Aggregator

The Bureau cancels the Notice of Apparent Liability issued to Gerard Media LLC

.

.

.

.

Issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture in the amount of $3,000 to WPGS, Inc., for failure to timely file a license renewal application for Station WPGS(AM), Mims, Florida

.

FCC adopts a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to eliminate or amend outmoded or unnecessary radio broadcast technical rules

.

The National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation named the recipients of its Celebration of Service to America Awards over the weekend, recognizing community service by local broadcasters.

Below are the radio recipients of the Service to Community Awards for Radio, with details of their service campaigns and the announcement text from the NABLF describing them:

Ownership Group
Zimmer Radio of Mid-Missouri, “Miracles for Kids Radiothon“

For the Zimmer Radio & Marketing Group team, the annual Children’s Miracle Network radiothon is personal. Raising money and awareness for MU’s Children’s Hospital to help sick kids is the main reason “why we do the radiothon,” but this radiothon also happens because many staff members have needed this hospital for their own children at some point. As the self-proclaimed “crown jewel event for the company,” this radiothon showcases the power of radio and love for local communities. The 14th annual 2020 Miracle for Kids radiothon raised over $248,000 and awareness for the phenomenal work of the doctors, nurses and staff every single day at the local Children’s Hospital.

A photo of civil unrest in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Hubbard Broadcasting station KTMY(FM) was honored for coverage and a campaign to help business rebuild and the community recover.

Major Market
KTMY(FM), St. Paul, Minn., “KTMY Rebuilds the Neighborhoods,” Hubbard Broadcasting

Minority-owned businesses in Minneapolis and St. Paul that were already disproportionately affected by COVID-19 restrictions were dealt a brutal blow during the uprising that took place in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd. During the civil unrest across the cities, many of these places were vandalized, looted and burned to the ground. In partnership with the Neighborhood Development Center, KTMY launched “10 Stories in 10 Days” to tell the stories of these local businesses hurting and inspire the community to lend a hand. Their show hosts turned their mics over to these business owners, many of whom came to this country chasing the American dream, so they could share their stories with the audience. As a result of this partnership and campaign, KTMY raised over $145,000 for these businesses to rebuild and highlighted the local community’s power and small business owners’ resilience.

Medium Market
WYCT(FM), Pensacola, Fla., Hurricane Sally Relief Efforts, iHeartMedia Inc.

In September 2020, Hurricane Sally meandered into the Gulf of Mexico and 36 hours out, this slow-moving storm was forecast to make landfall 200 miles away from Pensacola. Instead, it took a slow right turn and became the first direct hit for Pensacola in 16 years. Following the devastation of this hurricane, the team at WYCT(FM) wanted to do something to help the community rebuild and recover from the storm. In partnership with United Way of West Florida and their TV partner WEAR(TV), this local station launched “Mission Restore Hope” to raise over $300,000 to help local organizations fund rebuilding efforts and help the community feel at home again.

Small Market
KNDE(FM), College Station, Texas, “136 Charities, $794,573, One Day and the KNDE Team,” Bryan Broadcasting Corp.

Amid canceled events and poorly attended virtual fundraisers, many local nonprofits found themselves on the brink of extinction. In partnership with the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley, the KNDE team decided it was time to showcase local radio’s power. During the 18-hour virtual giving event held on Oct. 27, 2020, this local station educated its audience on the work of 136 charities and solicited donations to help keep the community members afloat. In one day, this team raised $794,573 and proved that local broadcasting does matter.

Television stations and groups were honored in similar categories. Recipients included the E.W. Scripps Company; WISN(TV), Milwaukee; WMC(TV), Memphis, Tenn.; and KTVB(TV), Boise, Idaho.

 

The post Broadcasters Honored for Community Service appeared first on Radio World.

Chris Gould

The author is founder and VP digital technologies at All in Media, a supplier of radio station applications and part of Xperi.

 There are, more or less, 131 FM radio stations in New York. And only 75 AM stations.

That’s it — that’s the expanse of a content choice that is advertiser-supported and has a built-in limit to how broadly it can get its message out.

Now compare this to the wonderful, sometimes wild, world of apps.

In the iOS world, you can listen to 40,000 radio stations in your car, accessible through your phone or CarPlay. It’s hands-down the sector with the biggest growth — and has been for a long time.

This massive and noisy environment is, today, the cornerstone of a broadcaster’s digital strategy: The infrastructure that a radio station invests in to deploy mobile apps dictates its ability to innovate user experiences, leverage metadata and expand into new integrations such as Amazon Fire TV, Android Auto, Sonos, Bose and Amazon Alexa.

[Read: RadioFX Provides Apps to El Dorado]

Indeed, the right digital infrastructure helps to ensure an expanding and evolving experience across many digital ecosystems.

Expanding the Ecosystem

About a decade ago, the drive for apps was arguably a curious “me too” trend, with little upside.

Since then, as it has morphed into a driver of affordable, scalable innovation, it has, frankly, become a survival imperative for broadcasters to stay ahead of a competitive and constantly evolving digital content landscape. And in the process it has changed the game.

But while good app infrastructure is critical to cost-efficient innovation, it can be a tall mountain to climb.

Fig. 1: Backend app infrastructure is complex. Here’s a sample infrastructure required for a broadcaster to support their smartphone apps and other connected platforms.

On the surface it looks easy: Apps are user-friendly and simple (that is the whole point of an app); but as seen in Fig. 1, behind the curtain is a complex set of systems and moving parts that must be integrated into a single API in order to open up that innovation efficiency for broadcasters.

A great example of how good app infrastructure opens up new opportunities is Commercial Radio Australia’s app, which brings together different radio stations into a single aggregator app, owned and operated by the radio industry.

At AIM, we worked for years with Australia’s big commercial and public service broadcasters, so we understood their specific needs and requirements. When the industry evolved and an app was needed, we were able to create an app and app infrastructure that enabled Commercial Radio Australia to have control of the platform.

This work also helped build support for new platforms, such as Google Home and Alexa.

For example, a key issue radio stations were having was with the accuracy of station matching on Alexa. Radio is one of the most used features on Alexa but, in Australia, Alexa would get the right station just 23% of the time. That could be because Alexa misunderstood the name, or a station had changed name, or there were multiple stations with the same name, and Alexa wasn’t matching.

Supported by the app infrastructure, AIM was able to work with Commercial Radio Australia and Amazon to enable a smarter, more sophisticated way of searching for radio stations and improved the accuracy to close to 100%.

Affordable Innovation

Any broadcaster can innovate, but innovation takes a lot longer and more resources without the kind of adaptable, end-to-end platform that a centralized digital app infrastructure offers: It can make innovation more time- and cost-efficient, and easily scaled, for example to allow the launch of an Alexa service, Siri, Sonos or any number of digital extensions.

But is it possible for broadcasters to DIY app infrastructure to reach this affordable innovation? Maybe — if they have the resources for a permanent team of developers to keep the apps fresh enough to engage listeners, to build infrastructure that can integrate multiple disparate elements — from scheduling to third-party content to live streams, podcasts, user login, ad systems, analytics, listening systems and more.

The reality? Most broadcasters don’t have the resources, time or focus to develop this infrastructure. “Buy vs. build” truly makes sense when it comes to app strategy.

At AIM, we do it for broadcast customers with RadioAPI, which enables simple distribution of content to platforms including broadcast, mobile, web, hybrid cars and smart speakers, while keeping content within the broadcaster’s control.

A Personalized App Experience

Online listening, mobile listening, listening via smart speakers is growing in popularity; and radio stations are at its heart. Not being available via app means missing out on an exponentially expanding audience through the sheer volume of listeners and through access to analytics.

Apps can track listener behavior, from listening times to played tracks. People often search for a local radio station in the App Store, presenting a golden opportunity: Broadcasters can surface additional content, including on-demand to podcasts, catch-up content or new stories.

Being in control of the gateway to listeners — because you own the app — means full control of the user experience. That’s when your listeners come to your app and start listening to your content.

A good example is Bauer, which rolled out its subscription service with two things: a strong base of mobile app listeners and access to analytics (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2: Bauer recently introduced its Planet Rock Premium subscription service with a strong base of mobile app listeners and access to analytics.

The listener base helped Bauer monetize new options and features, while expanded analytics told them who, and when, users were consuming content — down to what tracks people were tuning into … and out of.

Revenue Opportunities and Control

This all opens up revenue opportunities. Subscription radio for an enhanced experience is one example, as is targeted audio advertising.

Ultimately, great content underpins it all. Good infrastructure and tools mean that content produced for the live broadcast stations can be easily repurposed for the app, then for a smart speaker or connected car platforms. You go into a system and do it once — and the content gets published across the range of platforms that matter to radio stations.

And because good app infrastructure gives the broadcasters complete control, and enables tight access management, their high-value content and unique intellectual property are protected from hijacking aggregators.

Ultimately, apps are a conduit to increased monetization, analytics, efficiency, content and interactivity. And that’s something that makes everyone happy, from listeners to broadcasters and technology providers.

Comment on this or any story. Email mailto:radioworld@futurenet.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject field.

The post Apps Are Your Conduit to Success appeared first on Radio World.

Tightrope Media Systems is continuing to enhance its Cablecast Community Media broadcast automation, playout and content publishing platform with new features and optimizations that further streamline community broadcasters’ workflows and bring even more value-added functionality into the system.

Available immediately, the new Cablecast 7.3 software upgrade adds dynamic audio normalization and NDI output capabilities along with a variety of performance and user interface enhancements.

Headlining the list of new features in Cablecast version 7.3 is dynamic audio normalization. Available on Cablecast VIO video servers, the function allows users to set a target loudness level to which all audio playout will automatically be adjusted in real time.

“Consistent audio loudness is an important component of enjoyable viewing experiences,” said Steve Israelsky, President of Cablecast Community Media. “Viewers don’t want to keep adjusting the volume of their TV or viewing device each time a different show or promo comes on. Dynamic audio normalization makes it easy for broadcasters to maintain consistent audio levels between programs without needing to individually process each show in advance, which is particularly valuable in PEG stations where programming is contributed by multiple producers. It also helps overcome unpredictable audio levels in live content, particularly relative to recorded programming that precedes or follows it.”

Newly added NDI output capabilities in version 7.3 complement Cablecast’s existing input support for the media-over-IP format. Cablecast VIO servers can now output each playout channel as an NDI stream in parallel with the usual SDI outputs. Stations can use the NDI outputs with third-party, NDI-compatible multi-viewer software for split-screen monitoring of all of their channels; make them accessible on their facility LAN for viewing in lobbies and other rooms in the building; or feed them to additional NDI-capable tools such as closed captioning systems.

Another new feature in Cablecast 7.3 lets users upload a default image or slate that will be displayed on a channel while awaiting the start of a live source stream.

Other improvements in Cablecast version 7.3 include transcoding performance optimizations for faster VOD turnaround of multiple shows; live streaming enhancements including line 21 closed caption support and intelligent resolution scaling; and user interface refinements.

The Cablecast 7.3 upgrade is available immediately and is free for Cablecast customers on active software assurance agreements.

The portfolio is comprised of the iHeartSports Network, which provides customized local, regional and national sports content and updates across more than 500 stations; the Fox Sports Network; and some 80 Sports Talk station in the iHeartRadio family.  There’s also the iHeartPodcast Network.

All are now under the leadership of Division President and President of the L.A. Region for iHeartMedia, who will be giving up his Southland duties to a radio industry newbie.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

They had been scheduled for debate and discussion at Tuesday’s FCC July Open Meeting.

On Monday afternoon, two items were deleted from the agenda originally shared with the public on July 6. One deals with steps to combat contraband wireless devices in correctional facilities. The other eliminates and/or amends “outmoded or unnecessary broadcast technical rules.”

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

The Broadcasters Foundation of America has elected America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) President/CEO Patrick Butler and Hilton Howell, President/CEO of Gray Television and Atlantic American Corporation, to its Board of Directors.

The new directors were voted in during the recent Foundation’s Board of Directors’ meeting, which was held virtually.

“We are delighted to welcome Patrick and Hilton to our Board,” said Scott Herman, Chairman of the Broadcasters Foundation of America. “They each bring a wealth of broadcast experience to our board, and their perspective will be valuable as we continue to advance our mission of helping broadcasters in acute need.”

The Broadcasters Foundation’s Board of Directors is comprised of highly respected broadcast executives who are committed to “giving back” through the Broadcasters Foundation. The members of the Board represent a wide array of broadcast and broadcast-related companies.

The latest quarterly broadcast station totals have been released from the FCC.

And, when one compares the numbers to the end of the first quarter of 2021, a clear trend can be seen: AM radio station continues to be in decline, while FM translators are more numerous than ever.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

The Society of Broadcast Engineers has completed its latest salary survey. “Once again, the survey shows that individuals who hold SBE certification on average earn a higher salary than those who do not hold SBE certification,” said President Wayne Pecena. “In short: SBE certification pays.”

The survey finds that the average radio engineer who responded and who holds SBE certification earns a salary of about $81,700 (compared to $78,000 in the 2020 study) while those without certification averaged $72,700 this year (compared to $70,400 last time).

[Read: SBE Drive Nets New Members]

TV engineers and those who work in both radio and TV were grouped together for the purpose of reporting average salary. This group averaged about $90,000 with certification, and $78,600 without.

About 40% of respondents received a salary increase in the past 12 months.

There were 320 qualified respondents. Forty-two percent work just in radio, 31% in TV, and 20% work in both.

The complete results are available free to society members and the survey is available for purchase by others through the SBE Bookstore.

The survey included 23 questions about job titles, broadcast market size and compensation in dollars and offered benefits. It sought responses from both members and non-members. Responses are anonymous. It was conducted April 1 to June 15.

 

The post 40% of Engineers Got a Raise in Past Year appeared first on Radio World.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — America’s Public Television Stations have given their support to a recommendation by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies for advance funding for public broadcasting in Fiscal Year 2024.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Leadership Foundation on Saturday revealed the winners of the 2021 Celebration of Service to America Awards, recognizing outstanding community service by local broadcasters. Winners were announced during a televised Celebration of Service to America Awards program, sponsored in part by Streamline Publishing’s Radio Ink and the Radio + Television Business Report. 

“America’s local radio and television broadcasters demonstrated unparalleled devotion to helping families and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic,” commented NAB Leadership Foundation President Michelle Duke. “We are pleased to honor the winners and celebrate broadcasters nationwide for their commitment to public service.”

The 2021 Service to America Award winners are:

Service to Community Award for Radio – Ownership Group
Zimmer Radio of Mid-Missouri, “Miracles for Kids Radiothon”

For the Zimmer Radio & Marketing Group team, the annual Children’s Miracle Network radiothon is personal. Raising money and awareness for MU’s Children’s Hospital to help sick kids is the main reason “why we do the radiothon,” but this radiothon also happens because many staff members have needed this hospital for their own children at some point. As the self-proclaimed “crown jewel event for the company,” this radiothon showcases the power of radio and love for local communities. The 14th annual 2020 Miracle for Kids radiothon raised over $248,000 and awareness for the phenomenal work of the doctors, nurses and staff every single day at the local Children’s Hospital.

Service to Community Award for Television – Ownership Group
The E.W. Scripps Company, “The Rebound”

In an effort to help guide communities through the COVID-19 crisis, Scripps Local Media launched “The Rebound.” This initiative provided resources to help Americans get back to work and make ends meet. Over nine months, all 61 television stations highlighted creative ways businesses stayed open and showed how communities rallied around them week after week. From the investigative teams helping people across the country get unemployment benefits to the education experts helping students get back to school safely, the Scripps Local Media team helped people manage the pressure and anxiety with advice and resources. Every day for nearly a year, this group told stories that impacted our communities and gave people hope with the help of medical experts, data analysts and more than 100 town halls and specials.

Service to Community Award for Radio – Major Market
KTMY-FM Saint Paul, Minnesota, “KTMY Rebuilds the Neighborhoods”
Hubbard Broadcasting

Minority-owned businesses in Minneapolis and St. Paul that were already disproportionately affected by COVID-19 restrictions were dealt a brutal blow during the uprising that took place in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd. During the civil unrest across the cities, many of these places were vandalized, looted and burned to the ground. In partnership with the Neighborhood Development Center, KTMY launched “10 Stories in 10 Days” to tell the stories of these local businesses hurting and inspire the community to lend a hand. Their show hosts turned their mics over to these business owners, many of whom came to this country chasing the American dream, so they could share their stories with the audience. As a result of this partnership and campaign, KTMY raised over $145,000 for these businesses to rebuild and highlighted the local community’s power and small business owners’ resilience.

Service to Community Award for Television – Large Market
WISN-TV Milwaukee, Wisconsin, “WISN Feeds the Hungry”
Hearst Television, Inc.

Within two weeks of the “stay-at-home order,” WISN knew they needed to find a way to feed the struggling members of their community. As people were being laid off, kids were also home from school without school lunches and there was limited food pantry access for the elderly due to the order. The team at WISN stepped up to the “plate” to help provide hunger relief. In partnership with the Hunger Task Force, WISN held two large fundraisers to feed their communities and help local businesses. With the April Milk Buyback and Thanksgiving Virtual Fundraisers, this local station raised more than $1 million for Hunger Task Force due to WISN 12’s efforts and partnership.

Service to Community Award for Radio – Medium Market
WYCT-FM Pensacola, Florida, Hurricane Sally Relief Efforts
iHeartMedia, Inc.

In September 2020, Hurricane Sally meandered into the Gulf of Mexico and 36 hours out, this slow-moving storm was forecast to make landfall 200 miles away from Pensacola. Instead, it took a slow right turn and became the first direct hit for Pensacola in 16 years. Following the devastation of this hurricane, the team at WYCT-FM wanted to do something to help the community rebuild and recover from the storm. In partnership with United Way of West Florida and their TV partner WEAR-TV, this local station launched “Mission Restore Hope” to raise over $300,000 to help local organizations fund rebuilding efforts and help the community feel at home again.

Service to Community Award for Television – Medium Market
WMC-TV Memphis, Tennessee, “WMC Puts School on TV”
Gray Television

Memphis is home to Tennessee’s largest school district, Shelby County Schools (SCS).  It serves more than 113,000 students, ranking among the top 25 largest public-school districts in the country. Many families living in Shelby County are below the poverty line; distance learning poses a difficult challenge considering many homes do not have computers or internet access. When the team at WMC learned about the shift to virtual learning, the leadership team partnered with the SCS superintendent to offer school on TV. Offering more than 23 hours of programming each week, the WMC team worked with their education partners to ensure that students still had the chance to receive an education without worrying about having the proper equipment.

Service to Community Award for Radio – Small Market
KNDE-FM College Station, Texas, “136 Charities, $794,573, One Day and the KNDE Team”
Bryan Broadcasting Corporation

Amid canceled events and poorly attended virtual fundraisers, many local nonprofits found themselves on the brink of extinction. In partnership with the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley, the KNDE team decided it was time to showcase local radio’s power. During the 18-hour virtual giving event held on October 27, 2020, this local station educated its audience on the work of 136 charities and solicited donations to help keep the community members afloat. In one day, this team raised $794,573 and proved that local broadcasting does matter.

Service to Community Award for Television – Small Market
KTVB-TV Boise, Idaho, “7Cares Idaho Shares”
TEGNA

With the holiday season approaching, the team at KTVB wanted to do something to help feed the hungry and homeless in the local community because no one should go hungry during the holidays. With the launch of “7Cares Idaho Shares,” this local radio station held a two-week virtual campaign to solicit cash and food donations to help local nonprofits feed the hungry. Due to an outpouring of support from individuals and local businesses, KTVB raised more than 49,890 pounds of food and $950,000 to equal almost 2.9 million meals.

The Celebration of Service to America Awards highlight and honor the exceptional community service exhibited by local radio and television stations across the U.S. Produced by the NAB Leadership Foundation, the 2021 program was presented as a televised program and is available for airing by local stations through August 14.

Ten more Members of Congress have pledged to refrain from voting for any new “performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge” on local broadcast radio stations.

Their decision further puts the latest attempt by Reps. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) and Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) to “provide fair treatment of radio stations and artists for the use of sound recordings, and for other purposes” in doubt of succeeding on Capitol Hill.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)