Industry News

He’s been the leader of the company he founded with the purchase of an AM radio station in Secaucus, N.J., in the early 1980s — a property that served as the foundation of Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) instead of the one he really wanted, the FM that today is Z100.

Now, Raúl Alarcón Jr. is handing his Presidential title to the individual that serves as SBS’s Chief Operations Officer.

Adding the role of President is Albert Rodriguez. 

He’ll retain his COO title, as Alarcón focuses on his role of Chairman/CEO.

As President, Rodriguez will manage all aspects of SBS’s operations and oversee the future growth and financial performance of SBS’s radio, TV, digital and experiential businesses and brands.

In addition to its broadcast radio stations, SBS’s assets include the Aire radio network; Hispanic streaming app LaMusica; the MegaTV operation; and concert promoter SBS Entertainment.

Alarcón said, “Albert has demonstrated an amazing ability to deliver industry-leading financial results for the company during the most extraordinarily challenging times in the history of electronic media. He has personally spearheaded a number of corporate initiatives which have been instrumental in establishing the Company’s leadership standing, while adroitly handpicking an executive team which is second-to-none in the industry.

“After nearly a quarter century of dedication and loyalty in building a track record of
stellar achievements, no one is more qualified than Albert Rodríguez to expand upon
this Company’s treasured legacy of nearly four decades of service to the nation’s Latino
community. I congratulate him on his many accomplishments and very much look
forward to his firebrand leadership of SBS in the future.”

Rodriguez commented, “I am honored that Raúl is entrusting me with these added
responsibilities, particularly at this time of universal recognition and acceptance of the awesome power of the Latino consumer. I look forward to continue executing our
Chairman’s vision, which has created extraordinary value for the Company and its
shareholders, and to working with our amazing team of content and sales professionals
as we together write the next exciting chapter in the history of SBS as the preeminent
entertainment destination for U.S. Latinos.”

SBS also notes that it will be implementing “additional management initiatives” in
the coming weeks “as part of its ongoing efforts at solidifying and expanding its
competitive standing in the U.S. media marketplace.”

The company did not elaborate on what that may entail.

An interesting free poster from Rohde & Schwarz identifies frequencies used in automotive contexts.

Dan Slentz bought and installed a Rhode & Schwarz “Spycer” network storage system for his UHD video. It’s 2 petabytes, or 2,000 terabytes, and uses about 15 rack units in RAID5 configuration, all linked by fiber through a network fiber switch to Dan’s five edit cells and four record servers, which use 6 TB SSDs to record up to three hours of UHD video. The write speed of the SSD (Solid State Drive) is necessary for UHD video because spinning disc drives wouldn’t work.

While learning more from the Rohde & Schwarz website, Dan found a neat poster that Workbench readers will want. It gives a visual overview of the radio frequency bands and regulations “in today’s and tomorrow’s cars,” including broadcast, mobile communications (3G to 5G), communications (Wi-Fi, V2X etc.), global navigation, radar sensors and EV charging.

As the company notes, “Being able to manage the coexistence and interference of the various radio frequencies in an (electric) car is a major challenge for research, development and testing of in-car.”

The poster is available via mail or download.

Free is good

While we’re talking about free things, Dan reminds readers of the free Loudness Meter software from Bob Orban.

There are Windows and Mac versions; find them at www.orban.com.

Click on the “Downloads” tab, and scroll down the long list of product downloads to the Free Loudness Meter software.

Helping hand As seen on the Radio Shack site, the Hot Holder’s molded silicon block aids in construction projects.

Longtime Workbench readers may recall the “home-brew” console that a young enterprising Dino Gatsoula built, complete with remote starts and status indicators, which we featured in 2018.

Dino’s 24/7 Greek-formatted station, which he runs with his dad, is now an internet station, having graduated from SCA status.

An avid hands-on engineer, Dino found a useful soldering device, shown in the first photo, at the Radio Shack online store.

The Hot Holder is a stamped silicon block with holes to mount a variety of connectors and parts, as identified in the second image. It serves as a third hand when you are either soldering or assembling.

To that end, there are even a couple of slots for holding wires that need to be tinned or soldered together.

Head to radioshack.com for more information. And if you like Modern Greek music, listen to Dino’s internet station by visiting www.radioedra.com.

Available from Radio Shack online, the block can be used for a variety of connectors, and even wires. A peek inside (or behind)

Hall Communications Director of Engineering Edd Monskie is a deer hunter and sports shooter. Edd was looking for an inexpensive borescope to see down rifle barrels to check their condition and to inspect up close for flaws not easily seen by the naked eye.

Edd checked Amazon and found a variety of new LED-lighted borescopes. Most are under $100, and one is about $20. They usually have a USB connection, and many have a plug for direct access to Android phones. Since Edd uses an iPhone, he had to purchase a small Wi-Fi adapter as well.

Some are listed as “endoscopes,” although for our engineering application, these devices can be used for hard-to-reach equipment inspections. The LED/camera is mounted on a 3-foot or longer flexible cable, giving you a really good video picture of whatever you need to see over, under or inside. The model Edd bought has adjustable LED lighting, which is really helpful in dark locations.

Some people even use them to see inside engine cylinders with the spark plug removed. Aside from using it for his firearm inspections, Edd has used it to see various places inside racks and transmitters, even down a clogged sink drain.

A quick search of Google or Amazon will bring up a variety of choices. Just enter “borescope” or “endoscope” in the search block.

For inspections, Edd likes that you send the cable — rather than your face, hand or phone — into the dark location.

The post Poster Shows Automotive Radio Bands appeared first on Radio World.

RW Engineering Extra is your deep dive into technology for the radio broadcast industry. It appears six times a year, in addition to the 26 regular issues of Radio World.

In this issue, Tony Peterle of WorldCast Systems writes that the emergence of MPX over AES technology to transport the signal via digitization presents a new topography, new challenges and new solutions.

Curt Yengst shares helpful applications to create your own schematics and PC boards.

Cris Alexander reflects on air chains then and now.

And Frank McCoy offers old ideas for a new cyberthreat environment.

Read the June 16 issue.

The post Inside the June 16, 2021 Issue of RW Engineering Extra appeared first on Radio World.

Big semiconductor company NXP has joined RadioDNS, calling the decision a restatement of its commitment to broadcast radio.

The two organizations have worked together extensively but now the manufacturer becomes a formal member of the hybrid radio project.

Nacho Seirul-Lo Salas, NXP’s director of Program Management Customer Application Support, also joins the RadioDNS Steering Board.

He said in the announcement, “After years of fruitful collaboration, where NXP has presented at least three generations of hybrid radio demonstrators, NXP is now happy to join the RadioDNS organization to restate our commitment to broadcast radio and enhancement of its user experience by adding metadata from the internet.”

Nick Piggott, project director, said the decision “reflects the growing importance of our open standards for hybrid radio. … We’ll continue to work closely with [NXP] to help their OEM customers implement our global standards for hybrid radio.”

[Related: “Power Up Hybrid Radio With RadioDNS”]

The post NXP Joins RadioDNS appeared first on Radio World.

From our Who’s Buying What page: This fun photo shows some of the 12 NV5LT transmitters currently in production at Nautel that are headed for Turkish Radio & Television.

“These transmitters are going to nine stations across five regions to enhance TRT’s coverage across Turkey,” the company said in a Facebook post.

The manufacturer recently landed a substantial contract to provide 5 kW transmitters to that client throughout 2021. Combined with other orders over the past decade, Nautel has said that its transmitters have been “used to modernize a large portion of Turkey’s national FM Radio infrastructure.”

Among other notable sales recently reported by Nautel, Cumulus station WFAS(AM) in White Plains, N.Y., is using a Nautel NX3 transmitter with Omnia.9 audio processor for its all-digital AM signal that went live in May.

[More postings on “Who’s Buying What.”]

Submit announcements to mailto:radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Transmitters Prepped for Turkey appeared first on Radio World.

The best form of advertising has always been word of mouth. TechSurvey 2021’s way of measuring this metric for radio is the Net Promoter Score (NPS). When ranked on a likelihood to recommend scale of 1 to 10, those choosing 9 or 10 are classified as promoters. Those selecting 0 to 6 are the detractors. Applying simple math, percent promoters – percent detractors = NPS.

One thing that hasn’t changed since TechSurvey began publishing NPS scores is that Christian and public radio lead the noncommercial radio pack in the number one and two places respectively. Noncommercial radio has shown steady growth over the past 17 years, hitting an all-time high of 50% in 2021. Christian now has an impressive score of 80%, while public radio is close behind with 75%.

[Read: Survey Says Full Speed Ahead for Mobile Devices and Apps]

The commercial radio part of the NPS ranking has changed from TS 2020, where rock and country were in the lead, and alternative was bringing up the rear. This year, the leaders are rhythmic urban and urban AC, with news/talk in last place. The NPS numbers for TS 2020 were largely driven by women, younger demos and music fans. No breakdown was published for TS 2021.

Online meetings have experienced explosive growth over the past year and a half, largely due to COVID, and for the first time, Jacobs Media has begun to track who is attending, and how often.

The word Zoom has become ingrained in our vocabulary, often synonymous with any type of online meeting, even though there are Google Meet, GoToMeeting, Skype and other online gathering providers.

TS 2021 numbers suggest that daily and weekly participants in online meetings are largely in younger demographics, led by 53% of Millennials, with Greatest Generation at the trailing edge with 26%.

Online meetings have had unexpected benefits for some organizations. Many had relied on in-person gatherings in the past. That tended to restrict participants to those in close driving distance, and/or those who didn’t mind rush hour traffic and parking issues in urban areas. Online meetings have leveled the playing field, giving an equal presence to everyone regardless of distance from an organization’s main office.

 

The post TechSurvey Says Christian and Public Radio Still Leading Radio Recommenders appeared first on Radio World.

The accelerative impact of COVID-19 on digital transformation has led to improvements in mobile marketing capabilities for advertisers. Growth in “m-commerce “and use of social media have provided brands with new opportunities to reach consumers, driving up mobile marketing budgets set to be worth $230 billion globally in 2021.

That’s the latest finding from WARC Data.

There’s just one caveat: privacy concerns could hamper mobile’s growth potential.

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Thanks to exceptional growth in its digital segment, Entravision Communications Corp. stock has enjoyed a six-month surge.

Entering Christmas Eve 2020, shares were priced at $2.70. As of midday trading on Tuesday (6/15), EVC is up 104% since then.

That has Zacks Equity Research asking if it is time for investors to cash out.

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Until now, it’s been mainly known for its conservative Talk radio stations, Christian-themed radio programming including music-oriented “The Fish,” and a publishing arm that finished 2020 strong.

Now, Salem Media Group‘s sales division has formed an entity focused on “connecting brands with the fans of leading Christian social media influencers.”

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The Radio Mercury Awards have announced the 2021 Final Round Jury.

The incoming panel of top-level agency creative leaders represents radio’s top advertising categories, including automotive, consumer packaged goods (CPG), communications, community service, education, financial services, nonprofits, quick-serve restaurants, retail, spirits, technology, travel and utilities.

The jury, curated with the help of 2021 Radio Mercury Awards Chief Judge Robin Fitzgerald, the Chief Creative Officer at BBDO Atlanta, is comprised of “thought leaders from across the country and represents all size markets with diverse audiences and cutting-edge creative work for advertising’s biggest brands,” the RAB says.

Listed below is the 2021 Radio Mercury Awards Final Round Jury:

• Chief Judge – Robin Fitzgerald, chief creative officer, BBDO Atlanta
• Adia Betts, associate creative director/copywriter, Dagger Atlanta
• Nathalie Brown, executive creative director, VMLY&R NY
• Bianca Guimaraes, partner and executive creative director, Mischief NY
• Paul Johnson, freelance copywriter/creative director
• Derrick Ogilvie, vice president/creative director, BBDO Atlanta
• Andrés Ordóñez, executive vice president/chief creative officer, FCB Chicago
• Alejandro Ortiz, executive creative director, Campbell Ewald Detroit/NY
• Shannon Washington, senior vice president executive creative director, R/GA
• Lewis Williams, chief creative officer, Burrell Communications Group Chicago
• Sherman Winfield, executive creative director, VMLY&R Atlanta

To find out more information regarding the 2021 Radio Mercury Awards and enter, please visit www.radiomercuryawards.com.