from important politicians to squealing hogs, and still manages to tell the difference.”

Here’s a sampling of the AES talk and a link to a video archive.

Chicago’s Studebaker Theater is now the home of “Wait Wait” when it is not traveling. The crew sets up in front of the set of whatever stage show happens to be running at the time. A fast and cheap birth

Recorded in front of a live audience on Thursday night and edited Friday for broadcast that weekend, “Wait Wait” has become a cherished public radio anchor show, nourished by the wry snappy patter of Sagal; the warmth and humor of the late Carl Kasell, the official judge and scorekeeper until 2014; and Kasell’s equally sagacious successor Bill Kurtis. 

Regular panelists over the years have included the likes of Paula Poundstone, Tom Bodett, Bobcat Goldthwait, Roy Blount Jr., Peter Grosz, Helen Hong and numerous others, many of them comedians. It also has had numerous celebrity guest hosts. The program is heard on 741 stations by an estimated 3.1 million people, and the podcast gets 1.3 million downloads.

For such a popular radio show, “Wait Wait” had a short gestation. 

“NPR said, ‘We’re going to start this new show in six weeks and you’re going to record it over at the local public radio station, which is WBEZ, and edit it and put it out for broadcast,’” recalled Lorna White. 

“We had to just sort of kludge together the equipment that we had because there was no budget for this; it’s public radio.”

The program began traveling to other cities in 2000. Its first road show was at Westminster College, a small liberal arts school in Salt Lake City.

“We needed production elements,” she recalled, “so we had Carl walk around the stage with a large sign that said, ‘I’m Carl Kasell. NPR bigwigs are listening.’ We’d elicit laughs and applause so we could use them to cover edits later in the show. 

“The way we do production is kind of old-school but it works for us.”

Taking the program to other markets gives NPR stations there a boost, though it’s a lot of work. “When we came to a venue — which in the early days were tiny regional theaters, a church in Baltimore, a synagogue in Boston, whatever the public radio station could find for us — we used them as fundraising shows for the station,” White said. 

“They would put us in whatever venue that they could find or get on a trade. It wasn’t always ideal, but we would figure out how the show would work. … You come in, you load in, you hang in the banner, you find the tables, [then] you wait for the tablecloths. Because the tablecloths are never there and you can’t put anything on the table until there’s tablecloths.

“Sometimes we’ve gone to venues where we can’t get to the stage until afternoon,” she continued. “We usually like to hit the stage at 10 a.m. just to try to get everything plugged in before lunch at 1. Sometimes we’ve done festivals where that’s not possible. We can’t get on the stage till 2 o’clock, so we’ll set up backstage and then they’ll carry the tables out for us and we can do some fast plugging in and hope it all works that way.”

Audio gear ready to be deployed.

The show owns two sets of audio gear. One stays at the home theater in Chicago, and the second is shipped around the country. Even shipping the road cases of production equipment from city to city comes with risks. 

“We don’t have our own truck, we don’t have a driver,” White said. “They go out by freight, and the freight company holds them for us so that we’re not doing a complete round trip every show. They’ll go from Portland, Maine, to New York City, then we just ship it onto the next place. We go out about once a month, once every four or five weeks.” She said the road cases themselves “never seem to last very long, when a forklift goes through them.” 

Bialik asked if the team brings redundant equipment in case of a problem. “No, no,” Neuhaus replied. “We live dangerously.” 

Robert Neuhaus pauses to appreciate the crowd at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colo., in 2014. No snow here

White and Neuhaus — who report to Executive Producer Mike Danforth and are supported by about 10 others, including writers — shared a few anecdotes.

Actor Tom Hanks has had a long-time association with “Wait Wait,” even filling in for host Peter Sagal. (You can listen to his episode here. Follow the menu to the episode for Jan. 14, 2017.)

Hanks also provided support during COVID when he sat in on a Zoom recording session — though the usually talkative and witty actor didn’t say a word: “He just watched the whole show,” White recalled. And Hanks was among the celebrities who called in for Kasell’s last show (President Barack Obama was another). 

Tom Hanks filled in for Peter Sagal in 2017. Panelists were Paula Poundstone, Luke Burbank and Faith Salie.

White said that the script isn’t always ready on time. 

“Once we performed in Fairbanks, Alaska, and a university spokesperson announced the show before the staff was ready. Luckily Paula Poundstone was there and did a short warmup for us until everyone was in place. Then Adam Felber had to pull her off so we could start.”

Another memory involved a three-day snowfall in Chicago in February 2011, known as the Groundhog Day Blizzard. According to the National Weather Service, it was the third largest snowstorm on record for the city.

Had things gone to plan, “Wait Wait” would have been leaving the chilly Midwest for the beaches of Miami that week. Neuhaus heeded the weather warnings and flew south early, as did Sagal. But everyone else on the program staff ended up running the show from home, after the city was snowed in. But with the help of an engineer who flew in from L.A. and an NPR staffer who came down from Washington, the “Wait Wait” team managed to get two live shows recorded and edited on location.

“By Friday everybody [in Chicago] was back in the office,” said Neuhaus, who was still in Florida. “I was emailing with a producer and teasing him by saying, ‘Hey, I need to wait a minute. I’m editing out on the balcony of my hotel room and the sun is too strong.’ He replied, ‘That’s OK, I need a minute to empty my trash can onto your desk.’” 

The first in-person show in 18 months. The Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, August 2022. Back in the groove

After 18 months of virtual productions, “Wait Wait” returned to the in-person format with live audience with a show from the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia. 

“It was crazy how we felt out of place,” White said, “how much we forgot, how much the backstage crew had forgotten. We just weren’t in our groove. It was great to be working like this again.”

Today, when the show isn’t traveling, it appears on stage at Chicago’s Studebaker Theater. It also has appeared in iconic venues such as Carnegie Hall and Tanglewood, though large musical venues that are acoustically very “live” can be challenging.

“We play better in theaters than in concert halls because of the resonance of the hall,” Neuhaus said. “But we adapt and we count on the staff of each venue to make it sound right.”

You can watch excerpts of the AES panel interview on Facebook video here.

The Workflow Lorna White

Lorna White described the program’s workflow for Radio World:

We think the audience wants to see a radio show, so for a road show we set up everything onstage, including our mix position. In our home at the Studebaker Theater in the Fine Arts Building in Chicago, we have a booth in the third balcony. FOH mixing is done by the local stage crew. 

We use six omnidirectional DPA d:fine headset microphones and Sony MDR-7506 headphones instead of stage monitors. Peter Sagal wears Sensaphonics custom ear molds for his Sennheiser IE 200 earbuds (shown). 

Audience reactions are captured with two Sennheiser MKH 416 microphones on stands. The audio is fed into a Midas Venice 24-channel console, along with additional sources for audio clips, sound effects and listener calls. Special guests can be onstage or brought in via Zoom and projected onto a screen so the audience can see them. 

The show is mixed live to stereo and recorded onto two Sound Devices 722 recorders. The show audio files are copied onto CF cards and handed out to five staffers at the end of the night. 

All post-production happens on Friday, with three producers each editing a different segment on MacBook Pros running Adobe Audition CC. Sessions and other files are shared via Hightail. Robert and I then master the broadcast and podcast, which are distributed that weekend.

The post Behind the Scenes of “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!” appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

Exhibitor Preview: Lawo at the NAB Show

Radio World - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 16:03

Planning for the 2024 NAB Show is ramping up, and Radio World is asking exhibitors about their plans and expectations.

Johan Boqvist

Johan Boqvist is product evangelist of audio infrastructure at Lawo.

Radio World: From your perspective as a manufacturer of audio infrastructure products, what is the most important technology issue or trend for radio engineers and facility managers in 2024? 

Boqvist: In 2024, the key trend for radio engineers and facility managers is the adoption of IP-based production for its flexibility in distributed and remote scenarios. Lawo, with nearly a decade of experience in this field, supports AES67 and SMPTE ST 2110-based IP infrastructures, offering software-defined hardware and processing apps on standard servers.

Our HOME Apps also accommodate various transport protocols and compression formats like NDI, SRT, JPEG XS and H.26x. By leveraging WAN connections, equipment travel is minimized, enhancing resource efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. Lawo’s focus on user experience and agile tools align perfectly with broadcasters’ needs for instant scalability and centralized control.

RW: How significantly have the trends of virtualization and cloud-based platforms changed radio workflows and facility planning?

Boqvist: The trends of virtualization and cloud-based platforms have profoundly transformed radio workflows and facility planning. These technologies enable broadcasters to shift from traditional hardware-centric setups to more flexible, scalable and cost-effective solutions by software-defined hardware and purely software-based applications.

With virtualization, radio stations can consolidate their infrastructure, reducing physical space requirements and simplifying maintenance. Cloud-based platforms offer even greater agility, allowing broadcasters to access resources remotely, collaborate seamlessly and scale operations according to demand. Moreover, these trends facilitate distributed production, enabling teams to work together from anywhere, thereby revolutionizing traditional studio setups.

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

Boqvist: Lawo will be presenting the new crystal, a versatile and uncompromised mixing console for broadcast and pro-audio applications, available in both a light and a dark finish. Paired with Power Core, Lawo’s compact 1RU Software-Defined DSP Mixing Engine and Modular I/O Device, the crystal console ensures seamless integration of RAVENNA/AES67, MADI, Dante, AES3, and analog signals, making it an ideal solution for future-proofing radio and TV broadcast operations.

The crystal console allows two distinct modes of operation — “Power Core” and “Controller.” Switched to controller mode, the crystal integrates with Lawo’s mc² systems or third-party DAW applications supporting the OSC protocol. 

The new crystal is available in both a light and a dark finish.

For the diamond modular broadcast console, that shares workflow principles and design with the new crystal, we introduce new stand-alone and desktop frames for the 32 key combo, 64 key, rotary and virtual extension modules. Lawo’s virtual soundcard product family R3LAY will be updated.

Also highlighted are Lawo’s HOME Apps, a suite of software applications offering exceptional processing capabilities on standard servers. These apps, supporting various transport protocols and compression formats like RAVENNA/AES67, SMPTE ST 2110, SRT, JPEG XS, NDI and H.264/H.265, redefine media processing versatility, enabling seamless adaptation to evolving formats and requirements.

A rendering of Lawo’s HOME Apps.

The .edge Hyper-Density SDI/IP Conversion and Routing Platform will be on show, a dense gateway facilitating SDI/IP interfacing and offering full support for SMPTE ST2110 standards. This platform, equipped with licensable options like JPEG XS compression and proxy generation, optimizes workflows and mitigates bandwidth constraints. Moreover, Lawo’s commitment to empowering live productions is evident in a new software release for the mc²/UHD Core/Power Core platform.

With features such as updated workflows and UI for Remote Productions, flexible bus routing, expanded AUX count, and NMOS support for the mc² Gateserver, Lawo sets a new benchmark for live performance capabilities.

Lawo’s Power Core Rev3

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

Boqvist: Alongside developing new innovative technologies and applications, Lawo recently introduced a complete new commercial offering concept that we named Lawo Flex. A tailed-made mix of perpetual licenses and subscription-based options for our cloud-native platform HOME and HOME Apps where we let the users decide on when and where they will spin the Apps. At NAB we can demo the portal and workflow for Lawo Flex. Please stop by and we will explain more how your organization can benefit from this business model. 

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

Boqvist: Personally, I’m very much looking forward to meeting our customers again but also to check out what our Lawo HOME partners and the RAVENNA community have been up to since last year’s show.   

Lawo NAB Show booth: C4110

[Read more preview coverage of the NAB Show.]

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

Categories: Industry News

FCC Sends Two More Pirate Radio Warnings

Radio+Television Business Report - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 15:30

Two fresh “Notice of Illegal Pirate Radio Broadcasting” notices were dispatched by the FCC on Monday (3/4). One is based on the investigation of unlicensed activity in Greenville, S.C., by the FCC’s Atlanta field office, while the New York field office determined just where an FM pirate was originating their broadcasts from in the leafy suburb of Maplewood, N.J.

 

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Categories: Industry News

A Fabulous Inaugural HOF Class From ‘FAB’

Radio+Television Business Report - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 15:15

The Florida Association of Broadcasters will for the first time recognize some of “the most impactful, inspirational, and influential broadcasting legends” to have worked in the Sunshine State on June 27 as the group reveals its inaugural class for the Florida Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

On the list: the late talk show host who called Palm Beach home.

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Categories: Industry News

FCC Update To ‘Part 73’ Rules Now Effective

Radio+Television Business Report - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 14:59

On September 19, 2023, roughly one year after the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on updates to rules for full power and Class A stations which reflect the digital transition and completion of the post-incentive auction, current technology, and/or Commission practices, the FCC approved a Report and Order that updates the Commission’s “Part 73” rules.

As of today, those rule modifications are in effect.

The new “Part 73” rules impact full power and Class A television services, as the Commission adopted rules that it believes reflect the transition from analog to digital-only operations and the completion of the post-incentive auction transition to a smaller television band with fewer channels.

The changes also include updates designed to ensure the rules reflect the Commission’s requirements and are understandable for FCC licensees and the public.

March 4 is the effective date for the rule changes adopted in the R&O, including the rules that may have contained new or modified information collection requirements; those changes have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act.

— RBR+TVBR in Washington, D.C.

Categories: Industry News

Two Las Vegas FMs Bet On ‘MaxxCasting’ For Signal Boosts

Radio+Television Business Report - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 13:50

Until recently, a pair of FM radio stations serving Las Vegas with “rimshot” signals had better coverage of St. George, Utah, than much of Southern Nevada. Now, thanks to an agreement with GeoBroadcast Solutions, these two facilities are poised to increase their listener base — and potentially their revenue — thanks to improved coverage of the nation’s No. 32 radio market.

 

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Categories: Industry News

Uplink, Divicon Media Announce Merger

Radio World - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 11:51

 

German network operators Uplink Network and Divicon Media Holdings announced merger plans at the end of February 2024. Under the merger, the two companies’ broadcasting operations, as well as radio technology and audio services, will be combined under the Uplink brand.

Together Uplink and Divicon operate more than 1,200 FM transmitters and nine DAB+ multiplexes with more than 70 DAB+ programs, along with a private 5G network, across some 700 locations. Terms of the merger were not disclosed, but the combined company is expected to generate more than €55 million in 2024. The companies will maintain a staff of 85 with locations in Düsseldorf, Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, and Leipzig.

“The merger of the two companies enables us to keep the costs of operating the broadcast network stable over the long term while increasing quality,” stated Michael Radomski, founder and managing partner of the Uplink Gruppe. “With today’s step, we see ourselves more than ever in a position to find long-term solutions for the transformation of terrestrial broadcasting in Germany together with German broadcasters.”

Joseph Bugovics, partner of Divicon Media Holding and founder and managing partner of the Uplink Gruppe, noted that both companies had played a major role in growing terrestrial radio in Germany. “I am pleased that Divicon Media Holding was able to help shape this crucial stage and that a new chapter is now being opened by merging under the umbrella of the Uplink Gruppe.”

Uplink Network was founded in 2013 and Divicon a year later.

[Read more business news from Radio World.]

The post Uplink, Divicon Media Announce Merger appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

Sinclair Shows It Cares About Children’s Literacy

Radio+Television Business Report - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 09:55

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Baltimore-headquartered broadcast TV station owner and ATSC 3.0 champion Sinclair Inc. has partnered with the nation’s leading children’s literacy non-profit organization to launch a nationwide campaign that seeks to create awareness around children’s literacy challenges.

Sinclair Cares: Supporting Children’s Literacy sees the company led by CEO Chris Ripley link up with Reading Is Fundamental (RIF). To help get books into the hands of children across the U.S., a virtual book drive is being promoted. A $4 donation can help get a new book to a child in the nation’s most under-resourced communities.

“A recent study conducted by the National Institute for Literacy found that twenty percent of Americans read below the level needed to earn a living wage,” said Rob Weisbord, Chief Operating Officer and President of Local Media at Sinclair. “Our goal is to help ensure all children can become proficient readers, improving their future, and helping them to reach their full potential.”

The children’s literacy campaign will run across March, which is National Reading Month, and will be supported through public service campaigns across Sinclair’s television stations.

For the next two weeks, on-air talent from Sinclair’s local stations across the U.S. will be reading to students in schools and libraries in their respective markets in support of an associated “Read Across America” effort.

Additionally, Sinclair and RIF will team up to produce content to air on Sinclair-owned stations throughout March. Sinclair will also produce a 30-minute special to raise awareness around the issue. This broadcast will focus on the state of children’s literacy in the U.S., and feature interviews from RIF executives, literacy experts, educators and local students. The broadcast window for this special is March 21-March 31.

Sinclair’s TV stations will also stream a 60-minute version of the special on their respective websites.

National Assessment of Educational Progress scores for 2022 show that one in three children entering kindergarten lack the basic skills they need to learn to read, while two-thirds of U.S fourth graders do not read at grade level.

While the pandemic had much to do with current educational attainment levels of American youth, RIF dates to 1966 and has provided nearly 430 million books and reading resources to over 160 million children.

As Sinclair Inc. encourages support and awareness across its TV channels, the Sinclair Cares: Supporting Children’s Literacy campaign will also be supported by a $25,000 donation from the company.

For more information on Sinclair Cares: Supporting Children’s Literacy or to make a donation to the virtual book fair, please visit https://sinclaircares.com/.

 

Categories: Industry News

Comscore Wins Bigger Measurement Deal With TEGNA

Radio+Television Business Report - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 09:45

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Media consumption and ratings firm Comscore has scored a new, comprehensive multi-year agreement on cross-platform audience measurement with the broadcast TV station ownership group led by Lynn Beall and CEO Dave Lougee.

The fresh agreement with TEGNA “will extend its relationship with TEGNA as a key measurement partner” in all of the company’s markets, “providing it with critical measurement metrics across its local TV, major affiliate, and digital businesses.”

Key to the new pact is that TEGNA will have “a complete view of audiences” — linear, CTV, and digital —as they help advertisers optimize their campaigns.

Financial terms of the agreement were not announced.

TEGNA owns 64 local news brands in 51 markets, including its flagship CBS affiliate, WUSA9 in the National Capital Region. It is also the owner of more NBC affiliates than any other station group, with key stations in markets ranging from Buffalo to Phoenix.

Comscore CEO Jon Carpenter said, “The combination of our local linear TV data and our ross-platform solutions will help TEGNA measure the value of their content and deliver outsized value for their advertisers across linear and digital. We’re excited to begin this latest phase of our partnership.”

Beall, who serves as TEGNA’s EVP and Chief Operating Officer for Media Operations, added, “Expanding our partnership with Comscore will offer us deeper insights through digital and qualitative data, enriching cross-platform solutions for our valued advertising partners. We look forward to partnering with our clients to deliver their targeted audiences across any platform with precision and effectiveness to grow their business.”

 

— With reporting by Adam R Jacobson in Boca Raton, Fla.

Categories: Industry News

No Retrans Impasses For Gray With Agreement Renewals Lock

Radio+Television Business Report - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 09:30

With retransmission consent and carriage fee agreements topics that have captured the attention of the FCC in recent weeks, many tales of “blackouts” caused by impasses between broadcast TV station owners seeking fair compensation from MVPDs who profit from the distribution of their channels have been shared.

Now, Gray Television is spreading the word that it has surpassed “a major retrans renewal milestone.” How so? It reached new carriage agreements without any disruption to viewers.

Gray, which trades on the NYSE as “GTN,” successfully completed renewals of retransmission consent agreements representing more than 70% of its total subscriber footprint among cable, satellite, and telco multichannel video programming distributors, or “traditional MVPDs,” in its current three-year retransmission renewal cycle.

This began with the renewal of agreements with three of the largest traditional MVPDs in the first quarter of 2023, Gray shared on Monday (3/4).

“Consistent with Gray’s history of retransmission renewal negotiations since the early 1990s, these negotiations, while often difficult and always complex, were all conducted without any disruption to consumers,” Gray SVP of Government Relations and Distribution Rob Folliard said. “We sincerely appreciate the cooperative, constructive efforts of our MVPD partners in this renewal cycle.”

Gray EVP and Chief Legal and Development Officer Kevin Latek added, “As a testament to the value of the live, local news and sports content that Gray’s stations provide, we have reached this retrans renewal milestone on rates and other terms that met our budgets and that will allow our stations to continue making considerable investments to expand local news and sports for the benefit of the local communities where our employees and these MVPDs’ employees live and work.”

Based on the successful negotiations with traditional MVPDs to date, Gray currently anticipates that it will complete its current renewal cycle by reaching new deals with a small number of cable operators serving less than 30% of its remaining traditional MVPD subscriber base, primarily during the second half of this year, the company said. Thereafter, Gray’s next renewal cycle will begin in the first quarter of 2026.

Gray television stations serve 114 television markets that collectively reach approximately 36% of U.S. television households.

Categories: Industry News

Ex-Telemundo Affiliate Sales Pro Joins Beasley

Radio+Television Business Report - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 05:32

For 17 years, he was associated with ZGS Broadcasting, and in 2018 joined NBCUniversal Local as it assumed ownership of the company’s Telemundo-affiliated stations.  In March 2023, this longtime Hispanic marketing and media pro exited as General Manager of the Telemundo-flagged stations in Fort Myers-Naples and Tampa-St. Petersburg.

Now, one year later, he’s resurfaced as General Sales Manager for two FMs that superserve Tampa Bay’s Hispanic listening audience, owned by Beasley Media Group.

Now GSM of WLLD “Wild 94.1,” a hip-hop station, and Latin Contemporary Pop sibling WYUU “Máxima 92.5” in the Tampa market is Jayme Ribeiro Neto.

Neto’s first day is Monday (3/4). In his new role, he will oversee the sales operations of both stations in the market.

“It’s important for Tampa Beasley to hire the best people to lead the only Multicultural Media Cluster in the Tampa Bay area,” said Beasley/Tampa VP/Market Manager Ron deCastro, whom Neto reports to. “I am excited to add Jayme as he brings a wealth of Multicultural and general market knowledge. He also is dedicated to seeking out, training, and retaining the best team in the area. We are happy to have him join such amazing brands.”

Neto added, “I am thrilled to embark on this new and exciting journey with Beasley Media Group. I look forward to leveraging my market experience and passion for media to contribute to the success of our clients and partners.”

Neto was an intern for MTV Internaciónal when he joined ZGS in 2001, taking a role as a marketing and public relations coordinator for its Washington, D.C., station, WZDC-TV. In 2007, he would rise to the role of GM of WRMD-TV in Tampa, and assumed Fort Myers duties following the purchase of WWDT in the market by NBCUniversal.

Categories: Industry News

CMG Launches A Sports-First Streaming Channel In Jacksonville

Radio+Television Business Report - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 05:00

It is being billed as the first streaming sports channel of its kind in the city that’s home to the National Football League’s Jaguars and the “world’s largest outdoor cocktail party” each time the Georgia Bulldogs face the Florida Gators.

And, the offering comes courtesy of Cox Media Group.

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Categories: Industry News

Radio Broadcasting Services; Lihue and Princeville, Hawaii

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 00:00
This document amends the Table of FM Allotments, of the Federal Communications Commission's (Commission) rules, by allotting FM Channel 296A at Lihue, Hawaii, as the community's sixth local service and FM Channel 236C3 at Princeville, Hawaii, as the community's first local service. The staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 296A at Lihue can be allotted consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules with a site restriction of 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) north of the community at reference coordinates 22-00-00 NL and 159-21-00 WL and Channel 236C3 at Princeville can be allotted consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules with no site restriction at reference coordinates 22-12-00 NL and 159-30-00 WL.

Radio Broadcasting Services; Koloa and Waimea, Hawaii

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 00:00
This document amends the Table of FM Allotments, of the Federal Communications Commission's (Commission) rules, by allotting FM Channels 264A at Koloa, Hawaii, and 224C3 at Waimea, Hawaii, as the communities' first local service. The staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 264A at Koloa can be allotted consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules with a site restriction of 8.3 kilometers (5.2 miles) northwest of the community at reference coordinates are 21-58-24 NL and 159-29-45 WL and Channel 224C3 at Waimea can be allotted consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules with no site restriction at reference coordinates are 22-02-00 NL and 159-38-00 WL.

Radio Broadcasting Services; Puhi and Kekaha, Hawaii

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Mon, 03/04/2024 - 00:00
This document amends the Table of FM Allotments, of the Federal Communications Commission's (Commission) rules, by allotting FM Channels 280A at Puhi, Hawaii, and 298C3 at Kekaha, Hawaii, as the communities' first local service. The staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 280A at Puhi can be allotted consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules with a site restriction of 10.8 kilometers (6.7 miles) west of the community at reference coordinates are 21-58-24 NL and 159-29-45 WL and Channel 298C3 at Kekaha can be allotted consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules with no site restriction at reference coordinates are 22-02-00 NL and 159-38-00 WL.

DAB+ Field Trial Guidance Released

Radio World - Sun, 03/03/2024 - 19:05
An example of DAB+ field measurements showing multipath and interference effects (Photo courtesy WorldDAB)

During 2023, new DAB+ trial services launched in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. To support the spread of the digital radio technology, WorldDAB introduced a new report on suggested guidelines for DAB+ trial services.

The guide covers multiple aspects that have proven effective in previous DAB+ trials including motivation, stakeholder engagement, regulatory and licensing issues, equipment considerations, network and reception testing, and how to conclude field trials. The guide was released during the 2024 ABU Digital Broadcasting Symposium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“When radio stakeholders become interested in establishing DAB+ digital radio, they want to explore DAB+ features and capabilities and understand the process to establish DAB+ as a full-scale national broadcasting system,” stated WorldDAB Project Director Bernie O’Neill. “One of the best ways to undertake these initial steps is to establish an on-air field trial and this new guide is designed to help them successfully take these first steps which inform the final system design.”

The guide describes trials as a key step in laying the groundwork for a future rollout and full implementation of DAB. It also notes the importance of being able to explore different aspects of the technology for different stakeholders, for example, listeners and broadcasters may care more about audio quality while network operators and regulators may focus more on capacity and interference.

The new factsheet, “DAB+ Digital Radio: A Guide to a Successful Field Trial,” joins a number of other free resources offered by WorldDAB to support the launch and operation of DAB+ services, including the 118-page e-book “Establishing DAB Digital Broadcast Radio,” available in both English and French.

The post DAB+ Field Trial Guidance Released appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

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