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WASHINGTON, D.C. — What do the father of a former FCC Commissioner and interim Chairman, a current FCC Commissioner, and a now-retired highly esteemed communications law of counsel for Foster Garvey have in common?

All are “champions of digital equality,” and were honored Wednesday for their efforts by the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council.

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Two days ago, Beasley Media Group revealed that its Director of Sales for its cluster stations in New England’s biggest market was rising to the corporate level position of VP/Sales for the entire radio broadcasting company.

On Wednesday, Tina Murley’s successor was revealed.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — She founded the company presently known as Urban One and run by her son, Alfred Liggins III.

On Tuesday, Cathy Hughes was recognized for her 40 years of service to African American media consumers on Capitol Hill.

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The Radio.com app, Entercom’s answer to iHeartRadio, is getting a big in-dash boost thanks to Xperi-owned DTS

As of today, Radio.com is now integrated into DTS Connected Radio.

The new in-dash product recently came to market in the latest Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and more vehicle launches are on the way.

DTS Connected Radio is a global hybrid radio platform and has been “purpose-built to deliver consistent and reliable services in all countries while ensuring control of the broadcaster’s content and secure content delivery,” Entercom notes.

“DTS Connected Radio continues to build on its mission to give today’s car-owners the visually rich, immersive listening experience they expect from the digital dash, while ensuring broadcaster editorial control,” added Joe D’Angelo, Xperi’s Radio SVP. “Radio.com’s integration is another example of global broadcaster support of DTS Connected Radio and our commitment to deliver today’s most modern and robust in-cabin infotainment experience to OEMs around the world.”

DTS Connected Radio allows continued station listening from local Entercom broadcast stations via streams provided by Radio.com when the vehicle drives out of broadcast range.

In addition, the integration means “significant economies of scale” for Entercom and its broadcast partners, as stations “can easily integrate and manage their services, station information, and streams in one place.”

In addition to DTS Connected Radio, Xperi’s automotive technologies include DTS AutoSense, and HD Radio.

Order for TRT on the Nautel factory floor

Nautel has snagged another big contract to provide FM transmitters in Turkey.

The company is supplying 30 NVLT FM transmitters to Turkish Radio-Television Corp. with the option to purchase 12 more if needed.

These transmitters are all 5 kW models. The transmitters will be deployed at key locations throughout the country next year.

“Based in Ankara, TRT provides five regional and six national radio services as well as six AM radio broadcasts,” Nautel noted in its announcement.

“Additionally, Voice of Turkey provides shortwave programming in 32 languages. TRT radio is available on internet, satellite and cable as well as terrestrial services.”

In 2009, Nautel won a contract for 224 FM transmitters in a range of power levels up to 20 kW, and it supplied three 300 kW MW transmitters to TRT in 2008-2009. It said its transmitters have been “used to modernize a large portion of Turkey’s national FM Radio infrastructure.”

Yusef Tasdemir is the head of the Transmitter Operations Department at TRT. Ilker Aydin Akin is sales manager for Europe, Russia and Israel at Nautel.

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

The post Nautel Supplies 30 FM Transmitters to TRT appeared first on Radio World.

Her name is Noemy Rodriguez, and she is the operator of Alcon Media.

And, her business is purchasing a full-power FM and an FM translator serving a market in Southeastern Washington known for its agricultural community, wineries and a large population of Hispanic immigrants.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Some five years ago, in support of a goal to preserve a vacant channel for use by white space devices and wireless microphones, the FCC proposed rules for television stations applying for a new, displacement, or modified facility in the television band.

Now, largely due to “other actions” the Commission has taken to support white space devices and wireless mics, GN Docket No. 12-268 has been terminated.

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A divided Senate has approved Pres. Trump’s Republican nominee to the FCC, Nathan Simington.

Democrats strongly opposed the nomination of Simington, currently with the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, arguing it was a way to stymie the Democratic FCC agenda out of the gate, but Republicans prevailed in a straight party line vote 49–46, though with no floor defense of the President’s nominee after Democrats had pilloried him.

Senate Republicans have consistently appeared unenthusiastic about the Simington nomination, not speaking up strongly for him during the Commerce Committee’s approval of the nomination on Tuesday before voting (the same 49–46) to proceed to a vote on his nomination.

[Read: Chairman Pai Will Leave FCC in January]

Simington was the president’s choice while traditionally congressional Republicans would have a voice in the pick.

He is expected to take his seat, succeeding outgoing commissioner Michael O’Rielly, late Thursday (Dec. 8) or Friday, following the FCC’s Thursday public meeting.

President Donald Trump nominated O’Rielly for a second term, but pulled the nomination following a speech in which O’Rielly raised questions about efforts to regulate social media, something the President has been pushing the FCC to do.

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), ranking member on the Senate Commerce Committee, was the first to speak on the Simington nomination after the Senate, again divided along party lines, had voted to limit debate and proceed, eventually, to the nomination vote.

She said she had questions about his neutrality and independence, given reports he had tried to enlist Fox News to spotlight the issue of regulating social media and given the abrupt withdrawal of O’Rielly’s nomination in favor of Simington, who worked on NTIA’s petition to the FCC seeking social media regulation, a petition Trump had mandated in an executive order as part of his effort to regulate sites, like Twitter and Facebook, he has long argued censor Republicans, including him.

“I hope that we will not pass the Simington nomination,” Cantwell said, but added that if he was to be confirmed, as assumed, her colleagues should move quickly to also approve a Democratic nominee to the commission, when one is chosen. She pointed out that, usually, Republican and Democratic FCC nominees are paired in such circumstances. A Republican Senate is not likely to rush to such confirmation, however.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the second senator to speak on the nomination, pulled no punches.

He said Simington was dangerous to the FCC at this moment in history, for which he was the wrong person at the wrong time, pointing to President Trump’s attempts to retaliate against social media platforms, his attempts to enlist the FCC in that effort, and Simington’s participation in that effort.

Blumenthal called him unprepared and unqualified for the post. He also cited the potential gridlock issue and noted the usual bipartisan pairing of nominees. He urged a no vote.

Democrats have reason to be worried that Simington’s installation could tie up the Democratic agenda after Jan. 20 — there would be two Democrats and two Republicans — and until a third Democrat can be named to Pai’s commission seat — he is exiting Jan. 20 — which if Republicans retain control of the Senate could be months down the road.

FCC commissioner Brendan Carr, who will be the only other Republican on the commission after the chairman exits, has been urging the Senate to confirm Simington so together they can thwart a Democratic FCC’s moves out of the gate.

In an appearance on Fox Business’ “Cavuto Coast-to-Coast,” Carr said: “I think it would be very valuable to get Simington across the finish line and help forestall what really would be billions of dollars’ worth of economic damage that I think a Democratic FCC would look to jam through from Day One. One thing a Democratic FCC is expected to do is restore net neutrality rules, which Carr has called “socialism in sheep’s clothing.”

 

The post Republican Nathan Simington Confirmed to FCC Seat appeared first on Radio World.

In normal times, he’d likely be celebrating the birth of a brand-new digital multicast network, thanks to a recent purchase through his growing broadcast media operation, at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach while attending NATPE Miami.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, that event is now a virtual affair. But, that’s likely not stopping Byron Allen and his team from cheering about the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day transition of Light TV to the latest offering superserving Black TV consumers.

As RBR+TVBR first reported on October 30, Allen Media Group has acquired MGM‘s over-the-air broadcast television networks This TV and Light TV, offered a digital multicast offerings across the U.S., for an undisclosed price.

Launched in 2008, This TV is programmed with films, and other limited general entertainment content in the form of classic television series.

Light TV dates to 2016; it has featured family-friendly movies and series. That fare will disappear on January 15, 2021 – the start of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend.  At that time, Light TV will officially transition to TheGrio.TV.

According to Allen Media, TheGrio.TV will feature African American-focused content reaching over 100 million U.S. households via over-the-air broadcast television stations, cable/telco/satellite platforms, and free digital streaming. With its new network brand slogan Our Culture Forever, TheGrio.TV will feature movies, sitcoms, dramas, concerts, talk shows, variety shows, game shows, news, and lifestyle content.

What is “TheGrio”? The term, in parts of Africa, is used to define a storyteller.

At one time owned by NBCUniversal, TheGrio.com was purchased by Allen in 2016 when it had less than 1 million monthly active users. In Summer 2020, TheGrio.com achieved its peak of over 10.5 million monthly active users.

“TheGrio.com is now one of the most visited news and entertainment sites for the African-American community, and is the largest employer of African-American journalists,” Allen said in a press release.

He added, “TheGrio.TV is especially important to me as it will both serve and uplift all viewers. TheGrio.TV is the first and only 100 percent African American-owned and targeted broadcast television network and free digital platform – making us truly authentic, without being filtered or controlled by others outside of the community.”

On Tuesday, TheGrio.TV received a big boost courtesy of FOX Television Stations. It will carry TheGrio.TV as a digital subchannel on 11 owned-and-operated broadcast properties, including WNYW-5 in New York, KTTV-11 in Los Angeles, and stations in Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, Minneapolis and Orlando.

RBR+TVBR RELATED READ:

Byron Allen’s Group Makes ‘Island News’ With KITV Buy Adam Jacobson Across the Hawaiian Islands, “Island News” has come courtesy of an ABC affiliate owned and operated by two brothers from Erie, Pa.: Brian and Kevin Lilly. That ownership will soon come to an end, thanks to one of the most aggressive buyers in broadcast television today. Byron Allen’s Multi-Million Deal Includes LPTVs Adam Jacobson USA Television Holdings, the Bob Prather-led entity, on Oct. 1 revealed that it is agreeing to sell 11 broadcast television stations to Byron Allen’s Allen Media Broadcasting for $290 million. It is now known that the blockbuster deal includes several low-power TV stations. DuJuan McCoy’s Next Move: A Spin To Byron Allen Adam Jacobson One month ago, DuJuan McCoy emerged as the buyer of two TV stations in Indianapolis that Nexstar Media Group needed to sell in order to get regulatory approval of its merger with Tribune Broadcasting. Now, McCoy is poised to focus solely on those properties. Lightning Strikes For Byron Allen With Weather Channel Buy Adam Jacobson In the early 1980s, Byron Allen was best known as one of several commentators on the NBC comedy talk show Real People. Now, he’s a media mogul that just acquired The Weather Channel and its Local Now streaming service through his Allen Media LLC. Entertainment Studios CEO Byron Allen Upset by Industry Racism RBR-TVBR Media mogul corners President Obama at fundraiser and makes racist claims against AT&T. A TV Mogul Talks To The Audio World Adam Jacobson Once a host on NBC’s “Real People,” Byron Allen is today at the helm of one of the most successful broadcast media growth stories of today. He’s the founder of Entertainment Studios and Chairman/CEO of growing TV station owner Allen Media Group. So, why was Allen a keynote speaker at the virtual 2020 Radio Show on Thursday?

As RBR+TVBR first shared on its Twitter feed on Tuesday afternoon, the Republican majority of the U.S. Senate, by a 49-46 vote, confirmed Nathan Simington to be a member of the FCC.

Simington will take his seat as a Commissioner, replacing Mike O’Rielly, with the transition in power at the White House from President Trump to Joe Biden. Concurrently, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will step down, as is traditional with a change in leadership at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.

Much discussion is being had across Washington about a “deadlock” at the FCC come January 21, 2021. But, is that just conjecture?

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