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The world’s largest content creator of audio and video programming serving Spanish speakers has decided when it will report its fourth quarter and full-year 2023 financial results — a move the privately held company led by CEO Wade Davis has continued to make.

TelevisaUnivision will report its fourth quarter and full year 2023 financial results on Thursday, February 15. The company will host a conference call to discuss these results at  10am Eastern.

What can investors expect following a Q3 that saw double-digit growth?

That’s not entirely known, as guidance was not provided with the company’s release of its third quarter results.

The Radio Advertising Bureau has promoted from within to fill the roles of VP/Professional Development, VP of Digital Services; and Director of Events and Communications, respectively.

Kim Johnson takes the professional development role some nine years after joining the RAB as Account Development Manager.

Cynthia Pham, who joined the RAB in 2000 to help create databases and programming, will now serve as VP of Digital Services.

Madison Wright is now Director of Events and Communications. She runs social media for all RAB pages and affiliated pages for the Radio Mercury Awards and National Radio Talent System, curates and shares RAB news, as well as produces RAB’s events, and she serves as the producer for the Radio Mercury Awards, the premier radio creative competition. In 2022, Wright was listed on Radio Ink’s “30 and Under Superstars” list in 2022.

“RAB is proud and delighted to promote all three dedicated and accomplished team members,” said outgoing RAB President/CEO Erica Farber, who is being succeeded by Mike Hulvey. “I am truly excited to see how they will continue to grow professionally and super serve RAB’s membership.

She’s been with the Annapolis, Md.-headquartered ratings-focused research firm since July 1998 and in 2022 was elevated to Data and Production Manager. Now, she’ll serve as Chief Operating Officer for Research Director.

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Wall-mounted AC Adaptors, sometimes called wall-warts, have been a standard way of providing electricity to low-power devices since the 1970s, powering everything from clock radios to Wi-Fi routers to cell phone chargers to Alexa to electric shavers and toothbrushes. Station equipment racks are overcrowded with them. As you know, some 120 VAC outlet strips are made specifically to accommodate these supplies, which typically measure about 2 by 2 by 3 inches.

Wall-wart power supplies are everywhere in modern life. These Chanzon 12V 2A UL-listed 24-watt AC/DC switching power supply adaptors are available on Amazon.

You might not give much thought to what’s inside these apparently simple problem-solvers. They started as convenient devices with a transformer to provide low-voltage AC or a transformer with diodes and capacitor for DC. In either case, they typically provide 3 to 24 volts. Fig. 1 is the schematic of a DC supply.

Fig. 1: Power supply schematic diagram.

One real plus for equipment designers is that most of the supplies are United Laboratories-listed and have the UL logo when sold in the United States and Canada. Other countries have similar standards. 

The idea here is safety. It takes some of the legal liability burden off manufacturers if their product is powered by one of these adapters that isolates the somewhat dangerous 120 VAC from their equipment.

Friend and fellow Radio World contributor Charles “Buc” Fitch authored a piece for John Bisset in the Dec. 29, 2022, Workbench column. He told of replacing a wall power supply with a switching power supply on a Sine Systems RP-8 Relay Panel to improve its reliability. 

Switching power supplies

Most power supplies weigh less today but a closer look at their ratings will tell you they are capable of handling more power. 

These are “switching” power supplies with dozens of parts that rectify, then chop up the result at 100 kHz or more to create the desired output voltage. Instead of 12 volts at 0.5 amperes (6 watts), one might provide 12 volts at 1 ampere (12 watts) at half the weight. 

Switching supplies have DC outputs because they convert the incoming 120 VAC to well-regulated DC. This regulation helps in maintaining the desired output voltage even when the input experiences voltage spikes and brownouts. The outputs provide clean DC without 60 or 120 Hz ripple voltage that older supplies have. By ripple, I mean a slight variation in output voltage that a filter capacitor can’t completely eliminate in older non-switching supplies. 

Fig. 2 shows a higher-power switching power supply. I pulled the cover off so you can see the inner workings. Lots of electronics inside. This one uses the universal standard IEC (International Electromechanical Commission) three-wire power cord with ground. As you know, those cables are common to virtually all desktop and server computer systems today, not to mention most rack-mounted broadcast equipment. 

Fig. 2: An uncovered switching power supply.

Of special interest to me is the short power cord. These are a real problem-solver when trying to keep excess clutter out equipment racks. I love them!

The enigma 

After 60+ years in broadcast engineering and 44 years in business, I am mentoring four radio broadcast engineers. One of them recently called with a problem that was difficult to troubleshoot. 

It should have been simple to fix a studio on-air warning light that wouldn’t come on. There was power and the lightbulb was good. 

A 120 VAC light outside the studio door was wired correctly. By that I mean 120 VAC was not run through relay contacts in the studio console. Instead, a low-voltage DC control was sent to a Tyco brand SSRT-240D-10 solid-state relay in an electrical box. The relay switches 120 volts to the light. 

A measurement of the DC control voltage, at the solid-state relay, confirmed that it was getting more than 20 volts. The relay only needs 3 VDC at about .005 ampere of current to make it operate. That’s a small fraction of a watt. A replacement solid-state relay did not solve the problem. 

How could it be?

The clue was the control voltage that should have read closer to 28 volts from the traditional wall-wart unregulated 24 VDC power supply. A multimeter showed it to have more than 10 volts AC at the output too. Ouch, it should have been near zero.

As mentioned, power supplies of this older kind have a small power transformer feeding a rectifier and a capacitor to make DC with only a small amount of ripple voltage. See Fig. 3. An oscilloscope showed 33 volts peak to peak on the DC waveform when it should have been a fraction of a volt. That’s it, the capacitor opened and was no longer able to smooth out the voltage to produce almost pure DC, it was pulsating DC. Electrolytic capacitors are the most common type used in this application. They have a limited (5 to 30 year) lifespan and are bound to fail; it is just a matter of when. Capacitors, as you know, are like batteries. They store energy and release it when a circuit needs it. It might happen 60 or 120 times per second in one of these supplies. The harder they work, the shorter their lifespan. In this case it was 21 years.

Fig. 3: An oscilloscope shows 33 volts peak to peak.

Fig. 4 shows a test setup on a service bench. A 120 volt/40-watt incandescent lamp is the load, simulating the on-air light that is dark. 120 VAC power is supplied via a two-wire power cord to the solid-state relay and the wall-wart in question supplying control voltage to the relay.

Fig. 4: Test setup on the bench.

Fig. 5 shows a 1000 mfd capacitor being temporarily connected. The lamp lit at that point.

Fig. 5: Capacitor added to filter the power supply.

It is common for audio devices powered by wall-warts to develop a hum problem. Again, it is a failed filter capacitor. The life of capacitors in this service is also limited because it is normal for the power supplies to run a bit warm. The warmer they are, the shorter the life of the capacitor.

Going back to Fig. 4, the photo also shows the power supply is marked to help identify it during troubleshooting. The downside is the label covered the specifications part of the transformer. The lesson is to mark everything in such a way to help everyone in the future. 

Sometimes I come across a power supply with a deformed plastic case because the supply ran too hot. Even when one is working, I immediately discard or recycle so it can’t cause problems in the future. 

Switching power supplies are now found inside rack-mounted equipment and transmitters. I like the ability of many to switch automatically between 120 and 240 VAC input voltages. What a change from the old days! We are in a plug-n-play world. The downside is that repairing a switching power supply is beyond the ability of most technicians. Repair of a traditional “linear” power supply with a transformer, diodes and capacitor is easy and has been standard fare for most engineers over the years inside of a piece of equipment. No need to throw those out when a one-hour repair plus $10 in parts might solve the problem.

RF noise

Regarding switching power supplies, I recommend you do a quick test at the time of installation. 

Tune a portable AM receiver to an open spot on the dial and put it near a power supply. Connect and disconnect the supply from 120 VAC. You may hear noise while the switching power supply is running. If so, that is a problem! Many switching power supplies emit objectionable RF noise. I avoid using them when possible and go for cleaner ones to reduce noise that could contaminate a receive signal, such as off-air monitoring of an AM broadcast station. That could include an EAS monitoring assignment. 

Fig. 6: Testing a power supply for RF noise.

Most switching power supplies comply with FCC rules for unintentional RF radiation and/or conducted noise to the power line, but there is a cumulative effect from the millions in use. It is my observation that the noise floor, especially in the AM broadcast band, has risen 10 dB in the past 15 years. The change is accelerating as more and more switching power supplies are put into operation. This is a noise source that spells even more trouble for the AM band! 

Ham radio operators are often the first to hear unwanted radio noise because they receive down to the noise level in everyday communications. Hams have found Palomar Engineers at https://palomar-engineers.com/ has a variety of ferrite toroid rings that can keep unwanted RF from traveling down power cables and into the air. 

I hope the knowledge related in this article will help you think through making good engineering decisions.

Comment on this or any article. Write to radioworld@futurenet.com.

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Among the many documents added to the docket report in Audacy Inc. federal bankruptcy case being heard in a Houston court is a 17-page “Master Service List” outlining the top 30 unsecured creditors of the audio content creation and distribution company led by CEO David Field.

The unsecured creditors include Fox Corporation and iHeartMedia Entertainment Inc., in addition to Broadcast Music, Inc. However, Audacy has petitioned the court for an infusion of funds associated with BMI’s sale. This, in turns, settles years of back-and-forth disputes regarding royalty payments BMI claims Audacy owes.

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Just 44% of salespeople are given feedback around their sales talents on a regular basis.

That’s one key finding from an annual report that studies the media landscape and the expectations for sales managers, compiled from two surveys conducted in the final three months of 2023 has been released by The Center for Sales Strategy (CSS).

The fifth annual Media Sales Report also examines the strategies employed by media sales professionals to assess their impact across five key topics: Sales Department (Structure, People, Compensation), Learning and Development, Setting Appointments and Sales Process, Sales Enablement, and Industry Outlook and Culture.

“The media sales industry has seen major changes and drastic shifts over the past few years, which have directly impacted the ways in which sales organizations operate,” said CSS CEO Matt Sunshine. “From how they go about recruiting and hiring candidates, to managing and coaching teams, and even how they grow revenue, media sales professionals have had to be increasingly adaptable.”

Among the key other findings:

• Achieving organizational goals is 81% harder than last year, according to sales managers.
• Virtually all salespeople (93%) feel supported by their manager.

Two sample groups were surveyed representing Sales Managers and Salespeople in Radio, TV, Digital, Newspaper, and Cable.

The majority of all respondents were industry veterans with 11+ years of media sales experience representing a balanced cross-section of market sizes.

To access the full report, visit css.buzz/mediasalesreport.

With “an exhaustive focus on intentionality,” the Association of National Advertisers’ Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing (AIMM) is setting the stage later this month for a two-day “Diverse Media GrowthFronts” event.

The ANA group says it intends to provide “a fully immersive experience for all stakeholders to set the stage for rich conversation, education and transaction.”

The event is scheduled for February 28-29 at CUNY Graduate Center, caddy-corner from the Empire State Building on Fifth Avenue between 33rd and 34th Streets.

Sponsors include Verizon, Publicis Groupe, Procter & Gamble Co., Target, General Motors, Omnicom Media Group, AARP and Kenvue.

Segments represented include Asian, Black, Hispanic, LGBTQ and Native/Indigenous.

What are the objectives of the event?

• Enlighten marketplace about the diverse media space in order to understand who the players are, what the challenges and opportunities are and how to best engage in space.
• Provide media entities invited access to key media buying stakeholders to faster relationships in the media space so that media entities can share their capabilities.
• Provide mentorship and support to smaller, less experienced media entities in order to get them to a place where they’re better able to compete and gain access to investment.
• Grow relationships, increase metrics and capabilities so that media entities will be able to show results/KPIs on investments
• Increase capabilities to provide programming to investors, learn programmatic and analytics in order to increase revenue/scale in the diverse media space.

To learn more, and for registration information, please click here.

A fast-growing local daily newsletter company “redefining the future of local media as the fastest growing newsletter-first local media company in the country” has closed a series A funding round led.

It was led by the owner of broadcast TV stations that Standard General was unable to purchase due to FCC Media Bureau concerns regarding the now-scuttled transaction.

Greenville, S.C.’s 6AM City saw TEGNA lead the funding round, which was “materially supported” by follow-on investments from existing stakeholders including American Investment Holdings, VentureSouth, and Harbright Ventures.

6AM City says it has grown to more than 1.3 million subscribers in 27 U.S. markets since it was launched in 2016. It’s motto, “Local Everywhere,” likely meshes strongly with TEGNA’s desire to have its local news distributed across every available media, with streaming online and through apps accompanying its broadcasts.

Thus, as part of TEGNA’s investment, 6AM will be including news and weather from the company’s local broadcast stations in its daily newsletters in overlapping markets, as well as promoting morning newscasts and integrating local sports headlines from “Locked On,” TEGNA’s local sports network.

Additionally, TEGNA and 6AM will be collaborating to launch newsletters in two additional markets, which were not disclosed.

“We are excited to partner with such a highly regarded local broadcast group whose values align so directly with ours,” said 6AM City CEO Ryan Johnston. “This partnership with an established and trusted network of local news and sports content brands across the country will accelerate our reach and ability to innovate across platforms.”

According to Axios reporter Sara Fischer, more than $10 million was raised in the series A funding round.

“We’re looking forward to extending the reach of our valuable local news, weather and sports content to new platforms and audiences through 6AM City,” said Adam Ostrow, TEGNA’s Chief Digital Officer. “6AM City has cultivated a highly engaged audience in their local markets. Our local content perfectly complements the daily, must-read information and updates 6AM subscribers have come to rely on in their city.”

It’s licensed for 11kw from a large communications tower off U.S. 62 to the far east of El Paso. At present, this FM radio station remains unbuilt.

This could soon change, however, as a new owner, pending FCC approval, is on the way for this noncommercial station poised to bring Christian-themed programming to the border market.

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A Kansas federal bankruptcy court auction held Thursday yielded one ultimate winner of 10 radio stations licensed to Rocking M Media, the company associated with the Miller family.

Who is Kyle Bauer? While he’s acquiring the stations through a newly formed company, he’s known for his leadership of “The Voice of the Plains” in Salina, Ks., as CEO of Taylor Communications.

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In this letter to the editor, the author responds to a recently-published letter by Paul Shinn titled “To Cure AM, Look to the Past.” Comment on this or any article. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

Responding to Paul Shinn’s call for a petition to make AM stereo the standard: Every one of us who’s in support of AM stereo also needs to petition each other to get it together. Makers and marketers have some things to figure out. So do AM stereo’s fans.

I’ve wanted to hear music in stereo on AM since the 1980s when I was a teen and first learned it was possible. But I have never seen such receivers in any stores. They were always catalog items or special orders the consumer couldn’t try out first. How glorious it was when I occasionally got to drive cars equipped with factory model AM stereo radios in the 1990s and 2000s. My search for after-market receivers with that capability for my own cars was in vain.

In the 2010s, I learned how proponents of each AM stereo system bashed the other systems from the outset, about the litigation when the FCC first tried to pick a standard and about technology licensing squabbles. I thought things were looking up in the 2020s after I joined an AM stereo social media group which, at the time, was rich with technical information and history.

Then one day, I read a Radio World article about whether some FM stations would have an advantage going mono. I feel that stereo going out of vogue in any mode is something we who like AM stereo ought to be concerned about, learn from, and combat. Yet when I tried to alert the social media group, the founder scolded me and told me to never post anything there again. I don’t know how I upset him. How despairing to want something for so long and to think I found like-minded people only to be told to go away.

I would support Mr. Shinn’s call. But the incompetence, egos and infighting that have held AM stereo back for more than four decades must end. Or do we like where all that has gotten us?

— Rick Wiegmann Koshko

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Not knowing the answer to a question when you’re in the spotlight can generate brain freeze. Prepare for the unexpected and respond with grace and aplomb with some words of advice courtesy of veteran public relations professional and public speaking expert Rosemary Ravinal. They could help you answer difficult or off-topic questions while safeguarding your credibility.

 

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The CEO of Taylor Communications, through a newly formed company, has emerged as the winning bidder of all 10 stations put up for auction in a bankruptcy court to resolve debt associated with Rocking M Media.

A February 15 court date to approve the auction is the final step in the process. That’s all but a formality, as Kansas Broadcasting Co. is already looking forward to taking over the properties until today associated with Monte and Doris Miller.

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In a transaction that was just announced at RBR+TVBR‘s Thursday news deadline, Gray Television confirmed that is engineering a facility swap that will see it depart two Wyoming markets.

In return, it is poised to get a future broadcast TV station serving DMA No. 27.

 

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The E.W. Scripps Company has taken the lead of industry peer Gray Television by deciding to schedule its Q4 2023 operating results on the fourth Friday of February.

The broadcast TV station owner, which trades as “SSP” on Nasdaq, said Thursday that it will report its Q4 2023 operating results before trading begins on Friday, Feb. 23. A call with the company’s senior management team, including CEO Adam Symson and local media head Dean Littleton, as well as Scripps Sports head Brian Lawlor, will take place at 8:30am Eastern.

Scripps shares are considered to be undervalued by analysts on Wall Street, who peg the company’s Q4 ’23 earnings per share to come in at $0.11. However, that consensus estimate from 4 analysts polled by Yahoo! Finance is based on wide variations, as the high estimate is $0.46 per share while the low estimate is for a loss, coming in at -$0.11.

Six analysts chimed in on Scripps’ Q4 revenue. The consensus estimate is $602.33 million.

Any station that has received a letter of inquiry or notice of apparent liability from FCC knows the potential risks that come from being under the commission’s scrutiny. A recent white paper from Wiley Rein LLP partner Thomas M. Johnson Jr. discusses how a Supreme Court case argued last year may mean changes in how the FCC conducts regulatory oversight.

Johnson focuses on SEC v. Jarkesy, which was before the court in November 2023; the court has yet to issue a decision in the case. Johnson notes that at the core of the Jarkesy case is the ability of a regulator to issue fines in administrative procedures. The petitioner argues that such fines are a violation of the Seventh Amendment, which guarantees jury trials in civil cases where more than $20 is at stake.

Given the current makeup of the Supreme Court, which has ruled in other cases to limit the power of federal regulators, Johnson notes that the Jarkesy case could lead to the need for significant reform of how the FCC wields its enforcement powers.

In the white paper, Johnson goes on to suggest ways the FCC could maintain its ability to police rules violations and protect the public interest by reforming how it conducts investigations and increasing opportunities for broadcasters to challenge enforcement decisions.

Johnson notes that his proposals are not a comprehensive roadmap for regulatory reform, but they do provide some interesting questions for the FCC and broadcasters to both consider ahead of a ruling in Jarkesy.

Download the full white paper here.

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