Radio World

Prior to the advent of radio broadcasting, this was a common scene in U.S. cities and towns, with citizens flocking to newspaper offices for updates on breaking news events. The crowd in this early-1920s photo is following baseball’s World Series event via scores posed on a second-floor chalkboard by a Texarkana, Arkansas/Texas daily. (Nearly a decade would pass before the city got its first radio station, KCMC.)”

By the end of the 20th century’s second decade, three key elements were in place to fuel radio broadcasting: resonant circuitry, a practical means for generating a carrier wave, and methodology for impressing speech and music on that carrier.

These waited only for someone to combine them in an effective way.

A number of individuals — most notably Reginald Fessenden, Lee de Forest and Charles Herrold — had made varying attempts at broadcasting. None took root.

There was little effort to stimulate interest among the public. Early transmissions of speech and music were directed to radio amateurs. There also was little or no notification of how to “listen in.” Nor were there regular operating schedules, nor readily available receivers for the general public. Radio sets were marketed to commercial enterprises, the military and radio amateurs.

U.S. involvement in “the Great War” further put the brakes on broadcasting, with a government edict mandating the dismantling of virtually all privately owned radio stations and apparatus in an effort to thwart possible enemy espionage involving radio.

But the war also indirectly advanced radio broadcasting. The government lifted patent restrictions on various communication technologies including the vacuum tube, which allowed multiple companies to manufacture radio gear for the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

Posters such as this may have been responsible for sparking interest in radio among young people and for creating a skilled cadre of individuals ready to move broadcasting forward at the conclusion of the Great War.

Also, large numbers of young men received Signal Corps training in radio, providing a talent pool that would help fuel broadcasting’s launch.

Westinghouse and Conrad

With the end of the war in late 1918 and a “reconversion” to a pre-war way of life, there was another key development in the road to broadcasting, an unintentional one involving a Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co. self-taught radio engineer and a farsighted senior official at that company.

Westinghouse had been producing radio gear for the U.S. military; with the armistice, this foray into a new field and its lucrative revenue stream abruptly ended.

The company still desired to retain a footprint in the radio sector, and started exploring another frontier that was opening up: international radio communications.

This stemmed from the government’s decision not to allow foreign corporations such as Marconi to exert a virtual monopoly in this area of radio, as had been the case before the war. While that chapter in radio history is too involved to relate in detail here, it resulted in the creation of the Radio Corporation of America.

RCA, along with General Electric, a large player in radio communications, wound up controlling most of the valuable radio patents.

Westinghouse attempted to enter into international radio communications, joining with the International Radio Telegraph Co., successor to Reginald Fessenden’s National Electric Signaling Company, in an attempt to secure a place in this field. The initiative failed due to postwar agreements in place by others including Marconi, Telefunken, and RCA, the new kid on the block.

This failure, coupled with the end of lucrative wartime contracts for tubes and radio apparatus, appeared to close the doors on Westinghouse’s future in radio.

Frank Conrad, courtesy IEEE History Center

In the book “The Continuous Wave: Technology and American Radio, 1900–1932,” Hugh Aitken wrote that “Westinghouse, barred from international radio by the cross-licensing agreements, seemed to have few options left; the sensible course of action was surely to call it quits as far as radio was concerned.”

Such corporate goings-on were way above the pay grade of Frank Conrad. He had helped his company develop military radio gear, and he continued to experiment with radio on his own time through his amateur radio station. Conrad joined with many other pre-war “hams” in taking to the airwaves. However, he enjoyed an advantage not available to most of his fellow amateur operators: ready access to Westinghouse vacuum tubes.

This allowed Conrad to cobble up a radiotelephone transmitter based on Raymond Heising’s “constant current” modulation system.

Tinkerer that he was, Conrad wished to monitor the performance of his station and appropriated the family phonograph as a source of audio while he stepped away to do listening tests.

Other “hams” heard the music and encouraged Conrad to provide more such “entertainment,” often requesting specific records. He soon tired of responding to individual requests and decided instead to air a “concert” on a regular basis. A local music store even began contributing new records in exchange for on-air “plugs.”

Harry P. Davis, courtesy IEEE History Center

By the fall of 1919, Conrad’s broadcasts were attracting an estimated audience of some 400 to 500. An area newspaper took interest in the activity, and a Pittsburgh department store began marketing inexpensive receivers to those wishing to enjoy Conrad’s music programs.

Westinghouse’s vice president, Harry P. Davis took notice of the attention being generated by Conrad’s “wireless musicales,” realizing that an interest in radio might exist outside of hobbyists and commercial message handlers.

Here’s how he recalled it for the 1930 book “American Beginnings”:

We watched this activity and the activity of various others who were experimenting with radiotelephony very closely. Soon came the idea which led to the initiation of a regular broadcast service. An advertisement of a local department store in a Pittsburgh newspaper calling attention to a stock of radio receivers which could be used to hear the programs sent out by Dr. Conrad led me to the conviction that efforts then being directed to develop radiotelephony as a confidential means of communication were wrong, and that this field instead offered one of widespread commercial publicity.

Right in our grasp, therefore, we had the service we had been groping for. A little study developed the great possibilities. We became convinced that we had in our hands the instrument that would be the greatest and most direct means of mass communication and mass education that had ever appeared. The natural fascination of its mystery, coupled with the ability to annihilate distance, would attract interest and open many avenues of application. It offered the possibilities of service that could be rendered without favor and without direct cost to millions.

Conrad’s amateur station was highlighted in the September 1920 issue of QST magazine two months prior to KDKA’s “big broadcast.” The microphone — a candlestick telephone “transmitter” — and other components of his radiotelephone transmitter are visible. (Getty images)

Davis encouraged Conrad to continue his experimentation on company time, with the installation of a 100-Watt transmitting station at Westinghouse’s East Pittsburgh plant.

He also made sure that the station received its share of publicity, and began to plan an event to call even more attention to the radio experimentation, one that would forever place Westinghouse and Pittsburgh in the history books as the launch point for radio broadcasting: live reporting of the 1920 presidential election returns.

“The Big Broadcast”

Davis made arrangements with the Pittsburgh Post to deliver election eve ballot counts via telephone to the combination transmitter room/studio and tapped Leo Rosenberg from the company’s publicity department to do the on-air announcing.

Donald Little, who’d worked with Conrad in designing and constructing the KDKA transmitter, was designated as the station’s “chief engineer,” and William Thomas, who possessed the necessary commercial radio license, was assigned as transmitter operator.

And to ensure that the big event would not be spoiled by a transmitter failure at the company site, Conrad agreed to keep his ham transmitter on “hot standby” in case the KDKA rig failed.

KDKA takes to the air on the evening of Nov. 2, 1920 with a program of election return reporting interspersed with recorded music. Announcer Leo Rosenberg is second from right in this Westinghouse publicity photo of the broadcast. R. S. McClelland on stool served as a “standby.” Also shown are William Thomas, the licensed transmitter operator, and John Frazier, the telephone line “operator.” (Getty Images)

Little described the Nov. 2, 1920 scene 35 years later in a story in American Heritage magazine: “The first program, which ran from about 8 p.m. to some time after midnight, consisted only of the election returns repeated into our microphone by Rosenberg from what he heard by phone from the Post downtown, interspersed with recorded music.”

“Perfect Storm” for Radio

This seminal “broadcast” was a success in every sense.

There were no reported technical glitches, with election returns flowing smoothly from the newspaper to the East Pittsburg “broadcast center.” Rosenberg was not prone to “mic fright,” and professionally and unfalteringly delivered the election news. And those who “listened in” that night let Westinghouse know about it.

As observed by Little: “The company received quite a lot of mail on this broadcast.”

This response came not only from radio amateurs who shared headphones with neighbors, but also from an election-eve “listening in” party organized by another Westinghouse employee, Lewis Warrington Chubb, who’d been placed in charge of radio engineering. Again from the American Heritage article 35 years later:

“Our election night broadcast was also picked up by a receiver and a loud-speaker which Mr. Chubb … and I installed at the Edgewood Club — this was in Edgewood, just outside of Pittsburgh. The club had an auditorium and a good many of the club members congregated there on the evening of November 2, as it was pre-advertised that they would get election returns. From time to time during the evening Mr. Chubb phoned us comments on how the program sounded and I recall he told us once that the audience preferred less music and more election returns.”

Seizing the Moment

In order to gain a better insight into what made Davis’ decision for this launch timely and successful, it’s instructive to recall that the past decade had not been an especially good time for most, with major and minor tragedies punctuating the entire decade — the sinking of the Titanic, the world war and a global influenza pandemic. The real “capper” came in late 1919 with the Volstead Act, making it illegal even for Americans to drown their sorrows in strong drink. Clearly, something was needed to help lift people out of this gloom, tragedy and misery.

That something proved to be radio.

Sidebar: Budapest Operation Predated KDKA

KDKA’s arrival in late 1920 set the stage for broadcasting as we know it. However, the concept of electronically transmitting entertainment, news and information to many people simultaneously was not new when the seminal Pittsburgh station took to the airwaves.

“Broadcasting” speech and music to a mass audience predated wireless communications. In 1883 in Budapest, Hungary, daily news transmissions were delivered CNN-style to subscribers via the existing telephone network.

As early as 1880, delivery of opera performances was being demonstrated via wired telephone networks. In 1893, a successful enterprise called Telefon Hírmondó or “telephone newspaper” launched in Budapest, Hungary utilizing telephone connectivity.

The Budapest Telefon Hírmondó broadcast service was not limited to newscasts but included such entertainment fare as operas.

It delivered a steady stream of news, sports reports and occasional musical entertainment for 12 hours or so each day.

Access to the news and entertainment service was on a subscription basis, similar to present-day cable TV operations.

This wired broadcasting enterprise was apparently quite successful and well received, as it lasted on a standalone basis for more than 40 years before being “merged” with over-the-air radio broadcast streams in 1925.

It’s reported that the 1920s and ’30s the service was attracting more than 10,000 subscribers.

Telefon Hírmondó continued well into the World War II, ending only when the Budapest telephone system was destroyed in the conflict.

Thanks

The author of this article wishes to acknowledge Rick Harris, chairman of the National Museum of Broadcasting’s Conrad Project; Mark Schubin, for information about Telefon Hírmondó; and Alex Magoun at the IEEE History Center.

Further Reading:

Aitken, Hugh G.J., “The Continuous Wave: Technology and American Radio, 1900–1932;” Princeton University Press, 1985

Douglas, Susan, “Inventing American Broadcasting 1899–1922;” The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987

Christopher H. Sterling, John Michael Kittross,“Stay Tuned: A History of American Broadcasting,” Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, Mahwah, N.J., 2002

Among other sources for this article are “Amateur Radio Concerts” in Radio Amateur News, January 1920; “Amateur Radio Stations — 8XK and 2NW” in QST magazine, September 1920; “Wireless Telephone Here” in the Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Oct. 26 1919; chapter “Radio and Its Future” in the book “American Beginnings” by H.P Davis, 1930; “The Telephone Newspaper” in World’s Work Magazine, April 1901; “How the World’s Only ‘Telephone Newspaper’ Took Off,” The Article, June 16, 2019; and “A Telephone Newspaper” in Electrical Review, April 27, 1901.

 

The post Radio Broadcasting Becomes a Reality: Nov. 2, 1920 appeared first on Radio World.

Prior to the advent of radio broadcasting, this was a common scene in U.S. cities and towns, with citizens flocking to newspaper offices for updates on breaking news events. The crowd in this early-1920s photo is following baseball’s World Series event via scores posed on a second-floor chalkboard by a Texarkana, Arkansas/Texas daily. (Nearly a decade would pass before the city got its first radio station, KCMC.)”

By the end of the 20th century’s second decade, three key elements were in place to fuel radio broadcasting: resonant circuitry, a practical means for generating a carrier wave, and methodology for impressing speech and music on that carrier.

These waited only for someone to combine them in an effective way.

A number of individuals — most notably Reginald Fessenden, Lee de Forest and Charles Herrold — had made varying attempts at broadcasting. None took root.

There was little effort to stimulate interest among the public. Early transmissions of speech and music were directed to radio amateurs. There also was little or no notification of how to “listen in.” Nor were there regular operating schedules, nor readily available receivers for the general public. Radio sets were marketed to commercial enterprises, the military and radio amateurs.

U.S. involvement in “the Great War” further put the brakes on broadcasting, with a government edict mandating the dismantling of virtually all privately owned radio stations and apparatus in an effort to thwart possible enemy espionage involving radio.

But the war also indirectly advanced radio broadcasting. The government lifted patent restrictions on various communication technologies including the vacuum tube, which allowed multiple companies to manufacture radio gear for the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

Posters such as this may have been responsible for sparking interest in radio among young people and for creating a skilled cadre of individuals ready to move broadcasting forward at the conclusion of the Great War.

Also, large numbers of young men received Signal Corps training in radio, providing a talent pool that would help fuel broadcasting’s launch.

Westinghouse and Conrad

With the end of the war in late 1918 and a “reconversion” to a pre-war way of life, there was another key development in the road to broadcasting, an unintentional one involving a Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co. self-taught radio engineer and a farsighted senior official at that company.

Westinghouse had been producing radio gear for the U.S. military; with the armistice, this foray into a new field and its lucrative revenue stream abruptly ended.

The company still desired to retain a footprint in the radio sector, and started exploring another frontier that was opening up: international radio communications.

This stemmed from the government’s decision not to allow foreign corporations such as Marconi to exert a virtual monopoly in this area of radio, as had been the case before the war. While that chapter in radio history is too involved to relate in detail here, it resulted in the creation of the Radio Corporation of America.

RCA, along with General Electric, a large player in radio communications, wound up controlling most of the valuable radio patents.

Westinghouse attempted to enter into international radio communications, joining with the International Radio Telegraph Co., successor to Reginald Fessenden’s National Electric Signaling Company, in an attempt to secure a place in this field. The initiative failed due to postwar agreements in place by others including Marconi, Telefunken, and RCA, the new kid on the block.

This failure, coupled with the end of lucrative wartime contracts for tubes and radio apparatus, appeared to close the doors on Westinghouse’s future in radio.

Frank Conrad, courtesy IEEE History Center

In the book “The Continuous Wave: Technology and American Radio, 1900–1932,” Hugh Aitken wrote that “Westinghouse, barred from international radio by the cross-licensing agreements, seemed to have few options left; the sensible course of action was surely to call it quits as far as radio was concerned.”

Such corporate goings-on were way above the pay grade of Frank Conrad. He had helped his company develop military radio gear, and he continued to experiment with radio on his own time through his amateur radio station. Conrad joined with many other pre-war “hams” in taking to the airwaves. However, he enjoyed an advantage not available to most of his fellow amateur operators: ready access to Westinghouse vacuum tubes.

This allowed Conrad to cobble up a radiotelephone transmitter based on Raymond Heising’s “constant current” modulation system.

Tinkerer that he was, Conrad wished to monitor the performance of his station and appropriated the family phonograph as a source of audio while he stepped away to do listening tests.

Other “hams” heard the music and encouraged Conrad to provide more such “entertainment,” often requesting specific records. He soon tired of responding to individual requests and decided instead to air a “concert” on a regular basis. A local music store even began contributing new records in exchange for on-air “plugs.”

Harry P. Davis, courtesy IEEE History Center

By the fall of 1919, Conrad’s broadcasts were attracting an estimated audience of some 400 to 500. An area newspaper took interest in the activity, and a Pittsburgh department store began marketing inexpensive receivers to those wishing to enjoy Conrad’s music programs.

Westinghouse’s vice president, Harry P. Davis took notice of the attention being generated by Conrad’s “wireless musicales,” realizing that an interest in radio might exist outside of hobbyists and commercial message handlers.

Here’s how he recalled it for the 1930 book “American Beginnings”:

We watched this activity and the activity of various others who were experimenting with radiotelephony very closely. Soon came the idea which led to the initiation of a regular broadcast service. An advertisement of a local department store in a Pittsburgh newspaper calling attention to a stock of radio receivers which could be used to hear the programs sent out by Dr. Conrad led me to the conviction that efforts then being directed to develop radiotelephony as a confidential means of communication were wrong, and that this field instead offered one of widespread commercial publicity.

Right in our grasp, therefore, we had the service we had been groping for. A little study developed the great possibilities. We became convinced that we had in our hands the instrument that would be the greatest and most direct means of mass communication and mass education that had ever appeared. The natural fascination of its mystery, coupled with the ability to annihilate distance, would attract interest and open many avenues of application. It offered the possibilities of service that could be rendered without favor and without direct cost to millions.

Conrad’s amateur station was highlighted in the September 1920 issue of QST magazine two months prior to KDKA’s “big broadcast.” The microphone — a candlestick telephone “transmitter” — and other components of his radiotelephone transmitter are visible. (Getty images)

Davis encouraged Conrad to continue his experimentation on company time, with the installation of a 100-Watt transmitting station at Westinghouse’s East Pittsburgh plant.

He also made sure that the station received its share of publicity, and began to plan an event to call even more attention to the radio experimentation, one that would forever place Westinghouse and Pittsburgh in the history books as the launch point for radio broadcasting: live reporting of the 1920 presidential election returns.

“The Big Broadcast”

Davis made arrangements with the Pittsburgh Post to deliver election eve ballot counts via telephone to the combination transmitter room/studio and tapped Leo Rosenberg from the company’s publicity department to do the on-air announcing.

Donald Little, who’d worked with Conrad in designing and constructing the KDKA transmitter, was designated as the station’s “chief engineer,” and William Thomas, who possessed the necessary commercial radio license, was assigned as transmitter operator.

And to ensure that the big event would not be spoiled by a transmitter failure at the company site, Conrad agreed to keep his ham transmitter on “hot standby” in case the KDKA rig failed.

KDKA takes to the air on the evening of Nov. 2, 1920 with a program of election return reporting interspersed with recorded music. Announcer Leo Rosenberg is second from right in this Westinghouse publicity photo of the broadcast. R. S. McClelland on stool served as a “standby.” Also shown are William Thomas, the licensed transmitter operator, and John Frazier, the telephone line “operator.” (Getty Images)

Little described the Nov. 2, 1920 scene 35 years later in a story in American Heritage magazine: “The first program, which ran from about 8 p.m. to some time after midnight, consisted only of the election returns repeated into our microphone by Rosenberg from what he heard by phone from the Post downtown, interspersed with recorded music.”

“Perfect Storm” for Radio

This seminal “broadcast” was a success in every sense.

There were no reported technical glitches, with election returns flowing smoothly from the newspaper to the East Pittsburg “broadcast center.” Rosenberg was not prone to “mic fright,” and professionally and unfalteringly delivered the election news. And those who “listened in” that night let Westinghouse know about it.

As observed by Little: “The company received quite a lot of mail on this broadcast.”

This response came not only from radio amateurs who shared headphones with neighbors, but also from an election-eve “listening in” party organized by another Westinghouse employee, Lewis Warrington Chubb, who’d been placed in charge of radio engineering. Again from the American Heritage article 35 years later:

“Our election night broadcast was also picked up by a receiver and a loud-speaker which Mr. Chubb … and I installed at the Edgewood Club — this was in Edgewood, just outside of Pittsburgh. The club had an auditorium and a good many of the club members congregated there on the evening of November 2, as it was pre-advertised that they would get election returns. From time to time during the evening Mr. Chubb phoned us comments on how the program sounded and I recall he told us once that the audience preferred less music and more election returns.”

Seizing the Moment

In order to gain a better insight into what made Davis’ decision for this launch timely and successful, it’s instructive to recall that the past decade had not been an especially good time for most, with major and minor tragedies punctuating the entire decade — the sinking of the Titanic, the world war and a global influenza pandemic. The real “capper” came in late 1919 with the Volstead Act, making it illegal even for Americans to drown their sorrows in strong drink. Clearly, something was needed to help lift people out of this gloom, tragedy and misery.

That something proved to be radio.

Sidebar: Budapest Operation Predated KDKA

KDKA’s arrival in late 1920 set the stage for broadcasting as we know it. However, the concept of electronically transmitting entertainment, news and information to many people simultaneously was not new when the seminal Pittsburgh station took to the airwaves.

“Broadcasting” speech and music to a mass audience predated wireless communications. In 1883 in Budapest, Hungary, daily news transmissions were delivered CNN-style to subscribers via the existing telephone network.

As early as 1880, delivery of opera performances was being demonstrated via wired telephone networks. In 1893, a successful enterprise called Telefon Hírmondó or “telephone newspaper” launched in Budapest, Hungary utilizing telephone connectivity.

The Budapest Telefon Hírmondó broadcast service was not limited to newscasts but included such entertainment fare as operas.

It delivered a steady stream of news, sports reports and occasional musical entertainment for 12 hours or so each day.

Access to the news and entertainment service was on a subscription basis, similar to present-day cable TV operations.

This wired broadcasting enterprise was apparently quite successful and well received, as it lasted on a standalone basis for more than 40 years before being “merged” with over-the-air radio broadcast streams in 1925.

It’s reported that the 1920s and ’30s the service was attracting more than 10,000 subscribers.

Telefon Hírmondó continued well into the World War II, ending only when the Budapest telephone system was destroyed in the conflict.

Thanks

The author of this article wishes to acknowledge Rick Harris, chairman of the National Museum of Broadcasting’s Conrad Project; Mark Schubin, for information about Telefon Hírmondó; and Alex Magoun at the IEEE History Center.

Further Reading:

Aitken, Hugh G.J., “The Continuous Wave: Technology and American Radio, 1900–1932;” Princeton University Press, 1985

Douglas, Susan, “Inventing American Broadcasting 1899–1922;” The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987

Christopher H. Sterling, John Michael Kittross,“Stay Tuned: A History of American Broadcasting,” Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, Mahwah, N.J., 2002

Among other sources for this article are “Amateur Radio Concerts” in Radio Amateur News, January 1920; “Amateur Radio Stations — 8XK and 2NW” in QST magazine, September 1920; “Wireless Telephone Here” in the Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Oct. 26 1919; chapter “Radio and Its Future” in the book “American Beginnings” by H.P Davis, 1930; “The Telephone Newspaper” in World’s Work Magazine, April 1901; “How the World’s Only ‘Telephone Newspaper’ Took Off,” The Article, June 16, 2019; and “A Telephone Newspaper” in Electrical Review, April 27, 1901.

 

The post Radio Broadcasting Becomes a Reality: Nov. 2, 1920 appeared first on Radio World.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the appeal by broadcasters and the FCC of an appeals court’s rejection of the FCC’s latest attempt to deregulate broadcast ownership.

Back in April, broadcasters and newspaper publishers petitioned the Supreme Court to review the Third Circuit Court of Appeals decision vacating most of the FCC’s effort under Chairman Ajit Pai to deregulate broadcast ownership, including by eliminating the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rules.

[Read: Supreme Court Asked to Weigh In on Media Deregulation Decision]

Echoing the FCC’s petition, media petitioners said that outdated ownership rules remain in force because a divided panel of the court has prevented the FCC from implementing “necessary adjustments to its ownership rules” that the FCC concluded would serve the public interest.

The FCC said that it has been trying to initiate ownership deregulation for 17 years but has been thwarted by a series of decisions by a divided panel of the Third Circuit. It said the most recent decision to vacate “a host of significant rule changes” was based “solely on the ground that the agency had not adequately analyzed the rules’ likely effect on female and minority ownership of broadcast stations.”

The FCC argues that for those 17 years the court has blocked it from exercising its mandate by Congress to repeal or modify any ownership rule it determines is no longer in the public interest.

The Supreme Court does not comment on why it takes cases, simply listing the appeals it has agreed to hear.

The FCC and Third Circuit have been sparring over successive attempts to deregulate broadcasting for most of two decades. This is the first time the Supreme Court has gotten involved.

“Of course, we are disappointed at this additional delay,” said Benton Institute Senior Counselor Andrew Jay Schwartzman. “But we are confident the court will see that the FCC has failed to obey its mandate to promote diversity in media voices.”

The post Supremes to Hear Broadcast Dereg Case appeared first on Radio World.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the appeal by broadcasters and the FCC of an appeals court’s rejection of the FCC’s latest attempt to deregulate broadcast ownership.

Back in April, broadcasters and newspaper publishers petitioned the Supreme Court to review the Third Circuit Court of Appeals decision vacating most of the FCC’s effort under Chairman Ajit Pai to deregulate broadcast ownership, including by eliminating the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rules.

[Read: Supreme Court Asked to Weigh In on Media Deregulation Decision]

Echoing the FCC’s petition, media petitioners said that outdated ownership rules remain in force because a divided panel of the court has prevented the FCC from implementing “necessary adjustments to its ownership rules” that the FCC concluded would serve the public interest.

The FCC said that it has been trying to initiate ownership deregulation for 17 years but has been thwarted by a series of decisions by a divided panel of the Third Circuit. It said the most recent decision to vacate “a host of significant rule changes” was based “solely on the ground that the agency had not adequately analyzed the rules’ likely effect on female and minority ownership of broadcast stations.”

The FCC argues that for those 17 years the court has blocked it from exercising its mandate by Congress to repeal or modify any ownership rule it determines is no longer in the public interest.

The Supreme Court does not comment on why it takes cases, simply listing the appeals it has agreed to hear.

The FCC and Third Circuit have been sparring over successive attempts to deregulate broadcasting for most of two decades. This is the first time the Supreme Court has gotten involved.

“Of course, we are disappointed at this additional delay,” said Benton Institute Senior Counselor Andrew Jay Schwartzman. “But we are confident the court will see that the FCC has failed to obey its mandate to promote diversity in media voices.”

The post Supremes to Hear Broadcast Dereg Case appeared first on Radio World.

A new survey seeks to learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion in the U.S. radio and TV industries.

The survey is from the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation and it is aimed at station owners and general managers.

“Our goal is to assist the broadcasting industry in maximizing your diversity initiatives and meeting your business objectives,” wrote Michelle Duke, president of the foundation, in an email that was shared with state broadcast associations. Duke this spring became the NAB’s first chief diversity officer.

She wrote that the survey seeks to identify trends and support future initiatives to help stations. It is open online until Oct. 7 and estimated to take 10 minutes; find it here.

Among the questions:

-What diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, if any, does the station have in place, such as recruitment strategies, manager or employee training, seeking diversity among vendors or appointing an executive with specific responsibilities in this area;

-Has the station sought to measure discrepancies in pay or promotions for women or for people of color; how about in news coverage;

-Has it created a platform for “safe dialogue” with women and people of color about company practices;

-How, if at all, does the organization hold itself accountable for implementing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives;

-What methods does the company use when seeking candidates from underrepresented groups, such as job postings, career fairs, college partnerships, recruiting etc.;

-With what groups, if any, does the station feel it needs assistance with diversity hiring? Choices offered include women, people with disabilities, people over 50, veterans, LGBTQ+ and people of color.

Station owners and GMs can access the survey here.

The post Diversity Survey Seeks Owner/GM Input appeared first on Radio World.

A new survey seeks to learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion in the U.S. radio and TV industries.

The survey is from the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation and it is aimed at station owners and general managers.

“Our goal is to assist the broadcasting industry in maximizing your diversity initiatives and meeting your business objectives,” wrote Michelle Duke, president of the foundation, in an email that was shared with state broadcast associations. Duke this spring became the NAB’s first chief diversity officer.

She wrote that the survey seeks to identify trends and support future initiatives to help stations. It is open online until Oct. 7 and estimated to take 10 minutes; find it here.

Among the questions:

-What diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, if any, does the station have in place, such as recruitment strategies, manager or employee training, seeking diversity among vendors or appointing an executive with specific responsibilities in this area;

-Has the station sought to measure discrepancies in pay or promotions for women or for people of color; how about in news coverage;

-Has it created a platform for “safe dialogue” with women and people of color about company practices;

-How, if at all, does the organization hold itself accountable for implementing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives;

-What methods does the company use when seeking candidates from underrepresented groups, such as job postings, career fairs, college partnerships, recruiting etc.;

-With what groups, if any, does the station feel it needs assistance with diversity hiring? Choices offered include women, people with disabilities, people over 50, veterans, LGBTQ+ and people of color.

Station owners and GMs can access the survey here.

The post Diversity Survey Seeks Owner/GM Input appeared first on Radio World.

Delmarva Public Media show host Yancy Carrigan with ENCO screens

Author Christopher Ranck is associate director, program and operations services for WESM(FM)/Delmarva Public Media.

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. — Once a two-station NPR based in Salisbury, Md., Delmarva Public Media expanded to a three-station group in January through a collaboration with WESM(FM), a local public station based in southern Maryland.

While WESM still broadcasts limited NPR programming, Delmarva Public Media has become an independent public radio group, with each station establishing a unique programming identity.

The three stations share some common technology platforms that, while mostly used autonomously, can also be used collaboratively across the three stations. This includes ENCO’s DAD radio automation and production system, which has long been the automation choice at WESM and sister stations WSCL(FM) and WSDL(FM).

Like most public radio stations, WESM has syndicated and independent programming coming into the station over multiple platforms. Some of these programs, such as “The Red Rooster Lounge,” have long been manually downloaded — an often time-consuming and confusing process.

Thankfully, the recent addition of ENCO’s enConveyor automated file download utility to WESM’s DAD immediately solved this problem.

enConveyor not only automatically downloads these programs off of FTP and other websites, but it automatically places these programs in the proper folders. enConveyor is a fire-and-forget application that eliminates the operations manager eternal anguish of, “Did I remember to load that show?” while driving home from work. It also reduces the workload burden for our nontechnical staff, now that they only have to look at the enConveyor program to confirm that all programming is in the proper folders.

enConveyor runs within DAD as a standalone module, which makes it easy to add to existing systems. It runs in the background, which eliminates any danger of turning off the application accidentally. Once downloaded, enConveyor assigns the audio to the correlating cart number, and overwrites the content from the previous week. When everything is where it should be, the operator simply adds the programming to the playout schedule.

DAD is used across four locations at WESM: the on-air host station, two production studios, and a central computer running automation by the transmitter. We use DAD in the production studios to record underwriting messages, weather reports and other short-form interstitials that are subsequently uploaded to FTP. enConveyor again provides value here by adding these into the appropriate playlists upon recognizing the upload.

Further solutions

While enConveyor was added in the past several months, DAD’s feature set runs deep and we continue to benefit from other ENCO applications.

This includes ENCO’s Scheduling Wizard program, which specifically creates playlists for our syndicated programming. That application also interoperates with our Marketron traffic and billing system, which allows our traffic operators in Salisbury to send underwriting messages to WESM.

The Scheduling Wizard merges these messages into our DAD system, and most importantly, has eliminated the longstanding WESM process of creating playlists by hand, again saving us time and money. It’s an excellent example of how we can share ENCO’s workflow benefits across all three Delmarva Public Media stations.

DAD’s general ease of use is noteworthy. DAD is known for its colorful and legible interface, and our on-air hosts can easily switch between several customized mini-arrays for playing out show promos, public service announcements and other content. We have a small staff, and our hosts find it helpful to click from one page of mini-arrays to another to quickly find what they need, rather than searching through extensive libraries.

We have consistently updated our DAD system at WSCL(FM)/WSDL(FM) over the years, and we have taken that philosophy to WESM. Beyond enConveyor, we’ve purchased the Weatherology application from ENCO.

Like enConveyor, this is a module that will silently run in the background and ensure that weather reports are consistently accurate and up to date. Weatherology will automatically receive and schedule forecasts within DAD, so there will be no more reports of sunny weather when it’s raining outside.

DAD has been a technical win for all three stations while helping us change the way we work. Our workflows are simpler, our cost savings are up, and we are covering a much larger underwriting territory with WESM in the mix. And in the COVID-19 era, ENCO provides the flexibility to record underwriting and other content from home, and drop it into an FTP site where enConveyor once again does its magic. DAD has ensured that our operation continues uninterrupted, without added effort.

Radio World User Reports are testimonial articles intended to help readers understand why a colleague chose a particular product to solve a technical situation.

For information, contact Mark Stewart at ENCO Systems in Michigan at 1-248-827-4440 or visit www.enco.com.

 

The post User Report: ENCO enConveyor Serves Delmarva appeared first on Radio World.

Delmarva Public Media show host Yancy Carrigan with ENCO screens

Author Christopher Ranck is associate director, program and operations services for WESM(FM)/Delmarva Public Media.

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. — Once a two-station NPR based in Salisbury, Md., Delmarva Public Media expanded to a three-station group in January through a collaboration with WESM(FM), a local public station based in southern Maryland.

While WESM still broadcasts limited NPR programming, Delmarva Public Media has become an independent public radio group, with each station establishing a unique programming identity.

The three stations share some common technology platforms that, while mostly used autonomously, can also be used collaboratively across the three stations. This includes ENCO’s DAD radio automation and production system, which has long been the automation choice at WESM and sister stations WSCL(FM) and WSDL(FM).

Like most public radio stations, WESM has syndicated and independent programming coming into the station over multiple platforms. Some of these programs, such as “The Red Rooster Lounge,” have long been manually downloaded — an often time-consuming and confusing process.

Thankfully, the recent addition of ENCO’s enConveyor automated file download utility to WESM’s DAD immediately solved this problem.

enConveyor not only automatically downloads these programs off of FTP and other websites, but it automatically places these programs in the proper folders. enConveyor is a fire-and-forget application that eliminates the operations manager eternal anguish of, “Did I remember to load that show?” while driving home from work. It also reduces the workload burden for our nontechnical staff, now that they only have to look at the enConveyor program to confirm that all programming is in the proper folders.

enConveyor runs within DAD as a standalone module, which makes it easy to add to existing systems. It runs in the background, which eliminates any danger of turning off the application accidentally. Once downloaded, enConveyor assigns the audio to the correlating cart number, and overwrites the content from the previous week. When everything is where it should be, the operator simply adds the programming to the playout schedule.

DAD is used across four locations at WESM: the on-air host station, two production studios, and a central computer running automation by the transmitter. We use DAD in the production studios to record underwriting messages, weather reports and other short-form interstitials that are subsequently uploaded to FTP. enConveyor again provides value here by adding these into the appropriate playlists upon recognizing the upload.

Further solutions

While enConveyor was added in the past several months, DAD’s feature set runs deep and we continue to benefit from other ENCO applications.

This includes ENCO’s Scheduling Wizard program, which specifically creates playlists for our syndicated programming. That application also interoperates with our Marketron traffic and billing system, which allows our traffic operators in Salisbury to send underwriting messages to WESM.

The Scheduling Wizard merges these messages into our DAD system, and most importantly, has eliminated the longstanding WESM process of creating playlists by hand, again saving us time and money. It’s an excellent example of how we can share ENCO’s workflow benefits across all three Delmarva Public Media stations.

DAD’s general ease of use is noteworthy. DAD is known for its colorful and legible interface, and our on-air hosts can easily switch between several customized mini-arrays for playing out show promos, public service announcements and other content. We have a small staff, and our hosts find it helpful to click from one page of mini-arrays to another to quickly find what they need, rather than searching through extensive libraries.

We have consistently updated our DAD system at WSCL(FM)/WSDL(FM) over the years, and we have taken that philosophy to WESM. Beyond enConveyor, we’ve purchased the Weatherology application from ENCO.

Like enConveyor, this is a module that will silently run in the background and ensure that weather reports are consistently accurate and up to date. Weatherology will automatically receive and schedule forecasts within DAD, so there will be no more reports of sunny weather when it’s raining outside.

DAD has been a technical win for all three stations while helping us change the way we work. Our workflows are simpler, our cost savings are up, and we are covering a much larger underwriting territory with WESM in the mix. And in the COVID-19 era, ENCO provides the flexibility to record underwriting and other content from home, and drop it into an FTP site where enConveyor once again does its magic. DAD has ensured that our operation continues uninterrupted, without added effort.

Radio World User Reports are testimonial articles intended to help readers understand why a colleague chose a particular product to solve a technical situation.

For information, contact Mark Stewart at ENCO Systems in Michigan at 1-248-827-4440 or visit www.enco.com.

 

The post User Report: ENCO enConveyor Serves Delmarva appeared first on Radio World.

Stuart and Hamish, hosts of 2NBC’s “Sunday Sports Wrap.”

From our Who’s Buying What page: 2NBC FM in Sydney has new radio studios installed by Australian equipment dealer and integrator Broadcast Components and using AEQ AoIP equipment.

The two main studios are equipped with AEQ Capitol IP mixing consoles, Capitol Screen software and AEQ Netbox 8AD interfaces.

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

The project comes as 2NBC FM celebrates its 30th anniversary. The community station, operated by volunteers, is based in Peakhurst, a suburb of Sydney, and is heard at 90.1 MHz and online.

2NBC’s Michele Lansdown and Paul Morrison, hosts of “Arts Grab!” play with Capitol IP console.

A Broadcast Components team led by Sean Pritchard handled the integration.

The system is centered on a Dante AoIP network. Each AEQ Capitol IP console includes Capitol Screen visualization and operation-aid software and a double digital phone hybrid option.

Send info and photos of new facility projects to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post Australia’s 2NBC FM Christens New Studios appeared first on Radio World.

Stuart and Hamish, hosts of 2NBC’s “Sunday Sports Wrap.”

From our Who’s Buying What page: 2NBC FM in Sydney has new radio studios installed by Australian equipment dealer and integrator Broadcast Components and using AEQ AoIP equipment.

The two main studios are equipped with AEQ Capitol IP mixing consoles, Capitol Screen software and AEQ Netbox 8AD interfaces.

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

The project comes as 2NBC FM celebrates its 30th anniversary. The community station, operated by volunteers, is based in Peakhurst, a suburb of Sydney, and is heard at 90.1 MHz and online.

2NBC’s Michele Lansdown and Paul Morrison, hosts of “Arts Grab!” play with Capitol IP console.

A Broadcast Components team led by Sean Pritchard handled the integration.

The system is centered on a Dante AoIP network. Each AEQ Capitol IP console includes Capitol Screen visualization and operation-aid software and a double digital phone hybrid option.

Send info and photos of new facility projects to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post Australia’s 2NBC FM Christens New Studios appeared first on Radio World.

Entercom’s WXYT(FM) in Detroit has renamed its broadcast studio in memory of Jamie Samuelsen. He passed away on Aug. 1.

Jamie Samuelsen

Samuelsen was a veteran and morning show host for the sports talk station.

Entercom Detroit Senior Vice President and Market Manager Debbie Kenyon said, “We want to honor him in a special way, not only as a great broadcaster, but an extraordinary person. We hope the renaming of the studio will serve as a way to keep his memory alive and add to his incredible legacy here in Detroit.”

Samuelson was diagnosed with colon cancer in January 2019 and advocated for listeners to schedule colonoscopies during his final broadcast on July 27, 2020.

The post Samuelsen Studio Dedicated at Entercom Detroit appeared first on Radio World.

Entercom’s WXYT(FM) in Detroit has renamed its broadcast studio in memory of Jamie Samuelsen. He passed away on Aug. 1.

Jamie Samuelsen

Samuelsen was a veteran and morning show host for the sports talk station.

Entercom Detroit Senior Vice President and Market Manager Debbie Kenyon said, “We want to honor him in a special way, not only as a great broadcaster, but an extraordinary person. We hope the renaming of the studio will serve as a way to keep his memory alive and add to his incredible legacy here in Detroit.”

Samuelson was diagnosed with colon cancer in January 2019 and advocated for listeners to schedule colonoscopies during his final broadcast on July 27, 2020.

The post Samuelsen Studio Dedicated at Entercom Detroit appeared first on Radio World.

In a recent letter, Ira Wilner wrote to say that people should be using W-Fi streaming rather than Part 15 transmissions for outdoor events.

Were latency not a considerable issue, he would be right. However, using Wi-FI streaming systems can give as much as two seconds latency, which is very disconcerting when you are watching someone speak.

There are some streaming systems out there that claim to reduce this latency but they are not inexpensive and they can still do nothing about the receiving half of the system.

There is, sadly, still a need for leaky coax AM systems taped to parking lot surfaces today.

Scott Dorsey

Read more opinions about Part 15 and unlicensed radio broadcasts.

The post Letter: Part 15 Options appeared first on Radio World.

In a recent letter, Ira Wilner wrote to say that people should be using W-Fi streaming rather than Part 15 transmissions for outdoor events.

Were latency not a considerable issue, he would be right. However, using Wi-FI streaming systems can give as much as two seconds latency, which is very disconcerting when you are watching someone speak.

There are some streaming systems out there that claim to reduce this latency but they are not inexpensive and they can still do nothing about the receiving half of the system.

There is, sadly, still a need for leaky coax AM systems taped to parking lot surfaces today.

Scott Dorsey

Read more opinions about Part 15 and unlicensed radio broadcasts.

The post Letter: Part 15 Options appeared first on Radio World.

WKNC’s Jamie Lynn Gilbert and WXAV’s Peter Kreten

 

Author Rob Quicke is founder of the College Radio Foundation and College Radio Day, and a professor at William Paterson University, New Jersey.

Across the United States, and indeed the world, college stations have been coming to terms with the start of the new academic year, and how that would impact their operations.

Earlier this year the Federal Communications Commission recognized the challenging operational situations for many college radio stations and made allowances.

Attorney David Oxenford wrote: “The FCC in March allowed noncommercial radio stations licensed to educational institutions to consider periods when schools were closed for in-person instruction as school breaks or ‘recess’ periods when the minimum operating schedule for these stations did not apply.”

For stations that are still online, that guidance still applies, but “If your school has welcomed students back to campus and is operating other student activities, then the question gets murkier.”

Oxenford suggests that in “situations where schools are open or partially open to students, if the station cannot meet the minimum operating requirements … the FCC will likely be willing to grant a station temporary authority to remain silent.”

For many radio stations, studios have been physically off-limits for months, as college administrators shut down facilities awaiting hopeful developments in the fight against the global pandemic. Recently that window has been closing, with many colleges electing to bring back some students to campus in a limited fashion.

Some stations never ceased broadcasting operations but found ingenious technological ways to harness the students’ talents remotely and kept programming going throughout the summer. Now college radio enters a time where great hopes are matched by equally great fears.

“Quarantine Takeover”

A resurgence of the virus is the primary worry for many in college radio.

“Our fear, like everyone else, is that we will have a failure of social distancing and common sense that leads to a second bad wave of illnesses and a return to limited access or closures on campus. We are planning for that unfortunate potential,” said John Devecka, operations manager at WLOY, Loyola University in Maryland, in late summer.

The impact of the pandemic earlier did not affect WLOY’s ability to continue producing radio.

“Over the course of the closed spring semester we were able to send microphones and/or headsets to a number of key regular DJs and staff to make sure that people had the ability to produce a solid show from home,” he said.

Recently, WLOY has gone further. “We started a special series of ‘Quarantine Takeover’ shows based on our normal in-station ‘Studio Seizure’ shows where musicians become the DJs for an hour. The Takeover shows are created by the musicians in their home studios for us and have been rolling in from all over the world,” said Devecka.

Many college radio stations also took similar actions and have been able to continue to produce content remotely.

But the prospect of continuing like this, operating remotely indefinitely, is concerning for many. There are ongoing consequences that being online only or limiting the amount of time spent in the radio station studios will have on the training and experience that the students will now receive.

Lance Liguez is faculty advisor for UTA Radio.com at the University of Texas at Arlington.

“My hope is that students will be able to return for a sustained period of time and receive hands-on training in board operation and on-air performance.” When he spoke, the plan was to come back in late August with social distancing mandates in the studio, cleaning protocols, and disposable mic covers.

He acknowledged that running a board virtually is possible but said expense is an obstacle. “My university, like many others, is in cost-cutting mode. Getting back into the studio means a chance to further hone on-air and production skills for our advanced students, who conduct shows ranging from sports talk to R&B hits,” he says. “Then there’s the students new to broadcasting. We typically have around 40 every fall semester, all of whom need to be physically in front of the board.”

Not being able to have access to real, hands-on experience will affect the students’ development and knowledge, and is a fear shared by many in college radio.

Loss of revenue

It’s not just the loss of valuable hands-on experience that causes concern, but also the loss of underwriting revenue coming into the station.

At WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2 at North Carolina State University, there has already been a real economic cost to the pandemic. Jamie Lynn Gilbert, associate director of student media, can measure the impact of COVID-19.

“We get a sizable chunk of revenue from airing Wolfpack women’s basketball and baseball games each year. We lost several thousand dollars when the season was cut short and we won’t see any revenue if the seasons aren’t able to start safely,” she said.

“We also rely on money earned during a two-night benefit concert every February. While we are brainstorming ways to make this happen, I don’t expect to earn $5,000 from ticket sales in just a few months. Some of our major underwriting clients — local music venues — still haven’t reopened, so there is a loss there as well.”

Despite these disruptions, college radio stations are adapting to the precautions needed to continue producing in-person radio during this time, and this is true at WKNC.

“We have mask and cleaning requirements, along with a one-hour break between live DJs,” Gilbert said. “We had 15 DJs come back and added another 20 with the start of the new semester on Aug. 10. That’s less than half what we normally see in a semester, but it’s not surprising.”

Despite these effects, there is hope. Adapting to these challenging circumstances means that there has been a necessary refocusing for some college radio stations, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Hannah Copeland is general manager of 90.5 KCSU at Colorado State University. “My hope is that more virtual school time will reinvigorate an interest in producing work besides radio, because most of the jobs out there are in audio production, writing, journalism, and online content creation,” she said.

“There just are not that many jobs for regular radio DJs unless a student is incredibly gifted and in the top 1% of talent. Plus, many of those radio jobs, especially in commercial, don’t seem to be very stable or full time. So, I’m hoping our podcasts, videos, social media and articles grow.”

Despite the uncertainty over the future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, college stations were busy this summer formulating plans and ideas of how to operate in a variety of circumstances as the academic year now gets underway.

“Smart young people”

Similarly, college media conferences and events have been affected, with many of them becoming online-only in response to the current circumstances.

College Broadcasters Inc. was planning its National Student Electronic Media Convention to take place in Baltimore in late October, but that will now take place entirely online. In a statement to its members, CBI explained its board “has decided, after extensive research and discussion, that this is best for the safety of CBI members and guests.”

Oct. 2 is College Radio Day, an event that typically sees hundreds of college radio stations participate across the country. Recognizing that it is not business as usual for many college stations, College Radio Day is encouraging participating stations to plan on virtual participation and engagement through social media. As organizations embrace new operating models and ideas, college radio stations are doing the same.

At WLOY, John Devecka says that even though they are not on campus, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

“We are closed for the fall officially now, so our student exec team has been working hard to plan new ways of engagement with our scattered staff, DJs and student body. It’s going to be a challenge, but we’ve got smart young people who will make it work.”

This optimism is echoed by Peter Kreten, director of student media at Saint Xavier University in Chicago and general manager of WXAV 88.3 FM. Kreten finds reasons for optimism in the face of an uncertain future. Because of COVID-19, there has been an acceleration towards embracing technologies and practices that were already underway.

“I see hope. Over the last few years, college radio has begun an evolution. This evolution is seeing students, faculty, and advisors embracing new technologies and practices, while providing students with an educational experience like none other. It is truly an exciting time.”

Despite serious concerns, it’s possible that there might be unexpected benefits to a situation that a few months ago no one could have imagined. Many involved with college radio believe that they are more than capable of rising to the challenge of this moment.

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

The post College Radio: Great Hopes, Great Fears appeared first on Radio World.

WKNC’s Jamie Lynn Gilbert and WXAV’s Peter Kreten

 

Author Rob Quicke is founder of the College Radio Foundation and College Radio Day, and a professor at William Paterson University, New Jersey.

Across the United States, and indeed the world, college stations have been coming to terms with the start of the new academic year, and how that would impact their operations.

Earlier this year the Federal Communications Commission recognized the challenging operational situations for many college radio stations and made allowances.

Attorney David Oxenford wrote: “The FCC in March allowed noncommercial radio stations licensed to educational institutions to consider periods when schools were closed for in-person instruction as school breaks or ‘recess’ periods when the minimum operating schedule for these stations did not apply.”

For stations that are still online, that guidance still applies, but “If your school has welcomed students back to campus and is operating other student activities, then the question gets murkier.”

Oxenford suggests that in “situations where schools are open or partially open to students, if the station cannot meet the minimum operating requirements … the FCC will likely be willing to grant a station temporary authority to remain silent.”

For many radio stations, studios have been physically off-limits for months, as college administrators shut down facilities awaiting hopeful developments in the fight against the global pandemic. Recently that window has been closing, with many colleges electing to bring back some students to campus in a limited fashion.

Some stations never ceased broadcasting operations but found ingenious technological ways to harness the students’ talents remotely and kept programming going throughout the summer. Now college radio enters a time where great hopes are matched by equally great fears.

“Quarantine Takeover”

A resurgence of the virus is the primary worry for many in college radio.

“Our fear, like everyone else, is that we will have a failure of social distancing and common sense that leads to a second bad wave of illnesses and a return to limited access or closures on campus. We are planning for that unfortunate potential,” said John Devecka, operations manager at WLOY, Loyola University in Maryland, in late summer.

The impact of the pandemic earlier did not affect WLOY’s ability to continue producing radio.

“Over the course of the closed spring semester we were able to send microphones and/or headsets to a number of key regular DJs and staff to make sure that people had the ability to produce a solid show from home,” he said.

Recently, WLOY has gone further. “We started a special series of ‘Quarantine Takeover’ shows based on our normal in-station ‘Studio Seizure’ shows where musicians become the DJs for an hour. The Takeover shows are created by the musicians in their home studios for us and have been rolling in from all over the world,” said Devecka.

Many college radio stations also took similar actions and have been able to continue to produce content remotely.

But the prospect of continuing like this, operating remotely indefinitely, is concerning for many. There are ongoing consequences that being online only or limiting the amount of time spent in the radio station studios will have on the training and experience that the students will now receive.

Lance Liguez is faculty advisor for UTA Radio.com at the University of Texas at Arlington.

“My hope is that students will be able to return for a sustained period of time and receive hands-on training in board operation and on-air performance.” When he spoke, the plan was to come back in late August with social distancing mandates in the studio, cleaning protocols, and disposable mic covers.

He acknowledged that running a board virtually is possible but said expense is an obstacle. “My university, like many others, is in cost-cutting mode. Getting back into the studio means a chance to further hone on-air and production skills for our advanced students, who conduct shows ranging from sports talk to R&B hits,” he says. “Then there’s the students new to broadcasting. We typically have around 40 every fall semester, all of whom need to be physically in front of the board.”

Not being able to have access to real, hands-on experience will affect the students’ development and knowledge, and is a fear shared by many in college radio.

Loss of revenue

It’s not just the loss of valuable hands-on experience that causes concern, but also the loss of underwriting revenue coming into the station.

At WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2 at North Carolina State University, there has already been a real economic cost to the pandemic. Jamie Lynn Gilbert, associate director of student media, can measure the impact of COVID-19.

“We get a sizable chunk of revenue from airing Wolfpack women’s basketball and baseball games each year. We lost several thousand dollars when the season was cut short and we won’t see any revenue if the seasons aren’t able to start safely,” she said.

“We also rely on money earned during a two-night benefit concert every February. While we are brainstorming ways to make this happen, I don’t expect to earn $5,000 from ticket sales in just a few months. Some of our major underwriting clients — local music venues — still haven’t reopened, so there is a loss there as well.”

Despite these disruptions, college radio stations are adapting to the precautions needed to continue producing in-person radio during this time, and this is true at WKNC.

“We have mask and cleaning requirements, along with a one-hour break between live DJs,” Gilbert said. “We had 15 DJs come back and added another 20 with the start of the new semester on Aug. 10. That’s less than half what we normally see in a semester, but it’s not surprising.”

Despite these effects, there is hope. Adapting to these challenging circumstances means that there has been a necessary refocusing for some college radio stations, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Hannah Copeland is general manager of 90.5 KCSU at Colorado State University. “My hope is that more virtual school time will reinvigorate an interest in producing work besides radio, because most of the jobs out there are in audio production, writing, journalism, and online content creation,” she said.

“There just are not that many jobs for regular radio DJs unless a student is incredibly gifted and in the top 1% of talent. Plus, many of those radio jobs, especially in commercial, don’t seem to be very stable or full time. So, I’m hoping our podcasts, videos, social media and articles grow.”

Despite the uncertainty over the future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, college stations were busy this summer formulating plans and ideas of how to operate in a variety of circumstances as the academic year now gets underway.

“Smart young people”

Similarly, college media conferences and events have been affected, with many of them becoming online-only in response to the current circumstances.

College Broadcasters Inc. was planning its National Student Electronic Media Convention to take place in Baltimore in late October, but that will now take place entirely online. In a statement to its members, CBI explained its board “has decided, after extensive research and discussion, that this is best for the safety of CBI members and guests.”

Oct. 2 is College Radio Day, an event that typically sees hundreds of college radio stations participate across the country. Recognizing that it is not business as usual for many college stations, College Radio Day is encouraging participating stations to plan on virtual participation and engagement through social media. As organizations embrace new operating models and ideas, college radio stations are doing the same.

At WLOY, John Devecka says that even though they are not on campus, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

“We are closed for the fall officially now, so our student exec team has been working hard to plan new ways of engagement with our scattered staff, DJs and student body. It’s going to be a challenge, but we’ve got smart young people who will make it work.”

This optimism is echoed by Peter Kreten, director of student media at Saint Xavier University in Chicago and general manager of WXAV 88.3 FM. Kreten finds reasons for optimism in the face of an uncertain future. Because of COVID-19, there has been an acceleration towards embracing technologies and practices that were already underway.

“I see hope. Over the last few years, college radio has begun an evolution. This evolution is seeing students, faculty, and advisors embracing new technologies and practices, while providing students with an educational experience like none other. It is truly an exciting time.”

Despite serious concerns, it’s possible that there might be unexpected benefits to a situation that a few months ago no one could have imagined. Many involved with college radio believe that they are more than capable of rising to the challenge of this moment.

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

The post College Radio: Great Hopes, Great Fears appeared first on Radio World.

The Federal Communications Commission has been hearing from the National Association of Broadcasters and other interested parties about whether to allow AM band stations to turn on all-digital transmission, and under what parameters.

In addition to publicly filed comments, the NAB, which supports the idea, has made presentations to FCC staff about certain specifics — including whether the FCC should allow Digital Radio Mondiale to be tested in this country. NAB says it should not.

Background

It was in November 2019 that the commission announced its proposal to allow AM stations to broadcast an all-digital signal using the HD in-band on-channel (IBOC) mode known as MA3. This came after a petition from Bryan Broadcasting.

As part of its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC concluded that a voluntary transition to all-digital broadcasting has the potential to benefit AM stations as well as provide improved AM service to the public.

The commission then asked for comment on proposed operating standards and the impact on existing analog stations and listeners. We’ve reported on many of the comments it received.

FCC Audio Division Chief Al Shuldiner told Radio World in September, “Commenters in that proceeding expressed strong industry support for the commission’s proposals to allow AM stations to convert to all-digital operation and we hope to move forward in that proceeding by the end of the year.”

Focusing on specifics, NAB representatives spoke in early September with members of the FCC Media Bureau’s Audio Division about the proposed transition, according to an ex parte filing.

David Layer, NAB’s vice president of advanced engineering, gave technical input on four specific topics: operating rules on power limits, all-digital AM RF mask requirements, potential interference issues, and proposed frequency tolerance standards.

He expressed NAB support for using average power measurements for establishing station operating power for all-digital service. He said this is the method that has been used in the NAB’s PILOT testing as well as by Hubbard station WWFD(AM), which operates under experimental authority.

Layer cited coverage maps created by PILOT and WWFD that showed that these stations have sufficient all-digital coverage without causing objectionable interference.

He also urged the commission not to impose a 1 Hz frequency tolerance on all AM stations, but agreed that it may be appropriate to impose this tolerance on all-digital AM stations. The NAB supports the use of all-digital AM RF masks as proposed by HD Radio parent company Xperi.

Allow Digital Radio Mondiale

Meanwhile another issue raised NAB’s concerns.

In June the DRM Consortium participated in a conference call with members of the FCC Media Bureau’s Audio Division to tell them about DRM’s role as a “superior, flexible and advanced technology solution,” according to Ruxandra Obreja, chair of the DRM Consortium, in a followup letter to the commission.

DRM should have the opportunity to be tested for U.S. domestic use in the AM bands, Obreja argued.

[Read a commentary by Obreja: “Can Digital Radio Standards Coexist?”]

“Such a test would allow for a proper comparison with HD in all-digital AM broadcast and open the possibility of including DRM, either alone or together with HD in the proposed regulation, as a full-digital transmission standard for the AM bands — with the option for simulcast operation alongside analog AM signals from the same transmitter if required,” Obreja said.

“This would also answer the question on the benefits and its attractiveness when compared to and introduced alongside HD Radio.”

She highlighted DRM’s spectral efficiency; its ability to carry multiple audio services including text, emergency warning information and metadata within a 10 kHz signal bandwidth; and its capability to transmit parallel channels in different languages.

DRM also described the benefits of having a receiver able to receive both DRM and HD Radio, as well as analog AM and FM transmissions for the transition period.

“[The] USA would not be the only country in the world envisaging the use of more than one digital radio standard,” Obreja said. “The technical solutions exist; for the listener what matters is that they can listen to all the digital broadcasts available in their country through a common user interface.”

Noting that AM in the U.S. covers large rural areas, she said the fast development of in-car adaptors for DRM would offer easy access to digital radio for owners of legacy cars with only analog AM or HD Radio reception. Letting AM stations have access to both DRM and HD Radio services could provide significant benefits to those broadcasters.

Don’t allow DRM

The NAB had a sharp response to the DRM Consortium’s request, calling it ill-advised and contrary to the FCC’s intent.

The NAB said the commission already selected HD Radio IBOC as the exclusive digital technology approved for AM radio, and that making a change now be extremely disruptive.

“Although HD Radio is a mature and proven technology, there will be important considerations that will enter into a broadcaster’s decision to transition such as the equipment costs to convert, the potential loss of listeners who do not obtain an HD Radio receiver, and perhaps most importantly, regulatory certainty,” wrote NAB Associate General Counsel Larry Walke in a letter to the commission.

“Before pulling the trigger on such a fundamental change to one’s operation, AM broadcasters need every confidence that HD Radio technology will remain the exclusive technical solution for all-digital transmission.”

Any moves to test or otherwise consider DRM as an alternative technology would undercut such confidence, discourage greater adoption of HD Radio and jeopardize the viability of all-digital AM, Walke said, adding that consideration of a second digital radio technology at this juncture could only be harmful to transitions by AM stations.

Regulatory certainty is vital, Walke concluded, and the FCC’s goals to revitalize AM radio can only be furthered if it stays the course.

The NAB urged the commission to wrap up the deal by finally incorporating the NRSC-5 in-band/on-channel Digital Radio System standard into its rules. “This will make it clear that [this] is one and only digital radio system approved for use in the U.S.,” Walke said.

Other public comments on all-digital for AM can be found in the FCC’s ECFS database using Media Bureau docket numbers 19-311 and 13-249.

Related:

Small-Market Owners Caution Against “AM Stereo Situation”

NPR Supports All-Digital, With Caveats

Xperi Urges FCC to Allow All-Digital on AM

 

The post NAB, DRM Spar Over AM Digital for U.S. appeared first on Radio World.

The Federal Communications Commission has been hearing from the National Association of Broadcasters and other interested parties about whether to allow AM band stations to turn on all-digital transmission, and under what parameters.

In addition to publicly filed comments, the NAB, which supports the idea, has made presentations to FCC staff about certain specifics — including whether the FCC should allow Digital Radio Mondiale to be tested in this country. NAB says it should not.

Background

It was in November 2019 that the commission announced its proposal to allow AM stations to broadcast an all-digital signal using the HD in-band on-channel (IBOC) mode known as MA3. This came after a petition from Bryan Broadcasting.

As part of its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC concluded that a voluntary transition to all-digital broadcasting has the potential to benefit AM stations as well as provide improved AM service to the public.

The commission then asked for comment on proposed operating standards and the impact on existing analog stations and listeners. We’ve reported on many of the comments it received.

FCC Audio Division Chief Al Shuldiner told Radio World in September, “Commenters in that proceeding expressed strong industry support for the commission’s proposals to allow AM stations to convert to all-digital operation and we hope to move forward in that proceeding by the end of the year.”

Focusing on specifics, NAB representatives spoke in early September with members of the FCC Media Bureau’s Audio Division about the proposed transition, according to an ex parte filing.

David Layer, NAB’s vice president of advanced engineering, gave technical input on four specific topics: operating rules on power limits, all-digital AM RF mask requirements, potential interference issues, and proposed frequency tolerance standards.

He expressed NAB support for using average power measurements for establishing station operating power for all-digital service. He said this is the method that has been used in the NAB’s PILOT testing as well as by Hubbard station WWFD(AM), which operates under experimental authority.

Layer cited coverage maps created by PILOT and WWFD that showed that these stations have sufficient all-digital coverage without causing objectionable interference.

He also urged the commission not to impose a 1 Hz frequency tolerance on all AM stations, but agreed that it may be appropriate to impose this tolerance on all-digital AM stations. The NAB supports the use of all-digital AM RF masks as proposed by HD Radio parent company Xperi.

Allow Digital Radio Mondiale

Meanwhile another issue raised NAB’s concerns.

In June the DRM Consortium participated in a conference call with members of the FCC Media Bureau’s Audio Division to tell them about DRM’s role as a “superior, flexible and advanced technology solution,” according to Ruxandra Obreja, chair of the DRM Consortium, in a followup letter to the commission.

DRM should have the opportunity to be tested for U.S. domestic use in the AM bands, Obreja argued.

[Read a commentary by Obreja: “Can Digital Radio Standards Coexist?”]

“Such a test would allow for a proper comparison with HD in all-digital AM broadcast and open the possibility of including DRM, either alone or together with HD in the proposed regulation, as a full-digital transmission standard for the AM bands — with the option for simulcast operation alongside analog AM signals from the same transmitter if required,” Obreja said.

“This would also answer the question on the benefits and its attractiveness when compared to and introduced alongside HD Radio.”

She highlighted DRM’s spectral efficiency; its ability to carry multiple audio services including text, emergency warning information and metadata within a 10 kHz signal bandwidth; and its capability to transmit parallel channels in different languages.

DRM also described the benefits of having a receiver able to receive both DRM and HD Radio, as well as analog AM and FM transmissions for the transition period.

“[The] USA would not be the only country in the world envisaging the use of more than one digital radio standard,” Obreja said. “The technical solutions exist; for the listener what matters is that they can listen to all the digital broadcasts available in their country through a common user interface.”

Noting that AM in the U.S. covers large rural areas, she said the fast development of in-car adaptors for DRM would offer easy access to digital radio for owners of legacy cars with only analog AM or HD Radio reception. Letting AM stations have access to both DRM and HD Radio services could provide significant benefits to those broadcasters.

Don’t allow DRM

The NAB had a sharp response to the DRM Consortium’s request, calling it ill-advised and contrary to the FCC’s intent.

The NAB said the commission already selected HD Radio IBOC as the exclusive digital technology approved for AM radio, and that making a change now be extremely disruptive.

“Although HD Radio is a mature and proven technology, there will be important considerations that will enter into a broadcaster’s decision to transition such as the equipment costs to convert, the potential loss of listeners who do not obtain an HD Radio receiver, and perhaps most importantly, regulatory certainty,” wrote NAB Associate General Counsel Larry Walke in a letter to the commission.

“Before pulling the trigger on such a fundamental change to one’s operation, AM broadcasters need every confidence that HD Radio technology will remain the exclusive technical solution for all-digital transmission.”

Any moves to test or otherwise consider DRM as an alternative technology would undercut such confidence, discourage greater adoption of HD Radio and jeopardize the viability of all-digital AM, Walke said, adding that consideration of a second digital radio technology at this juncture could only be harmful to transitions by AM stations.

Regulatory certainty is vital, Walke concluded, and the FCC’s goals to revitalize AM radio can only be furthered if it stays the course.

The NAB urged the commission to wrap up the deal by finally incorporating the NRSC-5 in-band/on-channel Digital Radio System standard into its rules. “This will make it clear that [this] is one and only digital radio system approved for use in the U.S.,” Walke said.

Other public comments on all-digital for AM can be found in the FCC’s ECFS database using Media Bureau docket numbers 19-311 and 13-249.

Related:

Small-Market Owners Caution Against “AM Stereo Situation”

NPR Supports All-Digital, With Caveats

Xperi Urges FCC to Allow All-Digital on AM

 

The post NAB, DRM Spar Over AM Digital for U.S. appeared first on Radio World.

When The Infinite Dial’s P1 survey respondents were quizzed about which audio brands they listened to the most, their use of YouTube for music, and whether they subscribed to SiriusXM satellite radio, most of the results varied considerably by their chosen radio format, as expected.

When asked which radio format P1s over-index (index higher than the total online population) in using audio brands over the past month, Spotify was named by listeners of sports, alternative rock, hip-hop/rap, top 40, R&B and hard rock/heavy metal. Those who prefer to listen to hip-hop/rap, top 40, alternative rock, R&B, contemporary Christian and news/talk also prefer iTunes.

The research suggests that Pandora has a clear lead in most groups, when respondents were asked to name the audio brand they used most often, although Spotify is number one with listeners of hip-hop/rap, top 40 and sports. iHeartRadio is a strong second for those who prefer classic rock, alternative rock and classic hits. Trailing in most groups are Amazon Music and Google Play, although Amazon Music takes second place among listeners of hard rock/heavy metal.

[Read: Infinite Dial Research Suggests a Variety of Topics Attract Podcast Listeners]

When asked about their weekly use of YouTube for music, the research said R&B listeners are in the lead with 57%. Classic rock adherents hold the middle ground with 43%, while classic hits fans bring up the rear with 25%.

Since its inception, satellite radio, now in the form of SiriusXM, has competed for listeners with AM/FM and online media. It has had varying degrees of success with different formats. The Infinite Dial’s report attempted to track the response of  AM/FM listeners in terms of  the number who subscribe to the service.

The research suggested that hard rock/heavy metal takes first place with 39% of its listeners subscribing. Country music listeners represent the median with 25%. The trailing edge is held by contemporary Christian, where just 14% are signed up for SiriusXM.

 

The post Survey Says Pandora Popular in Most Listener Groups appeared first on Radio World.

The pandemic has had a sizable impact on AM/FM car radio listening habits, according to a new survey by Strategy Analytics — including finding that the pandemic has led to a decline in AM/FM usage in-car and a steep decline in interest of radio as a must-have feature.

A new report from market researcher Strategy Analytics called “2020 Infotainment Report: COVID-19 Brings Challenges for In-Car Radio,” which surveyed 4,705 car owners across the U.S., China, France, Germany and Italy to investigate usage of in-car infotainment including AM/FM radio, streaming media and other sources.

[Read: Radio Listening Audiences Rebound Despite Pandemic Impact]

According to the report’s author Derek Viita, who is a senior analyst with Strategy Analytics, 2020 is the year that in-car AM/FM radio has hit the proverbial iceberg. Year over year, interest in radio has steadily declined relative to other sources like streaming or brought-in digital media, the survey found.

“While radio still has unique advantages, the pandemic has only worked to increase adoption of other media sources,” Viita said. “Some radio providers in the West are reporting that their ratings have nose-dived because many of those who listened on their commute have not rejoined from home.”

These findings somewhat contradict other surveys conducted earlier this year. Two separate Nielsen surveys found that radio listenership had rebounded after the initial stages of the pandemic and that despite the pandemic, radio listenership remained strong.

But what is clear about car radio listening is that after years of dominance, traditional radio has reached a turning point as streaming media continues its march onto the dashboard, Viita said. In addition, the survey revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic and its related lockdowns severely curtailed regular commuting journeys, where much of consumers’ radio-listening originates.

This has led to a marked decline in AM/FM usage in-car, and a steep decline in interest of radio as a must-have feature, the survey found. This year’s decrease was surprisingly sharp in certain Western markets, he said, where commuting and other regular shorter-distance trips have been curtailed.

“With these regular trips curtailed, are folks just ‘not missing’ their car radio?” Viita asked. “[It] remains to be seen whether this is a one-year aberration or the start of an accelerated trend.”

[Read: Amidst Stay-at-Home Orders, Radio Listenership Remains Strong]

Diving deeper into an executive summary of the report, the survey found that streaming media has had a steady year-over-year increase both in terms of daily/weekly usage. That surge has happened more quickly in China with streaming ranking number one over AM/FM radio for usage and interest among car owners.

Looking ahead, the post-pandemic future of radio is unchartered territory. As systems like Android Automotive embed media apps as standard, this will put additional pressure on radio, said Kevin Nolan, vice president of the UX Innovation Practice, a segment of Strategy Analytics.

“Provided that these systems allow quick and easy login, [heaving] direct access to streamed content without having to deal with Bluetooth or device cables will result in further adoption and consumption,” he said. “Broadcasters, product planners and UI designers must immediately reconsider how, when and why listeners consume entertainment and information and across which platforms.”

The report suggested that designers and product planners should consider a number of key issues over the coming months. What are some new ways that broadcasters can reach car owners during the pandemic? Are there unmet needs for satellite radio users or integrated screen users — like users of Apple Car Play — that broadcasting should consider? As the next-generation of automated systems come online, which infotainment sources will become more desirable and which will fade away?

What broadcasters need to do, Viita suggested, is to think about new ways to reach viewers during and after this pandemic environment.

“Clearly a large chunk of listeners — commuters who might listen to a certain program going to or from an office — have not rejoined from home,” Viita said. “Broadcasters need to find new ways to reach car owners during the pandemic, to ensure they’ll rejoin after it.”

Viita explained the discrepancy between the findings here and other surveys by clarifying that the Strategy Analytics survey only speaks to car-specific radio usage/interest. “In the car: radio’s not going anywhere,” Viita said. “Despite these year-over-year declines in usage and interest, it’s still number one in the car in the West (and top two in China).”

Radio has power: In a separate consumer survey, Strategy Analytics found that radio remains important for certain activities, such as work commutes. “It’s convenient: no need for a separate device [or] cord to connect a device; no need to spend time to actively choose a specific song or artist; no need to think about whether the commute would be long enough to hear all the content (e.g. an entire podcast),” Viita said. “It’s also utilitarian — it has all the information they need, they feel productive by catching up on news/current affairs, they can learn what’s trending, etc.”

For better or worse, two things are true when it comes to in-car audio trends, Viita said. One, a widening segment is adopting streaming media as their primary source in the car. On the other hand, radio remains tailor-made for the car, especially commutes, he said.

 

The post 2020 Is the Year That Radio Hits a “Proverbial Iceberg,” Survey Says appeared first on Radio World.