Radio+Television Business Report

NY-ATL-LA- Remote- Job Details:: Audio Producer and Writer

TheGrio

(n) grī/ō, ‘grīō: Journalist. Historian. Praise Singer. Poet. Musician. Curator. Storyteller.

TheGrio, is a digital, video-centric news community devoted to giving voice to trusted figures on the front line who inspire us every day, and to fresh perspectives who buck convention because there’s more than one way to be Black. We believe a well-informed community best determines its own interests. And so, TheGrio’s editorial mandate is to focus on news and events which have a pronounced impact on a Black global audience. We unabashedly explore culture and entertainment, health and lifestyle, politics and policy, business and empowerment, science and climate, tech and innovation, and everything in between that matters to us. From Kampala to Atlanta TheGrio is Black culture amplified.

TheGrio is strongly building its editorial staff. It is an investment in the business’s core competencies. These jobs will primarily be based in NY and Atlanta. Some of the positions will be opportunities to work from other cities or fully remote. Byron Allen, CEO of Allen Media Group, says, “TheGrio is the leader of fearless journalism and inspirational storytelling about Black people. No other Black news outlet has our cumulative audience reach or impact. This is a natural growth of our brand sponsorships, and editorial partnerships for TheGrio’s content on digital, mobile, streaming, podcasts, and social media.”

JOB OVERVIEW

TheGrio is looking for Audio Producers and Writers for its Podcast Network. The ideal candidates will help write and produce episodes for multiple podcasts per week. This job is located in New York, NY.

Responsibilities:

Assist the Managing Editor of Podcasts in all aspects of content creation.
Producing and developing episode content and show ideas that fit with specific Grio podcast themes – covering all aspects of the Black experience – including news, entertainment, politics, social justice, education, etc.
Research current events, trends, topics that keep theGrio’s brand relevant, fresh and impactful to Black audiences.
Writing scripts for multiple podcasts.
Collaborating with hosts and media teams to meet their vision and clarify storyline when editing interviews into episodes, but also comfortable working autonomously.
Ensuring each show meets the highest audio and video quality standards.
Cooperatively collaborates on production and post-production.
Diligently maintains schedules and workflows for all podcasts.
Ensures the accurate and timely management of an audio library, archives, and music.
Sourcing audio material for each episode.
Managing files in a storage system.
Proactively supporting a healthy newsroom culture with high performance and quality commitments.
Consistently thoroughly track sources of material for licensing.
Stays up to date on news and current affairs pertaining to Black America and the diaspora.
REQUIREMENTS

A Bachelor’s degree is required.
Deep knowledge and awareness of Black America.
Strong knowledge of narrative storytelling.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Excellent organizational and time management skills.
Demonstrated organizational and time management skills.
Works well under deadline pressure with multiple projects in production at one time.
Ability to work independently, be proactive, and take initiative.
3 years’ experience producing/writing in audio industry, podcasts.
Maintains ethical journalism standards.
Works as a team player capable of clearly communicating with key stakeholders.
Have a firm understanding of rights and clearances.
Must have expert level experience with all aspects of audio production.
Proven knowledge of online production and multimedia storytelling, online publishing systems and technologies.
Story-driven producing experience.

About Us:

We are the #1 Black-owned, digital video-centric news platform devoted to providing Black America with compelling stories and perspectives.

Established in 2009, TheGrio is a trusted voice in the Black community. In 2021, we’re continuing to reshape media narratives, uplift Black voices, and report from the front lines of our communities.

TO APPLY FOLLOW THE LINK: http://careers.weathergroup.com/

NY-ATL-LA- Remote- Job Details:: Managing Editor and Producer, Podcast

TheGrio
(n) grī/ō, ‘grīō: Journalist. Historian. Praise Singer. Poet. Musician. Curator. Storyteller.

TheGrio, is a digital, video-centric news community devoted to giving voice to trusted figures on the front line who inspire us every day, and to fresh perspectives who buck convention because there’s more than one way to be Black. We believe a well-informed community best determines its own interests. And so, TheGrio’s editorial mandate is to focus on news and events which have a pronounced impact on a Black global audience. We unabashedly explore culture and entertainment, health and lifestyle, politics and policy, business and empowerment, science and climate, tech and innovation, and everything in between that matters to us. From Kampala to Atlanta TheGrio is Black culture amplified.

TheGrio is strongly building its editorial staff. It is an investment in the business’s core competencies. These jobs will primarily be based in NY and Atlanta. Some of the positions will be opportunities to work from other cities or fully remote. Byron Allen, CEO of Allen Media Group, says, “TheGrio is the leader of fearless journalism and inspirational storytelling about Black people. No other Black news outlet has our cumulative audience reach or impact. This is a natural growth of our brand sponsorships, and editorial partnerships for TheGrio’s content on digital, mobile, streaming, podcasts, and social media.”

Job Description:

TheGrio is seeking a Managing Editor Director and Producer to build TheGrio’s podcast network, create content and manage our podcast team. We’re looking for big thinkers with a passion for the Black community and demonstrated excellence in storytelling. This leader will be responsible for the development and business operations of our podcast network, which includes managing an original slate of podcast offerings from TheGrio and managing the podcast network as a platform for unlimited podcasts about the Black experience in America and globally. The ideal candidate is an expert in storytelling, podcast production, technical requirements, distribution models, advanced analytics, project management, as well as managing a team of hosts, producers, and editors.

The Managing Editor Director and Producer will work closely with theGrio’s editorial team to amplify and cross-promote original content on the website, as well as promote larger editorial goals and themes throughout our podcasts.

This leader should be highly organized, self-motivated, creative, collaborative, and familiar with the news and cultural issues important to Black America.

Responsibilities:
Building TheGrio’s Podcast Network as a destination for subscribers interested in podcasts by Black creators or about Black culture.
Manage a team of in-house hosts, producers, and podcast editors.
Working closely with Editorial, the Creative Director and various other departments, including businesses across Entertainment Studios, Ad Sales, Affiliates, Marketing, PR, Legal, Finance, etc., to create a powerhouse podcast network with its own community of engaged listeners.O
Overseeing production and post-production schedules, and workflows for all podcasts.
Ensuring each show meets the highest audio quality standards.
Maintaining the highest legal, ethical and journalism standards for audio publication.
Charting and leading the podcast team with an overall strategy, with corresponding calendars and milestones.
Operating as a chief audio storyteller— coaching and training your team on writing and producing episodes that are download-worthy and relevant to the audience.
Producing original content yourself.
Ensuring the accurate and timely management of an audio library, archives, and music.
Monitoring and managing licensing agreements.
Applying a deep understanding of audience analytics to all shows to organize and optimize content, assess trends, and develop innovative, dynamic content and products, and present reports regularly to leadership teams,
Monitoring metrics, analysis of the broader marketplace, including user behavior and feedback.
Helping the team work through technical issues and anticipate technical needs.
Stay up to date on news and current affairs pertaining to Black America and the diaspora.
Education/Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree (communications or journalism preferred).
4-5 years minimum experience in Podcast management, production.
Adept at relationship building and managing talent.
Ability to operate strategically and tactically as the situation demands.
A results-oriented and mission-driven leader who leans on building workflows and data-driven strategies.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment without sacrificing accuracy and attention to detail.
Desire to achieve, flexibility and willingness to work the hours necessary to get the job done in a 24×7 environment.
Able to manage the repurposing and/or reversioning of various content.
Excellent collaborative skills and ability to work well on teams.
Experience using newsroom management systems and content management systems.
Strong interpersonal skills.
Knowledgeable in developing and producing rich content and a range of programming formats for multiple platforms aimed at broadening and developing audience loyalty.
Story-driven writing and producing experience.
Strong knowledge of current events.
Passionate about amplifying the news and culture of Black people.

About Us:
We are the #1 Black-owned, digital video-centric news platform devoted to providing Black America with compelling stories and perspectives.

Established in 2009, TheGrio is a trusted voice in the Black community. In 2021, we’re continuing to reshape media narratives, uplift Black voices, and report from the front lines of our communities.

TO APPLY FOLLOW THE LINK: http://careers.weathergroup.com/

ABC Radio Network entertainment reporter Bill Diehl is out with a book.

’50 Years Of Celebrity Chatter (Or The Time I interviewed A Porn Star Naked)‘ has stories and quotes from almost all the well-knowns he’s talked with over the years.

Diehl dug deep into his archives for the collection, bringing back great memories, “It’s been a great ride,” said Diehl.

Among those chiming in on Diehl’s career: Barbara Walters.

“Bill Diehl has interviewed me countless times over the course of our respective careers,” she said. “His knowledge of the entertainment business is vast and his insight is always keen.”

The book is available on Amazon. It is available in paperback form for $12.95, and on Kindle devices for $7.95.

— Radio Ink

This holiday season once again may look a little different than many of us might have imagined. But with vaccines widely available in the United States, many more of us have been able to reunite with family and friends during the past year. As FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel sees it, “The personal networks that have supported us through these days have been important, as have the communications networks that make it possible for so many of us to stay in touch, stay working, stay healthy, stay informed, and stay entertained.”

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Two motions filed by AT&T and DirecTV against the owner of Indianapolis’ MyNetworkTV and The CW Network affiliates that sought to dismiss a racial discrimination lawsuit filed against the MVPD service providers have been denied by the Chief Judge of Indiana’s Federal District Court.

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In June, several Cox Media Group radio and television stations fell victim to a vicious cyberattack. Audio streaming was nonfunctioning for weeks. Some TV stations had extreme difficulties in producing a live, local newscast. The company didn’t comment on what was wrong. Now, new information has surfaced as to who the culprit is behind the cyberincursion.

All arrows point to Iran.

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Is a harbinger of a strong programming sales market in 2022, and a healthy transactions marketplace at the upcoming NATPE Miami conference?

Television and Radio Broadcasting Company Ukraine, part of media holding Media Group
Ukraine, has signed a three-year contract deal with NBCUniversal Global Distribution for exclusive rights to broadcast its content in the eastern European nation.

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On August 11, 2021, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the FCC, conducted a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) using only the broadcast-based distribution system, otherwise known as the “EAS daisy chain.”

As FEMA explained, “[t]he intent of conducting the test in this fashion is to determine the capability of the [EAS] to deliver messages to the public in event that dissemination via
internet is not available.”

How did this sixth EAS nationwide test go?

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As 2021 comes to a close, NEXTGEN TV service is available to half of all U.S. television viewers — assuming they’ve shelled out hundreds of dollars as the economy hurtles into recessionary uncertainty.

For ATSC President Madeleine Norland, however, “next year is promising to carry forward the tremendous momentum.”

The PR push and continued quest to convince consumers that NEXTGEN TV is worth the investment enters 2022 on a strong note, indeed, as Norland others tied to ATSC will be in Las Vegas for the pandemic-plagued CES 2022 event.

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RBR+TVBR OBSERVATION

As 2021 comes to a close, the subject of AM radio’s continued viability in the coming years has arose anew, driven by the decision of companies including Cumulus Media to surrender the licenses of stations that have had their fair share of challenges.

While some may shed a tear over these station’s final broadcasts, there is a bigger, more fundamental question that needs to be asked: Did the U.S. radio broadcast industry fail to future-proof itself when it decided to embrace in-band, on-channel HD Radio instead of progressing to DAB, which much of Europe and Australia have adopted? 

Yes, and no.

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In October 2020, Cumulus Media made an executive decision as to whether or not the transmitter for a pair of AM radio stations serving Savannah, Ga., should be repaired, or if it was more prudent to surrender the licenses of the facilities. Cumulus chose the latter, with WBMQ-AM 630 and WJLG-AM 900 disappearing from the Coastal Empire radio dial.

Now, Cumulus has decided to terminate the life of another AM radio station — this time in a hurricane recovery zone.

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Of the topics that have continued to attract the attention of broadcast media’s C-Suite leaders across 2021, addressable advertising is poised to remain front and center as a big concentration point in 2022. With video-on-demand a leader in addressable advertising, how can OTA and VOD collide, providing broadcast media with some solid revenue opportunities in the coming years?

That’s just one question Marianne Vita, SVP and Director of Integrated Strategy and Marketing at the VAB, answers in this fresh podcast arriving just in time for CES 2022, and the upcoming Matrix Media Ad Sales Summit and NATPE Miami in Miami Beach, Fla.

The InFOCUS Podcast is hosted by Adam R Jacobson, with the support of dot.FM.

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: Marianne Vita” on Spreaker.

RBR+TVBR this week has offered no less than three articles about licensees who have opted to turn in the license of their respective AM radio stations. By January 8, 2022, four stations — each of them at least 65 years old — will disappear forever.

A Georgia Association of Broadcasters 2018 Hall of Fame inductee shares that this news shouldn’t be that surprising. Speaking of the Friday final sign-off of KDKD-AM in Clinton, Mo., Art Sutton says, “If this station and the other AMs leaving the air were viable businesses, they wouldn’t be going dark.”

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With the Closing Bell on Wall Street and at Nasdaq headquarters in Times Square on Wednesday, nearly every broadcast media company RBR+TVBR tracks had declined from Tuesday’s trading.

Among the companies seeing declines of particular note is The Walt Disney Co. Approaching $177 on November 8, shares in DIS dipped as low as $142.15 on December 1 before attempting a comeback. On December 29, Disney was down 33 cents to $154.87 in regular trading, and off an additional penny in immediate after-hours trading.

Meanwhile, technology company Veritone saw a $1.75-per share dip, as Sinclair Broadcast Group saw its shares decline by 72 cents per share.

 

 

“Fighting Fake News and Truth Decay.”

That’s the name of a webinar scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022, that is being presented by The Massachusetts Broadcasters Association.

Al Tompkins from the Poynter Institute will host the online event.

Topics covered include:

⦁ Where does information come from and who is behind it?
⦁ Why do people spread disinformation?
⦁ How can you detect fake photos?
⦁ What is metadata and what will it tell you?
⦁ What does every journalist need to understand about algorithms?
⦁ See the newest tools fakers use to alter video and audio.
⦁ How to use polysearch tools to get to the root of an images’ origin.

Webinar information and registration can be found Here.

The 2021 NAB Show was cancelled. Then came IBC, in Amsterdam.

By December 22, Twitter, T-Mobile and the parent of Facebook had pulled out of CES 2022. Then came iHeartRadio, and P&G.

Despite the dark clouds, there was no hard stop on product rollouts and big plans for the year ahead from broadcast media’s biggest technology partners. RBR+TVBR‘s all-new Winter 2022 Special Report, distributed digitally on January 24, 2022, offers exclusive insight and full details about their latest gadgetry and technological advancements key broadcast media tech companies are eager to show off.

Among the broadcast media tech players with new products they’re ready to share with radio and TV industry leaders is GatesAir. In late October 2021, GatesAir added audio processing to its Intraplex IP and Cloud Transport products. For those asked to sign off on a purchase order, cost savings is certainly a big selling point when it comes to auxiliary equipment. But, how does CEO Bruce Swail explain to the C-Suite executive who may not understand what this technology advancement brings to broadcast media means in layman’s terms?

Swail points to the two-year growth of the Ascent product line, which was officially introduced at the NAB Show in 2019 — the last Las Vegas gathering.

On the subject of monitoring and compliance, broadcast monitoring and analysis-focused technology firm Qligent has seemingly been silent across 2021 when it comes to product development and updates to its existing process. “You’re right, we have been quiet,” notes CEO Brick Eksten.

That’s why NAB 2022 is the focal point of Qligent’s “pause,” one that serves as a way to look internally while reviewing the general transition of the market.

With the April affair in Las Vegas marking the “big return” for many a broadcast media technology vendor, as key withdrawals from CES 2022 emerged heading into Christmas, CP Communications has perhaps emerged as one of the more active players of late.

CEO Kurt Heitman is excited about what lies ahead for the company in 2022. That very much includes RF coordination, which CP has done “for many, many years,” he says.

To ensure you’re getting the full story, please take a moment to become a RBR+TVBR Member. All Members will receive a digital copy of our Winter 2022 Special Edition, the only home of our all-new Broadcast Media’s Top Tech Leaders ranking. Sign up by clicking on the menu at the top of the page.

As the holiday season comes to an end and 2022 comes into focus, broadcasters have several dates and deadlines to keep up with in January and early February.

David Oxenford, the respected Washington, D.C., communications attorney with Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP, has noted some of the important dates media industry C-Suite professionals should be tracking.

Oxenford starts with some of the annual dates that always fall in January.

By January 10, full-power radio, TV, and Class A licensees should have their quarterly issues/programs lists uploaded to their online public file. The lists are meant to identify the issues of importance to the station’s community and the programs that the station broadcast in October, November and December that addressed those issues. “Prepare the lists carefully and accurately, as they are the only official records of how your station is serving the public and addressing the needs and interests of its community,” Oxenford advises.

Class A licensees must upload to their public file by January 10 documentation of their continuing Class A eligibility for October-December 2021.  For noncommercial educational stations not affiliated with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, if your station conducted on-air fundraising for third parties during the last three months of 2021 that interrupted normal programming, documentation of those efforts must also be uploaded to the public file.

An annual obligation for television stations is to prepare and file their annual Children’s Television Programming Report (Form 2100, Schedule H – formerly Form 398).  Also due is a certification of compliance with commercial limits in children’s programming.  Schedule H would normally be due to be filed at the FCC on January 30 but, as that date falls on a Sunday in 2022, the FCC filing deadline this year is January 31, the next business day.  Records documenting compliance with the limits on the number of commercial minutes that stations can allow in children’s programming are also due to be uploaded to each full-power and Class A TV station’s public file by January 31—another January 30 deadline pushed to the next business day.  As a reminder, the quarterly filing requirements were replaced with annual filings as part of the 2019 KidVid rule changes.

An important deadline also falls this month for LPTV stations and TV translators. 

Analog TV translators and digital LPTV construction permit holders whose CPs have expiration dates that have expired that received a one hundred and eighty day extension of the July 13, 2021 digital transition (or construction) deadline must be operating digitally by January 10, 2022 or by an earlier January date specified on the station’s extension authorization.

“While in a few cases, the FCC is granting requests to toll that deadline, very specific showings as to why construction was delayed for reasons beyond the control of the broadcaster need to be made or the authorizations of stations not operating digitally by the January 10 deadline will be cancelled,” Oxenford says.

A MID-MARKET MUST

Also important for some TV stations, specifically those in DMAs 71-80 affiliated with one of the top four TV networks, is the requirement to comply with the FCC’s audio description rules beginning January 1, 2022.

The audio description (formerly known as video description) rules make video programming more accessible to blind or visually impaired persons by requiring the use of an audio subchannel to provide descriptions of the visual action in a TV program that is occurring on screen. The affected DMAs are Omaha; Wichita-Hutchinson; Springfield, MO; Charleston-Huntington; Columbia, SC; Rochester, NY; Flint-Saginaw-Bay City; Huntsville-Decatur; Portland-Auburn; and Toledo.

For radio, January 1 brings new higher rates for all digital streaming, including simulcasting, as a cost-of-living increase in the increased SoundExchange royalties as recently announced by the Copyright Royalty Board (though payments are not due for January streaming until 45 days after the end of the month).  But most webcasters do need to pay their minimum annual fees by January 31 (now $1000 per stream for commercial and noncommercial streams not affiliated with a school or CPB).  Noncommercial educational webcasters (affiliated with a school or college), not covered by deals with NPR and CPB, must make elections about recordkeeping requirements that will apply to their stations by January 31.

Looking ahead to February, television and radio stations in several states must file applications for license renewal and file and upload EEO reports.  By February 1, TV stations in Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma and radio stations in New York and New Jersey must file their license renewal applications through the FCC’s Licensing and Management System (LMS) on Form 2100, Schedule 303-S.

Stations filing for renewal of their license should spend the next few weeks reviewing the contents of their online public file and making sure that all required documents are complete and were uploaded on time.

Also on or before February 1, all radio and TV station employment units (a station employment unit is a station or stations that share at least one full-time employee, are in the same geographic area, and are under common control) with five or more full-time employees licensed to communities in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, and Oklahoma must upload to their online public inspection file an Annual EEO Public Inspection File report.  This report covers their hiring and employment outreach activities for February 1, 2021 through January 31, 2022.  

These broadcast licensees must also post on the homepage of their station website (if they have one) a link to the most recent report.

As the Noon hour approached in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the Classics IV single from late 1970, “Where Did All the Good Times Go?,” segued into “Teach Your Children” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

Those songs are “Real Oldies,” and they’ve been a key part of a most unusual noncommercial Class B AM that also offers NPR newscasts.

On Friday, January 7, the station — and its Muskegon simulcast partner — will become the latest operating in the kHz band to call it quits.

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For 17 years, Mike Scott anchored the newscasts for a Salem Media Group conservative Talk station serving the nation’s third-largest market. He did so through a relationship with Total Traffic and Weather Network and NBC News Radio.

On Friday, that arrangement between iHeartMedia-owned TTWN and Salem will end. But, Scott’s not going anywhere, as “The Answer” is engaging in an “overhaul” of its news and traffic operations.

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From the town of Spring Harbor, Mich., a Class A FM has served the cities of Jackson and Albion with a student-run Christian music format. Until now, it has reached the Ann Arbor area via a FM translator outside of the city that’s home to the University of Michigan.

That’s come to an end, however, as the school that owns the FM translator has completed the facility’s sale to another religious broadcaster.

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