Industry News

Big, splashy tech developments like autonomous vehicles and virtual reality are powered by the latest developments in communications infrastructure, like 5G. But, high-level technology is necessary in areas you don’t always consider — including sports broadcasts.

With that in mind, the Pac-12 turned to Zayo Group, a global provider of enterprise-grade network infrastructure solutions, as its official sponsor and technology partner.

This led to the December 2021 placement of the Pac-12 Football Championship Game on the Zayo Wavelength Network. The game was the highest viewed program of the day among 18-49-year-olds, with an audience of 4.2 million viewers.

What does this relationship entail?

First, The Pac-12 Network utilizes Zayo’s DIA network as their primary ISP at their corporate headquarters in San Francisco and Zayo’s Dark Fiber Network to broadcast the Men’s and Women’s basketball conference championships in Las Vegas.

Further, the Pac-12 Network utilizes Zayo’s Wavelength Network to broadcast 24-hour coverage of Pac-12 sanctioned sporting events, including Olympic sports and broadcasts of archived sports telecasts via satellite and cable networks.

Additionally, live events from all 12 universities including 30+ football games, 100+ men’s basketball games, Pac-12 Championship events, more than 300 live Olympic sport events as well as original and studio content such as The Pregame, The Drive: Pac-12 Football, Inside Pac-12 Football, Our Stories and Pac-12 All-Access.

In addition to the national channel, the Pac-12 Network also operates a group of six regional sports channels focusing on different schools within the conference under the Pac-12 Networks brand.

Zayo’s partnership with the Pac-12 comes as the company is acquiring QOS Networks from M/C Partners. QOS is a provider of SD-WAN and edge-managed services.

It also follows the recent appointment of Lynn Tinney as SVP of Channels and Partnerships. Tinney joins Zayo from Brightcove, where she served as VP of Global Channels.

An AM and its FM translator licensed to the city of Santa Fe, N. Mex., are seeking the Commission’s approval for a pro forma transfer.

It is being done without consideration, and for estate planning purposes.

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Freedom. That’s what is coming soon to Rahsaan Thomas.

The 51-year-old co-host of the podcast Ear Hustle has had his sentence commuted by the governor of California, Gavin Newsom.

Until now, Ear Hustle has been a unique draw for podcast listeners. Why? It is produced inside San Quentin State Prison, where Thomas is an inmate — at least for now.

The decision from Sacramento means Thomas can immediately go in front of the California state parole board, which will decide if he may be released. It is likely, as the board already recommended the clemency grant, Podcast Business Journal reports.

Thomas was serving a 55.5-years-to-life sentence for a second-degree murder conviction in 2000. He was charged with fatally shooting one person and injuring another in a drug deal gone bad. Thomas argued that it was self-defense.

It’s known across the broadcasting industry as a volunteer non-profit charitable organization of top-level female radio professionals “dedicated to using their influence and resources to help other women in radio broadcasting develop management and leadership skills.”

Now, the Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio (MIW) group has three new members to its Board of Directors.

The three executives are described by MIW as “top-level female radio professionals who use their experience, influence, and resources to help other women in radio develop management and leadership skills.” They are Brittney Jackson, Haley Jones and Melissa Mitchell.

Jackson is the General and Digital Sales Manager for Urban One/Richmond. She is responsible for recruiting and developing new talent, leading multi-platform sales efforts, and increasing annual revenue. A graduate of MIWs 2016 Mildred Carter Mentoring Program, Jackson has participated in numerous leadership programs and has served as a speaker at National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation’s Media Sales Institute and the RAB/NAB Radio Show.

Jones serves as Head of Independents for MRC Data where she oversees independent labels, small radio groups, and managers with music intelligence for today – whether that’s airplay, consumption data (sales or streaming), or helping clients understand changing consumer behaviors. Haley, who currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, previously spent over 20 years programming radio, shaping now-defunct stations in the Adult Alternative format.

Mitchell is Bonneville International’s Director of Finance, Corporate Controller and located in their Denver market. In her role with Bonneville, she is responsible for financial accounting and reporting, accounts payable, consolidated traffic operations, and operational process and reporting improvement for the Company’s six markets in Denver, Phoenix, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, and Seattle. Melissa has over 25 years of broadcast experience. She has been an active member of the Media Financial Management Association, and its Board, since 2008 and is currently serving as Immediate Past Chair.

MIW Board President Ruth Presslaff said, “We are extremely fortunate to have not one but three powerhouses join our Board. Their success speaks for itself; it’s their willingness to pay it forward for the good of women and our industry that makes each so special and appreciated. I’d be remiss in not thanking the three Members leaving our Board as their terms end: Kay Olin, Principal Olin & Associates, and past MIW Spokeswoman, whose constant leadership, dedication, and long term participation profoundly impacted MIW and me personally; Valerie Blackburn, Principal VKB Consulting, whose financial expertise led MIW through the arduous process of establishing a formal 501(c)(3) status; and Beth Neuhoff President & CEO Neuhoff Media who provided invigorating energy and challenging ideas that MIW will push ever forward.”

Both Corinne Baldassano and Erica Farber are founding members of the MIW organization.

It’s controlled by HC2 Broadcasting but continues to have stations in its stable licensed to the entity it has majority control over, DTV America.

Paperwork has been filed with the FCC that will see DTV America spin a low-power TV station in the Deep South. The buyer? It is led by Maurice Bailey.

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Audacy, the audio content creation and distribution company, has sold an AM radio station.

It’s at 1550 kHz and serves Northern California. And, it happened to be the home of the company’s LGBTQ+-focused music and entertainment digital multicast format.

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More business groups are pushing lawmakers to pass a single national standard for consumer privacy.

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Known as “the dean of country music broadcasters” Ralph Emery died over the weekend. The former WSM morning show host was 88.

Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007, the legendary broadcaster started his career at small radio stations and eventually moved into television. Emery spent a decade hosting “Nashville Now” on the Nashville Network cable channel from 1983-1993.

Emery landed a job on the overnight shift at WSM in 1957. He took care of the graveyard shift on the 50,000-Watt country giant from 1957 to 1972. During his career he interviewed the biggest names in country music in his laid-back conversational style. His popularity gained him a weekday morning show and then moved him into syndication.

Emery’s legacy included and number of television programs. He hosted a weekly program on RFD-TV and he spent a decade hosting “Nashville Now” on the Nashville Network cable channel from 1983-1993.

He was inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in 1989. He added Country Music Hall of Fame honors in 2007.

A tribute to Emery can be found on The Country Music Hall of Fame Website.

Known as “the dean of Los Angeles talk radio” Michael Jackson died over the weekend. Jackson, who battled Parkinson’s disease, was 87.

Jackson led the ratings for many years with his local talk show on KABC-AM from 1966 to 1998. After leaving KABC he worked for a number of stations before retiring at age 73.

After leaving South Africa with his family in 1958, Jackson moved to Los Angeles to work at KHJ-AM and then news station KNX-AM, before landing at KABC, where he would remain for 32 years.

In a 1992 interview with the Los Angeles Times Jackson spoke of his non-combative style, “I think sometimes I’ve been overly polite to guests, showing them greater deference, but I’m not going to become less polite. Rudeness is such an easy excuse for not doing your homework.”

DirecTV has notified One America News Network that it will not renew its contract this Spring. The contract with Herring Networks Inc. expires in April.

OAN has been in the sights of critics and some lawmakers for allegedly supporting “The Big Lie” that the 2020 election was stolen. It has also come under fire for allegedly spreading false information about Covid 19.

DirecTV, is owned by AT&T Inc. and TPG via a joint venture. DirecTV is the largest distributor of OAN. It is still carried on some smaller pay-tv providers and streaming platforms.