Industry News

Low-power FM is creating some interest in Washington this week.

We told you a few days ago about a fresh proposal to allow LPFMs to increase power to 250 watts. That proposal, from REC Networks, remains open for comment.

But meanwhile the Federal Communications Commission seems poised to approve an order in a separate matter that would “affirm” the maximum power level at 100 watts. And comments by the acting chairwoman about seeking “finality” in the rules would seem to cast doubt on the prospects of a power increase anytime soon.

The draft Order on Reconsideration being considered for Thursday’s FCC meeting would affirm a maximum power of 100 watts in order to “maintain simplicity and consistency with past actions regarding the service.”

In 2020 the commission modified its low-power FM engineering rules to improve LPFM reception and options for station relocation, but at the time it rejected a request to allow 250 watts.

In the order to be voted on Thursday, the agency writes that it considered two petitions seeking reconsideration of those technical rules.

Todd Urick of Common Frequency and Paul Bame of the Prometheus Radio Project claimed the FCC had failed to adequately explain its rejection of a power increase; they also asked the commission to eliminate the rule requiring LPFMs to use transmitters certified for that use by an outside lab, a measure intended to avoid interference problems on the FM dial. The draft order leaves that requirement unchanged.

In addition, the draft says that the FCC will require LPFM stations to submit engineering test measurements to prove that their antennas are performing properly. The commission last year approved the use of directional antennas for LPFMs. The new measurement rule only applies to LPFM applications not yet acted upon, according to the FCC.

Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wrote in advance of Thursday’s meeting that last year’s technical order “maintained core LPFM goals of simplicity, diversity and localism” and she hopes this week’s actions “will provide clarity and finality to the rules.” Whether that means the fresh REC Networks proposal would be dead in the water is unclear.

Rosenworcel also said that this order will “bring us one step closer to opening an application window for new LPFM stations.”

Legal experts will be watching the meeting for hints on the timing of that window. The FCC has indicated that it would follow on the heels of its new noncommercial FM window scheduled for November. The previous LPFM filing window was in 2013.

According to the latest FCC data, there are just over 2,100 licensed LPFM broadcast stations in the United States.

[In other regulatory news: FCC Throws Lifeline to an FM6 Station]

 

The post FCC Seems Set to Affirm 100-Watt LPFM Limit appeared first on Radio World.

The “premium” connected TV/OTT advertising platform designed for regional and local advertisers launched by TEGNA that as of 2020 sees Gray Television as a minority stakeholder has widened its partnership with IHS Markit.

The move is designed to bring Polk data to Connected TV and OTT campaigns for automotive advertisers — something broadcast TV should very much take note of.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

There’s a new individual in charge of the day-to-day operations at a pair of Nexstar Media Group TV stations in market No. 142 — a role that also involves management of Vaughn Media’s dual ABC/The CW affiliate serving Kansas’ state capital.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

The latest Media Monitors Spot 10 Radio report is out, and it shows a job search website building a formidable lead over all other comers.

It speaks strongly of the long-term category potential for job seeker websites, and of the pressures of auto insurance brands to wisely divide their ad budgets between national radio and other forms of media.

Indeed is the big spot radio leader for the week ending June 13 with some 54,165 spot plays. This is far above the No. 2 advertiser by spot count, Progressive. 

Meanwhile, big advertisers such as The Home Depot and GEICO are much lower in play count than Indeed, setting the stage for a full category development opportunity for traditional radio.

 

There’s perhaps no bigger category at linear media today than auto insurers. And, there’s a fierce fight for supremacy shaping up at Spot Cable.

Based on the latest data from Media Monitors, of the three brands in this hot advertising category, Liberty Mutual Insurance is the one that finishes at the top.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The NAB Leadership Foundation has elected to present its 2021 Corporate Leadership Award to Procter & Gamble — an honor the leading linear media advertiser will receive during the televised Celebration of Service to America Awards, airing July 10 on selected broadcast stations.

The Corporate Leadership Award is given to a leading business outside of the broadcast industry that, the NABLF says, exemplifies an extraordinary focus on community service and corporate social responsibility.

“Through products, programs and philanthropy, P&G generously provides for vulnerable communities and individuals in need,” NAB Leadership Foundation President Michelle Duke said. “In honor of P&G’s commitment to building a better world today and for the next generation, we are pleased to present them with our Corporate Leadership Award.”

During the pandemic, P&G worked to support and safeguard communities. The company donated tens of millions of dollars in product, in kind and cash to help ensure families had access to everyday cleaning, health and hygiene essentials, and supported nursing homes, shelters, community groups, food banks and other relief agencies. P&G also modified manufacturing equipment to produce hand sanitizer in nearly a dozen of its global manufacturing sites, helped produce critically needed non-medical face masks in the early months of the pandemic, and leveraged its marketing expertise to support public health measures.

Like broadcasters, P&G is also dedicated to helping communities during and after natural disasters. For example, P&G launched “Tide Loads of Hope” in 2005 to provide those displaced by Hurricane Katrina with a simple need—freshly cleaned laundry. Since its inception, the mobile laundry program has provided 68,000 loads of laundry to more than 90,000 people affected by natural disasters. During the pandemic, Tide Cleaners in the U.S. also provided free laundry services for frontline responders.

“P&G people believe we have a responsibility to society,” P&G’s Chief Communications Officer Damon Jones said. “We will continue to step up and step forward to use our reach and resources to be both a force for good and a force for growth in a way that will have a lasting, positive impact on people and communities around the world.”

Speaking on Monday (6/14) at the Credit Suisse 23rd Annual Communications Conference, NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell announced that NBCUniversal has officially completed its Upfront.

This led the company’s Chairman of Global Advertising and Partnerships, Linda Yaccarino, to pen her observations of how the 2021 Upfront sets the stage for the future.

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Fourteen members of the House of Representatives and a trio of Senators have added their support to the Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA) — a resolution opposing “any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge” on local broadcast radio stations.

This raises the number of co-sponsors to 138 in the House and 18 in the Senate.

Adding their support recently for the Local Radio Freedom Act in the House are Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI-1), Larry Bucshon (R-IN-8), John Carter (R-TX-31), Liz Cheney (R-WY-AL), Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-4), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6), Trent Kelly (R-MS-1), Darin LaHood (R-IL-18), Frank Mrvan (D-IN-1), Amata Radewagen (R-AS-DL), Tom Rice (R-SC-7), Tim Ryan (D-OH-13), Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD-2) and Chris Stewart (R-UT-2). Adding their support for the resolution in the Senate are Sens. Mike Braun (R-IN), John Hoeven (R-ND) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS).

Reps. Kathy Castor (D-FL-14) and Steve Womack (R-AR-3) are the principal cosponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act in the House of Representatives. Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and John Barrasso (R-WY) are the lead cosponsors of a companion resolution in the Senate.

And, it has the support of the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB). The group expressed their thoughts penned Friday (6/11) in a letter to Congressional leaders.

Specifically, the NRB asked Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to support the LRFA in order to “protect local radio stations that play music as part of their programming from having to pay new performance royalties that would cripple, and in some cases decimate, the ability of such radio stations to continue operations.”

“Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over the air, or on any business for the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station broadcast over the air,” reads the Local Radio Freedom Act.

Vincent Létang, the EVP of Global Market Research at MAGNA, has some downright exuberant things to say about the post-pandemic global advertising recovery that’s already underway for linear and digital media.

“As [the] economic recovery is stronger and faster than anticipated in several of the world’s largest ad markets — the U.S., U.K. and China, in particular — and consumption accelerates, brands need to reconnect with consumers,” he says.

Here in the states, that will yield the highest growth rate for the advertising market since the earliest days of the Reagan administration — an era of high interest rates for home buyers and a recessionary atmosphere fueled by “Reaganomics.”

Please Login to view this premium content. (Not a member? Join Today!)

Know someone worthy of being honored with a prestigious Medallas de Cortez award for excellence in U.S. Hispanic radio?

Now’s your time to make your nomination for a 2021 honor.

The Medallas de Cortez awards, sponsored by vCreative, will be presented at the annual Hispanic Radio Conference, set for Sept. 22-23.

The awards have become a highly coveted symbol of excellence in Hispanic radio. In its twelfth year, these exclusive radio awards will shine a spotlight on the top talent in Spanish-language radio and at radio stations superserving Hispanic audiences — including noncommercial stations in key U.S. Hispanic markets.

Nominations can be made in seven categories:

• Marketer (may be someone from a station, an agency, or a client)
• National/Syndicated Personality
• Local Personality
• Program Director
• Sales Manager
• General/Market Manager
• Station of the Year

The nominations deadline is July 12, so please make your selection today.

The Medallas de Cortez awards are named in honor of Raoul Cortez, who founded KCOR-AM in San Antonio — the first full-time Spanish-language station in the United States — in 1946. Nominations are open to anyone, Hispanic and not, who is involved in Hispanic broadcasting. The goal is to make sure everyone dedicated to this segment of the industry has an opportunity to be recognized for their contributions to excellence in radio.

 

Click here to register for the Hispanic Radio Conference today!