Industry News

ORLANDO — She’s fondly remembered for her 12 years at Interep, her 17 years as Publisher of now-defunct industry trade Radio & Records and as a 25-year-old General Manager of WXLO “99x” in New York for RKO General in the late 1970s.

For the last decade, Erica Farber has served as President/CEO of the Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB). It’s a role she’ll be keeping for a couple of more years.

Farber and the RAB’s Executive Committee have agreed to a contract extension that will keep her in the association’s top role through April 2024.

Farber joined the RAB in January 2012 as an executive vice president and ascended to her current role a few months later.

The announcement comes following the RAB’s Spring Board of Directors Meeting held last week in Central Florida; WideOrbit sponsored the event.

At the meeting, held March 2-3, the RAB executive committee also reinstated and activated several new committees, including committees focused on bylaws, nominating, finance, strategy, investment, events, network, multicultural, and the “National Radio Talent System.”

The committees are overseen by the RAB board of directors with participation by RAB’s senior staff and are intended to help the organization manage its day-to-day business, while planning ahead for the future and benefit of the radio industry.

The Spring affair also saw StateNets Southeast & Midwest Region Partner Carolyn Fisher succeed Dave Martin on the board of directors.

PINELLAS PARK, FLA. — The Director of Content at the TEGNA-owned CBS affiliate located on Gandy Blvd. in St. Petersburg, Fla., will soon be trading in her Bolts and Bucs jerseys for Flyers and Eagles attire.

That’s because she’s just been named President/GM of CBS News and Stations’ local businesses in Philadelphia.

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Arrakis Systems is introducing APEX Cloud this spring.

This optional service brings cloud functionality and enhances the company’s flagship automation, APEX.

“The key benefits of a cloud-based automation system are remote access, failsafes and backup of critical files, along with being able to share audio between locations,” the company wrote.

“APEX Cloud does this all while utilizing the latest in security technology.”

[Related: “Exhibitor Preview: Arrakis Systems at NAB Show”]

The system allows the user to mix and match the needs of small individual operations up to large station groups.

APEX Failsafe software runs remotely in parallel with APEX automation; it will go live if the studio goes down so the broadcaster can continue to serve its community in emergencies.

Cloud and local automatic backup uses the Synology NAS with a 1 TB HDD and/or a current or new cloud backup service. This assures that the station can get back on air quickly regardless of hardware failures.

The system offers remote access setup and support for remote control of all APEX Plus/Harddisk and APEX Tools management features, with current security protocols.

APEX Connect automated file downloading software downloads and updated audio to your automation and moves files automatically across the user’s LAN or VPN, such as Traffic, Music logs and reports.

The post Arrakis Systems Heads to the Cloud appeared first on Radio World.

Of the many licensees of low-power television stations that have been actively trading properties of late, Lowcountry 34 Media has been more of the prominent ones.

The company led by Jeff Winemiller has most recently snapped up unbuilt LPTVs right before a construction deadline, donated a LPTV to an Indiana public television broadcaster, and spun off an Arkansas property to Weigel Broadcasting.

Now, Winemiller is writing a check to the U.S. Treasury. Why? He’s given the approval to a Consent Decree with the FCC to resolve a matter in which Lowcountry 34 was charged with abusing the Commission’s licensing process.

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From the Who’s Buying What page: RTL Today Radio in Luxembourg has deployed a BCE StudioTalk visual radio system.

The automated system integrates the station’s branding, synchronizes with RTL’s automation and broadcasts on its website.

“In less than three months, Broadcasting Center Europe installed the solution in RTL Today Radio studio, including the cabling, infrastructure and platform configuration,” the supplier wrote in the announcement.

The system includes four PTZ cameras and multiple screens. It is synchronized with the radio automation to broadcast the music and news with the content on the visual radio screens, in the studio and on the website. StudioTalk also triggers live shows, manages camera production with intelligent identification of the speakers, and automatically adds the graphic titles.

RTL Today Radio, an English-language station operated by the RTL Group, started broadcasting on Mar. 1, 2022, four years after the affiliated English-language news website RTL Today launched.

Send news for Who’s Buying What to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post RTL Today Radio Deploys StudioTalk appeared first on Radio World.

Cary Pahigian (left) and Dan Joerres

Cary Pahigian plans to step down as president and general manager of Hearst Television’s two Baltimore radio stations.

Dan Joerres will add those duties. He is president and general manager of WBAL(TV) and has worked as Pahigian’s collaborator on joint radio-TV initiatives, including Baltimore Ravens football.

“Joerres will oversee all of Hearst’s Baltimore operations: WBAL(TV), WBAL NewsRadio 1090/FM 101.5 and WIYY(FM) ‘98 ROCK’ and their associated digital properties,” the company said in its announcement.

It noted that Joerres and Pahigian have secured broadcast rights to Baltimore’s major pro sports teams including the radio rights for the Baltimore Orioles. WBAL NewsRadio 1090/FM 101.5 and 98 ROCK are the official radio home of the Orioles, while WBAL(TV), WBAL NewsRadio 1090/FM 101.5 and 98 ROCK are the official broadcast partners to the Ravens.

Pahigian joined Hearst Television from Saga Communications, where he was president and GM of a nine-station radio group in Portland, Maine. He also is former corporate vice president/operations at Sconnix Broadcasting, station manager at WBZ/Boston and operations manager at WIP/Philadelphia.

He is pursuing other professional opportunities. He was quoted by the company: “I leave Hearst with my gratitude for their support and providing me the opportunity of a lifetime.”

The post Pahigian Moves on From Baltimore appeared first on Radio World.

Sorry, but this isn’t the Aguacate podcast and you won’t be getting any avocado toast tips here.

Rather, media industry executives have the chance to learn more about Advocado, a cross media data platform that connects online and offline audience insights to better inform marketers on the media they consume, and where to invest their ad dollars.

Brian Handrigan, co-founder and CEO of St. Louis-based Advocado, shares in this InFOCUS Podcast how the company’s November 2021 purchase of VEIL watermarking software is moving forward, and what Advocado’s acquisition of Kantar BVS means, too.

Learn more by clicking here and devoting 15 minutes to this audio interview conducted by RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson.

 

Listen to “The InFOCUS Podcast: Brian Handrigan” on Spreaker.

In response to the plight of people displaced due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, 10 radio stations across the Netherlands joined their programs yesterday, Mar. 7, 2022. Presenters and reporters from competing stations teamed up for 15 hours of programming under the name Radio 555.

The goal of Radio 555 was to raise as much money as possible to support organizations providing aid to the people of Ukraine and neighboring countries where refugees are arriving. Organizations benefiting from the fundraiser include Caritas/Cordaid, Oxfam, Red Cross, Save the Children, Stichting Vluchteling, and Unicef. Together, the stations raised some €32 million ($36 million)

Radio 555 was part of the broader Giro555 “Together in Action for Ukraine” effort, which raised more than €106.200 million (nearly $115.7 million) on Mar. 7.

Listeners were directed to the www.radio555.nl website where they could make a donation along with a song request, and proceeds from all commercial breaks during the joint broadcast were donated to the effort.

The joint broadcast originated from the Action Center at Beeld en Geluid, the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision, and ran from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Commercial stations 100% NL, Qmusic, Radio 538, Radio 10, Radio Veronica, SLAM!, and Sublime participated in Radio 555, along with the public-service channels NPO Radio 2, NPO 3FM, and NPO Radio 5. NPO Radio 2. It aired on all the stations’ FM, DAB+, and online streams.

Radio 10’s Gerard Ekdom (right) and Sander Lantinga from Radio 538 (middle) began the day’s Radio 555 broadcast. (Photo courtesy Radio 10 via Facebook)

In addition to the Radio 555 broadcast, commercial television channels RTL4 and SBS6 and the public-service channel NPO1 joined for a 90-minute program.

Given that the 10 radio stations have different formats and identities, ensuring a common sound for Radio 555 was a creative challenge, according to Sublime Program Director Rick Waltmann. “Each station normally has its own target demo and music format; varying from CHR to Oldies. Together we want to set the right tone, and appeal to as many people as possible.”

To achieve this, Waltmann worked with PURE Jingles to develop a full package of Radio 555 jingle themes, music beds, sweepers, and news, weather, and traffic imaging, which were recorded and delivered within a week.

Pairing presenters from competing stations created some unique moments for Radio 555, including reuniting Mattie Valk and Wietze de Jager who in 2017 had a falling out when Valk backed out of plans for the pair to jump from Qmusic to Sky Radio. Today, Valk is still with Qmusic while de Jager is at Radio 538.

“Giro” refers to money transfers and 555 is the bank account number used to support these relief organizations. Giro555 was chartered in 2007 and has regularly worked to support relief efforts in the wake of natural disasters and other humanitarian crises.

The organizations supported by Giro555 are present in the area themselves or work through local partners to provide immediate emergency assistance, including medical care, food, shelter and psychological and social support.

“As aid organizations we are deeply moved by the enormous support we express here in the Netherlands,” stated Kees Zevenbergen, action coordinator for Giro555. “A great signal of solidarity for the victims in Ukraine and the many hundreds of thousands of refugees. They desperately need our support.”

2022 was not the first time Radio 555 has been heard on Dutch airwaves. The joint broadcast for charity was first organized in 2005 to aid victims of the Dec. 26, 2004, Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that killed more than a quarter million people in 14 nations. It also activated after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

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

The post Dutch Radio 555 Unites 10 Stations to Aid Ukraine appeared first on Radio World.

By Brian Galante

“High efficiency.” “Low wind load.” “Reliability.”

Those are traits many broadcasters note of Dielectric‘s many products. Now, broadband pylon TV antennas are coming for FM broadcasters to enjoy.

The Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned and independently operated Dielectric’s new FMP antennas represent the broadcast industry’s first slot cavity microstrip FM antenna product family. Among the benefits Dielectric is touting are multicasting, pattern flexibility, increased reliability and small tower footprint.

Attending the 2022 NAB Show? Dielectric will publicly share full details of the FMP family for the first time between April 24-27 at Las Vegas Convention Center, in Booth W7107. RBR+TVBR will be covering the NAB Show and will offer further coverage as it warrants.

 

“Television broadcasters have long valued pylon antennas for their straightforward designs, versatility and structural benefits such as low wind load,” said Dielectric VP/GM Keith Pelletier. “The cylindrical design attributes of pylon antennas historically translated to narrow bandwidth characteristics that were impractical for FM signals. Dielectric’s engineering breakthroughs introduce techniques to increase that bandwidth, making full-band FM operation in pylon antennas a reality.”

The engineering breakthroughs include reducing the antenna Q factor, which improves the bandwidth from one to 20 percent; and stabilizing the H:V ratio across the band. The 20% bandwidth translates to full FM band operation, a key goal of the FMP antenna’s design. Dielectric has also included its patented parasitic dipole, which adds a vertical component to the existing horizontal signal. This creates more pattern options for FM broadcasters, including elliptical and circular polarization, and contributes to the substantial bandwidth increase.

While Dielectric’s special pylon designs for FM radio differ from TV systems, the FMP family carries over many traditional pylon antenna benefits including optimal downward radiation, smaller size and lower weight. For example, FMP antennas reduce the number of parts used in equivalent ring-style antennas by more than 60%. The streamlined componentry also improves reliability over the long term as there are far fewer parts to repair or replace.

The pylon design also provides broadcasters and tower crews with top-mounting options, in addition to the traditional side-mounted configurations of ring antennas. This is ideal for high-power FM stations that want a true top-mounted omnidirectional antenna. The FMP can handle input powers of 100kW and higher, which also makes the antenna a top choice for combined operation of multiple stations.

Dielectric’s FMP designs use full-wavelength spacing between antenna elements. This reduces the number of antenna elements required compared to ring-style designs, which require half-wavelength spacing, hence more elements, to cover the full FM band. The efficient design is also easy to scale. Antennas are built in four-layer building blocks and can be increased to eight or 12 bays to suit higher power requirements and elevation pattern gains.

Dielectric’s abilities and drive to push innovation is showcased further with the actual FMP antenna design process, which was completed in a virtual environment and then quickly built to validate the designs. This process would traditionally take years and numerous iterations of parts to develop the antenna. Dielectric recently established a team of specialized engineers to create new designs quickly and efficiently using HFSS (High Frequency Simulation Software), which greatly accelerated the development process.

Dielectric, which turns 80 this year, revolutionized FM broadcasting in the 1960s with the first dual-polarized antenna, which introduced the concept of circular polarization from a single FM antenna element. The company again changed the game in the late 1970s with a quadrupole design that unveiled bandwidth improvements that remain present in modern ring-style antennas. Pelletier cites these examples as the roots of the innovations behind the FMP family, while also incorporating Dielectric’s experience in building pylon systems for TV stations.

“We are always looking at ways that we can bring antenna design concepts from one market to another and advance the technology for modern and future broadcast systems,” Pelletier said. “We have now adapted what was long a solution for mostly single-channel TV operations for both broadband TV and FM broadcasting, which very much differentiates our product portfolio from competitors.”

By Brian Galante

ROANOKE, VA. — It has been serving viewers in Southwest Virginia since 1952. In 2019, it moved to a new facility as part of a plan to improve its coverage of the region as its NBC affiliate.

For station owner Graham Media Group, replacement of the aging HDTV cameras was necessary. In the end, WSLS-10 in Roanoke-Lynchburg purchased six new studio cameras. Today, it believes its on-air look is improved, and its production sets are better represented.

The Roanoke-based NBC affiliate purchased six SK-HD1800 studio cameras from Hitachi Kokusai.

WSLS produces 31 hours of live newscasts each week for the market, as well as local lifestyle programming including daytime offering Blue Ridge Spotlight. The broadcaster initially launched its new studio space in 2019 using its existing, decade-old cameras alongside additional units borrowed from a sister station.

That all changed in 2021, when WSLS launched a long-planned camera technology refresh to enhance both its visual quality and creative options.

“Improving our picture quality was the main thing we wanted to do, but our previous cameras had also become unserviceable,” said Ricky Williams, Director of Technology at WSLS. “We also wanted to add new production capabilities such as automated lift.”

Systems integrator Digital Video Group (DVG) had built the technology core of WSLS-10’s new studio. He recommended the SK-HD1800 cameras as ideal fits. “Beyond the quality advantages, the success DVG has had with Hitachi cameras at other broadcasters was a big factor,” Williams said. “We do so much live production every day that taking a camera out of our rotation to resolve any issues would impact our product.”

WSLS went live with the SK-HD1800 cameras in November 2021, with DVG performing the integration and Ross Video handling the setup of camera robotics. With live production happening throughout the day, WSLS deployed the new cameras and robotics two at a time to minimize disruptions.

A phased approach to implementation was used.

“The improvement in picture quality was very noticeable as soon as we went on-air with the first two units,” Williams recalls. “We could immediately see an A/B difference next to the older cameras we were still using. It motivated us to speed up the deployment of the rest of the new cameras, since it would be so obvious to viewers that we were using both generations at the same time.”

Two of the SK-HD1800s are deployed on new Ross BlackBird pan/tilt/lift elevation systems to accommodate varying heights in the studio and sets. The remaining four SK-HD1800s are set up on Miller 3230 Combo Live 55 pedestals with Ross pan/tilt heads. Five of the cameras are used for newscasts, with two – including one shared between both purposes – used on the Daytime Blue Ridge Spotlight set on the other side of the studio. Production is automated through the Grass Valley Ignite platform, with Ross Video routing systems, Xpression graphics, and Dashboard control software rounding out the infrastructure.