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Estrella Radio License of Houston LLC enters into consent decree to resolve political file investigation

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As required by the National Defense Authorization Act, the FCC Submitted its Seventh Semi-Annual Report to Congress on Submissions by U.S.-Based Foreign Media Outlets

With its Q3 2021 earnings set for distribution early Tuesday morning, Audacy has moved forward with the selection of a new SVP of Digital Business Operations.

Taking the post is Palak Forbes. She reports to Audacy’s Chief Digital Officer, J.D. Crowley, and will with the leaders of Audacy’s podcast studios and sales teams.

“Forbes will provide commercial and operational leadership for the company’s podcast business, while working across Audacy’s entire digital portfolio and with key strategic partners to enable continued strong growth in Audacy’s digital and podcast businesses,” the company said.

Speaking of her appointment, Crowley remarked, “As we make consistent strides to evolve and enhance our digital and podcast businesses, Palak is a perfect choice to lead our day-to-day efforts to provide a world-class experience for our customers, creators and consumers. Her deep experience launching and scaling innovative new businesses, and expertise managing strategic relationships with companies across the media and technology sectors will enable us to continue delivering robust growth.”

Forbes most recently Head of Business Development & Operations at The New York Times, where she oversaw the development the company’s audio business and spearheaded their foray into virtual reality with the NYT VR app.

Previously, Forbes was The New York Times’ VP Corporate Strategy & Development leading new ventures, off-platform relationships, and M&A; and programming the Board of Directors’ special committee on Technology & Innovation.

Prior to that, Forbes was Vice President of Strategy at Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational media company, where she advanced the company’s EdTech initiatives and led international expansion in India. She has also held digital advertising strategy and subscriber marketing roles at Viacom and HBO, respectively.

Should the FCC be required under Federal law to ‘modernize” reporting requirements related to political advertising aired by broadcasters by making reports machine-readable?

That’s the goal of the newly introduced Fair and Clear Campaign (FCC) Transparency Act.

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The company formerly known as Entercom on Tuesday morning will host a conference call to review its third quarter 2021 results.

What can investors and analysts expect to see from Audacy Inc.? Seeking Alpha offers its take on what could come from the audio content creator and distributor that in addition to radio stations owns big podcast producers Cadence13 and Pineapple Street.

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A 3-1/8-inch tunable stub, mounted at the transmitter output (and identifiable by the long slot at center top), diligently guards against damaging voltage spikes.

In addition to pumpkin pie, Halloween and Thanksgiving, this is the time of year to focus on budgets. Even if your station is one of the few that doesn’t use a budget process, it makes good sense to prepare a list of physical upgrades that may be needed in 2022.

As you review the equipment that may need to be upgraded, also consider acquisitions that can reduce your risk. A surge protector or UPS, for example, can save not only money but headaches, and you can’t beat the cost/benefit ratio.

[Read: Workbench: Time to Plan for Old Man Winter]

Another piece of protection equipment you may want to consider is a shorted quarter-wave stub. One can be placed on the output of an FM exciter, ahead of a tube transmitter, so that any tube arcing is shorted to ground and will not be fed into the exciter.

Our Radio World colleague Mark Persons has an interesting article on his website www.mwpersons.com describing its use. Select “Tech Tips” and look for “Stub Protector for FM Exciters and Transmitters” under the FM Tips column.

This concept can be used in higher-power applications, though you may not want to cut rigid line yourself.

Enter Fred Francis, an RF consultant, who manufactures tunable shorted stubs in both 1-5/8-inch and 3-1/8-inch rigid line under the company name Xenirad.

The quarter-wave shorted stub connects between your transmitter and your antenna system to short the center conductor to ground. This provides lightning protection for your transmitter. Should lightning strike your tower, the high-voltage pulse travels down your transmission line and meets the stub, where it is shorted to ground.

The stub is virtually invisible to your transmitter and offers 0 dB of insertion loss and an input VSWR better than 1.01. Return loss values are typically greater than –50 dB. Both fixed and frequency-agile models are available.

A real benefit is that the stub is maintenance-free, even after a discharge. There are no parts to replace.

The shorted stub acts as a broadband filter, and in sites where FM is collocated with AM, the latter signal is reduced by more than 30 dB.

An installed tunable stub is shown in the first image. It can be identified by the long slot, which provides fine-tuning across the FM band.

Models of the Curly-Q stub can be used on exciters and RPUs.

In addition to providing a DC short and broadband filtering, the stub recently was used at Black Diamond Broadcasting in Michigan by Del Reynolds, director of engineering, and his assistant Brian Brachel.

Brian was referred to Xenirad by Nautel’s Jeff Welton after Brian discovered a spur on their Continental 816R-4 transmitter. The spur was located on the GPS channel at 1.575 GHz. Installation of the shorted stub knocked out the spur. This particular stub was customized using two tunable stubs, one quarter-wave shorted and one quarter-wave open to remove the specific harmonic.

A miniature version of the rigid stub protects the STL.

Shorted stubs also can be used on STL RF links and RPUs. The Curly-Q stub in the second image lists for $250 and is available from Broadcasters General Store. A rigid version for your STL is shown in the third photo. All protect the equipment to which they are connected.

An Update He Didn’t Want
I wonder how many other readers have experienced this: Dan Slentz writes that Windows 10 shoved another unrequested update down the “throat” of WDNP(LP)’s on-air computer the other night. Unfortunately, he says, the Win10 non-pro version doesn’t give you good options to block updates.

Previously a Win10 update had forced the audio card and computer audio to 48 kHz instead of the standard 44.1 kHz. This is a major problem for some software that wasn’t designed or have settings to change to 48 kHz.

After fighting with his Simian automation and ASI soundcard for weeks, Dan did find where and how to force the system back to 44.1 kHz.

[Check Out More of Workbench Here]

But the most recent Microsoft update did something new. When it forced the update, it apparently decided that it didn’t like the licensing dongle or the approval of the software, so it “unlicensed” the station automation — which went into demo mode, timing out every hour. This update took the station off the air for two hours!

The experience takes Dan back to why and how Microsoft can (or should) be allowed to do this. What if we’re talking health care equipment instead of radio or TV, he asks. They should not have the right to force any updates without our choice to accept them.

Dan wonders if they realize they had interfered with a federally licensed broadcast facility by knocking it off the air.

John Bisset, CPBE, is in his 31st year of the Workbench column. He handles western U.S. radio sales for the Telos Alliance and is a past recipient of the SBE’s Educator of the Year Award.

Send your tips to johnpbisset@gmail.com.

 

The post Workbench: The Beauty of a Shorted Quarter-Wave Stub appeared first on Radio World.

The NAB has filed reply comments to the FCC in connection to the assessment and collection of regulatory fees for FY 2021 by stating that the Commission “must recognize that it is patently unfair to require broadcasters to absorb significant fee increases year after year to not only pay for the costs of regulating broadcasters but also for Commission activities that are primarily for the benefit of other entities in the telecommunications ecosystem.”

Those “other entities,” as the NAB sees it, are the ones that directly benefit from the Commission’s broadband activities.

SAY GOODBYE TO GORDON SMITH NEXT WEEK AT FORECAST 2022. As Gordon Smith exits his role at year’s end as NAB CEO and Curtis LeGeyt prepares to take the helm, what is the state of the broadcast industry from the Beltway view? Steve Newberry, who worked closely with both executives during his own tenure at the NAB, sits down with Smith and LeGeyt in an exclusive Forecast 2022 session covering legal, regulatory, and legislative initiatives under the former Oregon senator’s leadership that have impacted the broadcast industry. It could be your only chance to see Gordon Smith before he retires. There’s still a seat with your name on it! Reserve your spot now by visiting RadioInkForecast.com.

 

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Salem Media Group, which beat the street with positive growth in the third quarter of 2021, has confirmed that it will be one of a list of presenters at the event formerly known as the MicroCap Conference.

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The broadcast media company that among its holdings includes Bally-branded regional sports networks has just purchased and assumed the rights and obligations under an accounts receivable securitization facility of Diamond Sports Finance SPV.

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Audacy named Palak Forbes as senior vice president of digital business operations, a newly created position. She most recently held a business development and operations role at the New York Times.

The announcement states that she will “provide commercial and operational leadership for the company’s podcast business, while working across Audacy’s entire digital portfolio and with key strategic partners to enable continued strong growth in Audacy’s digital and podcast businesses.”

[Visit Radio World’s People News Page]

She will report to Chief Digital Officer J.D. Crowley.

Forbes was the head of business development and operations at the Times, where she oversaw the development its audio business and spearheaded its move into virtual reality. “Forbes also led strategic and commercial partnership teams to broaden and deepen reader experiences from Apple News to the digitization of millions of historic photos with Google Cloud,” Audacy wrote. “With her leadership, the sales team drove multi-million dollar deals and beat goals.” Before that she was the Times’ VP corporate strategy & development.

She also is a former vice president of strategy at Sesame Workshop and has held digital advertising strategy and subscriber marketing roles at Viacom and HBO, respectively.

Send People News announcements to radioworld@futurenet.com.

 

The post Audacy Picks Former NYT Exec for Digital Business Hire appeared first on Radio World.

Nine months ago, a Bahamian company directed by one of the U.K.’s wealthiest individuals and behind Great Britain’s Global radio empire revealed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it had acquired enough iHeartMedia shares to give it a 8.7% voting interest in America’s biggest audio content creation and distribution company.

Global Media & Entertainment Investments Ltd (GMEI) wanted a bigger non-controlling stake in iHeart — one that could expand to 49.99%, if it chose to. But, iHeart didn’t want this, sparking a transcontinental tiff between the two radio industry giants.

On November 3, GMEI, through its U.S. legal counsel, abruptly ceased its fight for a bigger iHeart stake.

In a short, one-page “Letter of Support” for a pending Petition for Declaratory Ruling of iHeartMedia in what is officially known at the Commission as Media Bureau Docket No. 21-141, Matthew DelNero, the Covington legal counsel for GMEI, updated the record — in his words — on GMEI’s position in the matter.

“Specifically, GMEI expresses its support for iHeart’s Petition, including the proposal that
approval be granted for GMEI and the GMEI Reporting Persons to increase their investment in iHeart up to any non-controlling amount not to exceed 14.99 percent,” DelNero wrote in the letter addressed to FCC Secretary Marlene Dortch.

With that statement, GMEI formally withdrew its request that the Commission grant advance approval of 49.99% non-controlling interest in iHeart, a request that came in response to iHeart’s petition.

In addition to the letter to Dortch, DelNero verbally told Audio Division Chief Al Shuldiner of Global’s change of heart.

What prompted Global to make the change? RBR+TVBR reached out to DelNero on Monday morning. He was not immediately available for a response.

On April 9, the FCC established a formal pleading cycle that sought public comment on iHeartMedia‘s request to win Commission approval for greater foreign ownership and non-U.S. investment. Covington attorney DelNero, on behalf of GMEI, chimed in by calling the iHeart Petition for Declaratory Ruling at the center of the pleading cycle as a “poison pill.”

In early June, a pull-and-tug scenario was unfolding as to who could chime in on what level of advance approval a foreign entity may be granted. In iHeart’s view, it was the sole determination of the FCC to make such a determination. GMEI disagreed, also disputing iHeart’s claim that it was the only party that holds standing on the matter.

This put the companies at odds over just how much ownership GMEI could have in iHeart under “pre-permission” of the FCC. For iHeart, a 14.99% limit was put in play. GMEI wanted that 49.99% advanced OK.

Back in June, GMEI assailed that iHeart’s chosen number of 14.99%—just like its earlier chosen number of 9.99%— was ”arbitrary and commercially motivated.”

It appears that viewpoint has shifted within GMEI.

GMEI has over the years bankrolled Global Radio, the entity that controls U.K. broadcast and DAB brands including LBC, Heart, Capital FM, LBC, Radio X and Classic FM. It is led by Michael Tabor, one of the wealthiest individuals in Britain. His son, Ashley Tabor-King, is the founder of Global.

Sixteen radio station licenses in California will expire on Dec. 1 if the Federal Communications Commission doesn’t hear from the owners by then.

They include five full-power stations, seven low-power FMs and four translators.

On Aug. 2, stations in the Golden State were required to file applications for license renewal for terms expiring Dec. 1.

“The following stations failed to file license renewal applications and their licenses will expire as of Dec. 1, 2021, provided no renewal application is received by midnight on the date of expiration,” the commission announced last week.

Call sign Community of License Facility ID Licensee K288AR BLYTHE, CA 51357 PALO VERDE VALLEY TV CLUB, INC. K292AH BLYTHE, CA 51369 PALO VERDE VALLEY TV CLUB, INC. KMOB-LP CLEARLAKE, CA 124107 MINDS OF BUSINESS INC. K204BW DEATH VALLEY, ETC., CA 16262 DEATH VALLEY NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION KNCR FORTUNA, CA 39472 DEL ROSARIO TALPA, INC. KZKC KETTLEMAN CITY, CA 94214 INTERMOUNTAIN PUBLIC RADIO, INC. KSXS-LP LOS ANGELES, CA 196949 THE LOS ANGELES SOCIAL JUSTICE RADIO PROJECT KSMC MORAGA, CA 3024 ASSOCIATED STUDENTS OF ST. MARYS COLLEGE KSFH MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 62118 MOUNTAIN VIEW PUBLIC BROADCASTING K284CL RED BLUFF, CA 156223 THOMAS HUTH REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST KSHC-LP ST. HELENA, CA 124879 ST. HELENA GOOD NEWS BROADCASTING KBDG TURLOCK, CA 3051 ASSYRIAN AMERICAN CIVIC CLUB OF TURLOCK, INC. (NEW BOARD) KMEC-LP UKIAH, CA 124562 MENDOCINO ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER KPUV-LP VENTURA, CA 196611 PROJECT UNDERSTANDING KQWA-LP WALNUT CREEK, CA 196494 EAST BAY ORIENTAL RADIO, INC. KQPV-LP WEST COVINA, CA 197096 ORIENTAL CULTURE CENTER

 

The post These Calif. Stations Are at Risk of Losing Their Licenses appeared first on Radio World.

Historically, The Home Depot has been one of the most prolific users of audio advertising to connect with consumers. Of late, however, its biggest competitor had been the bigger user of spot radio, according to Media Monitors data.

That could soon change.

The Home Depot returns to the Spot Ten Radio report for the week ending November 7, thanks to some 35,115 spot plays as part of a new campaign.

Still, that’s just shy of the spot plays associated with Lowe’s, which dips from last week by total rank; RBR+TVBR does not use the rankings as they include iHeartRadio internal and promotional spots, which iHeartMedia-owned Media Monitors values in the same fashion as fully paid external commercial messages.

Overall, Indeed remains No. 1 (that’s a ranking that is undisputed).

Among auto insurance specialists, State Farm is the clear winner.

 

Yes, Veterans Day is Thursday. Yet, it already looks and sounds a lot like Christmas. With Hanukkah arriving on November 28, retailers are already in high gear on gift-giving ideas.

For two brick-and-mortar department store brands, the ad activity surged in a significant way.

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Will the FCC and/or Capitol Hill change the media?

What’s to come at the Federal Communications Commission under the formal leadership of Jessica Rosenworcel will undoubtedly impact both radio and television broadcasting companies.

Remember: Rosenworcel voted against the media ownership rule rewrite that the Supreme Court unanimously ruled was lawful, putting the wheels in motion on cross-ownership rule “modernization” formulated under the Pai Commission.

Will that be the end of any meaningful regulatory reform for broadcast media. If Gigi Sohn were to become a Commissioner — a big if, as of today — could more regulations for broadcasters come to fruition?

That’s just one of many things Inside the Beltway that could impact your bottom line in 2022 and beyond. From Capitol Hill to the Commission’s new offices near Union Station, Washington is abuzz with broadcast media bills and proposals.

Who better than Frank Montero, co-managing partner at Fletcher Heald and Hildreth, to lead a Forecast 2022 discussion on the myriad regulatory challenges and opportunities ahead for broadcasters.

Montero has assembled a group of seasoned broadcast professionals who understand the implications, challenges, and opportunities of these issues and how they might play out in the year ahead.

Appearing at this Forecast 2022 exclusive session are Dr. Mark Fratrik, SVP/Chief Economist at BIA Advisory Services; Bob Mc Allan, CEO of Press Communication LLC and PMCM TV LLC; Justin Nielson, Senior Research Analyst/Broadcast Media at S&P’s Kagan; and Colorado Broadcasters Association President/CEO Justin Sasso.

Understanding what happens Inside the Beltway and how it affects you, your stations, and your future business prospects is essential.

Make sure you are in the room for this blockbuster session at Forecast 2022. Register today!

International Sales Team is truly growing into its name — the Australian company recently announced it is broadening its sales presence in U.S. and is cementing a new sales partnership with a Swiss RF manufacturer to extend its reach into Scandinavia.

Founded earlier this year, the company announced it is providing what it calls sales teams as a service or STaaS. It is based in Australia but services any country.

[Read: 2wcom Signs With International Sales Team]

The company, a network of broadcast and media industry sales professionals, announced late last month that it had signed an agreement with the Swiss company DAC System. The RF manufacturer selected International Sales Team to assist in selling DAC System’s range of professional broadcast products throughout Scandinavia.

The CEO of DAC System said that the addition of the International Sales Team gives DAC a cost-effective means of selling remote monitoring systems, RF accessories and other professional broadcast products in a complicated market. “Having International Sales Team in Scandinavia for us is just like having our own people in country and we look forward to a long and successful relationship together,” said CEO Pietro Casati.

Lee Salas

International Sales Team then announced in November that it has appointed Lee Salas to serve as one of the company’s newest broadcast industry sales professionals. Salas, who is based in San Francisco, has senior sales experience with hardware, software and video platform solutions for the broadcast media and OTT industries. His previous roles have included prospecting leads, negotiating terms and closing deals and he has built relationships with both domestic U.S. and international clients. He previously held positions at CBS Television and  Deluxe Entertainment Services Group.

Salas said he is joining the company at a positive time. Even though the broadcasting industry was hit hard during the pandemic, more and more organizations are looking to grow once again.

The news follows an earlier announcement in which International Sales Team signed an agreement to sell 2wcom broadcast products in the United States.

 

The post International Sales Team Grows U.S. and European Presence appeared first on Radio World.

Rick Edwards, whose career included engineering leadership at Guy Gannett Broadcasting and frequency coordination work for the Society of Broadcast Engineers, died in October. He died at a hospice facility Woodstock, Ga., at age 74, according to an obituary provided by his son Jonathan Edwards, P.E.

Richard L. Edwards was born in North Carolina and began his engineering career with jobs at the state’s WTVD(TV), WPJL(AM), Bob Raleigh Productions and WCHL(AM) as an engineer for the radio network of the University of North Carolina.

His family described him as “an avid learner and self-taught” though he also spent time at the North Carolina School of Broadcasting in Charlotte. “He frequently ran into a Clemson student named Ron Rackley in the press box when UNC played Clemson,” according to the obituary.

In the mid-1970s Edwards became station engineer for WLXG(AM) and WKQQ(FM) in Lexington, Ky.; worked for the radio network of the University of Kentucky; and did some award-winning work in advertising production.

“In his early days, Rick was quite innovative in designing remotes for the radio networks that covered entire arenas back when that range was uncommon,” the family wrote. “Rick worked alongside well-known talents Woody Durham (University of North Carolina) and Cawood Ledford (University of Kentucky) and was radio network engineer at the 1977, ’78 and ’79 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Fours.”

In 1979 he accepted an engineering position for Guy Gannett Broadcasting that took him, his wife Jane and their son Jonathan to Florida.

“Rick called Miami’s WINZ(AM/FM) home for the next 15 years. Guy Gannett was based in Portland, Maine, and operated four TV and eight radio stations around the country, which Rick travelled extensively to manage.”

WINZ(AM) had severe nighttime interference from a station in Cuba that exceeded treaty limits. “In 1981, Rick asked the FCC to permit an increase in nighttime power from 10 kW to 25 kW to overcome this interference and was granted an STA which still applies today.”

Soon after he led a project to construct a new tower and relocate the transmitter site for WINZ(FM) to overcome a difficult STL path and multipath issues caused by the construction of high rises in Miami. “This tower was overdesigned to support not only three television stations and 10 FM stations, but many other RF services within its 17,000-squarefoot transmitter building. The tower utilized three 12-foot platforms and was the beginning of the vertical real estate boom.”

When it was completed in 1985, the facility transmitted more than 18 MW, the most of any single facility in the U.S., the obituary said. “This successful project opened up a new business revenue stream for Guy Gannett and Rick was promoted to director of engineering and vice president.”

Edwards soon tried to increase the power of WINZ(AM) from 46 kW-DA to 50 kW-ND, but a nearby FCC monitoring station prohibited the change. “Rick lobbied to relocate the monitoring station to Vero Beach, which then allowed the power increase.”

Also in the 1980s, he led another multiuse, tall tower projects in the Orlando market, upgraded WPLP(AM) in Tampa to a six-tower directional array and received more nighttime power to overcome Cuban interference, “becoming the first station to operate with more power at nighttime than daytime.” He also helped Guy Gannett identify an opportunity to have an AM/FM pair in Orlando, a transaction that led to the sale of WPLP in a swap arrangement.

“Rick’s final project involved his former acquaintance, Ron Rackley, in upgrading this Orlando AM station to a 50 kW-DA. The FCC was not approving power increases to 50 kW anymore, but more lobbying by Rick proved successful. Under Rick’s direction, the entire six-tower facility was constructed and operational in under 5 months.”

Edwards was also an amateur radio operator and a member of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers and Society of Motion Picture Television Engineers.

During his “middle years” he worked as an NFL game day coordinator and SBE national frequency coordinator and vice president. In 1995, he assisted the NFL in coordinating Super Bowl XXIX in Miami, and went on to lead coordination efforts for numerous Super Bowls. “In Super Bowl XXXIV (Atlanta), Rick invited the local FCC field office to come assist. It was the first time the FCC had been invited. It went so well that today, the FCC is a regular attendee at Super Bowls.”

In the 1990s, Edwards helped found CityScape Consultants to serve local government entities in working with cellular providers when siting towers and understanding the 1996 Telecommunications Act. He wrote the business model with partners Anthony Lepore and Kay Miles; and he was CityScape’s president and chief engineer until August 2021.

Edwards had an early interest in radio. “Growing up he would play DJ, conduct radio shows with his nephew and build kit radios with his uncle who was an engineer,” according to the obituary. He attended Campbell College, where he studied psychology; and he served in the U.S. Army in the 1960s, which took him on a tour of duty in Vietnam as a maintenance data specialist in radio communications. He came home with a Purple Heart.

Donations can be made to the scholarship funds of the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers or the Society of Broadcast Engineers. A celebration of life will be held in the Raleigh area at a future date; for information email RLEdwards1947@gmail.com.

 

The post Remembering the Career of Rick Edwards appeared first on Radio World.

Radio advertising continues to outpace TV ad effectiveness, especially in the home improvement space, according to a series of studies commissioned over a six-year period.

Over those six years, the Audio Active Group at Cumulus Media-Westwood One commissioned eight consumer studies focusing specifically on the home improvement market.

The findings indicate that radio continues to be effective, efficient and often times the most successful way of boosting brand awareness and bringing shoppers to a home improvement retailer, whether in person or online.

As a start, the studies found that the heaviest users of audio are the biggest drivers of home improvement sales. Among three listener categories — heavy radio listeners, podcast listeners and heavy TV viewers (which would be more than eight hours a week for radio and 24 hours a week for TV) — it turns out that audio consumers, which includes either radio listeners or podcast listeners, turn out to be “massive spenders” in the home improvement category.

[Read: Bouvard: COVID Concerns Are Dropping]

“They spend way more than average, take more shopping trips than others, spend more per trip and are visiting more retailers, said Pierre Bouvard, chief insights officer at the Audioactive Group at Cumulus Media-Westwood One, in a recent explanatory video.

Spending more ad dollars on radio also paid off for home improvement retailers. The studies found that a home improvement retailer that increased spending by more than two times on AM/FM radio in 21 local markets experienced a significant surge in store traffic and sales. In addition, AM/FM radio ads that focus on sales events for different home improvement departments consistently created a halo effect that resulted in increased online shopping and store visits.

Take the example of Home Depot’s May 2021 TV ad campaign. A Nielsen Media Impact analysis said that the home improvement store’s television campaign reached about 50% of the 25– to 49–year-old demographic with its TV campaign. But when the advertiser overlaid a radio campaign on top of TV advertising, the reach jumped 61%, enabling Home Depot to reach 80% of American viewers in that demographic.

Take another home improvement retailer in the same month of May. Their TV campaign reached 2/3 of Americans in the 18– to 24–year-old age group. When a radio ad campaign was added, the incremental reach growth was 27%, allowing this retailer to reach 83% of American viewers in that age group.

“How is this possible? Where is all this incremental reach coming from?” Bouvard said. “Nielsen Media Impact reveals clearly the younger the demographic, the greater the lift in reach growth generated by AM/FM radio.”

The Nielsen numbers showed that 45% more listeners were reached via radio advertising in a Wayfair TV and radio ad campaign in May 2020 that when compared against TV advertising alone.

“Radio really helps build 18–49 incremental reach,” Bouvard said. “This is truly where radio makes your TV better.”

It’s no surprise that shopping during the pandemic shifted with the study revealing that 56% of all adults aged 18 years and older shopped for home improvement goods online in the last year. But those numbers shifted even higher when the study calculated whether the buyers were audio listeners. The study found that 69% of radio listeners and 79% of podcast consumers aged 18 years and older shopped online over the last year.

The research also offered other buyer insights too, including the finding that ads with a female voiceover drove stronger brand awareness among both men and women; that for every dollar spent by advertisers on radio advertising, nearly $29 dollars in sales was generated; that the younger the demographic, the greater the reach lift generated by AM/FM radio; and that in some instances, the sales effect of radio is triple that of TV.

The survey offered several recommendations too including that home improvement retailers should increase their AM/FM radio media budgets. “Add AM/FM radio to make home improvement TV campaigns better,” Bouvard said.

 

The post Radio Boosts Sales in Home Improvement Space appeared first on Radio World.

Mark and Paula Persons at their ham station.

Starting in the 1920s and through the ’60s, almost every broadcast engineer was a licensed amateur radio operator. That has changed a bit, but the importance of being a ham has not.

Both environments involve getting an RF signal from Point A to Point B. But it is interesting to note that radio broadcast and amateur radio are similar and yet so different.

For those who don’t know much about ham radio, I’ll tell you that communicating locally or internationally, via licensed amateur radio, can be a fascinating and challenging hobby. There are about 700,000 hams in the U.S. and an equal number worldwide.

Physics
Broadcast and amateur radio operate under the same laws of science. Transmitters, transmission lines, antennas and receivers make up an RF path to convey a message.

Broadcast engineers know that signal propagation on AM and FM bands is dramatically different. It is because our FM band is roughly 100 times the frequency and 1/100th the RF wavelength of that on the AM band. Engineers also know that 950 MHz STL signals are line-of-sight and roughly a 10-times jump in frequency from FM broadcast frequencies. Each band has its own challenges in getting a useable signal through.

[Read: Mark Persons: “I Never Had a Plan B”]

Amateur radio operators have about 30 bands of frequencies, with opportunities to explore from below the AM broadcast band up through GHz and to light. Hams are not limited to amplitude or frequency modulation, but often use single sideband and many modes of digital. A few communicate via teletype and/or transmit television images to friends.

Yes, some hams still use Morse Code to send and receive messages in their hobby. Code proficiency is no longer required for getting an amateur radio license, but it is a fun personal challenge to many.

Similarities
What I find valuable is applying what I know about amateur radio in my work as a broadcast engineer.
And, of course, it works both ways. Forward power, reflected power, transmission line loss, antenna gain, transmitter power amplifier efficiency and path loss are all dictated by the same rules. The mysteries and science of RF propagation to a new broadcast engineer are facts of life for radio amateurs.

Hams deal with the wave propagation challenge every day. Communicating across the world via radio waves may be lost on the internet/millennial generation, but it can be a real challenge for those who want more out of life.

International contacts are common during peaks in the 11-year solar cycle. With 400 watts I was able to make contact with a station in Antarctica from home using a good antenna. I made contacts to Europe, Japan, Russia and even Australia with just 100 watts from my car, mostly on 20 meters (about 14 MHz). Talk about distracted driving! Australia is halfway around the world from Minnesota. The RF path between us was only open for a half hour. It is always a thrill to be on the right frequency at the right time.

As with broadcast, profanity is not allowed on amateur radio. Don’t confuse amateur radio with Citizens Band. CB is a sad story about people transmitting on the 27 MHz band using bad language and unacceptable social conduct. Hams can lose their licenses for that.

Differences
Broadcasters are licensed for specific frequencies at specific power levels.

Hams might run up to 1500 watts of RF peak power in most bands of frequencies. Good operating practice is to transmit with only the amount of power necessary to reach the other end. Some delight in the challenge of contacting amateur stations worldwide with a watt or less of power.

Broadcasters modulate AM, FM and/or digital as per their license. FCC rules mandate tightly controlled occupied bandwidths. Hams select one of many modulation types, although the bands are divided into segments for each modulation type, just to keep order.

Broadcast transmitters are required to maintain a tight frequency tolerance. Hams can wander up and down authorized frequency bands looking for a clear spot to call CQ (calling anyone listening who might want to talk.) They can and do easily converse with hams in foreign countries. That is far more fun and challenging than just listening.

Hams don’t “broadcast” to a city or the world. They don’t play music or run program as you will find on the AM and FM broadcast bands. Instead, amateurs communicate with other hams one on one by voice, digital or Morse Code.

Sometimes hams participate in “nets” where groups meet on frequency to share ideas. The net control operator turns the frequency over to one at a time for the rest of the group to hear.

In broadcasting, almost anyone can buy a station, a construction permit or a license. It just takes money. Amateur radio is different. For a fee of about $35, a person can write an exam to prove his or her knowledge of electronics and FCC rules. With a passing grade, the FCC will issue a license to that person, good for 10 years with a cost of only $35 to renew. Try that in broadcasting!

Amateur radio currently has three levels of licensing: Technician, General and Extra. Climbing that ladder with examinations gets hams more privileges and operating frequencies. Many thousands have done it and so can you, especially now that proficiency with Morse Code is no longer required.

Call Signs
Amateur radio operators and broadcasters are issued call signs by the FCC.

Each call is unique and recognized worldwide. There is only one WGN in Chicago, only one W0HA for my wife Paula and only one W0MH for me. The (0) is zero, not O.

Call signs in other parts of our country use numbers 1 through 9 separating the prefix from the suffix. They start with a G in England, XE in Mexico — the list goes to more than 300 countries.

Because there are so many hams nowadays, new call signs in the United States look something like KF2XYZ. To be clear, broadcast stations have call signs, but broadcast owners do not. An amateur call sign is assigned to an individual person.

Hams use their call signs to identify every 10 minutes and at the end of a conversation. Broadcast stations, as you know, are required to ID once an hour. A broadcast ID has a call sign and city. Hams only use their call sign. They might be mobile, on the water or even airborne.

SBE
The Society of Broadcast Engineers has a “Chapter of the Air” meeting on amateur radio the second Sunday of each month on 14.205 MHz single sideband. Net control is Hal Hostetler, WA7BGX in Tucson, Ariz. It starts at 2400 GMT. That is 6 p.m. Central Time in Minnesota during the winter and 7 p.m. in the summer. Hams check in and tell what has been happening in their lives, such as attending an NAB convention or SBE meeting. This group has participants from coast to coast.

Morse Code
While walking into the engineering room of a station, I heard the Morse Code letter B (Dah-Dit-Dit-Dit.)

Some hams prefer communicating by Morse Code.

It didn’t take long to realize the sound was coming from a Best brand Ferrups uninterruptible power supply. The “B” was telling me that its battery needed replacing. The letter H is a high temperature alarm. Very clever of them. Knowing Morse Code also comes in handy on 450 MHz transmitter/studio links with Morse identifiers. For those who are Morse challenged, a phone call to a local ham could reveal the answer when the sound that is played over a phone.

Morse Code is another way of speaking English. It is not that difficult to learn. If I can copy code with a severe hearing loss, you can too. (I was a U.S. Army sergeant in Vietnam 1968–69.) My wife Paula passed a 20-word-per-minute code exam to get her Extra Class amateur license.

As mentioned, code is not required nowadays. Many hams find it a preferred mode of operation because it cuts through the noise so well. Many hams refer to Morse Code as the original digital communication mode.

The Ham Hobby
Some radio amateurs like to design and build equipment. Many like to work on antennas. Most like to chat with friends on the radio. Some chase DX (long distance contacts) to stations in foreign countries. They proudly stick a pin in a world map at each far-off location.

Astronauts are licensed amateur radio operators. It is a real thrill to talk to a ham aboard the International Space Station. That can be done with just a few watts of power on VHF or UHF. The old adage is true: If you can see it, you can talk to it.

Conclusion
Broadcast engineers who are licensed amateur operators have a better handle on the world of electronics. Having a ham license is one more way of showing their peers that they know something about RF. It is another feather in their cap.

For more information on amateur radio, go to the ARRL, the National Association for Amateur Radio at www.arrl.org.

And learn more in this video at youtube.com: “W1AW ARRL Station Tour.”

Mark Persons, WØMH, CPBE, retired after 44 years but continues to mentor broadcast engineers.  For more articles and resources from the author visit http://mwpersons.com.

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