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Through this Public Notice, we invite comment from all stakeholders on whether any updates are needed to the rules the Commission initially adopted as it implemented the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA)

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Orban Labs said three more of its on-air processors have received certification from Nielsen for the integrated PPM encoding option.

“The company’s Optimod-FM 5500i, 5700i and 8600Si processors have received Nielsen certification and are now available with onboard PPM encoding,” the company said.

[Read: Orban Ships XPN-AMs With Nielsen PPM Encoders]

“These three products join Orban’s XPN-AM, which was the industry’s first processor to receive Nielsen certification and has been shipping with internal PPM encoding since last fall.”

PPM encoding is an option on the three FM processors.

Orban President David Day said in the announcement, “We’re pleased to report that this encoding is now taking place via Orban processors at stations in New York, Atlanta, Seattle, Denver, Phoenix, as well as other significant U.S. markets nationwide.”

[Related: How the XPN-AM processor came to have PPM built in]

 

The post Three Orban FM Processors Get PPM Certification appeared first on Radio World.

U.S. financial markets finished Wednesday’s trading session on a mixed note, with the Dow Industrials rising 16.02 to 33,426.26 and the Nasdaq dipping 9.54 points to 13,688.84.

Companies such as The E.W. Scripps Co. were in the green, with a $20.16 finish, as Nexstar continued its impressive growth with a $145.71 conclusion to the day’s trading.

In contrast, TEGNA was down 30 cents to $19.90 after a fresh five-year high.

Also down: several radio broadcasting companies. Saga Communications shares are at $21.25, dipping 55 cents. Audacy, formerly Entercom, shed 17 cents to finish at $5.07.

In late January 2021, the President of CBS Television Stations and the stations’ SVP of News were suspended while parent ViacomCBS investigated an increasing number of allegations against them for gender and racial misconduct.

It appears the claims, first reported by Meg James for the Los Angeles Times, are meritorious enough to lead ViacomCBS to severe its ties with the pair.

In a statement shared by CBS News, the company confirmed that Peter Dunn, who led the CBS O&Os, and news division leader David Friend will not return to their positions and will be exiting the company.

“On an interim basis, Bryon Rubin will continue to run the stations group while Kim Godwin will continue her oversight of Stations’ news operations until new leadership is in place,” ViacomCBS explained.

The announcement comes as an external investigation into CBS Television Stations management, conducted by Keisha-Ann Gray at Proskauer Rose, is still in progress, ViacomCBS says.

James’ reporting first brought to light stories that Dunn and Friend allegedly bullied female managers and blocked efforts to hire and retain African American journalists. In particular, James focused on KYW-3 and WPSG-TV in Philadelphia. Dunn ran the stations from 2002-2004, before a five-year run as the head of WCBS-2 in New York. At KYW-3, 45% of the station’s on-air reporters and anchors are Black, indigenous or other people of color.

The immediate response to her article, which followed a separate report questioning the $55 million purchase of WLNY-55 in Nassau-Suffolk and how Dunn received a membership at an exclusive golf club owned by the station’s seller as part of the transaction, was explosive. National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) representatives reportedly met with members of the ViacomCBS C-Suite that James identified as CBS Entertainment CEO George Cheeks and ViacomCBS EVP Marva Smalls, who leads all D&I initiatives at the company.

According to the Times, NABJ leaders demanded that Dunn be dismissed, along with Friend. Friend had been in his role as SVP/News since June 2010 and was also WCBS’s News Director — a role he’s held since 2006.

The NABJ took issue with the hiring practices at WCBS-2, which “only recently” hired a full-time Black male reporter after five years without one. The NABJ also takes WCBS-2 to task for having one full-time Black female reporter and one Black news producer in New York, a market where more racial diversity in the newsroom would reflect the total viewership.

The departure of Dunn concludes a tenure that included a November 2019 honor at the Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts Awards. That award recognizes women and men who’ve had a profound and lasting effect on the broadcast TV industry. He was also selected by RBR+TVBR readers as one of Broadcast Television’s Best Leaders in 2020.

It has operated an AM and two FMs in the Augusta-Waterville, Maine, market since 2007.

Now, it is converting this long-standing LMA into outright ownership.

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The Federal Communications Commission again weighed in on a tricky and confusing situation — is it within the rules for a commercial translator to be exempt from paying commercial renewal fees if the licensee of the translator is a nonprofit?

The commission has weighed in on this issue several times in the last few weeks. In the current case, the issue was again brought to light by Triangle Access Broadcasting which objected to the renewal application being filed by Educational Media Foundation (EMF). Specifically, Triangle objected the renewal of EMF’s translator W293CM in Graysville, Ala.

[Read: FCC Rejects Call to Let Two Licenses Expire Over Nonprofit Kerfuffle]

Triangle alleged that since the EMF translator is airing commercial advertisements — which are not permitted under the FCC Rules for noncommercial educational stations (NCEs) — it hasn’t duly paid the required application and regulator fees for the translator. Triangle said since the translator is licensed to retransmit the commercial station WERC(FM), owned by IHM LLC, then EMF should not be extended the exemptions that are offered to NCEs. In short, the translator is a commercial translator, Triangle said. As a result, the Media Bureau should press EMF to pay the required commercial broadcasting fees upon its renewal or that its license should be allowed to expire.

EMF responded to say that the Triangle argument was moot. EMF said that not only is it exempt from paying regulatory fees because it is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit but asked where was this argument when it filed previous applications?

The chief of the Audio Division of the Media Bureau responded by reminding both parties that it has the authority to renew applications for those stations that serve the public interest, for those stations which have not committed any serious violations to the Communications Act of 1934 and for those stations that do not exhibit a serious pattern of abuse. The bureau also pointed the licensees to Section 8 of the act and Section 1.11 of the FCC rules that cover the process of assessing and collecting application fees as well as the exemptions that exist for some of those fees.

In this case, as in others of recent weeks, the bureau first looked to whether the primary station is NCE or commercial. In this case, Triangle is correct: the EMF translator is rebroadcasting a commercial station owned by a commercial entity. If the facts ended there, the translator would not be entitled to claim the NCE exemption.

However — and here is the crucial part — Section 1.11 of the rules also provides a separate exemption based on the nonprofit status of the licensee rather than the station. “That exemption is available to those licensees who have established their nonprofit status under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code,” wrote Albert Shuldiner, chief of the Audio Division, in its order. And the bureau confirmed that EMF is recognized as a nonprofit under IRS code. “Because nonprofit entities are exempt from regulatory fees, we conclude that EMF is not required to pay regulatory fees for the translator,” the bureau said.

As a result, the bureau agreed to renew the license for W293CM and denied the objection filed by Triangle.

 

The post Deciphering When a Commercial Station Must Pay Noncommercial Fees appeared first on Radio World.

“His career was filled with accomplishments,” begins a three-minute report that encapsulates as best as possible the life and professional career of Ted Koplar.

Koplar, whose family helped make KPLR-11 in St. Louis one of the nation’s most-viewed independent television stations, died April 4.

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Byron Allen has enjoyed considerable growth with his Entertainment Studios film studio and his recently formed Allen Media Group, which presently owns 14 broadcast TV stations. He also purchased well-regarded African American lifestyle and entertainment brand The Grio, in 2016.

With more growth very much part of Allen’s plans, his Allen Media Group arm is partnering with one of the nation’s biggest wireless services companies in hosting a Black-owned Media Summit for a yet-to-be determined day in May — right in the heart of Upfront time.

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Radio imaging company Benztown has introduced a venture called Radio Merch Shop that it says can help stations promote their brands and make money or fundraise.

The service creates and operates customized “pop-up” stores where listeners can buy station-branded products online. Offerings include face masks, T-shirts, hoodies and coffee mugs.

Benztown says that for each product sold, a station earns $5 or more.

“Radio Merch Shop builds a customized, branded online merch shop and landing page for each participating station and handles order fulfillment and inventory from start to finish,” it states.

Stations provide their logo or artwork and promote their shop on-air, on the station website and via social media.

 

The post Benztown Offers Radio Merch Shop appeared first on Radio World.

A trio of products produced and distributed by Orban Labs have received Portable People Meter (PPM) encoding certification by Nielsen.

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How to U.S. consumers currently feel about the COVID-19 recovery where they live?

Nielsen posed that question to a group of respondents, and it has the answer — along with a host of other data tied to one’s activity tied to health, schooling, employment, and transportation across the now 13-month old pandemic.

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The Hispanic television industry’s Upfront parade was once a “thing,” with lavash presentations and plenty of pomp in between five-star entertainment from the top Latin music acts of the day and open bars galore.

Then came the “total market” mantra, eliminating some unique Upfront events in Midtown Manhattan. This followed the demise of some networks, including Nuvo TV and MTV Tr3s, and COVID-19’s shift of in-person events to virtual affairs.

With early to mid-May still the Upfront window for the TV industry, an upstart Hispanic media company will offer two marketer and advertiser presentations. One is entirely focused on digital opportunities — setting this company apart from its peers.

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In February 1998, Chuck Cotton took on the role of President/GM of what was then AMFM Inc.’ Oahu-based Hawaiian radio stations.

He stayed through the company’s evolution to iHeartMedia, and was the leader of the company’s Honolulu station group in November 2020, when its top-rated Hawaiian Pop station found two of its morning show members in hot water for insensitive remarks made live on the air during a Thanksgiving fundraiser for the needy.

Cotton is now gone from KDDN-FM “Island 98.5” and iHeart’s other Hawaii radio brands. Succeeding him is a new Market President, who takes the role April 9.

Succeeding Cotton is Scott Hogle, who rises from SVP/Sales for the cluster, comprised of the aforementioned “Island 98.5,” heritage Adult Contemporary KSSK-AM & FM, Alternative KUCD-FM, News/Talk KHVH-AM, FOX Sports Radio affiliate KIKI-AM, Rhythmic Top 40 KUCD-FM “93.9 The Beat” and FM Translator “Pop! 99.1,” which is heavy on K-Pop and Asian pop music. He’ll work closely with the programming, business, and sales teams and oversee all of the station’s on‐air and digital programming as well as create new revenue opportunities. Hogle reports to iHeartMedia Markets Group Division President Tony Coles.

“Scott has been an integral part of our success in Honolulu for over 23 years,” Coles said. “His natural gift to connect and lead, his deep roots in the community, and relationships with our clients will enable Scott to build upon the incredible track record of our stations.”

Hogle, like Cotton, has been associated with the stations since 1998, just prior to AMFM Inc.’s sale to Clear Channel for $15.9 billion, consummated in October 1999. The stations entered the iHeart family via an April 1997 purchase of Patterson Broadcasting’s entire group of AM and FMs by Capstar Broadcasting Partners under Steve Hicks.

Hogle began his career in sales at WXRI-FM in Norfolk, which is today WNOH-FM.

Hogle is also the author of “PERSUADE, The 7 Empowering Laws of the SalesMaker,” and is a motivational teacher on the subjects of sales and leadership, both domestically and internationally.

“It’s a great honor to lead the A‐Team for iHeartMedia in Honolulu,” Hogle said. “Nothing is more rewarding than living in paradise and leading for a company like iHeart that embraces our local culture, community, and customers. It’s empowering for us as a team to work for the leader in the media marketplace and love what you do at the same time.”

Hogle is also heavily involved in his community, and is an Executive Board Member for Youth with a Mission. He is also a member of the Board of Advisors for the Salvation Army of Honolulu.

The iHeart statement noting Hogle’s promotion did not address Cotton’s departure after 23 years. Under Hogle’s leadership, KDDN came under fire for comments made during a charity radiothon by morning hosts “Slick Vic” Harris and “KreyZ” Oshiro, in response to a local musician’s tale of homelessness and hunger.

The situation was addressed internally, Cotton said in a statement released at the time; the hosts were fired from the “Island 98.5 Wake Up Crew.” Cotton apologized to the local Hawaiian music artist, Paula Fuga, in person.

— Additional reporting by Amber Hunt, on Maui

Curtis LeGeyt

The person who will take over as the leader of the National Association of Broadcasters in January is an experienced lobbyist with a background on the Democratic side of the political aisle.

Curtis LeGeyt is currently the chief operating officer of the NAB, having succeeded Chris Ornelas in early 2020. In 2011 he was named SVP of government relations at the association and in 2014 became SVP of public policy.

For five years he then worked as executive VP of government relations, a key lobbying post at NAB.

Key issues during that time, according to the association, included reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization (STELAR), inclusion of $1 billion to reimburse stations affected by the spectrum auction repack, and passage of the Music Modernization Act.

Prior to joining NAB, he was senior counsel to Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont. According to an NAB bio, in that role he advised Leahy and the committee on intellectual property, antitrust and first amendment issues. Earlier he worked on the staff of the 2008 Obama For America presidential campaign.

Famously, current NAB President/CEO was a two-term U.S. senator and is a Republican. He is widely seen as a pragmatist who can work with both parties; but LeGeyt’s Democratic connections certainly can’t hurt with a Democrat in the White House and current slim majorities on the Hill.

The NAB in general has historically avoided partisan rhetoric and focuses its public statements on issues of media deregulation, freedom of speech and the value of free radio and TV in America.

LeGeyt also worked on antitrust litigation and merger reviews as an associate with the Howrey LLP law firm, as a management consulting associate with Putnam Associates.

He received his J.D. from Cornell University Law School and his B.A. from Providence College in quantitative economics.

The post LeGeyt Is Experienced D.C. Lobbyist appeared first on Radio World.

Gordon Smith

The Gordon Smith era at the National Association of Broadcasters will end soon, and the Curtis LeGeyt era will begin.

Smith, the president/CEO of NAB, announced he’ll “transition to an advisory and advocacy role” effective Dec. 31. That role will last until at least the end of 2024.

Chief Operating Officer Curtis LeGeyt has been named the next president and CEO effective Jan. 1, 2022.

Curtis LeGeyt

In 2017, the NAB announced a contract extension for Smith’s contract through 2023, so the timing of the change is something of a surprise.

“It has been my great honor to give the lion’s roar for broadcasters – those who run into the storm, those who stand firm in chaos to hear the voice of the people, those who hold to account the powerful — and to stand with those of the fourth estate who have the hearts of public servants,” Smith stated in a press release. He also posted a video message.

Smith joined NAB as president and CEO in November 2009, succeeding David Rehr. A Republican with a business background, he was a two-term U.S. senator from Oregon who had a reputation as a political moderate and pragmatist, a reputation that he retained in his time at NAB.

LeGeyt has moved up the NAB’s lobbying and policy structure since 2011. Prior to assuming his current role as COO about a year ago, he served for five years as NAB’s executive vice president, Government Relations.

With a new Democratic administration in Washington, it probably doesn’t hurt that LeGeyt’s roots are on that side of the aisle.

Before joining NAB, LeGeyt was senior counsel to then-Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and he has donated to various Democratic candidates, according to online sites that cover campaign finance. Some in broadcasting had speculated that former broadcaster and member of Congress Greg Walden, another Republican from Oregon, might succeed Smith.

NAB Joint Board of Directors Chairman Jordan Wertlieb, president of Hearst Television, called Gordon Smith “the ultimate statesman, bringing people together from both sides of the aisle to discuss ideas, find common ground and lead NAB to success on countless fronts.”

Wertlieb said Smith will hold a special advisory role through 2024, including lobbying.

When he was in the Senate, Smith served on the Senate Commerce Committee, Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Finance Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee. Smith has credited his work on Commerce and as chairman of a Senate High Tech Task Force as fostering his interest in new media and new technology issues.

He also worked as an entrepreneur and attorney, directing his family company, Weston, Ore.-based Smith Frozen Foods.

Smith has written publicly about mental health and his family’s experience with suicide.

Smith had a health scare in August of 2020 from which he quickly recovered.

Issues with which the NAB has dealt during Smith’s tenure include the regulatory burdens on broadcasters when compared to “new tech” platforms; navigating the nation’s digital TV migration; lobbying against proposals to place new performance royalties on radio stations; and efforts to advocate for radio’s place in the dashboard.

The new incoming leader LeGeyt has led NAB’s legislative advocacy efforts.

NAB said his work included the permanent reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization (STELAR), inclusion of $1 billion in RAY BAUM’s Act to reimburse stations impacted by the spectrum auction repack, and successful passage of the Music Modernization Act.

A list of all past NAB presidents is at bottom.

SMITH SAMPLER

Here is a sample of Radio World coverage of Gordon Smith’s tenure:

Thumbs Up for Gordon Smith (2011)

Q&A: NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith (2016)

NAB Re-ups Gordon Smith as President/CEO (2017)

Smith Salutes Broadcasters: “Right Now You Are in the Darkest Valley” (May 2020)

Gordon Smith Says Biden Won (Nov. 2020)

PAST NAB LEADERS

Here is a list of NAB’s leaders over the years:

Eugene F. McDonald 1923–1925 (founding president)

Frank W. Elliot 1925–1926

Earle C. Anthony 1926–1928

William S Hedges 1928–1930

Walter J. Damm 1930–1931

Harry Shaw 1931–1932

J. T. Ward 1932–1933

Alfred J. McCosker 1933–1935

Leo J. Fitzpatrick 1935–1936

Charles W. Myers 1936–1937

Neville Miller 1938–1944

J. Harold Ryan 1944–1945

Justin Miller 1945–1951

Harold Fellows 1951–1960

Leroy Collins 1961–1964

Vincent T. Wasilewski 1965–1982

Eddie Fritts 1982–2006

David Rehr 2006–2009

Gordon Smith 2009–2021

Curtis LeGeyt, to start Jan. 2022

The post Gordon Smith Will Step Down From NAB in December appeared first on Radio World.

Following a report citing three individuals close to the matter that appeared in POLITICO, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) confirmed early Wednesday that its President/CEO — former Oregon Senator Gordon Smith — will transition to a 36-month advisory and advocacy role at the end of 2021.

His successor is the NAB’s Chief Operating Officer.

Smith will be succeeded by Curtis LeGeyt, who will take on the media industry’s largest and most influential lobbying and advocacy association on Jan. 1, 2022.

In a video message to NAB members, Smith said, “It has been my great honor to give the lion’s roar for broadcasters – those who run into the storm, those who stand firm in chaos to hear the voice of the people, those who hold to account the powerful – and to stand with those of the fourth estate who have the hearts of public servants.”

Smith joined the NAB as its President/CEO in November 2009. Under his leadership, NAB saw its New York show grow as the Radio Show evolved to a co-production with the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB). The 9-0 Supreme Court decision in FCC v. Prometheus, which saw the NAB join the Commission in its fight to win approval of cross-ownership rule “modernization” the FCC approved in November 2017, is perhaps the crown achievement of the NAB during Smith’s run as its head.

Before joining the NAB, Smith was a well-admired two-term Republican Senator from Oregon. After leaving the Senate, he served as a senior advisor in the Washington offices of Covington & Burling LLP.

Among those saluting Smith is Hearst Television President Jordan Wertlieb, who serves as the NAB Joint Board of Directors.  “Gordon is the ultimate statesman, bringing people together from both sides of the aisle to discuss ideas, find common ground and lead NAB to success on countless fronts,” Wertlieb said. “On behalf of the leadership of NAB, we extend our sincere gratitude for more than a decade of service to the broadcast industry. We look forward to continuing to work with Gordon and benefiting from his guidance for years to come.”

Wertlieb noted that Smith worked closely with the board leadership on a succession plan that will enable him to continue to serve NAB in a special advisory role through December 31, 2024, which includes lobbying on behalf of the broadcasters.

“I am also delighted to share that NAB is in the enviable position of having cultivated top talent within the organization to provide for a smooth and stable transition in leadership,” Wertlieb said. “Curtis has the utmost confidence of the NAB leadership and staff to lead our association into the future.”

LeGeyt has been with NAB for nearly a decade, during which time he led several highly successful legislative advocacy efforts on behalf of broadcasters, including the permanent reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization (STELAR), inclusion of $1 billion in RAY BAUM’s Act to reimburse stations impacted by the spectrum auction repack, and successful passage of the Music Modernization Act.

Prior to assuming his current role as COO, LeGeyt served for five years as NAB’s EVP of Government Relations. Before joining the NAB, LeGeyt was senior counsel to then-Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, of Vermont.

“I am honored and humbled to be named the next leader of this great organization,”  LeGeyt said. “To represent the broadcast industry and the local stations that bind our communities together in a moment of such tremendous change across the media landscape is a privilege. Our stations’ role in communities across this country has never been more important, and I look forward to working every day to ensure their ability to grow and thrive.”

MORE ON CURTIS LeGEYT FROM THE RBR+TVBR ARCHIVES:

NAB COO Talks Up Radio Value At Senate DMCA Briefing Adam Jacobson What did the NAB’s COO say Wednesday to a group of U.S. Senators regarding the scope of music rights within the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)?  Curtis LeGeyt had a lot to discuss, and much of his conversation centered on the role broadcast radio plays in the U.S.

Remote workflows are great until they aren’t. Hypercommunication and Zoom burnout are now part of daily life for college radio teams just like those at other stations. (GettyImages Thananit Suntiviriyanon EyeEm)

“Study Abroad Gone Wrong.” “Coronavirus Outbreak Leaves USC Empty.” “Students Protest on Campus.” “Voices of COVID-19.”

These could be descriptors from a college media time-capsule of the past year. In fact they are headlines from award-winning pieces at the National Student Electronic Media Convention held late last year and produced by College Broadcasters Inc.

“Students across the country are successfully engaging with their audience and community in ways they’ve never attempted before,” says Laura Mooney.

Working amid unusual circumstances through most of 2020, students documented stories and news of campuses and communities grappling with the global pandemic.

“In a primarily virtual world, as due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, it can be hard to constantly adapt our functioning, even though we’ve been living through the pandemic for months,” said CBI’s Student Representative Laura Mooney.

While the situation was different at every campus and college radio station, the months of trial and error prompted lively conversations about education and radio. These themes were at the forefront at the convention as students, educators and professional broadcasters dug into the myriad ways that radio work adjusted.

Breaking News, Overlapping Crises

Laura Haefeli, TV reporter for CBS13, was new to the Sacramento area in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak. She was soon covering breaking news about quarantines, wildfires and civil rights protests.

Acknowledging the risks, she emphasizes the vital role that journalists play in reporting factual information to the public.

“We all do this to help people. It’s our way of doing our part,” Haefeli said. “If I didn’t do this, I’d probably be some kind of first responder … It’s an important job. .. It’s a dangerous job and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

WCBS Newsradio 880 reporter Peter Haskell is a veteran of crisis reporting in New York City after the terrorist attacks in 2001 as well as following a devastating earthquake in Haiti. Haskell advises reporters to “be smart and protect yourself,” pointing out that “you don’t want to be the one doing a story from a hospital bed.”

Equally vital to Haskell is to “not lose your humanity” when covering the news. In difficult situations, he implores journalists to treat people the way they would want their own family to be treated.

Laura Haefeli also encourages student journalists to think creatively and to look for the positive angle on a story during a crisis. “Find the stories that are based in humanity,” she urges.

Remote Tips and Tricks

Of course, many interviews for radio took place remotely by phone or through online video and audio tools. Haskell points out that developing a rapport is key to a good interview and that it is much easier to do that in person.

For that reason, reporter Julia Ritchey of North Country Public Radio in the state of New York prefers Zoom or video interviews instead of the phone so that she can see the person she’s talking to and keep an eye on their reactions and body language.

As far as remote audio logistics, Ritchey recommends asking interview subjects to record audio to help add color. She provided an example of having a chef use a phone to get the sound of sizzling bacon for inclusion in her radio piece.

While Ritchey records herself using a Zoom recorder and a microphone she always has backup plans and has used the voice memo app on her phone “in a pinch.”

She cautions students to be prepared for equipment failure, check levels and capture at least a minute of sound wherever they are recording. This ambient sound serves as “glue” for the final radio story, allowing for smooth transitions.

Finally, when away from a proper studio, Ritchey suggests recording in one’s closet, saying that “it’s foolproof.”

Remote Best Practices

Educators and industry professionals continue to evolve approaches to distance learning and working. There have been bumps, as teaching radio remotely has obstacles. Radio station advisors labored to obtain licenses for editing software so students could work from home. Workarounds via remote computer access may seem viable, but for some latency makes it impossible.

Students may prefer methods or apps that their instructors are less familiar with. At Montclair State University’ WMSC(FM), demand to use the communication platform Discord prompted General Manager Anabella Poland to establish a virtual radio station studio in that space.

WMSC at Montclair State University uses the Discord platform to support its virtual studio workflow.

With countless ways to create and edit radio, some reported quality control issues. To help mitigate that, many stations crafted instructional videos and tutorials. At Pennsylvania’s Muhlenberg College, WMUH(FM) General Manager Paul Krempasky took the challenges in stride, philosophizing, “when it doesn’t work, that’s where education starts.”

Even working professionals grapple with these problems, as they navigate new technology for remote work and shifting expectations. Millie De Chirico, programming manager at Turner Classic Movies, commented on the good and bad sides of working at home.

While appreciating the non-commute and the flexibility, she found that the early days of the pandemic brought with it “hypercommunication.” She speculates that with people feeling isolated at home, there was a tendency to overcompensate.

In addition to Zoom burnout, she felt communication burnout and had to set more work/home boundaries. To help her “clock out” at night so that she wasn’t responding to texts at all hours, she got a dedicated work phone that she can put away and turn off at night, and set up a specific workspace in her residence.

The blurry boundaries between work, home, school and socializing affected college radio participants as well as those out in the business world. When not in person, it can be tricky establishing a sense of community at a station. Because of that, stations have experimented with remote events including game nights, talent shows, scavenger hunts, trivia contests and speed-friending. Similarly, some stations are introducing their community to newcomers by recording video tours so that people can get a glimpse of the operations. In some ways, this can even make stations more accessible than before.

CBI’s Laura Mooney was hopeful after hearing about the resourcefulness and resiliency of college radio peers. “Students across the country are successfully engaging with their audience and community in ways they’ve never attempted before. I think that’s really inspiring.”

[Related: “Remote Radio: Phase II,” a free Radio World ebook,]

The post College Radio Felt Pandemic Effects Too appeared first on Radio World.