A plan has come to fruition that would see the issuance of senior notes due in eight years, and a series of senior notes due in 10 years, as a way the nation’s dominant audience measurement and data analytics company can prepay a series of term loans agreed to in June 2020.
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The author is executive director of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. NFCB commentaries are featured regularly at www.radioworld.com.
This has been a wild week in the world of cryptocurrency. Hints that the U.S. government will tighten up regulations and China’s crackdown sparked a precipitous fall of Bitcoin prices over the last few days. While there has been a mild recovery, attention on the speculative nature of this buzzy digital money persists.
For noncommercial radio stations, many of which rely on donations, the realm of cryptocurrency may seem weird. Indecipherable terminology and cryptocurrency named after memes are among the sideshows. Yet, thanks to Elon Musk, cryptocurrency has seen mainstream media coverage and massive growth. Is it too risky for noncommercial radio?
Cryptocurrency is all the rage in the nonprofit world. There’s Crypto Giving Tuesday to accompany the annual day of giving. This week, NPR joined the cryptocurrency movement as a verified publisher with Brave. Brave, a secure internet browser based on the Chrome core, has set up a plan where a publisher can accept a form of crypto called a Basic Attention Token. Users can opt to “tip” a publisher with BAT coins, which can then be traded for U.S. dollars and other real currency.
[Read: Community Broadcaster: Urgent Action]
As public media goes, the move is astonishing. Remember, this is NPR we’re talking about, not a fly-by-night unit. It may not be Tesla (which walked back its own jump into the crypto world), but for the biggest name in public radio to accept donations in this manner is unique.
What might a noncommercial broadcaster need to know if managers or the board of directors wants to get into accepting cryptocurrency in your donation portfolio? First, it is essential to understand that the finance community’s concern is based on crypto’s volatility. At this writing one Ethereum, a popular form of cryptocurrency, is worth $2,800. Less than two weeks ago, it was worth $1,000 less. That’s a bigger swing than even the riskiest stocks, and unfortunately its worth can be affected by far more random forces, such as tweets or Reddit speculation. Cryptocurrency can be exciting, but it may not be something to base a radio station’s capital campaign on, for instance. Consider it a long-term account that could be incredible in 10 years, or could be worth very little.
Setting up acceptance channels for your noncommercial radio station is not as cumbersome as creating other accounts, but will require diligence and forethought. Crypto “wallets” and other repositories for your donations may require complex security protocols. If you lose your passwords or other “keys,” you could lose access to everything.
Your radio station may wish to visit with your bank to see if they deal with cryptocurrency or have vendors they interface with, or recommend. There are many service providers that will accept crypto for your nonprofit and automatically convert to cash, if your banking institution shies away from it.
Your station may also wish to experiment with donation platforms, which make the setup for accepting cryptocurrency donations seamless. The trading site Binance is among many that provide a means for noncommercial radio stations to engage.
Cryptocurrency has taken many hits this week, but the hype is not going away anytime soon. Noncommercial radio looking to expand donation choices for audiences have a fascinating option, surely.
The post Community Broadcaster: Going to the Doges appeared first on Radio World.
H&A has unveiled its new AC50 Studio Broadcast Microphone, primarily intended for use on podcasts, broadcast, studio, vocals, narration, fish pole use and instrumentals.
Featuring a cardioid pattern, the mic is top-address, eschewing off-axis noise, making it appropriate for broadcasting, podcasting or vocal performances. Inside the mic, along with the mesh shielding, the internal pop filter helps eliminate distortion and allows for instant control of plosives when talking close to the microphone.
[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]
A low-cut filter switch allows users to reduce low frequencies by –10 dB in order to maintain an overall flat frequency response when needed. The microphone features a shielded all–aluminum construction. With a dynamic capsule, it does not need phantom power.
The microphone ships with a mic clip, a standard mount adapter, and a molded ABS protective case lined with impact resistant foam for storage and transportation.
Available exclusively at Adorama, the H&A AC50 Studio Broadcast Microphone is available for $99.95.
Info: www.adorama.com
The post H&A AC50 Studio Broadcast Microphone appeared first on Radio World.
The owners of a Macy’s warehouse located on Gandy Blvd. midway between downtown Tampa and St. Petersburg, Fla., have moved forward with buying the neighboring property due east of the facility facing the Selmon Expressway.
It’s a multimillion-dollar deal. And, it will see the relocation of iHeartMedia’s radio stations serving the Tampa Bay region.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the company will pocket $3.8 million from the real estate deal for 4002 W. Gandy Blvd.
The iHeartMedia/Tampa station group is comprised of Top 40 WFLZ, once Jacor’s famed “Power Pig”; Adult Contemporary WMTX “Mix 100.7,” Rock WXTB-FM “98 Rock,” Country WFUS-FM “US 103.5,” Hip-Hop/R&B WBTP-FM 95.7 “The Beat,” Sports WDAE-AM and FM Translator W237CW, Talk WFLA-AM 970, “Impact Radio” WHNZ-AM, “Throwback Tampa Bay,” and Tropical WRUB-FM 106.5 in nearby Sarasota.
According to the Times, Hillsborough County property records indicate the iHeartMedia facility was sold on April 29 to LBA LVF VII XII Company LLC. It shares an Irvine, Calif. address with the buyers of a 39-acre Macy’s warehouse property just to the west of the iHeart facility.
The Macy’s property sold in late December 2020 for $32 million.
Xperi subsidiary DTS and Cumulus Media have reached a deal that will see the integration of the audio media company’s AM and FM radio stations into a “connected car infotainment platform.”
That would be DTS AutoStage — described by Xperi as a global hybrid radio platform that’s currently coming to market in the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class series of vehicles.
The DTS AutoStage platform is open and available to all broadcasters at no cost, at this time.
Cumulus SVP/Technology Conrad Trautmann notes, “DTS AutoStage is helping elevate radio into the connected car future, while enabling our radio stations to benefit from economies of scale and service simplification.”
Cumulus station metadata will be represented in the DTS AutoStage in-vehicle infotainment ecosystem.
Among the content partnerships DTS AutoStage has with major broadcast groups and aggregators around the world are BBC, Bauer, Global Radio, NPO, Audacy, Beasley, Cox Media, Commercial Radio Australia, radiko, FM World, and Germany’s SWR.
With Urban One stock exploding in value on Thursday, it was only natural that some investors may want to cash out and enjoy a handsome profit.
That’s exactly what transpired on Friday, as UONE went on a wild ride that saw shares jump and quickly recede, leading to a 13% dip for the day.
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A Chicago-based live and virtual event production company is the latest company to have adopted a “go to” solution for connecting remote presenters into virtual events.
It’s technology that broadcast TV executives may wish to consider for their own operations.
Signature Production Group is using Quicklink Studio and Quicklink ST102’s tools, provided to them through Key Code Media, a U.S.-based systems integrator for A/V, broadcast, and post-production solutions.
Joel Paige, General Manager of Signature Production Group, comments, “At first, it looked like the product we were looking for didn’t exist due to our simultaneous use of NDI video and Dante audio. But the Quicklink developers stepped up and customized a solution that fit our workflow perfectly. The collaborative relationship between our companies has been a big part of the key to the success we’ve had with the Quicklink solutions.”
For more information on Quicklink ST55 click here, and for more information on Quicklink’s ST102, click here.
Cumulus Media is giving all-digital AM a go by launching Digital AM 1230 HD WFAS(AM) in White Plains, N.Y., on Monday. The station is just north of New York City and can be heard in the northern suburbs of what is the top media market in the United States.
The 1,000 watt AM station, which is also changing to an all-news/talk format on Monday, has been informing listeners of the pending change on its website. Once WFAS switches to all-digital operations, only radios equipped with HD Radio technology will be able to receive the radio station. WFAS will no longer be available on analog-only radio, according to its website.
[Read: Cumulus Stations Support DTS AutoStage]
Conrad Trautmann, SVP, technology and operations for Cumulus Media, led the all-digital conversion process for the broadcaster and said a lot of technical consideration went into the project beginning with the existing tower.
“In order to run digital bandwidth through an AM antenna you need the antenna optimized. We worked with Carl T. Jones [a consulting engineering firm] to redesign the existing antenna so it would support running IBOC HD Radio,” Trautmann said.
The WFAS antenna is a “folded unipole, so it’s a grounded 450-foot tower with a skirt and the skirt stood 16 inches off the tower,” Trautmann said. “However, the modeling we did showed the skirt had to be 36 inches off the tower. That meant buying all the components and parts to stand it off further.”
It was also determined the tuning network in the antenna tuning unit was no longer usable for the broadband signal, he said, and had to be redesigned. “We ordered all the parts from Kintronic. We basically rebuilt the ATU at the base of the tower.”
The all-digital station will use a new Nautel NX3 all-digital transmitter and a Telos Omnia.9 audio processor with HD output, Trautmann said.
Cumulus engineering staff spent part of last week testing the all-digital signal and was “very satisfied with the results,” Trautmann says. The station’s website has been advising listeners of the coming changes and touting the advantages of all-digital AM: “Broadcasting in digital can eliminate static and interference and improve sound quality to equal FM radio. In addition, it can extend the range for clear AM reception.”
[Read: WWFD Conducts More HD2 Testing]
“In analog we typically had about 15 miles of Grade A signal, or city grade signal. WFAS is only 1,000 watts. On the drive testing we did with the all-digital signal it is solid all to the way 25-mile mark. So it seems we have added 10 miles of radius to the signal, which results in quite a bit of population coverage in the northern suburbs of New York City,” Trautmann says.
That increased signal reach will mean more penetration into the Bronx and Queens and the northern tip of Manhattan, he said, “but it’s by no means a New York City signal.” In addition, the test signal sounded like FM, Trautmann says, with “all the lows and highs. And it’s louder on the dial than the other AMs.”
The radio station is telling listeners they can find the station on Monday using an HD Radio-capable receiver, using the online stream or via its mobile app on a tablet or smartphone.
Trautmann, who had help on the project from Bud Williamson from Digital Radio Engineering, says Cumulus had been looking for a good candidate to experiment with all-digital AM and WFAS was chosen since it “wasn’t getting any ratings and not generating much revenue.”
WFAS featured the CBS Sports Radio Network prior to its Monday launch of all-digital. The station will now offer all talk programming, including “The Dan Bongino Show,” which debuts Monday on the Cumulus owned Westwood One.
Trautmann says Cumulus wants to see how WFAS performs before it commits to any more all-digital AM conversions. The project does coincide with Thursday’s announcement that Cumulus is partnering with Xperi’s DTS AutoStage connected car platform. The broadcaster says it will integrate its 415 radio stations into the hybrid radio system available on Mercedes-Benz S-Class vehicles.
[Read: Sweeten the Pot to Entice AM Digital]
“We are really hoping to see if the hybrid radio component of this becomes beneficial. If we get people to tune in and then when they get out of signal range have the car radio switch to the stream then we can demonstrate how AM radio can sound as good as any other platform. The switching from the over the air to the stream is really critical for that,” Trautmann said.
WFAS appears to be the third radio station in the country to convert to all-digital AM since the FCC authorized AM radio stations to do so. WWFD(AM) in Frederick, Md., and WMGG(AM) in Tampa, Fla., are the others.
The post New York Cumulus AM to Go All-Digital appeared first on Radio World.
… and the Catz, too.
Meredith, who gained full control of Powell Meredith Communications Company in a 2009 divorce settlement, is selling a 40-watt FM translator serving an Arizona community to the northwest of Phoenix.
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A longtime public radio leader who served as President and GM of North Carolina Public Radio has passed away.
She had been on medical leave since February. However, details about the cause of death were not shared by the family.
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The Advanced Warning and Response Network (AWARN) Alliance is hosting a virtual summit next week that will bring together broadcasters and other private sector players with the nation’s largest alerting authorities to discuss next generation emergency messaging.
BE SURE TO FOLLOW RBR+TVBR ON TWITTER!
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It seems the creditors to the regional sports networks owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group that recently took on the Bally Sports brand through a wide-ranging integrated partnership with the gaming company are in the process of signing non-disclosure agreements to start talks on lowering the RSN’s $8 billion debt load.
That’s according to “people with knowledge of the matter” who spoke with two Bloomberg reporters on Friday.
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