Industry News

A TV channel solely devoted to environmental content has hired a new leadership team composed of industry veterans from Discovery, RIDE TV, Animal Planet and TLC.

The stated mission: to turn EarthxTV into “a globally recognized entertainment network catering to audiences increasingly attuned to issues affecting our planet.”

“We have an ambitious plan to expand development and distribution of EarthxTV into a powerful global entertainment and educational network, and I’m thrilled to welcome a truly talented leadership team to help us achieve our goals,” says Michael Fletcher, Co-CEO of EarthX.

Since its launch, EarthxTV now delivers hundreds of hours of programming with plans to aggressively increase its library of acquired and original series, films, and documentaries in 2022. The network is currently available at Earthx.tv, on iOS, and Android phones and tablets and through a growing list of OTT partners, including Roku, Apple TV, Firestick, and Google Play.

EarthX expects to announce traditional and digital 24×7 linear distribution deals soon. Helping its growth are the following new employees:

• Dan Russell is EVP of Content and Strategy for EarthX, “driving the acceleration of programming development and acquisitions for EarthxTV.” Russell’s experience in building multi-platform audiences and identifying new hit formats and personalities will enable EarthxTV to develop a slate of programming that resonates with current viewers and reaches new audiences around the globe. Russell has been a key part of multiple management teams responsible for launching and reformatting television channels in the US and internationally, including TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Velocity/MotorTrend, Discovery International, Poker Central TV (OTT/TVE), and now CuriosityStream (Linear/OTT/VOD). Before EarthX, he was VP of Channel Management at Curiosity Systems, launching the linear channel and digital/VOD offerings globally. He also served as SVP of Content Development at New Dominion Pictures.

• Rose Stark is SVP/Marketing for EarthX, overseeing marketing, social media, and communications for EarthX Expo, EarthxTV, and its annual EarthX Film Festival.  Stark has built and rebranded significant media enterprises, including Planet Green, Discovery Health, and TLC. Before EarthX, Stark spent more than 15 years at Discovery working on its global brands.

• James Levitt is EVP/Global Advertising Sales for EarthX, leading the company’s global sales strategy to expand opportunities for EarthxTV. Founder of Orama Advisors, he brings 30-plus years of experience across linear, streaming, CTV, OTT, and mobile platforms. Before EarthxTV, Levitt led global advertising sales for Ride TV. He also served as Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales at Discovery Inc.

• Mike Clark joins as EVP/Global Distribution, charged with expanding the availability of EarthxTV across digital and linear platforms globally. Before EarthX, Clark was at Ride TV, where he served on the board of directors and worked in numerous leadership roles, including VP operations, SVP Corporate Development, and EVP International Operations.

• Bryan W. Redd serves as Interim Chief Financial Officer for EarthX. Before EarthX, Redd was at Ride TV for over five years in various leadership roles including Vice President of Strategy.

• Tim Pirrello is SVP/Production for EarthxTV, leading the network’s creative, production, and post-production departments. A seasoned production professional, Pirrello served in a multitude of roles at AMS Pictures for more than 21 years, delivering hundreds of hours of television programming for networks including Discovery, HGTV, A+E, History, Food, Cooking, Lifetime, Bio, Showtime, WGN, TruTV and Reelz.

From our “Who’s Buying What” page: KICY(AM) in Nome, Alaska, has a pair of new Nautel transmitters in service.

The station, licensed to Artic Broadcasting Association Inc., took delivery of a Nautel NX50 and NX10 AM in the spring.

General Manager Patty Burchell told Nautel the NX10 will serve as a backup. “Because of our remote location in western Alaska, when repairs are needed it often takes weeks to get parts. This backup transmitter assures we can stay on the air if repairs are needed.”

Demonstrating the wisdom of that, the station immediately put the NX10 to use in May when the NX50 arrived with a transformer that had been damaged in transit. The NX10 was put on the air until the replacement part arrived.

Nome is a small community of 3,500 more than 500 air miles from Anchorage; road access is not practical. The community is less than 200 miles from the Russia as a cold crow would fly.

Burchell told Nautel that the station “immediately noticed a greater clarity in the signal. We have heard reports from some listeners on the fringe areas of coverage, and they are receiving us loud and clear.”

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The post KICY Installs New Nautel Transmitters appeared first on Radio World.

The winning bidder for a broadcast construction permit auction had her application approved, but she may incur a fine for failing to file important post-auction documents.

The Federal Communications Commission says Nanette Valdez-Schwartz took part in the July 2021 auction of AM and FM broadcast construction permits known as Auction 109 and was the winning bidder of an FM construction permit at Medicine Bow, Wyo.

Winning bidders were required to file certain forms by Sept. 13 — in Valdez-Schwartz’s case, post-auction FCC Form 2100, Schedule 301, otherwise known as a long-form application.

[See more of our coverage of FCC actions.]

The Media Bureau had warned that any winning bidder who failed to submit the required forms before the deadline and failed to establish a good cause for late submission would be in default. Those applicants would not only be subject to monetary forfeitures, but in most cases would see their application dismissed outright.

There are cases, however, when the Media Bureau decides to accept a late-filed application. It can consider these when the delinquency does not disrupt the auction process or undermine the FCC’s goal of getting service out to the public rapidly.

In Valdez-Schwartz’s case, she did not file the form by Sept. 13, but she did get submit it two weeks later. She also made a rule-compliant late payment on the balance of her auction bid. In approving the application, the bureau said it also gave weight to her record of compliance with previous auction-related requirements.

One thing Valdez-Schwartz did not do was to file a waiver request along with her late application.

But despite that, the bureau said it believes it is in the public interest to move ahead and implement a new service in Medicine Bow.

As a result, the FCC granted Valdez-Schwartz a waiver, assuming she makes the $3,000 forfeiture payment listed in the notice of apparent liability. She has 30 days to file a written statement asking for reduction or cancellation.

Comment on this or any article. Email radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post $3,000 Forfeiture Awaits Winning Bid in CP Auction appeared first on Radio World.

Kybio from WorldCast Connect is now based on Kubernetes. The company says the change will assure high reliability for its cloud deployments.

Last year, a new “software as a service” licensing option was made available to users of Kybio network monitoring. WorldCast Connect now says it has created a major update to that SaaS plaatform.

“After a rigorous benchmark of technologies to best meet Connect’s need for more scale and performance, its SaaS version of Kybio is now powered by Kubernetes, the standard container orchestrator for cloud,” the company stated in the announcement.

Kubernetes is an open-source platform for managing containerized workloads and services.

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WorldCast quoted Product Manager Julien Libeau saying, “Using Kubernetes technology radically changes the way our team and engineers work on the SaaS offer. It also adds significant added-value for our customers in media and broadcast, especially by speeding up the time of deployment. They can literally have Kybio up and running in less than 10 minutes.”

He said the cloud-hosting solution lets Kybio scale more easily because the architecture provides the correct amount of compute power needed for each customer, depending on usage and license size.

It said its in-house local software agent, EdgeBots, played a role in the deployment of this cloud infrastructure. “They bring the ability to combine on-premise remote monitoring with a full cloud environment,” the company said. “The Kybio cloud offer is intended to be used in a decentralized network. By connecting EdgeBots with their remote network, users are quickly and securely connected to Kybio SaaS, offering high scalability for large network infrastructures.”

The company is offering users have the opportunity to test Kybio SaaS with a free trial license for one month.

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

The post WorldCast Connect Puts Kybio on Kubernetes appeared first on Radio World.

KRK Systems has updated its KNS line of studio headphones with the KNS 6402 and KNS 8402, both with enhanced sound quality, isolation and durability. Both models are closed-back circumaural (over and around the ear) designs with the KNS 8402 ($149 MSRP) updated for pro studio use and the KNS 6402 ($99 MSRP) more suited for home studio production and stereo music enjoyment.

All KNS headphones come only in matte black and are made using an impact-resistant plastic material that makes them super lightweight. The cables, head and premium leatherette ear cushions are easily field-replaceable, including the in-line volume control that uses a “long life” fader, connecting between the headphones and the supplied cable using 3.5-mm stereo plugs. You can easily remove the in-line volume control altogether.

I tried out the KNS 8402 headphones and immediately liked the self-aligning, sprung stainless steel yoke system in the headband that easily adapted to my head and retained that adjustment when I took them off.

The memory foam ear cups rotate up to 90 degrees and I found it more comfortable to not allow the center of the headband to touch the top of my head. There is a gap in the center of the headband, making them feel nearly weightless. They still hugged my head comfortably to block out sounds with up to 30 dBA of isolation.

[Check Out More Product Evaluations in Our Products Section]

The KNS series phones use 40 mm dynamic drivers with neodymium magnets; the rated impedance of 36 Ohms. They are rated at 0.1 percent total harmonic distortion while handling 500 mW per driver. Sensitivity on the KNS 8402 is 97 dB SPL @ 1 mW with maximum SPL of 124 dB. Frequency response is specified as 5 Hz to 23 kHz.

For all my sonic testing, I used my musicians’ cue system that uses a Simon Systems CB-4 Cue Box powered by a 100-watts per channel Hafler stereo power amp. I also tried my secondary cue system that uses a small Aphex Systems HeadPod 4 4-channel amplifier with good results. In addition to the KNS 8402s, I kept three other sets of phones plugged into the CB-4 with volumes matched, and I played different kinds of music, as well as individual tracks (drums, bass, guitars, etc.) out of Pro Tools. The KNS 8402s were definitely the lightest.

Overall the KNS 8402s are neutral-sounding: not overly bright or bottom-heavy compared to my more expensive audiophile models. They are smooth in the mid-range and not as abrasive as some other dynamic sets.

I am looking for a tight seal, which becomes extra important when five or six backing vocalists are singing around a hot mic. A studio might buy a dozen of these headphones for just that purpose. Once the KNS 8402s were properly fitted on a singer’s head, the ear cushions did a good job of sealing against leakage.

I was initially a little suspect of an in-line volume control on studio headphones. It could be “another point of failure,” but that little fader stays wherever it is set and the teardrop shape doesn’t catch on clothing.

If all headphones are fed from the same line, the in-line volume control becomes a necessity. Some backing singers like it louder than others in the same group. When the mini-fader is full up, it is the same volume as with the control removed — there is no difference in sound quality with or without the in-line module in play.

I liked the KNS 8402’s wide frequency response, dynamic range, stereo imaging and consistent voicing. These would be a smart buy for a new studio looking to stock their headphone collection with well-made, sturdy and good-sounding units.

This article originally appeared in our sister publication Mix. Users and suppliers are both invited to send news about recent installations and product applications to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post KRK Systems KNS 8402 Headphones Put Through the Paces appeared first on Radio World.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With the late Friday release of a Public Notice, the Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA) and the Media Bureau seek comment on the procedures to be used for Auction 112, an auction of construction permits for full-power television stations.

The FCC expects the bidding for Auction 112 to begin in June 2022.

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MESA, ARIZ. — Scott Sutherland was recently promoted to the corporate team as EVP of Regional Media Operations for Bonneville International Corp.

Now, his successor as SVP/Market Manager of the company’s Phoenix stations has been named.

Earning the role is Ryan Hatch, who has been the stations’ Vice President of Programming since 2011. He has been with Bonneville since November 2006, where he launched “Sports 620” on KTAR-AM, with the Talk station’s transition to 92.3 MHz, replacing KKFR-FM.

Hatch was previously Operations Manager of Bonneville’s Seattle stations.

“I’m humbled, honored and thrilled for the opportunity to lead the most talented team in local media in a city that my family loves and calls home,” Hatch said. “I look forward to continuing to serve our dynamic and growing community, our advertisers, team broadcast partners and the audiences of KTAR News, Arizona Sports and ESPN Phoenix.”

Sutherland now oversees Bonneville’s Denver, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Francisco and Seattle markets.

Content streaming provider Cirrus Streaming recently released a suite of tools for podcast hosting, editing and distribution from a single dashboard. The company says this allows radio broadcasters to create podcasts automatically from a live audio stream.

The Podcasting Suite includes a podcast editor that lets users upload, store, organize and edit files via a multitrack waveform editor. With this, podcasters can trim, splice and insert segments into an audio file from a web browser without the need of separate audio editing software.

[See Our Who’s Buying What Page]

The system also includes an ad server, allowing podcasters to build commercials into their podcast stream. Users can then distribute podcasts to any number of outlets and syndicate them along the way. The suite also offers several playout options, allowing for customization, branding and digital advertising.

“With the rise in podcasting during the pandemic, it’s more important than ever for content creators to take full control of their material, so we’ve taken this into consideration to provide everything they need in one place,” said Cirrus Streaming CEO Nick Csakany in the announcement.

The podcasting suite is available by monthly subscription for broadcasters and podcasters with no contract requirements, the company said.

Send your new product and services news to radioworld@futurenet.com.

The post Cirrus Podcast Suite Supports Radio Applications appeared first on Radio World.

The Women’s Media Center has released its 2021 report on the status of women in U.S. media — a compilation of research that shows the persistent challenges and intermittent progress for women in American media.

WMC’s “The Status of Women in the U.S. Media 2021” report draws data from 110 studies that together show the standing of women across all media, including legacy and digital news platforms, film, television, radio, technology, literature, and more.

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NEW YORK — After coming off a strong September, October 2021 all-media investment volume reached a new year-to-date high, leading into the holiday push. That’s according to Standard Media Index‘s U.S. ad tracker.

How does radio, in particular, rate compared to other media?

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