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The Bureau enters into a Consent Decree with Agape Communications, Inc.

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Issued a Forfeiture Order in the amount of $3,500 to Katahdin Communications, Inc., for failure to timely file a covering license application for FM Translator W273DJ, Millinocket, ME, and unauthorized operation of the station

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Ica Radio Ltd. enters into consent decree to resolve political file investigation.

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Denies the Petition for Declaratory Ruling.

Roughly eight years ago, an FM facility seeking to serve African American consumers in the Gainesville, Fla., market, downgraded from a Class C3 facility to a Class A FM licensed to Cross City, Fla.

It was part of a plan put together by a licensee that in October 2012 agreed to purchase the station for $325,000. But, something went awry and the new facility was never built. As such, in April 2016 the station’s license was cancelled — something then-Commissioner Mignon Clyburn concurred with, as “spectrum squatting” is a no-no, even in cases where diversity of voices is at stake.

The licensee didn’t give up. But, it faces a losing battle in getting its station back from the dead. And, that fight may be at an end, thanks to the Audio Division Chief at the FCC.

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The audio content creation and distribution company that owns podcast companies Cadence13 and Pineapple Street and the eponymous streaming app formerly known as Radio.com received a much welcomed upgrade from a Wall Street financial house on Tuesday.

The move from B Riley Financial helped Audacy Inc. shares climb by more than 5%, sending volume to more than double its daily average.

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On January 8, 2018, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued a Maine permittee a construction permit for an FM translator. The owner of the facility had three years to submit an application for a license. But, it didn’t make that deadline date.

The FCC is accepting the tardiness, but it will come at a price.

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The Georgia Association of Broadcasters (GAB) has named the 2022 year’s inductees into the association’s Hall of Fame.

The GAB Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have had a lasting impact on the state’s broadcasting industry. “Once again our Hall of Fame class has great representation from radio and television, small markets and large, management and on-air talent and with diversity that is truly representative of Georgia’s broadcasting industry,” said GAB President Bob Houghton. “We are so pleased to be able to honor these incredible individuals.”

The following individuals will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during a ceremony in Athens, Ga., on Jan. 26.

• Doug Weathers, WTOC-TV – television journalist and news director
• Ed Harbison, WQXI-AM/FM and WAGH(FM) – Georgia state senator
• Scott Miller, WCUG(FM) – radio broadcaster and play-by-play voice for Columbus State University Cougars
• Joe Willie Sousa, Golden Isles Broadcasting – general manager and on-air personality

From Left: Doug Weathers, Ed Harbison, Scott Miller and Joe Willie Sousa

Each winter the GAB hosts an annual luncheon to honor new Hall of Fame members and recognize recipients of the annual E. Lanier Finch Scholarship.

Since its inception, 93 broadcasters have been inducted into the GAB Hall of Fame. Past inductees include this year’s emcee — Monica Pearson with Georgia Public Broadcasting — and others, including Judy Woodruff, broadcast TV journalist; Skip Caray, former Atlanta Braves play-by-play announcer and son of Chicago broadcasting legend Harry Caray; Pete Van Wieren, American sportscaster; and Mike Roberts, Georgia radio station owner and morning host.

Submit news about your event to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Georgia Broadcasters Name 2022 Hall of Fame Inductees appeared first on Radio World.

When historians look back at advertising trends and the COVID-19 era, one thing will likely stand out: digital media’s advertiser attraction barely cooled off during the pandemic’s most crushing blows to ad dollar activity.

Now, data from Standard Media Index only cement the oft-repeated stories that converged TV and digital video are must-buys for CMOs and aren’t slowing down for the foreseeable future.

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It’s been a decade since digital radio launched in Germany, and it seems to be catching on with listeners. Digitalradio Büro Deutschland, the joint-initiative between broadcasters, receiver manufacturers, and network operators in Germany, declared the 2021 the “best year for DAB+ since 2011.”

According to the Büro, 2021 saw a 30 percent increase in number of digital radio receivers in German homes and cars over the prior year, and DAB+ signals are heard in about 27 percent of German households, some 11 million people. Around 20 percent of all radio listeners regularly tune to DAB+ programs.

On Dec. 21, 2020, regulations went into effect requiring radios with displays, as well as radios in cars, to be capable of receiving DAB+ signals. This resulted in the sale of about 1.83 million stationary DAB+ devices in 2021, a relative increase of 15.2 percent over the previous year.

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“The driving force behind the current DAB+ dynamism is the commitment of many private broadcasters, who are broadcasting new programs nationally and, increasingly, regionally via the digital terrestrial radio standard,” stated Digitalradio Büro Deutschland in a German-language announcement.

According to the Media-Analyse ma 2021 Audio media usage survey, the audience share for DAB+ is 20.4 percent among listeners 14+, and for the 30- to 59-year-old demographic that increases to 22.7 percent.

As of December 2021, about 300 DAB+ channels are offered nationwide, around 100 of which are digital only. The Büro also noted that DAB transmission infrastructure continues to grow in Germany with six more transmission sites going on air by April 2022 to close gaps in the transmission network.

In the first two weeks of December alone, public broadcaster NDR put into operation a new DAB+ transmitter in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania; private broadcaster Radio Arabella Bayern expanded its reach to cover all of Bavaria; and 37 private broadcasters in Saxony applied to join local, regional, and state-wide DAB+ networks.

Comment on this or any article. Write to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post 2021: Best Year Yet for DAB+ in Germany appeared first on Radio World.

“Radio is outmanned, outgunned, out-funded and fragmented. The competition is not.”

That’s the message that Xperi Corp. has been taking to the global radio industry. The technology company believes its DTS AutoStage platform is the answer.

In a new ebook co-produced by Radio World and Xperi, we talk with experts about this proposition — how the connectivity environment is changing and how DTS AutoStage is designed to address that change.

For listeners, this new hybrid radio platform promises more content, better control, and new ways to engage and personalize audio content in the car.

For automakers it offers consistency in the driver experience, global coverage and field upgradeability.

For radio, it promises stations a visual presence that can be monetized and that looks as good as what SiriusXM, TuneIn or Spotify can offer, if not better.

Will it meet those objectives? Providing insights are Roger Lanctot of Strategy Analytics, Steve Shultis of New York Public Radio, John Clark of NAB PILOT, Steve Newberry of QUU and executives at Xperi led by Joe D’Angelo. You’ll also see what real radio station displays look like in DTS AutoStage on the dash of a Mercedes S-Class vehicle.

Read it here.

The post Radio’s Call to Action: DTS AutoStage appeared first on Radio World.

The nation’s No. 1 radio station owner, by count, and The CW have renewed their multi-year partnership.

What does this mean? The CW will remain the exclusive television broadcast and video streaming partner for both the iHeartRadio Music Festival and the annual holiday iHeartRadio Jingle Ball.

The CW and iHeartMedia have been partners on these events since 2012.

The timing is great for iHeartMedia, as the 2021 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball will air as a national television special on The CW Network this evening (12/15) at 8pm Eastern/Pacific. Performances from Ed Sheeran, BTS, Jonas Brothers, Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, Saweetie, and AJR are in the works, as is a special appearance from Jimmy Fallon.

“From the beginning, we have been attracted to The CW’s young audience reach, and this new agreement will extend our partnership with the Network into a second decade,” said John Sykes, President of Entertainment Enterprises for iHeartMedia. “Each year, the iHeartRadio Music Festival and the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour attract the biggest superstars in music, and this partnership extends the reach of these iconic events into to the homes of millions of viewers around the country.”

Mark Pedowitz, Chairman and CEO of The CW Network, commented, “As we enter into a new decade of collaboration, The CW is looking forward to serving as the exclusive TV broadcast and video streaming partner of both of these can’t-miss events for years to come.”

It is far and away the most valuable content company in the world. And, its executive team led by Reed Hastings has decided to drop its fourth quarter 2021 fiscal report card on the same day as the Matrix Solutions Media Ad Sales Summit — also the concluding day of NATPE Miami at the Fontainebleau Resort in Miami Beach.

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The NTA is no longer the National Translator Association. But, it is very much devoted to serving low-power broadcast TV stations as its largest advocacy group.

And, not much has changed in its mission as Jack Mills has been elected to replace the retiring John Terrill as NTA President.

As such, Mills will assume the leadership of an organization devoted to serving its members in the same way it always had. Only, it has a new name.

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NEW YORK — The co-CEO and Chairman of the Board of one of the fastest-growing broadcast television station ownership groups in the U.S. has been selected as the recipient of the 2022 Golden Mike Award.

Hilton Howell Jr. will be presented with the honor at a black-tie gala on Monday, March 14, 2022, at the Plaza Hotel, adjacent to Central Park.

This year’s event marks the return of the Broadcasters Foundation of America’s biggest fundraiser, which did not take place in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Howell, who leads Gray Television, began his career practicing law and spent several years in the insurance industry. He serves on the Broadcasters Foundation’s Board of Directors, and is a former member of the board of directors for the NAB, the Advisory Council of the Center for Leadership and Ethics for the University of Texas at Austin, and the Advisory Board of Curant Health Care. He is also a former member on the NBC Affiliate Board.

The Broadcasters Foundation of America Golden Mike Award dinner attracts a who’s who of broadcast media executives and celebrities. The presenters and performers for this year’s event will be announced shortly. Previous recipients include Dave Lougee, Perry Sook, Emily Barr, David Barrett, Michael Bloomberg, Bob Pittman, Gordon Smith, and Jeff Smulyan.

The Broadcasters Foundation is the only charity devoted exclusively to providing financial assistance to colleagues in broadcasting who are in dire need. Even with the loss of major fundraising events during COVID, more than $1.8 million in monthly and one-time emergency grants will be awarded this year.

“It’s been a challenging year-and-a-half, and we are thrilled to honor Hilton and once again present the Golden Mike Award live and in-person,” said Scott Herman, Chairman of the Broadcasters Foundation. “Looking ahead, our goal remains to provide financial aid for every broadcaster who qualifies.”

Howell added, “I am honored to be recognized by the Broadcasters Foundation and ask everyone in our business who has made a good living from broadcasting, to consider donating any amount to help our colleagues who have been hit by shattering circumstances.”

Video SaaS platform Stringr has brought to market a new creator-focused video sourcing and production platform.

In the company’s view, marketers, brands, creatives, and entertainment companies can now source and produce original video content “with the same speed and ease” previously only available to broadcast news organizations.

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