Industry News

The latest NPRM from the FCC could ultimately lead to a new expense for U.S. radio and TV broadcasters that don’t already have backup power at their transmission sites.

The commission has launched a notice of proposed rulemaking to improve the reliability and resiliency of communications networks during disasters. It also wants better situational awareness in their aftermath.

The proposal considers changes to the Disaster Information Reporting System, or DIRS, which is a web-based system used by broadcasters and other communication providers to report service outages to the FCC. Participation currently is voluntary, but the proposal asks if it should be mandatory for participants following a disaster.

The NPRM, which specifically mentions Hurricane Ida and the damage it did to the Gulf Coast region in late August, also seeks ways to mitigate the effects of power outages on communications networks in the aftermath of such events.

The FCC in the proposal asks detailed questions about how backup power can be deployed to reduce the frequency of power-related service disruptions.

The commission raised the possibility of requiring backup power for participants in DIRS and NORS, the Network Outage Reporting System, and that list includes broadcasters.

“To the extent that the commission were to adopt backup power requirements, providers subject to them, potentially including cable providers, Direct Broadcast Satellite providers, Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service, TV and radio broadcasters, Commercial Mobile Radio Service and other wireless service providers, could potentially be required to take steps to make their networks more resilient to power outages,” according to the notice.

The loss of power during Ida is addressed at length in the NPRM. The FCC says cell tower sites that lacked backup power infrastructure were particularly hard hit.

“Hurricane Ida, as well as recent hurricane and wildfire seasons, earthquakes in Puerto Rico and severe winter storms in Texas demonstrate that America’s communications infrastructure remains susceptible to disruption during disasters,” the FCC wrote.

The commission says it will consider the scope of obligations for broadcasters and that it is mindful that providers subject to any new rules would incur costs if the proposals are adopted.

It’s not the first time the commission has considered backup power requirements for communications providers, according to footnotes in the NPRM.

Following Hurricane Katrina, the FCC in 2007 required Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) providers and local exchange carriers to maintain emergency backup power — for a minimum of 24 hours for assets inside central offices and for eight hours at cell sites.

The wireless industry appealed the requirements on several grounds and the commission ultimately deleted its backup power requirements four years later.

The FCC also seeks fresh comment on any alternatives to on-site backup power that have proven successful or have the potential to reduce the frequency, duration or severity of disruptions to communications services caused by power outages. The NPRM also includes a call for improved coordination between communications service providers and power companies.

In conclusion, the NPRM asks about the possible benefits of fostering mutual aid during disasters in segments of the communications industry, such as cable, wireline and broadcast, through sharing of physical assets.

The FCC’s Oct. 26 open meeting will feature a virtual field hearing about Hurricane Ida and further discussion of ways to improve the resilience of this country’s communications networks.

A comment period on the NPRM (PS Docket 21-346) will commence following publication in the Federal Register.

Read the NPRM.

The post FCC Disaster NPRM Discusses Backup Power Requirements appeared first on Radio World.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The FCC on Tuesday kicked off a mid-band spectrum auction to support next generation wireless services – including 5G – in the 3.45 GHz band.

Auction 110 will make available 100 megahertz of contiguous mid-band spectrum for commercial use this year.

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On July 30, RBR+TVBR first reported on agreement signed by the children of the late Ray Moran that involves the sale of a full-power TV station in Albuquerque and its associated full-power and low-power repeater stations in a transaction brokered by Kalil & Co.

The buyer has now closed on the transaction.

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When it comes to low-power TV facilities, Ravi Kapur has been a buyer of late.

The Bay Area entrepreneur who once appeared on-camera at KGO-7 in San Francisco and today is behind the Diya TV operation targeting South Asian consumers recently grew in Florida, and in late April agreed to buy a construction permit for a LPTV facility in Chico, Calif.

Now, Kapur is expanding his holdings by traveling north to Redding.

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It sounds hard to fathom just one day after a global outage crippled Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, immediately triggering cybercrime concerns that Cybercrime Magazine Editor-in-Chief Steve Morgan will be addressing at Forecast 2022 on November 16.

Yet, it is indeed true. Some 27.6 million U.S. households lack a home internet connection.

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Add Beasley Media Group to the list of radio station owners who will be sharing their third quarter 2021 fiscal report prior to the opening bell on Election Day 2021.

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The company, which is also invested in the Overwatch League, an eSports operation, will host a conference call to discuss the results on November 2 at 10am Eastern.

As has been the case in recent quarters, CEO Caroline Beasley and CFO Marie Tedesco will not be conducting a live Q&A with investors and analysts. Rather, it will be taking questions from analysts, institutional investors and debt holders via email until 9am on November 2. They may be e-mailed to ir@bbgi.com.

“Management will answer as many questions as possible during the conference call and webcast, provided the questions are not addressed in their prepared remarks,” Beasley said.

Beasley enters Q4 2021 with a stock price that has been relatively steady since early February. In fact, the last eight months has seen BBGI near $3 and dip below $2.50 just once — in late September.

From September 28 through noon Tuesday (10/5), BBGI is up 30 cents a share, with pricing at $2.70 in light trading on the Nasdaq GlobalMarket.

What can investors and analysts expect to see from Beasley in Q3? Event dollars could be present, with NTR and events shifted to the third quarter owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’ll get the revenue upside in third and fourth quarter, assuming no further negative impacts from the Delta variant,” Caroline Beasley said on the company’s Q2 earnings call in August.

Beasley noted at the time that the third quarter was pacing up 30%, with July up 40% and August and September pacing up 29% and 23%, respectively.

How was the third quarter of 2021 pacing against the same period in 2019?

Caroline Beasley noted that the company was “looking at that being about 5% compared to 2019 at this point.”

In terms of second quarter pacing from 2019, spot dollars were down about 16%, offset by increases in digital of about 67%.

The “big if,” however, is NTR and event revenue. In the third quarter of 2019 event revenue accounted for almost $3 million. In Q4 2019, it accounted for almost $4 million.

Media Financial Management Association’s “Media Outlook 2022,” designed to prepare financial professionals in the broadcast radio and television industries for the coming year, is gearing up for a two-day virtual event scheduled to begin in two weeks.

Scheduled for October 19 and 20, 2021 under the banner of “Opportunities Await – Ready…Reinvent Revenue,” this year’s event offers participants “a fresh view of how media financial leaders can continue to navigate the current uncertainties brought about by the pandemic and changes in the industry to help their companies thrive.”

The seminar is comprised of two two-hour sessions on the Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, respectively.

Jay Bryson, Managing Director and Chief Economist of Wells Fargo Corporate and Investment Bank, will give the seminar keynote on October 19 at 1pm Eastern. Bryson will discuss the current state of the U.S. economy and its outlook over the next two years, including forecasts of GDP growth, inflation and interest rates.

The second October 19 session, starting at 2:05pm Eastern, will feature Andrew Prior, Managing Director of Tax Policy Services at PwC US, who will review potential new tax legislation and implications for media businesses.

Two sessions will take place on October 20. At 1pm Eastern, the “Reinventing Revenue” panel will discuss ways media businesses can re-imagine and reinvent revenue. Panelists include Sinclair Broadcast Group SVP of Digital Sales Ryan Moore; Chase Rankin, SVP of Sales and Marketing at the Las Vegas Review-Journal; and Beasley Media Group e-Sports COO Lori Burgess.

At 2:05pm Eastern, the “Ad Sales and Data Analytics” panel will examine using data analytics to improve results for ad sales clients. Panelists include Audacy VP of Data and Analytics Dan McKinney.

This year’s Media Outlook 2022 co-chairs are Audacy Chief Accounting Officer and Controller Elizabeth “Beth” Bramowski, who on Friday (10/1) was faced with a company-wide direct deposit problem tied to employee payroll; and Cliff Ejikeme, a SVP, Controller and Treasurer at A&E Television Networks.

Dave Bochenek serves as Chair of MFM/BCCA’s Board of Directors.

 

Getty Images – Devgnor

Deutsche Welle recently launched shortwave radio service for Afghanistan.

It broadcasts daily radio programs in the Dari and Pashto languages.

“In Afghanistan, media diversity and free access to independent information are under acute threat,” said Director General of DW Peter Limbourg in an announcement on the DW website.

[Read: Using Media to Make Afghan Children Smile]

“DW has an experienced and skilled editorial team for the region which will contribute to providing better information to the people of Afghanistan with a shortwave radio service in Dari and Pashto, in addition to our online and social media offerings.”

The programs are broadcast daily for 30 minutes on 15230 kHZ and 15390 kHZ frequencies at 14:00 UTC in Dari and at 14:30 UTC in Pashto.

A spokeswoman declined to confirm where the transmissions originate, for security reasons. But the organization quoted Director of Programs for Asia Debarati Guha saying the focus of the programs will be on peace, civil society and gender and human rights issues, and that shortwave will serve the purpose well in case the internet is shut down or restricted in the country.

DW is Germany’s international broadcaster; it provides content in 30 languages and estimates that it reaches 249 million weekly user contacts in total with its services.

 

The post DW Has Shortwave Service to Afghanistan appeared first on Radio World.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS have cemented partnerships with 10 public media stations designed to extend the reach and impact of Ready To Learn-funded PBS KIDS early learning resources to local communities.

Centered in understanding local assets and needs, each station will collaborate with community partners to develop and build a “Learning Neighborhood” that fosters a community-wide culture of learning at home, in the neighborhood, and within local systems and spaces.

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It’s been in the news across the last year for its stated desire to own up to nearly 50% of iHeartMedia.

Now, the British media and entertainment group that owns such U.K. radio brands as Heart has purchased a next-generation digital audio content and technology start-up that will be added to the digital audio advertising and programmatic OOH advertising platform DAX.

With the acquisition, Remixd technology will be added to Global’s Digital Ad Exchange, or DAX.

Remixd automatically converts text articles into audio files with naturalized language,
allowing publishers to provide “premium short form audio content” to their users, DAX notes.

It’s a technology Tribune Publishing and the USA TODAY Sports department is already using. It could present opportunities for broadcast TV and radio station websites and other online platforms.

Les Hollander, who serves as CEO at DAX North America, elaborated, “This technology means digital publishers can meet the growing consumer demand for audio and publisher need for improved ad monetization. It’s the perfect pathway to reaching consumers with
customized marketing messages in the burgeoning smart speaker space. Adding text to audio conversion is a further enhancement of the tech Global has developed for DAX. Publishers, who have rafts of written content, can now use the power of audio to open up audience opportunities and revenue streams.”

According to Global-owned DAX, Remixd offers “plug and play” direct sales and programmatic ad sales. “Pre-roll bumpers, interstitials and sonic branding can
be easily added to text-to-audio,” the company noted.

DAX has a footprint of publishers in the U.S., Canada and across Great Britain.