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Radio stations large and small — including an iHeartMedia Adult Contemporary FM launched under RBR+TVBR and Radio Ink Publisher Deborah Parenti — celebrated International Women’s Day with special programming across Friday (3/8).

Observance of the day was seen across the radio landscape — from the largest radio operator in the nation to college radio stations across the country.

While all took their unique spin on celebrating the achievements of women, alol had one thing in common — sharing the  invaluable and irreplaceable contributions of women to the industry for International Women’s Day, and Women’s History Month.

All Friday, iHeartMedia’s “Women Take the Mic” saw women leading on-air conversations across iHeartRadio music stations nationwide. In Dayton, Ohio, Parenti appeared on the WMMX “Mix 107.7” morning show in the 8am hour. She shared tales of her time leading what were stations owned by American Radio Systems and the April 1, 1994 launch of Mix. Parenti also took a moment to encourage listeners to write to their local Members of Congress in support of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.

In Chicago, iHeartMedia stations on March 5 hosted a leadership panel featuring local female executives and the presentation of the International Women’s Day Leadership Award to Mary Kate Daly of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

iHeart CMO Gayle Troberman remarked, “Today on International Women’s Day women take the mic – highlighting the women who elevate this entire medium and connect with listeners everywhere, delivering powerful content, music, news and entertainment in authentic and inspiring ways.”

Cox Media Group also engaged in special programming. In Jacksonville, WEZI-FM “Easy 102.9“ put a spotlight on female artists with guest hosts such as Mayor Donna Deegan placed in-studio. The celebration extends to an International Women’s Day Party in the Park, with live entertainment and a female-owned vendor market.

On the college radio side, Emerson College’s WERS-FM 88.9 in Boston is dedicating its playlist entirely to female solo artists and women-fronted bands on March 8, continuing the celebration with special weekend programming. The station aims to spotlight women’s empowerment through music with a special 75-song feature at the end of March.

WERS Brand Manager Ken West said, “WERS is proud to feature Women artists as part of our music landscape every day, but International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month allows us to amplify the importance of how much they mean to the world through their music, contributions, and stories.”

Cumulus Media Chicago’s WKQX “Q101” saw host Lauren O’Neil running “The Women Who Make Q101” throughout all of March, spotlighting influential female artists in the Alternative Rock scene. This feature includes exclusive interviews and the stories behind their music.

O’Neil commented, “I am truly grateful for the opportunity to honor, amplify and celebrate the incredible Women Who Make Q101. These artists inspired me to get into radio and continue to inspire me every day.”

Once upon a time, a Classical station serving San Francisco for years at 102.1 MHz was sold. It transformed itself into a successful multi-signal non commercial operation, today owned by the University of Southern California.

Now, KDFC is positioning itself to bring a signal to the eastern portion of the San Francisco-Oakland market.

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With the State of the Union now in the rear view mirror, all eyes are now on Election Day. That means political ad placements are only poised to blossom in the coming weeks.

But where should political advertising go?

A new study finds that political ads are twice as influential on the media that a voter uses most.

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This year is predicted to be a record-setting one for political ad spending in the U.S., according to eMarketer forecasts. Advertisers, especially those leading political campaigns, will need to understand how voters are consuming media and how things may have changed since the last elections.

With political campaigns buying up valuable ad inventory in the U.S., all advertisers can benefit from understanding how audiences stay connected as ad prices rise, especially on news programming, new Nielsen data show.

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The fiscal year 2023 earnings reports for the nation’s largest broadcast media companies have been released, and Wall Street financial house Moffett Nathanson has combed through the numbers and put its lenses on content spending.

Last year, they note, saw the end of several years of significant content spending increases across the industry, fueled by pivots to Direct-to-Consumer platforms, new entrants to the media space and fierce competition for subscribers.

“The limited (or more likely, negative) ROI of this incremental spend, as well as maturation and cooling of the ‘Streaming Wars’ likely would have put an end to the double-digit
growth had the Hollywood strikes of last year not gotten there first,” Senior Analyst Rob Fishman notes.

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LOS ALAMOS, CALIF. — The Santa Ynez Valley, sandwiched between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, is known for its sprawling vineyards and bucolic towns attracting wine lovers and outdoor enthusiasts.

Serving this region is a Class A FM that has been owned by Knight Broadcasting. Pending FCC approval, that’s about to change.

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Whether in the boardroom, at an industry conference, or the company’s quarterly earnings call, it’s the presenter’s job to deliver clear, congruent, and concise messages that connect with the audience without distractions. This column from public speaking expert and veteran public relations executive Rosemary Ravinal hits all of the right buttons on how to avoid going overtime while speaking — and how to keep everyone’s attention.

 

By Rosemary Ravinal
Special to RBR+TVBR

At a recent town hall meeting in my community, an elected official gave a 40-minute state-of-the-city presentation in a 10-minute time slot and bored everyone to death.

You could see people squirming in their seats, looking at their phones, talking among themselves, and stepping out for bio breaks. Yet the speaker persisted with self-serving long-winded statements, PowerPoint overkill, and disregard for the fidgety audience.

Presenters may think that their rank and status give them carte blanche to ignore the ground rules of impactful communications. As a leadership communications coach, I can’t help but pick apart almost any presentation. When I see the same errors repeated, I feel compelled to offer a refresher on the best presentation practices.

There are ways to overcome these unnoticed pitfalls of in-person presentations, and I’m pleased to provide some insights on how to avoid them.

1. Lack of audience connection.

One of the most significant mistakes a presenter can make is failing to connect with their audience. This often stems from a lack of awareness about who the audience is and what they’re looking for. Presenters may overlook the importance of tailoring their content to the interests and needs of their specific audience, preferring to speak about their interests instead.

One of my favorite quotes about missing the point with your audience comes from former AT&T marketing guru Ken Haemer: “Designing a presentation (product) without an audience (a customer) in mind is like writing a love letter and addressing it to whom it may concern.”

Solution: Before the presentation, conduct thorough research on who will be in the room. Understand their background, interests, and expectations. Incorporate relevant examples, anecdotes, and language that resonates with them. What keeps them up at night? What’s the itch they want scratched? What are they expecting to receive from you that they didn’t have before they entered the meeting? Establishing a connection with the audience is vital. Without it, you might as well be speaking to yourself.

2. Overloading slides with data.

Presentation slides have become an integral part of conveying information today. However, a common mistake is overloading slides with text, charts, and graphs, creating an overwhelming visual experience for the audience. This not only dilutes the message but also hinders audience comprehension. If the audience must read the text, look at a picture, and pay attention to the speaker at once, one of the three will suffer.

Solution: Follow the “less is more” principle when creating slides. Use concise bullet points, try to keep to three per slide. Add compelling visuals to illustrate key messages. Slides should complement your spoken words, not replace them. Focus on clarity and simplicity to help the audience absorb and retain information. The 10/20/30 rule of PowerPoint is a straightforward concept: no PowerPoint presentation should be more than ten slides, longer than 20 minutes, and use fonts smaller than 30-point size. Coined by Guy Kawasaki, the rule is a tool for marketers to create excellent PowerPoint presentations.

3. Speaking to the screen.

Turning your back to the audience is rude. If you load your slides with text, you will be tempted to turn around and read from your slide. Removing your eye gaze from the front of the room is an instant disconnection. If you fail to look at the people you’re talking to, you have broken an invisible bond of trust you will need to succeed (even if you bomb).

Solution: Think of yourself as the lead singer on the stage and your slides are your backup chorus. Either you are the star of the show, or you default to your slides. A well-calibrated interplay of visual content and your narration will make your presentation smooth and memorable. Another solution is to have a confidence monitor at the foot of the stage or somewhere in front of you but out of the audience’s view. That way your eyes will stay focused forward.

4. Going overtime.

Staying on time is a sign of professionalism. Going over the allotted time imposes on your audience and robs the next speaker on the schedule. It’s rude and reflects poorly on your preparation. Presentations that end early allow more time for Q&As and give the audience more time for a break or conversation about your topic.

Solution: Rehearse and prepare 20 minutes of content for a 30-minute slot. Divide your content into chunks that you can switch out or eliminate segments if you run out of time. Front-load your main messages in case you’re asked to cut your talk short for reasons out of your control. Ask for a countdown clock from the venue or bring your timing device.

Virtual presentations come with slightly different guidelines driven by the technology and confines of the video frame. I’ve covered the topic of video conferencing extensively over the last few years but will update the best practices for Zoom meetings in a future blog post.

Do you have a public speaking or presentation skills training question for me? Explore how Rosemary Ravinal can help you and your organization level up the impact of speeches, presentations, and media interviews online and in person, in English or Spanish. Click here for more information.

Rosemary Ravinal is based in Miami and has worked at companies including Univision Communications.

South Carolina Public Radio is deepening its engagement with communities across the Palmetto State this year by partnering with other public radio stations across the country in the America Amplified Election 2024 initiative hosted by the leading NPR Member station in Indiana.

 

“America Amplified” is a program of WFYI in Indianapolis and is funded by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to support community engagement journalism in traditionally underserved areas. The initiative builds on a similar project in 2022 to help public media stations provide critical information about voting during the midterm elections.

“America Amplified prioritizes meaningful in-person and online engagement in order to build trust, expand audiences and deepen the impact of public media journalism,” SCPR explains.

In 2024, South Carolina Public Radio will use community engagement journalism practices to combat the spread of misinformation and distrust in media while also sharing audience-focused resources on voting information.

Through this initiative, South Carolina Public Radio “aims to put people, not preconceived ideas, at the center of its reporting process.”

The station will receive training and coaching to map an effective strategy for serving their community, using the Hearken platform to discover what information their broader communities need to confidently participate in the 2024 general election.

Specifically, South Carolina Public Radio will provide in-depth, transparent, and factual coverage of Election 2024 on a national, state and local level, with an eye towards how this election affects South Carolinians in all areas of the state. “Our audience’s needs are at the heart of our work, and our coverage will be guided by their questions and input,” SCPR says.

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The Petitioner requests the allotment of reserved noncommercial educational television channel *12 to Waynesboro, Virginia in the Table of TV Allotments as the community's first local television service and its first NCE television service.

There’s a lot of excitement on Wall Street and from the broadcasting communities regarding some of the projects Xperi Corp.’s Connected Car business unit, which Joe D’Angelo maintains oversight of.

With strong momentum out of the CES conference in January and ahead to the 2024 NAB Show, the DTS AutoStage product, in particular, is poised to have a breakout year. But, what about HD Radio advancements? What’s new with the TiVo brand and how is that getting a Connected Car play? D’Angelo shares the latest in this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, in a fresh conversation with RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson.

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: Joe D’Angelo” on Spreaker.

While upgrading your station’s Emergency Alert System receiver may not be at the top of the GM’s to-do list this year, having clean audio and reliable reception of EAS sources is not only good for your listeners but is also required by the FCC. Unfortunately, the availability of broadcast-quality EAS receivers has dwindled over the past few years, leaving a sizable hole in the market. However, that just changed with the new 677 Triple Tuner from Inovonics.

Jeremy Preece

Released in December 2023, the 677 combines three discrete AM/FM/NOAA receivers into a sleek 1RU, half-rack unit. Designed primarily for the reception of EAS Local Primary (LP) stations, the 677 is the ideal upgrade to the outdated or obsolete receivers installed in racks today. 

The Inovonics 677 is equipped with three tuners, each capable of receiving AM, FM or NOAA weather channels, so configuring it to match your local EAS plan takes just a few mouse clicks. Of note for certain areas: The 677 is not able to receive other VHF/UHF frequencies or DTV audio.

On the rear panel you will find three separate 75-ohm F-type jacks, so it is easy to use multiple antennas or share one with a splitter.

The audio for each tuner is brought out to its own balanced analog-mono (L+R summed) XLR male jack. There are six configurable GPO closures for alarms and an RJ-45 network port for remote access. The unit even includes an extra power port if you wish to add a redundant 12VDC power supply. The simplicity makes physical installation quick and efficient, and I was delighted to finally do away with the terminal block audio connections on the old receiver I decommissioned in the process.

The front offers an orange LED display that is easy to read and navigate, three red indicators for active alarms, an audio meter for the selected receiver, and a 1/8-inch headphone jack.

The default display provides a summary with band, frequency, signal strength and audio activity of all three tuners. Configuration of the receivers’ frequencies, audio output levels, GPO triggers and IP address can be accomplished through the front panel, while more advanced features are setup via the web interface.

The 677 features a bright LED display that is easy to read.

As internet connectivity of some variety moves toward being standard at broadcast facilities, having every device in the rack capable of remote access is a must. The 677 is equipped with the same rich, responsive web interface we see on other modern Inovonics models. 

Navigation through the menu structure is simple and intuitive, so much so that one can set up and install this device without ever opening the plastic wrap on the user manual. 

While the 677 can certainly be a “set it and forget it” EAS receiver, the web interface provides a lot of data to the station engineer through both desktop and mobile browsers. Details on each receiver’s performance are available at a glance on the home page, and histograms are offered to help fine-tune reception and troubleshoot issues.

The unit can provide an Icecast or UDP stream of any one of the tuners (selectable through the web interface) for instant or continuous remote monitoring on an internet radio, such as the Inovonics 611, or any web browser. The stream audio is encoded using HE-AACv2 and has a user-selectable range from 18 kbps to 64 kbps, so it is bandwidth-friendly even on cellular and VSAT connections.

The LED display shows the frequency, signal strength and audio level of each tuner.

One thing missing from the 677’s streaming options, which is found on other Inovonics receivers such as the 568 Sophia, is the ability to push audio to Dante and AES67 devices. While the absence of this feature certainly reduces the cost of the unit and is perhaps not a broad need at this point, as more air chain devices are virtualized and with the hope of a virtual EAS encoder/decoder down the road, the ability to have all rack audio in an AoIP environment is a big plus for broadcasters. 

The most important feature of any radio is its reception quality. With modern software-defined radios (SDRs) it is not uncommon to get excellent signal-to-noise ratios and rejection even in difficult environments. Even so, the 677 outshines its competitors in this area. 

For initial testing on the bench, I used an outdoor discone antenna with about 75 feet of RG-6 coax feeding an inexpensive three-way splitter to provide an RF source for each receiver input. I purposely tuned the 677’s receivers to distant AM, FM and NOAA weather stations. For comparison, I had an identical setup on the bench with another popular EAS receiver. To say the results were impressive would be an understatement. 

The 677’s rear panel provides discrete RF inputs and audio outputs for each tuner.

The 677 was able to provide reasonably good audio on a weather station with an indicated RSSI of 2 dB. The competitor’s receiver returned only static. AM and FM performance was similar, where weak signals were received with acceptable noise for this application. Our Sage Endec easily decoded alerts from these sources during the course of a couple of weeks of testing. 

Under the category of “why not,” I slid a paper clip into one of the F-type antenna jacks and tuned a local FM station. I was greeted with full-quieting audio and an indicated RSSI of 31dB. And similarly, with the same paper clip, I was able to pick up a 5 kW AM station about 10 miles away with only some light crackle and hum — satisfactory for EAS reception. Simply stated: If you have a site where reliably receiving your assigned LP is challenging, the 677 may be your solution. 

Another unique and notable feature of the 677 is that it can trigger a GPO, SNMP or email notification when EAS tones are received on any of the monitored sources. This is especially helpful when tracking down a missed alert or simply verifying the Endec is configured properly. If you only have two LP sources to monitor, consider using the third tuner to monitor your own station to validate that your alerts are being transmitted. 

The well-designed web interface is simple but rich with features.

The 677 includes SNMP, which can be easily interfaced to a modern station remote control, allowing a centralized location for alarm captures and logging. It can also send customized email notifications to up to 10 recipients. An alarm for RDS PI Code Error is included, the idea being a means to verify that the source you are supposed to be receiving is what you are receiving. The received PI code is viewable only in the alarm configuration, but no other RDS data is brought out to the web UI or front-panel interface. While not required, the ability to see FM RDS data would be a nice touch to this otherwise novel feature. 

Can the 677 Triple Tuner be used for more than just an EAS audio receiver? Absolutely. If you have a couple of signals to keep tabs on while working in the engineering office, the 677 provides a simple way to monitor three stations at once. The individual audio outputs could easily be interfaced to a speaker switch and the mono output works great for a single Fostex 6310B sitting on the workbench. And with the built-in streaming and comprehensive alarm capabilities, using the 677 as a remotely steerable multiband radio could make sense when your stations are a long way from home.

Overall, the 677 Triple Tuner is a fantastic little box that reveals how Inovonics continues to listen to and support the needs of the industry. Simple, easy to use and packed with a host of powerful features to help ensure your EAS reception is the best it can be, the 677 will make a great addition to your station rack.

[Check Out More Product Evaluations in Our Products Section]

The post Product Evaluation: The New Inovonics 677 Impresses appeared first on Radio World.

In April 2023, a radio station owner not to be confused with a Canadian media operation completed its acquisition of six radio stations, an AM and an FM translator in small Illinois cities from the Studsill family.

Now, the company led by John Rung and dialed up another radio station deal. This time it involves the group led by Mary Quass, and the brokerage services of Kalil & Co.

 

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A Colorado-based company known for a proprietary AI platform for audio identification, classification and related technologies that seeks to reinvent how consumers engage with AM/FM radio, podcasts, and other audio content, is not moving forward with its previously announced purchase of an AM/FM radio streaming app.

Auddia shared today that it has withdrawn a S-1 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission designed to secure financing for the acquisition of Radio FM.

Explaining the company’s decision, Auddia Executive Chairman Jeff Thramann said, “We have been pursuing an aggressive AM/FM streaming app acquisition strategy by negotiating with three targets simultaneously. It is now clear that market conditions are unfavorable for securing the largest acquisition as our first target. As such, to optimize shareholder value we are withdrawing the current S-1 on file that contemplates the Radio FM acquisition.”

The company expects to continue to advance discussions with the remaining two targets under letters of intent and reiterated that a purchase agreement for “target #2” is expected to be signed before the end of June 2024.

Auddia CFO John Mahoney added, “As we executed the purchase agreement for Radio FM and began to explore financing options in the current market, it became clear that a far more capital efficient process would be to proceed with acquiring target #2 followed by target #3, both of which require substantially less cash at closing. Once these targets are successfully integrated and synergies are demonstrated, we will be in a stronger position to pursue larger opportunities in our space.”

Auddia plans to “reengage” with Radio FM in the future should the opportunity arise.

Auddia gained industry attention in 2023 for its subscription-based Faidr app, a paid offering that deletes over-the-air commercials with music and other exclusive programming.

At present, Auddia trades on one Nasdaq market with shares valued at just 3 cents (AUUDW), and its more commonly traded shares priced at $3.38 as of 12:44pm Eastern on Thursday. Trading as “AUUD,” Auddia stock has seen significant share erosion since a June 2021 burst sending prices as high as $185.50. On February 27, it moved ahead with a reverse stock split at a 1-for-25 ratio, designed to assist Auddia in meeting Nasdaq continued listing standards.

A newly released analysis by media buying firm Guideline finds that linear TV ad spend decreased significantly in the fourth quarter.

In fact, it marked the biggest dip since the company began ad spend tracking in 2017.

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Women holding the General Manager position in 2023 increased from last year, showing healthy gains from 2004. However, lingering industry challenges point to the need for continued growth in gender equity, new data released Thursday by Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio, Inc., show.

MIW annually compiles and analyzes the number of women in radio broadcasting who are rising to the ranks of management. Data gathered for an annual MIW Gender Analysis Study specifically tracks the progress of female professionals holding General Manager, Sales Manager, and Program Director/Brand Manager positions.

The latest data show 22.17% (2,356 stations) had women holding the General Manager position in 2023. This is almost 2 share points of growth from last year. But, MIW says, this continues to show growth from 2004, when the percentage of female General Managers was 14.9%.

In the Top 100 markets, 23.96% (828 stations) were managed by women. This, MIW says, is also more than a full percentage point up from 2022 and still continues to run a bit higher than the national average.

SALES PROWESS

Overall, the best management opportunities for women in radio continues to be in sales management. Some 34.37% or 3,476 stations had a female Sales Manager in 2023.

Yet, that number is basically flat from 33.45% in 2022.

In the Top 100 markets, although the numbers run slightly higher than the national average, the story showed a 3-point percentage drop for 2023. Some 35.16% or 1,379 stations had women serving as Sales Managers in 2023, versus 38.05% in 2022.

The greatest challenge for women in radio management continues to be in the area of Program Directors/Brand Managers. Women currently program 11.50% AMs/FMs (1,173 stations). This, too, is flat from 2022.

In the Top 100 markets, the news was even more grim as female programmers now represent only 10.14% of the total number of Program Directors/Brand Managers.

This, MIW says, reflects a drop of over 3 share points from 2022.

MIW Board President Ruth Presslaff commented, “Navigating today’s landscape poses unique challenges for both the industry at large and women in particular. Our commitment to fostering change remains unwavering. Through MIW’s array of mentoring initiatives, we not only recognize but also amplify the voices of women. We are beyond grateful to the companies and individuals who champion our mission. As we press forward, we eagerly anticipate seizing new opportunities to empower even more women in the year ahead.”

The MIW Gender Analysis Study, based on raw data collected by PrecisionTrak from all US-based commercial radio stations, has been released every year since the organization’s start in 2000. The figures and percentages shown below represent the calendar year 2023 and are reflective of 11,215 AM and FM radio stations across America, as accounted for by PrecisionTrak as of December 31, 2023. All information provided by PrecisionTrak is subject to limitations of data provided by radio companies. The analysis is dependent upon the accuracy and completeness of PrecisionTrak (Precisiontrak.com) data as of December 31, 2023.

One year ago today, the FCC’s spectrum auction authority expired as it was not extended by Congress, for the first time ever.

Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel took note of that unwelcomed anniversary, issuing a statement that put a spotlight on the potential next steps “in light of this reality for the agency.”

“For more than thirty years, the Federal Communications Commission’s authority to auction the nation’s airwaves proved to be an indispensable tool for harnessing the promise of new wireless technologies while also spurring economic growth, creating jobs, and strengthening our national security and international leadership,” she said on March 7. “However, in light of the reality the agency has faced for almost a year, we are now compelled to ask what we can do with our current unassigned spectrum in order to keep innovation moving ahead in a global market for wireless that is not slowing down. I remain hopeful that the FCC’s auction authority will be restored quickly so that this important program is once again able to produce results for consumers and the economy. The agency stands ready to work with lawmakers to ensure we don’t find ourselves in the same place next year.”

Given the agency’s current lack of spectrum auction authority, the Commission on Thursday (3/7) opened a docket to explore how its existing regulatory tools and current statutory authority could provide the public with access to its inventory of currently unassigned spectrum in bands previously licensed for wireless services through auctions.

In doing so, Rosenworcel said she remains committed to working with Congress to restore the agency’s auction authority as originally outlined in Section 309 of the Communications Act.

In the energy sector, companies such as Devon Energy Corporation in recent years have turned to variable dividend payments in response to quarterly cash-generation fluctuations. Now, radio industry pure-play operator Saga Communications has followed a similar path, as its Board of Directors on Thursday (3/7) declared a healthy variable dividend.

The payment reflects the company’s quarterly earnings performance for the final three months of 2024, which also arrived on Thursday morning.

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