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The National Association of Broadcasters on Monday distributed via email a request for attendee input for its upcoming NAB Show, which will see the NAB/RAB co-produced Radio Show staged at the Las Vegas Convention Center in October.

While the NAB reiterates that it welcomes the opportunity after a year and a half for “Coming Together, Safely,” it’s also asking its audience to weigh on potential mask and/or vaccination mandates for all participants.

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Founded in 2018, Desert Mountain Broadcasting has rapidly expanded through acquisitions to amass a stable of 12 stations and 3 translators in the Montana markets of Billings and Bozeman.

It’s poised to grow once again.

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Steve Tuzeneu is a longtime broadcast engineer and Workbench contributor, and the general manager and CE of WIHS(FM) in Middletown, Conn.

Steve had a problem: a lost satellite signal; but he was able to track the problem to wasps that had taken up residence in the feed horn.

After removing them and their nest from the throat of the feed horn, Steve wanted to stop them from coming back. Fig. 1 shows Steve’s solution: a plastic cap from a used can of aerosol glue. The cap happens to fit nicely into the feed horn, discouraging any insects from moving in.

Keep this solution in mind, especially if you suddenly lose your satellite signal. As a contractor, I once was called to a station that reported losing its satellite signal every evening at sundown. Yep, you guessed it: Bees had taken up residence; during the day they were mostly away from the nest, but at night they all returned, and their combined body mass was enough to disrupt the signal.

Whether it’s a plastic cap or a cut-down 1-liter plastic water bottle, Steve’s tip will save you a headache and maybe prevent you from getting stung.

Analog at the Edge

I got a followup from engineer Dale Lamm about the AoIP EAS adapter we discussed here in July.

“I’ll confess, when I first saw the tip about the AoIP/EAS interconnection, I thought it was an April Fool’s article that was somehow delayed,” he wrote.

The CATV F connector adapting to an RJ-45 Ethernet plug was something he had never encountered. A clever engineer from WETA found this adapter and used it to solve a problem that had nothing to do with CATV.

But where did this odd adapter come from in the first place?

It starts with someone who wanted to install a TV set in a room that had nothing in the wall but Ethernet category wiring. There was no RG-6 coaxial wiring in the room.

With a pair of these adapters, you take RF from the CATV distribution amp and send it on one of the twisted pair inside the category cable.

In the room, another adapter takes it to an F connector that is attached to the TV. The 100-ohm twisted pair is close enough to the 75-ohm RG-6 impedance for this to work. Obviously, use a direct category cable connection. Don’t expect to shove RF through a network router!

Looking closely at the picture in our original article, it seems only the first pair is used. Moving consumer S/PDIF to professional AES with this adapter solved a problem inexpensively.

Dale’s plant makes partial use of audio over IP but has a lot of gear with analog I/O. He was never a big fan of dongles with twin XLR connectors hanging off the back of a dense array of rack gear. He finds it easier to modify a LAN cable — cut off one end, fan out the four pairs and solder the left/right pairs to a couple of XLRs that plug into the analog gear.

Use some tubing or heat shrink to make it pretty and more durable. Running balanced analog through 10 or 20 feet of unshielded category cable is fine.

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If you use the hanging dongle method, you’ll be soldering an XLR at each end of the interconnection. Dale’s method requires an XLR only at the analog equipment end, and results in less wiring congestion. Less dense rack wiring can save time troubleshooting in the future.

Note that LAN patch cables use stranded wire instead of solid if you’re concerned about flexure.

Someday, everything will be AoIP-ready or shrunken into a piece of software inside a server. For now, we all have to deal with analog at the edges of our facilities.

Ouch Ouch Ouch
Dale “Squeak” Porray, AD7K, really liked Bill Weeks’ submission about the LED replacement for fluorescent Circline bulbs but says the website link we gave may not have been right in some versions of the story. It is www.mpja.com for Marlin P. Jones Associates.
The site now has over 60 YouTube videos of the products they sell. Squeak has been dealing with them since the 1970s and says they’re a fine company.
Since we also were talking about Cat-5/6 Ethernet cables, watch the site’s YouTube video about the LAN RJ Plug Crimp Tool. It has a built-in cable continuity tester to check cables you’ve crimped, all for under $30. One notable feature is a ratchet release pin, very important!

Once while helping an engineer crimp cables, we took a break, but as we chatted, he inadvertently put his index finger in the jaws of the crimping tool and pressed down. CLICK — the jaws latched. And there was no release.

I drove him to the emergency room to get his finger freed. Since witnessing that, I’ve made sure that any latching pliers or crimping tools I use have a release pin. You can’t be too careful.
Bee a pal! Help fellow engineers by sending in your tips to johnpbisset@gmail.com.
John has spent over 50 years in broadcasting and is in his 31st year of Workbench. 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.

The post Workbench: Invasion of the Bees appeared first on Radio World.

From Podcast Business Journal

iHeartMedia has launched a new podcast network called Cool Zone Media with journalist Robert Evans. Cool Zone Media debuted today with the first episode of the new daily podcast “It Could Happen Here.”

Evans, who will serve as the head of content for Cool Zone Media, will be joined by the iHeartPodcast Network’s executive producer, Sophie Lichterman, who will become Cool Zone Media’s head of creative for the network.

“Remember when the world didn’t feel like it was coming apart? Neither do I,” said Evans. “Cool Zone Media won’t mince words: we are currently living through the collapse of the known and the birth of a new unknown. This new network will chronicle the journey and provide advice and access to those voices trying to build a better future.”

This September, Cool Zone Media will debut its second original podcast “Assault on America.” Written and co-produced by one of the United Kingdom’s leading independent podcast companies, Novel, the show will examine the events of January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC.

“We are excited to launch Cool Zone Media to help elevate vital political voices and viewpoints that are so often overlooked,” said Will Pearson, Chief Operating Officer, iHeartPodcast Network. “With a combined 100 million plus downloads across Robert’s current iHeartRadio podcasts, the appetite for this unfiltered brand of investigative journalism is clear, and we know Cool Zone Media’s content creators will inspire thought-provoking conversation as Robert and the team work to illuminate some of the most complex issues within the rapidly changing global political landscape.”

More podcasts and creators set to join Cool Zone media will be announced in the coming months.

FeiyuTech, a Chinese company focused on video stabilization technology, has unveiled a new line of tiny pocket-sized smart FeiyuPocket2 and FeiyuPocket2S Gimbal Cameras for outdoor, travel, action video and photography, social media video posting, and vlogs.

Based on the FeiyuPocket combination gimbal camera, the new next generation FeiyuPocket2 and FeiyuPocket2S lets users record professional anti-shake image stabilized video on the fly, everywhere they go. Featuring powerful intelligent shooting functions for both novice and professional photography users alike, including 4K/60fps high-definition high frame rate video up to 120Mbps, AI Anti-Distortion mode, Micro High-Torque Mechanical Anti-Shake Technology, 2.0 large aperture, 120° to 130° ultra wide-angle 6-glass high-definition lens for a wider field of view while shooting, built-in speakers, and support for extended external microphones. The FeiyuPocket2S is geared towards professional videographers and photographers and the FeiyuPocket2 is for more personal use.

With the advancements in high-capacity 5G wireless technology, more and more people are choosing to broadcast live videos on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other sites, vlogs, and blogs to share their daily lives or promote their businesses.

Availability & Pricing

• The FeiyuTech FeiyuPocket2 Gimbal Camera is available immediately through FeiyuTech’s official store at: https://store.feiyu-tech.com/products/feiyu-pocket-2 and Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0989H36TG with an SRP of $359, with a $30 online discount for $329.

• The FeiyuTech FeiyuPocket2S Gimbal Camera will be available for preorder at Indiegogo with a 25% discount at: https://igg.me/at/feiyutech. For more information, see the website: https://store.feiyu-tech.com/

WinMedia has announced that it has expanded its distribution network in the United Arab Emirates in a partnership with Tek Signals, a full-service provider of systems engineering and technology consulting.

Tek Signals will represent WinMedia’s range of broadcasting software solutions for radio and TV to Emirati media and broadcasting customers.

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WinMedia International Sales Manager Jesus Vazquez Miguel said, “Tek Signals is the ideal partner to help us continue expanding our presence in Emirates.”

He added, “In addition to their deep knowledge of the local market, Tek Signals have a solid track record of expertise in the analysis, development, and installation of solutions for media operations. Working with Tek Signals, we’ll be able to make our products and services even more accessible to local customers and reinforce WinMedia’s reputation for excellence in the Emirati marketplace.”

Submit business announcements to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post WinMedia Names UAE Distributor appeared first on Radio World.

The AM radio station formerly known as WMBI no longer has those historic call letters. It officially is now WXES.

That’s just one of the call sign changes reported by the FCC for the month of July, and probably the one involving the most famous call letters.

The station, which airs at 1110 kHz in Chicago, was acquired by El Sembrador Ministries from Moody Bible Institute of Chicago in July. Moody still owns WMBI-FM.

Moody had announced earlier that it planned to sell the AM station, which is considered one of the oldest noncommercial Christian radio stations in the country.

WMBI had been Moody’s flagship dating to 1926, and its call letters referred to the organization’s name. Moody had switched the station to Spanish-language Christian programming in 2012.

Here’s the list of 22 call sign changes in July (PDF).

The post July Call Sign Changes: WMBI Is Now WXES appeared first on Radio World.

Gray Television, like many companies, on August 6 revealed that it is requiring all new hires — full-time or part-time — to get a COVID-19 vaccine, effective Sept. 1.

RBR+TVBR has now confirmed that the broadcast TV station owner is moving beyond new hires by requiring all of its employees to get vaccinated. It’s a move that comes alongside an internal announcement from Urban One that it is doing the same at its multimedia operation.

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As of today, Gen Media Partners has rebooted its radio network sales and affiliate sales arm that until now was known as Sun Broadcast Group.

Introducing G Networks.

As GMP sees it, G Networks “will stand as a full-service network audio company providing clients, advertisers, and agencies with comprehensive and streamlined solutions in both Ad Sales and Affiliates.” It boasts more than 4,000 affiliates, and has preexisting offices located in New York, Chicago, Cleveland and West Palm Beach.

The shedding of the Sun name follows the late July exit of Danno Wolkoff as COO and Laura Wolkoff as Sun’s VP of Operations. Their departures came after the September 2020 departure of its founder, Jason Bailey. He founded Sun in 2008 and sold it to GMP in 2018.

Once the Wolkoffs exited, Warren Friedland stepped up from Managing Partner to take on the role of President. Once that was done, the Sun name was sunset by GMP.

He comments, “Evolution isn’t possible without change. It is with this ethos that we have upped the commitment and engagement for our G Networks radio division and are focusing on what is now vitally important to advertisers and stations in the current media environment. With an eye to the future, we intend to both invest and transform the future of audio.”

Rich Baum remains in his role as Chief Revenue Officer, while the Chief Development Officer role remains with Rich O’Brien.

She gave a big New York radio station a rebirth that directly brought it back to its roots as a top CHR/Pop station serving the Big Apple. Earlier, she played a key role in giving Houston a CHR/Pop outlet following the demise of two competitors at a volatile time for the format.

Now, after exiting the radio business for a record label role, this veteran talent is combining her skill set for at Global Media & Entertainment — the London-based entity that wants nearly 50% interest in iHeartMedia.

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Since the start of 2018, he’s been the VP of Broadcast Digital for Salem Media Group. 

Now, this former USA Today Network/LOCALiQ Group Sales Director is adding SVP stripes.

Now SVP/Broadcast Digital is Jamie Cohen. He will now be called on to oversee all aspects of the digital operations for Salem’s local and National/Network digital efforts.

He reports to Salem Broadcast Media President Dave Santrella, who said, “Jamie has done a tremendous job building Salem’s digital enterprise for our local stations. Overseeing all aspects of our digital operations, both locally and nationally, will open more channels of opportunity and unify our efforts in reaching our audiences through digital avenues and monetizing our digital assets.”

Cohen added, “I’m proud of the progress we’ve made and am bullish on our future. With the emergence of platforms like Salem Now, the Salem Podcast Network and other innovations, our audience has never been bigger. We have an amazing opportunity ahead of us and I can’t think of a better place to be.”

Cohen started his career at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, as an account executive for its STLToday.com operation.

Last week, the FCC concluded “Auction 109,” a bidding contest that saw the government offer construction permits for 135 new FM stations and four AMs in St. Louis. As previously reported by RBR+TVBR the AMs attracted not even one single bid.

That said, some 38 FMs went unsold in the auction. For Wilkinson Barker Knauer attorney David Oxenford, this presents one big question: Does this result say something about the FCC’s local ownership rules?

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As Oxenford points out, the FCC will have raised $12,344,110 from Auction 109. However, the bulk of the dollars are attributed to two properties. More than $6 million will go for a new Sacramento FM at 107.9 MHz, with iHeartMedia the company getting the chance to bring a station back on a signal once home to KDND-FM. The other big-dollar FM deal is one for just over $3 million, and involves a signal covering the northern portion of the Dallas metropolitan area.

Thus, the $12.34 million total could have been higher — if only those AMs in St. Louis and the 38 FMs were sold by the Commission.

What happened? Oxenford says, “The 42 channels that were unsold range from channels allotted to small communities in states like Wyoming or Alaska that were predicted to serve very few people, thus having opening bids as low as $750 that no one was willing to meet, to channels in somewhat bigger communities including channels in New York state and Colorado that had opening bids of $75,000, indicating that they would serve a substantial number of people.”

Why did the FMs in New York and Colorado fail to get a bid? “[T]he prices were apparently deemed too high to justify for companies looking for a business return,” Oxenford says.

But, he also ties the lack of bids for the FMs and the zero interest in the St. Louis-area AMs, to the FCC’s local radio ownership rules.

“Many of the unsold channels are in communities where there are already local broadcasters,” he says. “In some cases, I have been told that parties would have been interested in bidding on channels that went unsold but, because of the FCC’s ownership limitations, they were precluded from owning those stations.  So instead of providing new service to the public, these channels will lie fallow providing service to no one.”

Thus, the argument that deregulation can help the broadcast media industry along with the brokerage community and, most importantly, local listeners appears bolstered by Oxenford’s reasoning.

The timing could not be better for the broadcast industry, even though current FCC leadership is hardly open to further deregulation of AM and FM station ownership.

Oxenford points out that comments on whether changes should be made to the FCC’s radio ownership rules are due to be filed at the FCC on September 2. “The results of this auction may well be instructive on the issues that the FCC will be considering,” he says. “In comments filed in 2019, parties talked about stations in their smaller radio markets that are essentially nothing but a transmitter and a computer – providing no real local service – when local owners who do cover the issues of importance to local communities are precluded from using these channels to provide new services, as the ownership rules do not permit such ownership. The radio industry has significantly changed since the 1996 Telecommunications Act which set the current radio ownership limits. No longer is owning a local radio station the dream of every amateur DJ or kid with an interest in electronics – many of those dreams are now fulfilled by digital channels.  But there are still broadcasters who want to serve local communities.  Perhaps the result of this auction and the other comments filed on September 2 will inform the Commission on the realities of the current audio marketplace – realities that can impact their assessment of whether the current radio ownership limitations remain in the public interest.”

On Thursday (8/12), global advertising company dentsu announced that it has adopted a new policy in which it will pay all minority-owned media within 30 days.

This includes Black-owned radio and television stations, and is a decision that the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) calls “a game-changing commitment.”

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Expanding on its existing relationship with Mercedes Benz, Xperi announced that HD Radio receivers will be available in digital dash displays of Freightliner Cascadia trucks early next year.

Xperi SVP/GM Jeff Jury said in an announcement that the Freightliner Cascadia “will be the first commercial truck to fully implement HD Radio technology in its cab.”

Daimler Trucks North America is the parent of the Freightliner line.

The two companies have worked together before, including in the hybrid radio space. Xperi’s DTS AutoStage system was introduced to the market in the Daimler MB User Experience (MBUX) in the 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Xperi says HD Radio technology is now available from approximately 40 manufacturers in about 200 vehicle models and that it is in 75+ million vehicles.

The post HD Radio Snags a Spot With Freightliner appeared first on Radio World.

Here Comes TikTok.

That’s the declaration from Gordon Borrell, whose Borrell Associates has released another nugget from its April to late June 2021 Local Ad Agency Survey.

Here’s what broadcast media executives and sales associates need to know about how this rise could impact their chances of a buy — or not.

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A small broadcaster with TV stations in its home market of Salisbury-Ocean City, Md.; adjacent city Dover, Del.; Bowling Green, Ky.; Glenwood Springs, Colo.; and two Georgia markets in June 2020 agreed to a transaction involving Jeff and Janet Winemiller.

Now, the Winemillers are selling another property to this company — this time a LPTV facility serving Music City USA.

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In a major development heralding the possibilities for all broadcasters with the new ATSC 3.0 digital television broadcast standard, the first Broadcast Internet remote learning service has been deployed.

It is now up and running in the Nation’s Capital, and its over-the-air launch is thanks in part to a partnership with ONE Media 3.0 and Sinclair Broadcast Group.

The EduCast service’s deployment is a victory for Chantilly, Va.-based SpectraRep, and is utilizing the NEXTGENTV signal powering Sinclair’s WIAV-CD 44 in Washington, D.C.

The facility’s signal contour covers the entire National Capital Region and the Baltimore suburbs.

The deployment is the first Broadcast Internet remote learning service in the nation to utilize NextGen TV to deliver educational services that are designed to mitigate broadband access issues for students and teachers around the country.

In short, EduCast allows educators to immediately evaluate and deploy Broadcast Internet in the region for remote learning.

Broadcast Internet, also known as datacasting, uses digital television transmission infrastructure to deliver IP-based content to users within a broadcaster’s transmission footprint.

“When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country and students and teachers were sent home, we saw the negative impacts on remote learners without access to adequate broadband,” said Mark O’Brien, President and Chief Technology Officer of SpectraRep. “Issues like homework gaps and equity in education became even more acute, and we quickly realized we could help to bridge the digital divide through our technology and the enhanced advances offered by ATSC 3.0, in the same way we’ve supported public safety and law enforcement customers.”

EduCast uses a portion of the digital television capacity to deliver a secure, wireless data network that safely delivers targeted assignments, course materials and classroom
videos to students.

O’Brien says EduCast is operational and available in 12 states using the ATSC 1.0 transmission standard.

With ATSC 3.0, “we can directly support even more students faster and in a timeframe and manner that keeps them learning no matter what the new school year brings,” O’Brien says.

John McCoskey, SpectraRep’s COO, adds, “When the ATSC 3.0 standard was ratified, we knew it could dramatically improve our service offerings due to its native IP architecture, increased data capacity, and better reception characteristics. Our goal was to enhance our services to operate using both ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 transmission systems and to provide stations and end users a simple, no-cost transition from one to the other. At the station that means just configuration changes and moving a few cables. The in-home receiver we chose and have deployed already supports both transmission standards.”

In anticipation of the staggered and voluntary transition of stations from the current standard to NextGen TV ATSC 3.0, SpectraRep partnered with DigiCAP to develop an advanced in-home receiver capable of simultaneous operation using both ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 transmission.

Educators access the EduCast service using their existing Learning Management System (LMS) and tools. In a student’s home, the DigiCAP receiver connects to a simple TV antenna that is used to receive the broadcast signal and the IP content it carries.  The receiver establishes a Wi-Fi hotspot in the home that students connect to with their Chromebook, tablet, laptop, or smartphone.  The receiver stores up to 128 GBytes of educator-curated content.  This can include videos, presentation slides, worksheets, interactive documents, and images. Anything that can be saved as a file can be delivered.

On June 30, 2017, Continental Broadcasting Corp. sold a Class B AM in Phoenix to an entity controlled by Vic Michael Jr.

Now, less than two years after asking the FCC for a Construction Permit allowing him to “diplex” the AM with another property he owned, Michael is spinning this kHz-band facility along with its FM translator.

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If the audio media company formerly known as Entercom ever needed a shot in the arm from a Wall Street analyst, it arrived over the weekend.

The Insiders Forum, which reviews “attractive small- and mid-cap” stock insiders are buying, says now is the time to purchase Audacy shares. Why?

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For more than 10 years, New York Spectrum Holding Company — controlled by Chau-Chi “Charles” Wong — has engaged in the acquisition of low-power broadcast TV stations. Among the licensee’s leaders across its history is Vern Fotheringham, CEO of ARK Multicasting.

In recent weeks, Wong has emerged as a seller, and has agreed to spin LPTVs in Florida to Ravi Kapur. Now, Wong is exiting Houston.

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