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The Federal Communications Commission is correcting a final that appeared in the Federal Register on October 9, 2020. In the document, the Commission adopts changes to its rules to prepare the 3.45-3.55 GHz band for commercial wireless services. It removes the secondary, non-federal allocations in the 3.3-3.55 GHz band for radiolocation services and the amateur radio service. These services will continue in alternate spectrum; radiolocation operations will be moved to the 2.9-3.0 GHz band, already home to similar operations, and amateur licensees will be able to relocate their operations to other frequencies already available for amateur operations. Clearing this band of secondary services will allow the Commission to auction the 3.45-3.55 GHz band for commercial wireless services on a co-primary basis with federal radio navigation and radiolocation operations.

There’s a new organization focused on supporting the needs of independent radio broadcasters.

The concept of the new Independent Broadcasters Association (IBA) started as the brainchild of the independent radio operator Ron Stone. After sitting in on a session at an annual NAB conference two years ago, Stone walked out realizing that none of the issues covered were focused on independent radio companies at all.

“When you go to those events, you want to improve your organization and sales. It just seemed like everything was focused on the larger companies,” said Stone, who is founder, president and executive director of IBA and also owner 24 stations in five markets as part of the Adams Radio Group. “I was disheartened. And from there, I thought about what an association can do if it is formed in the right way.”

Fast forward to today and the new Independent Broadcasters Association has found support from 1,200 independent radio members. The association’s goals are to provide independent operators with ways to drive revenue and achieve cost benefits cannot be achieved alone. It will also meet needs not be served by other organizations, such as through educational webinars, conferences, access to group health insurance and admittance to jobs board.

On the heels of this, the IBA also plans to roll out a news service for independent broadcasters. “If you go back into the 1800s when [the Associated Press] started, it began as a co-op with other papers,” Stone said. “What we’re trying to do is to have all independents of the IBA contribute stories and images and [make that news accessible so that] any member can use it.”

Stone wanted to make it clear that stations who are part of the IBA are not trying to compete with other umbrella organizations. “We’re trying to take away from anyone else’s organization,” he said. “And we’re not trying to displace anyone else. Ours is highly focused on operational cost and revenue.”

Other offerings include the ability for independent broadcasters to participate in a financial review of their organization. IBA recently announced an association with dk east associates, a media specialty accounting firm, who will conduct a financial analysis of independent broadcasters’ operations. Participation in the financial report is free but stations must be a member of the IBA.

“We see a lot of information about the industry, but typically it only speaks to larger public companies and it is difficult to use in a meaningful way for local operations,” Stone said when the announcement was made. “The IBA was formed to bring shared resources like this to independent broadcasters, along with revenue-generation and cost-saving opportunities.”

For example, the IBA-dk east associates report will allow members to compare and contrast their operations to others of similar size and will provide quarterly data against 2019 to allow members to gauge their own performance against similar operations during the COVID-19 crisis.

Why did Stone see the need for this type of organization now? “Bigger companies have taken control of what is going on in our country,” he said. “They’ve had control since consolidation in the ’90s. And if you look at revenue, in 1996 we were something like a $15 billion industry. This year, we’re a $10 billion industry; compared to 1996 valuations, that’s more like $8 million. So we’ve lost 50% of the revenue that we used to have. Half our revenue is gone.

“We can keep doing the same things and you can see what the next 10 years is going to look like,” he said. “Or we can make a decision to bind together and find a path together.”

The entire radio industry is facing big challenges, he said. If we lose our position in the car, for example, we lose in a big way, he said. “Part of our plans is to create an app so that we, too, can go to the car manufacturers and argue ‘there’s a reason this app should be on your dashboard.’”

Stone said the organization is also in talks to create its own real-time, app-based ratings service.

A look at the IBA’s current board shows a mix of CEOs, GMs and independent owners with a mix of industry attorneys and digital companies serving as board advisors. The 501(c)(6) nonprofit company will require one third of the board to vacate their seat in December 2021 to keep ideas and mindsets fresh. Varied voices are important, Stone said. “We don’t want to see the same board members serving or 30 years,” he said.

There are several ways to join the IBA, one of which includes a way to make membership financially feasible to all stations. One option is a barter-based plan that includes a per station $100 annual fee plus one 60-second daily barter advertising spot. If they choose the membership barter option, that inventory is sold to fund their membership, Stone said. A second option is $600 annually per station with no barter.

Stone believes that the more independent members that the IBA has, the stronger the association will be. “The more members we have, the more voice we have in the matter. There is every reason to have every [independent station] be part of us.

“I want to know that when our generation hands it over [to the next generation], it will be in good shape,” he said. “But it takes every independent to make that happen.”

 

The post New Association Tackles the Needs of Independent Radio Stations appeared first on Radio World.

By this Public Notice, the Media Bureau clarifies the applicability of the lowest unit charge requirement after the date of an election

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How Radio Got Its Start and Impacts Us Today

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In accordance with the Commission's rules, the list of top five nonbroadcast networks subject to audio description requirements is updated every three years to account for changes in ratings

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RTBF’s Francis Goffin is the recipient of the WorldDAB Outstanding Service award.

WorldDAB cited Goffin’s work with the French-speaking operations of the Belgian public broadcaster along with his promotion of transition to digital broadcasting.

[Read: WorldDAB’s First Virtual General Assembly Approaches]

He said, “I would like to thank WorldDAB Pres. Patrick Hannon and the entire WorldDAB community for giving me this wonderful award which underlines my involvement in the promotion of DAB+ for almost 10 years now.”

Goffin added, “I believe this award also honors the entire Belgian radio sector, which has collectively embarked on the digital migration from analog FM to DAB+ digital radio with great enthusiasm.”

The WorldDAB 2020 general assembly is this week.

 

The post Goffin Wins WorldDAB Service Award appeared first on Radio World.

KSUR website image

Longtime broadcaster Saul Levine thinks the FCC’s decision to allow all-digital on the AM band is “a breakthrough,” and he’s encouraging his fellow AM station owners to invest in new equipment and programming with an eye on eventually going all-digital.

For now, the president of Mount Wilson FM Broadcasters Inc. has just spent a quarter of a million dollars on a new AM transmitting system at his oldies-formatted station KSUR(AM) in Los Angeles.

Saul Levine at his office in 2012.

And he has turned on hybrid AM HD Radio as an interim step, making him one of the few U.S. broadcasters to add fresh AM HD Radio service in recent years.

The project involves a new 25 kW Nautel main transmitter and a 12 kW Nautel standby, plus four new 200-foot towers and ground systems.

He said that KSUR has a “significant” existing audience, so he views using hybrid mode as a compromise that lays groundwork for going 100% digital, which he anticipates doing in 12 to 18 months.

KSUR is a Class B directional station with 20 kW daytime power and a translator at 98.3 FM.

in 1959, Levine put KBCA(FM) on the air at 105.1, broadcasting from more than a mile above downtown Los Angeles as one of the first FM stations on Mount Wilson. “I placed FM 105.1 on the air in 1959 when FM set penetration was only about 25 percent,” he recalled. “It was a difficult time for FM, and the station did not become profitable for 10 years.

“I suggest AM owners who do not have a passion for radio and are looking for fast profits get out of the AM ownership business,” he continued. “Ultimately 100% AM digital will prevail and be successful. Initially, we have elected to go with hybrid HD digital/analog technology. The reason is that this allows continued analog listening while making the transition to all-digital AM.”

He said his analog AM sounds good and the digital component “is significantly noise-free, and provides stereo. KSUR 1260 is also simulcast in HD on our 105.1 FM facility with 100-mile coverage from 6,000-foot-high Mount Wilson.”

Levine told Radio World, “I see the recent FCC decision to approve all digital AM transmission as a breakthrough for the AM service [that will] will lead to financially successful AM stations. In my opinion initial operation with hybrid technology is a fast way to generate a positive outlook for the AM band, and lead to 100% digital technology within a few years.

“In the interim, I urge AM station owners to invest in AM with new equipment, and invest in unique programming to provide the audience with a reason to tune in, plus perceive digital AM radio as I did with FM 62 years ago.” He  says if an AM station plans to go to a new format or needs a kickstart, “I recommend all-digital now. But install the digital equipment now,” regardless.

Read our 2007 article “Levine’s KKGO/KMZT Embrace HD Radio”

 

 

 

 

The post Levine Sees AM Digital Vote as “Breakthrough” appeared first on Radio World.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai issued a statement on the centennial Monday of the famous KDKA broadcast.

This is the text:

“Today we celebrate the 100th anniversary of our nation’s first widely recognized commercial radio broadcast that took place on November 2, 1920. The broadcast, which aired in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on KDKA, Westinghouse Electric’s newly established station, relayed the results of the 1920 presidential election and set the stage for a long line of radio broadcasts that have shaped the story of America.

As the earliest electronic mass communications medium, radio has allowed us to listen in on some of the most momentous occasions in American history, from President Roosevelt’s famous ‘fireside chats’ to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.  It has entertained us, from The War of the Worlds to The Jack Benny Program to American Top 40 with Casey Kasem to The Steve Harvey Morning Show.  And radio still keeps millions of Americans company on long drives, enthralls us with coverage of our favorite sports teams, and when disaster strikes, is one of the most valuable resources for life-saving information.

Radio has given us a way to come together in times of strife and times of triumph.

On behalf of myself and the FCC’s dedicated staff, it is my honor to join all Americans in recognizing this milestone. Congratulations to radio broadcasters on a century of excellence. We look forward to the stories that radio will continue to tell!

The post Chairman Pai’s Birthday Message to Radio appeared first on Radio World.

A DTS Connected Radio promotional image

The DTS Connected Radio platform that Xperi has been working on for some time is coming to market now and will be part of the sophisticated MBUX multimedia car platform, the company announced.

The Daimler MB User Experience, or “MBUX,” is featured in the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class line.

DTS Connected Radio is a hybrid radio system that combines reception of broadcast signals with IP-delivered metadata; the company says it is now available in 48 countries. Hybrid systems provide a transition for a listener from broadcast to internet as a car drives out of range of a station OTA signal.

[Related: “Hybrid Radio Picks Up Momentum”]

The company also said its content comes from 48,000 radio stations and millions of tracks, albums and artist bios. DTS believes it has the world’s largest database of broadcast metadata.

S-Class MBUX display. MBUX stands for Mercedes-Benz User Experience.

It stated in the press release: “DTS Connected Radio features big beautiful art, comprehensive artist and album information and imagery, songs, playlists, content recommendations, lyrics, local events, podcasts, and more, enriching broadcasts from thousands of radio stations around the world.”

Xperi General Manager of Automotive Jeff Jury described the relationship as “partnering with Daimler to help make what they call the ‘Third Place’ — a refuge between home and workspace — more delightful.”

In a Radio World interview in July, Jury was asked what was notable about the MBUX system.

“First, Daimler [the parent of Mercedes] is not just handing over the dash to Apple or Google,” he said at the time. “They are innovating for their customers. This is a great outcome for the radio industry because it means not all entertainment needs to be behind a car play or android for auto wall.

“Second, the main screen has radio as a separate icon (and apps as a separate icon). This shows that radio is compelling, and importantly, a standalone infotainment source for Daimler buyers. Again, good for the radio industry because radio is a main option, not one of many apps in the dash.”

DTS highlights research that says radio remains a “must have” dashboard feature and reaches more adults 25–54 than other audio sources. Jury said those consumers want radio “to be as rich and engaging as other media platforms and experiences, particularly a mobile experience.”

DTS promotes its platform to carmakers as a global one, compatible with analog AM/FM and global digital radio formats including DAB, DAB+ and its own HD Radio technology. It said the platform enables OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to create better user interfaces without consuming a lot of data and computer resources in the vehicle.

Xperi is also the parent of DTS AutoSense, which monitors drivers and occupants; and HD Radio.

[Related: “Jeff Jury Highlights Further Personalization of the Dash”]

 

 

 

The post DTS Joins the MBUX Multimedia Platform appeared first on Radio World.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Multimedia Holdings Corporation (Multimedia), licensee of KNPX, channel 12, Mesa, Arizona, requesting the substitution of channel 18 for channel 12 at Mesa in the DTV Table of Allotments. The Commission instituted a freeze on the acceptance of rulemaking petitions by full power television stations requesting channel substitutions in May 2011, and Multimedia asks that the Commission waive the freeze to permit KPNX to change from a VHF to a UHF channel to better serve its over-the-air viewers. Multimedia states that the Commission has recognized that VHF channels have certain propagation characteristics which may cause reception issues for some viewers. While Multimedia acknowledges that VHF reception issues are not universal, it states that since the 2009 digital transition, when it began operating exclusively on digital channel 12, KPNX has received a steady stream of complaints from viewers unable to receive the station's over-the-air signal, despite being able to receive signals from other local stations. Multimedia believes that waiver of the channel substitution freeze would serve the public interest.

From our Who’s Buying What page: Family Life Radio station KFLR(FM) in Phoenix, Ariz., took delivery this fall of a new Nautel GV30N-D FM transmitter.

Shown is Michael Bove, chief engineer for Family Life Radio in Tucson and Phoenix, with their new box, which supports the station’s addition of HD Radio with –12/–14 HD injection.

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

Effective radiated power is 100 kW. Its TPO is 21.566 kW, of which HD Radio is 1.066.

The station broadcasts with an ERI medium-power half-wave-spaced four-bay directional antenna mounted to a top pole on Tower 12 South Mountain Phoenix.

Radio World invites both users and suppliers to tell us about recently installed new or notable equipment. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post A Nautel Transmitter for KFLR appeared first on Radio World.

Chuck Weber, proprietor of Weber Climbing Services in Elizabethtown, Ind., is often asked for an opinion about a tower company or to recommend one. He answers that a company is only as good as its climbers.

Chuck shared some thoughts to help you get more value out of your next tower re-lamp job.

Ask the climbers to do a visual inspection and perform simple repairs on the way up and during their rest stops. It is an opportunity to gather some information that might save you thousands of dollars, so a little prep work may pay off big.

Some repairs, of course, will be limited by the climber’s knowledge and experience, but most will be commonsense.

A little small talk and a free lunch will make that initial conversation easier. You might also put together a small tool bag for the climber to take up. You can find a canvas bag and carabiner clip at a surplus or outdoor supply store.

In Chuck’s personal re-lamp tool bag, you’ll find a two-way radio as well as a cellphone. Never underestimate the importance of a means of quick and easy vocal contact, even if it’s just asking for AC power to check all the bulbs on the way down the tower.

The cellphone is not only a backup to the radio but it provides a camera to take photos of things that need attention and to document work done.

Also put a roll of quality electrical tape in the bag. Choose multi-use tape. It’s the “duct tape for the tower world,” and worth its weight in gold; it may mean the difference between doing a simple repair now and enduring a expensive failure later.

The electrical tape can provide temporary repairs for situations like the one here where an AC cable became separated from a radome heater.

Another “must-have” is a tube of Aquaseal urethane repair adhesive and sealant.

Use it to fix a poor or missing STL connector weather seal, or squeeze it into a poorly fit wire entry in a junction box. Like the electrical tape, the sealant can save you from early failures on many fronts.

A tube of Aquaseal guards against moisture. It’s sold by vendors like Dick’s Sporting Goods

In your bag, also include a coiled length of #14 solid conductor THHN wire, three to five feet of it. Rarely has Chuck been on a tower for a re-lamp and not found a section of coax hanging loose. The wire can be cut to length to create “copper tie wraps” that will last virtually forever.

Be sure to include a multi-tool/screwdriver combo, like the ones made by SOG, to tighten cable clamps or remove the base of a broken bulb from its fixture.

Finally, Chuck suggests that you supply extra bulbs to take up, at least one beacon and one side-lamp. Even new bulbs may fail when powered up; a few are bad out of the box.

You want the re-lamp to be done — with all new bulbs, not leaving an old bulb left in place because a new one failed. Having extras is cheap insurance, and any left over can be shelved for future use.

Thanks, Chuck, for helping us get our money’s worth out of the next re-lamp!

Basics Training

Frequent contributor Dan Slentz has been surfing the web again; he writes about a neat site called “Interesting Engineering” at www.interestingengineering.com.

The site offers an “Ultimate Electrical Engineering Master Class Bundle” that comprises five courses with more than 250 in-depth lessons. It promises to provide a solid understanding of electrical engineering tools and practices. The courses teach simple and complex circuits, as well as repair of household appliances; there’s even a course dedicated to the planning, installation and maintenance of solar power sources.

At this writing, the course is offered for $25

Dan adds that he did not have formal education in electronics; his training has come through the “school of hard knocks,” a Radio Shack 100-in-1 project kit, his antique Knight Kit “lab,” and attending programs such as the Sony school for U-Matic tape decks, Christie projection school and the Harris RF school.

He also has learned from reading sources like Radio World, TV Technology, the late Broadcast Engineering magazine and the super new online material provided by the Society of Broadcast Engineers.

By the way, Dan still uses a cardboard three-wheel Radio Shack resistor value guide, because all he remembers of the resistor colors is “But Violet Goes Willingly.”

If you sign up for those courses or can recommend any others, share your experience by emailing me at johnpbisset@gmail.com.

John Bisset has spent over 50 years in the broadcasting industry. He handles western U.S. radio sales for the Telos Alliance. He holds CPBE certification with the Society of Broadcast Engineers and is a past recipient of the SBE’s Educator of the Year Award. Workbench submissions are encouraged, qualify for SBE Recertification, and can be emailed to johnpbisset@gmail.com.

The post Get More Out of Your Tower Re-Lamp appeared first on Radio World.

The author operates J.R. Richardson Electronics, a contract engineering firm in Westminster, Md.

The first time I saw a USB device with an antenna connection, I said there was no way to have a complete spectrum analyzer on that device; when I saw what it would do, I was hooked.

When you look at the Broadcast Electronics Avatar Test Receiver, you get the same first impression. However, when you load the software, hook up an antenna and plug the USB cable into the computer, a new world opens up.

The Avatar allows you to analyze not only your signal but all the signals on the FM radio band. Here is the list:

1. RF spectrum and waterfall displays of your signal;
2. Multiplex spectrum display;
3. Modulation power (how “loud” the station is);
4. RDS — see all the transmitted information;
5. Instantaneous deviation;
6. Deviation history;
7. Deviation histogram;
8. Audio spectrum: L & R, plus peak and average;
9. Stereo Lissajous display — see the relative phase and amplitude of the L&R;
10. Stereo quality;
11. Audio S/N (even without cutting modulation).

The Avatar’s ability to look at all of those parameters on a computer gives the technician the look-see at what is happening. Much of the work that we perform involves questions like “Am I over-modulating,” “Is someone interfering with the signal,” “What is my RDS sending out” and “Do I have good stereo separation?”

The RF spectrum shows where your signal is in the FM band, and your spectral occupancy. The MPX spectrum gives you a look at your L+R, L–R pilot, RDS and any SCAs you may have. Modulation power shows a relative indication of how loud you are and of course the RDS analysis shows what is being transmitted.

Something I really like is that the device looks for the stereo pilot and if it is not there, it shows the mono signal on the stereo quality signal.

Practical considerations

My Avatar is set up with an external antenna in my office, so that I can monitor several of the stations that I contract for. You have to be careful about multipath, which can cause apparent overmodulation to be displayed. For clean measurements, use the RF pickup tap on your transmitter.

I will be arranging a remote pickup site for my unit at one of my backup sites. I would consider two antennas, one omni and the other with a high-gain directional antenna on a rotor. I could then log in with a remote desktop connection and get a good reading.

The Avatar works well on a desktop computer or on my portable laptop in the truck. For this location, I have a whip antenna with a magnetic base, which would give you the same signal as if you were listening on the truck radio.

Using the Avatar for new installations, I’d suggest you do a screen grab and have a reference for future use. I have suggested the Avatar to a group that has a station in Key West, Fla., while their home office is in Valdosta, Ga. With remote access via PCAnywhere, LogMeIn or VNC they can monitor the station constantly .

The Avatar RF spectrum display shows the HD sidebands but does not decode them. Audio is analog. The unit also has an input for the AM frequency band, and can display the spectrum on that band, but the software currently does not support AM station analysis.

You are able to switch between 10 presets that you can program. You are also able to label the tabs with the call letters of the station.

The unit is very small and is powered by the USB cable, it fits easily in your toolbox.

Would I buy another Broadcast Electronics Avatar? At the price of $1,495 it is well worth it.

Radio World User Reports are testimonial articles intended to help readers understand why a colleague chose a particular product to solve a technical situation.

For information about this product, contact Frank Grundstein at 1-610-353-1970 or for Latin America sales Daniel Bizet at 1-217-592-4225 or visit http://www.bdcast.com.

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