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“We have work to do to put consumers first.”

Jessica Rosenworcel made her first remarks as the new acting chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission via video the commission staff on Monday.

She spoke about supporting “digital equity,” of policies that keep the public “cybersecure,” and keeping media policies current “while also honoring our longstanding values of competition, localism, and diversity.”

Rosenworcel is heading a panel that currently has two Democrats and two Republicans, until such time as the open Democratic seat is filled.

Below is the text of her remarks as provided by her office:

>>>

Good afternoon. It is an absolute honor to address you today as Acting Chairwoman. As you may know, last week President Biden designated me to take the reins of the Federal Communications Commission. I thank the President for the opportunity to lead this great agency at a time when its work is more important than ever before.

The FCC staff is not just uncommonly talented and knowledgeable about communications law and policy, it’s also an exceptional group of public servants. I think public service is a special calling.

I also like to think it runs in my family. I grew up mostly in New England, with pitstops in Southern Illinois and Northern New Jersey along the way. My father served in the Air Force and later went on to a career as a nephrologist in Hartford, Connecticut. For three decades he ran the city’s clinic for hypertension and kidney failure. My mother spent over two decades helping run a soup kitchen. And my grandfather before them served in the United States Customs Service right here in Washington. My great grandfather before that served the public in a different way—he swept the streets of New York.

As some of you may know, as a young lawyer I worked at the agency as staff. I then served in Commissioner Copps’ office before going on to work as counsel to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation under the leadership of Senator Inouye and later Senator Rockefeller. So when I was first sworn in as a Commissioner, it felt like coming home. Because the fact of the matter is that we are a family here at the FCC, too. We share professional accomplishments. We celebrate life’s events together. We weather uncertain times together. But above all, we work hard together toward the same goal—advancing the public interest.

I know that doing all of this during the last year has been difficult. It seemed like overnight our daily routines pivoted from commuting to the office to working from kitchen tables and living rooms. We’ve all had to adjust to new ways of being that help keep us safe. All of this means many of us haven’t been together in nearly a year and I know I miss seeing you in the halls, grabbing coffee, and convening in our meeting rooms.

At home I find myself navigating this new normal, speaking at a video conference one moment, organizing a call the next, and reading the work of the agency all while also serving as chief Wi-Fi fixer and snack-maker in my household. In other words, I know this time is challenging.

This pandemic is not easy. If this virus has touched you or your family, know that you have my support and the support of the agency. Your safety and security are paramount.

To that end, I want to note that my predecessor did an exemplary job of keeping the agency staff informed and safe. I want to assure you that the existing remote work policies will not be disturbed by this transition.

As difficult as it is, this pandemic has also demonstrated how important our work is at the FCC. Because as a nation we need connections—physical and digital—that strengthen our mutual bonds. We benefit from communications that reach all and help us work, learn, be informed, enlightened, and entertained. And we need connections that can break down barriers that for too long have held too many back.

As if on cue, a new appropriations law has provided this agency with authority to help do just that. Congress directed us to establish an Emergency Broadband Benefit to expand access to high-speed connections and assist those struggling in the ongoing economic crisis. It tasked the agency with expanded support for telehealth and provided funding that will make our networks more powerful and more secure.

These efforts surely will take up time in the next few weeks, but they only scratch the surface. We have work to do to put consumers first. We have work to do to support digital equity, especially in communities that have been overlooked and underserved for too long. We need to advance communications policies that keep the public safe and cybersecure. We have work to do to continue our history-making wireless and auction policies that serve as a global model. We have work to do to build bridges and find common ground with our state, local, and Tribal partners. We have work to do to ensure that our functional equivalency policies live up to our responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act. We have work to do to keep media policies current, while also honoring our longstanding values of competition, localism, and diversity. We have work to do to ensure that all students have the internet access they need for a fair shot at 21st century success, no matter who they are or where they live. And we have work to do to ensure open, reliable, and affordable broadband reaches 100% of this country—rural areas, urban areas, and everything in between.

All of this means every single person at this agency has something to contribute. From the dedicated staff in our field offices to the professionals that keep our agency running in Washington to the attorneys, engineers, and economists that populate our offices and Bureaus, know that your work matters. It makes a difference.

Finally, I’d like to close by recognizing Commissioner Carr, Commissioner Starks and Commissioner Simington. This agency is well-served by these men and their contributions, their interests, and their public service. I look forward to working with each of them in the days ahead.

We have a lot to do. I can’t wait to get started. Thank you.

The post Rosenworcel to Staff: “Put Consumers First” appeared first on Radio World.

He was the co-founder and COO of C3 Metrics, which he launched in May 2008 in Portsmouth, N.H.

Now, Jeff Greenfield, who in June 2020 became a strategic advisor to Overnight Dealer, has joined a media technology company devoted to making it easier to buy and sell advertising.

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It was a story first discussed in a front-page report penned by Meg James in the Sunday edition of the Los Angeles Times.

Now, the entire broadcast TV community is digesting the news that the President of CBS Television Stations and the stations’ SVP of News have been suspended while parent ViacomCBS investigates an increasing number of allegations against them for gender and racial misconduct.

ViacomCBS has suspended the two powerful heads of its TV station group, Peter Dunn and David Friend, amid widening allegations that the pair cultivated an environment that included bullying female managers and blocking efforts to hire and retain Black journalists.

In a statement late Monday, CBS said the two veteran executives were “placed on administrative leave, pending the results of a third-party investigation into issues that include those raised in a recent Los Angeles Times report. CBS is committed to a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace where all voices are heard, claims are investigated and appropriate action is taken where necessary.”

CBS took action just one day after The Times published an investigation that detailed how senior executives disparaged CBS station employees in Philadelphia, the nation’s fourth-largest media market. Dunn ran the Philadelphia station from 2002 through 2004 before several promotions. For the last 11 years, he has been in charge of CBS’ 28 television stations across the country, including KCBS-TV Channel 2 and KCAL-TV Channel 9 in Los Angeles.

The division has 2,800 employees and provides local news for millions of viewers who live in cities where CBS owns a TV station, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago and New York.

Hours after The Times’ published its investigation Sunday, the National Assn. of Black Journalists met with high-level ViacomCBS executives, including CBS Entertainment Chief Executive George Cheeks and ViacomCBS Executive Vice President Marva Smalls, who oversees the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts. During that meeting, NABJ leaders said they raised other complaints and demanded that CBS fire Dunn and one of his lieutenants, Friend, the senior vice president for news.

In a statement, NABJ criticized CBS’ hiring practices at its flagship TV station, WCBS-TV Channel 2 in New York, saying the station only recently hired a full-time Black male reporter in New York after five years without one. NABJ also said that WCBS has just one full-time Black female reporter and only one Black news producer in New York. In addition to overseeing the entire CBS TV stations chain, Dunn has managed WCBS since 2005.

Cheeks, who took over operations of the legendary broadcasting company last March, sent a note to the CBS staff a little before 7:30 p.m. Pacific time to announce the move, acknowledging that “these have been a difficult few days.”

Cheeks said that CBS Chief Operating Officer Bryon Rubin would assume the leadership of the TV station group on an interim basis. “Bryon is very familiar with your business and ready to support your efforts.”

He also noted the meeting with the NABJ delegation.

“We pledged to continue a dialogue with the NABJ on our best path forward,” Cheeks wrote.

The Times report shed new light on CBS’ $55-million purchase of a small independent television station, WLNY-TV Channel 55 on New York’s Long Island in 2011 — a deal that included a membership in the ultra-exclusive Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. The founder and previous owner of WLNY, entrepreneur Michael Pascucci, threw in a membership at his 300-acre retreat as part of the TV station sale.

CBS said the Sebonack membership belonged to the company but that it was put in Dunn’s name because the club did not have corporate memberships. The company said the membership was used to entertain clients and business partners.

Current and former CBS executives also questioned the thoroughness of CBS’ high-profile 2018 investigation into corporate culture, saying the outside law firms were aware of allegations about Dunn and Friend. The Times review of court filings, CBS’ internal communications and interviews with two dozen current and former CBS television station employees found that many were troubled by the outcome of the investigation and questioned the company’s commitment to cleaning up its culture.

“Senior management at the time addressed the situation with Mr. Dunn, and the company has not received any complaints about his conduct during the period since then,” CBS said last week.

Dunn declined to comment on the allegations.

CBS earlier defended its inclusion efforts at Philadelphia TV station KYW Channel 3, saying 45% of the station’s on-air reporters and anchors are Black, Indigenous or other people of color.

“I believe that I — and our stations — have a strong track record of hiring, supporting and placing women and BIPOC journalists in important roles as anchors, reporters and news directors,” Friend said in an earlier statement. “These comments I may have made about our employees or prospective hires were only based on performance or qualifications — not about anyone’s race or gender.”

Two former senior Philadelphia station executives — Margaret Cronan and Brien Kennedy — told The Times that Dunn made disparaging comments about the station’s popular evening anchor, Ukee Washington, who is a distant cousin to actor Denzel Washington. Among the complaints, Dunn allegedly called Washington “just a jive guy” and criticized Washington’s dancing.

After the report, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Tribune wrote about the situation. CBS’ KYW also took a stand with sports anchor Don Bell, during the 5 p.m. newscast, calling Washington “our quarterback and the crown jewel of Philly…. The good people at this station reject racism and misogyny in all its forms — no matter where or who it may come from.”

Washington has been a fixture at KYW since the mid-1980s and was elevated to the lead anchor spot when Kennedy, the former general manager, arrived at the station in 2015. Before that, Washington spent 19 years as morning anchor and a decade as sports anchor.

In addition to the comments about Washington, Dunn allegedly refused to approve a contract extension for another Black anchor, Rahel Solomon, a Philadelphia native who served as KYW morning anchor for more than two years. Kennedy, in an interview, said that in a two-plus-hour phone call, Dunn raised “bizarre objections,” such as saying, “I hate her face.”

Solomon left CBS in 2019 for CNBC.

“We are heartened by our discussion with George and Marva that there will be real, substantial and substantive changes at CBS to ensure that it is a welcoming place for Black and other journalists of color to work, rise and succeed,” Roland S. Martin, NABJ Vice President for Digital, said in a statement earlier Monday.

Rewind the clock by a decade, and Leon Black made headlines in RBR+TVBR because of the strong dislike of the billionaire by Sirius XM shareholders. At the 2010 annual shareholders’ meeting, more voted against Black than for him as he sought to remain on the Board of Directors.

Who knew then that the founder of Apollo Global Management, which today has a majority stake in Cox Media Group, would end up emerging as a despised individual who would end up stepping down due to his ties to one of the most infamous American financiers of the modern era?

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On a historical five-year trend chart, Urban One‘s stock performance looks like a hospital patient who flatlined and suddenly received a powerful EKG to revive the heart.

After years of languishing between $1.25 and $3.50 per share, UONE in mid-June 2020 rocketed to $36.30 — only to dip to $3.48 by Sept. 7 — as “Black Lives Matter” protests ignited daytraders eager to capitalize on potential new interest in Urban One’s assets.

Since late September, Urban One shares found a new normal that, while much less in value than that mid-June burst, remains significantly higher than where UONE was one year ago.

Now, UONE is poised to get a further bump in its price — thanks to a big investment by an investment fund focused on media, technology and communications companies.

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Telos Alliance, the Cleveland-based broadcast audio technology company, has scheduled an Omnia webinar for February 3 that will offer participants the best advice on how to get their best on-air sound … “with confidence!”

The session, “Get Your Best On-Air Sound…with Confidence! Insider Tips (and Secrets) to Your Omnia Audio Processor”, is scheduled for 1pm Eastern on that Wednesday.

“Whether you already own an Omnia processor or are considering purchasing one, there is a world of untapped potential you may not even know about, waiting to be unlocked,” Telos Alliance says.

The session is to be hosted by Kirk Harnack, who will chat with Omnia experts and power users to bring participants “the little-known tips and insider secrets to getting the very best sound from your processor while exposing some of our favorite features.”

Those interested in attending the webinar can sign up here.

If you can’t make this time, register anyway and Telos Alliance will send you a recording of the webinar direct to your inbox.

Over recent years, the audio market has witnessed a progressive shift to more premium products. Take, for example, headphones and models such as the Apple AirPods Pro, along with the Sony WH-1000XM series.

These, Futuresource Consulting notes, have helped democratize higher audio quality to the mass market.

This trend, which can be seen across most audio product categories, including wireless speakers and soundbars, took another turn in 2020.

Consumers homebound due to the COVID-19 pandemic have created a unique opportunity for premium audio product demand to thrive, Futuresource notes. “With movies and music consumption playing a central role in entertaining consumers during lockdown, having good audio quality at home has never been as important,” it says.

In the soundbar segment, consumers trying to replicate a cinema experience at home, with notably premium soundbars fitted with Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, has driven demand for models costing $1,000+.

In line with this, shipments have risen significantly, up 32% year-on-year in the period Q1-Q3 2020, according to Futuresource’s Home Audio report.

“People spending less on out-of-home activities such as going on holiday or eating out has freed up discretionary income to spend on high-end audio products,” Futuresource finds, noting that 2020 was a year where consumers who always wanted to invest in products such as a nice pair of speakers, a high-end amplifier or a turntable could justify this purchase, which ultimately drove average selling prices up across many audio product categories.

Record-high demand has also been seen for luxury audio products costing over $5,000 in 2020.

“The surge in vinyl consumption during lockdown has triggered a strong interest for luxury turntables, especially as wealthy individuals had more funds available to spend on ultra high-end turntables that can easily cost over $20,000,” Futuresource says.

The recently published Luxury Audio Report from Futuresource notably highlights that consumer spend on turntables costing over $5,000 was set to witness an impressive growth of 15% in 2020.

Another strong testament to this shift to premium devices is Apple venturing into high-end headphones with the AirPods Max, which retails at $549. “It demonstrates that Apple is confident that consumers are increasingly willing to pay for high-quality sound, but also for products using exquisite materials and integrating more tech features,” Futuresource says.

While 2020 provided exceptional circumstances, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have a long-term impact on consumers’ lifestyles, notably with remote working set to become more common, and with commutes and business travel also expected to reduce. The post-COVID world is likely to be more home focused, creating more opportunities for consumers to listen to music and watch movies at home, which will ultimately place a stronger emphasis on the quality of home audio products.

Futuresource, consequently, anticipates this trend to drive long-term growth for high-end audio products, especially as consumers who have experienced high audio quality are usually more likely to upgrade to perfect their listening experience or access the latest tech features.

LOS ANGELES — Streamland Media, formerly Picture Head Holdings LLC, has entered into an agreement to acquire the Technicolor Post business.

The acquisition, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is backed by Trive Capital and Five Crowns Capital and is expected to close in the first half of 2021.

Streamland Media operates through integrated business units around the globe, including industry leaders Picture Shop, Formosa Group, Ghost VFX, Picture Head, The Farm Group, and Finalé Post.

These distinct businesses support feature film, episodic, interactive and emerging forms of entertainment by providing customized products for use in picture and sound finishing, visual effects and marketing.

The Technicolor Post business will be merged into Streamland Media’s existing portfolio of businesses. There will be no interruption to Technicolor Post’s clients during this integration, and all employees dedicated to Technicolor Post will be part of this transaction.

“The strategic sale of Technicolor Post is part of our long-term vision for Technicolor Production Services to focus on VFX and animation for the entertainment industry, and creative services and technologies for the advertising industry, which provide the maximum value to our clients,” said Technicolor CEO Richard Moat. “We will continue to focus on these core areas through our award-winning creative studios The Mill, MPC, Mr. X and Mikros Animation.”

Quintech Electronics & Communications Inc., an Evertz company focused on the design and manufacture of RF matrix switches for broadcasters, satellite, and broadband networks, says the XTREME-256 matrix switch is certified for use in METs WGS Terminals.

The XTREME-256 was certified by Aberdeen Proving Grounds to operate in the AN/GSC-52B Modernization of Enterprise Terminal (MET) Ka and X band Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) stations.

The MET station with the XTREME-256 matrix was tested and certified by the U.S. Army Forces Strategic Command (ARSTRAT) as compliant with MIL-STD-188-164BCN1 standard for operation with wideband satellites for both uplinks and downlinks.

“These product lines have built-in local control that runs concurrently with the standard Web browser, SNMP, and API over TCP remote controls,” says Keith Blystone, Quintech Electronics’ Government Account Director. “The XTREME input and output gain controls made aligning the terminal for varying cable lengths much faster, resulting in quicker installation times and time to operation.”

The WorldDAB Automotive Working Group has a new chairman, Martin Koch, who succeeds Laurence Harrison.

Koch is head of development entertainment and car functions at Volkswagen Car SW.Org Wolfsburg AG.

The Automotive Working Group “brings together radio broadcasters and auto makers to collaborate on improving the DAB+ digital radio experience for drivers.”

Among its projects are to create guidelines on implementing DAB+ features; encourage enhancements to the in-car user experience for DAB+ and hybrid radio; and expand the group’s focus to cover the DAB+ user experience via voice control.

[Related: “Metadata, Keeping Radio Strong in the Car”]

In a statement released by WorldDAB, Koch was quoted: “As cars become increasingly connected, we need to ensure that drivers have access to a complete multimedia experience that combines a great user interface, rich content, and more importantly, a truly hybrid experience that offers seamless transition between broadcast, IP and on-demand.”

Harrison, director of automotive partnerships at UK Radioplayer, has chaired the WorldDAB’s automotive group since 2015. During his tenure, the AWG produced industry guidelines on the best user interface for in-car digital radios, made advances in enhanced antenna and network performance and increased broadcaster awareness of the importance of metadata for radio in the car.

[Related: “Assembly Highlights Advances in WorldDAB”]

Also announced: Gregor Pötzsch, product owner DAB at Volkswagen Car SW.Org Wolfsburg AG, will chair a sub-group of the Automotive Working Group that is focused on enhancing the in-car digital radio user experience.

The post Koch Will Head WorldDAB Auto Working Group appeared first on Radio World.

Many radio pros know the Ross Video name mostly from the large hard-to-miss NAB Show booth, often posted near the entrance of the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention center. No radio thingies to see there.

No longer! Ross Video has teamed up with audio processing technology and equipment maker Orban to launch the Radio and Streaming Audio Processor for IP and AES67 digital audio networks. It includes HD Radio applications.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

Built around Orban’s OptiCloud along with Nielsen Watermarking, Dolby AC-3 Dolby Loudness Levelling technologies, the rackmounted hardware-based processor features two-band AGC, five-band compressor/limiter, a three-band parametric EQ, phase corrector, phase enhancer, bass EQ and limiter, downward expander, stereo synthesizer, Orban OPTIMOD loudness control, loudness control and 50 custom presets along with unlimited user presets.

Orban’s Mike Pappas said, “The broadcast community, including radio, is moving steadily toward software-based solutions for the broadcast air chain. The new softGear platform from Ross, which incorporates next-generation Orban processing along with Nielsen audio watermark encoding and Dolby audio, brings powerful tools to radio broadcasters. It’s available now – we have a launch customer who has ordered hundreds of channels — and the platform is backed by Ross’ 24/7/365 worldwide support.”

There will be a webinar discussing this Jan. 26, 11 a.m. EST. Info can be found at www.rossvideo.com/live.

The post Ross Video Teams With Orban for Radio Venture appeared first on Radio World.

WRHU at Hofstra University on Long Island has been chosen by the Academy of Radio Arts and Sciences of America to receive the 2021 World Radio Day Award.

“The honor commemorates World Radio Day, established by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) and celebrated annually on Feb. 13,” the organization said in a press release.

“For this year’s award, the jury has highlighted the work done during the coronavirus pandemic, in light of UNESCO’s theme for the World Radio Day 2021 celebration, which is ‘New World, New Radio,’ in the sense that radio is a medium for resilience of our society.”

The award honors a U.S. station that exemplifies the best attributes of the radio industry. Recipients may be large or small, commercial or noncommercial, located in any market, and broadcasting in any language. The jury looks for stations that demonstrate ideals of localism, audience reach, community service, effective use of new digital platforms, diversity in program content and staffing, and financial and ratings success.

Jurors included representatives of Fletcher Heald & Hildreth, Radio Ink, The Weiss Agency, Talkers magazine, the New Jersey Broadcasters Association, McVay Media Consulting, Entercom and Radio World, which was represented by Editor in Chief Paul McLane.

WRHU is the first student-run station to receive this honor. The award was conceived by the Spanish Radio Academy to spread awareness of World Radio Day globally. The first U.S. recipient, named last year, was WTOP in Washington.

Mark Lukasiewicz, dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, saluted WRHU and its managers and staff “for carrying on their work throughout the pandemic and providing vital information to the community.” The station’s past honors have included three Marconi Awards from the National Association of Broadcasters.

The post WRHU Receives World Radio Day Award 2021 appeared first on Radio World.

Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has wasted no time in making the Commission her own, until a permanent head to replace Ajit Pai is nominated by the Biden Administration.

On Monday, Rosenworcel unveiled a slew of staff appointments and special designations to her office.

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Here’s a technical reminder for some EAS equipment users. It comes courtesy of the Alabama Broadcasters Association but will be of interest more broadly.

ABA’s technical newsletter, written by veteran engineer Larry Wilkins, notes that several stations that use Sage Endec EAS units had stopped receiving the required weekly test (RWT) from IPAWS late in 2020.

“The problem was discovered to be a missing security patch CR rev5. This patch was not part of the original 95.00 update, since the patch was not issued till after its release,” the newsletter states. “It is now part of the 95.00 firmware.” You can download the patch here or via the original Sage firmware revision announcement.

Wilkins, who chairs the state’s EAS Committee, wrote that ABA also identified a few stations that were still operating with outdated firmware, which is another FCC violation.

“The fact that so many stations were missing the IPAWS RWT for several weeks is disturbing, since the Chief Operator should have noticed this during the weekly station log review,” he wrote.

“Remember the FCC rules require that the CO review the station log weekly and make notes of any missing or incorrect entries. Discrepancies that continue should be reported to engineering or management for correction. It is not enough just to print the log and put it a file; it must be reviewed and signed by the Chief Operator and report any problems to the correct station personnel.”

Not complying with these EAS issues, Wilkins concluded, can open a station up to a Notice of Violation and fine.

The post Reminder About Sage EAS Security Patch appeared first on Radio World.

The DTS Connected Radio hybrid radio platform has a new name, DTS AutoStage.

Parent company Xperi introduced the name at the recent online CES show with the tag line “The global hybrid solution that works directly with broadcasters.”

The company’s George Cernat told Radio World that the change comes in the wake of Xperi’s merger with TiVo in June 2020.

“We integrated TiVo’s world-class music metadata and personalized content discovery engine with the DTS Connected Radio platform. This created a next-gen infotainment platform that is truly global and immersive.” He said the company felt that the name DTS AutoStage better represented the scope and implications of the product.

In a recent guest commentary, Xperi’s SVP, Broadcast Radio Joseph D’Angelo wrote about the platform: “Synergies gained from our merger with TiVo have accelerated deployment, enhanced our offerings and helped ensure unsurpassed security and operational support,” he wrote.

“TiVo’s massive music metadata platform and Xperi’s hybrid radio platform make an entirely new radio experience possible with premium radio content enhanced with visually rich data and deep content descriptors.”

Xperi is also the company that makes HD Radio technology.

Related stories:

“DTS Connected Radio Adds Lyrics,” Nov. 2020

“Hybrid Radio Picks Up Momentum,” Sept. 2020

The post Xperi’s Hybrid Platform Is Now “DTS AutoStage” appeared first on Radio World.