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Issued a Forfeiture Order in the amount of $1,500 to LLF Holdings, LLC, for failure to timely file a license renewal application for FM Translator W275CC, Macon, Georgi

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Variety reports that Joe Budden has fired his co-hosts Rory Farrell and Jamil “Mal” Clay from the popular Joe Budden Podcast.

In episode 437 of the show, Joe berated his hosts on-air for disrespecting him in some way and fired them.

On Twitter Joe seemed to indicate that he may be ending the show when he responded to a fan by saying, “There are millions of podcasts, ppl will survive.”

So far, the episode has only been officially released to his Patreon subscribers and the episode is titled “You Want It To Be One Way…”

— Podcast Business Journal

The last time ViacomCBS had anything to do with audio, CBS Radio was a part of CBS Corporation, and a reunification of CBS and Viacom hadn’t yet been consummated.

Guess what? ViacomCBS is talking audio. Only, the discussion is fully focused on podcasts.

And, iHeartMedia is involved.

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Of all of the audio media companies to report its quarterly earnings results, one sticks out for its bold decision to dare to compare its Q1 2021 results to that of Q1 2019.

That would be Townsquare Media, where digital ad prowess is now propelling its stock in noteworthy ways.

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The Walt Disney Company has ended its fiscal second quarter of 2021 with 103.6 million Disney+ subscribers.

Uh-oh. Disney+ in early March said it surpassed 100 million subscribers for the first time, and it appears the excitement over the over-the-top platform is slowing down.

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Its shares now bear an aggressive 1-year target price of $4.13. Its publishing arm is performing well, and its non-secular spoken word AM Talk stations could win over listeners to the late Rush Limbaugh.

All seems great for Salem Media Group, yet its stock price is now two months into a decline that has put a firm break on a big Wall Street recovery.

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Telos Alliance has introduced a high-density version of its iPort, calling it a multi-codec gateway that lets broadcasters license up to 64 codecs in one rack unit.

“Worldwide networks use iPort for both distribution and contribution, spanning multiple time zones,” the company explained in its announcement.

“Now, the iPort legacy continues with the more powerful iPort High Density, which transports multiple channels of stereo, mono and dual-mono audio across IP networks, including private WANs, IP-radio links and over good quality public internet connections, perfect for large-scale distribution of audio to single or multiple locations.”

The iPort High Density comes with eight bidirectional stereo codecs, configurable to run in MPEG or Linear PCM mode.

“Broadcasters can license additional codecs up to a maximum of 64, as well as add Enhanced aptX encoding.”

The box connects to existing Livewire networks using one ethernet cable (CAT-6 recommended) for all I/O. It can also pair with Telos Alliance xNodes via an adequately configured ethernet switch for use as a standalone multi-stream codec.

The post Telos Intros a High-Density Version of iPort appeared first on Radio World.

Standard Media Index, known for its global advertising spend and pricing data, has just released key findings from its Q1 2021 “Anglo Market Report.”

It’s a comprehensive look at English-speaking markets, looking primarily at North America, Australia and New Zealand, and the United Kingdom but not Ireland.

In these locales, SMI finds, combined ad spend has lifted 4% above the total recorded in Q1 2020 and 1% above the pre-COVID Q1 2019 period.

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Despite the strain that digital native technology platforms have placed on their traditional business, local broadcast radio and TV will continue to play an important public interest role for years to come, said FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks.

He spoke during a virtual luncheon sponsored by the Media Institute.

“Broadcasting has always been a steady and reliable resource to Americans,” he said, according to remarks provided by the commission. “And now more than ever, Americans still rely heavily on broadcast media to navigate the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

[Related: Sen. Cantwell Touts the Importance of Local Broadcast News]

Starks, one of the two current Democratic commissioners, quoted a recent study that found that broadcast TV was the most pervasive medium accessed during the pandemic, reaching 84% of Americans surveyed.

The study also found that local broadcast TV proved to be the most trusted news source with local TV news shows attracting 25 million nightly viewers.

The emphasis here should be on the word local, Starks said.

“Localism is one of the pillars that guides the FCC’s regulation of broadcasting, and now more than ever local TV stations must rise to the challenge of continuing to serve local audiences while at the same time navigating the evolving media landscape and managing the evolving needs of their diverse populations of consumers,” he said.

Starks quoted a recent study by BIA Advisory Services that found that the most trusted, highly consumed and most valued news source among all models is news produced by local broadcast stations.

The study also reveals the strain that technology platforms have placed on the traditional broadcast business model; TV and radio have steadily lost advertising revenue over the last several years.

When it comes to radio specifically, the pandemic has had a significant impact. For many years, disruptive technologies and applications like satellite radio and streaming services have attracted listeners away from broadcast radio. Starks noted that FCC latest figures show that there were 44 fewer licensed commercial FM stations and 34 fewer AMs a year after the coronavirus pandemic began.

Potential improvements may be in store with the upcoming planned auction this summer of four AM construction permits and 136 FM construction permits as part of Auction 109.

“In my view, the unique ability of radio to target specific audiences where they live and work gives broadcasters a competitive advantage,” he said. “I believe that local broadcast radio and TV will continue to play an important public interest role for years to come.”

The speech can be viewed at the Media Institute Communications Forum page.

At the virtual event, Starks also spoke about the importance of diversity in media, the future of media ownership, accessibility, localism and competition.

The post Starks Cites Local News as a Pillar appeared first on Radio World.

From the south side of historic St. Augustine, Fla., sits a broadcast tower that’s home to a Class B AM with 230 watts after dark and 2kw when it’s light out. It uses an FM translator to give a little “revitalization,” too.

Now, both are heading to a new owner.

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On March 1, a California company focused on how cable television companies “can maintain its relevance” in the coming years as subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) continues to gain market share voluntarily reorganized by seeking federal bankruptcy protection.

At the time, the company, MobiTV, stressed it was “committed to working with its lenders and stakeholders towards a speedy and successful resolution” of its filing for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

It’s now known that the successful resolution to its fiscal woes is a sale at auction of its assets to the highest bidder. The winning bid went to the parent of HD Radio.

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On Tuesday, Saga Communications shares rocketed upward by 30%. This immediately led to questions as to why that even CFO Sam Bush couldn’t answer, when contacted by RBR+TVBR.

Now, a SEC filing shows what led to the jump, and small retraction in share value seen Wednesday. And, it only presents more questions regarding Saga — and its largest shareholder.

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Tom Scott has been promoted to the role of vice president/engineering for mid-size group owner SummitMedia.

“Scott will manage engineering for all SummitMedia Markets throughout the U.S.,” the Alabama-based company announced.

“He is a radio veteran with over 30 years of engineering experience and has served as a chief engineer for SummitMedia, Cox Radio Group and Clear Channel Radio.”

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

The announcement was made by SummitMedia CEO Carl Palmer, who highlighted Scott’s “depth of knowledge and strategic vision.”

The company has stations in Birmingham, Ala.; Greenville, S.C.; Honolulu; Knoxville, Tenn.; Louisville, Ky.; Omaha, Neb.; Richmond, Va.; Springfield, Mo.; Tuscaloosa, Ala.; and Wichita, Kan. (Here’s a list of its stations.)

He succeeds Dennis Sloatman, who retired (read our interview with him).

Send engineering and executive People News announcements to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post SummitMedia Promotes Tom Scott appeared first on Radio World.

Sen. Maria Cantwell spoke with NAB President Gordon Smith at the State Leadership Conference about the important role that radio and TV broadcasters play in reporting legitimate news.

More must be done to preserve local news in local communities, especially in light of unfair competition and the bulk of misinformation that is often erroneously reported as news — that was the sentiment expressed by U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) during a one-on-one chat with NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. Cantwell, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, spoke to Smith after giving a keynote address at the NAB’s 2021 virtual State Leadership Conference.

At the virtual conference, Cantwell spoke about the important role that radio and TV broadcasters play in reporting legitimate news; in her mind they are part of our nation’s critical infrastructure.

[Read: “My Heart Will Always Beat as a Broadcaster”]

Along those lines, she also announced her intention to propose a tax credit and grant program totaling $2.3 billion to support local journalism through the next few years.

“My message today is that local broadcasting continues to play an important role in creating trust in the United States of America,” she said during the interview with Smith. But it’s all too clear that TV stations, radio stations and newspapers face serious hardships caused both by major changes in information age and from the coronavirus, she said.

Although Congress passed the CARES Act in late 2020 to help support broadcasters through tax changes, small business loans and employee retention credits, the fight to protect journalism must continue, she said, as local broadcasters continue to shed jobs and fight stiff competition from digital native sources.

“Broadcast journalism and news journalism are part of [our] critical infrastructure,” Cantwell said, saying that the $2.3 billion in tax credits and grants to ensure that local journalism continues to thrive.

Under Cantwell’s plan, tax credits would help preserve the existing broadcast workforce and a grant program that would help broadcasters who are looking to rehire.

Smith asked Cantwell why she thought that local journalism qualifies as part of our critical infrastructure. “You provide information and challenges to other information that’ s inaccurate,” she said. “It’s an ecosystem that needs to be preserved.”

“What I really appreciate about broadcast journalism and local news in particular is that it is what holds us together,” she said. “It is what puts the eyes on our local legislators and our governments. And without that we’d really have a deterioration of our communities. It’s something we have to fight for.”

The NAB State Leadership Conference, an annual gathering of several hundred station owners and executives, provides updates on current legislative and regulatory issues facing TV and radio broadcasters.

 

The post Sen. Cantwell Touts the Importance of Local Broadcast News appeared first on Radio World.