Industry News

In the not-too-distant past, Channel 36 in Salem, Ore., and Channel 26 in Portland, Ore., were simulcast partners offering Christian-themed television programming to Oregon’s most populous areas.

Now, the facility serving the Pacific Northwest’s second-largest DMA is being spun.

Who it is going to begs the question of how Channel 26 will now be used.

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During the past year, the job of seeking and reporting the truth became increasingly dangerous. Journalists were threatened, assaulted and arrested at an alarming rate while on the job.

For the broadcast journalist in the field, serving both radio listeners and TV viewers, unprecedented levels of verbal and physical violence came courtesy of civilians, police and even, the RTDNA says, “leaders we are meant to hold accountable.”

With that portrait as a backdrop, the RTDNA on Wednesday released “2021 Newsrooms by the Numbers: Data From a Dangerous Year in Journalism.”

The report offers a sobering look at the threats to field reporters that have grown since 2019.

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Since joining the radio industry in September 1992, she’s been associated with some of Southern California’s most successful Hispanic-targeted radio stations. And, she came from a circus operation — literally.

Now, this accomplished broadcast sales executive has joined iHeartMedia to serve as a Senior Account Executive at its Los Angeles radio station group.

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Here’s an item from Radio World’s “Who’s Buying What” page: Northwestern Media purchased a Nautel GV30DN transmitter and HD MultiCast+ importer/exporter for KNWI(FM) on 107.1 in Des Moines, Iowa.

“By adding HD capability Northwestern will be able to feed a translator in downtown Des Moines and provide HD programming of its Faith Radio talk and teaching format to the Des Moines market,” the manufacturer said.

Rod Thannum is director of engineering for Northwestern Media.

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

The station currently operates at 30 kW at 630 feet above ground level but is about to get an upgrade.

“KNWI was limited in height and power due to KDSN in Denison, Iowa, which was also at 107.1,” Nautel said in a project summary.

“Northwestern Media purchased KDSN and changed its frequency to 104.9 in January of 2020 and then resold KDSN. This allowed Northwestern Media to begin to build a 995-foot tower which allowed for an increase to 100 kW to better serve the Des Moines market with its music-oriented format.”

Thannum said the tower stacking will be done by the end of July and the new operation should be on the air in early August. The project also includes a 10-bay ERI SHPX-10AC antenna and a Slatercom/Dialight LED high-/medium-intensity lighting system.

Suppliers and users are invited to submit their project news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Nautel Supports Big Signal Upgrade in Des Moines appeared first on Radio World.

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises has selected a Senior Vice President of Research Strategy and Insights — an individual who joins the company to lead research, insights and analytics to inform programming, marketing and digital strategies across the portfolio.

He joins from iHeartMedia and reports to Mónica Gil, Chief Administrative and Marketing Officer at NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. 

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With report after report of late illustrating the seemingly ceaseless wave of cord-cutting that’s upending the pay TV industry, it was only a matter of time before a research report emerged that put a date on when U.S. consumers will cough up more cash for streaming video than for MVPD-delivered channels.

That, according to Strategy Analytics, is coming in three years.

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The coronavirus pandemic may have stalled its progress, but live music is making a comeback in time for Europe Day.

The membership organization Liveurope and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have joined forces to boost support for the European live music scene. Fifteen young European artists will record music at 15 venues across Europe in an initiative that will culminate in a series of live performances on May 9, otherwise known as Europe Day. The collection of musical performances will be made available to public radio stations worldwide starting May 2.

[Read: EBU’s New Head of Radio Sees Opportunity, Peril]

The live music sector took a significant hit from the COVID-19 pandemic as venues around the world shut their doors more than a year ago. In response, Liveurope, EBU and a handful of creative and cultural organizations joined forces to highlight the important role that concert halls play in shaping the European music industry. Organizers say this is an opportunity to underline the importance of live music to see a way out of the crisis.

“In our everyday work, we see how music has the power to bring people together and to build bridges between cultures and territories from all over the continent,” said Elise Phamgia, Liveurope’s coordinator. “At a time when the pandemic has pushed forward social isolation, we believe culture can be a vehicle to regenerate enthusiasm for the future, especially among new generations. And this initiative is a prime example of that.”

As part of the initiative, each artist’s showcase will consist of one or two songs for broadcast by EBU public radio stations. Broadcasters have the option to use the content anytime from May 2 through the culmination of the campaign on May 9, a date that traditionally promotes cross-border cooperation and collaboration across the European continent.

Some of the 15 artists include the Grammy nominated Turkish-Dutch band Altın Gün, the Spanish musician Stay Homas, the Hungarian electro-duo Belau and the Norwegian act Pom Poko.

Some of the 15 participating Liveurope venues include Melkweg, a concert and cultural center in Amsterdam, the Village Underground in Shoreditch, London, and the A38 ship in Budapest, located on the River Danube.

A full listing of artists and venues is available.

The post Support for Live Music and Artists Culminate on Europe Day appeared first on Radio World.

Ad spend and pricing data research and analytics firm Standard Media Index (SMI) has a new Vice President of Sales.

It’s someone who brings 20 years of leadership experience within media and technology to the SMI team, and will oversee the expansion of the ad intelligence company’s sales strategy and new business development.

“It’s truly a pleasure to welcome Dave Dembowski to the SMI family,” said Ben Tatta, President of Standard Media Index. “As an accomplished sales executive, he brings with him two decades of sales leadership and experience from top digital platforms. In this new role, he will be instrumental in further developing the sales pipeline and driving growth for the business, across the board.”

Dembowski most recently served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Business Development at IgnitionOne, and previously held various sales leadership roles at Yahoo and EDGAR Online.

From April 2007-September 2017, Dembowski was a key Yahoo! executive, serving as VP/Sales through its acquisition by Verizon.

Public stations in the U.S. get new satellite receivers. The work of NAB’s Radio Technology Committee pays a dividend.

Digital Alert Systems and AudioLogger make product announcements. We review the new CC Radio Solar receiver.

And John Bisset tells us about a way to blast through concrete without using dynamite!

These stories and more are in the new issue. Find it here.

The post Read the April 28, 2021 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

On March 19, Discovery Inc. shares closed at a remarkable $77.27, climbing from $20.24 on Oct. 30, 2021. There was lots of buzz about its Discovery + OTT launch, which features a massive marketing campaign that continues to dominate the Media Monitors Spot Ten Cable report.

Then, the bubble burst for DISCA on the Nasdaq GlobalSelect market, with Wall Street responding to signs that the OTT growth could perhaps wound core MVPD-distributed channels a bit too rapidly.

With Tuesday’s Closing Bell, DISCA finished at $39.01. Wednesday will be a difficult trading day for Discovery.

Why? Its Q1 2021 results missed Street expectations.

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