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On August 2, the end of an era — and the leadership of a broadcast media company — came for Ralph Oakley.

The President/CEO of Quincy Media, Inc., formally retired, as the Illinois-based owner of over-the-air TV stations completed its sale to Gray Television, with spinoff stations going to Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group.

Oakley was saluted for his accomplishments at the virtual TVB Forward Conference on Thursday, marking perhaps his final industry appearance.

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With nine weeks to go, IBC Show organizers have unveiled their plans to hold a hybrid event in December.

Following the reduction in COVID restrictions announced by the Dutch government earlier this month, organizers say they are “heading in the right direction” in terms of the physical event. “We are focusing on delivering an absolutely safe event,” CEO Mike Crimp told a media briefing.

While the rules around social distancing and wearing of masks have been relaxed, the IBC exhibition will include signs asking attendees to respect everyone’s preferences if they should want to continue with the measures.

The exhibition will also implement a “festival-style” perimeter fence, and include checks on vaccinations status, as well as recent COVID test status. Attendees from non-EU countries (such as the U.K. and U.S.) will be able to gain access to the Netherlands with a negative PCR test, but organizers suggest they check both their own government and the Dutch government’s websites in the run-up to the event.

In terms of the digital side of the event, this year’s content program will be free for everyone to access whether they are in Amsterdam or at home, the first time this has happened in the event’s history.

IBC Digital is a hybrid platform that will run in tandem with the live event, and enable users to watch content, schedule online meetings with exhibitors and other attendees, review exhibitor profiles, and invite colleagues to live meetings.

IBC 2021 takes place Dec. 3–6 at the RAI in Amsterdam.

 

The post “We Are Confident. We Are Not Complacent”: IBC Unveils Plans for Hybrid Event appeared first on Radio World.

Volkswagen Australia added DAB+ digital radio across most of its 2022 vehicle lineup.

The announcement came from industry body Commercial Radio Australia.

“All Volkswagen passenger and commercial vehicles in Australia will offer DAB+ with the exception of the base model grades of its van and ‘ute’ range,” CRA announced. It said models with DAB+ will include the Golf and T-Cross SUV.

[Read: Warner to Step Down at Commercial Radio Australia]

DAB+ is on air in five major metro markets and four other cities, and there are plans to add it to the Gold Coast.

CEO Joan Warner said the number of new vehicles in Australia with DAB+ had increased by 420,000 in the first half of 2021.

“The number of new vehicles sold with DAB+ was up by 25% in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year. This is good news for radio listeners who will benefit from the extra station choice, reliability and ease of use of digital technology,” she said in the announcement.

She added that 76% of new vehicles sold in Australia come with DAB+ from the factory and that 4.1 million new vehicles have been sold with DAB+ to June 2021.

 

The post VW Australia Expands Use of DAB+ appeared first on Radio World.

In mid-September, Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned Dielectric first shared how the company literally changed how FM broadcast antenna manufacturers validate directional pattern studies for new FM broadcast antennas.

This led Dielectric to submit a Petition for Rulemaking with the FCC. And, if the FCC moves forward with a NPRM and subsequently approves the rules, a process that could take just months, a move from physical to AI-driven simulated modeling could come to fruition.

The engineering guys may get this, but those in the C-Suite may already have eyes glazed over. In this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM, Dielectric VP/GM Keith Pelleiter explains this so the only thing glazed in their office is a Krispy Kreme donut.

 

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast – Keith Pelletier” on Spreaker.

The Holladay family has become well-known for their ownership of radio properties across the Deep South.

Now, Bryan Holladay is signing of on an acquisition. Pending FCC approval, it will see the transfer of control of three FMs to his Meridian Media Group.

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Strengthening our Communications Networks to Meet Consumers’ Needs

That’s the key topic up for debate and conversation at an upcoming legislative hearing announced late yesterday by the Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the head of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee.

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The local broadcast TV industry in 2022 will generate $21 billion in advertising revenue, with $19.3 billion in over-the-air (OTA) revenue and $1.7 billion in digital.

Those fresh estimates are courtesy of BIA Advisory Services. And, they point to a healthy 26.5% increase over 2021 for the industry.

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The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by One Ministries, Inc. (Petitioner), requesting the allotment of reserved noncommercial educational channel * 4 at Fort Bragg, California, as the community's second local service in the DTV Table of Allotments and its first local NCE television service.

The Bureau enters into a Consent Decree with St. Macrina Media and Education Society

This order grants Pluto's request to withdraw and dismisses its petition for waiver of the Commission's IP Closed Captioning rules

The Bureau enters into a Consent Decree with Northern Montana College

Microphone maker Shure is filling out the nooks and crannies of its microphone lineup. The latest is the MV7X.

While it has the readily recognizable shape of its well-known broadcast veteran cousin, the SM7B, the MV7X is aimed at the podcaster market, though Shure feels that broadcasters, streamers and musicians would also find it of interest.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

It is a dynamic cardioid mic with an XLR connector mounted on the rear. Its output is analog thus requiring a preamp or digital audio converter.

Shure specs the MV7X at 50 Hz–16 kHz. It has a metal body like the SM7B and its sister, the MV7. It ships with an adjustable yoke. Price: $179.

Send your new equipment news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

Info: www.shure.com

 

The post Shure Ships Podcast Microphone appeared first on Radio World.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Enforcement Bureau of the FCC has entered into a Consent Decree with ViacomCBS that settles an investigation over violations of the Commission’s accessibility rules at the company’s Pluto Inc. TV service.

As such, ViacomCBS is paying a civil penalty to the U.S. Treasury and is not being fined by the Commission. A compliance plan has also been agreed to by both parties.

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Three leaders associated with the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) have submitted comments with the Commission in response to a Media Bureau docket that seeks a review of EEO compliance and enforcement in the broadcast and multichannel video programming industries.

In short, the MMTC leaders believe that, “While data collection is one essential element of an EEO compliance program, it is hardly the only element.”

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Zoom fatigue entered our lexicon early in the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Dry eyes, neck pain, and dysmorphic disorder spiked as we overdosed on video conferences.

In case you’re wondering, the latter symptom of video meeting exhaustion has to do with obsessive attention to perceived defects in our facial features. Cosmetic surgery boomed during the pandemic.

More than a year later, Zoom burnout persists as virtual meetings have become a daily fixture of remote and hybrid work environments. This column from Rosemary Ravinal offers a half-dozen ways to combat Zoom fatigue.

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The Phoenix-based production and broadcasting studio used by a popular host known for the latest news on everything digital — including technology, and security threats and scams — is for sale.

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Programs for a KNMC event this month as shown in a station social media post.

Student-run noncommercial radio stations still must adhere to the FCC’s rules. The case of a college station in Montana reminds us of that afresh.

The Audio Division of the Media Bureau said it has reached a consent decree with Montana State University Northern, the licensee of KNMC(FM) in Havre, Mont., over compliance with FCC rules for filing for license renewal and maintaining an online public file.

The license renewal should have been filed by Dec. 1, 2020, but was not filed until four months later. The commission also said the station had failed to place any issues and programs lists in its online public file before this April.

In the consent decree, the school stipulates that it violated the rules and will pay a penalty of $500. It will also put in place a compliance plan that makes sure the violations don’t happen again.

If it seems like the station is getting off easier than others might, it’s because the commission has a policy about certain cases that involve first-time violations by student-run NCE radio stations. In such situations it may offer a consent decree with terms like those that KNMC agreed to.

KNMC was started by English and speech instructor W.E. “Bill” Lisenby in the early 1950s and came to the FM dial in 1978.

The post College Station Signs FCC Consent Decree appeared first on Radio World.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Legislation that two House Members who sit on the powerful Energy & Commerce Committee say would free up new airwaves for wireless broadband use by the public has been teed up in the lower body of Congress.

For the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology’s Chair, the legislation would “make as much spectrum as possible available for improved broadband service for consumers and to promote new, innovative uses of our airwaves.”

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In August, a coed, Catholic Benedictine boarding and day school for students grades 9-12 along Narragansett Bay surrendered its license for its 360-watt Class A FM, ending student-run programming that could be heard in nearby Bristol and in Fall River, Mass.

A change of heart came earlier this month, however, and the private school rescinded its request. Its license was restored. But, it has nothing to do with Portsmouth Abbey School wanting to keep operating the FM.

It’s just been sold to the regional NPR Member operation.

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On October 22, a 34-year relationship with Salem Media Group will conclude for the individual heading up national news and public affairs.

In more recent years, he has directed Salem’s Office of Government Relations.

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