Radio World

A drone’s eye view of a Vertical Bridge facility in Brunswick, Tenn.

High demand for tower space from wireless, broadband and data providers continues to drive up the value of communication towers across the United States.

Vertical Bridge, an acquisitive company formed by the former management team at wireless infrastructure company Global Tower Partners, continues to scoop up tower properties. Its purchase of Cumulus Media’s tower portfolio in the second half of 2020 aligned the telecommunication infrastructure company even more closely with broadcast radio.

Vertical Bridge has previously made headlines for its broadcast tower pursuits. iHeartMedia sold more than 400 of its broadcast towers to Vertical Bridge for $400 million in 2014. In recent years the tower consolidator has also announced notable broadcast structure deals to buy or manage tower properties for Townsquare Media, Cherry Creek Radio, Univision and Alpha Media.

Radio broadcasters continue to unlock value in their towers by selling off the assets and generating large amounts of cash. In most cases radio broadcasters lease back antenna space on the towers they sell, according to those familiar with the arrangements.

Selling off towers also means radio broadcasters are left without the worry of tower maintenance and the associated operational expenses. And in the case of Cumulus, the move brings in a large influx of needed cash.

The tower industry is booming with the fast spread of 5G and further TV repack work. Vertical Bridge has been quickly expanding its footprint. It already is the largest private owner and manager of communication tower infrastructure in the United States.

The company, founded in 2014, has approximately 2,000 broadcast towers in its portfolio. In total it says it has more than 290,000 owned and managed sites in the United States, which includes wireless and broadcast towers, rooftops and land parcels. It recently completed a merger with another tower company, Eco-Site, that brought in approximately 600 towers.

The Cumulus purchase was valued at $213 million and included 250 sites in 32 states, according to Cumulus filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The purchase has closed except for a few pending obtaining consent from landlords, according to Vertical Bridge. The remaining assignments are expected to be finalized in the first quarter of 2021.

Cumulus President/CEO Mary Berner said in a press release about the transaction last year that it was a way to “further add to our liquidity and contribute to significant incremental debt pay down.”

The leaseback period between Cumulus and Vertical Bridge is for 10 years, followed by five option periods of five years each, according to government filings by Cumulus.

“The annual lease payment obligation for the assets leased back in the initial closing is approximately $13.2 million, subject to customary escalators,” according to a Cumulus investor note in October.

Urban spread

Those properties were attractive for one very specific reason, said Bernard Borghei, co-founder and EVP of operations for Vertical Bridge — the same reason most tall broadcast sticks interest the company.

Bernard Borghei

“These tower properties were built 40, 50 and 60 years ago. These properties now exist in core urban areas. With the restrictions you have on zoning and permitting towers, these towers exist in locations where no one else can zone to build a tower,” Borghei said.

“These are assets we refer to as zoning protected. Meaning our competition cannot come in and try to build a new tower.”

Some of the former Cumulus tower sites are in the middle of urban areas in Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, he said, and are attractive to non-broadcast tenants as well.

“And as a real estate company we love the great locations,” Borghei said.

Vertical Bridge, headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla., leases tower space to radio and TV broadcasters, telecommunication carriers and other users of wireless technology.

Borghei believes the terrestrial radio broadcast industry is healthy enough to support Vertical Bridge’s long-term growth.

“Certainly we intersect closely with radio. We think the broadcast industry is on its own healthy. We could see that iHeart, once they restructured, would come out healthy and strong. We have that same feeling about Cumulus. We believe in that market sector and secured what is now the largest broadcast towers portfolio in the country.”

Vertical Bridge is owned by private equity groups including Digital Colony, The Jordan Company and Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, along with private investment groups like the California State Teachers’ Retirement System. It has lease agreements with many regional radio broadcasters, Borghei said.

“The leaseback agreements help us maintain occupancy, of course. The lease terms are in line with what the tower industry is experiencing on the broadband side as well.”

Borghei said there are obvious advantages for radio broadcasters who sell their tower sites to Vertical Bridge.

“Some of the broadcast companies needed to raise capital. And didn’t want the ongoing maintenance cost of looking after these really tall towers,” Borghei said. “Broadcast towers require time and money to maintain. I think many broadcast companies are optimizing their resources and their engineering teams. And they don’t have to worry about having cap ex allocations in their budgets to maintain these towers.”

The company handles the obstruction lighting, painting, structural inspections and ground maintenance of the towers they own and manage, he said. Vertical Bridge also maintains generators and HVAC systems while keeping abreast of all FAA and FCC regulatory requirements (see sidebar).

Borghei says the company’s pipeline for mergers and acquisitions of broadcast towers remains strong.

“(Vertical Bridge) is keenly interested in further broadcast tower projects to develop. Operating a broadcast tower is quite different than a broadband tower. We understand both. You have to have that understanding to be able to work with different tenants, and especially live broadcast companies.”

The integration of 5G remains a primary focus of Vertical Bridge’s infrastructure plans, Borghei said, including the plans of Dish Network now that that company has been confirmed as the fourth national 5G network. Dish has said it will begin its 5G network buildout in earnest in the second quarter.

“More 5G and CBRS [Citizens Broadband Radio Service] networks are beginning to take hold. It’ll also be interesting to see who comes out and owns what as a result of the C-band spectrum auction. That’s very valuable spectrum, and it looks like Verizon and AT&T are the top two,” Borghei said.

Borghei said the COVID-19 pandemic has done little to slow the growth of Vertical Bridge despite some challenges.

“For us 2020 was a heck of a year. From a business perspective it was a tremendous year from the Cumulus acquisition to closing the Eco-Site merger. And our new build program has been extremely successful. We continue to have a lot of new tower builds and we don’t expect that to slow down in 2021,” he said. “The majority of our new towers are 180 to 250 feet for 5G and 4G densification upgrading to 5G.”

In fact, 5G plays a critical role in Vertical Bridge’s pursuit of tall broadcast towers, Borghei said.

“Broadcasters are typically at the top of the towers but then you have the 400 to 500 feet beneath broadcast available for broadband carriers looking to deploy 5G. And again we own towers in locations where no one else can ever zone a new tower,” he said.

Other major ownership groups making notable deals to sell off communication towers in recent years include Townsquare Media, who sold 43 towers and property to Vertical Bridge for approximately $22.8 million in 2016, and Cox Enterprises, which sold all but one of its towers to InSite Wireless Group in 2015.

[Also read “Night Vision Issue Comes to Light”]

The post Vertical Bridge Remains in Acquisition Mode appeared first on Radio World.

The author is executive director of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. NFCB commentaries are featured regularly at www.radioworld.com.

This was quite a wild week for news. Radio was asked to respond to events in Washington, the ongoing confusion about vaccination in communities, and the sundry local stories that come up each day. However, a particularly important study on radio should not be missed.

Many community broadcasters focus on volunteer recruitment and offering an assortment of programming. For generations, the reasoning has been “the more, the merrier” — the more voices on the air, the more access you create, the more support and word-of-mouth marketing your station can build. However, with generational change comes a change in thinking. More local stations are focusing on training and giving DJs a baseline of expectations. They recognize the hosts want to sound better, want to represent the station well, and stations are finding a lack of attention to what goes out over the air can damage community relationships and make engagement and revenue much more demanding.

[Read: Community Broadcaster: Distant Tension]

This week, NuVoodoo Media Services revealed its study of 3,500 radio listeners, aged 14–54, on a variety of topics. One area looked at a cornerstone of radio: the DJ. What people said may inform your training, or even get your station thinking differently about your hosts.

Among the more shocking things to come up? Millennials and Generation Z listeners feel stations would be better off without DJs, at least more than their older counterparts. By a lot.

In fact, almost 75% of Gen-Z gives DJs a “Meh,” noting they either have no use or are okay, but don’t add anything to listening. Millennials were slightly better, at 63% who felt the same way. 43% of Generation X audiences found DJs made listening more enjoyable, compared to just 26% of Gen-Z.

NuVoodoo promises to get more into these issues on an upcoming webinar, though to most observers in radio, what’s lending to these perceptions may be quite obvious.

Streaming services, podcasting and micro-content distributed on social media and platforms have changed how we perceive programming as well as listening experiences. Generation X’s formative media experiences weren’t in a world that was nearly as disintermediated. For subsequent generations, faster, shorter and on our terms are baselines, not bonuses. As a result, the days of the DJ with long stories or inane trivia may not be over, but seem destined for limited, older audiences. Surely there may be exceptions, but that seems the forecast.

Community media and local stations have long leaned on unique on-air personalities to foster relationships with audiences. As there are demographic shifts in how people listen to the programming a station puts out, however, we in radio must evolve. Thus, it is the responsibility of a station to think carefully through how hosts use their precious time on the microphone.

Every station or network will come up with their own solutions, but it is certain that many leaders may look at the length of breaks and what is being conveyed during that time. The million dollar question: how can you create that memorable moment for a listener that isn’t a turn-off or take up too much time? Future radio, in this regard, is very exciting.

These issues are more than DJs and personalities, but our community relationships and our bridge-building to new generations of listeners. No one has all the answers yet, but if you are in radio, how millennials and Gen-Z hear you is critical to your success.

The post Community Broadcaster: DJing the Generational Divide appeared first on Radio World.

Sergio Sanchez with an AEQ Olympia commentary unit.

The author is R&D engineer at AEQ and was the technical coordinator for the project described.

This article appeared in Radio World’s “Trends in Codecs and STLs for 2020” ebook.

At times it seems that “media” is everywhere. Smartphones provide immediate content from seemingly every corner humans visit. Drones and small GoPro-style cameras add another omnipresent dimension. The world is awash in multimedia material that can be turned into usable/sellable content.

Designers of new buildings already pack them with media-friendly digital infrastructure. Hoping to take advantage of an opportunity, many owners of aging, media-constrained venues are refurbishing their facilities to take advantage of the growing media world.

Dynamo National Olympic Stadium is the largest multipurpose stadium in Minsk, Belarus. It was reconfigured a few years ago so it could hold not only football matches but also athletics and other kinds of events, making into a venue with an international scope. It was reopened in December 2017, in time to setup for the 2019 European Games.

This international profile is reflected by the attendance of sports journalists from all over the world for live broadcasting. With that expanded mission, Dynamo National Olympic Stadium managers selected AEQ commentary system with 150 positions, each one equipped with an AEQ Olympia commentary unit. This allows more than 150 international TV and radio stations to broadcast events from Minsk simultaneously. Each of those can customize its language, style and media personalities.

[Check Out More of Radio World’s Ebooks Here]

The whole stadium offers Dante-AES67 AoIP multichannel technology provided by AEQ equipment. A powerful AEQ BC2000D audio matrix was installed, allowing for centralization and distribution of all the audio signals produced in the building.

In order for the commentary positions to communicate with the rightsholder stations or RHBs for each event, 150 AEQ Phoenix Stratos audio codecs were installed. Each one is able to establish two bidirectional circuits between the station and the commentary units. One of them is normally used to carry the program and program feedback, while the other commonly operates as a coordination channel.

Banks of AEQ Phoenix Stratos codecs installed at Minsk Olympic Stadium.

Each codec has front-panel controls; however, it would be chaos if each codec operator could take control of the system. Fortunately there is a control software available so AEQ’s ControlPhoenix software application is being used to establish and supervise the up to 300 simultaneous connections that can be established with the 150 audio codecs.

AEQ Stratos is a suitable audio codec for this purpose because:

• It is a dual codec, so the same device can establish the program and coordination circuits.
• It is developed according to EBU N/ACIP standards, so it can communicate with most any third-party codec that may be in a broadcast facility inventory.
• Besides operating with IP networks, it can also establish connections using synchronous ISDN and even V.35 lines, allowing for an alternative path to establish a link.
• Stratos audio codec includes several state-of-the-art audio algorithms, such as Opus, the new standard for broadcast-quality audio communications, as well as legacy codecs for ISDN communications and guaranteed third-party compatibility, such as G.722 or MPEG2.
• It offers both analog and AES/EBU digital input/output connectivity with external synchronization capability, plus ancillary data transport, seamlessly emulating RS-232 protocol over the IP audio stream and GPI/O connections for external signaling.
• ControlPhoenix software provides full remote control of codec installations ranging from one to several hundred Phoenix family devices. Control is possible locally or from anywhere in the world, if so required, using an internet connection. This software application is provided for free with all AEQ Phoenix codecs while a license is only necessary to simultaneously manage more than two devices. It includes call list management, full configuration, real time VU meters, audio alarms, event logging, etc.

Eurovision Sport was the event’s broadcasting partner. Eurovision used the Phoenix Stratos audio codecs in order to send the audio from commentators speaking all the different languages throughout infrastructure.

Some of the most important international sports events held in the remodeled Minsk stadium include the Second European Games and The Match Europe vs. USA track and field competition.

The Second European Game featured 4,000 athletes from 50 European countries competing in 15 sports.

For those games the real-time broadcasting production used a total of 12 OB vans and more than 200 cameras. Seven hundred broadcasting professionals ensured that the signals were properly produced and reached the 190 rights-holding broadcasters around the globe. More than 600 live and nearly 800 recorded coverage hours were produced.

The Match Europe vs USA, conducted in September 2019, gathered 300 world-class athletes who competed in 37 different track and field events.

 

The post AEQ Codecs Deliver International Content From Minsk appeared first on Radio World.

 

With advances in AI and machine learning, as well as the connectivity promised by 5G, the potential for smart speakers to start conversations isn’t far off.

 

The author of this commentary is CEO and founder of AdTonos.

Audio is an innately powerful and personal medium that delivers the soundtrack to consumer lives.

Michal Marcinik of AdTonos

When listeners tune in to their favorite radio stations, they build trusted relationships with presenters — feeling like they’re being spoken to directly. When music is streamed, keen subscribers can access meticulously curated playlists full of meaning and memories. And when a podcast is carefully selected, the audiences’ personal knowledge expands.

As we move deeper into 2021, audio is in the midst of an interactive transformation that will ensure the listening experience is even more personal and engaging.

Spurred on by the increased adoption and acceptance of voice assistants and smart speakers, this presents an exciting opportunity for advertisers to truly connect with listeners at a one-to-one level.

The acceleration of audio interactivity

Listening to audio is no longer a passive activity as consumers are increasingly comfortable integrating their voice assistants and smart speakers into their everyday lives. A Juniper report revealed that consumers are expected to interact with voice assistants on 8.4 billion devices across the globe by 2024, up from 4.2 billion at the end of 2020.

Smart speaker adoption is growing particularly quickly, indicating that users trust the technology and find it beneficial.

Worldwide smart speaker sales reached almost 147 million in 2019 — an increase of 70% on the previous year — and by 2027 the global smart speaker market is projected to be worth an impressive $19 billion. In the U.K., more than a quarter of consumers already own a smart speaker, and this proportion looked set to grow over the 2020 Christmas period, with almost 20% of people planning to gift a digitally connected device. Whether it’s Amazon’s Echo, Google’s Nest or Apple’s HomePod, smart speakers are becoming an accepted feature of the modern home.

Smart speakers and voice assistants can respond — in a conversational manner — to hundreds of different commands, meaning audio is gaining a strong sense of utility for users. Asking Siri for an update on lockdown restrictions or instructing Alexa to play a favorite radio show is no longer a novelty, but a practical and productive use of established technology.

And the audio landscape is set to develop in more complex ways, with a view to provide smart speaker users with greater flexibility, such as booking doctors’ appointments, purchasing event tickets or adding items to shopping lists.

Initiating two-way communication

Audio interactions are still largely initiated by the user, however with advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as the connectivity promised by the arrival of 5G, the potential for smart speakers to start the conversation first isn’t far off.

We’re already seeing brands experiment with the potential of two-way communication. For example, interaction triggers within audio ads can be inserted into commercial radio content, inviting the listener to respond using a pre-defined voice invocation and initiating the process of interaction between voice assistant and listener.

We developed our YoursTruly technology to do exactly this and deployed it for the first time last year in partnership with Octave, for Omnicom Media Group’s PHD client, Audi.

[Read: “AdTonos Promotes Interactive Audio Ads”]

When played through a smart speaker, the first ad of a commercial break featured a verbal call-to-action, to which interested listeners had the ability to engage with the voice assistant to complete a specific task, such as booking a test drive, before the listener was returned to the live radio station.

Raising the bar for listener engagement

Interactive audio advertising not only allows brands to nurture one-to-one customer relationships and deliver highly engaging advertising experiences, it also delivers valuable measurement data. Brands are able to see precisely how users interacted with their audio messaging and compare campaign results with other digital marketing channels. Additionally, interactive advertising provides publishers with a new way to monetize content, making audio even more attractive as an advertising medium.

Audio is already an incredibly emotive and engaging channel. As adoption of smart speakers and voice assistants escalates, the sense of utility will become more established and new technologies will further enable true two-way communication, welcoming a new age of audio interactivity.

Comment on this or any story. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Entering the Age of Audio Interactivity appeared first on Radio World.

iHeartMedia and Cumulus Media vet Don Pollnow is heading for Alabama’s capital city to oversee Cumulus’ six Montgomery radio stations. As the new vice president and market manager he’ll have his hands on WMXS(FM), WLWI(AM/FM), WMSP(AM), WXFX(FM) and WHHY(FM).

Pollnow comes over from iHeartMedia where he most recently was market president for Wichita, Kan.. He has been with Cumulus previously, running the Green Bay, Wis., operation.

He has also worked for NRG Media, Renda Broadcasting and LM Communications.

Send your people news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post Pollnow Moves to Cumulus Montgomery appeared first on Radio World.

Packaging together a small digital recorder with its own TM-10L lavalier microphone, TASCAM has introduced the DR-10L.

Housed in small lav bodypack-style case, DR-10L specifics include 48 kHz/24-bit BWAV recording along with MP3 recording at both 128 kbps and 192 kbps. Recording is done to an SD card. Onboard features auto gain, a limiter and a low-cut filter.

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

An OLED backlit display details information about recording levels, SD card status and more. Chiclet buttons provide basic physical controls. The lavalier connects with a locking 3.5 mm-1/8-inch plug.

The DR-10L has a polyfile feature for recording a lower-resolution backup copy when activated.

It ships with iZotope RX Elements audio processing and noise removal software.

The DR-10L uses a single AAA battery. TASCAM says that with 10 hours of operation from one alkaline battery or fifteen hours via a lithium battery.

Info: www.tascam.com

 

The post TASCAM Releases Mic/Recorder Combo appeared first on Radio World.

The FCC has popped another Kentucky AM broadcaster for not filing paperwork to renew an FM translator license on time.

We told you yesterday about a case involving Heritage Media of Kentucky station WMTL(AM).

Now, in a very similar notice, the FCC has issued a notice of apparent liability to WKVG(AM), licensed to Letcher County Broadcasting Inc., in Jenkins, Ky.

The application for renewal of its FM translator was due April 1 but not received until mid-July; and the FCC said the licensee didn’t explain.

As in the other case, the broadcaster has 30 days to pay or to reply with more information if it thinks the fine should be reduced or dropped.

The rules require that applications for renewal of license for broadcast stations must be filed “not later than the first day of the fourth full calendar month prior to the expiration date of the license sought to be renewed.”

The post Another Translator, Another Fine appeared first on Radio World.

Wireless microphone equipment company Shure Inc. has filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission asking the agency to reverse its decision and guarantee that at least one 6 MHz UHF channel in each market is reserved for wireless mic use.

The FCC recently terminated its Vacant Channels rulemaking initiated during the TV spectrum incentive auction. The rulemaking considered dedicating a UHF TV channel for wireless mic use.

The company told the FCC that now more than ever wireless mic users need clear spectrum. On one hand, reallocation of 600 MHz spectrum for mobile phones and the repack of stations into 500 MHz spectrum has reduced available spectrum. On the other, continued growth of broadcast, performance and sports production is requiring more wireless mic channels than ever, Shure said.

While the FCC identified 900 MHz, 1.4 GHz and 7 GHz as alternatives in 2017, Shure says these bands fall short of addressing the needs of wireless mic users because they don’t offer the same characteristics and flexibility as UHF frequencies.

Use by other industries licensed to operate in these bands means their use for wireless mics is conditioned on requests to share, which may or may not be granted, it said.

The 600 MHz duplex gap and VHF frequencies are helpful but are not alternatives to a dedicated UHF channel and the certainty that offers, Shure said, adding that a designated channel is also important for other applications, such as intercom, IFB and other wireless uses.

Without clear spectrum for wireless mic use, the integrity of a variety of productions, ranging from professional sports and concerts to live TV and theater, will suffer, Shure said.

“The amount of available UHF spectrum for wireless microphone use continues to shrink,” said Ahren Hartman, Shure vice president, Corporate Quality. “With the loss of 700 MHz, 600 MHz, and the DTV repack into 500 MHz, we are at an all-time low for access to UHF spectrum. However, the need for open and clear wireless microphone spectrum is higher than ever before.”

More information is available on the Shure website.

 

The post Shure Asks FCC to Dedicate UHF Channel for Wireless Mics appeared first on Radio World.

The FCC in January reminded U.S. broadcasters and other EAS participants of their obligations to comply with the Emergency Alert System rules.

“In reporting on the most recent national level test of the EAS, the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau noted improvements in key areas, but identified several issues that impair dissemination of EAS messages,” the Enforcement Bureau stated in a five-page advisory.

“The 2019 Nationwide EAS Test Report noted, for instance, that EAS participants must ensure that messages comply with the FCC’s requirements designed to make the message accessible to individuals with hearing and vision disabilities.”

After briefly summarizing how the system works, the FCC provided the following information:

 

What steps can EAS participants take to improve their participation in EAS and ensure compliance with the FCC’s rules?

The EAS rules are in sections 11.1 through 11.61 of the commission’s rules. Key requirements include:

EAS participants must ensure that their EAS equipment’s monitoring and transmitting functions are available whenever the stations and systems are operating. An EAS participant’s failure to receive or transmit an EAS message during a national test or actual emergency because of an equipment failure may subject the EAS Participant to enforcement.

• To ensure the availability of these functions, EAS participants should take steps to secure their EAS equipment. For example, EAS participants should upgrade EAS equipment software and firmware to the most recent version recommended by the equipment manufacturer and update with current security patches. Participants should also change default passwords, secure EAS equipment behind properly configured firewalls, and take other protective measures. 
• EAS participants should synchronize EAS equipment clocks to the official time provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology if the equipment does not automatically synchronize to an Internet time source.

EAS participants must transmit national level EAS messages, required monthly tests, and required weekly tests. An EAS participant’s failure to transmit an EAS message during a national test or actual emergency, e.g., based on the configuration of its equipment, lack of redundant monitoring sources, or an accurate understanding of its role as an EAS participant, may subject the EAS participant to enforcement

• EAS participants must understand and identify their role (or “designation”) in the broadcast-based distribution architecture of the EAS. Most EAS participants have only the “participating national” designation. Section 11.18(a)-(g) contains a list of designations and state EAS plans that participants can use to confirm whether any other designations are applicable. Participants must know a facility’s EAS designation to accurately complete the Reporting System’s Form One.
• EAS participants must monitor multiple sources to ensure redundancy and reduce the possibility of message receipt failures. EAS participants should ensure that monitoring sources are independent and do not rely on each other to receive or transmit an EAS message.
• EAS participants should follow up with monitored sources when an EAS message is not received to determine the cause. For example, such issues could be caused by a transmission or reception issue that can be readily corrected. An EAS participant is required to determine the cause of its failure to receive an EAS message during a national test or emergency

EAS participants must ensure that an EAS message is accessible.

For the visual portion of the message, the text must be displayed:

• At the top of the television screen or where it will not interfere with other visual messages (e.g., closed captioning); 
• In a manner (i.e., font size, color, contrast, location, and speed) that is readily readable and understandable; 
• Without overlapping lines or extending beyond the viewable display (except for video crawls that intentionally scroll on and off the screen); and 
• In full at least once during any EAS message.

-For the audio portion of the message, broadcast stations, cable systems, and direct broadcast satellite services must play the audio portion of an EAS message in full at least once to ensure it is accessible to viewers who are blind or have low vision

EAS participants must submit their national test results to the FCC in the Reporting System. An EAS participant may be subject to enforcement if it fails to participate in a national test or submits incomplete or inaccurate information to the Commission in its Reporting System filings.

• EAS participants must update their Reporting System Form One submissions yearly. Because the Form One will auto-populate with information from the EAS Participant’s previous Form One filing, EAS Participants should review the Form before submission to be sure it is current and accurate. 
• EAS participants are required to participate in national tests and required to file information related to national tests in the Reporting System. 
• The accuracy of Reporting System filings is critical. If an EAS Participant receives or retransmits a partial EAS message, e.g., if the audio is missing in the data received and/or retransmitted, the EAS Participant is responsible for ensuring that its Report ting System filing reflects this issue and the reason it failed to receive the full message.

The FCC document also discusses national tests and station reporting requirements. Read the full notice.

The commission said questions about EAS Participant obligations should be directed to Maureen Bizhko of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau at (202) 418-0011 or email Maureen.Bizhko@fcc.gov.

The post More on the FCC’s EAS Advisory appeared first on Radio World.

From our Who’s Buying What page: Broadcast Solutions GmbH and WDR (Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln) designed and built two radio trucks for the German public broadcaster.

“The two vehicles are part of an overall package that includes a third video OB van,” the supplier stated in a press release, adding that they are now in use in Cologne.

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

“During larger productions, it could be possible that the audio control in the video OB van is no longer sufficient. In these cases, the audio control can be fully outsourced to one of the radio OB vans, with the audio control in the video OB truck being controlled in the radio OB. Both vehicles are connected via one fiber-optic cable, to exchange data and audio and video signals.”

Broadcast Solutions said WDR wanted two smaller radio vans that offer the same functionalities and acoustic values as larger vehicles. The company said its main challenges were the acoustic insulation and providing sufficient storage space that had to accommodate equipment as well as a UPS.

“The audio control uses a Lawo console (mc²56 MKIII with 48 faders) with Lawo Nova 73 Core. A Riedel MicroN system is used to connect to the video truck and as a video router,” it stated.

Send news for Who’s Buying What to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post WDR Gets Two New Remote Trucks appeared first on Radio World.

Marketing company Veritonic wants to raise awareness of effective audio advertising. So it has introduced a monthly feature identifying advertisers that are producing the most effective spots for radio, podcasting and other audio platforms.

Its first “Audio Ad Index” gives high honors to AutoZone, “driven by their spot that focuses on helping people get ready for the cold weather ahead by ensuring they don’t add battery problems to their list of troubles. The brand punctuates the ad with practical offers — a free battery test, a free charge — to support the message.”

Veritonic’s Scott Klass wrote, “AutoZone’s sonic decisions for this ad match the content well. The spot is very upbeat, leveraging music that the brand uses consistently across its ads.”

Ads were rated for their ability to drive listeners to buy the product being advertised, a “purchase intent score.”

Other advertisers on the list include Indeed and Home Depot. Veritonic said spots with cultural relevance, “uplifting tone” and “practical help” resonate with listeners.

The blog post features samples of the best ads and a description of the company’s technology used in making the determinations. Below is its top 10 list for January:

 

The post “Hope and Help” Audio Ads Resonate appeared first on Radio World.

FCC paperwork can be a hassle for a radio station, even during a pandemic. But not completing it on time can be costly.

Such could be the case for a Kentucky AM station that didn’t get its FM translator license renewal application in on time.

The FCC Media Bureau said Heritage Media of Kentucky, licensee of WMTL(AM), didn’t submit its application to renew its translator in Leitchfield until almost four months after the April 1 due date, and didn’t explain why.

The base fine in this type of case is $3,000 but the FCC lowered the proposed amount to $1,500 because the station did file the application prior to expiration of the license. And the commission said it intended to renew the license, assuming no further issues emerge in the case.

The case isn’t closed yet; Heritage has 30 days to pay or challenge the fine.

 

The post Kentucky AM Faces Fine for Late Filing appeared first on Radio World.

The InfoComm 2021 Show has been postponed from June to October. It is the latest event on the media technology business annual calendar to suffer the impact of the pandemic.

Show owner AVIXA (which stands for the Audiovisual Integrated Experience Association) announced the change today. CEO David Labuskes wrote that planners are making the change “with a holistic perspective of all factors in North America.”

The event now is scheduled for Oct. 23–29 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. In 2019, the last time InfoComm was held in person, it attracted about 44,000 people.

[Visit the Radio World Calendar]

The show website states, “While third-party research indicates a high confidence level for attendees to return to in-person events in 2021, we also acknowledge the delay in the widespread distribution and administration of the COVID-19 vaccines within the U.S. which may influence an individual’s ability and willingness to travel to InfoComm.”

Among other things, this change means that, if current plans hold, the month of October is going to be an important one for physical trade shows in and around the media and AV industries. October is also when this year’s 2021 NAB Show is to be held, combined with the fall Radio Show and co-located in Las Vegas with the AES fall show.

“AVIXA has continued to monitor the vaccine rollout, economic indicators, travel restrictions, and the show community to better gauge overall trends and future conditions for holding a major event in the U.S. in June of 2021,” Labuskes wrote.

He said that a postponement had “overwhelming support” from the show’s stakeholders. “As excited as the community is about the show, and as hopeful and optimistic as we remain in combatting the pandemic, it is believed that the U.S. will be further along in the battle against the pandemic by October than in June.”

A FAQ page has more info.

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) continues to plan its scheduled event in Barcelona in June. ISE is a joint venture of AVIXA and CEDIA, the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association.

 

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Nexstar Inc. named Jeff Moriarty as its new executive vice president and chief product officer, Digital Division.

The division operates its portfolio of digital news offerings and media brands in lifestyle and entertainment. He is based in Los Angeles and reports to Karen Brophy, president, Digital.

Brophy said the move is part of the company’s efforts to expand digital footprint “by rolling out new product offerings designed to diversify our audience.”

The multimedia company is heavy in TV station ownership but also owns WGN Radio in Chicago.

Moriarty has held roles at Gannett/USA Today Network, JPiMedia and the Boston Globe.

Send People News to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

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Doug Harvill will retire from Cumulus Media this spring.

The company said his last day will be May 14. Harvill is vice president and general manager of Cumulus San Francisco, including KSAN(FM), KGO(AM), KNBR(FM/AM) and KSFO(AM).

“For the past 24 years, Harvill led successful radio station groups in San Francisco and Sacramento, Calif.,” it stated in a press release.

“Prior to joining Cumulus Media, he was senior vice president/market manager, CBS Radio/San Francisco from 2005 through late 2017, following nearly nine years as senior vice president/market manager for CBS Radio/Sacramento.

“As vice president and national program director for EZ Communications in Fairfax, Va., Harvill was part of the corporate team that led the station group through significant acquisitions and duopolies, more than doubling the size of the company, and through its 1993 public offering on NASDAQ.”

A company spokeswoman said a successor has yet to be named.

Send People News to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

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“Radio hosts on FM still matter, but DJs must work harder appealing to younger audiences.”

So concludes NuVoodoo Media Services, citing its survey of people who are likely to wear a Nielsen meter or fill out a ratings diary. The company has a webinar coming up and has released some of the survey results as a teaser.

[Read: Reports Offer Insights on the Podcast Listener]

“With so many changes in audio listening through the COVID-19 pandemic, NuVoodoo took at fresh look at the relationship listeners have with DJs and hosts on FM music stations,” it stated.

The survey had about 3,500 respondents age 14 to 54; they were interviewed in early January

“Overall, it’s more positive than negative,” said NuVoodoo EVP, Research Leigh Jacobs, who was quoted in a press release.

“But there is a sharp generational shift. Gen Xers — raised on radio and now 40-plus — are largely positive, with a 43% plurality giving DJs a thumb’s up. Millennials, though somewhat less enthusiastic, are overall net positive, as well. Meanwhile, nearly three-fourths of Gen Z listeners give radio air talent no better than thumbs sideways,” he said.

EVP, Marketing Mike O’Connor said past studies have highlighted differences between those who’d say “yes” to Nielsen and those who would never participate in radio ratings, with the former group showing greater proportional enthusiasm for the role of air talent.

“But the data about DJs from listeners giving radio its report card was really surprising to us, and it looked quite a bit different than other findings from likely panelists and diary-keepers.”

Its webinar series starts Feb. 11. The company promised “to dive deeper and show the differences in DJ perceptions across demos, ethnic groups and format preferences.”

 

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Getty Images/Olivier Le Moal

The author of this commentary is general counsel of the Society of Broadcast Engineers.

I am moved to write about a matter now before the Media Bureau at the FCC. The subject is the ethical obligations of broadcast engineers.

Having served as SBE general counsel for 40 years now, I can count on one hand the number of times that the SBE board of directors has found it necessary to revoke an engineer’s SBE membership, and still have some fingers left over.

This, I think, speaks highly of the overall integrity and dedication to ethical principles of the SBE’s membership, and of broadcast engineers overall.

In that same amount of time, I can honestly say that I have never had occasion to question the ethical integrity of any of the engineers that work at the commission.

Sure, we have disagreed, often actively, on policy matters, but on technical matters, I can always count on the accuracy and truth of technical findings by FCC staff. This speaks very well of the high level of integrity of the commission’s engineers.

The only times during my tenure that an SBE member has had that membership revoked were those few cases when an engineer was found as a matter of fact to have violated the SBE Canons of Ethics.

The SBE puts a lot of stock in the Canons of Ethics, and rightly so. The SBE’s Bylaws, at Section 3(a), say that “(a)ny Member may be suspended for a period or expelled for cause, such as violation of any of the By-Laws or Canons of Ethics of the Society or for conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the Society.”

The Canons of Ethics have not been revised or amended in a very long time, largely because they don’t need to be; they state principles of conduct for engineers that simply don’t change.

The preamble to the SBE Canons of Ethics reads as follows: “Honesty, justice and courtesy form a moral philosophy when associated with mutual interest between human beings. This constitutes the foundation of ethics. Broadcast engineers should recognize such a standard of behavior not in passive observance, but as dynamic principles guiding their conduct and way of life. It is the duty of all broadcast engineers to practice their profession according to this Canon of Ethics.

“The keystone of professional conduct is integrity. Broadcast engineers will discharge their duties with fidelity to the public and to their employers, and with impartiality to all. Broadcast engineers must uphold the dignity of their profession and avoid association with any enterprise of questionable character. Broadcast engineers will strive to be fair, tolerant, and open minded.”

To me, the key element of this is the obligation of impartiality. It is what gives broadcast engineers the reputation for the highest levels of integrity.

Indeed, Section 5 of the SBE Canons of Ethics states: “The Broadcast Engineer will express an opinion when it is founded on adequate knowledge and honest conviction while he or she is serving as a witness before a court, commission or other tribunal.”

Ethical Company

The SBE is not alone in its strong dedication to the highest level of integrity of its engineer members.

Article V, Section 3 of the Bylaws of the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers (AFCCE) establishes as a standing committee the “Professional Ethics and Grievances Committee” whose job it is to “consider and report on all efforts to improve the professional conduct and ethics of engineering practitioners in the communication field, make such investigations of professional conduct and of abuses in connection with engineering practice by members and furnish information and make recommendations on the foregoing subjects to the Board of Directors and the Association.”

Ethics is obviously a principal focus of AFCCE, which is laudable.

So when the integrity and impartiality of a consulting engineer is drawn into question by the FCC, we tend to sit up and take notice.

In a proceeding now ongoing in the Media Bureau, a low-power FM station has been accused by a second adjacent full-power FM station of causing interference to listeners of the full-power FM at various points near the transmitter site of the LPFM. In such cases, the accused LPFM is entitled to show that the alleged interference either does not exist or that the LPFM station is not the cause of the interference.

The licensee of the LPFM therefore retained a well-respected consulting engineer (and SBE-certified CPBE) who is located in a different state from the LPFM, to investigate the interference. The engineer did so using accepted methodologies, at all sites where the interference was claimed to have been experienced, and the engineer submitted a written report to the Audio Division, Media Bureau, concluding that no interference was found at the locations where the listeners of the full power FM station reported interference, or even at the transmitter site of the LPFM, where second-adjacent interference potential would be the worst. There was no rebuttal of the engineer’s showing by the full-power FM station.

There are a lot of other facts involved in the case, but the Audio Division’s response to the interference study submitted by the LPFM as a part of its response was this: “We also decline to consider [the consulting engineer’s] interference test results because [the consulting engineer] was retained by [the LPFM] and thus is not an independent party.”

It is difficult to understand why the Audio Division concluded, as it did, that all consulting engineers are biased in favor of their client to the point that their work is summarily deemed unreliable.

If a licensee is precluded from engaging an independent consulting engineer to conduct a technical analysis and to fairly present the engineer’s technical conclusions, simply because the licensee is paying for the engineering work, how, precisely, is the licensee supposed to address the technical issue presented?

This case is now on administrative appeal. It is hoped that the commission doesn’t really have this low an impression of the ethics, impartiality and integrity of broadcast engineers.

This article originally appeared in SBE’s newsletter “The Signal.” Learn about SBE membership at sbe.org.

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Cheryl Thompson

NPR and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting want to help stations do local investigative work. To that end NPR has created a “Station Investigations Team” with CPB backing.

Its purpose is to work with public radio regional newsrooms and topic teams. It is led by Cheryl W. Thompson, an investigative reporter who came to NPR in 2019 and worked at the Washington Post for many years. She is also president of Investigative Reporters and Editors, an organization that seeks to improve investigative journalism.

[Read: NPR to Modify “Consider This” to Include Local Content]

“The team, funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, will include a producer and a data editor who will advise reporters who’d like technical help with skills such as data collection and analysis and freedom of information requests,” NPR announced.

“The team will also help facilitate stations’ opportunities to localize NPR investigations through webinars and open-source data.”

The announcement was made by Tamar Charney, acting senior director of collaborative journalism, and Kathy Merritt, CPB senior vice president, Radio, Journalism and CSG Services.

Charney said the investigative unit will support station-based reporters with resources to help them cover local issues “from the safety of the water where we live to the ability of our local health systems to respond to the pandemic.”

The initiative is a component of the Collaborative Journalism Network.

 

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New microphones come on the market thanks to the podcasting boom … Rosemary Harold says the FCC is without funds to enforce the new anti-pirate radio law. …

Bernhard Borghei discusses Vertical Bridge’s tower acquisition strategy … Tom Lawler talks about trends in audio processing …

The founder of AdTonos explains why he’s excited about audio interactivity … Kevin Curran offers an appreciation of the EV 635A.

These stories and more are explored in the Feb. 3 issue.

Read it here.

 

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Ronald Reagan presidential inauguration, Jan. 20, 1981. Photo: Ronald Reagan Foundation

A new 60-second feature of Ronald Reagan quotes is available, tied to the 40th anniversary of his inauguration as president.

The “Ronald Reagan Quote of the Day” was announced by the Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, which is leading a year-long celebration called “40 at 40.” Reagan was the 40th president and he was inaugurated 40 years ago, on Jan. 20, 1981.

The president — a former actor, movie star, union leader and governor — had numerous connections to radio during his career.

Early on he was a sportscaster for several stations, and he famously recreated Cubs games based on telegraph and wire reports. In the 1970s he used a daily radio commentary to help cement his political profile and his reputation as “The Great Communicator.” Once president, harking back to Pres. Franklin Roosevelt’s “Fireside Chats,” he started the tradition of Saturday radio addresses from the White House in 1982 that continued until they sputtered out under Donald Trump.

Photo: Ronald Reagan Foundation

The clips are free, with the restriction that they may only be broadcast as part of the “Ronald Reagan Quote of the Day” feature; they aren’t to be used for other commercial or political purposes. And although not required, the foundation asks that each station air the “Quote of the Day” at least twice each weekday during daytime hours.

“We are granting geographic exclusivity, based on a first-come first-serve availability,” said Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Giller. “Stations must let us know they want to use these clips so we can ensure no other station in their market is already using them.”

Each month’s batch of audio clips will be available at least a week prior to the beginning of each new month at a Dropbox.

For information email mgiller@reaganfoundation.org.

 

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