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In late 2017, Monte Spearman and his High Plains Radio Network were singled out by multiple brokers as an active buyer. By March 2020, Spearman emerged as an asset shedder, with multiple asset sale agreements seen in recent weeks leading into to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, with the first quarter approaching its conclusion, HPRN has filed for federal bankruptcy protection in a Texas court.

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BOCA RATON, FLA. — Broadcast and cellular services tower administrator Vertical Bridge and Drake Services, the company behind a light monitoring system. have been granted a FCC waiver of lighting inspection requirements for antenna structures that use a state-of-the-art continuous monitoring system.

Details came on Tuesday in a Memorandum Opinion and Order from the Deputy Bureau Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.

While Section 17.47(b) of the Commission’s rules requires antenna structure owners to conduct quarterly inspections of certain lighting systems; section 17.47(c) exempts from that requirement systems that the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau has found to include self-diagnostic features sufficient to make the quarterly inspections unnecessary.

This led Vertical Bridge and Drake in August 2022 to file a petition for exemption. Additionally, Drake requested that “other tower owners using the Drake System be allowed to obtain the same relief as Vertical Bridge, on an expedited basis, by submitting a signed certification that they are using the Drake System on their towers.”

As the FCC sees it, the Drake Tower Light Monitoring System (DMS) satisfies the criteria of section 17.47(c) and that Vertical Bridge’s antenna structures using that system are therefore exempt from the quarterly inspection requirement.

Further, the Commission established an expedited process by which other users of the DMS may apply for an exemption under 17.47(c).

“Our actions today should encourage other tower owners to invest in state-of-the-art technologies so that they, too, will become capable of continuous monitoring of both their lighting systems and control devices,” said Kari Hicks, the Deputy Bureau Chief.

In March 2021, a digital marketing consultant who spent nearly a decade at CBS from 2006 through late 2015 joined the company that owns and operates two of the most iconic radio stations serving African Americans in the New York Tri-State region. In just three short months, he was promoted to VP of Digital Operations and Monetization.

Now, he’s taking Mediaco Holding Inc. to court for alleged violations of the New York Labor Law and the New York Human Rights Law.

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Two AM radio stations, a pair of FM translators and a 6kw Class A FM serving the Fort Smith, Ark., area and neighboring communities in Oklahoma are being put in the hands of a pair of individuals posed to take a 50/50 stake in the properties.

What does this mean for “Clean Local Radio”?

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The person who heads the consumer research and marketing services arm of an Austin-based technology-enabled litigation services firm has been nominated for a board seat at The E.W. Scripps Co.

This individual would succeed Lauren Rich Fine, who has informed the company that she will step down when her term expires in May.

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Since 2019, he has served as SVP/General Counsel for Sinclair Inc. Now the owner of Sinclair Broadcast Group, Compulse and Dielectric, among other enterprises, is promoting him to EVP/Chief Legal Officer.

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State Farm will once again be the title sponsor of the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Friday Night Spotlight airing on the broadcast TV network owned by The E.W. Scripps Co.

At the same time, the insurance specialist has invested in brand positioning and in-game sponsorship of Saturday evening women’s soccer matches also airing on Ion.

While the “State Farm WNBA Friday Night Spotlight” on Ion will be in place for the next several years, thanks to a new deal announced Wednesday, it is also taking a key sponsor role in the National Women’s Soccer League Saturday evening soccer telecasts on Ion. “Saturday Night Soccer” began March 16.

This builds on State Farm’s title sponsorship for the 2023 WNBA season, the first for which
Scripps Sports televised weekly regular-season games on Friday nights on Ion.

“State Farm is a champion for women’s sports, and this sponsorship is one way we’re committed to bringing more awareness and visibility,” said Kristyn Cook, Chief Agency, Sales & Marketing Officer for State Farm. “We believe that few things in today’s world capture our attention, ignite our passion and connect our communities like sports.”

State Farm’s relationship with the WNBA dates to 2013, when it became presenting
sponsor of the WNBA Draft.

“State Farm is a fantastic sponsor and a brand that shares our belief that women’s sports and female athletes deserve the same high-profile recognition and opportunities as their male counterparts,” said Scripps Sports VP/Revenue and Sponsorships Tony Lamerato. “State Farm doesn’t just talk about it. It shows its commitment with actions.”

Radio stations are always eagerly seeking new ways to drive more non-traditional revenue to the bottom line. Now, a white-label ticketing, marketing and discovery services opportunity has come to fruition, thanks to a partnership between Evvnt and a leading media workflow software provider.

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On February 27, Cumulus Media announced a strategic move alongside its Q4 2023 earnings report, seeking to optimize the company’s capital structure. Through its subsidiary Cumulus Media New Holdings Inc., the broadcaster launched an initiative to extend its debt maturity by three years while increasing the interest rate by two percentage points.

Now the first wave of that Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation will see a second extension.

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Adell Broadcasting‘s quest to gain FCC approval of its proposed $75 million sale of a full-powered UHF facility presently serving as Detroit’s MyNetwork TV affiliate is getting an unprecedented fifth push at the FCC.

The latest session, to be held via Zoom, involves one of the Commission’s key Democrats.

The minority shareholders of Adell Broadcasting will be participating in a virtual meeting with Geoffrey Starks on Thursday (3/28) at 11:30am Eastern.

“This will be my fifth meeting with the FCC … this is unprecedented,” Adell CEO Kevin Adell told RBR+TVBR late Tuesday.

In May 2023, Adell signed off on the sale of WADL-38 in Detroit to the Wichita Falls, Tex.-based licensee that is 51% controlled by Board Chairman Nancie Smith and 49% held by President Dennis Thatcher was agreed upon by the proposed buyer and seller. Paperwork was uploaded to the FCC’s LMS for review and the Commission’s approval.

That OK has yet to happen, and it likely has to do with the FCC’s current review of Mission Broadcasting’s cozy relationship with Nexstar Media Group and its Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture tied to WPIX-11 in New York.

This frustrates Adell, a firebrand independent owner whose other media holdings include conservative Talker WFDF-AM and The Word Network, the latter serving as the largest African-American religious network in the world. That’s why The Rev. Jesse Jackson Jr. has been working on Adell’s behalf to push the WADL sale approval to Mission forward.

Jackson on Monday (3/25) wrote to Starks, as well as Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioners Nate Simington, Brendan Carr and Anna Gómez, concerning the pending license transfer application for WADL.

On Wednesday, Jackson wrote again to the five vote-makers on the Commission, saying, “With the long Easter weekend approaching, we wish to ensure continuity in our communications and avoid any further delay in scheduling a meeting that is pivotal for the minority shareholders represented by the RainbowPUSH Coalition (RPC).”

Geoffrey Starks

RainbowPUSH and Jackson acknowledged with gratitude Starks’ “prompt and favorable response” to their request for a meeting on Thursday. “His willingness to engage with us is a testament to his dedication to creating a fair and balanced opportunity for all parties involved.”

Jackson continued, “In this spirit of progress, we seek to confirm similar meeting arrangements with the rest of the Commissioners. It is essential that we seize the opportunity provided by the extended transaction deadline, to discuss the vital interests of the minority shareholders and to work towards a resolution that upholds the principles of fairness and inclusivity.”

With Good Friday and Easter Sunday approaching, schedules could be demanding, Jackson acknowledged. “Nevertheless, we respectfully request that arrangements for a meeting be expedited to ensure that the minority shareholders’ concerns are addressed without further delay.”

The WADL sale process has seen Gregory Masters and Jessica Rosenthal of Wiley Rein serve as Mission’s legal counsel. Adell’s legal counsel in this transaction is Coe Ramsey and Patrick Johnson of Raleigh-based Brooks Pierce.

A company known for data-driven connected TV solutions has launched a GenAI-based connected TV tool designed to empower advertisers to align their ads with content in real time. And, it is using emotion and context of the programming in real time to make it happen.

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Here is your big special preview issue about the upcoming NAB Show in Las Vegas.

Partial County Alerting will be in the spotlight at a BEITC session.

Mike Pappas encourages engineers to do an audio audit.

John Schadler and Jason Schreiber talk about using drones to verify FM antenna performance.

Randy Stine explains the impact of renovation work at the LVCC.

Also, why Xperi is getting into gaming in the car. And Jon Accorrino says radio must proceed with caution in integrating artificial intelligence into its product.

Read it here.

The post Read the March 27, 2024 Issue of Radio World appeared first on Radio World.

StreamGuys will come to the NAB Show with a new version of RevenueStream, intended to help broadcasters and live event companies “tap into the potential of audience subscription revenue.”

The service was introduced in 2008 to help broadcasters develop nontraditional revenue. The company says its updated platform offers new subscription management, branding and payment features along with more monetization options.

“The latter includes metered paywalls, freemium access, membership plans and donation support, making RevenueStream an attractive option for live worship and private corporate events to private podcasters, public media and commercial broadcasters.”

The company believes it will also be popular with sports and live events markets, including larger sports leagues and concert streaming services. 

“StreamGuys has natively integrated SGplayer media player with RevenueStream to support these new features, although third-party players can also be integrated behind the paywall,” it said.

The new platform uses Pigeon.io and helps users manage subscriber lists, membership plans and account renewals. Customizable integration options will help organizations visualize their branding elements within SGplayer. Customers can also add the SGcontrol tokenization service to lock down and secure content from being stolen as streams occur. RevenueStream also expanded its transactional options, providing consumers with more payment choices while ensuring secure transactions.

NAB Show Booth: W1743 (ENCO)

[For More News on the NAB Show See Our NAB Show News Page]

The post StreamGuys Has a New Iteration of RevenueStream appeared first on Radio World.

At NAB, Sennheiser will launch the MKH 8030 RF condenser microphone with figure-of-eight pick-up pattern. 

“The MKH 8030 will not only unlock M-S, double M-S, and Blumlein stereo recording options, but will also be a great choice wherever the highest attenuation of neighboring sound sources is required,” the company states, “be it a PA system whose sound needs to be eliminated or an adjacent instrument that must not be picked up.”

The sound signature of the MKH 8030 is part of the MKH 8000 family. The MKH 8030 shares the qualities of that line and its RF condenser principle with push-pull transducer. 

These include high resistance to moisture, a floating, balanced output signal, extended low- and high-frequency response (30 to 50,000 Hz) and low inherent self-noise. 

“These features will enable sound recordists and engineers to capture a sound event in its entirety and with all its intricate detail, with wide dynamics, extremely low distortion, and a frequency-independent polar pattern to avoid colouration.”

​The MKH 8030 includes a foam windshield, mic clamp and two Rycote back-to-back clips to create mic pairs.

NAB Show Booth: C4732

[For More News on the NAB Show See Our NAB Show News Page]

The post Sennheiser Adds to MKH 8000 Family appeared first on Radio World.

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Media Bureau Cancels the Notice of Apparent Liability issued to Mendocino Environmental Center

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The Radio Sagua Broadcast Studio (Photo courtesy AEQ)

From Radio World’s “Who’s Buying What” page: The Cuban broadcasting agency, Instituto Cubano de Radio y Televisión, is expanding its digitization efforts to stations in its regional network. ICRT first upgraded Radio Granma in Manzanillo and, most recently, municipal station Radio Sagua in Sagua la Grande.

For the digitization effort, ICRT relied on equipment from Spanish company AEQ. The broadcaster is using AEQ Forum IP consoles, which allows it to tie operations together via IP.

For Radio Sagua, ICRT is using the Form IP Split configuration, which provides the same capabilities as the consoles used by ICRT in Havana, but at a lower cost. The modular board is designed for on-air control with the ability to handle basic and advanced operations from a compact package. It features a 3-rackunit FR CORE modular engine and can be configured to support up to six quad fader modules and a monitoring unit. The units can be equipped o support DANTE AoIP connectivity or MADI.

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The post Radio Sagua Adds AEQ Forum IP appeared first on Radio World.