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A Treasure Coast AM Trades Hands

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 02/01/2024 - 13:59

PORT ST. LUCIE, FLA. — It is one of three signals serving regional Mexican listeners across the agricultural communities of Okeechobee County, Fla., and the fast-growing Treasure Coast cities of Fort Pierce, Stuart and Port. St. Lucie.

Now, the owner of a station used for “La Ley” has decided to part ways with the property by selling it to the company that’s been leasing it. It guarantees its AM signal remains a source of Spanish-language fare for Indian River, Martin and St. Lucie Counties.

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Categories: Industry News

A New Effort To Squelch ‘Sputnik’ In D.C.

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 02/01/2024 - 13:59

“My client is fighting the Russian empire on the home front.”

That’s how veteran Washington, D.C., communications law-focused attorney Arthur Belendiuk sums up an effort by the Ukranian Congress Committee of America to convince the FCC that an AM radio station owned by Arthur Liu is in violation of commission rules for broadcasting “paid Russian state propaganda.”

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Categories: Industry News

Tier 3 Auto Advertisers Get Enhanced Local Connected TV Access

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 02/01/2024 - 11:51

NEW YORK — NBCUniversal has launched an automated precision tool designed to, in its words, bring “simplicity, efficiency, and precision” to local auto advertisers buying premium connected TV video for the first time.

In particular, it is designed to bring a digital dollar addition through a more complete local media spending opportunity.

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Categories: Industry News

AI Training, Certification Coming To NAB Show

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 02/01/2024 - 11:47

The 2024 NAB Show is teaming up with Future Media Concepts (FMC) for the launch of a live, innovative workshop series designed to enhance digital creativity and technical prowess using the latest AI technologies.

Designed for both enthusiasts and professionals, the AI Training & Certifications programs offer “practical, hands-on training” both online and at the Las Vegas affair, targeting creatives in both broadcast and digital video to stay ahead of the curve and refine their skills.

 

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Categories: Industry News

Suggestions Requested for 2024 Radio Hall of Fame Induction Class

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 02/01/2024 - 11:00

CHICAGO — The Museum of Broadcast Communications is now accepting nomination suggestions for the Radio Hall of Fame’s 2024 induction class.

The window is open through the end of the day on Sunday, March 31.

Twenty-four names will be selected as nominees to be voted upon by industry personnel later this year, leading to the selection of the 2024 Radio Hall of Fame Induction Class. The induction will take place later this fall, with information on this year’s induction ceremony coming this spring.

Dennis Green, Co-Chairman of the Radio Hall of Fame, commented, “We look forward to learning the names suggested for nomination to the Radio Hall of Fame from around the country. There are so many that are deserving of this recognition. It is an honor to lead the committee in selecting those who have made their mark contributing to radio’s rich history and who will comprise the nominees for the Class of 2024.”

Kraig T. Kitchin, Co-Chairman of the Radio Hall of Fame, commented, “The input from fellow radio industry members and listeners alike helps our Nominating Committee contemplate so many more individuals worthy of a nomination. We’re grateful for the input and the ideas offered.”

To submit suggestions for possible honorees for consideration by the Radio Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, please visit https://www.radiohalloffame.com/nominate.

The Radio Hall of Fame was founded by the Emerson Radio Corporation in 1988. The Museum of Broadcast Communications took over operations of the Hall in 1991.

Categories: Industry News

Advertisers Thinking Digitally On Budget Increases

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 02/01/2024 - 10:56

Some 866 respondents in Borrell’s spring 2023 survey of local ad buyers were asked what types of media were budgeted for increases in 2024. This includes new buying opportunities along with dollar increases.

While 58% say they plan to add or increase spending on something in 2024, they are barely looking at local over-the-air television. And, radio isn’t so popular, either.

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Categories: Industry News

Calvert To Lead Sinclair’s OKC Duo

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 02/01/2024 - 10:44

The woman who most recently served as VP/GM of The E.W. Scripps Co.’s NBC affiliate serving Tulsa has been appointed to a similar role at Sinclair Inc.‘s two broadcast television stations in Oklahoma City.

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Categories: Industry News

Star Towers Completes Asset Sale

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 02/01/2024 - 10:32

With Kalil & Co. serving as the exclusive broker in the transaction, a portfolio of tower assets in Tennessee and Mississippi has been sold by a company headed by Alex “Trip” Barzizza III.

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Categories: Industry News

Syncbak Launches A New Locally Focused OTT Platform

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 02/01/2024 - 10:15

Jack Perry has gained a reputation for broadcast technology innovation as the founder of TitanTV, the first electronic program guide with built-in DVR capabilities. Now leading Syncbak, which fuels various OTT platforms used across the U.S., is launching a new streaming platform focused on “in-between binge sessions.”

In other words, Zeam seeks to attract viewers to local news and information when taking a break from the shows they enjoy on such platforms as Netflix, bridging SVOD and AVOD to broadcast TV’s online capabilities.

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Categories: Industry News

Octillion Media Acquired By TEGNA’s Premion Unit

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 02/01/2024 - 09:15

The connected TV/OTT advertising platform for regional and local advertisers owned by TEGNA has acquired what is being described as “a next-generation demand-side platform” focused on the same segment of the ad pie as TEGNA’s Premion LLC.

The acquisition of Octillion Media, TEGNA says, widens Premion’s capabilities in the growing connected TV marketplace by combining Octillion’s technology with Premion’s applications.

While TEGNA did not disclose how much it is paying for Octillion Media, it said it will cover the cost of the acquisition with available cash on hand. This, TEGNA added, will not have a material impact on TEGNA’s cash or leverage levels.

The transaction is expected to be free cash flow and EPS accretive within 12 months and is not expected to have a material impact on TEGNA’s 2024 financials, the company added.

“Octillion is precisely the type of smart bolt-on acquisition we have long considered to accelerate our already successful organically grown Premion business,” TEGNA President/CEO Dave Lougee said.

Tom Cox, president of Premion and SVP/Corporate Development at TEGNA, added, “We built Premion with a local-first mindset from the start. The acquisition of Octillion Media provides us with a proven purpose-built local CTV platform to further enable product innovation, improve operational efficiencies, and drive accelerated growth. Local relevance remains a top advertiser priority, and the addition of Octillion’s technology will enhance our ability to meet ever-evolving customer needs and drive value for our clients.”

Octillion Media was founded in 2019.

“With our shared belief that transparency, quality, and brand safety are the key pillars of success for local Connected TV advertisers, bringing Octillion together with Premion is a natural fit,” said Gabe Greenberg, CEO and co-founder of Octillion. “We’re excited to continue to build and develop our innovative CTV/OTT product offering and activate the platform’s capabilities backed up by quantified business outcomes across Premion’s network of sellers and clients.”

As part of the transaction, Greenberg and all Octillion employees will join the Premion team.

 

Categories: Industry News

Neuhoff Family To Exit Radio Station Ownership

Radio+Television Business Report - Thu, 02/01/2024 - 08:59

In a transaction that sees Tucson-based brokerage Kalil & Co. in an exclusive role, the Neuhoff Family has struck an agreement that will see it sell its radio stations in both Danville and Decatur, Ill.

The proposed sale, the Neuhoff Family Limited Partnership says, is part of “an overall strategic decision” to exit the broadcast industry after nearly 70 years.

The buyer is Champaign Multimedia Group.

A filing in the FCC’s LMS detailing the terms of the transactions is forthcoming.

With the Commission’s approval, it will sell the following stations:

  • WSOY-AM & FM, WCZQ-FM, WDZ-AM and WDZQ-FM in Decatur, Ill.
  • WDAN-AM, WDNL-FM, WRHK-FM in Danville, Ill.

The deal includes NowDecatur.com and VermilionCountyFirst.com, respectively.

Julian Hickman and Makena Neuhoff, trustees of the Neuhoff family, signed off on the transaction.

Hickman said, “We are proud of what broadcast ownership has meant to our family, our employees, and the markets we serve. Our grandfather, Roger Neuhoff, began his ownership in the business during the mid-1950s. He loved the broadcast industry and was proud of the way our radio and television stations served their local communities.”

Makena Neuhoff said, “We would like to thank the incredible teams of local broadcasters in Decatur and Danville. We are proud of their daily dedication to their listeners, clients, and communities.”

Hints of a possible sale emerged at the end of November 2023, when Neuhoff Media President Mike Hulvey was named as Erica Farber’s successor as the head of the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB).

Hulvey said, “We are pleased to see the iconic local media brands of Neuhoff Media’s Danville and Decatur markets all brought together through this historic transaction with the Champaign Multimedia Group. The next chapter for the Danville and Decatur radio stations and digital platforms will create something very special for each community.”

Neuhoff succeed Beth Neuhoff in July 2022; Ms. Neuhoff founded a related entity, Neuhoff Communications in 2003, with her late husband, the son of Roger Neuhoff.

The Neuhoff Family Limited Partnership expects to make additional announcements regarding future agreements as the Neuhoff divestiture process moves forward, it said.

Neuhoff Family Limited Partnership and its local companies own and operate 24 broadcast signals, along with multiple digital platforms, in the Indiana market of Lafayette and in Bloomington and Springfield, Ill.

 

Categories: Industry News

Read the Feb. 1, 2024 Issue of Radio World

Radio World - Thu, 02/01/2024 - 04:43

Will the Federal Communications Commission approve a change that would allow more FM radio stations in the United States to increase their digital power?

What’s the best way to store and organize a large collection of resistors, transistors, ICs, terminals and other parts?

What should engineers know about wall-wart power supplies that are so common today?

What is polka king Larry Walk’s secret to a long career in radio?

Read it here.

The post Read the Feb. 1, 2024 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

Establishing Rules for Full Power Television and Class A Television Stations

Federal Register: FCC (Broadcasting) - Thu, 02/01/2024 - 00:00
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) adopts several rule updates for full power and Class A television stations that no longer have any practical effect given the completion of the transition from analog to digital-only operations and the post incentive auction transition to a smaller television band with fewer channels. The Commission also adopts a restructuring of its full power television rules, which largely consist of the technical licensing, operating, and interference rules for full power television.

Actions

FCC Media Bureau News Items - Wed, 01/31/2024 - 20:00
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Pleadings

FCC Media Bureau News Items - Wed, 01/31/2024 - 20:00
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Applications

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FCC Looks Ready to Approve ZoneCasting

Radio World - Wed, 01/31/2024 - 19:59

Suddenly it appears that limited FM geotargeting may soon be allowed by the FCC.

Supporters have called the technology a potential gamechanger. Opponents have warned of seismic consequences for the FM band.

Commissioners Geoffrey Starks, a Democrat, and Brendan Carr, a Republican, issued a joint statement on Wednesday. They said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is circulating an order and further notice of proposed rulemaking among her colleagues. The order would allow FM broadcasters to air unique content on booster signals for a short time each hour.

With the support of three on the five-member commission, the draft order would seem to have a clear path to approval once it is formally introduced, though its details are not public yet.

The concept of FM geotargeting has been pushed for years by GeoBroadcast Solutions. The company hopes to offer broadcasters a product called ZoneCasting that uses synchronized localized booster transmitters and antennas. Stations would be able to send localized weather alerts and traffic messages or highly localized advertisements to just a portion of their listening areas.

But a change in rules would be needed because boosters are supposed to carry only the same content as their primary stations.

The broadcast industry has been divided on the idea. In 2021 the National Association of Broadcasters came out strongly against geo-targeting. State broadcast associations and a number of individual companies also have expressed concerns about the possible impact.

Opponents worry that geo-targeting may depress ad rates and revenues as advertisers seek to purchase highly localized ads. They say it could lead to cannibalization among stations; cause listener confusion, hurting consumer perceptions of the FM service; and result in unwelcome “red-lining” of certain listeners. They also say it will cause unacceptable interference.

The NAB at one point warned of “potentially seismic risks to the business model of FM radio.” The debate also has been characterized by much acrimony between GBS and the NAB, with one critic describing NAB’s opposition as “savage.”

But in their statement, Starks and Carr said that since the commission proposed the idea in 2020, “[S]mall and independent broadcasters have repeatedly told us that geo-targeting could be a gamechanger. They’ve said the technology could help them stay relevant, and in some cases stay in business, by allowing them to offer hyper-localized content over radio — just as television broadcasters are beginning to do with NextGen TV,” they wrote.

“We’ve also heard that geo-targeting could lift small businesses and community organizations by helping them reach a targeted audience more cost effectively, thereby reducing barriers to the nation’s airwaves and connecting listeners to the content that matters to them the most.”

Starks and Carr thanked Rosenworcel “for moving this proceeding to an order so that broadcasters can implement this technology, to the extent they choose to do so.  Without a doubt, geo-targeting presents a new way of thinking about FM. If radio entrepreneurs want to test new business models and deploy new technologies, the FCC’s rules shouldn’t stand in the way.”

The U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce welcomed the news, calling the pending action “a pivotal order” and “a significant step forward in modernizing radio broadcasting.” President/CEO Ron Busby called it “a needed boost for the broadcasting industry, especially for small and medium-sized broadcasters, many of whom are African American-owned.”

USBC also quoted Jim Winston, president of the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters — which became part of USBC Media last year — saying, “Geotargeting technology is not just about modernization; it’s about survival and growth. It’s a tool that can rejuvenate a declining sector while also propelling forward the FCC’s vision of promoting minority broadcasting.”

The USBC added that it was looking forward to “more detailed information on this development, mindful that the finer details are crucial and often reveal complexities not immediately apparent.”

The National Association of Broadcasters declined comment for this story Wednesday evening.

The post FCC Looks Ready to Approve ZoneCasting appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

Bob Bittner’s WJIB Is Set to Be Sold

Radio World - Wed, 01/31/2024 - 18:12

After the passing of longtime owner and operator Bob Bittner last May, WJIB(AM) will soon be under new management.

Earlier this month, Bittner’s estate announced that John Garabedian’s RCRQ, Inc. will acquire WJIB and its companion FM translator. The sale was filed with the FCC for its approval on Jan. 23, and the closing is anticipated sometime in early spring.

WJIB is a Class D station operating on 740 kHz. Based in Cambridge, Mass., it serves the Boston market with commercial-free music programming. WJIB’s “Memories Station” format — which was named for the 15,000 songs curated by Bittner from albums he collected or that were contributed by listeners — is simulcast on WJTO(AM) in Bath-Portland, Maine and WBAS(AM) in West Yarmouth on Cape Cod, each having a companion 250 watt FM translator.

Bittner in the massive “Memories Station” music library. (Photo credit: Dennis Jackson)

The buyer is Cambridge native John Garabedian. Well known to Boston radio listeners, Garabedian has been heard on the former WBCN(FM), and the original WMEX(AM). For 30 years he hosted the national “Open House Party,” as heard on WXKS (Kiss 108), and founded WVJV-TV (“V 66”) with Arnie “Woo Woo” Ginsburg in the ’80s. Until recently, Garabedian operated a group of stations on Cape Cod that included WKFY(FM).

Without ads to bolster station funds, during his tenure Bittner relied on listener donations. His annual appeals to a devoted fanbase raised enough money to keep the stations operating. Once enough was collected to cover expenses for a year, Bittner would announce an end to the campaign and, according to The Portland Press Herald, would return later checks with a personal thank you letter.

“Bob Bittner created a magical radio station built on the concept of airing music that brought back people’s memories of their lives, rather than a single style or era of music,” Garabedian told Radio World. “Even at a measly 250 watts, commercial-free WJIB has a fanatically loyal audience who have enthusiastically supported the station with six figure cash donations every year.”

Bittner at the base of the WJIB tower in the late ’90s. (Photo credit: Dennis Jackson)

The WJIB deal was brokered by Dennis Jackson of Sun Signals LLC. As a longtime Bittner family friend, and spokesman for Raisa, Bittner’s wife of 24 years, Jackson was tasked with the duty of finding a buyer to carry forward Bittner’s legacy. He told Radio World that “Raisa saw WJIB as [Bittner’s] way of paying forward the good fortune that life had brought him, and loved him for it.”

“I’m an independent radio entrepreneur as Bob was,” said Jackson. “We and our wives have been friends for many years. We first met in the mid ’90s when I helped him transition WJIB(AM) from a beautiful music station that used an ingenious system that sequenced six-hour VHS tapes of beautiful music, to one of the early desktop computer-based automation systems.”

According to reporting by local Boston blog and newsletter, Radio and Music Pros, WJIB’s purchase price was set at $575,010. That price included the value of the translator, which was set at $10.

John Garabedian (left) and engineer Grady Moates at the WJIB transmitter site during inspection earlier this month. (Photo credit: Dennis Jackson)

Commenting on WJIB’s new ownership, Jackson said, “As a successful programmer and broadcast entrepreneur in his own right — and blessed with a similarly deep and mellifluous voice — John Garabedian is the perfect steward to carry Bob Bittner’s legacy forward. [Bittner] was an extraordinarily kind and gentle person. The Memories Stations are an expression of that.”

As for what happens next, Garabedian said he is eager to keep WJIB’s loyal listeners entertained; albeit with a few tweaks to some of the station’s musical quirks.

“My challenge is to continue to keep those listeners happy and engaged while expanding the audience using my 60 years of programming experience,” said Garabedian. “For instance, while we will continue airing the instrumental version of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ at noon, it’s likely we will discontinue playing the ‘Bunny Hop.'”

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The post Bob Bittner’s WJIB Is Set to Be Sold appeared first on Radio World.

Categories: Industry News

FCC Opens Door To GBS ‘ZoneCasting’ Implementation

Radio+Television Business Report - Wed, 01/31/2024 - 17:25

In October 2022, the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters notified the FCC of its “discontinuance” of its support for it. Also voicing his calls to reject the proposal in front of the Commission was Connoisseur Media CEO Jeff Warshaw. 

There’s more: a group of small broadcasters wanted the plan to die. So did 13 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and, in a significant way, the NAB.

Now, 15 months later, a rule change that would pave the way for GeoBroadcasting Solutions’ “ZoneCasting” technology is very much alive, thanks to an order and further notice of proposed rulemaking.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on Wednesday (1/31) circulated the order and “FNPRM,” which would allow FM broadcasters to air original programming from a booster — the lynchpin behind GBS’s proprietary ZoneCasting offering, which was demonstrated at KSJO-FM in San Jose and at an FM radio station in Jackson, Miss. — WRBJ-FM.

To be clear, geo-targeted content would air for a limited period of time during the broadcast hour. Detractors believe even this would create interference, and thus prevent important emergency information from being distributed, rather than aiding in that effort. Then, there is the sales conundrum, with some industry observers who requested anonymity questioning the resulting impact on advertising rates should “micro-casting” become a reality.

As of 5:15pm Eastern Wednesday, the Order and FNPRM had not been publicly disseminated by the Commission. That did not stop Brendan Carr and Geoffrey Starks from issuing a joint statement in support of the proposal from GBS.

“As Commissioners on the FCC, we have consistently stood up for policies that drive
innovation and support small businesses,” said Carr, the senior Republican, and Starks, a Democrat. “We strongly believe that radio deserves to benefit from the same path of progress. For broadcasters, listeners, and businesses that rely on the airwaves to reach their audience—not to mention public safety—radio is too important to leave behind as other services continue to pioneer.”

That is why Carr and Starks support allowing geo-targeted content on the FM dial.

They continue, “In 2020, in a unanimous and bipartisan vote, the FCC proposed to revise its rules to permit broadcasters to originate a limited amount of geo-targeted content from FM booster stations. Since we released that unanimous proposal, small and independent broadcasters have repeatedly told us that geo-targeting could be a gamechanger. They’ve said the technology could help them stay relevant, and in some cases stay in business, by allowing them to offer hyper-localized content over radio—just as television broadcasters are beginning to do with NextGenTV. We’ve also heard that geo-targeting could lift small businesses and community organizations by helping them reach a targeted audience more cost effectively, thereby reducing barriers to the nation’s airwaves and connecting listeners to the content that matters to them the most.”

This explains why Starks and Carr, who may not see eye-to-eye on many regulatory policies pertaining to Radio, came together to thank Rosenworcel “for moving this proceeding to an order so that broadcasters can implement this technology, to the extent they choose to do so. Without a doubt, geo-targeting presents a new way of thinking about FM. If radio entrepreneurs want to test new business models and deploy new technologies, the FCC’s rules shouldn’t stand in the way.”

Categories: Industry News

Houston Bankruptcy Court Grants Audacy Operational Asks

Radio+Television Business Report - Wed, 01/31/2024 - 16:40

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Houston has authorized a final order that allows Audacy Inc., which submitted an emergency motion, to continue to operate their cash management system, use existing checks and business forms and honor intercompany arrangements.

The court on Wednesday (1/31) also signed off on two other key orders.

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Categories: Industry News

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